Christmas blog

December 19th. Only five days til Christmas and I can´t wait. Me and Edda will be heading for Tokyo on the eve of Monday and if everything goes according to plan we´ll arrive in the big city again 6:30 Tuesday morning. Nightbus is just so much cheaper that the 3 hour Shinkansen train. Sadly.

I haven´t blogged in a while, last weeks have been crazy. Even when there is nothing in particular planned there is always something that sneaks up behind you and steals your time here in Kyoto, which is indeed a very good thing as I enjoy being busy. Last weeks highlight include a test, two presentations, parties, trips downtown, saving money and paying the bills - which just doesn´t seem to go so well together - homework (mainly consisting of me trying to pound various Kanji into my head) and many many dance practices for the Christmas party.

You see, yesterday we, the exchange students, had a party with our tutors and another group of Japanese people, friends, and I somehow got very exited about the idea of cosplaying (dressing up as a person from an anime/manga...) and doing the intro dance from an anime that I love, called Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (the melancholy of Haruhi Suzumyia) and so it began.
Our many hours of practicing and buying of costumes came to fruition yesterday when we stormed the stage, the character list thus following: I played the role of Yuki, Tina from Canada was Mikuru, and then the rest were Japanese students; Masumi as the main role of Haruhi, Koni as Kyon and Kurachi as Koizumi. Behind us were a few more japanese students who did extra roles as there are no more main characters in the show.
Arriving at the party in my very baby blue and white costume (could they not have picked better costumes for the show??) was quite hazukashii (embarassing) at first but after nearly everyone had posed for a photo with me (seriously, you feel like a celebrity here at times) I felt a bit better and hit the buffet. Before I could take the stage I enjoyed the other acts of the evening, such as a song from Dreamgirls, Japanese anime song medley and a Quiz show. After one last quick practice we stormed out on the stage and took our positions. I ran out, switched places with Tine who took my spot and reminded Haruhi of one tricky step before getting ready to start. Thinking the music would start right away and we could do this thing I was startled when I looked ahead into the crowd and saw absolutely everyone in the room had their cameras pointed at us and were snapping away or taking videos.
I was pleasantly reminded of the leo part of me that loves the spotlight ;P
Music started and we did the dance, all in almost perfect sync and no fails. When we finished we dragged people out of the crowd to do the dance with us and did it again. Everyone did a perfect job and pure euphoria filled the air after we finished the second time :) These past few weeks I realized how much I miss dancing...

Three more acts followed us, the Korean girls did a sizzling hip hop routine, people from last semester performed a hilarious dance in traditional Japanese clothes (yukata), taking the off mid-dance to reveal pink, fluffy Santa aprons - oh and did I mention it was two guys and a girl... :P and finally our heavenly voices could be heard far away, singing war is over. Then we rushed over to collect our Christmas presents (everyone bought one item to put in a collective pot) and I was very pleased with my pink pig with a santa hat that serves as a mobile phone holder. Seriously, this country is filled to the brim with cuteness. ^^

After millions upon millions of photos (I still have white spots in my eyesight) we headed back home and had a very interesting party in the tatami room. Deprived of sleep I am now on my way with Andrea to buy ingredients for the pizza party tonight I demanded we have (I miss proper pizza...) and must do my homework today and tomorrow as there is only one more day of school left before Christmas and new years. I get back to Kyoto on the 3rd of January and school starts on the 7th. In January we have final exams and presentations, essays etc. and then two months break.

That is it for now, must be off soon. Make sure to check out the photos on facebook, there should be some soon from the Christmas party. ;P

P.s. congratz to those back home who have finished their exams, hope you did well! For the others; ganbatte! it will soon be over!

-Hildur