The night time is the right time

Now in Osaka and free from the toils of academia, I was finally allowed to sleep in. Rolling out of bed a few minutes before twelve and hoping the shower for 10 minutes is my kind of morning.

Today will include a drive into Osaka, and perhaps a visit to Osaka Castle. In the evening, I shall be dropped off at a station, take the Keihan line to Kuzuha, and call Yuki's mom, Keiko, for a ride. Yuki will arrive later that evening from work.

Tomorrow, the 29th, I will be with Yuki during the day, but by 9 p.m. I will be at Kyoto Station ready to take a night bus to Tokyo. I considered, briefly, staying in a youth hostel in Osaka instead of taking the 3-day Tokyo trip. But a price compairison showed that going to Tokyo, then back to Nagoya, via night bus, is cheaper, thanks to free lodging in Tokyo at a friend-of-a-friend's house.

The night busses are great because in addition to moving you across the country, the represent a night of lodging. Sure, it is not the finest of accomodations. The bus stops too often at rest areas. There is no drink cart or mid-flight snack. Bus it's cheap. And this is key.

In Tokyo, I will aim to meet up with friends I only got to see briefly during my first stint there. Not sure where I will end up on New Year's Eve. The Japanese often visit shrines or temples to welcome the new year. Many travel, flooding the highways en route to relatives who live outside of the city. I have also been told that in ther un up to the day, some families clean their entire house from top to bottom. We have spring cleaning, which for a college student, conveniently means vacation and thus no time to clean.

FOOD - last night we ate tempura, dropping a variety of foodstuffs right into a fryer on the table. Memo to family - get a fryer and some tempura batter. This was very good.

MONEY - Oh, sweet paycheck. I long for you.

Good day.