Friday

This morning we had a lecture on how wonderful a tourist destination Kyoto can be. I guess they didn't get the memo that we have already wrote our checks and are already in Japan, but the lecturer knew her facts. For instance, did you know 48 million people visit Kyoto every year? Did you also know that the average Kyotoan (?) walks at a rate of 1.5 m/sec? How does someone measure this statistic? Who's job is it to sit on a park bench with a radar gun and mark down the walking speed of each person who walks by? People will pay you to do anything.

Our group along with Hiro, our Korean friend Nick - or Pi -, and Hiro's friend played a ballin' game of ball this afternoon on the courts. My team of Jason, Taylor, and Pi ended up winning 25-23, even though we were down a player. Hiro tried to dunk - three times. I think he ended the game with 0 points. I need to stop wearing Vans during inopportune times.

Oh! How could I forget? Hiro let me ride his moped today. I was deathly afraid of falling on my face, but I conquered my fears and rode it on the sidewalk/road at school. After 2 minutes of riding, I'm addicted and secretly planning a way to purchase one back home. Everyone needs to trade their cars in for mopeds. Hiro fills up gas once every three weeks and it only costs him around $10 dollars. Ok, maybe the lack of heat, space, and protection is a little hard to swallow, but think of all the high-fives you will get from friends when you roll up to the fiesta in your new ped.


This is the scene we step into every morning when we get off the bus at school.




And North Central chose this man to lead us on this adventure.




Can you find him? He requested his own office at school so he can have uninterrupted Skype talks with his wife since he doesn't have internet in his apartment.





(Tad sits down with his lunch in our Japanese class)

T: "Oh, I can't stay here I have to Skype my wife. She needs a good Skypeing."