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.