Typhoon, Surfing, and a Bit of Everyday Life

Hello, I'm back,

after almost a week has passed since the last post, I thought today would be a good opportunity to reflect on the last few days.

Having wrapped up the last post with the trip to Enoshima and the subsequent onsen visit, I will seamlessly continue with the following Friday.

Friday is a rest day, or something like that. :) But joking aside: I actually did quite a bit less last Friday. It wasn't nothing, as I met up with Grace, an international student from California, at ten o'clock and we went bouldering together. As so often, the weather was just mediocre, but since it was only a 15-minute walk, we managed quite well.

After we arrived, we paid the (unfortunately always expensive) bouldering fees and then tried out various routes for 1.5 hours. We had a lot of fun and decided to go together more often for the rest of the semester. Other than that, I didn't do much besides eating that day, although I did play Settlers of Catan for quite a while with Selenee in the evening.

The next day, Saturday, I started with a delicious porridge topped with cinnamon-apples and then we traveled to Tokyo, to the Shirokane district, where we intended to check out a flea market. Unfortunately, it poured while we were in Tokyo, so our flea market visit was rather short. We then decided to grab something to eat first. I ended up having the worst fries of my life. 😅

Well, after that, things could only get better – and they did. We headed to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to see Tokyo from the 45th floor. (You can go up there for free.)

It was cloudy, but the view was still pretty cool. There was also a piano there, where passersby could showcase their piano skills. Many Japanese people took advantage of this, and classical music played in the background during our entire stay. I must say, everyone who dared to play really had some talent. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience.

I also discovered the new National Theater of Tokyo and definitely want to catch a performance there during my stay.

The day in Tokyo ended with a little stroll, where we saw a Godzilla head and a 4D advertising cat, among other things.

Sunday was rather quiet again – except for another bouldering session and a delicious French crêpe gathering at Selenee's. She made a few too many, so we were able to make several people in the common room happy afterward. 😊

By Sunday evening, the first warning for Typhoon Dujuan was issued, and it was clear: The area around Tokyo where I am located would likely be part of the landing zone. I went to bed that night with a somewhat uneasy feeling.

When I woke up the next morning, however, there was no sign of the typhoon. It was rainy, but neither particularly strong nor windy. Nevertheless, it was a stay-at-home day, and after I had breakfast, the first alert on my phone went off. This alerted us to the status of the typhoon and indicated areas that should be prepared for evacuation. Although we were not directly affected, all the districts to our left and right were.

So, the whole time I was in a tense state, unable to say for sure what was happening. Because even though it was a bit windy and the rain was increasing, I was already accustomed to that intensity from Germany, and it wouldn't normally have worried me.

Well, in the end, we remained spared and safe – except for the new ongoing news that called for evacuation from a new district – and we were lucky. Still, it was a rather tense day filled with uncertainties, and I was relieved when I woke up the next morning to bright sunshine and a typhoon that had passed.

In the afternoon, I headed to Ikebukuro, where the anime nerds hang out, and I watched my two companions as they could see their manga idols live and in color.

The whole experience was topped off with a delicious piece of cake, and then the day was practically over. Just dinner, a bit of reading, and then off to bed.

Before heading to university tomorrow, I signed up for surfing again this morning (Wednesday) and took a surf lesson from 9:00 to 10:45 am. Although it rained, it didn't spoil the fun, and I managed to catch some waves and had a really good time.

To continue this good start to the day, I then took a long walk to Kamakura. Unfortunately, due to the rain, but towards a very cute alley with many lovely shops and a restaurant that not only had very nice service but also offered excellent vegan sushi.

I spent the rest of the day on organizational matters to be well-prepared for university tomorrow.

So, now you’re up to date again, and next time I'll report on my first days at university.

Best regards and see you soon

Karo