So we don't start lessons until the 22nd of September, in the mean time we have various things to do. Orientation effectively. But the first thing I have is an interview for a job on the 8th, so we had a few days of freedom. So on the 5th, we had a very busy and productive day.

First, in the morning, Coral, Issie, Chantelle and I worked out the way to our university. It is a bit of a trek, but that's good really. Means I will get some exercise as well as eating better food. It goes past several shops and up and down a few hills. It also is near a McDonalds. Not that I am planning on going but for bad days, it is always worth to know where the nearest on is. :P On the route is also a grocers, general store, a 100 yen store, so I will be able to get things for dinner on the way back home.

It was boiling hot. Seriously, we got back to the apartment and collapsed. Though not for long. Coral changed from her jeans into shorts and I took off my tights, before we headed back out to Akihabara. Also known as Geek centre. Akihabara is where all the anime and game shops are. It is also where maid cafes are, though we didn't go to one today. Maybe another day.

Meeting up with Tom was a bit of a performance. We don't have phones at the moment, so we have to arrange places online. Except we all got a little confused. Coral and I got off and managed to find the place but Tom wasn't there. Waiting for a bit, we headed to where his metro stopped, which was a bit of a walk and a little confusing because of all the buildings and underpasses etc. He wasn't there either, so after a bit we headed back just in case and there he was!

So yer. We headed to Animate, but made a stop off in one of the games arcades. Tom and Coral tried to win some Snk merchandise but it wasn't to be. We played some more of that Taiko drumming game I mentioned. It's really fun but a little hard. If you fall out of the rhythm, it's much harder to get back into the groove. Coral won both times, and then played against Tom. Somehow they managed to pick a super hard on and both failed. Though the next one was much better :P After we did some Purikura again, this one not making Tom look as feminine as the last.

Next we headed to Animate, which is was pretty much at the end of a whole long line of anime centred shops. We dived into a few and had a look around, but we saved our money for Animate. The Animate at Akihabara is 7 levels high. The first three levels are anime books, art books and novels. The top floor is Anime dvds and cds. The other three are dedicated to anime merc.

I didn't buy a lot admittedly, but I have been out of anime a little too long I fear. A lot of the sections were things I have never heard off. Several things I need to look into, but I did treat myself to a few goodies, while Coral had to restraint herself from buying too much. The animate at Ikebukuro is bigger though. So maybe more stuff?

Next was the thing Tom had been waiting for his entire life. We headed to the Pokemon Store. Which proved to be more difficult than I was first expecting, as we got the way wrong, but no less we managed to get onto the right subway line to where the store is located. It's quite out the way, but apparently the store is moving in December to Ikebukuro to near the bigger Animate, so yer. It also had the high pitched noise which is meant to scare of kids in front of it, which Coral struggled with a little.

I basically felt like a ten year kid again in there, running around looking for all my favourite Pokemon. I treated myself to a few things but nothing compared to Tom, who was well and truly loaded with merchandise. There were a few things I couldn't find but I'm sure I'll have the chance to go again if it's near Coral's favourite shop in the world.

Once we had done that, it was about 5:30pm. So we decided to head to Harajuku to get some more shopping done. Home shopping this time. I will have to go back to Harajuku at some point to get a better look around but we had a list of things we needed. Including a new pillow. The pillows provided are 1)tiny and 2)made of beans. (The people who went with me to china, do you remember the ones we had at the great wall? Same kind).

We hit the subway at rush hour though. I have never been on a metro or train that busy before. We fell out, just about, at Harajuku and followed Coral to the store she wanted us go too. Except in the two years since she had last been there, it had closed down. Still we wandered down the street and soon found a store which I can best compare to boydes in the north. Lots of random things for cheap.

There were no pillows, but we did get a cushion each to use in the meanwhile. We also grabbed a shower mat as how shower goes everywhere and it's a little inconvenient. Other things included some air fresher, pegs and some glasses. Sufficient to say there was not much left on the list by the end and it was all stuff we don't actual need but would be nice. (Rice cooker, bedside lamp).

Bundled with bags, we headed back to station, only to find it somehow busier than before. It was so busy people literally couldn't move. We claimed a corner and put our things on the overhead railings to make more room. Eventually we got to the changeover station, where we waved bye to Tom and headed back to the I-house to chill and put our feet up. So all in all, a very busy day.

Finally I had dinner. Rice with cut up tomatoes (tomato sauce included). Can't get better than that… Soon I'll get some cooking oil and start making some more adventurous dishes :P