8th post: Things continue

So things have happened, as my weekends have a tendency to be busy. Friday I went to the tanabata festival WitH My host brother and his English teacher. It was really fun, and I was able to have takoyaki for the first time. I took pictures which are below. We also had yakisoba. On Saturday I went to the karaoke I have been talking about forever. It was very fun, but I wish I knew more Japanese songs so that I could have sung things that my friends would have know. I ended up singing American songs. But it was still very fun. Sunday was the day that i went to odawara castle and saijoji temple with the rest of the yfu kids. It was really quite cool to reconnect with people at the orientation, and I was able to talk with a lot of their parents, who may have been happy to find a student who could speak Japanese. The temple had so so many stairs, I heard that there were 500 stairs there. But it was really awesome to go to a temple like that. The castle was also really cool, and there were a surprising number of cosplayers there, I'm guessing for series that take place there. But it was a really good view from the top of the castle, and the museum inside was cool as well. You weren't allowed to take pictures inside the museum though. And yesterday I wandered around some more, and stopped by a yakitori place that is really quite tasty. I've been talking to the guy working the outside stall every time I walk by. And of course I've still been trying new drinks and foods. I've also been talking to more people in my class. I'm loving it here again. There was a little slump a few days ago but that's gone. I'm fine, and ready for the rest of my stay here. I may make a post dedicated to the various food I've had, or I may wait for when I get back. I still want stuff to talk about to people, you know? But for now, I'm enjoying curry bread and yogurt soda. So let that run in your imagination as I sign off for now.

Christopher Scrafford