Thursday, April 29, 2010

桜は満開だ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE CHERRIES ARE IN FULL BLOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

KIAI!

Wow, it has been a busy week!
First off, school. Now I realize why my Japanese teacher said that he doesn't want to 'ganbare' anymore. We have a meditation every day before lessons and speeches about our future and also, this week, we had a 'ganbare' meeting. Really serious business!
But still, I haven't entered any activity clubs. I'm really going for kendo, but Kita High's team is extremely strong and there are always matches and everything so, next week, there's going to be some discussions about me entering the club. Everybody really wants me to join, including myself, but it would mean that I'll devote myself to the club almost entirely and doing so means that I can't do much else. Well, that's the problem. Need to polish my Japanese before I jump into the pit of DISCUSSION.

Also I've had some after school fun time! For example, I've gone out to eat crepes with my friends. The Japanese crepes are so tasty! They have so many tastes to choose and they're just melting in the mouth. After that, I also went to our local Senshuu park for the sakura festival, but there were no sakura at the time, yet a lot of shops had already started business. Therefore, Me and the kendo girls (nice) just ate the things we found interesting. That was also fun to do. Many had their skirts smeared with sauce afterwards. Fortunately I didn't. Hahahaa!

Also this weekend, there was school on Saturday. We had some sort of PTA happening. And so, next week's Monday is a HOLIDAY! Woohoo! Gonna paint some pictures then. It has been a while. But other than that, today, I went to Kakunodate samurai village (角館の武家屋敷)! A really famous place in and out of Japan. It really went into my heart. You can just feel the culture and history there. I bought a lot of postcards there of famous Edo period people. One interesting thing is that there are still some people living in some of the old houses. The oldest building is about 200 years old and there are cherry trees everywhere. I also bought geta shoes FINALLY! I've been wanting to buy those things since last year. It has been a long wait really. Mind you, they are those high stacked ones.

Also today we had a YFU Area Orientation meeting in Kakunodate. It was really great to meet all of the exchange students in this area and the reps, the host families.
BUT! I also met another person. A girl.


Who is going to Estonia as an exchange student!

It was our second meeting and we talked a lot about each others countries, interests and so on. We went to eat oyakodon together. (Mamps r66musta!) It was fun! So. Everyone around Tallinn go and meet her! She will arrive somewhere around July. Other than that I can't really say.

I must say the weather here is beyond measure unpredictable. For example, this morning it was so sunny and warm, but in about 5 minutes later, the sky had become grey, it rained cats and dogs and after 10 minutes it was sunny again. And it repeated throughout the day. The grand finale was with a rain waterfall. I really am in need of a boiling hot bath. I'm almost frozen to the bone. But I got to eat mochi so all is well with the world.

And it all has been indescribably fun! I've made friends in school, my Japanese is getting better and better by the hour, my host family is awesome and I'm filled with a new strength to climb towards my dreams.
It really is a once in a lifetime chance, isn't it.

This is it for now. Be sure to check for photos!
Good night or whatever you have there!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Carrots' tempura!

Exactly a month is past since the day I left my home country and came to Japan.
Also it's the end of my second week in school, which has been, yet again, totally awesome! I've quite well adjusted to my lifestyle here, but there are some complications of course. For example, the epic Japanese toilets. I mean, what the hell? I can use them, sure, but seriously, why do they still have those? I need to figure it out somehow... :D Even toilets are fun-tastic it seems.
But in school I've made some friends and I'm going to decide my club activity later this weekend. I saw kyuudou (Japanese archery) yesterday and boy it was awesome! It's really Nippon bunka (Japanese culture)! Also, I'm still waiting for the cherries. It's yet oh-so-cold. We had a bit snow this morning too, okaasan said. How on earth are we going to survive? D:
But there's a rumour going around that the cherries will come next week end. I hope it's true. They already started preparations for the festival in Senshuu Park - put up some shop stands, ribbons and so on. And then came the snow. Might have been quite a shock for them all.

So, onwards we go! Today I made tempura for the first time! Okaasan taught me how and both of us had a blast doing it! I learned that she hadn't heard of potato tempura and got really excited to try it. The whole family liked it! And because I was in charge of frying the vegetables and shrimp I felt really great. Okaasan also praised me a bit. :) Said I'm a natural... Harry Potter xD
Why?
Well because yesterday we were going shopping and I put on my round glasses and because it's still cold, I also put on a long black jacket... get the picture? I received quite a few long looks there... It has become a family joke I guess. >:D They got a wizard for an exchange student. Muhahahaa!

All in all, I'm loving it! Japan really has been the land of my dreams for a really long time, but now it has become a land of reality, for which I'm really thankful for all the people who helped me make it happen. THANK YOU ALL! I can't really express my gratitude enough through this media, but I'm really, really grateful!
I mean Japanese even serve food for their cats with chopsticks. How cool is that?! I'm completely flipped! Totally Orient.
Also I have been a fan of Japanese rock for a couple of years and here I'm getting more and more fanatic about it. They have tons of music magazines, instrument guide books, CD stores and many many more gorgeous places! Plus the 'book-offs'... Heaven! Looks like modern day Hogwarts library. xD That's the last Potter for this entry, I swear.

Last but not least, I also put up some new photos, just so you know.
And this is the end of the current weather report.


Word.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Summary summery

Phew!
My first school week is now behind me and I'm waiting for the next one!
Throughout the first half of the week, I only had self introductions in front of students and teachers and so on, BUT...
the climax was on Wednesday... in front of the whole school body! I did rather well considering my nervous circumstances. :D YAY! I think my 'love of chasing cats' went into many people's hearts.
I have received a wery wery warm welcome from everybody and that makes me really happy. It's so amazing of a feeling to meet so many new people and be able to talk to them and that they understand what you're saying. That gives me the greatest rush currently. It might be so for a long time.
Also I have went to many activity clubs in my school for a 'seeing tour'. Up till now, I have went to arts' club, go, calligraphy and school band's club. This system is really awesome I think. This should be executed everywhere around the world!! Hear me, hear me!
Next, my weekend. Saturday was a bit of a family excursion sort of day. We went to the zoo once more and the giraffes were out that day! I think they actually remembered me because when I went closer they turned their heads towards me, lowered them slightly and came really close! I really think we had some sort of connection... yeah, nice!
Afterwards we visited one of the biggest shrines in the district and I took some photos there so check them out!
And last but not least - onsen. Ahhh, it's so good. The place we went to is popular for it's great smell of wood. And it really is great. There was a bit of a kink there. it seems that it's a must to drink some milk after the bathing. There's a huge milk machine with your everyday milk, fruit milk and milk coffee. Weird, but really enjoyable.
The last day of the week is a time for total relaxation or so it seems. Might go for a walk later.
Currently it's noon and it's sunny so everything is possible.
Until next time amigos and amigas!
Lots of love!

Monday, April 05, 2010

Just a little *edit* plus some more

*this is an edit*
Today was my first school day!!! I needed to do about 6 self introductions! For teachers, for my classmates (a couple of times), for all 2nd years etc. Everybody were so kind and lively and I had my 'kawaii' attack as suspected. But it wasn't so bad as in Fukui, so I survived without a scratch! :)
So! My school day started at 8:00, at first I was in a quarantine like room, separated, doing my Kumon, and then... all hell broke loose! Introduction here, hello-goodbye there, 'Please take good care of me' over there... my head was spinning out of control. Seriously!
And I wore my school uniform too! It really has a high schoolers feel to it... It was my first time!
I'm in 2-A class (=11A in my homeland... what a coincidence...), which is of course humanitarian as I've said earlier, and including myself, there's 40 students all together. Really huge... I hope I don't hurt anyone's feelings if I can't remember their name...

Anyway, photos will arrive soon. Today I was so excited that I forgot to take any... -_-''
じゃ、お楽しみですね。(Ja, otanoshimi desu ne. - So please look forward to it. (how rough))




Well, what can I say.
I'm in Japan, I have 1 day left until school starts, I met a 3rd year student (read: 12th grader) from my school yesterday, said hello, walked to the baseball pitch and saw that my school also has tennis courts (!!!the hell!?) and a huge bicycle parking lot. The place is really huge, the whole complex.
Also went walking again in the city centre, took a bus to school for practice and overall, adjusting with my new life here.
I think I'll start posting some photos here, but mostly check my FB (link is on the right, under the prayer).
Write to you later! Bai-bai for now!

PS I just realised... this was my first April Fool's (since I started speaking) I didn't make a prank... awkward.