Osaka Part One- Friday

(June 21st)
Last week due to the busiest schedule fathomable I didn't post anything and really didn't write anything.  But I feel like I can't let that week go so I am going to recap.  It might be a two parter... or four...

First off over the weekend I went to Osaka.  It was supposed to be an all out everyone in party weekend celebrating the first big paycheck for the new teachers, but due to a festival going on a lot of people backed out at the last minute and what would have been 30+ turned into 4.  It would have made sense to just reschedule the weekend but the 4 who went had made definite plans with Osaka friends that we couldn't change.  Fair enough to those who went to the festival- it was the firefly (lightning bug) festival and, unbeknownst to me before coming to Japan, lightning bugs aren't found in many places.  Even in Japan they are hard to locate and they only stick around for about a week or two.  Yet another thing I might be depriving my future children of by raising them her instead of Iowa.  Snow days, summer vacation, fireflies...

But enough of those people and back to me.  We got a late start on Friday the 10th up to Osaka.  I didn't complain because the ride was free.  Our friend Rena who is from Thailand and who went with me to Nagoya has decided to go home for an unspecified amount of time- maybe for good- and she was flying out at midnight from Kansai.  Her boyfriend Mike was driving her and they graciously offered Amy (the only other local who was still up for Osaka) and I a ride.  Added to that was Chie who was going to go to the festival but wanted to say good-bye to Rena. 

As it always is with this group, the ride was spent on the latest gossip and word from home.  Mike is from Michigan and, though that is hours from Iowa, is the closest thing I have to "someone from home."  It really isn't even about the space.  Mike just acts like the guys I went to school with or my cousins.  He is also a little bit older and thus fairly mature.  I feel like we are in similar stages of life in that we are willing to stay in to save money or don't mind choosing our significant others over the group.  Or even ourselves over the group.

After making it through the hustle and bustle that is Osaka we got to Kansai with about 2 hours to spare.  Rena checked in and then we went to the only restaurant open for burgers and fries.  I felt a little guilty being with Mike and Rena since this was their good-bye, but they seemed cool.  And who knows, it might have helped to have us around.  I remember saying good-bye to Motoaki there when I went "home" home and it was awful.  And of course this wasn't quite a real good-bye.  Rena will have to come back at some point to collect things and to finish up her work.  Also, we are all fairly certain that Mike will follow to Thailand once they have more of a plan set-up as to what they each will do for work.  Still, it was sad to see them say good-bye and I felt intrusive.

After Rena headed out we realized that it was too late for Amy and I to catch the train into downtown Osaka where we would be staying so Mike, being the saint that he is, agreed to drive us in.  Now technically he had to drive back through Osaka anyway but there is a toll-way/high-way that allows you to drive "above and around" the city and miss-out on any traffic lights.  It was extremely nice of him since we were going to go to one of the busiest areas of Osaka (that none of us had ever driven too) and since it was pissing down rain (we are in the middle of rainy season).

But he did it and we managed to avoid several collisions barely.  When we finally got to the general area of where we needed to be Amy and I asked to be let out because we were feeling guilty enough that we had made Mike go the extra few miles and because it was already 1am.  We said good-bye, threw money in the backseat, and dashed from the car to a shop entrance that had an overhead allowing escape from the rain.  Amy was going to be staying with a friend and I was going to be in a capsule hotel.  She had offered to let me stay with her but two of my other friends had come into town and were at the capsule hotel and I didn't want to abandon them (they didn't know each other).  We had both stayed in the area several times and were fairly certain that we knew how to get where we needed to go.  So we said お休みなさい and split up.

I ended up walking for about another hour lost but too shy to ask for help.  Part of that was because I was in the party district.  While I was in jean capris and a t-shirt and carrying a duffel bag, everyone else was in heels, mini skirts, wigs (yes, Japanese people go all out when they go out) and carrying clutches.  No doubt actual Louis Vuitton clutches.  Not to mention I had blonde hair, green eyes, and fat legs.  Of course, I should have just asked because despite it being big, Osaka is a pretty nice town and Japanese people are usually more than helpful.  But I wanted to do it on my own.  And I eventually made it.  And in a twist of luck my friend who I haven't seen since training in 2009 but with whom I have recently made facebook contact with, was in the lobby.  I apologized for being so late but he was very cool about it.  Unfortunately, I was beat so I quickly made a plan for the morning and crawled downstairs to my capsule.