hakubutsukan.

Following our frolicking in the garden, it was still a little early, so Julie and I decided that for 300yen, the historical museum at the entrance of the park couldn’t be so bad. I’m a bit of a sucker for museums, but even so I thought it was quite the bargain. A very friendly curator took us around a section telling us what I’m sure were a number of very interesting facts. Even Julie said she didn't understand half of what he said, so I felt better about my ignorance, but he gave us candy so I was pre-disposed to think well of him. There are artefacts stemming back to the pre-historic era all the way through to modern times. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the older things, but I got one of this gorgeous Datsun.

There were even things for people who think staring at old stuff is boring. There was an incredible to-scale model of the Gifu area in medieval times (complete with binoculars so you could appreciate the intricacy) and a number of activities to do. I chose to try my hand at some traditional ink artwork where you layer colours to make a picture.

Best of all, Julie and I got to go into an imitation Japanese house and try on traditional Japanese clothing. I was devastated that the lighting was so poor and I only had my phone, but you get the idea of me in my faux-Japanese form.

After tearing ourselves from the museum, Julie and I finished our day in the way we always do – udon and purikura.

gifu kouen.

 Last week I decided that three weeks into my life in Gifu, it was no longer acceptable for me to have no idea about what there is to see and do in my city. Therefore, I rallied the troops (consisting of Julie), and we ventured into central Gifu. As it is spring, we decided to visit Gifu Kouen (the city park). It is a shame it is a good 20-minute bus trip to reach it, or I would be tempted to spend a lot more time there. The park lies at the base of Mount Kinka, upon which Gifu Castle is perched. I have been told that the castle is the number one must-see of Gifu, but have not yet made it there. Although there is cable car access, my pride dictates that one must conquer the mountain by foot, and I have not yet found the time. Instead, Julie and I went for a leisurely stroll.

It is such a beautiful and tranquil park; there are ponds and vines and trees and flowers  and giant koi everywhere. Magical.

We spotted a mascot that we thought to be the Gifu mascot, but turned out to be part of some kind of campaign. Amusing nonetheless.

Following our visit to the kouen, our adventure continued, but you will have to tune in tomorrow for the second instalment (it's a good one, I promise).

tenki.

Yesterday was such horrid weather, it was raining and pouring all day and there was water everywhere. My spirits were lifted by the fact I got to wear my gumboots, thereby instantaneously justifying the third of my luggage allowance they had occupied.

I had class, and then had my compulsory university health check. I had no idea what any of the nurses or doctors were saying to me, so at every point I just stammered out “Is that okay…?” in my dubious Japanese. Luckily every time I asked I was answered with an affirmative, so no dramas there. After, I trudged back to my room, changed shoes, and refused to brave the outdoors for the remainder of the day.

This morning I was delighted to wake up to a very different kind of day; the is sun shining, and it is perhaps the warmest day since I’ve been here. Spring has sprung and everything around Gifu is starting to look a lot greener. I took some photos from my classroom window.

It is an excellent view for staring out at whilst daydreaming and not thinking about Japanese. 

ushi.

This weekend was a very quiet one for me. On Saturday I woke to find it cold and miserable outside, so I stayed at the dorms and caught up on chores and laundry. I did make it out for a bike ride around campus, although the weather wasn’t particularly nice so I didn’t take my good camera. I did, however, find two gentlemen whose acquaintance I was very pleased to make.

I also found the chicken coops, next to which was a pretty Japanese-style garden.

Therefore, despite my matchbox-sized room, I have found that I have a garden and two pets of my very own! Turns out my accommodation is far more luxurious than I thought.

doraemon.

Yesterday was a very exciting day for me; I finally got a phone. I decided on an iPhone 5, since without a smart phone I am guaranteed to get terribly lost, and iPhones are cheapest in Japan. I owe Julie in a big way for doing all of the communication involved (you may have seen my haiku dedicated to her on Facebook or Instagram). Thanks to this I am now super-contactable - stay in touch via Facebook, Instagram, Skype, WhatsApp, phone, Japanese email, normal email, or snail mail. If you want any (or all!) of these contact options, let me know and I will send them through.

Whilst I was waiting for my phone application to be processed, I started on my first Japanese (language) manga. I chose one called Doraemon. 

I chose it because it is supposedly written for children, although I'm not sure that is right as it takes me anywhere between sixty and ninety minutes to read a page. I also chose it since it has furigana, which are little hiragana next to kanji to help you work out what on earth they mean. 

From what I can tell, it is a story about a boy and a cat (potentially sent from the future, I got a little confused at that part). I hope to finish it by the end of semester...