Day 20: Christmas Day in a Buddhist town

Day 20 (25 Dec) was always going to be a little different. It's not the first Christmas Day I've spent in Japan but it's always an interesting day. There was some snow up in the mountains but not down in the town, so while it was going to be a cold Christmas, it was not going to be quite a white one. Everyone else in the household wanted to sleep in following the expending of much nervous energy on last night's party. Perhaps the most interesting question I was asked last night was to introduce myself in 'Australian', as opposed to 'English'...a fair question from a 14 year old I guess. 

6.12 (7.12) am, Christmas Day

So the 6.12am (7.12am) shot found me lying on bed wondering about the wisdom to stay offline during this trip...at least if I were online, I could keep up with news and views. Instead, I was starting day three of being in an almost complete news vacuum. There was a TV in the house but it was only switched on once, to check the weather. No newsagents or paper shops to duck down to either so I couldn't read the papers either. I realised how much I take for granted in just keeping up with political and current developments. I remain quite bewildered by others who can let their days pass without knowing or caring...a lesson for a news tragic for me I guess. 

Matsuyama Port Centre 6.12pm

It was consequently a bit of a leisurely start to the day and we eventually got around to going down to the port area of the city where we marvelled at the sunset and met up with another former student of Ehime-san. We sat and had a cup of coffee and at 6.12pm we were just about to leave. I tried to get a hold of a newspaper...to no avail. On the way back, we ate at one of Ehime-san's preferred sushi restaurants. Sushi for Christmas dinner...a variation on the Brissie seafood spectaculars I guess.  

Still, the sunset was quite spectacular and I do find the silhouettes of the islands of the Inland Sea quite 

Matsuyama Port sunset around 5pm

photographic...
and at least I did get to ring mum for Christmas Day.