quick update

Hello, peeps. Just a little short update on recent events here in Japanlands. For some reason I am ridiculously busy and hardly have time for anything but...whatever it is I'm doing. If I'm not in class, I'm in the gym, and if not there, I'm off in some gallery and what not. Is this what they call 'having a life'? If so, I suppose the point with life is to get time to fly by. It's almost mid-November and I've been here 2 months. How did that happen?

Anyway, what have I been up to in my excessively exciting life? The truth is - not a lot. Well, I did go to the volleyball club (or circle as they're called here) and had a marvellous 3 hours with the lovely girls. The reaction when I said I was from Sweden was priceless: 10 girls in a circle going "SWEEEDEN!" in a high-pitched (think Sailor Moon) chorus. Just...priceless. But yes, super nice people and I might be joining the club and play once a week. I am after all in need of a new hobby.

Today I attended a class I'm not actually enrolled in, but they were talking about confectionary and I felt the need to go (did I mention I'm gaining weight rather than losing it as I was promised before I came here? Then again I always put on weight in time for winter - a sort of extra layer of insulation if you will. I know, I know, I'm from Sweden I shouldn't be cold. Have I heard it before? But forgive me, I've gotten sidetracked). So the class had a visit from a man from Japan's most famous sweet producer. The company - Toraya - was founded in the 1520s (!) and have since the beginning been the main supplier for the Imperial family. Of course the highlight was when we got to try the £20 a piece cake made with only natural ingredients (see right; photo stolen from Serruria). It was lush, just lush. Some red bean paste yummyness inside enclosed by a sugary cover that melted in the mouth. Incredible.

This weekend will be mostly studying. Boring, eh? Well for one of my courses we're doing a presentation and we drew lots to decide in what order we will have them. Guess who drew lucky number 1 out of 21 pieces of paper? Indeed.

That's all for now. Ta!

Jo x

ps. Right: Bottle of hot coffee out of a street vending machine. Surprisingly good!