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!