It was a pretty hot day when I reached Nara.However, at that time, there were not so many passengers in the limo, so I could take this picture:
I can be considered weird or something for finding beauty somewhere else rather than in fancy “check-in” places. This location is perhaps unknown, yet I felt something like placidity here. Unfortunately, the lens couldn’t capture either the entire of this beautiful scenery or its tranquility.
And I was amazed at the way Japanese people just calmly waited for the traffic light. Even when they had to wait for so long, it was totally ok then. Plus, the two small legs from the left and right-hand sides belonged to the two Korean kids. They were so cute! They went with their mom and grandmom (I guess) and from what I overheard, maybe they were visitors. It’s normal because Nara is one of the tourist destinations in Japan.
I did forget how long it took us to travel to Nara from Osaka, but when we reached Kintetsu Nara Station, Ms. Kimiko had already been there waiting for us. Right after taking off the bus, I saw a young lady standing on the pavement smiling. My hunch was that she was Ms. Kimiko, and it was right! She was so friendly and helpful (and extremely beautiful!).
Ms. Kimiko instructed us to take the taxis to NWU Nara House. Then I found out that there are a large number of old workers serving on the bus or taxis, which is slightly different from my home country. They are also very kind and helpful.
Finally, we arrived at NWU Nara House at noon. I felt so overwhelmed because the architecture here was considerably dissimilar to that in Vietnam. There is a phrase that perfectly describes it, which is “rich in traditional culture”. From every single detail of the house, traditional culture is distinctively demonstrated. Nonetheless, modern features were also skillfully added: wifi, automatic light, and so on. Like we were able to live in the harmony of tradition and high technology.
I have read so many Japanese novels which mention “tatami” a lot, and that was my very first time touching the real tatami! Besides, the closet looking like the place where Doraemon sleeps was also in our room. The doors were made of wood and paper, and I just hardly believed that until I touched them! Wow!
There were 12 girls living in the house with a shared living room and a kitchen. On our day of arrival, there were some students from NWU who came in case we need help. They were so cute and helpful. Some even brought their papers to fold origami! I couldn’t do anything but wishing I had those skillful hands.
In addition, I will never forget how considerate and thoughtful Janna was when she gave us a hand to close the door. The friends from NWU also helped us but in vain. Finally, it all turned out that we put it the wrong way!! Anw, it was a funny memory on a special day!
brillbro 