Soccer

Really quick because I want to sleep!
Today Nishikawa sensei talked to the soccer coach about me joining and so far the only answer I've gotten was:
The content of the boy's practices may be a bit too dificult for you. It would be really had for a girl and its medium hard for them. You can join junior high though, maybe

not.
happy.

I can't even cover it up and be all "Well, in Japan the girls are expected to be cute and not athletic (as seen in gym) so its understandable that they would judge me just for being a girl and deem the practices too hard"

no.
Its not right. its not wrong. its just different.
and its also infuriating. they forgot to mention that part.

小学校エトセトラ

So! (yesterday) because I was too tired I didnt post anything but here's what happened.
The four exchange students at my school went to an elementary school as guests to...well...I dont really know why. To see what it was like? to visit french guy's sister? Either way, we went.
The very first thing we noticed was it was SUPER LOUD. Kids were running up and down the hallway, playing in the classrooms, etc. This was weird. Normally, one would think that the Japanese would keep and orderly, quiet, learning enviroment for the children. But it really was quiet the opposite! I don't remember my elementary school ever being this loud except for recess and lunch. We walked single file down the halls, quiet (as possible), and got drinks at the water fountain for 3 seconds (any more and people got all upset)
So we sat though 2 english lessons and had lunch together with the kids.
The english teacher was from England and he was...uh...interesting? He had (obviously) dyed blond hair. more banana yellow than blond actually... And he was, well, kind of crude? He would roll his eyes when the english tapes would go
"how are you?"
"I'm happy! how are you?"
Also, he had been living in Japan for 8 years...although I'm fairly sure I might know more Japanese than him. He talked to us as if he thought we could all go drinking or something, completly forgeting we're high school students, who have high school, and studying, and school...so he left to go smoke outside.

ANYWAYS

that was all of yesterday. I got home with a nice big headache.
Today was fairly normal. However at kyudo club it was announced that Marie (the exchange student from Belgium)'s wallet was stolen yesterday. So the whole time at club we sat around and collected information about who might have taken it or what could have happened and then gave it to the police man. I'm glad they all took it seriously, because...well its serious stuff! I have a feeling that back home people would say "I'm sorry to hear that" and thats the end of it. but we all sat around for a good hour. Half of that time was in a formal sitting position by the way. My knees are still hurting.

ONE THING I NOTICED ABOUT JAPAN THAT AMAZES ME!:
they BUY sandwiches. this may not sound like such a big deal but still.
Who buys sandwiches?! And not specialty sandwiches or subs. Plain. Sandwiches.
In America, if you're hungry you make a sandwich! You dont go buy one! Even the laziest American household has made a sandwhich at one point!
I'll have to take a picture to show everyone. Because I sound crazy right now BUT I'M NOT!

Pictures are Koten class (classical Japanese) (as if modern Japanese isn't hard enough), and 小学校 elementary school

Video time 2

Alright. I dont have much to say about today. It was a pretty normal day afterall. I'm questioning whether I should stick with Kyudo even though I'll be doing "Air Kyudo"...for 3 months. everyday...air kyudo...3 months... I'm only here for 6! So I think I might do soccer, even though its an all guys team. Or kendo...but I have a feeling that I would be doing air kendo for 3 months as well. Gah. The only club I'm really satisfied with is International Club. anyways, heres another video. Trip to the temple of long life.

Welcome Party

Today was the welcome party for the exchange students coming to Shiga-ken. This included a girl named Emilie from Canada and myself. We got to meet the two other year people-- Sari from Australia and Reed from America/Puerto Rico.
Overall today was much MUCH better than the past few days. There was good food, English speaking people and reminders that I'm not the first to go through this and no the last. I was also talking to Reed (the other American) about how we both seemed to forget about 9/11.

(everyone enjoyed my pear bread, but the refused to call it bread. its more like cake anyways...but you don't toast and butter cake!!!!!)

After that we went to a temple, and this wasn't the simple temple on the side of the road. This was the long car ride up a mountain and steep stairs temple. (pictures are provided for your enjoyment)

I think getting outside and seeing things puts me in a MUCH better mood than when I sit at home and listen to the screams of 3 and 1 year olds.

It's still really hot here and I'm really REALLY tired of it!
bring on fall!!! I would even welcome winter!

(Also, included is a picture of the guy who trecked all the way up the side of the mountain to enjoy the view...and then we showed up in the car and ruined it. It was picture worthy)

Nashi pan

sooo today it was back to being hot. yay. so happy. i didnt enjoy the cool weather at all...

I hope people know me well enough to realize that was sarcasm.

so of course, being so hot, today seemed like the perfect day to bake!!!!!

no not really, but i was baking today for the AFS welcome party tomorrow. I made pear bread..but its got a bit of Japanese in it because I used Japanese pears (nashi)
I think overall it turned out good too. I just wish the weather would go well with a slice of toasted buttered pear bread...but for now its working against me.

That was basiclly all I did today. Also went to the supergiant store (groceries, clothes, EVERYTHING) but its SO loud and SO crowded and walking around with Mikihiro who can be SO three-year-old-like can be...very tiring. I would compare it to walking around chuck e cheese's for an hour. Not exactly relaxing.

Anywho, thats all I have to report today. I finished Harry Potter 1 today too. (yes, I'm reading Harry Potter because 1) Its avalible 2) Its in english 3) its long 4) its not the other english book I saw that looked just plain boring.)

Pictures are dinner (spagetti I think with tuna and cucumber, gyoza (favorite), and something related to tofu), Mikihiro ejoying my hair tie, Pear bread, and the oven that baked it (It's a microwave and oven COMBO! and it heats up SUPER SUPER quick...probably because its so small)

Today--

wasn't too much fun. and I really don't know why. Today I felt just plain tired and maybe a little cranky. And overall uneasy. It's hard to explain. My classmates thought I was homesick but I think its a little deeper than that. The overall feeling of knowing you don't fit in, never know what's going on and are an outsider is not a good one. It separates you from what seems like the entire world. It's overwhelming.
I'm beginning to see why people say exchange students come back more mature. one reason I think is because when you come back (I can imagine) you're comfortable and confident. You know exactly what to do in each situation you come across. When you're in another place like Japan its constantly "how the heck do I eat this?" or "What am I supposed to say?" or "which side of the staircase do I walk on?"
You lose your identity as well. At home I'm the weird, funny, rather be outside, studying, non girly one. Here I have NO IDEA. It's a cross between I want to be "myself" and I don't know if people will like "myself" and I don't want to be alone for 6 months. It's a state of constant confusion and overall being unsure. Like right now, I'm unsure if I should be on the computer right now. Most of me knows its OK, but part of me thinks is it REALLY OK or is my host mom just being nice.
So that was today, all day, and in fact the last several weeks, and probably the next several months.
I guess I'll get used to it.

typhoon

today was typhoon day. I had little to no idea what a typhoon was untill today. But it rained the majority of the day today-- which would be no problem except I go to school via bike...and i have a rain jacket that goes down to my waist...not the egde of my skirt...and umbrellas dont really work with wind...or bikes...

So i got to school soaking today. All the people that took the bus or were dropped off by their parents laughed. I joined the few people that took a bike and dryed off via washcloth.

oh, and I forget my obento (lunch box). (okaasan brought it to school for me though (THANKS!))

That was the most eventfull thing today.
I also learned some kansai-ben! Kansai-ben is kind of like a southern accent...except they use completly different words while US south uses the same words...differently I guess

Ex:
omoshiroi (interesting -> omoroi
wakaranai (i dont know) -> wakarahen
arigatou (thank you) -> ookini

The best english example i can think of would be like hello-> howdy

Alright, that's all for today
included are pictures of kyudo club. I'm still working on "air kyudo" and "elastic band kyudo" (like the workout bands) maybe MAYBE I'll try really kyudo in the next six months...if I'm lucky. And the clouds covering the mountains/hills/lumps of dirt by my school