Already?

So, the sad thing about this post is I'm already back in America. And not just ANYWHERE in America too. I'm already back home.

Basically, I planned on writing a FEW more entries before going home, but when I thought about what I would write all I could think about was "I'm going home in 20 days. I'm going home in 19 days. I'm going home in 10 days" and so on. So I couldn't really bring myself to reflect on my experience while i was STILL THERE.

The last month was probably the best and the worst now that i think about it. The best because everyone knew I was going home REALLY SOON so we tried to go out and do as many things as possible in the time I had left. It was also the worst because the time would just fly by and stress me out. I remember feeling the same way when i left for Japan...which was a little stupid because I knew I would be coming back in only 6 months. I'm not sure of the next time I can go to Japan.

お正月 (New Years)

So, I was right in expecting that New Years would be a MUCH bigger deal than Christmas.

A few points to cover on New Years:
-お年玉(envelopes of money!)
ー年賀状(New Years Cards)
ーもち(rice cakes)
ーそば(buckwheat noodles)
-おせいち料理(New Years Meal)

But first, this is how my New Years went:

On the 30th, my host family and I made took a road trip down to Osaka to visit my host dad's family. We would have gone the next morning, but there was a chance of snow and that would be a hassle (hah!) Basically, everyone went straight to sleep after getting there that night so nothing happened until the next day. On the 31st...nothing really happened until that night actually. We ate soba for dinner (some tradition...I don't really know why...) except my host mom is allergic to soba...so she had udon! Soba is a kind of noodle that is thin and made from buckwheat and udon is a thicker noodle made from flour I think. ANYWAYS. We watched TV but this year there was no shinny ball for me. We watch some concert on TV until it ended 15 min before 12AM. At 11:45 the TV switched to views from different Temples Across Japan where the monks were ringing this huge bell 108 times- one for each of that bad things inside everyone. In Japan, New Years is all about starting fresh. When it reached 12 there were no fireworks or anything (except at Tokyo Disney Land).
We played this Japanese Card game that is similar to 21 until 3 in the morning. The next day...or rather the 1st of January.. We ate oseichi ryouri which is a three layer lunch box full of symbolic food. I also finished writing Nen gai jyou or New Years Cards. EVERYONE writes these cards (not just the adults). I only wrote a few but I think my parents wrote over 150. We also went to the local shrine for the first visit of the year. After that all of the kids (including me!) got Otoshidama which is new years money. On average, every envelope had about 50$ (5000yen) I got 30000yen in just 2 days!!! I will now be coming back to Japan every new year. We ate a lot of really good food like sukiyaki and nabe with really really good (and expensive) meat. We went back home on the 2nd and I somehow got pink eye and wasn't feeling too good so I went straight to sleep. Today, we went to Omihachiman Jinjya to buy omamori (protection..charms?) and get our fortunes. I got a student (studying) omamoria and my fortune wasn't too great for this year...oh well. Finally, we visited my host mom's family for dinner. They have a REALLY NICE old Japanese style house. It was really spacious and had a small garden and everything. Also, I got to meet mikihiro and nagomi's great grandma who is 93. Japan has REALLY OLD PEOPLE. It seems that she stays in bed all day but still, the fact that they have a great grandma is amazing!

That pretty much wraps up the New Year celebrations. (Not really, that was like saying "A fat guy gives kids presents" for Christmas)

Pictures are: Oseichiryouri, my fortune paper, a market in Kyoto packed with people shopping for the New Years meals, and Omihachiman Jinjya

Re-Entry Shock

"It is easy to assume that your returning to your home community and natural family will be more or less problem-free. After all, you are returning to your native culture, to a place where you speak the language fluently and have family members and trusted friends awaiting your arrival. But the fact is that (a) the greater the cultural differences (b) the longer time spent in your host country and (c) the more well adjusted you became while there, the greater the chances that reverse shock will cause difficulties for you.

1. returnees almost always think that with their return home will be free of problems (if they think about it at all). This is almost never the case. Consequently, in addition to having to deal with the problems of re-entry, they also must accept the hash fact that they were either mistaken or unaware of the difficulties and therefore unprepared to face these difficulties of re-entry.

2. Returnees almost always have changed and matured in numerous ways during their experience abroad. They have grown enormously in self-assurance, in their need for independence and respect, and in their knowledge about worldly ideas. The friends and family members whom they meet upon return do not fully realize this: they treat the returnee as though hs/she were the same as the day he/she left.

3. Returnees find that they are sharply aware of many features of their home culture and environment they have previously never noticed, or at least never questioned. Becoming suddenly and acutely aware of so many things that were previously taken for granted is not a seriously problem: the problem is the returnee often feels critical of many of these things. The criticism is usually expressed to old friends and family members, who in turn become annoyed with the "negative attitude" of the returnee. Even if the returnee manages to keep her criticisms to herself, she is disturbed to find herself feeling negative about people and events in the place she calls home.

4. Returnees usually come home bursting with stories, ideas, facts, and all kinds of interesting things to tell anyone who will listen. What they find however is that almost everyone they talk to either (a) will not listen or (b) listens politely but simply cannot comprehend the richness and detail of the returnee's experiences. These behaviors may be a cause of considerable annoyance. However, the empathetic returnee will keep in mind that little more than half a year prior, she might have had similar attitudes toward a returning traveler.

5. Finally, returnees bring back with them many new values, attitudes and patterns of behavior. Their new patterns tend to be most sharply different with respect to those who they feel closest and love most dearly. This particular change occurs because in their host community they became attached to a few special people and learned how to behave toward these people according to the patterns characteristic of the host culture. Upon coming home, the returnee encounters people whom she also loves and immediately begins interacting with them as she learned to interact with loved ones in the host culture. In many cases however, the old friends and the family members are bewildered and possibly even offended by this strange behavior. They, in turn, begin to act a little strangely toward the returnee and thus the seeds of misunderstanding are sown.

What can you do to minimize these and similar problems regarding your own homecoming? Here are two suggestions:

-Try not to have false expectations about returning home. Don't expect it to be free of problems
-As soon as it is practical after your return to your home community, get in touch with someone who has had an experience similar to yours. An AFS returnee would be ideal but someone who has lived abroad would work too. Arrange to get together with this person on two or thee occasions and when you do, talk together about your experiences away from home and about your feelings and problems upon returning.

Have a good journey
--"The AFS STUDENT STUDY GUIDE"--"

クリスマス

So it’s been a long LONG time since I last updated this blog…uh…sorry about that.

I’m pretty sure that I start ALL of my entries with that.

Anyways, today is Christmas!! Yay!!! Too bad it doesn’t feel like it AT ALL.

Christmas in Japan is one of the most awkward things I have seen EVER. To the Japanese, Christmas is a time to eat cake, fried chicken, give toys to kids, and go on dates. I really don’t see why they have it at all. Christmas REALLY IS more than just presents and jolly fat guys. It is jammed pack with history and tradition. So, here are a few things about Japan and Christmas
-Presents are from Santa to Kids only
-Unless you have a Christmas party, in which case it’s a good time to break out the Bingo and Bingo for first picks of 500yen presents (5$ about)
-Nearly everyone eats chicken on Christmas Eve, but not just any chicken, fried chicken and preferably from KFC. (The best explanation I got for this one is Mr. Sanders looks like Santa)
-Delivery Pizzas are also a good dinner option because the delivery guy dresses up as Santa
-There are no stockings
-Presents are placed at the head of the child’s bed
-There is typically only one present
-Parents and kids seem to be unaware of any coal, naughty and nice list, or anything else threatening like that
-They have special Christmas cakes.
-They had a music concert special on TV instead of the classic holiday movies and Yule log
-young people go on dates because it’s romantic
-It’s basically our New Years

Things they are really missing out on:
-Threatening children with Santa not coming
-eggnog
-receiving presents
-family
-movies
-holiday lights
-snow
-making reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter)
-paper snowflakes
-gingerbread everything
-a real dinner
-EVERYTHING

So, this is what I did for Christmas:
-Went bowling (yeah…I average around a 35)
-went to an okonomiyaki restaurant (okonomiyaki complete with cross made of mayo for my daily bread)
-came home to a party of kindergartners and their moms trying to organize…anything.
-at leftover party food and a Christmas cake
-made cookies (host parent’s present)
-stayed up till 3 making said cookies and helping Santa
-woke up at 12 the next day
-got a sweater and chocolate from Santa and sushi for lunch
-went to “go see” snow on top of one of the mountains but there was none
-went home and opened the presents from my (American) parents sent
-played chutes and ladders

That about covers it.

Overall I’m looking forward to New Years because it is the main event in Japan…and Christmas is not.

Also, I got my “going home” packet today. I really only have a month left…


(pictures are the creepy Santa at the "American Store" which sold cowboy boots and overpriced American Stuff--very entertaining, what was left of the Christmas Cake on Natchan, the Christmas party, amusing mirrors i found at the 100yen store, and the boxes i planned on shipping but thankfully found smaller ones)

Japanese Parties...

This is a special post for Japanese Parties.

Because they sure are something special.

So far the parties I have been to are the AFS day party, AFS X-mas party, and the international club Halloween and x-mas parties.

Today was the international club Christmas party. We all went to the old cooking room to make food including pumpkin pie, pizza, soup and sandwiches (all the Christmas traditionals). That part was fun. So was eating it. After that is when the Japanese organization tends to come in. There was a "band" of sorts consisting of a guitarist...sort of...a pianist...sort of...and a vocalist and tambourines...
Their performance was the first time playing together..
well THAT was fun.
Other than that we did NOTHING. Except some guy ate too much and threw up.
Students sat around wondering what to do next.
There was a present exchange and that wasn't bad.

The problem with Japanese parties is that there is way too much organization. There is also more time spent cleaning and preparing than actually enjoying the party. and there are official start and end times just like the parties I went to when I was about 6 or so.

they also play games like bingo. WHO PLAYS BINGO FOR FUN?!

So, just a warning to future people Japan visitors. Don't come for the parties.

I think I heard the foreigner parties are much more fun though.

tests and such

Well, this is one of the first weekends off I’ve had in a while. Actually, technically I should be studying for the tests this week…but they don’t really matter so I’m not too concerned. I sound like I’m lazy but there is a good reason for it. The last several weeks have been consumed by studying and writing essays. After my soccer practice with the old guys, I had to finish up my college essays which took me until Monday. It is NOT fun trying to write essays that will hopefully get you admitted into a good college when you’ve been immersed in another language for 3 months or so. NOT FUN.
Does the period go after the last word or at the beginning of the next sentence?
What’s another word for “said”?
I can’t think of a transition to save my life!
Why is part of my essay in hiragana???

Yeah.

Anyways, directly after my essays I realized I have a huge Japanese proficiency test this coming Sunday… maybe I should get studying for that.

I don’t think it was very fair of the LPs to ask us if we wanted to do the test when we were still new and not completely tired yet. They had convinced (aka pressured) me into doing N4 which is an intermediate level. My thinking was (back in August) hey, the test is in December! I’m fineeeeee.
Hah.
The first part of the test was reading and vocab. That was probably the hardest. You had to pick the right pronunciation of different Kanji which really played to my weak side. I can read the kanji fine, but the pronunciation is rarely there because I most of the time know the meaning and sometimes the pronunciation in Chinese. Yay.
The second part was grammar and that was a bit easier….but then again I still guessed most of them.
Listening was easy. But it also started to get too easy to where I got comfortable and forgot to listen to some of the questions…and they’re only read once.

So, all in all, the test was a giant pain and I’m glad it’s over.

Other than my lack of knowledge about the Japanese language, I also found out another thing. I don’t like the other foreigners here. (Most of them anyways) The other exchange students are fine, but the English teachers just drive me insane. My thinking was, “Hey! Other foreign people I can relate to!” They’re thinking is “Look, another student.” or “Another kid.” They all (mostly) think they are so wise and mature and old and I’m just some teenage girl from America. You would think that MAYBE just MAYBE the exchange students here are a LITTLE more mature than you’re average teenager seeing as we came here by ourselves, most of us away from home for the first time, to learn about a different culture and WHATNOT. So please stop treating us like children.
Example: Coming back from the test with one of the American teachers from my school and his friends who are also English teachers. One of the female English teachers, who took the SAME test as me, was talking about how she can’t pull off those long nights anymore and her dinner is based on whether she wants to do dishes or not. That somehow turned into how most Japanese homes don’t have dish washers. I said that my host family has one, but never uses it. I do the dishes by myself. She then took the opportunity to say something along the lines of “well, good that’s how it should be. You could use some good dish washing. I’ve washed enough dishes in my lifetime” sort of thing. A nice character building speech from some lady I don’t even know. Thank you for letting me finish and say my host mom also doesn’t use the dish washer anyways. Also, you’re how old?! My guess is still in your twenties seeing as the teacher at my school is 25. So no! You have not earned the right to say you’ve washed enough dishes! My grandma can say that! And also, you aren’t single handedly washes dishes for a family of 5, you just have your own to take care of which probably consists more of instant ramen cups than actual dishes.

“It was nice meeting you too!”

NOT.



Anyways.

One thing I noticed in Japan is the use of a symbol to mark shrines and such. It was brought to my attention by someone yelling “Oh my god! Did you see! They use the Nazi sign for shrines here!” as if it was some big scandal like they were hiding mini Nazis and the ashes of victims in the actual shrines.
That is ridiculous.
I knew it wasn’t the Nazi sign, but I didn’t know what the real meaning was so I checked the internet for some help. The sign used on the shrines is actually different than the Nazi sign; the arms point counterclockwise. The sign is a symbol of the sun and means purity, power and luck. Overall good things! It has been used since ancient times in a variety of different cultures. However, the Nazis took this symbol and transformed it into something horrible. The symbol itself means nothing bad at all. This doesn’t mean its ok for people to etch it on their desks and whatnot.
I’m glad I looked closer though.

Yesterday was the Christmas party for Shiga-ken’s AFS. It was pretty fun. I spent all yesterday morning making cookies that turned out pretty well! They were strawberry and blueberry sugar cookie type things. I just realized I forgot to take a picture…
One thing I have noticed about Japanese parties is that they are SO ORGANIZED. Or rather TOO organized. The Halloween party at school, the AFS parties, etc., are full of schedules and signs and lists and name tags and gah! All you really need to do is get an open space with music and people and you’re set! There is no need to organize a giant thing of bingo. I was trying to think of what American parties are like and they really are just food you can get at any time, as much as you want (no, two pieces of dessert at a time rule), talking, music, (and with my family at least) cards. But not really organized cards, more along the lines of whoever wants to play just sit down and play. Also, most American parties don’t have a set “end” time. People just come and go. In Japan, there is an actual start (like, “O.K. everyone. We’re going to start now) and an actual finish where everyone goes home at the same time.
Good thing I didn’t pick to go to Japan for the crazy parties.

Pictures are the soccer game I went to with Sam (Marie's host father) it was the only grass field in Japan I've seen so far, my drawing of Marie, and my advent calender from the Melers!! and a famous temple in Kyoto.

Soccer and Kyoto

So! This past Saturday, I got to play soccer!..but not normal soccer. My friend, and fellow exchange student, Marie has a host father who love to play soccer. He's about 50 or so. He plays every Saturday with a group of men in ages ranging from 21 to 60 I think. This past Saturday I got to join them and play goalie. It. was. GREAT! I hadn't played soccer in sooo long. It was funny because I could feel my confidence change going on the field and stepping off. Off the field I have to focus on my Japanese and not sounding like a total foreigner in another country, but on the field everything is so familiar so my confidence is up. Funny how that works. Anyways, Japan has some pretty lively old men! They could keep up with the 21 year old's for sure. And what is also amusing is that most of them smoke during the breaks!
Well, I know my knees don't approve but I think I'll be going back to play with them at least once more. Marie had said that her host dad said everyone was impressed with my performance :D

That very same day, I went to Kyoto with the AFS staff an exchange student from Canada and a former AFS student who is now teaching kindergartners English. It was a lot of fun. It was a perfect night and the trees were all changing color. Dinner was good too, I had a tiny thing of soba and a tiny thing of tempura over rice.
It wasn't very fun carrying my soccer stuff all over Kyoto though. I didn't have time to go back home after soccer that day.