So I decided to rent a car! I’m sick of bothering other people for rides and not being able to go to many places because of the lack of public transport access. Ebachan brought the car down for me to do a test drive. I had to be in Takasaki at 6:30 pm for a Guy Fawkes party aka setting off fireworks in a park. Thus, I drove for the first time on the left handed side of the road! Pulling out from my small street was the scariest. I knew intellectually that I had to get in the left lane while turning right, but my body was screaming no, that’s wrong. And there was an incoming car too. Otherwise the drive was fine, just turned on the windshield wipers four times instead of my blinker since those are switched. My depth perception was a little whacked too, it felt like I was driving too close to the outer edge of the street sometimes. The drive was full of dark, curvy back roads and since I drove the speed limit, there were many impatient people behind me. Ebachan said I drove really well and safe so he feels good about renting the car to me, ha.

Once all eleven of us showed up in Takasaki at the park by the river, we started lighting sparklers and various fireworks. Some that even shot off the ground into the air. No one got maimed or died so it was a success. We did end up moving downwind from the bridge though because they were setting off so much smoke and covering the bridge and drivers. Afterwards, we drove to the train station to eat at an Indian restaurant where a couple more people joined us. The nan was ginormous! And the curry, yummy. Also got to have mango lassi again! The staff was all Indian and we only spoke English so that was easier. Post dinner, I went out with a couple people to Pitch where we got drinks and played darts. I met another Gunma ALT who studied at Ohio University and we have a ton of mutual friends. The world is so small. We headed out around before midnight so people could catch their trains and I caught a ride back home with M.