JAPAN HOMESTAY

December 16th Mon	This morning I woke up and said goodbye to everybody. It was not too sad of a goodbye because we all knew I would somehow come back to visit one day. I didn't get to take to many pictures because I was focused on my goodbyes! Hmm... I was worried my suitcase would be too heavy because of all the gifts, but there were no problems at all. I didn't sleep on the plane so now I am like a zombie. :) But I arrived in San Francisco! I still feel like I am in a plane going up and down because of turbulence. I got to give gifts to my family and talk about how wonderful my host family was! I miss them already but I will definitely go back! I learned so much about Japan and myself on this trip, so I am supremely grateful to all who made this happen. MNCC students and staff, ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU! I had an amazing time as I hope you can tell from my pictures and journals. This experience opened my eyes to a whole new continent of culture and ideas and I will carry this new knowledge with me for the duration of my lifetime. <3
December 15th Sun	Today my host family and I took pictures together. Then some of us went to eat Sasebo Burgers. They are pretty scrumptious. It was funny because my host family did not know if I had ever eaten ketchup. :) America and Japan sure are far apart! After we ate this (for breakfast haha) we went to a lookout point, where a local TV show crew bombarded me :D It was really cool because this had never happened to me before. (Actually these whole two weeks have been filled with things that have never happened to me before :D) But I think the interviewer wanted to know what my opinion on UFOs were. The language barrier thing was interesting, but they had me write my opinion and draw a UFO then hold it up for the camera guy to capture. After that, we went to the aquarium! It was beautiful. I think everyone on the planet needs to visit Nagasaki and do touristy things. My host family then made an entire feast back at home for my farewell dinner. It was amazing and I feel special. I cannot wait to give them my gift during tea time later this evening. I wrote a letter and drew their family name on some pretty paper. I hope they like it!
December 14th Sat	Today my host family drove us to see some of Nagasaki's tourist spots. We went to the Bio Park and the llama tied up in the front spit on me! Haha, I am trying to forget. The Bio Park is amazing and nothing like zoos in the USA. The animals are free to roam large habitats and people are allowed to go inside these gated areas for the most part. I came in close contact with all sorts of creatures. My favorite was the capybara enclosure. (I have this crazy love for capybaras)!! Next we went to the Peace Park and museum. It was very emotional for me but I think everyone should go to these two places at least once in their lifetime. After this, we went to MT. INASA!!!!!!! I literally FELL in LOVE with this mountain, haha. There are no words to describe the beauty of the city night's lights.
December 13th Fri	Today was the last day of high school here! I got to say goodbye to everyone I met, teachers and students alike. I gave and received many presents which is a custom I really appreciate. Two hospitable students took me to their clubs after school (tea ceremony club and music club). Then my host mom took us shopping after dinner and now I don't think anything else will possibly be able to accompany me on the plane, haha... Hmm. I learned that America's complex about autonomy is not valued in Japan. Here there is a high value for collective thinking/action. The society is very structured and this may be a reason crime is so low, etc. :) ...... My host grandma just put a little girl's headband with rabbit faces and carrots on me.
December 12th Thu	Today I went to the high school again and I got to attend art and English classes. I am drawing a present for the high school class of my host sister, and I will frame it. I'm suddenly an actual artist in Japan :) I draw in America but I never pour hours and hours into a new drawing every day there. It means a lot to me that the people I have met accept my drawings and hang them up! It is culture to give gifts all the time here, haha. I appreciate being able to give something I create to people I enjoy. My host family wonders when I will come back to Japan. I think the group dynamic flows wonderfully with all of us together. I went shopping for family gifts with my host grandma after school. I speak English to her and she speaks Japanese to me, but we understand each other for the most part. She keeps saying by the time I come back she will be all hunched over with a cane, haha! I enjoy everyone coming home at night and we all just talk and tease each other around the dining table. We calculated it would take me one year of 'staying' here to become fluent in Japanese! :D
December 11th Wed	Today I went to the high school again and everyone is really warmed up to me now. I ate lunch with a lot of the girls in the class my host sister is in, and it was a really enjoyable experience. I never noticed how little a role language actually plays in fun human interactions. All you need is a gist, some hand gestures, and facial expressions to cause an uproar of synchronized laughter. :) I visited a lot of other classes too so I got to meet more students. I think Japanese students really like Americans. And I definitely like Japanese students! The classes thought I was a teacher at first, haha.. I also hung out with some ALTs (english teachers) so I learned more about the education system from insiders. High school students have an 8 o'clock curfew even on weekends and vacation. School/work for Japanese persons are not separate like in the USA. If a person gets a speeding ticket here, the police will confront a person's BOSS at work and there will be consequences! Anyways, I think I will get attached to these high school students too. :( Haha.. maybe by the time I get my education degree I will be back here in time to teach those sixth graders I adore when THEY are in high school.
December 10th Wed	Today I went to the high school. We began the process of making the batter for rolled cakes, which we will finish tomorrow. In class I like to listen to the teachers even though I do not understand the language. My favorite class was chemistry because I don't need to know Japanese to understand chemical formulas and demonstrations. English class was interesting because I was asked to help native Japanese teachers with their pronunciation of words like 'growl'. I don't really get a chance to take many pictures at the high school. My host sister Kako and I went to the book/compact disc shop near her home and I tried to find something in English. I only brought one book (How the World's Best Companies Manage Their Supply Chains by Robert A. Malone) and I would like to mix it up. In class I read two magazines an English teacher let me borrow until Friday. I finished those and so now I draw.
December 9th Mon	The weekend was a blast. I went to a castle, a volcano, and a hotel. The onsen was amazing and I can't believe don't have them in America. Today I went to the high school with my host sister. The elementary school was fun and easy. In this high school I find myself doing the workheets along with the students, when I understand. I especially enjoyed chemistry class because I don't need to know Japanese to understand chemical reaction formulas. :) I also got to make rolled cakes. I enjoy practical classes that are possible without any language barriers. Anyways, Japanese individuals are incredibly nice. I enjoy the company of all those I meet. The day went by very fast even though I know it was about seven hours total. I look forward to going back to the koko for every day of this week. My host family says I am picking up on so much of the language. I really am, haha. I even learned a few words on my own just by listening and thinking about context. My host mother suggested I become an English teacher. I had already been toying with the idea in my mind, but when someone else says something without any prompting, you know it's an idea to consider seriously. I think I will indeed become an English teacher. I would love to teach sixth grade classes like the one I met last week. :'D
December 6th Fri	I had such a great time studying the elementary school here. Today I made mochi which was really interesting. I did not know it was made by pounding rice until it becomes a thick sticky paste. I will try making it at home in America... I'm totally attached to the sixth graders I spent this whole week with and now that I won't be able to see them again, I am really disheartened in the 'feelings compartment' of my brain haha. I will miss them so much. They made me a gift and I drew two pictures for them to keep. (Not knowing Japanese while a math teacher teaches the class gives ample time to create masterpieces with colored pencils). :) ... This weekend I'm going to learn about the fun aspects of Japan (amusement parks, touristy attractions, volcanoes). I heard about an ancient hardware store from an english teacher and so my host family is going to take me there! Score 600 year old (plus) modified rural tools! I am excited to see what else Japan has to offer.
December 5th Thu	Today I went to the junior high school! I made tacos with two english classes because they had pictures of tacos in their text book but had never eaten them. I got to make tacos for all of the teachers and they enjoyed them so much they wanted more. For the other two periods I attended, I answered questions from students who were learning English. I really enjoyed these classes because the students were jokers and they had everyone laughing. When lunch time came, the students decided to break regular lunch formation of their desks, and make a big circle around the room so that we could all see each other. I had interesting and funny conversations with the two people sitting on both sides of me. When we got home, we ate a really great dinner that my host grandmother prepared. She is a phenomenal cook! Right now I am watching TV at the dining table with my host mother, grandmother, and brother. It is pleasant. :)
December 4th Wed	Today I went to the elementary school again. It was different today because I watched the sixth grade class do physical education. They used hurdles and did gmynastics-style jumps and head-over-heel rolls that were really neat. The focus on keeping joints spry and liquid is great. I think America could definitely use a few P.E. tips from Japan! After this class I got special instruction on Japanese writing. I learned how to write my name and write 'realization.' I chose the word from others because being here in Japan is opening my eyes to more things, such as the importance of community efficiency. I got to walk around the school and neighboring roads to pick up trash with a team of students. It was a good chance to explore the rice patties and streams, while I was able to finally give something back to this community by helping make it clean. The sun's color here is nothing less than magical, and I get to see it every day driving through the mountains back to my host family's home.
December 3rd Tue.	Today I went back to the elementary school. I was with the teachers rather than the students again, because it was a half day and I had a lot of questions. I met the English teacher that works in Sasebo so I was able to get a lot of answers from her. School lunch was amazing. I find it interesting that an elementary school lunch would be considered a quality meal in the USA. My host father drove us home after lunch and I went grocery shopping with my host mother and grandmother. I love all of the foods available in Japan. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are my preferred diet so I am in food heaven here. I got to try some pieces of raw fish from a platter and it was incredible. I hung out at the dining room table with my host grandparents after dinner. We speak to each other using one word and it is always funny when we have no idea what one another are talking about. I enjoy just being in the company of such wonderful people. It is definitely such a pleasant atmosphere in this home and in Nagasaki itself.
December 2nd Mon.	I arrived in Sasebo-the city in Nagasaki that I am staying in- last night. I met my host mother and sister and they are so wonderful.　I am　staying　in　a　traditional　style　Japanese　room　with sliding　doors　and　padded　blankets　on　the　floor.　It　is　so　cute　and　comfortable　that　I　would　love　to　take　this　room　back　to　California.This morning I woke up at 6:30 am to go to an elementary school. My host father is the principal of the elementary school and so this was my route to my first cultural exchange in Nagasaki. Riding in my host dad’s car to school was interesting. I got to see Sasebo’s morning life as the sun rose over the mountains and kids of all ages walked down the streets. The landscape here is breathtaking. When we got to the school, I took off my shoes to put on slippers. Then my host dad let me try out my Japanese-which is made up of mimicking and reading my translation book-by having me do a speech to the all of the teachers. I said ‘goodmorning’ and ‘pleased to meet you’ which was probably the world’s shortest speech but it’s　OK.　The kids　and　teachers　I　met　are　incredibly　kind　and　polite.　It's　such　a　change　from　America,　being　that　here others are put before self. One teacher stayed up all night, literally, creating a gorgeous photo display book for me. Students in Japan definitely show the utmost respect for their teachers. Not a single person whispers or moves too much when the teacher is talking. The kids are such sweethearts. I was invited to go to lunch break with a large group in the sixth grade class I was in today. We played dodgeball and tiny children ran up to tell me “Konichiwa!” They liked to touch my hair and they gently tugged a few curls to see it bounce up again. This inspired tons of giggles that made me laugh too. Language is not a barrier when there is laughter.