Big Bear's Ping-Pong Party

WaAaAa, hullo! =^.^= Oh gosh, I have a bit to catch up on. Well, Sunday I went out around town and took some pictures with my good camera. ^___^
Well, it seems like it takes a long time to upload these pictures and some of the quality was taken from them, so I'll only upload a few of the less artsy ones and more of the ones that show what it's like around here. You can click them for better quality, I think, though.
Here's by the bridge by my place. There's always huge carp swimming in it and I always think of Animal Crossing (Only 300-400 bells/piece though XD)

This is on campus. They just recently finished revamping it. Some little kids were playing in the water a few days ago. I wanted to go in too with my friends after training class, but no one wanted to join me =[. lolol. WHERE ARE YOU, TIMMY?
Cute shop that belongs in Waukesha:

HAHA, THEN THESE GUYS:

Just chillin'.

 On the way to Kaldi:

This is what a typical street in Japan looks like. A lot of little shops. Usually, there's more people walking and biking around.

They have cute everything:

Sweets in a random bakery:

Sushi at a more pricey grocery store:

Inside Kaldi:

It's much more narrow in this store than this picture shows, I feel. Maybe it's only when maneuvering around other custies. ^___^' It definitely has a very V Richard's feel to it. They have chocolate from all over the world it seems. And even 4 different kinds of Tim Tams! Oh jeez. Those crazy-edible-dissolving-straw-cookies. And they always give you coffee at the entrance, but it already has cream and sugar in it. Bah!

On the way back, I found this guy chilling by the trees:

I tried to get closer, but then he started to move and it was Sayounara from there.

On Monday, I had track practice. I had gone to the gym already, thinking we would go running today, but we ended up going to the gym. Gym Session #2! I love it. =] Definitely preferred over running.

Sou san was doing the Statue of Liberty move I showed them from last week and I joined him and then ended up training Yuuki, Sou, and another member the rest of the time XD. It was really awesome and they seemed pretty darn tired after. Yuuki helped set up some barbell squats for me. I couldn't do the weight he had on, but I will one day! So, now I must build up and started at 50 kg, which is about 110 lbs. I didn't realize that lifting is actually fun. O___O Must. Learn. New things.

There was a ping-pong party held in the gym downstairs for the exchange students, but I had practice at the same time. But after, there was going to be a wine and cheese party. My...two favorite things? Wahaha, so I wasn't planning on going. Then, I ran into the other students and they said I should come, so I ran home (quite literally), got clean, ate a bit since I didn't think I'd be eating there, and then ran back.

When I got there, this is what I saw:

That's a lot of food. Sushi! And all of this other non-dairy stuff to eat! Aw man. I wish I hadn't eaten before. But I ate again XD. Well, I had worked out twice and wasn't even close to full from that snack at home yet...lololol. SUSHI, MAN.

 lol, Tom.

 This is Okuma, the teacher who held the party. He even went to UWM for a semester. His name can be translated as "Big Bear." (Different Kanji, but that's okay.) He brought out presents for us all, including tea and chocolate! As if he hadn't already given enough already O____O.

 CHOOOCCCOLLLAATTEEEE:

EVAN WAS SO EXCITED, TOO. Maybe I was just excited. Those chocolates were melt-in-your-mouth amazing.
This is an angry looking Pikachu and a not-so-angry Evan:

There's a ton of random things in Okuma's office. I should have taken more pictures of all the figurines and souvenirs from all over the world that he's collected.
He even had fruit and kept on cutting different ones for us to try even though by this time, we were all pretty stuffed. We got to try 3 different apples and a few other fruits. He was peeling off the skin and I asked "What're you doing?! That's where all the fiber is. It's good for you." He said that he always peels off the skin because that's his job at home and then his wife does all of the cooking and he then does all of the cleaning. Omigosh, I was ruining his system!

He sent us each home with one of these tissue boxes:

They were from when he donated money for effort towards the big earthquake and tsunami in March. The pictures on the boxes are drawn by little kids and it has the name and age of them on the bottom of their paintings. So cute ()(^.^)().

Kirsty and I went home pretty stuffed that night.

Yesterday, I went to class and then Evan and I worked on our project for the festival next week. All of the exchange students need to do a speech to represent their country. Right now, I'm kind of ashamed of where I live. (//mood changer) I can't believe how many shootings there have been, so close to home. It really makes me appreciate the feeling of safety here. I just hope things get better back home and everywhere, really. It's difficult when you're supposed to be doing a project, advertising how great your hometown is when that's not how you currently feel. When my friends from school ask what Wisconsin is like or tell me they're thinking of studying abroad there, I have very mixed feelings. I don't want them to come to a place so unsafe.

(//mood changer)

But at least we talk about cream puffs in our project. (O'.'O)

And you can bet your bottom yen that this picture is going to be in our presentation at the end, labeled "アメリカ人”　meaning "American People."

After we called it quits for the day, I got home and then the doorbell rang. IT WAS THE PACKAGE FROM MOMO! I had just checked that morning and it said it had been sent from Chicago. Hot diggity dang, that's what you call fast.

I TOTALLY SAID I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A BEE COSTUME!!

 This is the best note I've ever received:

 And Lauren sent me a not-so-meaningful letter.
lololol, kidding. She sent clothes for Maywynd, too! Which, b-t-dubs, she is already wearing. The clothes smelled like Lauren and Shawn's apartment. XD Candy, Bubble bath, and Spices.

THANK YOU, MOMO!

 I can't believe the amazingness of this package. There was even Mustard, Honey, and Sriarcha.
 And so much chocolate. Bridge Mix too! Which I overate yesterday >____<. So. Good.

Lauren and I were able to video chat while I opened the package. It was really lucky I caught her before she went to sleep. Shawn always makes the conversation better.

I had to leave and get ready to go meet up with Grant in Shinjuku. Of course, I took the wrong train and had to transfer a few times to get there. Haha. People are so helpful when that happens though.

I keep getting asked if I'm cold, since it's getting a bit cooler here and I'm usually still sporting a tank-top. I'd like to thank Wisconsin for preparing me. Grrrr, tough skin.

Woof, this post is a big'n. I think I'll continue it later today or tomorrow. ^____~