２０１４年５月７日−１１日

May 7th-9th:

Wednesday, I worked in the lab all day. My new samples, titanium powder heated to 800 C and another to 1000 C yielded no surprising data. The 1000 C sintered block was heavier, more dense, harder, and contained less N and O content (the 800 C was less dense, meaning more pockets of atmospheric air (mainly O and N) were trapped inside). Anyhow, I was still perplexed as to why the SPS materials were stronger than the extruded materials (read earlier blog if this doesn't make sense).

May 10th

Saturday was a day of relaxation. I did my laundry, watched basketball, and enjoyed some good convenient store food. I also saw this sign in the bathroom stall that afternoon.. I thought it was hilarious.

"Drop it to the water" This is why English speakers have good job opportunities here. They still often rely on Google Translate.

In the evening, my friend Emilio and I decided to go play some basketball with a campus club. We took a train a long ways up north towards the edge of the city. The club ended up being a bunch of Malaysian guy who were pretty good. We played for 3 hours, then grabbed dinner with one of the Japanese guys at the local "Gusto", basically the equivalent of a Denny's in the states.

A really crappy pic of the view from the monorail on the way back

May 11th:

This was an awesome day full of traditional Japanese arts. I, along with my friends Sophie and Denise, was invited by Kato San (an elderly lady from our community) to visit a friend of a friend's house. What was so special about this place was that it was built in the late Edo Period, making it about 200 years old. To add to the experience, our hosts were Noh theater hobbyists who would be putting on a show for us in the tatami-style house, after which, we would enjoy a 茶道 Sadou or Japanese Tea Ceremony together. I was super pumped. Here are pictures to give you an idea:

From left to right, Kato-San, Denise, Sophie, Kato's friend. I forgot to mention they dressed in full Kimono! 

Our lunch table.

Delicious 海鮮丼弁当 (Seafood with rice lunch box) prepared for us. It was incredibly fresh tasting.

The lady who owns the house on the right. 

One of the house gardeners/hobbyist performers standing in the tatami style room.

Denise standing by the window and alcove.

Here is a video of the Sensei's performance. I forget which play it came from (I think the Tales of Genji) but enjoy. The point is to emulate a puppet while the chorus tells the story. Notice the walk, lifeless expression of the face, and puppet-like arm motions. He was gracious enough to teach us the basics after the performances.

This mask is apparently very sacred in Noh. We had the opportunity to try it. That old guy is the owner of the house/Noh sensei.

A little bit undersized...

A nice group shot to admire the outfits of everyone.

Ikebana in the alcove.

Little garden in the front with the traditional Japanese lantern holder. 

Another alcove with ikebana.

The difference between 200 year old wood (right) and new wood (left).

The entrance to the house. 

Saying our goodbyes. It was a lovely day. 

Overall, I had such an great experience: truly authentic, and all at no cost. The Japanese hospitality and service is boundless, and is something I hope to learn from in my time here. Thank you to Kato-san for sharing the opportunity.