Did some calligraphy at school. Isn`t it pretty? This says Happy New Year.
This is in the dining hall! Thats Carlos. He`s from Seattle.
These fish are made with mochi (sticky rice paste) and have different fillings on the inside...chocolate...red bean paste. they are delicious!
Hsin is buying one of the yummy snack fishies.
Me studying hard! Tomorrow I have an exam on that whole book!
Yume and Tsismari on the steps of the view, also studying hard :)
At night, and only in the fall when the leaves change colors, they light up the central temple/shrine (i dont know which one it is) in Kyoto. It was really crowded but totally awesome. The lights gave off a really eerie vibe...
This is the fountain of good luck water. There are three different spouts coming off the roof, each one represents a different kind of luck; money, health, happiness. We didnt know which spout had which lucky water, so I took a swig from all three. We had to stand in a long line before it was our turn to drink the lucky water.
This is a little workshop where these two guys make basket like containers which people use to pickle vegetables. The man above is packaging the basket to mail it off, and while he works, he sits on the bamboo strips they use to make the baskets. Hsin and I were just biking past and Hsin asked the guys inside if we could look around! They took photos of us! hahaha
Here the man is actually making the baskets. He used a big hammer and it was really loud.
Hsin on my roomies road bike. There are many fruit trees in Japan...we wonder if the fruits dangling over fences are up for grabs...
A view of the Kobe Mountains and a japanese train! 
Every now and then I run into dilapidated buildings tucked away deep in the neighborhoods. We climb to the top of this one, and the view from the roof was amazing:
Kobe has awesome clouds.
I am constantly amazed at the remarkable parking skills in Japan. Since there is not much open space, people manage to cram cars absolutely anywhere. Here it is blocking the entrance of the shop.
I walk up this road to get to school. The red gates mark the way to the shrine. 
This is the shrine. I get to walk past it everyday on my way to school. 
I walk past this construction sight everyday. Ive been observing the whole process. They tore down the house and are now digging a big hole. Look at the tiny space they are maneuvering that huge machine in! 
When the sky is clear you can see the mountains on the other side of the ocean. Its so beautiful!
Monica, Thomas, Stevie and Yume (left to right) sitting on the steps of what we call "The View." From the steps you can see the following:
The view is really beautiful and often in the afternoon after my last class the sun is already setting. My camera can't capture the full panorama, but it's pretty awesome since you can see all of Kobe.
The Lans Box...guess what it means? Lunch Box! Hahaha. Anyway, here is where we eat lunch. However, the Lans Box itself is a Combini which means Convenience Store...and this is what the inside looks like! 
Billions of ramen noodles in all different shapes, flavors, and sizes!
Hundreds of delicious and mysterious drinks to choose from!
This is my favorite part...the triangles to the left are Onigiri: little rice balls with something yummy on the inside, like, a piece of salmon, or a mayonaisy tuna...
We spent Halloween in Osaka.
Japanese people often sleep on trains...check out the man sitting with his head dangly in the isle!
Stevie and I dressed up as sailor school girls! It was so fun! I wore massive fake eyelashes...it was awesome.
My friend and I have been cooking Japanese meals! They are so delicious. 
This is a little Buddha shrine thing right near my house. The symbol which looks like a swastika is not a swastika, it is the mirror image of one. The swastika is used to mark buddhist shrines and is a good thing here.
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