(no subject)
On the route between Hirakatashi and campus.
I was supposed to meet up with Matt today to go to the Osaka Art Museum. He put out a message on facebook last night to comment and then meet up with him today at the Hirakata station at noon. I left here a little before 11:00 a.m., thinking it would take me quite a while to get from the Seminar House to Hirakatashi (which is Hirakata station). I tried to take a shortcut past the campus' closed east gate, thought I got lost, but ended up actually finding a shortcut, and then proceeded to hoof it fairly fast down to Hirakatashi. I arrived with over 25 minutes to spare.
So I look around, get a few train line maps, and then sit down in the station and read some of my textbook for Zen Buddhism. 11:45 arrives, no Matt. I take a few picture, then sit down and read some more. Noon...no Matt. I go try to ask the attendant near the ticket machine which stop I take to get to the Osaka Art Museum. After a few very confused moments of him and I trying to communicate, he finally gets it across to me that there are a ton of Art Museums in Osaka. I tried to disentangle myself from the conversation, thanked him, and then started walking around the station, looking for Matt once more. No dice. 12:15 p.m. ...at this point, I shrugged my shoulders and decided to spend the day exploring Hirakatashi instead.
Using the station as my base of operations, I branched out in different directions, going down narrow streets, passing numerous restaurants and small shops as I tried to become familiar with the area. I went through bookstores small and large, a two-story Starbucks, a three-floor arts and crafts store (looking for Sumi-e supplies), and finally stopped in at Mister Donut for something to eat. Mister Donut is a Japanese-only chain of donut/coffee shops that are quite popular here from what I gather. Sensei gave me a mug from a Mister Donut last semester, which is how I knew of it. So I stopped in and ordered two very delicious donuts. Continuing my trek, I started wandering down a small side street leading away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Hirakata City. I encounter a few small tents set up with people underneath selling various trinkets, clothing, and gifts. Intrigued, I kept walking down the street, only to find more and more of these tents lining the streets, filling up small little lots along the road, and joined by trucks in which people were making fresh breads, donuts, and food to sell as well.
Fresh donuts out of the back of a truck! The couple making them were so nice!
Mmmmm....fresh donuts. I now know why Vash the Stampede loved them so much in Trigun :)
Apparently every Sunday is some kind of unspoken community day - all of these tents and trucks appear, selling wares and food; a kind of open-mic live music show goes on all day in the park, and families are out in full force partaking in all of this. I felt an immense peace settle over me as I walked the streets of Hirakata City today. I explored for around 4 or 5 hours, listening to J-Pop in a Tetsuya CD/DVD store, looking at all the hand-crafted items in those tents, speaking with locals (they talk so fast!), jamming to the live music in the park, and taking pictures when the mood (or scene) struck me.
I took the picture at the start of this entry on the way back from Hirakatashi. It was too beautiful not to. I also stopped off at campus and checked my mailbox and (not the Australian) Lucas'; I ran into him on my way to Hirakatashi earlier that morning, and he asked me to check his mailbox if I happened to go to campus. I happened to go, so I did. So I dropped by his place in Seminar House 2 for a minute to give him those, and then returned here to eat a hodgepodge dinner of a riceball I created last night with leftover rice, a single pancake from pancake mix that (Australian) Lucas offered me, and finished with a fried egg on a butter-toasted piece of bread. Oh yeah, and I have some Meiji dark chocolate still, don't I?
*om nom nom...*
Hrm...not anymore, I don't. I discovered Meiji chocolate yesterday when I went to the Sanko grocery store. Most delicious chocolate I've ever eaten.
It's funny...I think I'm actually happy. And I'm so busy being happy, I don't realize I'm happy.
I've made some amazing friends from around the world here in Seminar House 3, I've got Emily and the rest of the Seminar House 2 "GENKAI TOPPA!!!" group; constant adventures and exploration, constant walking, a beautiful landscape, city, and country to soak up day after day...even all of my perpetual thinking has become more focused, less of a nuisance and more of a companion.
But alas, the world pulls me out of my reverie about the world. I need to take a shower, do laundry (one of the few annoyances here, as it's $4 per load of clothes), and do a bit of reading and homework before I go to bed tonight.
Emily invited me to go to see Megadeth, Judas Priest, and Slayer in Osaka next month. Being so close (It takes all of $4 to get to Osaka from here), I think I might go with her. I haven't listened to metal in quite a while, but I guess now's as good a time as any to get reacquainted :)
-Daniel-