Warm Waters

For your information, I smell great right now. You decide whether or not I'm being sarcastic.

My loyal readers and such, the events from today aren't all that interesting, but aren't worth being mentionless. This day began like most other days: early wakage, stretchage, runnage -- the typical stuffage. But today was no ordinary day. No, twas not! I ad to get medically examined! <-- This checkup is required by all foreign students studying at Kobe. It was...well...funnish?

Everyone else at the dorm was awake this morning, making it where Josh, Lennart, and Jasper were able to transverse with me across Sumiyoshi to Kobe University. Great, dandy, cold walk. A walk full of senseless gabberings and blah blahs of all sorts. Within the hour, we all arrived at the hospital, and followed a convoluted route showing us gaijin where to go. When you follow arrows, you end up places. Usually good places. And we...ended up in a good place! So no worries there!

The line began amassing. Boys in the morning, girls after the boys. Like lab rats, we are pushed in and had to sniff out the cheese to get us back out. After tossing my information left and right, I'm now sure Japan has a taste of what is Bo on many pieces of paper now. Height, weight, stripping, x-rays, electrogram, more stripping, eyes, and total misguidedness later, I found my exit with two new cards, one for my keeps that I believe says I am an official student at Kobe University, and another card that I gave to them that had all of my info printed on it. Huzzah! Bo has been ran like a rat, but he made it out with the cheese, that being he was able to miss some of his classes (and the parts he went to were so much fun!).

So after class, I had lunch like usual, and I drank tea with Chris, onlooking Kobe (I'll show you the view we were seeing soon enough). And then, I consulted my fears and went to the IC Cafe. I walked by to see who was in there and went straight to the bathroom again. While there, Sweet Courage whispered in my ear, and a certain headstrong person walked into the cafe. I first gave Clement the money I owed him, and then I sat and did my homework. I figured someone would interject with the want of a conversation, and though this didn't happen, many eyes interested in my doings where looking my way, beckoning conversation. And I simply said in broken Japanese, "Can anyone help with my homework?" And instantly, I mean in a matter of milliseconds, a cute Japanese girl shot her hand straight to the heavens as if to purposefully poke a whole in the sky. She came over and sat next to me, and another seeming genki girl sitting closer also helped. They helped with homework that was truly easy, but I used it as an ice breaker, and ice surely broke. Afterwords, I asked their names, and both replied Yuka -- same name but spelt differently, mind you! We talked a little bit in Japanese, and I learned new words (which I'm sure I've forgetten. Let me check...Yup! They aren't there!). They even showed me to a convenient store to help me find instant coffee.

Point being, I made friends, and I made friends by trying hard. I overcame fear. I overcame a stifling fear that grew and festered. I simply said "No, not like this," this being the usage of an experience of a lifetime. I said no to dwindling it all away and chose not to pine anymore. I jumped.

I jumped.

And the waters were everything I thought they'd be.