Woke up at 9.30 today. Which is super early for my Host family on a weekend. Especially when there not even doing anything. I whipped out my Vegemite for breakfast, along with some cornflakes because I wasn’t in a rice eating mood. It was good. I’m rather missing Jam. I know you can buy it here so I might go buy myself a Jar. My family doesn’t have things. They usually just have butter on toast or make it into a toasted sandwich.
When I was watching TV I heard my host family behind me having a big discussion. I was trying to listen in. It sounded quite intense. It was over who the owner of the vegemite on the table was and where it had come from. I asked them if they wanted to try. They did. They also liked it. Probably because I showed them how to make vegemite on toast properly. Their first move was going to be Just on plain bread. But that gross. I told them that you have to have the bread toasted and buttered in order for it to be delicious. The only person who didn’t enjoy it was my Host Dad who said it was so-so.
After lunch, in which we had spaghetti bolognaise. My family eats an odd mix of really traditional meals, then they just cook something weird and non-Japanese every now and then. It was good, not as good as back home. But still good. But anyway after lunch me and my host brother walked to Fujisawa station to look for a SD card and headphones for my phone now. I’ve loaded all my music onto my phones card but the music player on my phone doesn’t seem to want to find it. I’ll figure things further tomorrow.
For dinner we had dead fish on a plate. Its actually tasty even though it smells gross. Tonight in my miso soup there was some mushrooms. Im used to finding fungi of sorts in my soup. But these one had a snot like covering over them it was so sick. I used my how to eat disgusting food without wretching trick to eat them. Basically I put in my mouth pop it under my tongue where I can’t taste it. Then either wash it down with a drink or Eat a whole bunch of rice. It works really well. I use it all the time.
Tonight I leave all with some pictures of my new cellphone.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A very long Day
Firstly I haven’t taken taken many photos lately. So I just took one of the “Moo Moo Fanta” I bought today. Its good. Surprisingly. It has like a milky after taste but it’s not gross like I thought it would be. I had to decide between that and orange Juice for some energy sugar. I decided to be adventurous. (lifeinjapan.tumblr.com)
I had school today. We finished at 3.30. Wow. Oh how normal. Anyway I had PE first. It was ok. We were doing fitness tests, probably for statistics because the Japanese love their statistics. Here everyone gets changed in the classroom, yes girls and guys at the same time. No one makes a big deal about it. Because it’s not.
I had biology which I couldn’t understand anything. Two hours of Japanese lessons and two hours of Call class. Which is pretty much listening to English in a computer classroom. It’s not really any different from what you’d imagine a normal English class to be. They do however record the students saying phrases that come onto the screen. Then compare the recording with that of a native speaker. I.e. me. King of the monotone. My Call class has one of the schools ALT’s. He’s lived here as an ALT for 9 years and doesn’t speak a word of Japanese. I thought that was sad. But his English was very well pronounced which is what counts I guess.
after being in the computer room with my call class we moved to a normal classroom to do English self introductions. I really like the people in this class they’re so laid back. I met some chick from Brazil, but I never noticed her cause she looks asian. But once she told me she was Brazillian she looked Brazillian. Weird huh. She was awesome. That class is awesome. Apparantly all there is a part for foreign students (basically anyone not of Japanese blood even if you were born there), I haven’t been invited yet but some Chinese girl asked me and Zoe if we’d received our invitations yet.
At lunch time I went to Angela’s class because their heaps of fun. Especially her friend Oga. He’s so funny. She strives to amuse him everyday because when Oga’s amused it’s very amusing. We fed some of her class mates vegemite. The price of a Jar of vegemite; A few dollars. The look of disgust on their faces; Priceless.
Today I also decided to time myself seeing how long it takes me to get to school. I clocked in at 1hour 50minutes(ish) when I arrived. It’s normally quicker getting home. But today someone popped their clogs by Jumping on the train tracks. It’s very sad but I have to say through the sadness it’s very annoying having both Odakyu Enoshima and Odakyu Odawara lines down. I don’t know how both lines managed to go down. But they did. At Sagami-ono station people were lining up on the stairs to get onto the platform and onto a train. It was crazy. But anyway thanks to this my commute today was probably about 4hours 30minutes total.
During my commute today when Me, Angela and Shouri were walking to the station some old women opened the door to the left and let us in. She then asked lots of questions about us mainly me because I’m white. She was shocked when Angela said she was an exchange student. It was weird because most Japanese would never randomly talk to you like that. Especially the older generations but she was pretty modern. I felt like a good exchange student, talking to the locals and being an ambassador for my country.
I also sorted out my school trips today. The one to Aomori isn’t to September but if you’re going to Aomori you go to Tokyo for your trip. If Malaysia you go to Yokohama. Even though I choose Aomori I somehow ended up going to Yokohama. I need to enquire further.
Tonight I me and my host brothers wrote our Diaries. Rei (10) is writing one too now. He writes in Japanese and I help him translate to English then I we all do our daily speeches in the language that were learning. (them English, Me Japanese).
I had school today. We finished at 3.30. Wow. Oh how normal. Anyway I had PE first. It was ok. We were doing fitness tests, probably for statistics because the Japanese love their statistics. Here everyone gets changed in the classroom, yes girls and guys at the same time. No one makes a big deal about it. Because it’s not.
I had biology which I couldn’t understand anything. Two hours of Japanese lessons and two hours of Call class. Which is pretty much listening to English in a computer classroom. It’s not really any different from what you’d imagine a normal English class to be. They do however record the students saying phrases that come onto the screen. Then compare the recording with that of a native speaker. I.e. me. King of the monotone. My Call class has one of the schools ALT’s. He’s lived here as an ALT for 9 years and doesn’t speak a word of Japanese. I thought that was sad. But his English was very well pronounced which is what counts I guess.
after being in the computer room with my call class we moved to a normal classroom to do English self introductions. I really like the people in this class they’re so laid back. I met some chick from Brazil, but I never noticed her cause she looks asian. But once she told me she was Brazillian she looked Brazillian. Weird huh. She was awesome. That class is awesome. Apparantly all there is a part for foreign students (basically anyone not of Japanese blood even if you were born there), I haven’t been invited yet but some Chinese girl asked me and Zoe if we’d received our invitations yet.
At lunch time I went to Angela’s class because their heaps of fun. Especially her friend Oga. He’s so funny. She strives to amuse him everyday because when Oga’s amused it’s very amusing. We fed some of her class mates vegemite. The price of a Jar of vegemite; A few dollars. The look of disgust on their faces; Priceless.
Today I also decided to time myself seeing how long it takes me to get to school. I clocked in at 1hour 50minutes(ish) when I arrived. It’s normally quicker getting home. But today someone popped their clogs by Jumping on the train tracks. It’s very sad but I have to say through the sadness it’s very annoying having both Odakyu Enoshima and Odakyu Odawara lines down. I don’t know how both lines managed to go down. But they did. At Sagami-ono station people were lining up on the stairs to get onto the platform and onto a train. It was crazy. But anyway thanks to this my commute today was probably about 4hours 30minutes total.
During my commute today when Me, Angela and Shouri were walking to the station some old women opened the door to the left and let us in. She then asked lots of questions about us mainly me because I’m white. She was shocked when Angela said she was an exchange student. It was weird because most Japanese would never randomly talk to you like that. Especially the older generations but she was pretty modern. I felt like a good exchange student, talking to the locals and being an ambassador for my country.
I also sorted out my school trips today. The one to Aomori isn’t to September but if you’re going to Aomori you go to Tokyo for your trip. If Malaysia you go to Yokohama. Even though I choose Aomori I somehow ended up going to Yokohama. I need to enquire further.
Tonight I me and my host brothers wrote our Diaries. Rei (10) is writing one too now. He writes in Japanese and I help him translate to English then I we all do our daily speeches in the language that were learning. (them English, Me Japanese).
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A complaint
School is good. Life is good. I’m happy.
Anyway today was starting to become more of a normal day, we finished at 2.30pm instead of like 1.30pm. Nice to see were working our way up to a full day. I had normal Japanese subjects today. Not that I could understand much at all. I do have Japanese lessons each day which aren’t really very helpful. I’m taught all in Japanese , it’s kind of hard to know what their teaching you when they use what their teaching you to explain what it means. If that makes any sense.
After school I went to Machida again today with Angela to get her adapter for her laptop. It was horrible. We were looking for a store called Yodabashi Camera which her host family had said to go to. We asked for directions several times but couldn’t find it. We know it was somewhere around the JR station. Everytime we go to a point we though we must be close we’d be told “cross the street”, “go up the stairs and left”, “straight ahead and up the escalator” in general just directions that sent us back the way we had come from the last lot of directions. I think she’s going to go with Zoe tomorrow cause Zoe’s pretty much fluent and can understand the “detail” that we probably missed.
But now, I have a bit of a bone to pick at. I whine as one might call it. There has been a bit of a lack of communication from my home room teacher. I still don’t have my text books, I’ve asked about this a few times and I generally get an answer which is like “Just wait a bit, I haven’t organised it yet” except he makes it sound really polite. I know Zoe got her books on the second day of school or so. Also my biggest complaint to date is the lack of communication on the school trip. I was handed a bunch of forms I can’t really read and told we’re going to Yokohama. I assumed it was just a day trip. Because NO ONE mentioned it was part of the big trips to Aomorie/Malaysia. So now I have to get onto JFIE and everything, I’ll talk to them about that tomorrow as I’m meeting with them at Zengyo station at 6 O’clock. I hope I can go, my host mum already signed the permission slip and I’m just slightly disappointed at the communication lack as I have no Idea on who to pay or anything. If I miss the trip due to this lack of communication I will be very disappointed with my homeroom teacher. It doesn’t take but 5minutes to tell me. It’s not that I’m unable to understand. I just can’t hear when your talking at a million miles an hour and there’s a class for of people talking at max volume. Which is fine.
All I ask for is 5minutes of your time.
Anyway today was starting to become more of a normal day, we finished at 2.30pm instead of like 1.30pm. Nice to see were working our way up to a full day. I had normal Japanese subjects today. Not that I could understand much at all. I do have Japanese lessons each day which aren’t really very helpful. I’m taught all in Japanese , it’s kind of hard to know what their teaching you when they use what their teaching you to explain what it means. If that makes any sense.
After school I went to Machida again today with Angela to get her adapter for her laptop. It was horrible. We were looking for a store called Yodabashi Camera which her host family had said to go to. We asked for directions several times but couldn’t find it. We know it was somewhere around the JR station. Everytime we go to a point we though we must be close we’d be told “cross the street”, “go up the stairs and left”, “straight ahead and up the escalator” in general just directions that sent us back the way we had come from the last lot of directions. I think she’s going to go with Zoe tomorrow cause Zoe’s pretty much fluent and can understand the “detail” that we probably missed.
But now, I have a bit of a bone to pick at. I whine as one might call it. There has been a bit of a lack of communication from my home room teacher. I still don’t have my text books, I’ve asked about this a few times and I generally get an answer which is like “Just wait a bit, I haven’t organised it yet” except he makes it sound really polite. I know Zoe got her books on the second day of school or so. Also my biggest complaint to date is the lack of communication on the school trip. I was handed a bunch of forms I can’t really read and told we’re going to Yokohama. I assumed it was just a day trip. Because NO ONE mentioned it was part of the big trips to Aomorie/Malaysia. So now I have to get onto JFIE and everything, I’ll talk to them about that tomorrow as I’m meeting with them at Zengyo station at 6 O’clock. I hope I can go, my host mum already signed the permission slip and I’m just slightly disappointed at the communication lack as I have no Idea on who to pay or anything. If I miss the trip due to this lack of communication I will be very disappointed with my homeroom teacher. It doesn’t take but 5minutes to tell me. It’s not that I’m unable to understand. I just can’t hear when your talking at a million miles an hour and there’s a class for of people talking at max volume. Which is fine.
All I ask for is 5minutes of your time.
Monday, April 12, 2010
FRIENDSHIP
Today was school, finnally I actually went to a class. A class that I can actually succeed in. Korean. I was super proud of my self finishing my work faster than all the Japanese students. The teacher was even surprised. Probably because she doesn’t know that I have a prior knowledge of Korean. She was surprised at how “good my Japanese was for only being here for like 2weeks”. I was surprised for how much I understood coming from her. I think I’ll try very hard in this class and try to get a pass. It’ll probably be difficult. But I’m determined.
At school I had my first Japanese lesson in the library, I asked some girl what class it was in because I couldn’t read the kanji for it. She walked with me to the library. Even though I knew where it was I was gratefull for her kindness.
Lunchtime was amazing because finnaly I feel like I’m beginning to make Japanese friends. I was “told” by one girl to move my desk in and Join them. Even though communication was slightly lacking It was a good time. I pretty much got fed a second lunch by them. I was happy. I’m looking forward to seeing them all tomorrow.
After school finished, at 1.30. It’s been finishing at 1.30 every day since I started. I don’t know whether this is always the case or not. I’m going to ask tomorrow. Anyway Angela came into my class room as I was getting ready to leave and asked me to come to Machida with her because she has to buy an adapter for her laptop and withdraw some money (mainly figure out how to withdraw before her finances run out). Her card didn’t work anywhere. She has a whole bunch of apology notes from the ATM’s. When we found a bank that did take her Mastercard it was declined or something. It said to call Visa and sort it out. After the card shinanagens I got chicken. Because I was having wild pregnant women type cravings for it. I went to KFC first but its REALLY exspensive here. Like 2000-3000yen for a 6pack of chicken which is like $30-$45NZ. I went to a 7/11 and got a 130yen piece of chicken which was good. We also shared a crepe it was also good.
At Machida station I experienced real rush hour even though it wasn’t quite yet rush hour. People (including me) were pushing to get inside my train. I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to get out at my stop but I managed. When I changed trains I sat by some guy who kept passing gas and I was really disgusted. I was hoping people wouldn’t think its me.
I got home around 5, which is still earlier than most other people get home. I had a nap, ate some lollies, had a super hot bath which I needed after todays cold weather. Then just bummed round the house a bit. Had dinner and now here I am. Writing. I wonder what I’ll think when I’m older and look back on this time here.
At school I had my first Japanese lesson in the library, I asked some girl what class it was in because I couldn’t read the kanji for it. She walked with me to the library. Even though I knew where it was I was gratefull for her kindness.
Lunchtime was amazing because finnaly I feel like I’m beginning to make Japanese friends. I was “told” by one girl to move my desk in and Join them. Even though communication was slightly lacking It was a good time. I pretty much got fed a second lunch by them. I was happy. I’m looking forward to seeing them all tomorrow.
After school finished, at 1.30. It’s been finishing at 1.30 every day since I started. I don’t know whether this is always the case or not. I’m going to ask tomorrow. Anyway Angela came into my class room as I was getting ready to leave and asked me to come to Machida with her because she has to buy an adapter for her laptop and withdraw some money (mainly figure out how to withdraw before her finances run out). Her card didn’t work anywhere. She has a whole bunch of apology notes from the ATM’s. When we found a bank that did take her Mastercard it was declined or something. It said to call Visa and sort it out. After the card shinanagens I got chicken. Because I was having wild pregnant women type cravings for it. I went to KFC first but its REALLY exspensive here. Like 2000-3000yen for a 6pack of chicken which is like $30-$45NZ. I went to a 7/11 and got a 130yen piece of chicken which was good. We also shared a crepe it was also good.
At Machida station I experienced real rush hour even though it wasn’t quite yet rush hour. People (including me) were pushing to get inside my train. I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to get out at my stop but I managed. When I changed trains I sat by some guy who kept passing gas and I was really disgusted. I was hoping people wouldn’t think its me.
I got home around 5, which is still earlier than most other people get home. I had a nap, ate some lollies, had a super hot bath which I needed after todays cold weather. Then just bummed round the house a bit. Had dinner and now here I am. Writing. I wonder what I’ll think when I’m older and look back on this time here.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Shopping and Shit.
Today I slept in heaps and still remained tired all day. My legs hurt from all my walking. Anyway when I woke up I went to some mall with my host parants I bought an Umbrella, Pencil Case and Clear file. I also looked at mobile phones. Im sad because the ONLY ones that you can get on a Softbank prepaid plan look cheap and tacky. I don’t know why my organisation is so adamant on me using Softbank. I want a nice-ish looking phone. It was what I was going to use my savings for. Can’t have everything.
When we got home I feel asleep on the couch. I woke up with a blanket on me, so I assume it was my host mum. I then helped her make some muffin type things. Because I wasn’t really keen on going past my host brother and his friends because I didn’t have the energy to socialise with a lot of people.
For dinner we had like a fish, Miso and shellfish soup, smoked egg and cheese and a whole heap of other asian type meals. I’m feeling confused on which club to join still. I kinda want to do a sports club but I want to do the other ones to. I might go to the hyaku en ten sometime a buy a dice to help make my decisions.
Tomorrow my host Dads taking me and my host brothers to mount fuji, well some lake by mount fuji. Or that’s what I think I was told. I’m quite excited. But it seems everytime I go somewhere with them the weathers crap and it’s not at its maximum beauty.
When we got home I feel asleep on the couch. I woke up with a blanket on me, so I assume it was my host mum. I then helped her make some muffin type things. Because I wasn’t really keen on going past my host brother and his friends because I didn’t have the energy to socialise with a lot of people.
For dinner we had like a fish, Miso and shellfish soup, smoked egg and cheese and a whole heap of other asian type meals. I’m feeling confused on which club to join still. I kinda want to do a sports club but I want to do the other ones to. I might go to the hyaku en ten sometime a buy a dice to help make my decisions.
Tomorrow my host Dads taking me and my host brothers to mount fuji, well some lake by mount fuji. Or that’s what I think I was told. I’m quite excited. But it seems everytime I go somewhere with them the weathers crap and it’s not at its maximum beauty.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Tests
I’m writing this entry the day after cause I was far to exhausted last night. But anyway yesterday was an average day of school. Me and The other exchangers had to sit in the library and do tests while the other kids sat their own ones. School finished early for us so we went out to Machida (Just me and Angela). It took forever to get their because we sat on some bridge for ages cause we were to tired. In Machida we just walked round ate a crepe’ and found some chocolate that actually doesn’t taste like crap.
At school we toddles over to the first grader building and ate lunch over there . we talked to the first graders heaps because they actually want to talk to us. Unlike the second and third graders because they’ve all had exchange students before and they don’t really care. Apparantly my class is going to Yokohama on the 20th Im still kinda confused on what we are actually meant to be doing there. Cuase we just got a Yokoham travel brochure and are picking places to go in our groups. The boys in my group want to go to the pokemon center…
At school we toddles over to the first grader building and ate lunch over there . we talked to the first graders heaps because they actually want to talk to us. Unlike the second and third graders because they’ve all had exchange students before and they don’t really care. Apparantly my class is going to Yokohama on the 20th Im still kinda confused on what we are actually meant to be doing there. Cuase we just got a Yokoham travel brochure and are picking places to go in our groups. The boys in my group want to go to the pokemon center…
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Bukkatsu and The Very Long Walk
Today was my second day of school. The trains are starting to get more crowded even though in the mornings I always catch the 7.02 to either Minamirinkan or Sagamiono to transfer to Sobudaimae. I learnt the art of rushing to transfer trains today. Because I was meeting everyone at Sobudaimae to walk together because we all think the bus is a rip-off/we can’t afford it, I had to do my amazing dash across the station. I was pretty much running and got in right as the doors were closing. It felt kinda like an action movie. Not really. But I’m getting fit here. Now that I’m walking to school I spend roughly 80minutes walking total a day.
In class I have someone I consider a friend, her names Akiko and she’s really nice. She always comes to explain what the teacher said. Because it’s really hard for me to understand because my teacher talks so fast and the class talks so loud. I’m going to ask her tomorrow if she wants to walk to school with us sometime. Back to my misbehaving class, I’m so shocked. Auctually. I never would of thought Japanese were like that. A couple of people even made phone calls during class. Onto another note of how naughty my class is, one of the stricter teachers was in, a kid was eating. She took his food. When she wasn’t looking he took it back and ate it.
Anyway at school it was a half day for my year and the year above but the exchange students had to stay for the bukkatsu (club) orientation. Although not everyone stayed (*COUGH COUGH* angela), I was going to leave to because no one told me about it until time stopped me. Anyway the orientation was kinda pathetic. Afterwards we got to walk round and look at the clubs. I looked round at the art, photography, cooking and English club (because my friend from class asked me to come to it). I also looked at the sports clubs, I’m thinking I wont join one because there all like 7days a week training for hours on end. Surprisingly table tennis club trains the most of any club. I’ll be doing enough physical activity at school anyway ontop of my hours of walking (its pretty much a run half the time). Judo is a compulsory subject at the school. I’m glad I have atleast some knowledge of it. Just on a side note this class made me laugh; Food Decoration Class. Anyway I’m still deliberating on which club to join.
Me and Zoe walked to the station together because Angela left early and tim stayed with the tennis club meeting. Well we didn’t really make it anyway. Some how with what seemed like a 10minute walk we managed to end up ages away. I think we were walking for close to an hour. Mainly because we were constantly stopping to ask people which way to make sure we didn’t get more lost. I called my host mum to let her know that we’d taken a wrong road and would be slightly late. She was fine, probably because Zoe’s pretty much fluent in Japanese so getting directions was easy and Japans pretty safe in general.
Tomorrow me and the other exchange students are to study Japanese in the library while all the Japanese kids are doing exams or something allday.
In class I have someone I consider a friend, her names Akiko and she’s really nice. She always comes to explain what the teacher said. Because it’s really hard for me to understand because my teacher talks so fast and the class talks so loud. I’m going to ask her tomorrow if she wants to walk to school with us sometime. Back to my misbehaving class, I’m so shocked. Auctually. I never would of thought Japanese were like that. A couple of people even made phone calls during class. Onto another note of how naughty my class is, one of the stricter teachers was in, a kid was eating. She took his food. When she wasn’t looking he took it back and ate it.
Anyway at school it was a half day for my year and the year above but the exchange students had to stay for the bukkatsu (club) orientation. Although not everyone stayed (*COUGH COUGH* angela), I was going to leave to because no one told me about it until time stopped me. Anyway the orientation was kinda pathetic. Afterwards we got to walk round and look at the clubs. I looked round at the art, photography, cooking and English club (because my friend from class asked me to come to it). I also looked at the sports clubs, I’m thinking I wont join one because there all like 7days a week training for hours on end. Surprisingly table tennis club trains the most of any club. I’ll be doing enough physical activity at school anyway ontop of my hours of walking (its pretty much a run half the time). Judo is a compulsory subject at the school. I’m glad I have atleast some knowledge of it. Just on a side note this class made me laugh; Food Decoration Class. Anyway I’m still deliberating on which club to join.
Me and Zoe walked to the station together because Angela left early and tim stayed with the tennis club meeting. Well we didn’t really make it anyway. Some how with what seemed like a 10minute walk we managed to end up ages away. I think we were walking for close to an hour. Mainly because we were constantly stopping to ask people which way to make sure we didn’t get more lost. I called my host mum to let her know that we’d taken a wrong road and would be slightly late. She was fine, probably because Zoe’s pretty much fluent in Japanese so getting directions was easy and Japans pretty safe in general.
Tomorrow me and the other exchange students are to study Japanese in the library while all the Japanese kids are doing exams or something allday.
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