I can feel the weather beginning to change in Hirakata City. The days are still nice and warm, all clear skies and sunshine, but most days of the week I bike home after-dark because of how late my schedule goes, so I’ve begun to notice the chill that’s started to settle here. With the help of some friends, I was able to buy a jacket that should last me through the weather to come the rest of this semester.
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of classes, of studying, of exploring, and of going out with friends. Going out to eat seems to be a favorite of the students here, and you won’t hear any complaints from me! So many of the things we’ve been going out to try are things that I’ve been missing as time has gone on, anything from what you can find in a conbini to things usually only sold at pricier restaurances — delicious fried dishes like okonomiyaki and takoyaki, all different kinds of curry, sushi, sashimi, grilled cow tongue, donburi, miso, udon, soba, nikuman… the list goes on. Tomorrow, I look forward to trying out New Delhi, an Indian restaurant near the school that’s gotten nothing but good reviews from foreign and Japanese students alike. I suppose you could say it’s… Par Naan. 😉
Speaking of food, my seminar house is hosting an International Food Contest on October 15th, which is also when I hope to write my next entry. I plan on entering the contest and will hopefully remember to take lots of photos of the dishes people make 🙂
One of the highlights of the past month here has been the trip I took with several friends to a local amusement park, Hirakata Park. We spent the whole day there, and I’m glad to say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Having lived in Florida my whole life, you can imagine how spoiled I am when it comes to theme parks — Disney, Universal, Bush Gardens, and who can forget Dinosaur World? Despite all of this, Hirakata Park proved to have plenty to do. If you ever get the chance to go, I recommend it! The rides were fun, the food was delicious, and if you’re lucky, you might have enough time left in your day for a round of mini golf before the park closes.
Thanks for keeping up with my adventures!
