A Lot Happens in Four Days...Duh

All the pictures since I've been here. I got my copious picture taking habit from my father :)

Arrival, Settling in, Sumo, Random:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017965&id=1230390045&l=fe935f12ae

Yabusame:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020088&id=1230390045&l=e7e5b19b1f

Night Stroll!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020137&id=1230390045&l=93ef55fb67

Performances and First Night Out!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020615&id=1230390045&l=0b59e150e5

Halloween!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2021650&id=1230390045&l=7d04beda4e

More Miscellaneous:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022079&id=1230390045&l=319d3e2ac2

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At AGU, every year, classes are cancelled for 3 days and students end up with a five day weekend. Why? For the school festival! Full of fun, music, food...and people friendly harassing you into buying their food. I got cornered a couple times by some guys practicing their English, insisting I eat their okonomiyaki (for those who don't know what it is, it's incredibly delicious. The equivalent of a pancake, but full of spring onions, often seafood and other things - topped with a sauce made of Worcester, ketchup and mayo...I believe that's the combination. It's amazing.) or their frankfurts. My friends had to help me back them away and let me walk away.

After the festival, I made my way to Shinkiba to the concert I mentioned briefly before. The bands/singers, abingdon boys school, HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, Do As Infinity, Hey Monday and Shuuhei Kita were wonderful! The venue wasn't hard to get to and once I asked some people how the process of entering worked, it was all good.

During really brief intermissions while each band or singer set up, they'd play popular anime theme songs and I was able to sing along for the most part with everyone. I was the only one who knew the song for one of my absolute favorite shows, Honey and Clover. The girls next to me were impressed. I felt good.

All the performances were positively electrifying, but abingdon boys school and HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR made my night. I'd love to see them perform again.

The next day, I was off to Shizuoka in a bus with a bunch of AGU friends to pick grapes, make noodles, and have the chance to talk with more Japanese students. I wasn't feeling so good but I really wanted to go, so I pushed myself. The grapes had a different texture and a little hard to eat, and I was too lethargic to bother with them. I only ate a few. We then had Japanese style BBQ (which is a lot like Korean I've discovered). There's a super hot plate and from my experience, you put bean sprouts and cabbage on first. And then the meat. You move them around with your chopsticks and once it's done, you take what you want and dip it in some sauce. Eat with rice. Drink some tea. Feel satisfied! :D

I was feel pretty energetic by then and after some goofing around with friends, we had to get back in the bus to go to the hotel. By the time we got to the hotel, I felt awful and I was sent to bed. Turns out I had a fever of 104 F. When the International Exchange Center's director measured it, it said 40 C which didn't really mean much to me because I'm still not used to using celsius yet. She just sucked in her teeth and stepped away.

Never a good sign.

A nurse came and checked if I had swine flu (which I don't, thankfully) by sticking some sort of probe up my nose. It hurt. She kept apologizing to me in English. We ended up doing this twice unfortunately. She gave me some medicine and I slept like the dead.

When I finally woke up and felt like moving around the hotel room, I went to the window, wiped away the condensation and to my surprise, there was Mt. Fuji! I didn't expect that at all. It instantly cheered me up.

I went home that day.

Next day, is when the quarantined business began. The dorm manager's wife told me a lot of things I didn't understand but what I do know is that I was prohibited to go to the dining room, couldn't use the shower, I had a specific toilet I was supposed to use, I had to use the alcohol spray bottle to disinfect, and I had to wear a mask if I left my room.

At least my dinner and breakfast are brought to my room.
Tonight, I've been granted permission to go back to the dining hall as I don't have a fever! Now I need to ask about all the other things....