The first week!

     Wow!!! So I have been here a week and have gone thru so many emotions and craziness! But I loved every moment of it!  My first week was the most intense week of my life.  Training is quite literally insane and many of us thought were going nuts - but at least I wasn't alone.  Because training is so intense and busy I didn't sleep and ate only crap food from convenience stores for lunch and dinner.  There just wasn't enough time especially with other people using the same kitchen at the same time with only 2 burners.  I also got really dehydrated b/c we're not allowed to drink in the class and there's no time to escape and get a drink.  That has to be one of the worst things in Japan.  My eyeballs were actually shaking!
     Aside from training I made some amazing friends and we've all made plans to climb Mt. Fuji in August! Can't wait.  Karaoke was so much more fun than I thought it was going to be especially with unlimited alcoholic drinks and beef consomme :)
     One of the highlights of my time here in Japan was on the second day when  we all went to Kurashiki to see the feudal town with white buildings and and Shinto shrine.  The building and houses were so pretty and characteristic.  It seemed strange to see something so old and full of history with a sign for wifi in the window and a car driving down the street.  But that's the way it is in a lot of Japan which makes it such a unique experience to have.  The Shinto shrine was wonderful and I got to take part in a couple of rituals.  One was cleansing the hands and mouth with the water at the front.  You use the ladle to pour it into one hand then the other then you put some in your mouth and spit onto the stone.  This was a new purification experience.  I also made an offering and got a fortune which I couldn't read then tied it onto a string under my zodiac.  Then I made another offering, clapped my hands and bowed in front of a shrine then got to ring a bell.  I'm not sure what all these things mean but it was very special to take part in it and hopefully when I have more time I'll research it!
     The most spectacular part of my trip was the next day when we all went to the Okoyama castle and gardens.  The castle itself is very pretty from the outside and is in fact black.  The statues on the roof are made from gold.  Pretty sweet!  The inside however was gutted and had to be rebuilt after the war and so the inside was rather boring with displays.
     The gardens, however, were breathtaking!!! I've never seen such beautiful shades of green.  But I'll write about that in the next blog - no time now!  See ya!