Tuesday! Plans for Golden Week!

Another weekday. Whooo!  I woke up rather early to finish my Japanese homework then made my way to Kinjo for Japanese; my only class of the day.  It was a rather insignificant lesson.  We went over a few dialogues and had to make examples of illnesses to describe while at a doctor's office.  I think I did pretty well.  I love the Japanese classes here.  We actually learn USEFUL DAY-TO-DAY stuff! Moving on.

After class, I came home and booked our hotel for Golden Week.  Golden Week is pretty much a week of holidays and we have Tuesday-Thursday off of school.  April 29th is Shouwa Day; which is based on Emperor Hirohito's birthday.  May 3rd is Constitution Day.  May 4th isn't actually a holiday, but Japanese law declares any weekday between two official holidays must be a holiday; so, we get the day off as well (although, I do believe they are calling it Greenery Day now).  And,May 5th is Children's Day.

I managed to find a hotel for Steve & I for two nights for only $136.00 or 11,161Y.  Whoo!  I don't know if I could find cheaper during a holiday in the States.  I'm pretty damn proud of myself (I spent hours last night and today looking at hotels).  We're staying Tuesday and Wednesday night and returning late Thursday.  It'll be a nice get away.  Steve is working on reserving our bus tickets to Osaka as I type.  Looks like they're going to cost as much as the hotel, but, we don't really have any other options.  I can't wait!

I also went to a book store today and bought a street map of Osaka and I'm going to work up a rough itinerary and mark down routes on the map because it looks like the two of us are going to be on our own.  Lauren, Natalia, Iona, and Nausicaa are also probably going, but they're going to be doing their own thing.  For my map project, I bought these really nifty highlighters.  They have windows in the tips so you can see what you're highlighting as you're highlighting it.  No more crooked highlighting!!!

Look it how cool these are!!!!

Anyways, got a bit carried away with the highlighters.  I also bought Twilight, in Japanese.  I was going to buy Harry Potter, but they only had the really expensive hard-cover copies, so Twilight it was.  I have decided to read books that I've read in English as a way to improve on my Japanese language skills.  Can't remember if I've already said this in my blog, if so, I apologize.  Anyways, with a paper version, I can write my own notes in the margins, which will be a help.  It'll also give me something productive to do in my spare time (what little of it I seem to have).

After the book store and hotel booking and such, Lauren, Natalia, Iona and I made our way to the Moriyama Ward office.  I FINALLY got my Gaijin (or Alien Registration) Card!  Whooo!  I no longer have to carry my passport with me everywhere.  It makes me nervous when I do.  I also got my National Health Insurance Card.  Something I really needed before traveling outside of the city.

All in all, it was a rather productive day.  Till next time!

<3 Love & Miss You <3