Weekend

(From the Japan Times' website)

So it's Sunday again, and well I haven't done anything too exciting this weekend. I went to Lake Biwa yesterday. (Largest lake in Japan and third oldest in the world!) I went to Katata, which I thought would be a small town or something on the south-ish western side of the lake. Well, it wasn't. I guess I should know by now that Japan is crowded. Anyway, the website I found that had beaches listed said to take a bus from the Katata train station to the beach, but I google mapped it and it was only 1.8 km away so I decided I'd rather walk and save money. Well let's just say that on the google map it looked like I had to cross a river, and in actuality it was more like a creek. I ended up walking about an hour out of the way and had to turn around. I eventually found the beach, but it wasn't very exciting. I guess I should have assumed that since it wasn't the ocean. But anyways, you could see people out on boats and some guys fishing up to their waists in water. There were mostly little kids swimming while their dads sat around and watched, so I felt kind of awkward and didn't go swimming. I walked into the water though and it was really clear, and not too cold. I found a few shells! I sat under a tree that unfortunately had a speaker in it that was blasting some Japanese music. I read some of this book I am reading, "Wives and Daughters" (it's British!), and chilled under the tree. After a while, they turned the music off which was great. I stayed for two hours I think before I decided to head back to the station. Also, there was a mall right next to the station so of course I stopped. There was a 100 yen shop, and I checked it out. I bought some cute little ceramic dishes which I assume are for soy sauce or other sauces for dipping. I got two that are pink and shaped as flowers, and two green ones that are more like leaves. After that I headed home. Oh and did I mention that from the time I left my place to the time I got to the beach, four hours had passed! AH! Well, it only took me about two hours to get home, so that was good. It was sort of late for me to get back (about 7), and I still had to make dinner! I had bought all of the ingredients on Friday for sukiyaki! I made a huge pot full, and ate almost half of it with some rice I got at the supermarket. It kind of stinks not having a rice cooker, and no way am I going to try to make rice on the stove, I'd probably ruin my third pot. Did I mention before that I'm on my third pot?? Well, I am. So I made the sukiyaki again without measuring anything and it turned out okay. It's all I had to eat, and I got kind of sick of it after a while. Too bad because it's what I am eating tonight!

Well now today, I thought I'd go into Nara park and maybe check out some shrines/temples that I thought I hadn't seen yet. But unfortunately on my way I got distracted by many shops and well ended up spending the rest of my money in my wallet. :( Don't worry I had just brought 3000 yen with me. I bought some crazy colored tights to wear with the dress I bought last weekend, some face wash, what may be face lotion, and then I had to get toilet paper and more milk and stuff like that. I've been trying to buy face lotion for the last few weeks because I am almost out. Every time I pass a drug store I go in and try to figure out what's lotion and what may be face lotion, but I am never sure. But today I decided I just need to suck it up and buy something and give it a try. I bought something made my Biore to match the Biore face wash that was on sale. Hopefully, it at least does some moisturizing.

Also, while I was walking through shops they had tree-like things made up where you can hang your wish from for Tanabata. It's a star festival based a really cool sad story about lovers that are separated and can only meet on the seventh day of the seventh month. Well they are going to meet on Tuesday night and be happy! Maybe I shall walk into Nara on Tuesday night and see if anything is happening? I'll have to do a little research on this!

Oh and bad news! A Mister Donut shop closed down near Nara park. So sad. Good thing there are a couple more around! Also, I got a chocolate milkshake from McDonald's, the 100 yen one, and I am pretty sure that they have gotten smaller.

Hmm so Fuji-san is only two weeks away! Official climbing season started July 1st, but unfortunately global warming hasn't done much for the mountain peak and there is still a lot of lingering snow so the trails have been closed off near the top. Kinda really sad. I hope it melts soon and we can climb to the top! Otherwise I'll have to come back and do it later! Not like that'd be a bad thing.

Well I am off!!