Birthday party with new friends

It has been a few days since I last wrote something. A party isn't something I'd usually write about, but because there are photos of my new mates I thought I'd upload them anyways.

This really is an International House. From the top of my head I can recall people coming from Australia, USA, Bulgaria, UK, Sweden, Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Spain and France. The Swedes and the Australians are in a majority. With 7 of us from each of these 2 countries. That's a lot of Swedes!!! How that happens, I have no idea. Out of so many Universities in Japan, 7 end up here. Strange, to say the least.

It is not good for my Japanese with so many foreigners living together but it is just so much fun that I wouldn't want to swap accomodation. These guys and gals are the best! I'm planning on joining a sports club here instead to make some friends from the land of the rising sun.

Gathering up on a hill overlooking Kyoto.

Junko - She doesn't live with us but loves partying (and drinking Swedish vodka and talking Swedish)
Half of the house partying
Aussies + French dude

The Lake

About 5 minutes away from I-House 2 there is this little lake where it is possible to rent a boat for an hour for 900 yen. The sun was shining, it was 28C and a little breeze so Zina, Rosie and I decided to sit in the middle of the lake and have a drink.

The Lake

Out in the middle of the lake
(They had no life jackets to give us, so comments about this please =P)
Zina taking in the sites
Overlooking Kyoto from the hill next by our house

It is so beautiful out here in Kyoto, I really enjoy it here. It is city life, without actually living in the big city and it is quiet too but without the deadness feel of living out of town. Also, with all the hills and nature surrounding us it just too nice. 1 drawback though is of course all the creatures of the 100 legged type, the 4 legged type and the 8 legged type. Oh well, its something I can live with.

Yesterday I heard a scream coming from one of the girls room. Apparently there was a big spider in there. My curiosity got the better of me (I cant stand spiders at all) and I went in to help kill it. After moving the bed which that spider was hiding under, it ran across the wall and towards the main door. It was the biggest spider I have ever seen. A good 8-10cms in diameter. (It got killed before I could take a picture so you will just have to believe me).

So far in our rooms there has been lots of wildlife. Besides us, the students and our wild life ^^, there has been 1 centipede, 1 gecko and 1 spider all in the past 4 days. That's all that we have been able to see *shudders* haha

International House II - Welcome Party

I love I-House II. It beats any dorm that I have lived in so far (but maybe equals F4) hands down. I think it is a combination of the rooms, house layout, location, the manager and his wife and of course the other exchange students! Everyone gets along so easily and the parties are insane!

For the Welcome party the manger and his wife, the Moritas, cooked us Japanese food. Rice, curry, noodles, meat and gyouza (Chinese dumpling kind of things). These 2 are the nicest people and let us have parties as long as we are semi-quiet after 11 PM. They live here at I-House 2. But they do think that there is too much English being spoken and so they want to introduce a non-English and Swedish speaking day. There are 7 swedes here so it happens that all you can hear from the corridors is Swedish :|

The Moritas

Japanese Curry and rice - My favourite!