Sendai Tour and Shopping

Yesterday we met up with Ogawa-san (the head of the team in Sendai) and some of the students for a little tour of Sendai. We didn't go to very many places, but it was still a very fun trip. First we saw the monuments of the first three lords of Sendai. The original monuments burned down in the bombing of Sendai in 1945, so the buildings we saw were reconstructions. I was very impressed by the artistry and the details of the construction. We next visited the international center, where we saw some books and movies in Japanese that were available for people to read or watch at the center, and we got some English maps of Sendai. After that, we ate lunch at a sushi shop (one with a conveyor belt of various dishes, priced based on the color of the plates) and bought some ice cream at a grocery store. To end our tour, we walked to a nearby Shinto shrine, where we saw part of a child blessing. We have all been very tired at the end of every day, and we still haven't figured out exactly why (we hope it is mostly jet lag, and that we will soon adapt to the schedule here).

Today we met at the guys' house (called UpTen) and walked to a nearby shopping center to buy some postcards, notebooks, and groceries for UpTen. We felt very pleased with our success, since it was the first time we have been on our own for any length of time (usually we have Megan and/or Ogawa-san with us, and they can act as interpreters). At the grocery store, I bought some matcha chocolates, which I thought were pretty tasty.

Right now, we are all at Megan's apartment using the Internet to answer e-mail and update blogs, so it is quiet except for the clicking of the keyboards. So far, I think I really like Japan, although I know I still have a long summer ahead of me, and that things will probably get harder in the future. I am more thankful every day for the encouragement of family and friends.