With June 10th being a lovely free day, having no plans was the last of my worries. Right off the bat I had to get some household chores done for the week. Therefore, my morning starting with nothing better than... laundry! I started that early while I tried to full my day up with a busy plan. I had heard about some students going to the Aquarium near buy and I thought that was an amazing idea – but of course I had to be there when it opened or before the rush. So, with that said, I took off with some students and headed there before the rush. I think its worthy to note that I am FINALLY getting used to the train station situations. I have never ridden on trains like this before, let allowed tried to read a map that is in another language but regardless – I am getting the hang of things. On our way there I was having some issues with my pocket Wi-Fi and opted out of using google maps and instead TRUSTED MY GUT. Which of course, failed me. Luckily, I was alone and was corrected before I got everyone lost.
Once I had safely made it to the Aquarium and headed inside, I was speechless. I personally love aquarium and could sit there for hours as animals make their way through water like a bind in the wind. Nothing seems as peaceful as a WHALE SHARK. Which I was fortunate enough to get to meet and spend some time peering through the glass at. Post whale shark viewing, I had made my way through 90% of the entire building and spent some time in the depths, or as I would call it.... THE JELLYFISH ROOM. Like the whale shark, jellyfish movement in the water is stunning. Something so simple yet profoundly beautiful. But unfortunately, I was on a bit of a time crunch.
I had to BLAST out of there and make my way back to the hotel room to prepare myself for a dinner at a friend's place. Toki was a girl just a year my junior, who I had met just prior to this program. Here family has gone out of my way to make sure I can fully dive into both the language and culture surrounding Japan. I met Toki's little brother, Senshi, at Awaza station a little earlier than expected to play at a nearby park. 2 hours flew by in an instant as 8 kids (me included) played a variety of games such as dodgeball, knockout, monkey in the middle and volleyball. Of course, we could skip out on a snack, so we had to stop by the convenience store and recharge before dinner. Around 6:30 pm, we headed back to their family apartment to have a dinner with their English teacher. Their mother prepared a form of sushi where you get to make your own variations of rolls. A couple of bites in and perhaps a few drinks would lean into 5 hours of pure joy. With only have known them for about two weeks, they treat me as one of their own. Constantly supporting me in my understanding and usage of Japanese, as well as the cultural aspects of Japan. Later this month we have planned out destinations to visit and food to try like a check list for Osaka.
I am extremely grateful for their kindness and generosity and cannot wait to see where this friendship takes us.
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