We just landed in Dallas and are waiting at the gate to board the dreaded 14 hour flight. My game plan is to get some homework done and make up for lost sleep. Hopefully, I’ll end up in the window seat because, obviously, its the best kind of seat (and you can fight me on that). For the previous flight, I sat in the aisle which wasn’t my favorite because my sleeping angle was way crooked so my neck was not pleased, but at least I got some extra leg room, right? So far I’ve been super anxious about leaving, yet really excited to be in a whole new place.
I feel like a changed man after that 14 hour flight. I mean seriously. Sitting in this one seat and occasionally getting up to go to the bathroom was tough. I was able to get some work done and get a lot of sleep in, which definitely helped get me to the youth hostel. Getting through customs was real stressful. They made us scan our fingerprints, which was kinda cool. Getting out of the airport was a bit of a mess. We got dinner at 7-11 and I tried Onigiri, a rice ball with a bunch of different flavors in the middle. I got the beef one. We got a little lost in the train stations on our way to the youth hostel. The train stations are so busy, and the train doors open and close really quickly, so I was just a ball of stress. Aidan even got caught in the door while it was closing. Once we got to the youth hostel, I got to really relax. The rooms were nice with a great view and the beds were super comfy. The showers were a completely different experience. We had to walk into this hall with a bunch of cubbies to put our clothes in. Then we would walk into the shower room, which had a bunch of different shower stalls and a big hot bath in the corner. I only showered, which was crazy since it was almost an entirely different system. After that I got into my PJs and slept like a baby.
Today, we started out our day eating an amazing breakfast. I think that was the most food I've ever eaten for breakfast and it was awesome. I then had the realization that for our planned half days we had guide everyone and know where to go. So I was in a perpetual state of stress on the train ride to the Teen Lab Borderless Art Exhibition. Which was such an interesting museum and I really enjoyed it. All of the art and exhibits were so different and had so much to them, I was blown away. After that we had to figure out how to get to lunch, so, doing the best I could to contribute in anyway, I whip out my phone and pull up google maps. It was a straight shot and I felt so proud of myself, even though google did most of the hard lifting. Anyway, we went to this pancake shop called Shonan Pancake House. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to eggs so I wasn't able to have much. It was all ok though, we figured it out and I was able to have some fries, little sausages, and veggies. Now, we headed over to the train to go to the Toshougu Shrine. This is about the time when the day started to get colder, so after getting out my jacket and gloves, I was able to take a wander around the garden. All the flowers and architecture of the shrine was beautiful. It blew me away how the shrine was so seamlessly integrated with the rest of the city. It's crazy. You can just wander around the city and come across this perfectly serene and spiritual place, and everyone respects that! Then we took a trip to Ameyoko. A long street with many different shops ranging from fruit stands to clothing stores to shops of the adult kind. It was a lot of fun to run around and get to and see what everyone had to offer. After finding a great picture spot with Evan, Riley, and Sam. We went to find some dinner. I found a place that sold a bucket of chicken nuggets and bought it without hesitation. Juvenile, I know. I just wanted to see if they still held up in Japan, and let me tell you, they certainly did. By this point everyone was starting to run low on steam. So the trip to the Sky Trip was a little bit of a mission. Still amazing though, don't get me wrong. Getting to see the whole city lit up like a Christmas tree was super special. But you could certainly see how tired we were getting. That night I slept like a brick, looking forward to the rest of the trip.
It was a dark and stormy morning for us Japan trippers, so getting up was a little difficult. Though, once I got some breakfast in my belly, I was good to go. We started out with Meiji Shrine, which was a lot crazier than the last. It started with a massive Torii Gate, then we walked through this long path surrounded by nature to get to the main shrine. I think the rain added a really cool atmosphere, but I wore my gym shoes (like a buffoon) and had to walk all day with two wet feet. Despite this I had an amazing time at the shrine and shopping at Takeshita street, right across the way. There, I bought a neat little sweater and a jacket. I went with Aidan, Evan, and Sam to roam about and check out all the shops, so that was a blast. We met back up and went to this conveyor belt sushi place and it was wild. There was a tablet where we selected whatever we wanted and in just a few minutes it came zooming along right to your table. After lunch we had a change of plans and went to this show called Robot Restaurant. There was singing, and dancing, and crazy lights, but only two robots. It was a lot to take in to say the least. After, we saw these pictures of all the celebrities that went to see it. A lot of them surprised me. Tom Holland, Katy Perry, James McAvoy, and John Oates, just to name a few. We then went to Shibuya and separated to eat dinner at this department store, which was a bit of a disaster for me. Allergies aren't fun. Fortunately we were able to figure it out, but there was a bit of a struggle to get there. Finally we took the train back to the hostel, I took my shower (which was a little over whelming since there were many other very naked people), and went to sleep.
Today we took our first Shinkansen ride! We got up and were out by 9 to head to the station. It wasn't so busy so we were able to make it there with time to spare. For lunch we got some Bento, a boxed lunch of many different kinds. I got one with rice and beef that warmed up on it's own when you pulled a tiny sting. Pretty dope. The shinkansen ride was about 3 hours, so this thing was moving FAST. But it was all super smooth, if you weren't looking outside you could not tell if you were moving. I got some work done. Kinda. I planned on doing way more... but that didn't happen. When we got there, we had to take a short bus ride to the Oirase hostel. The whole place had this apple theme, and it was great! We had and amazing buffet dinner and took a night bus tour to see this frozen water falls that were being lit by all these colorful lights. My favorite part was getting the yukata, a robe to wear around for just about everything. The beds were all soft and warm, which helped me KO as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Today was a huge blast! Most of the day was used up by the three different snow shoeing groups, so I got a bunch of free time in the morning. I used it to get some work done and chillax in the super cool massage chair in our room. After another amazing buffet, we took a little bus ride over to a skiing hill and did absolutely no skiing. Instead, the time was a dedicated to a massive snowball fight. It all started at the base when it was only a few people messing around, until more people joined in and it became a bit of a mess. This match was cut off short though, since we had to calm down, get our tickets, and take the lift up. When everyone was settled, we agreed to make teams for the snowball fight so that it could be a little more orderly. It did not work. We split up so that it was the Juniors against the Seniors. We Juniors were pretty confident in our abilities and it showed. Once we started, everyone rushed to get some snow. Keep in mind that this was a skiing area, so we didn't exactly stay on top of the snow. This resulted in some fights only consisting of two stuck people, with snow up to their waist, rapidly scrambling for anything to throw at the other people. By the end, everyone was completely covered in snow, my pants were an entirely different color because of how much snow was on them! Luckily, it wasn't super cold. There was a ton of snow but the temperature was quite high compared to snowy days in Evanston. Right after, my group left to go snow shoeing around the area. The shoes were really cool to walk in, and worked really well. There was a hill we had to climb at the very end, so I ended up having to run and grab onto this tree. I felt really cool. But Van Krey took like three strides and he was already up there, it was really impressive. We ended the day with another great dinner, and good soak in the Onsen. It was a little uncomfortable at first since there is nothing like it in America, but once you understand how normal it is for everyone else then you feel a lot better.
Getting up today was pretty exciting. I was hyped to get to our next hotel and see everything it had to offer, but first we took a day trip to this ski resort that was way high up in the mountains. We took a bus ride there, which everyone was slumped for, and rode this gondola all the way up to the top. Once we stepped outside it was like a crazy blizzard! The wind chill made it a billion degrees colder and the amount of snowfall that day made it really hard to see. It was super cool though. After getting down from the ski hill, we took another bus to this little area with a soba noodle shop and an onsen, so after a great noodle-y lunch a bunch of us took a quick bath. Very relaxing after feeling like an ice cube for an extended amount of time. The bus ride back was a lot more interesting than the one there. Me and Aidan had our own dance party the whole way. We returned to the Oirase hostel to get our stuff, and hopped on a shuttle bus to take us to the Aomoriya hostel, for our last nights as a group before the home stays. But there's still sometime before that. We pulled into the front lot and immediately saw a horse. He had a hat on too. It was probably the cutest damn thing I've seen in a while. And is also a really good first impression to this new place. We got situated into our rooms and got ready for dinner. Which was supposed to be some kind of show. Me, Milo, Aidan, Stephon, and Dresden got into our new and improved purple yukatas. Once we arrived, there was a bit of a situation with seating, since there were special foods made for people with allergies, so we all had this stressful seating conundrum, but it was all ok. We started with this platter with veggies, beef, fish, and sauces. At first, I thought that was our meal, but then they brought out these stacks of bowls for each person. In front of me there were 5 different courses of new foods to try, with more on the way. I really tried my best to eat it all but by the time I got to the rice (bowl 5) I was burnt out. It all tasted amazing though. Plus the show was really cool. It opened with one guy coming out and playing this long guitar looking thing and was going off. Then there were five other people, three on these little hand cymbals, two with flutes, and one guy with a big drum. They made their way to the stage and started dancing around while playing their instruments. It was really impressive. The last part of the show had a bunch of audience participation where they passed around these hats and let a bunch of people dance in a circle. So much fun!
Today is the day. AKA, the first day of home stays! Can't say I'm not nervous, because I definitely am. There's just so much I'm anxious about. The previous week, I was able to talk to my friends whenever I wanted, and look to them for support. But being in another families' home seems like a lot to handle. I'm also not very confident in my Japanese abilities. Specifically, I worry too much about being correct and I'm too afraid of what I don't know, these two things scare me and prevent me from even trying to speak. That's exactly what I hope to overcome this coming week. Luckily, I was paired with the Mitera family. I hosted their son Riku last March and he was just the best. I'm so excited to see him again and relieved that I already know the person I'm staying with. But still! All throughout the Shinkansen, I could barley sit still! Van Krey gave us a little pep talk and the next thing I knew I was walking out of the station with Riku, his mom, and his grandmother. We went to go buy some food at the market (since they didn't have much without eggs or nuts) and that was a lot of fun. For dinner, we ate at this busy conveyor belt sushi restaurant and it was delicious. We got to talk about some similarities and differences between Niigata and Evanston, my interests, and my hobbies. Once we returned home, they showed me all around the house and let me take a bath before heading to bed. Right now, I'm writing this entry in my guest room and i have never vibed with a room more. It's surprisingly big with a makeshift futon, table, carpeted area, and many decorations scattered within. I'm feeling way better about myself and the rest of the week and I'm so happy to be lucky enough to experience this kind of opportunity.
Today, all of us trippers got to spend the day at KJ. After a comfy sleep in the futon, and a nice breakfast with Riku and his grandmother, I was antsy to finally see what this school was going to be like after three years of hearing about it. We all met together and headed to the opening ceremony. We got to walk across the gymnasium and stage. They played the national anthem?? Which I thought was super hilarious. And then we got to hear 4 different speeches from KJ's principal, one of their students (Who had NO accent and it blew me out of the water, so shout out to her), Aurora, and Van Krey. I felt super honored and very welcome in this new school, so props to them. We then got to watch some presentations for a handful of students about Japanese culture, we even got to play a little game with them. After it, I met back up with Riku and together we went through his first couple classes. Fortunately, I ended up in a class with a bunch of other trippers so I didn't feel too isolated. After lunch we trippers got to help KJ students with their English presentations. Then, we had to practice and run through all of our presentations in Japanese. It was a bit of a mess, but I think that's part of the struggle. As the students went to their after school clubs, we attended their tea ceremony, where we got to eat a little treat and drink some bitter tea, to simulate how it's really done in Japanese culture. At home, I got to meet Riku's uncle and talk a lot with his family at dinner. They also have two little dogs, that are too cute for words. As I'm writing this, Riku's mom brought me some tea to drink before going to bed.
Boy howdy, today was quite the day. I started the day waking up to a very cold room, took a very warm shower, and ate another good breakfast. We headed off to school and begun with regular classes. Though, Riku did tell me that some girl said I was handsome as a "prince riding a white horse," and while she is very wrong about how I look, I did enjoy the compliment. 3rd period came around and we got to go to gym with the other students. Me, Riley, Nicky, Drew, and Jack played basketball with a mob of other students. Surprisingly, I wasn't the worst out there and actually had a lot of fun with everyone. The students had a lot of control over the ball which let them move like a slippery fish, but no one knew how to shoot. No judgment here, just something I observed. After gym, we went to math class. The teacher was so cool. For the last 15 minutes of class he started doing magic with a deck of cards. Some of the tricks were super crazy, and he even showed us how to do a couple. We went to lunch and then us trippers had to give presentations about American culture like art, social media, and holidays. My group (with Aidan, Milo, Sam, and Dresden) was the family Feud group. Essentially, we gave ETHS students a survey answering questions like, what do you put on your pizza, how do you get to school, how many hours do you sleep, etc. For the presentation, we split the students into two teams and asked them what they thought some of the answers were. We got some really wacky answers, but it went a lot better than I thought it would be. I'm also super glad we got them done at the beginning of the week so we wouldn't have to worry about them the whole time. After that, we got to make egg sandwiches. It probably would've been a lot more fun if I wasn't allergic to the main ingredient. Finally, me and Riku went to his English class and I got to help him out with some grammar problems. This experience really opened my eyes to how dumb English. I mean seriously, to explain the difference the usage of draw and drawn, I had to go on this tangent about context and whatnot, and then there was this problem over why a sentence would use truths instead of truth. Honestly, when the teacher eventually explained it, I was even more confused. Anyway, today I was really pushed out of my comfort zone, from giving a presentation to 100 Japanese students, to hearing about my secret admirer, to having an allergic reaction. Today was one for the books, if I do say so myself.
Today sucks. Not actually, but in theory. I got up and got ready for school one final time. The schedule had us follow our students all day, and that's exactly what we did. I was able to get a lot of work done and even participate in a couple classes. I got to see some more awesome card tricks for the cool math teacher, and have some nice discussions in their English class. But once we got to the end of the day, that's when everything really hit. After the students cleaned, our class' host students found us and took us to their classroom for a surprise. When we all walked in they start clapping for us and gave us all notes they wrote for us. It was so sweet and was such a nice sentiment to leave off on. They even allowed us trippers to give speeches. So, one by one, Me, Jack, Nicky, Drew, Riley, Aurora, and Ivette gave our nice little messages to the class. Then we took an awesome class photo and went to the farewell party. They gave out a bunch of snacks and while the KJ students went around saying goodbye, taking photos, getting contact info, and having a lot of fun. There was a lot going on, from KJ girls screaming over Riley and Milo, to some strange hype circle that took place toward the end. Around 5:30, Riku's mom picked us up and, with the whole Mitera family, went over to Riku's uncle's restaurant for one final dinner. It was great to be able to talk about how much fun this entire trip has been with them. There were many laughs, many dishes, and a lot of sentimentality. We stayed out until 9 and we could've stayed longer. I took a shower and then received many gifts from them, even though I should be the one showing my thanks. This trip has truly been quite the adventure and I'm so sad that it has to end. Though, in the wise words of whoever said this, all good things must come to an end. Profound, I know.