When in Japan, do as the Japanese do!

So everyone knows the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans," well I have decided to adopt that philosophy in Japan! Believe it or not, I ate this Sashimi (raw fish) for dinner! It was the most authentic Japanese food I ever had in my whole life! Did I eat the head? HECK NO, but I did the rest of what you see on this plate and it was GOOD! Japanese people do not really eat fish heads, it's simply presentation. I really have to say that I am completely enjoying my new experiences! The sights, the smells, the atomosphere, the food (no matter how strange it seems), everything!! I do miss my American food, though. I've only been here a little over three weeks so it is no surprise that I find myself craving my cereal when I wake up in the morning, not lobster miso soup!!

So this weekend three of my friends and myself decided to be spontaneous and travel to a new destination that no one we know has been too! Due to the a generous gift of a surfboard by a girl's father at my school, I really wanted to go surfing! Well, three of my friends were up to the challenge in helping me get to a beach. The closest beach where good waves are to be found was a place called Irago beach (about 4 hours southeast by 2 trains and a bus). With limited knowledge of where this place was, and a friend who could speak Japanese, and a lot of laughing we made it to this gorgeous beach!! Not only that, but it was the Pacific Ocean! The familiar ocean of home! Since it took us so long to get to this beach we ended up staying the night at this REALLY GREAT hotel! We had Japanese rooms where we slept on the floor and it was AMAZING! We drank tea before going to bed and wore these Kimono looking things. It really was the coolest cultural experience thus far! Despite what you might think about the "floor beds", it really was super comfortable and the BEST sleep I think I've gotten since I've arrived! I am hooked for life on these style beds and hope California sells them somewhere because if I move home I want a Japanese "floor bed"!! I will post more pictures after I download them because I took pictures of the beds and the room we slept in. Furthermore, the surf was fun and the water was warm! I learned how to say "surfboard wax" in Japanese and spoke with some of the locals. I surfed a left point break that pretty much has fun waves all year long. However, during typhoon season (which is now) the waves can reach up to 12ft when the thypoon swells come in that direction! Pretty crazy!! Needless to say, I had another awesome weekend of exploring, seeing and trying new things, and spending some great quality time with the new friends I'm getting to know! Praise the Lord for being my Provider!! Oh, and the by the way, Nagoya did not experience earthquake thankfully. But please keep praying for the devestation that some people are facing in the locations where there were earthquakes. Much love to you all!!