A chapter ends

Today was my last day with my host family. Tomorrow I am going to Tokyo to stay with a friend until the beginning of January. Hopefully I will still be able to keep blogging while I'm there.

In the morning we all went over to the host grandparents' house, where my host grandma and her cousin (?) dressed me up in a furisode, a type of kimono with very long sleeves. I think this is a ritual they've done with all four of their past exchange students. They said the last one was so fat they could barely wrap the kimono around her. In my case, I have such a little waist that the obi was giving them trouble and they were considering padding my middle with towels. Anyway they did a very thorough and professional job. Afterwards we went outside to take pictures together. The day before the grandfather had actually gone through the trouble of pruning one of the trees in the yard to give it a nice Japanese shape to make a good background for the photos. I won't post pictures of my host family online, but here's one where you can see Whiney in mid-air in the background. Also, you can see the pruned pine behind me and to the left.

After pictures, I changed back into my normal, boring clothes and we all went out to lunch at a nice restaurant, sitting on a traditional tatami mat floor. A huge tray loaded with fancy-looking food was brought for each of us. I'm sure all the food was delicious, but I didn't enjoy it much. When dealing with unknown objects that must be eaten, my strategy is to eat the least-appetizing first. So I promptly attacked the shrimp, which were fully intact, little black eyes and all. I also ate mushrooms, lotus root, ginger, and some sort of raw white slimy something, among other somethings.

Knowing that lunch was a bit of a challenge for me, afterwards my host mom graciously took me to the dessert store, also known to me as "The Happiest Place on Earth." We chose our Christmas cakes for the evening.

Even though it was two days early, we ate our Christmas cakes after dinner, which is pretty much all the Japanese do for Christmas. Even though they don't give presents on Christmas in Japan, I had gifts for my host family. To Origami Boy I gave a set for making a huge paper dinosaur, which to my gratification he immediately began working on. To Whiney I gave a book about airplanes. To my host mom I gave Jelly Bellies, which she had once told me she ate in America twenty years ago and especially liked the watermelon flavored ones. (She also said that the licorice-flavored jelly beans taste "like air-fresheners." I've never liked that one either.) To my host dad I gave Asahi Super Dry, wrapped in wrapping paper and placed lovingly in the fridge. My host family didn't give me anything, but I didn't mind, since of course they've taken care of me all semester, and I don't have any more room in my suitcase anyway.

I'm kind of surprised to realize that I'm going to miss my host family. Even though they really drove me crazy sometimes, I have grown to care about them and I want them to be happy. After hearing stories from other exchange students, I don't think I fully realize how lucky I was to have such an understanding and flexible host family. (A classmate was recently woken up at midnight by his host family and told, 'We hate you! Go back to America!')

Tomorrow, I ride by the famous shinkansen to Tokyo! If the weather is good, I should be able to see Mt. Fuji from the window!

It's not so bad here, I guess

I am drinking a congratulary chai latte because I just finished my last final. Go me!

The other night my host mom told me that her grandparents are still alive and kicking, depite being in their mid-90's and having a fondness for sake and smoking.
"Wow, that's amazing. They must be pretty tough," I said.
My host mom went on to tell me that, in fact, her grandfather had survived a Siberian labor camp.

Say what?

I did a little research, and it turns out that after WWII, Russia took all the Japanese soldiers still in its country and forced them to work in labor camps. Now you know.
"My grandfather says that it was terribly cold, and that the food was pitiful and they worked all day. Nobody expected him to survive and come back to Japan."
"Wow. How long was he in Siberia?" I asked. My host mom thought for a minute, then said,
"I don't remember. He used to tell me about it when I was young, but since he would always start crying I would beg him to stop."

I was going to complain about how cold it is in my room at night but I think I won't now.

You can never have too many of these

Every time my host grandmother goes on a trip she brings back little souvenirs for everyone. This evening she came by with a bag full of souvenir goodness, wherein I received this little marvel: a cellphone charm daruma.
But wait, there's more. When tilted forwards the daruma's eyes pop out. I think my host grandmother was saying something about this meaning your wish has been granted. Okay, but it still looks downright freaky. Furthermore, when you hold the daruma up to the light and look through the middle, you can see the image of a Buddha with the words "Good Fortune" and "Safety in Traffic."
Plus it comes with a tiny jingle bell.
Probably the most random, crazy gift I've ever been given.

A first

I have been riding the train for two hours every weekday ever since I got to Japan 4 months ago. And today for the first time a random person on the train started talking to me. A businessman wearing a sick mask (people do that here when they have a cold) sat down next to me and noticed that I was practicing kanji.
"Wow, you're studying very hard, aren't you?" he said.
I was very surprised, and delighted too that someone was being friendly.
"It's because I have a test today," I said.
"Well, do your best! How long have you been studying?"
"Three years."
"Wow, that's amazing. Where are you from?"
So we had a short little conversation before he opened up his newspaper and left me to my studying. When he left the train he gave me a thumbs up sign. It pretty much made my day. While people-watching on the train I've often wished that I could chat with them, since I'm interested in everyone here. But it seems like the Japanese just don't start up conversations with strangers much- particularly with gaijin. Sometimes I've seen people sneak glances at my homework as I study on the train, but when I look at them they always shift their eyes quickly. One time a high school boy sitting next to me was working on English homework, and I really wanted to volunteer to help him out, but was afraid that I might come off too weird since no one else does it.
In fact, the train is often extremely quiet. And for some reason, the degree of quietness is directly proportional to the degree of crowdedness on the train. So we'll just be chugging along, squished together like sardines, in complete silence. It's like how no one talks in a crowded elevator.
Time to take that kanji final!

Engrish Strikes Back

Images of Christmas from Japan

No, I don't know what this is.

In Japanese they call snowmen "snow daruma."

The Japanese love elaborate Christmas light setups. Well, who doesn't, I guess?


Back when I was in Nagoya, my church had a Christmas concert. As Robert would say, it was "pretty much amazing."




Merry Christmas everyone!

Precious bodily fluids

I have a cold for the third time in four months.

This is crazy. I never get sick this often.