In the Hood

The neighborhood in Hirakata that I've been living in has a name that is quite difficult for me to pronounce.  But I can say that Katahokohigashimachi has been a very inviting community and I feel safe within my surroundings.  When I ride my "Jitensha," or bike around, I find that it's almost impossible for me to pass a civilian without wanting to say 'o ha yo go za i ma s,' good morning, 'co ni chi wa,' good afternoon, or 'kon ban wa,' good evening.  One of my favorite places to ride my bike is the path along the canal right near our seminar house.

 

When you follow this path it leads to Makino train station and also to one of my favorite parks.  We call it cat kingdom park because there are wild cats that hang out everywhere.  It has one of the biggest lakes in the area and the scenery is beautiful when the sun sets.

This is a picture of my friend Tommy petting one of the cats at the park.  

It shows that they are comfortable inviting us into their "kingdom."

Where ever I go in this neighborhood even if it's just on the way to school, I can appreciate the simple differences like the architectural styles of Katahokohigashimachi buildings to what I'm use to back home.  The only thing that concerns me is how narrow the roads are.  It's difficult maneuvering around cars when you are walking or cycling and have no room to the side of you. 

 

This picture is of one of the main roads leading up to school from the seminar houses 

Despite this, I am impressed with the precision of the drivers; they always seem so close to hitting people or things but never actually do.  All in all, I know that I'm in a comfortable area and this helps me with my overall adaptation process here in Japan!