My Host Father picked me up after my last class, so that I could go to the airport and say goodbye to Chikako. Before we left, I had a sweet potato pastry that looked remarkably like a sausage roll but tasted nothing like it! When saying goodbye to her grandfather (who lives with us), Chikako couldn't help crying. With her boyfriend living in Australia, and her having graduated from university, I'm sure she has contemplated staying overseas. Her family must be very worried. We left the house before 4 PM, and stopped at the Gibson's (the Adelaide family) on the way. It took 2 hours to get to Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The road tolls cost about 6,000 yen. Driving to the airport, I recognized things I had passed on my arrival to Himeji by Jumbo Taxi. 

Chikako was mainly just looking out of the window, and both of us became very tired sitting in the back seat, although the sun hadn't yet set. We listened to the Carpenters, who sang about melancholy things and made us all feel a bit introspective. On the way, we stopped at a lookout point in Kobe, and went up to the top floor of the building. I took photos out of the window, of the setting sun and the sights to be seen. Lining the highway are high walls to minimize the noise of the traffic for the nearby residents. We saw planes fly through the sky, with tails like comets. It's nothing like in Australia. I have never seen anything like it. At one point, it felt surreal, looking out the window at the hazy pink dusk with comets in the sky and factories below. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. In a way, it was like the images in Apocalypse Now, the classic war movie.

At the airport, I was amazed by the number of souvenir stores and restaurants. I hadn't been to that level before, as I arrived at 6 AM and everything would have been closed. We saw among other things Japanese name key rings, like Sachiko, Erina and Yuka. It was so funny! No Kate or Kylie or Jessica. My Host Father bought me a packet of traditional Japanese postcards to send home. We went to the candy store, and my Host Mother bought me mini Cadbury Time Out chocolate bars. We ate set meals at a downstairs restaurant. It was very somber. 

When it was time for Chikako to leave, she said tearful goodbyes, and I noticed her father get out his handkerchief. It was such a sad moment. It was just like when I left Perth two weeks ago. But then, Chikako got a bloody nose! She had to come running back through the crowd to get tissues. It made the moment even more memorable.

On the drive home, we looked out at the runways at all the red lights. Passing through Kobe, I saw a lit up elevator going up and down a building. Life went on without Chikako. I could see the mountains on one side of the highway, and on the other side, the sea. Hearing songs I hadn't heard for years like 'Catch a Falling Star' and 'Close to You' made me think of home.

On Friday I decided to time the walk from my house to the university. On the way I saw a Japanese guy who looked about 22 and was wearing a hooded jumper that said 'knickers' in large letters across the back. These kind of things remind me that I'm not in Australia anymore! The walk took a slick 35 minutes, cutting 10 minutes of my friend Lillian's record. We ate together at the cafeteria after class. 

At home, Hitomi made ome-rice (an omelet with tomato sauce flavored rice in the middle). I watched her flip it over in the pan like a professional. She had bought me Astro Boy smarties (five tubes!). She also handed me a new pair of socks that she said Chikako had left for me. Bonus, I love socks. Seriously! Meet the Parents was on TV, but it was dubbed in Japanese so it was difficult to understand. I was having problems with the computer (i.e. it couldn't recognize my digital camera in the USB port) so I gave up and started packing for tomorrow's camp. Then I went to bed. It felt nothing like a Friday night to me! After eating so much food all week, I decided to go on a diet.

Related link:  Life after Chikao's departure