Almost everyone was sore the morning after the climb up the mountain. One of the first things Okaasan asked me when I came to breakfast was whether or not I was sore, and if so, where. Okaasan said that her calves were sore, she said that Yoko was complaining of a sore lower back, and I told Okaasan that my butt was sore. Ryosuke was the only one who didn't seem to have any complaints.

I decided to take it easy on Wednesday and complete various responsibilities around home. I cleaned my room, did a lot of laundry, studied Japanese, wrote in my journal, and I caught up with some e-mails and messages online.

One funny aspect of my karaoke experience from the previous day that I forgot to mention was that there was a calorie counter on the screen, and after each song, it displayed how many calories the person singing the song had burned.

Even though I had just climbed Mount Maya the day before, my host brother and I went on a walk. He goes on walks almost every day because he really likes walking, and it may be a good habit for me to pick up until I become accustomed enough to these hills that I can run on them. We walked very far, past the synagogue where I prayed on Rosh Hashanah, and through the entire district in which the synagogue is located, which is a center for international culture within Kobe. My feet were quite sore when we returned home, but I still had enough energy to practice violin and memorize a new set of kanji for the quiz the following morning before going to sleep.