Not so Halloween spirited. But at least I have orange and black! No wait... Maybe I'm just re-living HS?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

(Orange and black just for the spirit.)

I went to Mito this weekend, and I had a lovely time!  It is quite a ways away, and it also quite different from Yamanashi.  It is really interesting to see all the different sides to Japan.  I always thought there were fewer dynamics to the different types of countryside, but I now see that this is not the case.  For example, I live in a flat area between two mountain ranges.  My town is known for hotels, restaurants, bars, onsens (hot natural springs), and pachinko (gambling) places.  It is also a farming community.  About 20 minutes into the mountains and you still have a farming community atmosphere, but a very different atmosphere and way of life.  Then you go east and you get suburbs, then Tokyo, then suburbs, and then a whole different city and landscape again.  Coming home today really made me appreciate these differences.  I was also captured by the mountains as I sat on the nearly empty local train back to Isawa-onsen station.
It was a lovely weekend despite the rain, and maybe next time I go I'll try to take some pictures!  Also, there is a really nice bookstore in the area that has a cafe attached and tables that people were studying at.  I wonder if I could talk about something else for a change? ;)


Sorry for the lame update.


Lana


Recent movies watched:
Sex and the City 2 - Not bad.  Cute and worth seeing, at least at home.  Only really worth seeing if you know the rest of the plot line and the characters though.  Good advice about marriage I think.
District 9 - It was the second time I saw it.  It helped to see it twice I think, because the second time around I was paying more attention to the plot from the beginning.  Noticed a few things that I hadn't the first time.


I also just saw the new episode of Glee.  Anyone else watching?  I liked the first season better, but it's still cute!