Walking with sweat from Kiyomizu to Yasaka!

After having lunch in Hyakumanben area where Kyoto University is located, we all went down to Gojo-zaka to walk up to Kiyomizu Temple with much sweat! Usually we lose several students during this excursion, but none this time! Amazing or everyone was a bit more conscious about how "Evil" Shingo would disappear! Hot and Humid and Hot and Humid and Sweat and Hot!!

Silver Pavilion in the heat!

On the contrary to the rainy weather yesterday, it was very sunny and humid and hot. Students got a quick lunch before climbing up to the Silver Pavilion from where everyone took the Philosopher's Trail to the bus stop on the main street. Everyone has still full of energy and planned to go downtown Shijo Kawaramachi for having fun!

Golden Pavilion in the rain!

One student began studying Japanese in the new class. The sunny humid afternoon almost suddenly changed to the rainy day after the lunch at Ritsumeikan University and some got wet by the end of the excursion to Golden Pavilion, which was still beautiful in the rain. The rainy season still continues here in Kyoto but fortunately not so bad at a moment! Japanese 1101 has 27 seats taken out of 75 and 2201 has 7 seats taken as of today!

First Class and Excursion to Rock Garden

Students were placed into three different classes based on initial suggestion by GTS and now teachers at school adjust some before being completely settled!. It was 83F (feeling like 89F) and very humid typical Kyoto summer day! Everyone ate lunch at Ritsumeikan University before visiting Ryoanji Rock Garden. All were little cooling down in the temple and headed back to Randen, Hakubaicho Station by walking for half an hour with huge sweat!

Everyone seems to be ready to go to school!

Everyone practiced commuting to school on Sunday before the first day on Monday. Everyone made it and seems to be ready for schooling! After getting together, GTS took the group to Shijo, the city center and dismissed. GTS took his daughter, EMA, to Kappa Sushi (Rotation Sushi) since she began loving Tekka-maki (Tuna roll)! Indeed, every plate cost only 105 yen! It is a little raining but hopefully the sun welcomes our group on the first day of the school!

Everyone in COD Summer Group Arrived in Japan!

The group has just finished Peace Study in Hiroshima and moved to Kyoto! On the way to Narita, 3 students got Business class seats and 2 other got Premium Economy seats! We were rained in Miyajima Island but everything went well. The biggest episode so far in this trip is that a dozen students got lost in the morning when we were supposed to leave by a long distance bus, so they missed the bus and had to take the bullet train costing $100 extra!! But everyone reunited in Kyoto Station after all! Well, I am looking forward to the next episode!!

Departure to Japan approaches!

AP Scoring has peacefully finished and flew back to Chicago and get ready for COD Study Abroad program! Japan is in the rainy season and it seems raining a lot this year though Hiroshima will have a few sunny days just during our stay there! "Re-union" with all the participants since the orientation weekend will be very exciting! Packing! Packing! Packing! Fall Japanese 1101 (GTS class) has 25 out of 75 seats and 2201 has 6 seats so far!