Shitoshito...jaja - journal-style account of a rainy day

I learned two new onomatopoeia today: shitoshito (the sound of rain) and jaja (the sound of heavy rain). As you might be able to infer from this information, it rained today. It wasn't necessarily a heavy rain, but it rained almost all day (though the morning started off quite nice temperature wise and hints of humidity). Due to the constant rain and some windy areas, there were storm warnings and the school closed early (so I was kicked out of the gym around 5:17 though they had told me I had twenty minutes left seven minutes before...). Anyway~

I studied in the library without using a computer for the first time today. It was so nice. I really do love this library. It reminds me of the UNLV library, just a tad smaller, a tad brighter, and...well...everything is in Japanese. Also, it is apparently very common for students to nap at school. For one, there were some people setting timers and then just sleeping at the study tables. Also, most club rooms have a cot for students to take naps on.

In-between classes, I mainly did homework and ate food (while studying simultaneously: fascinating, I know). However, a few exciting things happened. One, I tried another melon bread! I'm realizing melon bread doesn't actually taste like melon at all. It's just sweet bread that varies in shape, size, and flavor. Today I had one that was super sweet, with thick sugar crystals on the outside, and a thin layer of butter in the middle. It was divine. Also, next to the manga club room, there is another club room that is always emanating laughter and guitar music, so a friend and I worked up the courage to go over and ask about them. Apparently they are one of the several K-ON/light music clubs on campus. This one does live performances and just offers people a place to play instruments and have jam sessions with each other (unlike another K-ON club which I'm pretty sure just goes to concerts). So I got to mess with an electric guitar and bass today. It was pretty darn cool. The atmosphere was so much fun.

There was an awkward situation in which I ran into one of the organizers from the scuba diving club who was apparently going to a club lunch. Being that my schedule and the club's schedule are pretty out of sync, I have decided not to join, but she was still trying to get me to join, like saying I'd probably be able to finish my license before I left. The only thing is, what is the point of completing a license and then not being able to do that activity for several years anyway? *cough cough desert cough cough drought* It is so interesting experiencing the different atmospheres of the various groups and clubs on campus. The manga club is super nice and really doesn't care how often you come to the room or what you do (but the tennis club, which shares a room with the manga club, seem super cliquey and get mad if you encroach on their side of the room). Others are super open, while others try to be nice but end up being awkward or unconsciously forgetting new members are there. It's also funny when people walk in and are like "Omgs there are foreigners here right now." They get excited and then nervous once they realize there's some language difficulties.

As a completely random side-note, I think I have figured out something else I want to buy in Japan and soon: a bento chopstick set. A lot of places on campus where I get my food provide disposable chopsticks, but I don't want to use disposable chopsticks approximately four or five times a week. I'm also trying to be aware of when cashiers reach for the plastic bag because, most of the time, I really don't need it. (Student -> backpack -> convenient bag).

Hope everyone had a nice Spring Break back at home. Good night and send luck my way for fall registration opens tomorrow.