Hi again

I havn`t posted for a while, I know. I`d like to say that`s because I`ve been really busy with loads of stuff but as Japanese University is a complete joke (to the extent that even the lecturers admit it) , I can`t really use that as an excuse...

I had a slightly odd Saturday last weekend. I went back to Osaka for another look around, got ABSOLUTELY lost once again (in Shinsaibashi this time, I sort of know my way around Umeda now). While I was there, I had a quick look around a few shops, inside one of which a brave shop assistant asked me in English if I needed any help. After reassuring him that I could understand Japanese, he then pointed to the jeans I was looking at and said "コレクッションじゃなくて、ジーンズです” ("These aren`t part of the collection, they`re jeans.") Oh well, at least this time they though I was a JAPANESE SPEAKING idiot...

Anyway, after wandering around Osaka for the day, I went back to Kobe, got changed, went to a bar in central Kobe with some other exchange students (where, in the middle of me ordering drinks and food, my Dad calls me... doh). Anyway, after going outside to speak to Dad I get stuck in this massive people-jam on the way in, where about 15 people are trying to go to other floors through the entrance elevator (the bar was on the 4th floor), another 10 are trying to get into the elevator to leave, and another 20 people are hanging around in front of the elevator waiting for seats in the bar. Just so you know, the entrance lobby of this place is about the size of the average public toilet... Anyway, while squished in there, the Japanese people squashed in beside me decided I looked like... wait for it... Nick from the Backstreet Boys... what the hell? (I want to say "Is it coz I is white?" but I know that is exactly the reason). I felt bad about having to break it to them that nobody in the UK has heard anything about the Backstreet Boys for the last 15 years or so, but they were too busy serenading me with "Azu rong azu yuu rabu me"...

Later on, we all went BACK to Osaka to find a club, after which nobody really remembers much else... There are however unfortunately photos, WHICH WILL NEVER EVER SEE THE LIGHT OF THE INTERNET.

I do however remember us all lying in a heap on a train bench at 0600 (maybe?) on the Sunday morning on the way back to Kobe, getting laughed at by two Japanese high school kids (Yea, they go to school on Sunday)

Oh, and I realise I`ve said this many times, but being a tall, very white foreigner sort of makes you stand out obviously. Sadly, this means a lot of people remember you from random places, even when you havn`t the faintest idea who they are. We all just get used to saying hi back to random people on an hourly basis. Unfortunatly, this backfired on my today when the person I gave a really obvious "Who on earth are you?" look to yesterday turned out to be my supervisors assistant...

Oh, and Second Language Acquisition teacher just goes from strength to strength in terms of totally surreal conversation topics... more on her next time.