The test went well in my Japanese Language class, and then we practiced our self-introductions because we were meeting our host families later that day. At lunch I went to the post office to exchange some traveler's cheques, it was pretty easy. Also, since there's a travel agency right inside the bookstore at KIT, we booked a pass for the trains for the long weekend to get to Kyoto and Osaka, or wherever we want to go in that area.

After classes, we had a break and I went to a place called Bikkuri Ramen, or "surprise ramen". You could buy a big bowl of ramen for 2$. Then it was time to meet our host family.

My host family's name is Nakamura, and the lady I met today I believe is named Ippei, but I'm not sure. I think she said her husband went to KIT and they live nearby. She's originally from Kobe where she lived for 25 years, which is near Osaka and Kyoto, and she lived in Osaka for awhile before moving here to Kanazawa for the last 5 years.

Some of the students are paired together for the home stay, and my partner Daniel Soledad was supposed to be there too, but since he knows the area having been to Kanazawa a few times before, he got dragged along on a trip to the train station, and then they took the wrong bus getting back. He missed the meeting, but he was able to meet up with Mrs. Nakamura after for a short time.

Then we met with some Japanese students to go out for sushi. The place we went to had a conveyor belt that went around with different kinds of sushi on it to all the tables, and you just took what you wanted, or asked them to make something for you. I already ate before, but I went along to have a beer. The others said the sushi was really good, although it's more expensive than how we usually eat in Kanazawa.

Then we hung out for awhile at Nishikawa Heights, but I had to go to bed early in order to get up in the morning for the trip to Kyoto.