Well, University life is really getting exhausting now, therefore my entries will be getting more scarce in the future.
Speaking about Uni: There are several Campus here, e.g. on the main area are three.
The view from the lowest point, where the International Student Center is located.
From the Intercultural Studies Campus, at middle level.
And outside the Business Administration Faculty, one of the virtually highest points of the main area.
On the right side you can slightly see a little off the bay island.
Additionally there exist three more Campus, which are partly very far away from the main Campus, among them the Fukae is especially nice because it houses the faculty for Maritime Sciences, outfitted with a modern trainingsship and sailing courses amongst others on a beautiful three-master (if I'm not mistaken).
The University of Kobe also houses the main department of the EU-Institut Japan, Kansai; for studies concerning the EU, but sadly I cannot study there.
Now, Kobe has more to offer than just studying, therefore, now to something which might be particularly interesting for the Ladies: Shopping
There are several interesting Shopping centers around: For example Sannomiya-Center, but I especially like Harbor-Land. Shopping is crazy, for all the things they have. e.g. A sportsstore, which reserves 100 x 20 meters (at least) just for Sports shoes for different occasions (Walking shoes, Town shoes etc.) and everything's not expensive at all.
Also, different cultural events take place, this week a big Biwa-contest (a kind of 4 string Japanese lute) was hosted, it was really wonderful.
Besides, they have an amusement park, an Arcade and of course the Promised Land as foretold in the prophecies of the holy book ...
Sweets Harbor
On nearly a whole floor everything is filled with sweets, chocolate, cakes, icecream and more, in various designs and themes ... alas, just take a look at the pictures (these are from the summer and some are from David).
Interesting (and funny) facts/opinions about Japan:
The centrepiece of the Japanese trainsystem is the Shinkansen (新幹線). The bullet train, which runs through Japan since 1964 (Opening of the Olympic Games) and which I fell in love with ;)
It runs with a speed of a little bit over 200 km/H (including stops at the stations), inside it looks like a plane but with two to three times the space for the legs and it's really quiet. Like a friend (Helmut) put it to the point: You travel like a King.
The Shinkansen is ALWAYS on time, even if you travel for three hours it arrives to the minute and in 40 years only one derailing happened, which occured during an earthquake, and even then never a fatality.
Wikipedia knows more
Japanese people have a super power: Sleeping on the train, but always waking up right at their station.
Behaviours: The absolut worst thing you can do on a train is ... to telephone! It is considered to be extremely impolite. Lindi and me (the girl from Graz, who was also member of the summer programm) have experienced it onced on a train from Yokohama to Tokyo: A man got on the train while phoning and at once all people gave him the "evil eye" but without saying a word. After he was finished he took quite an ashamed look around just that he didn't bow and apologized.
According to this the silent mode of a mobil phone is called "Manner Mode".
The whole thing has another nice side effect: Not only aren't you forced to overhear someone talking on his phone, no, you also don't hear pubescent children trying out their newest ringtones or someone listing to loud music, at a volume that you hear every note even three tiers further away.
Sometimes the extreme strictness and conformity of Japanese society has its benefits as well!
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