My Final Midterms

The countdown accelerates

This final semester’s midterm tests are three days from writing. Five weeks later the school semester will end, and another two weeks after that I’ll be back in the US. Seven weeks seems like a healthy chunk of time, being the better part of the semester, but I’ve found that the second half of the term tends to wrap up much faster than the first. Strange how time refracts like that, huh?

All this to say, I’ll be taking as many hikes, eating as much specialty foods, playing as much Chunithm, and practicing as much Japanese as I can before my time here is up. This weekend was a practice in ticking each of these boxes, as I traveled to a friend’s neighborhood to attend a gyoza festival and hike through a nearby riverside park.

Gyoza has fast become one of my favorite foods. It’s versatile in every way — fillings and sauce options cater to different palates and moods, while the dumplings themselves are small enough to be snacks, side dishes, or full meals. On top of that, they’re simple and cheap. (One thing I’ll definitely miss about Japan is its food culture, especially the price. You can regularly eat out for as little as $7).

Following the lunch of gyoza we walked through the nearby Wadabori Park, which runs alongside the long and narrow Zenpukuji Ribver. (The waterway is so narrow I assumed it was a lake at most, but finding out it’s actually a river is a pleasant surprise.) Wadabori Park is equally massive. After taking a 90 minute walk, we had only gone halfway through the huge path, and decided to turn back. Along the way we saw sports fields, hills and valleys, and an area with many ponds. On one end of these ponds were families with nets out bug catching, and on the other lay a nest of cranes.

After the park we returned to the block of the gyoza festival to stop by a nearby shrine called Myōhō-ji, which proved, like the river, to be even bigger than expected. Something about its color and atmosphere was so tranquil, and I’m glad I talked the others into stopping by.

Zenpukuji River; Wadabori Park's ponds featuring herons, koi, turtles, and more; Myōhō-ji's peaceful buildings and greenspace

Talking with a friend from back home, the topic of arcades came up. They sent me pictures from a new establishment opening soon, and my initial opinions were, in all honesty, dismal. It just looked… so… boring! The cabinets were small with no music games in sight, the bar was too big (not to mention present), and there was actually room to walk around??

It helped me realize what I have, and over these final seven weeks I want to spend as much leisure time as I can manage under the roofs of the personal havens that are Japanese game centers.

---

What are some of your favorite books? Do you keep within that genre, or do you like to branch out? I would normally consider my answer the latter, but as a part of the school’s reading club I’ve found myself reading a series of short murder mysteries — a type of book that I would never choose for myself, save for some good ol’ Holmes. My comprehension is still spotty, but even without looking up new vocabulary, I’m able to pick up the gist of the stories. That’s some exciting progress, and since I like my solitary study sessions, I definitely plan to keep the routine up after my study abroad comes to a close.

To all the mothers, thank you for your love, guidance, and wisdom. Happy Mother’s Day!

愛を持って、

With Love,

gb

These letters are inspired by the Earwyrms playlist and newsletter. Read it here.