So, Sunday was awesome! The Barbecue was was really great, and I had a lot of fun. It was a long drive to Kobe, and mid-way we stopped and waited for the other two families so everyone would be at the same place and stick together on the roads, but still separate cars. The other families didn’t know that a foreigner was coming, so Yudai’s mom just like opens the door and points to me and there was like a slight gasp. *Surprise!* They were all really nice though. So, after we all met, we finished driving up to Kobe (like an hour and a half).

The BBQ spot was pretty cool, up in the mountain area in a campground with many Japanese families having barbecues. They technically give you a pre-set up tent, but it really isn’t used. We weren’t camping. One of the men was really really funny, because he knew some English and was saying things in a very funny manner, I think at least half purposefully. “I made these rice balls in my heart, please enjoy!”. Yudai and I were the oldest out of the young generation, the rest were under 5, but very cute. The children all seemed to like me, except for the littlest boy, who I accidentally scared. He started bawling and avoided me from then on. Oops.

Food was more similar to an American barbecue than the Rotary one. Beef, corn, and potatoes on the grill, plus chicken and sausages. There was of course rice and some Japanese food, but it was all good! I enjoyed eating and was very full after. Yudai and I also went hiking using the trail. I rolled down a nice- what I thought was grassy- knoll, but I stood up shakily and realized I was covered in dirt and grass stains. Another oops.

After all that fun, the families were going to onsen (public bath). Luckily, Yudai stayed with me in the tatami room and we just hung out, and also walked around the Japanese garden that was there.  Overall, it was pretty fun.  We were both pretty tired, but were laughing and joking and just hanging out.

Everyone said goodbye after they were done in the onsen, and we drove back to Yudai’s house.  On the way home though, we stopped for dinner at a really good Italian restaurant!  Yudai’s parents ordered a delicious family meal style thing, with the course-like thing going on.  Salad -> Soup -> Rice -> Pasta -> Pizza -> Dessert.  It was all really good!  Not to mention it actually tasted Italian.  Some Japanese restaurants will say they cook foods from a certain country, but the menu is so Japanese.  Like the pizza here, with fish and seaweed and whatnot.

After I got to Yudai’s house, we set up where I was going to sleep (on a Japanese mattress next to his bed) and watched TV and stuff.  And, of course, talked.  Even though we were both almost falling asleep before hand on the ride home, we stayed up WAY TOO LATE.  Yeah, I got two hours of sleep last night.  My energy is firmly at ‘E’ right now, and I’m trying to hurry up and document stuff and get to bed.  That is the least amount of sleep I’ve ever gotten and still stayed awake all day.  4 AM is not a good time to go to bed when you have to wake up at 6 AM.

So, today was a very tiring day, however, I didn’t even fall asleep during class.  Surprisingly.  I honestly thought I’d just crash after so long, but I’m making it.  I want to go to bed at 9:30 though.  Yeah.  At school today there was a hair check, and the people that had brown dyed hair got in trouble.  Rather funny.