Spring Vacation at Work

March in Japan is usually a four week holiday for students in Japan, but it was just the opposite for me... in fact I wasn't even aware there was a spring break until an undergraduate student asked me what I had done over the holiday. From the beginning of the month, when classes ended, I started doing experiments 8-9 hours a day.

In relation to my personal project, I got approved by my lab PI to start a new experiment. If you are not familiar on how a lab works, in order to introduce anything to the PI, you need to have a considerable amount of papers and former research to back up your hypothesis. Then, after your proposal, if it is approved, you need to get some initial data showing that your project is possible. So for the entire month of March, this is was I did.

Boring stuff aside, there were a few major events in March that were interlaced with my monotonous research schedule. First off, my birthday!

I can't say my birthdays are very exciting, but I am fortunate to have good enough friends that they are always willing to throw a small party for me. Besides, I really do not want anything other than a small party and cake.

Other than that, March was really kind of a bittersweet time. A lot of my first friends I made in my laboratory graduated this month. They were very excited to go out and start their jobs, but I know it was really hard for the other students to see them leave.

However, just because it was a slightly sad time, doesn't mean they didn't party hardy. The graduation ceremony/party was just as rowdy as usual. Between American style and Japanese style graduations, I like the Japanese way of thinking much better. They break down students into sections, so only people within our major went up to grab their certificates, which means there were less speeches, and more eating. Also, there was a superfluous amount of goofy photo taking, and drinking, like at any party I have been too.

To my friends who graduated, I will miss you!

During this time, I was also able to make some new friends in Japan.

 I was really fortunate that in my last Japanese class, I was able to meet another girl who had similar hobbies and interests as me like drawing, sewing, and cooking. She invited me to her home for dinner one night, and after that we became quite good friends. Occasionally, we will go grocery shopping together, and she teaches me how to cook Chinese dishes, while I teach her how to bake American-style sweets.

It was during one of our shopping trips, that we got really, really lost, but ended up at a garden show in the downtown area of Fukuoka city. They had many beautiful flowers up on display, so I managed to take some photos.

This was the best day for flower viewing it seemed. Sadly the cherry blossoms this year were not very good. On both peak days to see blossoms, there were rainstorms, so most of the cherry blossoms were knocked off the trees before anyone could enjoy them. I did however, see a white dandelion!

Maybe it's not the most interesting post I have had so far, but I hope to have a more interesting post soon. I am scheduled to go to Tokyo in a few weeks to go visit relatives! I am really looking forward to that trip.