16 Jun 94 (Thursday) at Doban-so (Hakodate)

6 am.  I really wish they would do daylight savings time here.  I saw the
sun around 3:30 am.  Yesterday we came over from Tokyo on a large,
747-type plane, that was very bumpy.  We took taxis to the inn, which is a
more traditional style inn -- tatami mat bedrooms, public baths, wearing
slippers inside, sitting on the floor on pillows, dinner of a variety of
things w/ a dish w/ sterno underneath so we cook our own beef,
hole-in-the-floor toilets.  =Now= one can see we're in Japan.

We had oral proficiency exams that weren't that bad.  (What university are
you from?  How long have you been in Japan?)

In each room there's a TV and tea service (the otya was pretty good, but
the bowl you put the dregs in really smells bad.)  We were given yukata
for the baths, and futons for sleeping.  There's an underfuton, one that
goes over, the sheets go over that and we have a pillow that's like a
small bean bag.  Today we meet our host families- it shall be interesting.

I forgot to bring a towel with me, so I had to use a dinky hand towel that
they had provided.  In the first room, there are basket to put one's
clothes in, then there's a sliding door to the other room, where there are
bowls for sitting on or filling so one can dump water over your head.
There were soap dishes and shower nozzles (hand-held) for washing.  And a
small pool in the corner for soaking.  I thought the water in the pool was
going to be hotter due to all the stories I've heard, but it's about as
warm as I make my own baths.  Maybe they made it cooler for us.  I do not
know.  I need to go to breakfast soon --  
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