Winter Break

So today was omochi day! Omochi is rice cakes that you make for the New Year. So today we went to the neighbor's house for an omochi party. My first host parents, the Hiranos, plus one of the Rotarians, Kinpara-san, came too. Then we went out for Italian food.
Yesterday, I just bummed around at home. Friday, I hung out with Addison and Laurent. Addison had to leave early, so Laurent and I walked into this supermarket downtown with lots of Western stuff. We were staring at everything and talking about what was good and what we missed. Finally, we bought cheese, a baguette, Orangina, and Swiss chocolate and had a little European picnic. It was amazingly fun.
The day before, I hung out with Max and Sakiko Maria. That was an interesting linguistical experience. Max wanted to write a letter in Japanese, so he dictated it to me in French, and I wrote it in English, and then I gave it to Sakiko Maria, who translated it into Japanese. Ah, this is basically every day in Japan: my head is swimming in 3 foreign languages at once.
Last Tuesday was Christmas. I called my family and talked to them for two hours and my best friend for about 30 mins. Then I went over to the Hiranos. They cooked a Western meal and we had apple pie sent from the USA and it was good. I wasn't that homesick on Christmas day, but before hand I was horribly, horribly homesick. Anyway, Christmas Eve I hung out with about 10 people at once, from all corners of the globe, half Japanese, half gaijin. Then most of the people had to leave early, so me, Addison, and Josefa had Christmas Eve dinner together at a ramen shop. It was so much fun!
OK, thats all for now. I'm at the Hiranos now for the New Year's festivities. Take care and yoi otoshi wo. (Have a good new year)

End of the year!

Yay so today we had an end-of-the-year ceremony at school. IT was boring and I slept. Then I went downtown with Laurent and Max. And we met up with Josefa and Addison and Sakiko. Max gave us all Lindt chocolate for Christmas... it's soo good. Yesterday I treated everyone for lunch at an Indian restaurant for CHristmas. It was soo good! Then I had to go to a Rotary Christmas party, where they made me dress in a men's kimono and make up and sing the American national anthem.... haha so random I know. But they had Japanese drums and that was really cool.
Today I bought New Year's cards and I'm going to write them and mail them to random people. So if you want a Japanese New Years card, holla.
I'm spending this weekend with my first host family, the Hiranos. I'm so excited!

KYOU KOKUGO DEKITA!

So, quick update. On Saturday morning, I went to kendo club. After that, I was biking downtown and I got thrown off my bike when I was trying to go from the street to the curb because I underestimated the height of the curb. My bike chain fell off, my glasses fell off (but they didn't break) and my gloves got ripped. So then I fixed the chain myself and limped to the train station, where I bought band-aids at the convinience store and dressed my wound in the station restroom. It still hurts a bit and therefore I've been absent from kendo and gym class. (It was the right knee, and kendo is all in the right leg.)
Anyway, later that day, I met up with Vanessa, Dorothy (a german exchange student), Kathi, Melina, Ryu (a Kitako student), Laurent, Max, and Addison for a bit of Christmas fun. We went to karaoke and ate cookies and had a little Christmas tree in the center of the table.
Sunday morning I went to church and they had a little Christmas thing afterwards, so that was nice. Then I hung out with JOSEFA and FUYU!!!!!!!!! Yes!!! And i met Shaki, an exchange student from Austria. And Saki, from Ichiritsu school.
Monday (yesterday!), we had an end of the year party at school. We had a ridiculously good time. Kei and Miwa did this hilarious dance thing to this song:


Ah Goooood times!
Today marks four months that I have been in Japan, and I am ridiculously amazingly proud of something I did today. "Kokugo" class is Japanese literature class. Usually I just study Japanese by myself or stare at the wall because I don't understand it because it's like whoah. But today it was different. We were separated into groups to discuss different poems and I was sitting by myself, studying Japanese as usual. But then Mio was like, "What are you doing? Come here!" And i was like "I dont understand this!" And she was like "Coooome!" and I was like "ok." So I joined that group and we discussed three poems, and I UNDERSTOOD MOST OF IT. (I needed a bit of help with the kanji and two of the poems were in old Japanese, so I was like ehhh but they explained it). I contributed my ideas and they appreciated them and wrote them down on the paper they had to submit to the teacher and everything. I was sooooooo happy!!!!!!!!!!
Then after school I was able to transfer the photos from my camera to my portable hard drive. Now im at home and I can't figure out how to use the portable hard drive on this computer. Ahhhh... Ah, well. Then after that, I went to kendo even though I really couldn't participate due to my knee so I just kinda stood there and then just hung out with my friends in the club after it was done. I think tomorrow I will be able to participate. Maybe.
Thursday is no school! In the evening is Rotary Christmas party. Friday is half-day and end of the year closing ceremony. Then Monday starts Winter Break! YAYYY! Then New Year's, which is like HUGE in Japan. Yayyy I'm so high on life. :DDD.

agh! funness!

Ah! I'm so frustrated! This week and last week I took so many amazing photos, but at my new host family's computer, I can't figure out how to upload photos. There's a lot of photos of school and kendo and general hanging out with people. Maybe I'll be able to do it at school.
OK. So this week I read the book "Dead Man Walking" by Sister Helen Prejean. It's really amazing and interesting and it's a book about the death penalty. (Which, YAY! was recently outlawed in New Jersey!) It's really good because she talks from personal experience, the teachings of Jesus, and philosophers and journalists and statistcs, and like everything. It's such a good book and it really gets you.
Today was a fun day. After school, I went to tea ceremony club. I can't believe how many rules the Japanese tea ceremony has. You have to count 16 line-counts from the edge of the tatami mat. There's so many other things and it just boggles the mind! Then afterwards, Mio and Natsumi (two friends from my class, also in the tea ceremony club), invited me to the movies with them. So we went to see some movie about old-time Japan and I just sat there in a non-comprehending daze for two hours watching people run around in kimonos and hakamas. Anyway, it was really fun to hang out with Mio and Natsumi.
Last night Laurent, Addison, Max, Kei, Sakiko, and I went to the Fowler's (American missionary family living in Hamamatsu, I went to their church last Sunday) house for dinner. We made it ourselves (lasagna, asparagus quiche, apple tart). It was so delicious and so amazingly fun.
OK this is short, but I had a really good week and wish everyone goodness and yesness. (whatever yesness is...)

Iro iro mono!

So on Thursday to Saturday I hung out with the Sri Lankan kids. We went to the Suzuki motor factory. That was absolutely amazing to see cars being built. Then we went to the Yamaha grand piano factory. Did you that they have a machine that hits each key 300 times to condition the piano? They also use different types of wood and different types of humidity depending on the dryness level of the country theyre intending to send the piano to. So yeah that was cool.
Friday was some strange old customs checkpoint (kinda eh.) Then an aquarium with fish (well yeah of course what else would it have.) Then some thing where you could see a lot of things from the top of a thing. And then the zoo. And then I went downtown for Max's birthday. And there I met up with Josefa, Addison, Laurent, and Yuka, so that was fun. Josefa is, like, amazing. She gives me my Latina dose of humor and all-around amazingness. I'm so mad she has to go back to Chile in February. Then I met up again with the Sri Lankans and showed them downtown.
Saturday was Mount Fuji area. It was really nice because there was some snow on top the mountain. We went to some strange kid park where they had fake snow because they wanted to show the Sri Lankans snow. I hate fake snow its stupid. So we went sledding on the snow and it was nothing like Beaccuachlah (however you spell that park's name) Park back home.
I was talking to Wang-san, the university student from China that Rotary sponsors, the whole time because she came with us and I had been so tired of speaking English for the past few days with Gogs, Moley, and Wolfsey (the Sri Lankan kids' nicknames). She tried to teach me how to say "Great wall of China" in Chinese. It was so difficult and i totally forget. That's the great thing about going with Rotary; because Rotary is so diverse and international, you meet people from all over the world and it's just amazing.
Anywayz, Saturday night I slept a lot because I was tired from my long day and Sunday I went to church with Kei and Sakiko. It was really good. Then we helped out distribute clothes and food to the homeless. I'll next week too with Kei and Sakiko.
Today I went to school! Because it's Monday! Today some Australian students visited the school. They're in Japan for two weeks and will be at my school tomorrow too. They were all about 14 or 15 and my homeroom ate lunch with them. Then my homeroom left for their normal classes. Then the Australians put on kimonos and we made bookmarks for some reason. It was kinda annoying because they were all like 7 years old but Laurent and Max were there so it was fine.
Then I had kendo! Yay! Before kendo, I'm always like "ugh I dont wanna gooooo" but during kendo Im like YAY KENDO! Kuno-sensee wants me to take some kendo exam in February, and I'm like "haha no." Well, I didnt actually say that, I said "zenzen dekinai."
Oh tomorrow we're making food in HomeEc class! Yay! I actually can't stand the food we're making. Its called Iforget but it's this Japanese thing where they mix meat, oysters, noodles, lettuce, ketchup, cheese, and like tractors and flowerpots. You take one bite and youre like "woooooooooooooooow this is like wooooooooooooooooooooooow overwhelming taste MUCH" and youre like full and then its like "wow this is actually really disgusting."
Looks to be a normal week ahead of me; but, as always, I never really know... :)

Sri Lankans Invade Hamamatsu

So last night, my host dad and I went to get a basket for my bicycle. My back hurts a bit from wearing the schoolbag on my back. Japanese schoolbags are NOT meant at ALL for wearing on the back; you're supposed to hold them like a purse. So I'm happy about that.
Today, I didn't go to school. I met three Sri Lankan students named Gog, Moley, and Wolfey. Don't worry, those aren't their real names. Those are nickames. They are here in Hamamatsu for two weeks as part of an Interact program.
So first we went to Hamamatsu Air Force Base and looked at the exhibits and did a flight similator and then watched an IMAX film about the base's acrobatic airplane team. Then we had ramen and gyooza (Chinese dumplings) for lunch. We were accompanied by Rotarians, but I had to act as their guide, interpret, and explain etiquette and such. Then we went to Hamamatsu Science Museum and then we went to Seien. Seien is an all-girl's school and that's where Shiori goes. So I requested to enter her class and we walk in and she has only a very small idea we're gonna be there today. Needless to say, she was quite surprised. It was really good to see her again, even though we were supposed to be there only to observe the class, so I could only exchange a few words with her. At the end of the class, we introduced ourselves and took a picture with the class. I also saw Shiori's best friend, Lisa, so that was good. We saw a bunch of other classes and then saw the mandolin club practice and then went to Interact Club and then we parted ways. It was a really fun day and I'll be hanging out with Gog, Moley, and Wolfey again tomorrow. We're going to the Suzuki Motor Factory and the Yamaha Music Instrument Factory.

Suugaku dekinai! Plus good Chinese food and stuffage

What a day! It was raining so hard this morning and I broke my iPod headphones because I ran over them with my bike and then I got so soaked on the way to school. So my feet were freezing the whole day.
This week, we have exams at school. They wanted me to try the math exam, so I receive it and it's all in kanji. I understand something about 9 cards and taking out 7 or something like that, but that's it. So I just sat there for 50 minutes in blissful ignorance. Then I took English reading, and that was easy. Except sometimes I don't remember which preposition goes with what idiom/expression now. Oh, well.
Then I had a free period and me and Laurent and Max watched Resident Evil in French in the International Office. Well, they were. I was reading some book in French that Laurent had and it was kinda funny but I only read one chapter because I am currently reading Hemingway's "For Whom the Bells Toll" or is it "For Whom the Bell Tolls?" Whatever. Something about bell(s) and tolling. I'm only at the beginning, but it's pretty good.
Then I went out for lunch with Kei and Sakiko. We went to a really cheap Chinese restaurant near school. It was so good and so much fun! Then we went to the post office to change some last US dollars I had and there we randomly met Addison, Laurent, and Max. Max was mailing a package to France. They went off to do karaoke, but me Kei and Sakiko went off to Starbucks. We were all like "Ok we're gonna study and read!" But we just ended up talking the whole time. Do they have the creme brulee latte in US Starbucks? Because they definitely have it here and I think I'm in love with it.
Kei and Sakiko and I are going to church together on Sunday. (Yes! Advent season!) Then after that, we're gonna help the church give out clothes and food to the homeless.
Anyway, then they went home to actually study and I ran into Addison who was on his way to meet Josefa and then we met Josefa and then we ran into Max and Laurent again at the train station and then Max left and then we met some really random weird old guy at McDonalds... wow, do I have stories for the grandchildren!
Ok I'm enter into the ofuro now. The ofuro is the Japanese bathtub and it's amazing. It is the type of bath where everyone shares the same water (not at the same time, goodness gracious, that's an onsen). It's not really disgusting because you take a shower beforehand. I guess you could technically just say furo, but I've never heard that and it just sounds really rude to me. (The o- means respect)
Tomorrow is my Home Ec exam. I might actually may able to do that!

Japanese Proficiency Exam and Reunion, well not in that order

Yesterday I hung out with the Hiranos, my old host family. It was really good to be back with them for dinner. We had sukiyaki, which is my absolute favorite Japanese dish. Theres a pot in the center of the table, and you put things like vegetables and meat and noodles in it and let it simmer. It's so amazingly delicious! Then I called my momsie and dadsie in the USA and found out I got accepted at the American University of Paris with a scholarship! Yay! We'll see what happens with that.
Today I had my Japanese Proficiency Exam, level four. It requires knowledge of 120 kanji characters and 800 words. I think I did well on grammar and kanji, but the listening part was so hard. The recordings speak SO slowly that it's in one ear and out the other. People do speak a bit more slowly for me because I'm foreign, but the pace on the recordings is snail-like.
I met a guy at the exam named Peter. He used to work in New York City for a program like Teach for America. So we talked about all our favorite New York spots, and that was nice. He's going to introduce me to some exchange students from Washington state who live near Hamamatsu. Haha you have no idea how much I love meeting new people now... His friend also organizes English camps, so I might volunteer as a counselor for one of the camps.
After the exam, Otousan and Okaasan (my new ones, of course... the Kuritas) picked me up and we went to the Tohayashi Art Museum. (The exam was in Aichi Prefecture, the drive was really pretty, right next to the Pacific). We saw absolutely gorgeous kimonos... it's really too bad that the kimono is being worn less and less. If I were the CEO of a company, I would institute a "Wear A Kimono/Yukata/Hakuma (All traditional clothes) to Work Day" to encourage wider use of the clothes. They really are so elegant.
Then we had udon (noodles) and katsudon (pork cutlet) for dinner at a restaurant with a lady with gold teeth (thought that was important...)
This week, the Sri Lankan kids are coming for two weeks. That will be fun. Wednesday, I might be going to Shiori's school for a day. Thursday, I'm going to the Suzuki car factory. Saturday-- MOUNT FUJI! I absolutely adore Mount Fuji and jump at every chance to get close to it.

Quick update

So just quick update-ness.
Last week was bus trip to Himeji Castle, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Nara. IT was amazingly fun! Then I switched host families, from the Hiranos to the Kuritas. I miss the Hiranos a lot, but the Kuritas are also very kind.
Next week we may host Sri Lankan students.
Haha thats it. I don't feel like writing but I don't wanna feel like a slacker.

Nagoya, Numazu, Hate speech

On Thursday, Otousan and I went to Nagoya. In the morning, I had a admissions interview with a Columbia alum. I think it went well. Then we went to Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, and a Japanese garden. IT was really, really fun!
Saturday, Addison and I went to Numazu for the international skills olympics. We figured out the trains all by our lonesome... yay. There we met Kathi and Melina and then Vanessa, from Canada, for the first time. GOOD TIMES GOOD TIMES. Ahh hahaha it was so amazingly fun. Ah hahahahahahahhahaa.
Today i hung out downtown with Kei and Chihiro and Josefa and Addison. Good TIMES. More good times...
Then at night, there was a van patrolling downtown, broadcasting hate messages against foreigners. It was really, really, really disturbing and really frightening. Like seriously. So me, Josefa, and Addison ran after the van screaming at the top of our lungs and giving the peace sign. We figured, like (I think it was) the Apostle Paul said, that It's better to fight hate with love. (Do not overcome evil with evil, but overcome evil with good.) But it's a very rare occurence to see those vans, but today there was two or three going around downtown. Did I mention it was really scary? Chihiro and Kei had left because they had to study for exams so it was just me, Addison, and Josefa. We tried to ask Japanese people what the announcements were; they wouldn't even look at us when we tried to get their attention. But we figured what they were saying because my host sister had alreayd told me about them, and we understood words like "foreigner" "America" "Japanese." and lots of negative words, like "don't learn" "don't understand." It was so friggin scary. You walk down the street when the hate messages are playing and nobody looks at you and avoids your glance. But anyway, it's like 4 people in the entire country who think like that and Japanese people are generally extremely welcoming and hospitable to foreigners.

One thing from Kendo, and Kimonos and a Farm

On Friday, I forgot to say that we had actual duals in kendo club, not just practice duals. So I was last in the order. Since my section was a bit slow, it was just me fighting another boy, and the whole team was watching. He got two points, I got one. But everyone was cheering and screaming for me. Afterwards, Kuno-sensee came up to me and was like That was so good! But he told me I have to keep my back straight. It's really difficult. Because I always have such bad posture.
On Monday, I walked into the gym expecting kendo practice but there was none! IT was a pleasent surprise because it's always so exhausting. So I wandered around school and found Sakiko Maria. Maria is a third-year student who is half-Filippino, half-Japanese. She used to live in the Philippines. She's really cool and we sit next to each other in Spanish class and never pay attention. So we walked downtown together, and on a whim, called Kei. Kei is another third-year student who spent a year in Topeka, Kansas, as a Rotary exchange student. She was in a kimono shop looking for a gift for some friends. So we went and helped her. The shop was so elegant and everything was so beautiful. THen we went out for coffee at Tully's in the train station and just sat there for two hours, talking about the differences in Japan, the US, the Philippines. What we thought was good about each country; what we thought was bad. It's really interesting on my exchange; I've really been getting a perspective from people all over the world.
Then today, I went to Kakegawa for some Rotary Group Study Exchange party. Group Study Exchange is a month-long program for young professionals to experience another culture. This group was from Thailand. The dinner was at a farm and it was outside. IT was a bit cold, but the food was delicious. It was really funny, I saw Watanabe-san, one of the really nice Rotarians I went fishing with a few weeks ago and haven't seen since because he's from a different club. He comes up to me, and he's like "I want you to meet the president of my Rotary club." So I'm like, okay. So he introduces me to the president, and the man is looking at me for a while, and then he's like "OH YEAH! YOU'RE THE REALLY SMART ONE!" And I'm like "Ummm..." So apparently I have some sort of reputation getting around in the local area.

Serial Killers and A Bus full of Japanese Tourists

So on Friday, my host sister, Shiori and host mom left for Yokohama. Shiori took her university entrance exam on Saturday morning... she said it was really difficult. We'll find out this Thursday if she passed, so we're all on pins and needles.
On Friday, Otousan and I went out for Korean BBQ. IT was so adorable because my host mom is so picky about his diet. And he was like "We're gonna eat so much tonight, but don't tell Okaasan!!!" It was sooooo delicious; I love me some Korean BBQ.
Saturday morning, I had kendo. Then Addison and Max and Laurent and I saw a band concert at school; it was actually really, really good. Then we went downtown to see the movie "Disturbia." It was okay; it's about a serial killer, but it's exactly like the Alfred Hitchcock film "Rear Window."
Laurent has a new host family now, which is good. He really likes his new host family, and they don't speak English, which is good. That was a real problem with his first host family. Anyway, we took the train to his house and spent the whole night watching stuff on Youtube on using messenger to talk to our respective friends in Belgium and the USA. Then we had to wake madd early this morning because we went hiking. It turned out to be one those stereotypical Japanese bus tour things. So we boarded our little Japanese bus and went on our little highway to our little park, where we stopped every fifteen minutes for a break because there were so many obaasans and ojiisans (old people.) It was really beautiful; it was hike through green tea fields and mountains and things like that. It was really fun; Laurent and I did a lot reflecting over our past three months here, about our friends, culture, language, life in general. He said my French has gotten a lot better in the past three months; that made me happy! Yay! Then we went to a temple. THere was a Daibutsu (huge statue of the Buddha). And then a fish market. Yes, I also don't know how hiking, a temple, and a fish market are connected in the minds of Japanese tour operators. But it was really fun!
Now that it's fall, we eat a lot of stuff from the onabe. Onabe means pot. So you have the pot in the middle of the table and put meat and vegetables and broth into it and its soooo delicious. Then after its all done you put rice and egg into the broth and eat the rice. IT's soooo good and typical autumn food.
Ah I'm so exhausted tomorrow and I don't wanna go to school. Tuesday I have to go to Kakegawa for some Rotary thing; Thursday is my interview with a Columbia alum in Nagoya; and then next week (this is like the 234th time ive said this) is Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima. I'm deliriously excited.

Rotary District Conference and other such topics

So this weekend was the Rotary District Conference. It was so much fun to hang out with all the other exchange students in this district again. Of course, I didn't sleep much. On Sunday morning, I participated in a panel discussion on international goodwill. It was rather... interesting. Then after that, Kurahashi-san, one of the important Rotarians in charge of exchange, came up to me, and was like "Please do a two minute speech in about ten minutes." So I was like, okay... so he takes me backstage and before I know it he ushers me into a huge auditorium of about 500 Rotarians. And then he's like, okay, make your speech now. I had nothing prepared, so I just talked from the top of my head. My host club, Hamamatsu Minami, started cheering for me. They're so adorable! Afterwards, Kurita-sensee, the president of the club and my next host father, adressed the entire club and told them how I upheld the name and reputation of the Hamamatsu Minami Rotary Club.
Monday I was so exhausted from the hard work from the weekend and still a bit sick so I stayed home.
I've been away from kendo club for the longest time (one week and a half) due to Rotary thingies and university stuff and sickness and the like. But today I went again! It was so much fun! Everyone was like "WHERE WERE YOU!??!" Haha. Then we had actual duals today (with the signal flag things), not just practice. The first person I fought was a second year student... that was a tie. The members from the opposite team were cheering for me... it was so adorable. Everyone loves a gaijin! Then I fought another second year student, and she won. Ah, well. I've only been doing it for like two months so I can't expect to be a pro. But ganbarimasu! (Im doing my best!)
So next Thursday I'm going to Nagoya with my host mom. I have an interview with a rep from Columbia Univ. After the interview, we're gonna hang out at Nagoya Castle and one of the most sacred shrines in Japan. Yayyy!

What a week!

So much happened this week! On Tuesday at school we went to a service trip to a pre-school. We played with the kids and read to them, etc. It was insanely fun. The kids were insanely cute. Some of them were so scared of me because I'm foreign, but they got used to me. Some didn't even notice the difference. I really wish I had brought my camera, because they were perfect photo ops, like little kids climbing all over me and insisting that I pick them up.
Today we had a Halloween party at school! It was so much fun! Today in Foreign Cultures, we started discussing American culture, and because I'm the only American in the class, they have quite considerately given me the right of reply. We're watching parts of Bowling for Colombine now, and we watched the part with the parody of American history. I told them that, yeah, it was true, yeah the dates were a bit weird, but every country has dark histories, so you should learn them so you don't have to repeat them. (Corny, I know, but I'm getting so tired of people pointing fingers at the USA. I couldn't care less before, but I think I've gotten more patriotic. Yeah, the Constitution is as good as toilet paper according to that idiot Bush, but no country is perfect, and the USA is a large part of the world's problems, but it's also a large part of the world's good things. The ideas that the USA were based on were AMAZING, and the government needs to get back on track. End rant.)
Then during the last period, I started to feel sick. I told Taka to feel my forehead, and he insisted on taking me to the nurse's office. She gave me a thermometer, and quite innocently, I placed it in my mouth. Then everyone gasped in horror and told me that you're supposed to place it in your armpit. Whoops... Anyway, I had a slight fever. Of course, half the school (well, not literally) gets up in arms to make sure I'm okay. They insist that I skip kendou and go home. So I call Okaasan and she picks me up in front of the school. "We're going to the doctor now," she said. Well, I was quite surprised. It was just a slight fever. But to the doctor we went! The doctor was Kurita-sensee, the president of my host club. (Rotary connections much?) He sat me down and started using all these Japanese medical terms. I can speak Japanese conversationally now, but, mind you, I barely know medical terms in English. Then he took out a long cotton swab. I asked him what it was and he really didn't answer. Before I knew it, he was jamming it through my nostril (not the most pleasent feeling in the world.) Then they told me to rest a bit, so I did what I was told. It is really the most disorienting thing in the world to have a panel of nurses fussing around you in a foreign language, telling you to do things that you'd barely understand in English because you feel so bad. Then he told me I didn't have the flu, which was good. Then he told me to rest again, and then he changed his mind and told me I had the flu. So they made me get in bed, hooked up an IV, and gave me some shots. Quite a difference from how Americans treat the flu: take a few pills, sleep a lot, and hope for the best. Then he gave me a face mask to wear. I actually feel perfect right now; just a bit tired. Other than that, I'm genki mori mori! (Heartily healthy, I guess is the best translation.)
Tomorrow is district conference! Yes! I get to wear a facemask and look completely Japanese!
By the way, I wanted to say that, in the USA, I always refused to take naps. I NEVER took naps! But now in Japan, all I do is nap: in cars, in class (it's perfectly acceptable), in performance venues, everywhere.... I love my newly acquired napping skills.

Note

By the way, the second paragraph may sound negative. That's because it is. No people group is perfect, but that doesn't mean that I am not having the most amazingly fun experience of my life.

I realize this paragraph in the last blog sounds quite close-minded. I was reflecting on the last part of the second paragraph, where I talk about the ways I've been singled out as a foreigner. It doesn't apply to the first part of the paragraph. I'd be a liar if I said I never feel frustrated by what I don't understand in the Japanese culture.
Ok. That's enough.

On Japanese Etiquette and Other Ramblings of a Rambling Nature

Comments are completely acceptable, esp. from complete strangers (if you're reading this on blogspot.com, not on facebook)
One of the most frequently made generalizations about Japanese people is that they are incredibly polite. This assertion does have quite a sound basis that begins in the language. Verbs, adjectives, and even some nouns have different inflections to express certain levels of respect. At a restaurant, for example, one never asks for "mizu," (water), but "omizu" (rougly translated as "honorable water."). Asking a teacher's name could be translated into English: "As for the honorable master's honorable name, what is it?" The most common greeting is, of course, the bow. I bow to teachers, adults, and kendo opponents. However, one never returns bows to waitstaff or salespeople, because they are considered of lower rank. In social situations, the Japanese recite a litany of polite vocabulary. These words are difficult to explain, as I don't understand the reason fully yet. (so more on that later). But it's very common to hear formal conversations peppered with words such as sumimasen (excuse me, lit. "I don't escape.") and yoroshiku (lit. "be nice to me"). Japanese friends will apologize for faults that I have committed (i.e. missing the targeted body part in kendou). Addison and I joke that, if we tried to rob a bank in Japan, the teller would just say "HAI, DOOZO!" (Yes, here you are!)
However, according to American standards, the Japanese can also be interpreted as incredibly rude. They have no qualms about inquiring as to a complete stranger's age, weight, and salary. On a crowded bus, people wishing to get off simply shove through the other passengers without saying "Excuse me." Downtown or in the train station or in a shop also, the Japanese never say "Excuse me" when they accidentally bump into someone. The Japanese usually eat very quickly (if they're not staring at the TV) and sometimes don't leave it up to others' imaginations as to the contents of their mouth. They usually don't wait for others to receive their food at a restaurant to begin their own meals. The Western custom of wishing someone health after a sneeze does not exist in Japan, and I am still not used to the empty silence that occurs after a sneeze, always expecting to hear a wish for good health. Students scream, yell, or sleep in class; behavior that would invite an immediate instruction to leave back at St. Joseph High School in the USA. The Japanese often have a healthy curiosity towards foreigners, but sometimes they bear negative feelings. People on public buses looking for a seat would rather stand up then sit next to me; when waiting for Addison at his school, a bunch of students started screaming "GAIJIN!" (foreigner) from the window, to which I responded "GAIJIN DA YO" (You bet I'm a foreigner!"), and they laughed, which is good; at a school presentation about drugs, I am almost positive the speaker warned against speaking to foreigners because they all supposedly do drugs.
So what's the point? The point is that I don't really think you can say one culture is more __________ that another. It's all a matter of perspective and comparison, which I think is a bit dangerous. You could make generalizations that may aid in understanding a people, but I think an open mind is a much better possession.
By the way, the second paragraph may sound negative. That's because it is. No people group is perfect, but that doesn't mean that I am not having the most amazingly fun experience of my life.
In other news, today I am exhausted. School is becomeing much more fun as my Japanese improved, I grow more accustomed to the schedule, and making many new friends. I taught my friends in kendo club how to pop, lock, and drop it. I have gotten to the point in Japan where I can help other people in class. For example, this morning, someone asked where Bangladesh was, to which I responded "north of India" (indo no kita). Also today, someone asked the teacher where Airi was, to which I responded "Shes not here today; she wasnt here this morning" (kyou yasumi; kesu inakkata). Friends always want to asobu (roughly, "hang out") in downtown, but I always have kendou after school. I now make it a point to talk to my kendo friends for about ten or fifteen minutes, as they do, instead of just immediately going home, like I used to do. Friday I'm going to see the tea ceremony club; the participants will be wearing kimonos. I'll bring my camera. I may go downtown with Natsumi, Shinano, and Mio afterwards. Saturday I'm going to temple with Shiori and Okaasan, to pray for one wish. Shiori is praying that she will pass her university exam. I don't know what to pray for. I feel like that scene in The Glass Menagerie when Laura doesn't know what to wish for and Amanda says-- "happiness, good fortune... HAPPINESS!" Haha, I've become so much more literary now and when Laurent asks me to explain an English word (which is rare because we never speak English...), I often support it with a Shakespeare quote. (he asked me to explain lend, so guess what line from Julius Caesar I quoted...) I'm reading Ulysses now. I'm usually never paying attention and I really have no idea what's going on. I'm basically reading it so I can say I read it. I'm trying to hurry so I can continue on to something more fun. ANYWAY. School is getting a lot better. It's still weird being in a first-year class where everyone is 15/16 and I'm 17 and have the same maturity level as the third-year class (last year of high school in Japan), but I figure it's stupid to let that get to me. I can now participate fully in Spanish class, because the Spanish is so basic and I remember a lot more than I thought and I already speak French. I can even help my Japanese friends, giving them the Japanese equivalents for Spanish words (equipaje=nimotsu, bienvenidos=youkoso, venimos a hacer un corso de espanol=watashitachi wa speengo no jugyo o shi ni kimasu, etc.)
Now that the weather is getting colder, I get to wear the gakuran. Japanese boy's winter uniform, based on the Prussian navy uniforms of yesteryear. It's bath season! So after showering, I get into the bathtub for a soak. Everyone shares the same aromatic water. The toilet seat is now electronically warm. It now plays Liebestraum by Liszt, but I may change it back to Bach's "Air on the G String".
Heh. Being an exchange student is such an amazing experience. There are sometimes when you feel so homesick, and then five minutes later you are madly in love again with your host country. I have been in so many unspeakably difficult situations. I don't know whether it's pure insanity or incredible willpower that keeps me going, but I think It's a combination of the two. Exchange students, I think, are so much braver than they think they are. The experience is so rewarding, enjoyable, and life-changing.
Yeah. That's enough. That was pretty long Let's close with my favorite current song here in Japan... It's so KAKKOII!! (um. best translation, maybe, um... stunning? slick? Those words sound so corny in English...) Anyway, it's so chill and I LOVES it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VllmWQyZI2A

So Exhausted...

In kendo club, I've just been practicing my swing and stuff like that. Then I had my actualy first duel on Friday. During the first time, my kerchief kept falling over my eyes, so I couldn't see, and there was like this Japanese war machine guy just pounding me and I was like AHHHHHHH. Then the second time, Tama-chan tightened my men mask so I could see better and I WON. I WOOOOOOOON! I was so surprised! So I moved on to the second round, but I lost the second round.
Saturday morning, we did kenjutsu in kendo club. It's very old, stylistic martial art that looks a lot like a dance. It's very beautiful. Look it up on Wikipedia becuase i don't feel like explaining and I really had no idea what was going on. But it was fun! Miamoto-sensee taught me. He is so amazing; I love Miamoto-sensee. He's really kind.
Anyway, then I went downtown with Laurent, Max, Josefa, Adisson, and Fuyu. IT was so much fun. Then I went to a sumo restaurant for dinner.
Today I went fishing with Rotary. I caught a piece of trash and three fish. Yay. I'm so exhausted.

Some Important Things

On Saturday, I went to a Buddhist temple with my host father and mother. Shiori, my host sister, was studying for her university entrance exam at school. We went to visit the graves of my mother's parents. So we cleaned them and put in new plants. Then we put in four sticks of insense -- four for each member of the family (that includes me). Then we prayed for a bit, and visited the actual temple building to light more insense and pray some more. Later, my host mom said "My parents must have been so surprised to see you there!" I have no idea why, but her saying that really touched me. I really can't find the words to explain how; but I assure it's a good thing. I guess I'll try: I felt really included in the family and as if my mother's parents were not only watching over their blood family, but also me. Eh, that didn't come out right. Whatever.
That evening I went downtown with Shiori, her best friend Lisa, Max, Laurent, and Yuka, a Rotex student. Fun stuff, but Shiori and I had to go back early because Okaasan made shabu-shabu for dinner. It was so good!
Sunday, Laurent, Addison, and I went to Numazu for some Rotary function. We saw Mount Fuji on the way there, but it was behind the clouds and we could just see the summit peeking through. Even seeing that bit--- I still can't get over how beautiful it is. Goodness, I'm so Japanese now...
Anyway, we expected Marcella and Kati (the other exchange students in this district) to be there, but they weren't. So we were quite disappointed. Laurent, Addison, and I wandered around Numazu for hours and hours and had to go to the outbound orientation at Rotary's offices. (An outbound is a student who is going abroad next year.) IT was really boring, but we had fun in the back of the room.
In November, Rotary has the district conference. That's when all the Rotarians in Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures get together and do Rotary-like things for two days. There's going to be a panel discussion about Rotary's international and student programs. I was chosen from all five of us exchange students to represent the exchange program. Ahhh, I'm so nervous! I can barely do something like that in English!
Today, I went to school as usual. But we had to stay after a bit because we're planning a service trip to a nursery school. I was assigned to read to the children. I have no idea why. There's plenty of other things I could do quite easily, like feeding them playdo. But, alas, I am going to read the classic Barbapapa (I had no idea what that was until I came to Japan. Barbapapa is big in Japan. Except its BAABAPAPA, not BARBAPAPA). Anyway, it's in hiragana, so that will be easy. I practiced reading it today. I'm still kinda slow in hiragana, so I'll have to practice (aka singing karaoke and reading the hiragana on the screen. ;-)).
Iight thats all for now.

Gaijin ga ooi!

This week and next week, the students at Kitako are taking mid-term exams. Everyone rushes back home every day after school to study. Instead of twiddling my thumbs, I made it my mission to meet other gaijins (foreigners). I already knew three my age: Addison, Laurent, and Max. Addison and Laurent are two other Rotary students. Max is from AFS; Max and Laurent go to Kitako with me.
So this week, everyday afterschool, I walked to Kaiseikan High School to hang out with Addison because I hadn't seen him since the first Rotary orientation in September. Sometimes Max and Laurent tagged along, and we'd always run into people we know downtown and they joined us.
So, today, I had school cleaning. Taka and Mina and I cleaned the, um, well I don't really know what it's for, room. But it's a room at school. Then I was talking to Kei and helping her write an essay for her college applications. Anyway, I ran off to Kaiseikan as usual and Addison was waiting as usual. We usually head straight downtown, but today we decided to find Uminohoshi, an all-girls school that we had been told contained a GAIJIN exchange student. We had no idea where the school was (we knew only the general direction) or who the exchange student was or where she was from, but that's what made it the fun part.
I'm actually really proud of our achievement. We knew it was past Kitako, so we started walking back to Kitako. We took advantage of the fact that I know many of the people I pass on the street in that neighborhood and asked everyone where Uminohoshi was. Minori told us to make a left at the light and walk for ten minutes.
So we walked. And walked. And walked, for much more than ten minutes. We got to a downhill part, and Addison refused to walk down it for the sole reason that he didn't feel like walking back up. So we turned around and asked a random lady where Uminohoshi was. The only words we understood were "right" and "supermarket." So we made a right at the supermarket.
Wandering around the general area, we found a very worn out baseball field but decided it couldn't possibly be a private school's. We walked past it and saw a building with a cross on it. Then I had a sudden revelation... "Uminohoshi" means "Star of the Sea" in Japanese. Star of the Sea is a title for Mary, as in Mary the mother of God. (Yay for Catholic school back in the USA!) So we KNEW it was that building. We entered the school grounds and asked the first group of students we saw where the Gaijin was. Some random teacher popped out of nowhere and said, "Oh! Gaijin! Exchange student! What grade is she in? First grade? Second grade?" (Mind you, this is all going on in Japanese.) We must have looked so ridiculous saying, "It doesn't matter. We actually don't really know her."
So the teacher asked us to follow him and he found the gaijin exchange student. She walked up to us and the first thing she said was "What are you doing here?" (Ok, this is in English) All we could say was "Well we heard there was a gaijin here, and we wanted to meet you." In the next hour, we got to know the Chilean phenomenon known as Josefa. She is so much fun and SUCH a character. She also introduced us to Yufui, a Japanese girl who lived in North Carolina for most of her life. She was also a character... it was so funny to talk to a girl with such American gestures and attitudes again. We have plans to meet on Tuesday.
Ok. I have no idea why I felt it was my duty to share that story. But I have.
Sunday Laurent, Addison and I are going to Numatsu for some sort of Rotary thing. It will be so amazing to reunite with the other exchange students in this district -- Marcella from Germany and Kati from Austria.
Wednesday, I started Spanish at Kitako. My teacher is French, and she teaches in Japanese. It's a pretty trippy experience.
My homeroom teacher, Kamimura-sensee, has asked me to participate in a prefectural exchange student speech contest. Ahhhh!!!
Laurent, Max, and I went to the tea ceremony club last Friday. Maybe we'll go again next Friday. It's so amazing! All the movements are SO graceful and SO beautiful. There are so many rules -- what angle your hand must be at, how the cloth must be creased, how you stir the tea, how you drink the tea, EVERYTHING. We just watched, though. It takes years and years of practice to learn everything exactly. Well, that's what Laurent says. And he's usual right about these things.
Ok. That's enough. Wayy too long. Good night!

What is it like to be an exchange student?

This is what it's like to be an exchange student.
I arrive in this place called Japan. I am exhausted; nothing makes sense to me. I have left everything behind me - my friends, my family, my language, my culture, even myself (for aren't these the elements of which we are made?)
I feel so helpless initially. I never know where I'm going, with whom I'm speaking, what I'm eating. Everyone stares at me, expects too much from me, expects too little from me. Nothing makes sense. Why doesn't my host family keep soap in the bathroom? What don't strangers say "sumimasen" (excuse me) when I bump into them? Why does the word for "buttocks" get an honorary prefix?
However, this country slowly starts to make sense to me. I start to learn the language, understand the culture, make new friends. But still, there are times when it's HARD. When I would give anything to be back at St. Joe's, or Menlo Park, or New York with friends. I realize, however, that if I were to go back to the USA, I would miss Japan just as much as I miss the USA now. This is when I must become my own best friend.
It's almost as if I have no home. When people ask me about my family, I must always ask them if they refer to my American or my Japanese one. I begin to refer to 1-28-5 Sumiyoshi Naka-ku as my home. This is when I must make my home within myself.
I call my American parents for my birthday, and I accidentally start speaking in Japanese. When I realize my mistake and switch to English, that language is actually physically exhausting to speak. I write things in English and I must use a dictionary because I understand the Japanese word but don't remember the English equivalent. Engrish (horribly incorrect Japanese English on ads, fashion, etc.) starts to make sense to me. But if my English is quickly deteriorating and my Japanese is far from perfect, I have no language whatsoever. This is when I must realize the importance of the smile.
This feelings of estrangement have become rarer and rarer as I grow more accustomed to life in Japan. I begin to question the USA's way of doing things instead of the other way around. I am, as the song says, turning Japanese. American desserts have become too sweet for me; I have started to imitate the current styles I see on the street; my mindset is shifting to favor Japanese ideals and priorities, and it just took me literally five minutes to think of the word priority. I am having the time of my life in Japan. Japan is fun, beautiful, crazy, mysterious, wild, surprising, complex, aggravating, rewarding, unbelievable, hot, delicious, life-altering. I am learning so much: that stereotypes, even if they're true, are disgustingly overrated. Sometimes the wisest answer you can give to life's tough questions is "I dont know." It really doesn't matter what you do or where you are, but who you're with that counts. Life is full of surprises- some are good, some are bad. But whatever happens, you'll be all right, in the Grand Scheme of Things. Because that's just the way It works.
That's what it's like to be an exchange student.

Yakisoba ikaga desu ka?

So the title means "How about some grilled noodles?"
Yesterday, I went to Shiori's school festival. Laurent and my host parents came, too. Laurent and I arrived and were just milling around talking to each other as usual when some PTA members came up to us, and gave us school caps and aprons. We were quite thankful for the souvenirs and then we realized that they wanted us to help them make food. So the two tall gaijins followed a little troup of Japanese people to a food tent where they showed us how to make yakisoba, or Japanese noodle. Laurent and I made two batches by ourselves and then moved to the table and started selling them. IT was pretty trippy-- here we are, at the school festival, expecting to just walk around and have a good time, but we got put to work instead! It was so much fun though. The yakisoba sold really really fast because everyone wanted to buy food from the gaijins.
Today I went downtown with Laurent, Max, and Addison -- three other exchange students in Hamamatsu. We had such a good time.

Kendou, School, and More

I have been in kendou club for the past few weeks. However, I have not been able to wear the traditional clothes and protective gear because I had to focus on swing and footwork. On Tuesday, however, I walked into the gym and Miamoto-sensee (kendo teacher) lent me some kendo stuff. First you have to put on the under-kimono. It's similar to wearing a corset. The pants are way too long and I feel like a 19th century woman gathering my skirts when I walk around. Anyway, enough with the fashion history analogies. Then you have to put on the dou, which is the shield for the torso. Then you have to put on the men, which is mask for the face. I can never get it quite right because the knots for the men are complicated and nobody ever really showed me how to do it, but Megu and Kaoru always help me out when I put on the men.
The first and second time, it took me about an hour to get dressed because they had to find stuff in my size, etc. But Rotary is going to get me a kendo uniform. Hopefully very soon because the one I'm wearing now isn't exactly the right size. The pants are too long, the dou is too small, the men is just whaaaaaaaat.
Kendou is so much fun. It's really interesting and pretty amazing. The only thing is that it's after school, and I'm always so exhausted by then. Ah well, that's life. Yesterday a bunch of people actually complemented me, and I don't think it was just them being polite. Yay!
Tomorrow I was goign to go downtown with some school friends, but then I rememberd that I am going to a shrine tomorrow night with my family. I don't know why we're going to a shrine, because my family is Buddhist, and Buddhists go to a temple. Whatever. They're very ecumenical here in Japan. I'll take pictures. Also, I'm going to try to get pictures of me in my kendou stuff. And of my neighborhood and stuff like that.
Btw, if you're not reading this on facebook, here are the links to my photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55805&l=d178b&id=674520176 (last weekish)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53031&l=107ab&id=674520176 (School fest and Yokohama. Recommended album).
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=49415&l=e8368&id=674520176 (Mount Fuji. Extremely highly recommended).
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=46588&l=2ac85&id=674520176 (just stuff. theres photos of a gorgeous temple garden in here).
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=46292&l=ef30d&id=674520176 (first week in Japan.)

This Week

Wow, I haven't updated in a long time, but it doesn't really seem like that many people are reading/commenting. Whatever.
Anyway, this week was AMAAAZING. Last Friday, I went to a Sri Lanka-Japan friendship night. I met the mayor of Hamamatsu and the ambassador from Sri Lanka to Japan. I ate curry and watched traditional Sri Lankan dancers. It was so amazing! I didn't get to talk to the mayor, but I did steal his dessert.
The next day, I went to see a concert of traditional Japanese instruments. IT was very... traditional (aka twang twang twang). But it was really really fun. Then I sang karaoke with Max and Laurent for three hours. Max and Laurent are two exchange students at my school. Max is French and Laurent is Belgian. It's really good because we speak exclusively in French, so I definitely won't be losing my French this year. I've been learnign a lot of new French words, too, mostly slang, like 'truc' which means 'thing' or 'thingymababbor' or 'whichamacallit.' Its basically the best word in existence.
On Sunday, my family took me out to dinner for my birthday. We went to a Japanese-style steakhouse where the chef makes it for you at your own table. It was incredibly delicious. My host parents bought me a bottle of DIOR eau de toilette for my birthday. inyau suru! (It smells good!)
Monday, my host mother and I went to the Museum of Musical Instruments. THat was fascinating. They had all those funky Baroque instruments with 234 pegs and 23532 strings and bodies shaped like cancerous pears. Then we went to an Indonesian restaurant for lunch.
Yesterday was my birthday. I walked into the classroom during lunchtime and everyone screamed HAPPY BIRTHDAY! They had written HAPPY BIRTHDAY in huge colorful letters on the board. They popped confetti and everyone had signed a card that a girl had made and they gave it to me. IT was soooooo sweet!
Then today I hung out with Max, Laurent, Kei, Miwa, and Yuuka (Kei and Miwa are school friends, Yuuka is a girl who went to Australia a few years ago with Rotary). We sang karaoke and took purikura, and then Max bought me dinner for my birthday.
Tomorrow I'm going shopping downtown with my host sister Shiori and her best friend Lisa. The shopping here is SOO AMAAAAZING!
I'll try to post pictures soon.

School and Such

I was bored during Biology and English class today, so I wrote an actual article in my notebook. So here is a real blog entry, not just a few ragged senteces.


One of the most integral parts of being a Rotary Youth Exchange student is, of course, attending school. Last Wednesday, I started classes at Hamamatsu North High School. I usually take the public bus to school because it takes only ten minutes. Sometimes I walk and that takes twenty minutes. At 7:50, I arrive at school and change my outdoor schoes for comfortable school sandals. It's not unusual for students to take off their sandals during and school and stroll down the hallway in their socks.
I climb four flights of stairs to my homeroom, 1-10, where I say goodmorning to my classmates. At 8:10, homeroom begins. Kamimura-sensee, the English teacher and homeroom teacher, enters to greet the class. WE bow to each other. In Japan, students stay in the same room and teachers move around to the classes. However, my Japanese and Math classes are in a different building and PE is of course, outside.
There are 41 (including me) in my homeroom. It is an ichinensee class, which basically means they have the maturity level of American freshmen. Althought they are quite friendly and I have made many friends, Kamimura-sensee is going towork with me so that I can take a few classes, such as Spanish and possibly calligraphy if I get my way, with students my own age.
At 12:30, I have lunch. We stay in the clasroom, but I could eat in the cafeteria or outside if I really wanted to. Classes end at 3:10 (sometimes 4:10) and I got to kendo until 6 pm. Laurent (exchange student from Belgium) and I go together. WE have not acquired kendo uniforms, but we are working on mastering our footwork, etiquette, and swing.
Japanese school students are quite a far cry from their stereotypes. Hamamatsu North is supposedly the best school in a city of 800,000. Students, however, fall asleep, talk quite loudly, and even scream during class. The teachers do not care and just laugh. Yesterday my friend Megu (and kendo buddy) left her cell pohne to charge on the teacher's podium and the teacher simply asked whose it was because it was in her way. Although there is a uniform, students pay no mind to it. Shirts are often untucked and boys often roll their pants up to their knees. Students, however, are often more trustworthy than their American counterparts. Teachers give the students much independence and are not afraid to leave them unattended.
My participation in class depends on the subject. Biology class is horribly boring because I've already studied Mendel and his precious peas. I participate fully in physical education. During English class, I am often called upon to help the teacher explain a concept or word. History class: I understand nothing. However, it is interesting to note that the Japanese say that Pearl Harbor was on December 8, because it was the 8th in Japan and the 7th in USA due to time zones. Math class I partcipate in because math is the international language. Japanese literature/grammar class is the bane of my existence. Home Economics is so blah but we're starting sewing projects soon. IF I don't partcipate in a class, I usually study Japanese of contemplate the meaning of life (ie stare intently ahead of me for one hour). I also attend Japanese lessons in the library twice a week.
That's all for now. Right now Im on the family latop watching Japan beat Qatar in soccer. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
Oh, the other day I met some really famous Japanese soccer stars at some sort of event at a hotel in Hamamatsu. I had no idea who they were, but all my classmates were so jealous when I Told them. I won a jersey and got the athlets to sign it. THen after that I went to a rooftop BBQ downtown. I love Rotary. It's seriously the best organization for exchange, EVER. They've given me so many experiences, like Mount Fuji, free stuff, Japanese soccor stars, rooftop bbqs, private dinners, etc.
OK thats all for now. Seriously.

Orientation & Mount Fuji & First Day of School

Last weekend, I had my first Rotary orientation. WE stayed at a YMCA at the base of Mount Fuji. We never actually saw mount Fuji because it was constantly covered in clouds.
By the way, this is a good song. It's quite popular now.


Anyway, I met the other exchange students in D2620. Kathi from Linz, Austria, Addison from Ohio, USA, Marcella from Bremen, Germany, and Laurent from Liege, Belgium. Well, I already knew Laurent, but that's besides the point.
I really can't write anymore. It's a mizture of my frustration with Japanese computers and the breaking down of my English and my laziness.
ANyway, then we climbed Mount Fuji. It was so definitely the most amazing experience of my life. Addison and Kathi didnt come. I'll never forget watching the sun rise from the top over the sea of clouds.
I had my first day of the school the next day. My classmates are really friendly. Japanese schoolkids talk sooo much during class. THey may bow to their sensees, but they never pay attention and fall asleep and talk a lot and the teachers don't care.

Tonight I am going out for sushi.

The Weekend

Last Friday, Laurent (exchange student from Belgium) and I went to see the Leningrad circus. It was mucho fun, except that they had a bear on a chain. I don't think that's right. If you're going to subjugate animals, do it for reason, like for food. But don't do it for the sake of doing it.
Saturday Laurent and I went to the uniform shop. It was way to complicated. The first pair of pants we tried on were perfect, but they made us try on about 23432 other pairs.
Then my host family and I went to Ryushido. I think that's the name. It's a cave. It was really crowded and I did not feel safe at all. Then we went to Ryotanji, which is an ancient Buddhist temple and garden. It was so beautifulgorgeousprettyamaaaaaaaazing.
My host family is already lamenting the fact that I'm leaving them in three months. I am going to miss them; I really lucked out with this host family.
Last night I was helping Shiori (host sister) with her English homework. It was really difficult. English is difficult and I can't remember it.
To answer some questions, it really is not that difficult adapting here. There are some things that are definitely overwhelming different, but I've tried to keep an open mind.
Also, someone asked me about understanding Japanese. I can understand about most of what's said to me now, but that did not come easily. I study Japanese with a textbook nearly everday and constantly have to relearn words because the vocabulary is so tough.

Hamamatsu Castle and Art Museum

Yesterday Okaasan and I were bored, so we went to Hamamatsu Castle. It was really amazing. We walked around the parks and garden and they were even more amazing. Japanese gardens are so beautiful. Then we went to Hamamatsu Art Museum and saw an exhibit by the artist Koji Suzuki. It was so hot. It reminded me of Mardi Gras and Halloween and Brazil.
In a few hours I have my first Rotary meeting, and I am making a speech in Japanese. I am not really that nervous; my host mother and sister proofread it.

Around Hamamatsu

On Monday, I went to Hamamatsu City Hall to apply for my gaijin (foreigner) card. My insurance came in the mail yesterday.
Afterwards, my host father took me out to lunch at an Italian restaurant called Happy Valley. IT was actually really good; I was kinda surprised. There is more variety in food in Japan than I thought there would be. There is Italian, Spanish, Indian, Chinese, etc. Theres even two Dennys!
My host father then took me for a drive around Lake Hamanoko. I didn:t have my camera, but it was absolutely gorgeous. The huge lake is surrounded by mountains. We then stopped off at an associates office because my host father had to pick up some blueprints. My host father is obsessed with telling waitresses, neighbors, co-workers, EVERYONE, about how I only arrived on Saturday and how my Japanese is so amazing. It is really embarassing because I know my Japanese is so horrible and I never know whats going on.
When I came home, I met my host sisters boyfriend, Takuma. He asked me what i had been dreading; he asked me about the atomic bomb. I told him honestly I thought it was bad. I am doing karaoke with Shiori (my host sister), Takuma, and Lisa (Shioris best friend) on Sunday. Can:t wait! Saturday, I am going to either a zen garden or a theme park.
I found out there will be a Belgian exchange student at my high school. Im really excited. It will be great to have another gaijin (foreigner) for support.
Yesterday, I sat around a lot. I went food shopping with Okaasan (mother) and Oneesan (older sister). WE bought ice cream. In Japanese food stores, if you buy frozen food, they have dry ice machines. You add dry ice to the bag with the frozen food so that it doesnt melt. It is amaazing!
So tomorrow is my first ROtary club meeting, and I have to make a speech. I think I will work on that now...
Also, I will work on getting photos. No photos I have are terribly interesting, but I'll work on that.

First few days

Sorry for the really short update before; I was in a rush.
So, Japan... everything here is so overwhelmingly different, but in a good way. Every moment is a little adventure and new experiences are always around the bend. Take, for example, the first time I walked into the toilet room. Not only did the toilets lid automatically lift, but the appliance also played quiet piano music.
Yesterday, my host family took me to the mall. It was pretty amazing. First, we got into the car, which, of course, has a GPS and a screen that shows behind the car so the driver does not have too look back. Then we drove to the largest mall I have ever seen, where the police were directing traffic. We parked in a parking deck and got out. We entered the mall and started walking around. Salespeople stood outside the entrances to their shops, barking sale information at the top of their lungs. We entered one shop, where my host family bought me a shirt with the most hilarious Engrish on it. (I don:t exactly recall what it says; something about squids.) My host mother put her credit card on a tray, and then the cashier took the credit card off the tray. Money is considered vulgar, so when you buy something in Japan, you never give the cashier the payment directly. There:s always a little tray as a go-between. Anyway, the cashier wrapped up my shirt beautifully and gave it to me with a little bow.
Then we had lunch in a sushi bar, where little plates of food revolved around a conveyer belt and you took what you wanted. I am still not completely used to Japanese dining etiquette. Diners say ITADAKIMASU before the meal and GOTISOUSAMA DESHITA afterwards.
TV here is pretty weird. As in the weirdest thing I:ve ever watched. There is one channel called 24 HOUR TV and it is so strange. They had this one thing where this crippled blind guy was walking 5 km and some guy was singing YMCA in Japanese to encourage him. Yeah...
Everyone here stares at me because I:m white. Ah, well...

Arrival

Heyy! I am in Japan right now. It is amazing. My host family is really nice. I am sleeping in a tatami room. The flight was really long, 12 hours, but it was fun because it was chock full of exchange students.
Everyone here dresses really well and I wants to go shopping!! Everyone stares at me because I am white.
That:s all for now. Ciao!

Phone Calls with Japan

A few weeks ago, a Rotarian in Japan of Sri Lankan descent named Lal contacted me through e-mail. And tonight I decided to make my debut to the Japanese-American phone system. Using a phone card, I called Lal's cell phone. The phone rang 285 shrill times until a answering machine picked up. An automated female proceeded to scold me in Japanese. I panicked and hung up.

I tried calling again. This time, Lal picked up. He told me, in English more beautiful than my own, that he was in a meeting and would call me back in an hour. So next I called my host family. I was, quite understandably, terrified because they do not speak English. A woman immediately picked up. I said, in my painfully bad Japanese, that I was Jonathan, a Rotary exchange student. My host mother let out a squeal of delight and said "KONICHIWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

After I warned her multiple times that I spoke no Japanese, she decided it would be a wonderful idea to babble incoherently in that language. She finally gave the phone to her daughter/my host sister, Shiori. Shiori and I talked for about fifteen minutes. She used her broken English and I used my broken Japanese. Apparently, she used to "pray" the French horn for "orchestra crub." She is turning 18 on September 1. She likes to listen to music. I told her I loved karaoke, because that's about one of the only things I can say in Japanese. She seemed quite pleased by my fondness for karaoke. I foresee much karaoke in the next few months.

Then Lal called me back. I absolutely adore his accent. It's British/Sri Lankan/Japanese. He said, no, I can't receive a Japanese high school diploma. Yes, I should bring traveler's checks. No, I shouldn't open a bank account. Yes, cell phones cost 5,000 Y a month. No, there will be no other exchange students in my high school. Yes, there will be 8-10 exchange students from around the world in my district in Japan. Yes, I can choose my own classes. Yes, I can do kendo (Japanese fencing). YES, I WILL BE RIDING A BULLET TRAIN ON MY FIRST DAY!

And, yes, these are photos of my host city, Hamamatsu.

Host Family Photos

I received photos of my host family! The girl is my host sister; she is my age. My family has lots of dogs.

Flight Info + Host Family Info

My visa is finished and I received my flight info!

I will be flying on United Airlines flight 819 from Newark to Chicago at 7:33 AM. In Chicago, I will take flight 881 to Tokyo. My host family is meeting me in Tokyo. The travel agency wanted me to change airports in Tokyo and then fly to Osaka from Tokyo, but Rotary and I were like "NO!" So I only have to change flights once and I have PLENTY of time between flights in Chicago. Yeah.

My Rotary counselor and I have been e-mailing each other all day. The reason why I am not e-mailing my host family is because they don't speak English. My Rotary counselor is my Rotary contact in Japan that helps me adjust to the culture, language, family, etc. He is actually an emigre from Sri Lanka.

My host family has a daughter who is my age! I'm so excited! I hope she takes me to hang out with her friends and to show me the city and go to the karaoke clubs...

Host City + Host Family + Host School

I was talking to Nikki on the phone today, and, as usual, my door was closed. My dad slipped a manila envelope under my door. The return adress was the office of Rotary District 7510's Youth Exchange Officer, Mr. Murray. I struggled to open it and found my host city, host family, and host school information.

So, yeah, I'm ridiculously excited right now.

My host city is Hamamatsu, the largest city in Shizuoka prefecture. The city, which has a population of over 800,000, is home to the Suzuki Motor Company and Yamaha. It's pretty much the most ballin' city in the world. There's beaches, a lake, hot springs, a castle, an amusement park, museums, festivals, gardens, caverns, shrines, and gorgeous scenery. You can see Mount Fuji on a clear day. The climate is great; it never goes below 49 F. One of the largest sand dunes in Japan is located in Hamamatsu. There's also an important sea turtle refuge. Hamamatsu is 1.5 hours to Tokyo by bullet train. The first piano in Japan was made in Hamamatsu. There's also two Brazilian schools and one Peruvian school. Random much? No, more like BALLIN much.



I have not contacted my host family yet, but I do know they live in central Hamamatsu (home to the castle in the second photo and depicted in the third photo.) I will receive a monthly allowance of $81. Rotary will take me on trips to Kyoto, Nara, Mount Fuji, and a ski trip.



My host school is Hamamatsu North High School. I'm pretty sure it's co-ed. Homeroom starts at 8:20 and school ends at 3:20. Yeah.

AY AY AY AY AY! I'm super excited!

Departure Date

I'm rather annoyed right now, because my departure date was changed from August 14 to August 17.

Rotary Japan Article

I have to write an article for my school newspaper about my exchange year. I desperately need feedback from everyone, especially all of my Rotary homies and people on the Cultures Shocked Youth Exchange Community. The last sentence in the article (in parantheses) is dedicated to all those on the DC trip. Good times, good times... OK, so here we go:

Throughout my life, I have been exposed to a variety of international experiences. My parents have whisked me away to glaciers in Canada, manors in the United Kingdom, archeological digs in Israel, and lush valleys in India. Here at St. Joe’s, I have been fortunate to study two foreign languages, host two French students, learn about foreign relations, and participate in Model United Nations. All of these events have culminated into one grand finale: I will be spending my senior year in Japan as an exchange student through Rotary International Youth Exchange.

Besides the wildly fun necessity of becoming acquainted with the exchange student subculture, being an exchange student is not an easy task. The admissions process to Rotary International Youth Exchange (RYE) is grueling. Mine was intensified because I learned about RYE less than a month before the deadline and contacted the organization less than a week before the interview. The paper application is eighteen pages and requires, like most applications, recommendation forms and transcripts. Additionally, students must write sixteen short essays and undergo dental and medical examinations. The forms seemed to multiply exponentially and, within a week, I was responsible for nearly two hundred pages of paperwork. I can honestly say the application process was the most stressful time in my life.

After receiving my acceptance e-mail, I waited patiently for my country placement. My first choice was Japan; other country choices I could have made include Azerbaijan, Ghana, and Tunisia. Of course, more traditional countries such as France, Germany, and Italy are readily available. After receiving a placement in the Mount Fuji region of Japan, I immediately began the monumental task of learning its language. Japanese uses four writing systems: hiragana, katakana, kanji, and romaji. I taught myself hiragana in about two weeks and am currently working on katakana. Kanji, the pictographic symbols, will take me a lifetime to master. I already know romaji, simply because it is the Roman alphabet. In addition to a complex writing system, Japanese has a totally different syntax, or word order. English speakers say, “Mr. Yamashita eats tofu at 8:00 PM,” while the same sentence in Japanese would translate literally as “Yamashita Mr. PM 8:00 at tofu eats.”

Understandably, many people ask me what on earth I am getting myself into. Sometimes I wonder if I am going crazy by leaving my friends and family to experience a completely different culture and language for an entire year while missing graduation and prom. I realize that, yes, I probably am going crazy, but I really do not mind. I will miss St. Joe’s terribly, and I will remember everyone and all the amazing memories we have shared together. Unlike most students, I am not looking forward to the last day of this school year because I know it will be a heartbreaking day. However, I know that more amazing times await me in Japan, and I am ready to seize them and cherish the memories I will make.

By the way, if you have any questions at all about RYE such as the cost (it is a full scholarship, excluding airfare), admissions procedure (go to http://www.rotarynj.org/youth_ service/international.php), or hosting an exchange student for three to five months (my “replacement”), feel free to stop me in the hallway to ask me. Lastly, I am in desperate need of country flag pins (it’s an exchange student thing).

Welcome

Konnichiwa...


(Okay, I got the obligatory language reference out of the way.) I'm Jonathan, and I'm going to Japan as an exchange student for my senior year of high school -- 2007-2008. This is where I'll catalog all my adventures leading up to and including that grand event.

I found out what part of Japan I'll be in; either Yamanashi or Shizuoka Prefectures. Mount Fuji is right on the border of these two prefectures. (Thus, the name of the blog.) And Tokyo is about two hours away. It's Rotary district 2620, in case you cared. The photos in this post are of the Shizuoka Prefecture.


Rotary International is the organization with which I'm going. It's basically the most amazing organization in the world. All I have to pay for is airfare and health insurance. Plus, I receive an allowance of $100 a month when I'm there.

I'm really excited. I have to study Japanese before I go, create Powerpoint presentations on New Jersey and Japan, attend lots of orientation weekends, and arrange visas and travel arrangements.


Tentative date for my going away party is August 10 at 8 or 9 pm. It'll pretty much be the best party of the year. So be there.