Hi all.
Life hasn't been terribly eventful, but there has been heaps of rain which have made the days extremely muggy. For some reason they think that rain must mean it's cold, so the trains have their heaters on full bore, plus being crammed up next to each other, train experiences are horrible.
Right now we have exams, they are all only 50 mins each and luckily I only have 4! This morning I had my world history exam, then got the rest of the day off. I created a bank account with Hiroshima Bank, using my dictionary and sign language so I could understand the clerk. I now just have to figure out how to transfer money over. Tomorrow I have a special Japanese test that I will take alone and then the English exam. Afterwards, Nao, Riko and I plan to go to the biggest mall in Hiroshima (called Soreiyu) and go window shopping. Supika is working at the cinema there for her school's work experience (how cool is that!!) so we're going to go see her too. My friends couldn't believe my sister's name was Supika (it's not a normal Japanese name)!!
No exams on Mon so no school!! And just an English writing exam on Tues.
I am finally getting used to the food =D I enjoy ramen dishes, some fish, and of course octopus. Although whale wasn't too fantastic. The other night we went out for dinner and when we came home my father said 'you tried some new food today!' and I'm like, oh no, what?
Tongue. I ate cow's tongue. I did notice that it was different from the other meat, just thought that I wouldn't ask cause I didn't want to seem rude. It was hard and OK, but not great.
I have finally confirmed with Mum about getting a cell phone. She's against them, so it was hard to talk with her, but I had to get it over and done with. She said if my parents in NZ were OK with it, as well as Otousan (Dad), then I can buy one. Now I just have to talk with AFS. I might get Otousan to call up my LP tonight and ask her...
Cleaning. Something I keep forgetting to mention. There's a roster at school which everyone follows, deciding on who cleans what. Last month, every day after school, I and 3 others cleaned the upstairs toilet. Sometimes we swept, other times we scrubbed the floor with water and soap. Nobody complains, everyone does their job, and there are no caretakers...? This month I don't have cleaning (yay!) so get to to catch the 3.37 bus instead of the 4.07.
YanagiSensei asked if we cleaned in NZ as well and I just laughed. Everyone's so.. compliant. There's no talking in class, there's no backchatting to the teacher, no swearing, no messing about basically. I long for the day when someone will do something bad. Which doesn't include not putting your rubbish in the bin either!! Quite frankly, if any of them were christian, they'd be first in line to heaven!! The Japanese don't know how to be bad, yet everything is dangerous. I have to lock the door when I get home from school. I can't walk alone at night, or even go out with my friends at night! Boys aren't to be trusted, and 'bad girls' (short skirts, died hair) should be avoided at all costs. Despite all this, I haven't seen a single person do anything bad, except maybe being too polite!! I don't hate it as such.. it's just weird..
The things that I love are: the wooden floors on the bus from my house to town, the people who bow to you as you go to catch the train, the tiny okonomiyaki shops, the English section at the library =P
Things I hate: people not sitting on the bus!! I was wondering if I was going to be able to get on the bus yesterday, and there were 5 more people behind me!! There are perfectly good seats which would unclog the aisle but no one freaking sits down!! Even when they are forced to stand part way across a free seat, they will NOT sit down!! It freaking pisses me off!! Especially the arrogant fools who have seats and put their bags on to the seat next to them! They're always surprised when I say excuse me. Just cause no one else wants to sit, doesn't mean I don't want to too!!
OK, one more is PE. I feel like a soldier. We march. MARCH!!! What? We turn left, right, about face, march, run in unison calling out '1!2!1!2!1!2!' I spent the whole hour on Tuesday practising how to march, bow and run 'properly'. I don't like it. Otousan said public schools often like to make the students march. He had a good word for it, students nowadays are robots. They live and breath orders, homework, and punctuality!! I will return a well-bred poodle.
Snake. There was a snake in the tree outside my house the other week!! I took some photos, I haven't put them up yet, all in good time. I have 'Supika and snake', 'Snake and I'; I asked if Okaasan also wanted a photo and she said she was fine hahahaha.
Anyway, I've ranted quite enough, rash is basically gone, those pills worked! I have my AFS camp in Onomichi next weekend which I'm really looking forward to, and have discovered a programme similar to limewire so I have more music. I am fairly content =)
Also, if you leave comments, I might not check them for a while cause I don't get a notification that I've received one, I only find out once I return to this site which is not often.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
GOLDEN WEEK!!!
OK, I have been busy every day of golden week (I'm so popular!! haha). Wednesday last week, instead of homeroom in last period we went to the auditorium and got told the itinerary for the Tokyo trip and I sooooo can't wait to go!! The reason why it's costing so much is because we're taking the bullet train, staying in flash as hotels, going to Disneyland and seeing the Lion King live!!! It's from the 29th September to the 2nd of October.
Thursday was a holiday, Supika had an English exam (4 hours!! on a holiday!! no mercy..) so Mum, Dad and I went out to lunch. I ordered a pizza, which I thought was the safest option.. It was a shrinp pizza, but it tasted OK.
Then Friday I had my class trip!! It was different to what I expected. Usually class trips inolve the teachers making sure everyone stays together and having a tour guide talking about all the different types of fish etc. but we got to go through alone, and basically spent the day doing what we wanted to do.
We didn't have to wear uniform so I wore mufti, but most people turned up in their PE gear (why? I have no clue). We went to the aquarium, around 2 hours away from my high school. We probably spent an hour in the aquarium, but I didn't get any photos of the white dolphins because we weren't allowed to use cameras in front of them =(
There were 2 other high schools there and a primary school so it was PACKED!! My whole year level was there, so around 250 people from my school alone.
We went to the beach but it was too windy, then went to the coolest playground in the world which I didn't take a god damn picture of!! I'm so annoyed at myself!! We ate our bentous then my class (7) played cops and robbers on the playground. The playground was this massive as wooden structure with a tower and a big as slide, with net climby thingies etc. Afterwards I bought an iceceam cause it was soo hot then we went back to school, then home. I don't think it was a very educational expedition =P
On the bus back, I couldn't stop laughing!! Everyone brings heaps of snacks with them, like, thousands!! I swear Mioko had around 10 different bags of lollies in her bag!! And everyone sends it round the bus, so I tried around 30+ different lollies/snacks which were handed around. A lot of 'from ~' and 'ah, arigatou's. I made a small contribution which everyone laughed at, I only had a couple of crackers lol. Next time I'm soo bringing junk food!!
Saturday I went to Miyajima Island with Humi and Yuka (pictures on facebook). It was a really good and hot day. We ate at a bakery for lunch, then rode the ferry over. I took heaps of pictures (on facebook) which are self explanatory. On the way back, I tried some maple leaf cake thingies which are popular in Japan, and we went and did purikura (photos). I'll have to get Yuka to send me them from her phone. We looked at manga then went home.
Sunday I went out for a drive with the family. We drove for 3 hours to a mountain which we climbed. Afterwards we stopped off at an onsen (public bath). At first, I was really nervous. I'd only been in onsen with other AFS students before, but this time it was with my family and the public!! Everyone was just relaxing though so I soon got used to it. There was a hot inside and outside bath, a cold bath and a sauna. All of us girls spent around 1 hour in there so the boys had to wait a long time haha.
Afterwards Mum bought us milk icecream (the flavour was milk) and we drove for 2 hours to a restaurant. I had a hamburger (which was just a big rissole with an egg on top) for dinner and cheesecake for dessert. We returned home around 8pm.
Monday I went out with my friends from my class, Mioko, Piko and Miki. We took the tram to the peace park and watched the parade (a lot of baton twirling schools and brass bands!!). We ate overpriced food, then went window shopping. I found a foreign import shop called Jupiter which had cadbury chocolate from NZ!! But for $3 for a small bar? Haha no.
Tuesday I was meant to meet up with Nastia from Russia but she never turned up. I was talking with Meimei from Malaysia, who wanted to meet up, but her LP told her no. That we should try make some Japanese friends instead?? Weird, much??
Also, ALL the other NZers have cellphones!! Their chapters asked them to buy prepaid cellphones!! Why the hell is my chapter so stingy??
I was waiting at the bus centre and a Japanese lady talked to me for 40mins all in Japanese!! She said I was good, Yay!! I went to Hiroshima Castle but did not go inside.
The money that I said I would not spend.. has been spent hehehe. It's surprising how much going out every day can cost!!
Today. Woke up early and watched Alice In Wonderland at the cinemas. Movies come out very late in Japan, Sex and the City 2 is still in cinemas!! I expected them to dub the voices, but instead it was in english with Jap subs. Afterwards we went out to lunch (we eat out a lot!!). I ate ramen and fried rice, then came home.
Allright, I've been keeping a food diary, am going to the doctors on Saturday ad will open a bank account this weekend. A list of all the new foods I've eaten so far:
Jellyfish (can't really remember, didn't get told til a week later that i ate it)
Cow's Stomach (crunchy)
Chicken's Stomach (tough)
Cow's tail (delicious)
Pig's Ear (disgusting)
Crayfish (delicious)
Eel (delicious)
Cow's Heart (delicious)
Octopus (delicious)
Squid (some types are good, others.. not so good)
Fish eggs (all i can think is baby fish!! uwaahh!!)
Sashimi - Raw Fish (sometimes been a struggle to keep down)
Sea Urchin (looks like tiny orange tongues, taste is OK)
I haven't eaten whale yet, but Dad said he'd buy me some. Not many people eat whale, even though it's not that expensive. Dad said when he was a child he always ate whale, but the newer generation don't like it so hardly any people buy it anymore. Dad has learnt not to tell me what a food is until I've finished eating it. I ate chicken's stomach last night and he didn't tell me until afterwards. It makes me fell a tad better, I must admit..
Enjoy the essay Lily!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Thursday was a holiday, Supika had an English exam (4 hours!! on a holiday!! no mercy..) so Mum, Dad and I went out to lunch. I ordered a pizza, which I thought was the safest option.. It was a shrinp pizza, but it tasted OK.
Then Friday I had my class trip!! It was different to what I expected. Usually class trips inolve the teachers making sure everyone stays together and having a tour guide talking about all the different types of fish etc. but we got to go through alone, and basically spent the day doing what we wanted to do.
We didn't have to wear uniform so I wore mufti, but most people turned up in their PE gear (why? I have no clue). We went to the aquarium, around 2 hours away from my high school. We probably spent an hour in the aquarium, but I didn't get any photos of the white dolphins because we weren't allowed to use cameras in front of them =(
There were 2 other high schools there and a primary school so it was PACKED!! My whole year level was there, so around 250 people from my school alone.
We went to the beach but it was too windy, then went to the coolest playground in the world which I didn't take a god damn picture of!! I'm so annoyed at myself!! We ate our bentous then my class (7) played cops and robbers on the playground. The playground was this massive as wooden structure with a tower and a big as slide, with net climby thingies etc. Afterwards I bought an iceceam cause it was soo hot then we went back to school, then home. I don't think it was a very educational expedition =P
On the bus back, I couldn't stop laughing!! Everyone brings heaps of snacks with them, like, thousands!! I swear Mioko had around 10 different bags of lollies in her bag!! And everyone sends it round the bus, so I tried around 30+ different lollies/snacks which were handed around. A lot of 'from ~' and 'ah, arigatou's. I made a small contribution which everyone laughed at, I only had a couple of crackers lol. Next time I'm soo bringing junk food!!
Saturday I went to Miyajima Island with Humi and Yuka (pictures on facebook). It was a really good and hot day. We ate at a bakery for lunch, then rode the ferry over. I took heaps of pictures (on facebook) which are self explanatory. On the way back, I tried some maple leaf cake thingies which are popular in Japan, and we went and did purikura (photos). I'll have to get Yuka to send me them from her phone. We looked at manga then went home.
Sunday I went out for a drive with the family. We drove for 3 hours to a mountain which we climbed. Afterwards we stopped off at an onsen (public bath). At first, I was really nervous. I'd only been in onsen with other AFS students before, but this time it was with my family and the public!! Everyone was just relaxing though so I soon got used to it. There was a hot inside and outside bath, a cold bath and a sauna. All of us girls spent around 1 hour in there so the boys had to wait a long time haha.
Afterwards Mum bought us milk icecream (the flavour was milk) and we drove for 2 hours to a restaurant. I had a hamburger (which was just a big rissole with an egg on top) for dinner and cheesecake for dessert. We returned home around 8pm.
Monday I went out with my friends from my class, Mioko, Piko and Miki. We took the tram to the peace park and watched the parade (a lot of baton twirling schools and brass bands!!). We ate overpriced food, then went window shopping. I found a foreign import shop called Jupiter which had cadbury chocolate from NZ!! But for $3 for a small bar? Haha no.
Tuesday I was meant to meet up with Nastia from Russia but she never turned up. I was talking with Meimei from Malaysia, who wanted to meet up, but her LP told her no. That we should try make some Japanese friends instead?? Weird, much??
Also, ALL the other NZers have cellphones!! Their chapters asked them to buy prepaid cellphones!! Why the hell is my chapter so stingy??
I was waiting at the bus centre and a Japanese lady talked to me for 40mins all in Japanese!! She said I was good, Yay!! I went to Hiroshima Castle but did not go inside.
The money that I said I would not spend.. has been spent hehehe. It's surprising how much going out every day can cost!!
Today. Woke up early and watched Alice In Wonderland at the cinemas. Movies come out very late in Japan, Sex and the City 2 is still in cinemas!! I expected them to dub the voices, but instead it was in english with Jap subs. Afterwards we went out to lunch (we eat out a lot!!). I ate ramen and fried rice, then came home.
Allright, I've been keeping a food diary, am going to the doctors on Saturday ad will open a bank account this weekend. A list of all the new foods I've eaten so far:
Jellyfish (can't really remember, didn't get told til a week later that i ate it)
Cow's Stomach (crunchy)
Chicken's Stomach (tough)
Cow's tail (delicious)
Pig's Ear (disgusting)
Crayfish (delicious)
Eel (delicious)
Cow's Heart (delicious)
Octopus (delicious)
Squid (some types are good, others.. not so good)
Fish eggs (all i can think is baby fish!! uwaahh!!)
Sashimi - Raw Fish (sometimes been a struggle to keep down)
Sea Urchin (looks like tiny orange tongues, taste is OK)
I haven't eaten whale yet, but Dad said he'd buy me some. Not many people eat whale, even though it's not that expensive. Dad said when he was a child he always ate whale, but the newer generation don't like it so hardly any people buy it anymore. Dad has learnt not to tell me what a food is until I've finished eating it. I ate chicken's stomach last night and he didn't tell me until afterwards. It makes me fell a tad better, I must admit..
Enjoy the essay Lily!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
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