the end has no end

This week was the last week of AKP. It was also the longest week of the year. My dreams all week long were at least a week in length, but usually one or two months. So much happened day to day, but it was all taking place in my mind. This wasn't helped by me getting sick on Thursday (the very last day) so I slept all day, but it felt more like sleeping for a decade.

Last night was the Farewell Party. It was the first time I had been to the Kyoto Tower Hotel since orientation, and more specificially, the Welcome Party. It was a very strange experience, and simultaneously not as sad as I thought it would be and also considerably sadder than I thought it would be. I had my last taiko practice on Wednesday, which was truly sad, but I played taiko with 8 of my group members at the party, which was pretty great. After the party at least half of AKP went to Kyoto station and sat on the steps and got really drunk. The best part was when we all gave mini speeches to each other. Mine went something like,

"this is where we started and this is where we ended; we've been gone a long time but have been here for a short time; the weather is significantly more pleasant now than it was when we got here."

Saying goodbye at the end of the station part of the night was the saddest part, because so many things need to happen before I see most of those people again. SO many things.

Tomorrow I head out to Taiwan. Hannah and I are going together and will have our own adventures before meeting up with Jason B. and his parents, and Jason K. and his brother and his friend. The AKP journey ended yesterday, today it is raining, and tomorrow is something entirely different.

Run Into Flowers

Spring has finally arrived! The season I have been waiting for all along, and now it is nearly over. I have been doing lots of "hanami", literally "flower viewing." This is a huge tradition in Japan during the cherry blossom season - to go and look at the flowers. Usually people bring a picnic and make a whole day out of it, which I have done a few times, but usually we just bring some drinks and a frisbee and we're good to go. There is a saying: "hana yori sake" which translates to be, "flowers are not as important as sake."

FLOWERS:









This is the last week of class. Finally. But also a little sad. The cherry blossoms have already passed their peak, and now there is "sakura yuki" or cherry blossom petal snow everywhere. Ah! the fleetingness of the seasons!