you think it's like this but it's really like this

The Suntory Whiskey distillery at Yamazaki was probably some of the cleanest fun I have had yet in this country. No joke! Sure, we drank some whiskey, but the whole day was very reminiscent of middle school. I went to the Yamazaki station on the JR line and waited with Jason K. for Richard and his host family to pick us up. I thought it was just Richard's host dad who was taking us all to the factory, but suddenly two cars pulled up: one filled with Richard, Jason B., and Richard's host parents, and the other with Richard's host sister and host niece (nine year old Miu is one of the cutest little girls I have ever spent time with) and an empty backseat. We headed to the factory, and really appreciated how clean and sweet the air smelled. Shinjiro Torii chose Yamazaki as the site of the distillery because of the fresh air and water. The water there is so fresh that even Rikyu, famed Japanese master of tea ceremony, built a teahouse in Yamazaki. We learned some really interesting things about the production of whiskey, not my favorite of alcoholic beverages, and then we went to the tasting room. When we left the factory, we went back to Richard's house, where we all enjoyed a delicious meal together and talked and played some games. Jason K. and I weren't spending the night, so Richard's host parents gave us a ride to the station and even bought us our tickets back to Kyoto Station (just like as would have happened in middle school!) A good time was had by all.

The weather the past week and a half or so has been pretty rainy, which was really dragging me down. I woke up this morning and it was cloudy but by the time school was over the sky was totally clear, a beautiful autumn day. 

Today at school, I did two really important things between my first Japanese test of the year (which went pretty well, I think) and my gardens class. 1. I watched Tampopo, an amazing Japanese film from the 80s. I walked into the lounge and it had just started, and I was totally hooked. It's about food and etiquette, sort of focusing on one man's quest to find the perfect noodle restaurant. But this story is intercut with scenes that have nothing to do with this man except to illustrate different variations on the theme "food and etiquette in Japanese society." I highly recommend it. 2. After the movie, I bought a new box of colored pencils. I mysteriously lost the green in the box I found in my desk (where do vanished objects go?), and the purple was too short to use effectively. And green and purple are two of the most important colors, so a new box was totally necessary. My art project is coming along nicely, I have 10 squares completed (out of a total 64), I am a little behind if I want to finish by the end of the semester but I'm not worried. 

Taiko practice was really fun today. I got some explanations on how to read the sheet music I received, so now I can actually practice at home. I also saw today that not everyone there is really good at taiko. I'm not sure anyone is quite as unskilled as I am, but there is a very evident range of mastery, which was reassuring. They are having a performance on Sunday, which I am going to, but won't play in. Although I'm a little unclear if it is a performance so much as it is mochi-making (using bachi--taiko drumsticks--to beat the rice). Sunday is the Uji Tea Festival, and this event is part of the community celebration. 

Tomorrow I am going to Osaka for the first time this year. I am going to Osaka to see Radiohead at the Osaka Chuoh Taiikukan. Here I go...