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.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
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.
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.
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