Days Three, Four, and so on...

The internet stopped working sometime around... I don't remember when. A couple of days ago, probably not long after my last post. I've since settled into a nice routine of working until some part of my body needs attention (stomach hungry, back aches, thinking too much, tired, etc.), taking a break to fix whatever had been distracting me, checking the internet, and going back to work. So far I have about 10 pieces I'm hoping to make while I'm here, which is really more like 17 since most of them involve 2 vessels. Too ambitious for a month? I don't know yet...

I'm definitely feeling quite comfortable here. My room is more than I expected it to be for a dorm room, the people are friendly, and I have what seems to be an endless supply of clay. I think it was 2 days ago when Minori gave us newcomers a more complete tour of everything, and maps. They have bicycles we can use to go to the store, recycling, a library, a vacuum, glaze and plaster rooms, huge kilns... It's really a nice setup. I ought to post some pictures soon, maybe tonight.

Yesterday I realized I was starting to run out of food (a couple slices of bread and raw chicken really isn't going to go to far towards dinner, is it?), so I took a bike to the grocery. One of the other residents was leaving then as well and served as my guide. The bikes are, from what I can tell, a little old, a little wobbly, and a bit rusty, but reliable nonetheless, and with convenient baskets on the front. It's a nice ride to the store, maybe 10 minutes or so, and a little hilly but not bad (until you have your basket full of food one the way back). I spent a good long time looking at everything and got enough food for the next week or so, even though I'll probably venture out again before then, if only for variety of scenery. And there's a few other places in town I'd like to check out.

Oh, and we now have a resident neko-chan, because one of the girls found a scrawny, probably almost newborn and half-dead kitten on the road and is now nursing it back to health. I don't know if it's doing all that much better yet, but it's cute, and it's cute to watch her (and everyone else) being so concerned about it. Yesterday was a bit a crash course in local fauna, actually. Very large (at least 4", and you should've seen the legs!) centipede crawling across the studio floor was exhibit A. Aedan very kindly rescued it and put it outside while I attempted to refrain from screaming like a little girl. Then there are these huge dragonflys that keep flying in and bouncing off the lights, and a large horsefly was flying around, and of course we talked about all the bugs and such that exist around here. Apparently there are deer, too. Then the kitten arrived, and... Maybe that was all.

Well, I'm anxious to get back to work. Lots to do. I'll try to post some pictures later, though.

Ja, mata!