Vacation Again

So after two weeks of school, I'm going to be back on vacation. While there is school on Monday, that is the last time I'll have class until the following week. You see, it's Golden Week right now, a week in which many Japanese holidays fall. For a full list of holidays, you should check the Wikipedia article on it. A lot of people are going on short trips around Japan, and I so am I.

I mentioned a while back that I started getting into a new Korean band, MBLAQ. On May 4th, their Japanese debut album is going to be on sale, and they'll be promoting it with a set of live appearances. Their first one, on the fourth, is going to be in Osaka. I wanted to buy their album, and because of Golden Week, I had the time. Furthermore, Osaka is not as far from Hiroshima as Tokyo or Sapporo is, so it seemed like a good idea to go. I managed to find a really cheap hotel room, which is going to offset some of the cost of transportation, seeing as I have to take the bullet train to get there on time. It's been a long time since I've been to Osaka, so I'm really excited to go! I leave Hiroshima on Tuesday afternoon, and leave Osaka on Saturday. Technically, Friday will be a regular day, but because I have no class that day, I decided to take it easy and stay there a little longer. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do in Osaka, though. I'm looking up places to go, and things to see, but I havent really compiled a list or something. I asked a friend of mine, who studied in Kobe, which is real close, what he thinks I should do, so I have a vague idea. And also, I know someone who is currently in Osaka right now, but I havent spoken to her in years. Perhaps I should contact her.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I do have my reservations about going. For one thing, getting to the place where the live is going to be is a bit problematic. I made it so that my hotel room is close to the store where I have to buy my cd (which has my ticket), which is close to the club where they will be performing at. However, I havent walked around Osaka before; the streets are completely foreign to me. I have looked at it on Google Maps (both the regular maps and Street View), but my time limit is very short. Tower Records, where I have my CD on reserve, opens at 11:00 AM. The 受付 for the event starts at 9:00 and runs to 11:30 AM. Of course, I'm not going to get to Tower Record at eleven - I'm going to get there a bit early, in the even that I can get in there faster. But still. I cant help but wonder if the staff thought about time and all that. But in any case, I will have to move my ass as fast as I can in a city I dont even know. Assuming I get to the club on time, I have a feeling that not only will I be the only American, but I will probably be the only boy there too. Most idol groups have girl fans, and MBLAQ is no different. I have a feeling I will be judged hardcore by people there. And finally, the actual live performance is not open to everyone who will be there. I didnt realise it until today, but there's going to be some kind of raffle or lottery to determine who will get to see it. And even assuming I get in, it's planned to only be half an hour long. To be quite honest, if I had known all of this three weeks ago, I would have just given up and decided not to go. But I've got all the tickets paid, and reservations put in, so I suppose I have no choice but to go. I need to keep a positive attitude that everything will work out, and that I'll have fun and be happy. C'mon good, positive karma!

I get in on Tuesday, and MBLAQ will take up my Wednesday. I dont leave until Saturday morning. This means I have to plan for Thursday and Friday. While I am taking suggestions and thinking about it, I have yet to make concrete plans for those two days. According to Wikipedia, there's a Poke Center near the Osaka Station, so I want to go there. And I am thinking of going to Kyoto again, if only to shop at some stores I really liked there. My friend has suggested Denden Town, which is like Akihabara. And like I said, it wouldnt be a bad idea to see my friend I havent talked to in ages. I still have time to plan (and I should probably start packing...), so I guess I can wait a bit. While definitely worried about all the bad things that can happen, I am trying to look forward to my Osaka vacation. It'll be the last time for me to relax before I get stuck with school, school, and more school.