Going home

I've been here for more than 4 months now, and it's time for my first trip home. Actually, I feel rather good about that, looking forward to get a break from everything going on here for a while. I have to admit that I'm a bit bored with being able to do absolutely nothing besides being in school during the weekdays...

To not loose all of my integrity I've been fighting for my weekends, and made sure to keep busy enjoying my free time. Two weeks ago we had another national holiday and I took the chance to go to Osaka for two days. Natsuko was rather busy so I spent my time meeting up with friends from the OUSSEP and visiting old familiar places; like the sento “Oyuba”, a public bathhouse on the way from my old dorm to Osaka University. To take a bath there and then walk the road up to school where I went soooo many times on my bicycle was very, very nostalgic.

Last weekend I hung out with Tomo and Sachi most of the time. We went downtown for some udon (thick, white noodles) for lunch, played some ping pong and sang karaoke. Tomo kicked my butt in the first games of ping pong, but then I remembered how to play (after all, I spent hours and hours in the Osaka dorm practising) and in the end I was making him run and sweat. ;D In the afternoon Tomo and I went to a sento in south Tokyo and after that we went playing basketball with some friends. Busy day, huh? The next day we took a rental car to Hakone (close to Mt Fuji, where I went with Natsuko in November), did some shopping in a huge outlet and then took a bath in one of the numerous onsens (hot springs) around there. Note that I went soaking 3 times in 8 days, which must be a personal record. This bathing is an addiction!

This weekend I'm just staying at home, getting ready to move out of the apartment and go home to Sweden. I'll be back the 11th of March and stay for almost a month. I hope it will not be too cold in Stockholm...

Now I've gotta take care of my laundry. Can't hang it on my balcony because the air of Tokyo is full of sand! There are some pretty strong winds blowing and I've been told that this dust has come flying all the way from some China desert...

Take care!