It’s finally time for another post, where I update you on my life here in Japan. I try to collect some fun events I attend since most of my days are simply attending school, and I find it hard to do anything when it’s 35°C+ and blazing sun.

So let’s get right into it. As I wrote in my last update, I had just finished level 1, and therefore I’m currently in level 2. Some things are easier, and you recognize some of the strokes in kanji and find some kanji has a fun or old meaning. My two favorites so far are the kanji for “sea” (海) and “little sister” (妹). Sea is built up of the symbol for “water” and “always”, so “always water” is the sea. making it easier to remember. Little sister is built up of “woman” and “not yet”, I know it’s minor things, but you gotta have fun when learning all this stuff.
I also have a bunch of new classmates, as the classes get changed along with the levels. It can be a bit tedious to have to learn a lot of new faces, but they are all kind and makes for great stories as some are from new countries.

It’s fun when you start having conversations in Japanese and can explain stuff without butchering it too much, but at other times you just reach some crazy grammar rules that make you question why you even bother learning it. Let me give you an example: 食べる = “taberu” = to eat. this is the base form of to eat. It can change into: 食べられなくなりました = “taberarenakunarimashita” = I can no longer eat (I have lost the ability to eat).
To be fair the form is “only”: 食べられなく = “taberarenaku”, but it doesn’t make it easier when you have a ton of words that can change like this…

But it’s not like nothing fun happens. I spent my time with my friends, and experience some of the summer activities, one of these are small (by Japanese standard) festival called “Bon Odori” where to the beat of drums, people dance around in their beautiful yukatas, forming rings around the center “stage..?” I can’t remember the name sorry! And spent money at all the food stalls and other small amusements. What really blew my mind was everybody danced the dance, from parents carrying their small children to slightly bigger children and all the way up to the elderly! I also joined for a short round, and it was a blast. As someone who loves kimonos and yukatas, the sights were so beautiful! Here is a picture below, I also have some videos, but as you know I cannot upload them here. So you can see them the next time we meet in person.

A nice surprise that literally caught me by surprise was a box with Danish candy and some light entertainment sent from home. I was waiting for another box, with stuff I had ordered and then the delivery guy came and had me sign. But the box I got was all the wrong proportions compared to what I was waiting for. So I got a little something from home. It was very nice, and of cause, I send some fun Japanese stuff and candy back!
One of the things I knew I wanted to see while in Japan was the Nagaoka firework show. It’s the biggest firework show in all of Japan, so it didn’t matter I had to travel for it. I had to go! So I got the chance to go, and it was a wonderful event! the fireworks were huge! And since I arrived very early, I got a great spot in my area where I could see the entire show. At the station they even had models of some of the fireworks and their size, so look below. I will let you be the judge if you are impressed.

I have tried to capture some images to show, but as you might know. Fireworks are very tricky to capture on camera and even if you do manage, they are NOTHING compared to seeing them in real life. I got some great videos of them, but again no videos here…

Sadly, not everything ended well. And after the firework show, I along with thousands of others started going towards the station. I had booked the last train and was in no rush, so I even waited until after most of the rush had died down. But no matter, normally Japanese people form queues everywhere and stick to them. It’s quite spectacular, and one of the things I enjoy about Japan. We walk towards the station, but I got quite unlucky. One guy felt like he needed to rush forward, and started shoving ahead. I hadn’t noticed it since it was behind me. until it was my turn to get shoved and surprised… My muscles being what they are, along with my inability to regain my balance meant my face got a little too friendly with the pavement…
Since I got confused from the concussion, and injuries to the face don’t look great, so an ambulance was called. I remember being super annoyed, as I had a train to catch but they didn’t care and I was brought to the hospital.
They patched me up and reached the same conclusion I did, it was a concussion but apart from that mainly small wounds apart from one near my eyebrow that they stitched a little. Since all the hotels in the city were booked due to the festival, and the last train had left, we agreed to admit me, so I had a place to sleep, and they could keep an eye on me for the night.

The next morning, I was given some instructions on what to look out for. And was let go after they made a quick check that I was okay. I paid my bills and went home. To my surprise, if you get in an accident you apparently get a little note, and the Japanese are super helpful after that. At the station, I got a new ticket to a new train, without having to pay. As the accident had prevented me from reaching my train. All in all, it was what you expected and that is a great thing. I scared my classmates as I showed up for school the last day before our summer holiday, spent a few days resting, and am now completely fine again.

So currently I just enjoy my vacation, taking it easy to fully recover and studying up. Since the week after our vacation ends, we have our mid-term exam…