shiroy

Painting, learned to mix up some colors, most interesting was white. It's the only color that requires a mortar-pestle to grind, then you slowly add the nikiwa (glue) and work it into a little ball, much like clay. Then you throw it against the sara (dish) many many times. After you're done with this you can press it down into the sara then use water with it much like water color. Japanese paints are a type of tempera paint, and most of them you can let dry out then use water with them again, but the exception is white, which you need to prepare again each day. Sensei spent extra time showing me some of this stuff, and class went over, which made me late for the appointment I had with a language instructor at a cafe near the Hankyu station.

First time meeting her, and I thought it went well, different style and atmosphere than my class on mondays, and similarly priced. Good addition, but I'm not really doing enough self-study the last week in between my attempts at conversation with people. I can do better.

On my way back, went to pick up my phone. I had set up a prepaid handset previously, but didn't have my alien registration card at the time. I was able to get the idea across, and then get an answer to my question regarding email (more in a moment), but it took forever! I don't know what was going on, but I was in that shop for more than an hour waiting for the guy to set things up on the computer. But it's all good, the phone itself is light, thin and sexy. With a camera, video screen, email, very nice. Talking on phones in Japan is very expensive, outgoing that is as any incoming calls are free. That's why people on limited plans needing to call someone, will often ask to be called back, reverse the charges as it were. Data though, is amazing. ¥300 and I have unlimited email from my phone for 30 days, then ¥300 after that to renew. Most people simply email each others phone to communicate. No auto-completing words if you're typing in english though, which is to be expected, so it can take awhile if you're not communicating in japanese.