Hachiko and the Frozen Man

Howdy folks
Haven't updated in a couple days, so I thought I'd fill you in.

We got back our results from our placement tests and I got into the second highest out of 5 classes!!! Class is pretty good, our teacher's name is Hasegawa Sensei. He seems like a pretty cool hip young Japanese dude :).

We also found out about our homestay parents. I have my reservations about my family, as they seem kind of stuffy, but I shouldn't judge until I meet them.

Also, yesterday I went to downtown Shibuya and didn't get lost for 4 hours!!!

On my way I saw a man doing a street performance. He was wearing a suit and tie that looked like they were blowing in the wind, but they were frozen! He was wearing a goofy wig that was windswept, and a goofy mustache to match. He was frozen in mid-pace, and wasn't moving at all!!! I whipped out my camera, and he grinned, the only noticeable movement. Here are some pics!
































Cool huh?

Anyways I went to a book/music/videogame/movie store and got a couple of Japanese CD's, and then I decided I had to go see the famous Hachiko!!!

For those who don't know, Hachiko is a famous statue of a famous dog that is near the Shibuya station downtown. It is apparently a popular meeting place. And also a popular smoking place as I found out. Here's a short excerpt about Hachiko from the ever useful wikipedia:

"In 1924, Hachikō was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno , a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo . During his owner's life Hachikō saw him out from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting. Hachikō was loyal and every day for the next nine years he waited sitting there amongst the town's folk."

For further reading on Hachiko, go here.

I Also snagged some pictures of our faithful friend!




































Well, I think that's all for now. I miss everybody back home! Bye!