Day 4, April 2 (Ben’s placement test at Doshisha/ studying at Starbucks)

Today was tests, studying, Starbucks, sleep

    We woke up early because Ben had to be at Doshisha University to take his language placement exams at 9am and the university was a half hours walk from the hostel.  We found out that the buns we’d bought at the grocery store the day before didn’t have red bean inside them at all, they had pork, and of course I don’t like pork.  How were we to know?  We couldn’t read what was on the package, and they looked like the red bean buns we’d had at Kazu’s mom’s house!  Sigh.  Oh well.  Ben ate them, but I decided to pass. 

Observing from within the Starbucks

  We walked to Doshisha, and while Ben was taking his test, I took the subway 2 stations north and studied Japanese in the Starbucks there for a couple hours.  I was so iching to get down to studying the language because it was becoming frustrating with trying to communicate.  Buying things, ordering food, asking for directions are all difficult tasks.  

    There were more white people in that Starbuck than I’d seen anywhere else in the city, and I could understand why.  I felt so at home there.  Even though the workers still didn’t speak English, it felt like I was back in Canada.  They had Adele, Simon and Garfunkle, John Mayor, and Amanda Marshall playing, and the drinks are exactly like Starbucks back home!  I sat there and waited till Ben came and met me after his test.  He said it was ridiculously difficult and he barely understood any of it.  His oral portion went well in comparison.  We found out later that they’d placed him in Level 1 of 9.  No surprise there, but it’s not a bad thing.  At least he’ll be able to work from the ground up.  

Only 8pm but time to sleep!

    We both studied at the Starbucks till the afternoon.  It was really the first time we’d been able to sit down and rest.  Then we went back to Doshisha for Ben to get his student card and take his library tour.  After that we walked around and bought some buns and bread like things from a bakery, and some bread and cream cheese to take with us for tomorrow’s breakfast.   Then we went back to the hostel.  We were so tired that evening that we decided to go to sleep at 8pm.  We were still jet lagged and exhausted from walking around so much over the last few days.

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Day 3 (First Night in the Hostel)<<<Previously                                Continue reading>>>Day 5 (Food poisoning and rain)

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Ben and Kailey lived in Japan not too long ago and also visit Kyoto every year.

Ben is developing a Japanese Practice site. It's current main functions are:
1. a Flash Card system that features a leveling system where you must answer correctly and "level up"to gain new cards, receive money and buy new decks - anime decks included!
2. Fill in the Blank system where you can choose to focus on particle practice or verb practice etc.

Japanese Practice Blog is here. Check out the Japanese Practice site here