I haven't updated this thing in a while... ok, let's start off with last week. One day after kendo, I was talking to Megu, Satomi, and Aki and didn't notice that the locker room got locked up with my stuff in it. So I asked for it to be opened again, but nobody knew the combination. So we were trying different things for about 30 minuets and then finally someone brought a wrench and broke it open. I thought that was really nice; I have been making a lot of friends in kendo. It's alot different from before, when I would just stand there and stare blankly ahead of me; now I stay after club for 30 or 45 minutes just to talk to people.
The next day I gave a presentation about the United States election system to the third-year Current English class. They said it was easy to understand, so that's good I guess. It's hard enough explaining things like the Electoral College to people whose native language is English.
Josefa, from Chile, is leaving this Sunday. I'm so sad. I got special permission to not go to kendo so I can hang out with her before she goes back. Ok, that's all for now, folks.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Today
This weekend I went to Gotemba (a town right at the base of Mt. Fuji) for a Rotary Orientation. I haven't been in this particular town since September, so it was strange to be at the same place almost exactly 5 months later and think about all that has happened in that time. Anyway, the orientation was much fun.
Um I'm really tired and can't think of anything much else to say. Ah, well. Take care!
Um I'm really tired and can't think of anything much else to say. Ah, well. Take care!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Exhaursted
I'm so exhaursted. Today we had to run 11 km (6.8 mi) for kendo club. At first I seriously considered skipping, but then I thought "Ive never run 11 km before." So I did it. I made it in just over an hour. Which is slow, but who cares. It was actually kinda fun and not as hard as I thought it would be.
We ran around this park kinda far from school and through obligatory green tea fields and whatnot.
On the second lap, I was running with Sakimoto and Ikuzaki and we kinda got lost but it was fine in the end. Then we went back to school and I rode my bike downtown with Satomi, but she was going home and I was going to meet Laurent and Addison. Then we met Josefa, and then we randomly met Chisako and Saemi. So it was fun.
I came home and we saw this show on TV about the top 10 souvenirs that foreign tourists buy in Tokyo... and I was watching it and everything was like "So what?" I've realized now how accustomed I am to living in Japan. Things that foreigners ooh and ahh over are nothing special to me; they're things I see or use nearly every day. The no. 1 souvernir was ninja shoes. And I was watching TV and thinking... "what..." Because those shoes, for me, aren't ninja shoes. They're the shoes that every construction worker and laborer in Japan wears. I see them all the time when I pass construction on the way to school, etc. etc. Those shoes just happen to be passed down from the traditional ninja shoes. There were other souvenirs they showed that have a real purpose in Japan, but the foreigners just buy them because they think they look cool. (For example, headbands. Students wear headbands while taking exams or doing sports events, and I've worn them before and it's nothing special to me now.) I suspect it's the same for amulets and whatnot. This morning, Kei was making an amulet for her university exam and I'm so used to constantly being surrounded by them that it was like "Oh, ok... it looks really nice..." and that's all.
Yosh I gotta go... I'm so exhaursted and I have to get up early tomorrow, because I have some Rotary thing. It's in Gotemba, a town near Mt. Fuji. (Again, any foreigner would be amazed at the prospect of being anywhere near the fabled mountain, but I'm in the area constantly and can see it from school on a clear day. Yes, I love Mt. Fuji because I think it's beautiful, and I am looking forward to seeing it again, but it's like "Oh. Mt. Fuji. Been there, done that, climbed it, bought the traditional walking stick." I'm more looking forward the amazing funness that Rotary Exchange weekends always turn about to be!)
We ran around this park kinda far from school and through obligatory green tea fields and whatnot.
On the second lap, I was running with Sakimoto and Ikuzaki and we kinda got lost but it was fine in the end. Then we went back to school and I rode my bike downtown with Satomi, but she was going home and I was going to meet Laurent and Addison. Then we met Josefa, and then we randomly met Chisako and Saemi. So it was fun.
I came home and we saw this show on TV about the top 10 souvenirs that foreign tourists buy in Tokyo... and I was watching it and everything was like "So what?" I've realized now how accustomed I am to living in Japan. Things that foreigners ooh and ahh over are nothing special to me; they're things I see or use nearly every day. The no. 1 souvernir was ninja shoes. And I was watching TV and thinking... "what..." Because those shoes, for me, aren't ninja shoes. They're the shoes that every construction worker and laborer in Japan wears. I see them all the time when I pass construction on the way to school, etc. etc. Those shoes just happen to be passed down from the traditional ninja shoes. There were other souvenirs they showed that have a real purpose in Japan, but the foreigners just buy them because they think they look cool. (For example, headbands. Students wear headbands while taking exams or doing sports events, and I've worn them before and it's nothing special to me now.) I suspect it's the same for amulets and whatnot. This morning, Kei was making an amulet for her university exam and I'm so used to constantly being surrounded by them that it was like "Oh, ok... it looks really nice..." and that's all.
Yosh I gotta go... I'm so exhaursted and I have to get up early tomorrow, because I have some Rotary thing. It's in Gotemba, a town near Mt. Fuji. (Again, any foreigner would be amazed at the prospect of being anywhere near the fabled mountain, but I'm in the area constantly and can see it from school on a clear day. Yes, I love Mt. Fuji because I think it's beautiful, and I am looking forward to seeing it again, but it's like "Oh. Mt. Fuji. Been there, done that, climbed it, bought the traditional walking stick." I'm more looking forward the amazing funness that Rotary Exchange weekends always turn about to be!)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sayonara Party and Kyoto
On Saturday was the AFS Sayonara Party. Max (France; he goes to my school) and Josefa (Chile) are with AFS, so I went to the event. I was supposed to meet Kei, Miwa, Laurent, and Addison at Hamamatsu train station. I saw Kei, but she had to go the bathroom and ended up missing the train. So I'm on the train by myself and finally saw Miwa so that was good. Kei, Laurent, and Addison got on the next train, and everything was fine. We met Max's host mom at Iwata train station, and she drove us to the event. Shaki (Austria) and Saki (she went to UK last year) were there, so it was really good to see them. Josefa did the most adorable Japanese dance ever. Then we all headed back to Hamamatsu to have dinner at Mein Schloss, which is a German restaurant. We had a really good time. I'm going to miss Josefa and Max so much!!!
Then early Sunday morning (yesterday), I went off to Kyoto to see some friends: Dylan (from Pennsylvania, we went to the same orientations last year), Annalisa (I sat next to her on the plane), and Maria (from Puebla, Mexico-- this was the first time meeting her. It was amazingly insanely fun. Kyoto Train Station is humongous; I still can't get over it. So I met Dylan and Annalisa there (Maria was busy) and we just wandered around Kyoto, took purikura, and sang karaoke. For dinner, we had Mexican and it was actually really, really good. We walked around Gion, the geisha district, afterwards but it was kind of a disappointment. There's like four old buildings and everything else is just normal. Then I slept over Dylan's house and the next morning we met Annalisa and Maria at the train station. We went to Inari Shrine, which is really famous. It's featured in the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" and it's the place with all the hundreds red torii gates. It's ridonculously pretty. Then we went back to downtown Kyoto and sang our hearts out at karaoke. These past two days, I got introduced to the song "La Camisa Negra" by Juanese. I seriously think I am a better person because I know this song. But yeah. It was so much fun with Annalisa, Dylan, and Maria!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ASXzq1O9rrc&feature=related
Then early Sunday morning (yesterday), I went off to Kyoto to see some friends: Dylan (from Pennsylvania, we went to the same orientations last year), Annalisa (I sat next to her on the plane), and Maria (from Puebla, Mexico-- this was the first time meeting her. It was amazingly insanely fun. Kyoto Train Station is humongous; I still can't get over it. So I met Dylan and Annalisa there (Maria was busy) and we just wandered around Kyoto, took purikura, and sang karaoke. For dinner, we had Mexican and it was actually really, really good. We walked around Gion, the geisha district, afterwards but it was kind of a disappointment. There's like four old buildings and everything else is just normal. Then I slept over Dylan's house and the next morning we met Annalisa and Maria at the train station. We went to Inari Shrine, which is really famous. It's featured in the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" and it's the place with all the hundreds red torii gates. It's ridonculously pretty. Then we went back to downtown Kyoto and sang our hearts out at karaoke. These past two days, I got introduced to the song "La Camisa Negra" by Juanese. I seriously think I am a better person because I know this song. But yeah. It was so much fun with Annalisa, Dylan, and Maria!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ASXzq1O9rrc&feature=related
Friday, January 11, 2008
Geisha-san and Kado and whatnot
So last night was the Rotary beginning of the year party.
There were three geishas that performed. They were all in their 70s and just looked like normal women. As geishas rise in rank, they put on less and less makeup and whatnot. Anyway, they played the samisen and "sang" and danced. Then after they went and performed the greatest of all geisha arts, the art of conversation. One sat between me and Wang-san, and told us how she came to Hamamatsu from Hokkaido when she was 16 because she didn't have money, so that's why she became a geisha. (She never was even trained in Kyoto, I don' think.) Everyone has this image of geishas being very delicate, graceful people, but she was one of the most racous people I've ever met. But, of course, it was only one and she wasn't even a true Kyoto geisha. She kept telling me that I should wolf down my rice because it tastes better like that.
Today I went to school! In Home Economics class, we watched this video about Japanese table manners. Of course, they're all very traditional manners and none of us knew about most of them. Ah, well.
Um. Then after school I went to kado club, which is Japanese flower arrangement. Natsumi and I made ours together. We worked so hard and then the teacher took it apart because it wasn't perfect or whatever. But it was a good time. Natsumi took pictures and she's gonna e-mail them to me and I'll try to post them here. Then Natsumi and I took the bus downtown and she had to go home, but I met Sakiko and later on, Shaki, from Austria. We kinda just wandered around for a while. Then I went home.
Tomorrow, is Max's and Josefa's going-away party! Ahhh! I'm gonna miss them so much. Oh, well, I'll just have to go to France and Chile to see them. It's kinda funny, the exchange student lifestyle. You end up going to Japan, meet people from all around the world, and then try to figure out how you can get to their country to see them again, plus, of course, you have to come back to Japan to see all the friends you've made there. So Laurent wants to study abroad in the USA, I want to study abroad in France or Chile, blah blah blah. It's so difficult, our cosmopolitan lifestyle!
Then Sunday I'm off to KYOTO!!!!!!! To see Dylan and Annalisa. They are two Rotary exchange students; I met Dylan during my outbound year at orientations and I sat next to Annalisa on the plane. I'm really excited because it's like, hisashiburi! (Long time, no see).
Then next weekend is some Rotary orientation at Mount Fuji. Haha, I'm always around Mount Fuji but I don't mind. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL! It's so, like, perfect and symmetrical and it's so hard to believe I was at the top back in September. That was when I knew hardly any Japanese, I had barely any Japanese friends, I knew nothing about anything... I cant believe how far I've come, how many obstacles I've overcome, how amazingly FUN and ADVENTUROUS these past (almost) 5 months have been. And it's amazing to think just what will come next: my kendo exam, skiing in Naeba, possibly seeing the spring geisha dances in Kyoto, spring break in Tokyo with Shiori, the cherry blossom festival, the absolutely WILD Hamamatsu City Festival. And all those things will happen in just the next three months. And who can say what will happen in between those events? :D
Well, anyway, take care of y'all selves.
There were three geishas that performed. They were all in their 70s and just looked like normal women. As geishas rise in rank, they put on less and less makeup and whatnot. Anyway, they played the samisen and "sang" and danced. Then after they went and performed the greatest of all geisha arts, the art of conversation. One sat between me and Wang-san, and told us how she came to Hamamatsu from Hokkaido when she was 16 because she didn't have money, so that's why she became a geisha. (She never was even trained in Kyoto, I don' think.) Everyone has this image of geishas being very delicate, graceful people, but she was one of the most racous people I've ever met. But, of course, it was only one and she wasn't even a true Kyoto geisha. She kept telling me that I should wolf down my rice because it tastes better like that.
Today I went to school! In Home Economics class, we watched this video about Japanese table manners. Of course, they're all very traditional manners and none of us knew about most of them. Ah, well.
Um. Then after school I went to kado club, which is Japanese flower arrangement. Natsumi and I made ours together. We worked so hard and then the teacher took it apart because it wasn't perfect or whatever. But it was a good time. Natsumi took pictures and she's gonna e-mail them to me and I'll try to post them here. Then Natsumi and I took the bus downtown and she had to go home, but I met Sakiko and later on, Shaki, from Austria. We kinda just wandered around for a while. Then I went home.
Tomorrow, is Max's and Josefa's going-away party! Ahhh! I'm gonna miss them so much. Oh, well, I'll just have to go to France and Chile to see them. It's kinda funny, the exchange student lifestyle. You end up going to Japan, meet people from all around the world, and then try to figure out how you can get to their country to see them again, plus, of course, you have to come back to Japan to see all the friends you've made there. So Laurent wants to study abroad in the USA, I want to study abroad in France or Chile, blah blah blah. It's so difficult, our cosmopolitan lifestyle!
Then Sunday I'm off to KYOTO!!!!!!! To see Dylan and Annalisa. They are two Rotary exchange students; I met Dylan during my outbound year at orientations and I sat next to Annalisa on the plane. I'm really excited because it's like, hisashiburi! (Long time, no see).
Then next weekend is some Rotary orientation at Mount Fuji. Haha, I'm always around Mount Fuji but I don't mind. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL! It's so, like, perfect and symmetrical and it's so hard to believe I was at the top back in September. That was when I knew hardly any Japanese, I had barely any Japanese friends, I knew nothing about anything... I cant believe how far I've come, how many obstacles I've overcome, how amazingly FUN and ADVENTUROUS these past (almost) 5 months have been. And it's amazing to think just what will come next: my kendo exam, skiing in Naeba, possibly seeing the spring geisha dances in Kyoto, spring break in Tokyo with Shiori, the cherry blossom festival, the absolutely WILD Hamamatsu City Festival. And all those things will happen in just the next three months. And who can say what will happen in between those events? :D
Well, anyway, take care of y'all selves.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Meh
Ok so New Years was really good. I was at the Hiranos and Okaasan's friends came over New Years Eve. We watched the temple bells ring on TV at midnight and then in the next afternoon we went to the shrine to pray for the new year. Then we went to Okaasan's sister's house for dinner. After that, at home I watched the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. That was really nice.
I went back to school today... it was only a half day though. After that I went downtown with Miwa and Kei and then met up with Sakiko and Laurent and Addison and Shaki. Shaki is the newest gaijin in our group... shes from Austria and she's totally amazing.
Ok take care.
Meh...........
I went back to school today... it was only a half day though. After that I went downtown with Miwa and Kei and then met up with Sakiko and Laurent and Addison and Shaki. Shaki is the newest gaijin in our group... shes from Austria and she's totally amazing.
Ok take care.
Meh...........
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