I am back at University!
Last Friday I had a course for the first time (2 units a 1 1/2 hours) at the Faculty of Business Administration. I'm actually enrolled at the Faculty for Intercultural Studies (or: Cross-Cultural Studies), but thank Heavens with this I can study at all faculties. The University goes back to the foundation of the "Higher School for merchant business", which makes it the second-oldest Japanese University, while the BA faculty is the oldest part and core of the University. Above that, their faculty was the first higher school for commerce and business.
Yep, I'm a little bit proud to be able to study here, not to mention with a scholarship from the Japanese state (JASSO).
I'm living in the International Residence (which is particularly for foreign students) of the University on Port Island (one of the two man-made islands in the bay). Though I can't really shake the feeling (and I'm not the only one) that this is somehow like some kind of shipping the unloved foreigners far away from the city. If you take a look at the halls of the student home, it reminds on a prison ... also take in account the three community showers and the community toilet on each floor. The rooms are okay though, and my room here is even bigger than the one back in Graz!
Converted to Euro, it costs only 33 Euro (exclusive) per month. *thumbs up*
On Saturday I went once again, with 2 people from hy home (both Germans), to this ingenious Sushi and Sashimi Restaurant, which I already visited together with David in the summer.
The food is just delightful and incredibly cheap (even by Japaneses standards). We ate for nearly two hours, drank two bottles of good Sake and one beer and everyone of us paid only 12 Euro. FANTASTIC!
The main part of the work is done by the Father, who can only walk ducked (you notice he's preparing food for decades), while the son aids him and talks with the guests. The eatery itself lies hidden in some side street und looks a little bit rundown, but the fish is fresh every evening and really great.
The son recognized me and even remembered that I'm Austrian. *he he*
Then again, the eatery has only room for a max of 6 (!) people.
Today (2nd Monday in October) is the day of Sport and Health in Japan, a national holiday. Therfore a friend and I (Mikael) have decided to go hiking to the highest peak of the Rokko Mountain Range. Out of convinience most times the peak is just called "Mount Rokko" (六甲) (although to the trained Austrian 931 meters is a hill not a mountain). Rokko is more or less the local mountain (local mountain range) of Kôbe and favoured for its beauty.
But we had to scrap our plan, since, although the last days it was always clear and hot, of all things it rained all day long. Well, another time then.
Interesting (and funny) facts/opinions about Japan:
The by far most important means of public transportation in Japan are the trains. (電車 densha). Aside from Tokyo (edit. and Osaka) the subway (地下鉄 chikatetsu) lives a shadowy existence and many times is even outclassed by the buses. Incidentally Hiroshima is the only town with a tramway.
The delightful thing with this concept is the fact that the trains are nearly always precisely on time: If the board display "Departure: 17:08 o'clock", well you better be sitting in the train at 17:08 or else its gone, however it doesn't leave one minute before either. Such a refreshing difference compared to the ÖBB (National Train Company of Austria).
One fact is confusing the first few times: There's not one train line but thousands and thousands of them and nearly all are independent from each other and parts of different companies. In spite of that they all cooperate perfectly, the harmonise in a manner of speaking.
Must be because of Japanese society. "We are one, Perfection is our aim, Resistance is futile".
In the next issue of our column, we're gonna write more about the train system and the behaviour on the trains.
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