Lulu

2/8/2018

Day Twelve! I am missing my mom, and my bed, and my cats, and my dog, and eating unhealthy food. But I am still having so much fun. Today we had an excursion into town. It was lowkey and fun. We did some more dollar store shopping and we walked around a mall again. For lunch I had pizza, but it's Japanese pizza. Which is kind of fancier than the greasy mess that is American pizza. It was so good. I also had some of Alex and Uriah's cheese fries. I miss eating crappy food soooo much. When we got back to the school we practiced some more presentation stuff. I hope ours is long enough... For dinner we went to the grandmas house again but the snowy shortcut was full of snow again so we had to go around, through the streets. So.. Much... Snow.... But I love snow. And Aya said I looked pretty in the snow. At Grandma's house, we had gyoza, potato salad, croquette, eggs, chicken, and probably more. It was so yummy. I ate even more than last night. Aya had a bunch of gifts to give to me and my friends. They are all so cute. I want to hang the little heart I got on my door handle and add my phone charm onto my phone. (I got a cute new phone case ((or three)) from Daiso ((the dollar store))). Today was fun but now I have to start packing and getting ready to leave. This has been so much fun and I can't wait to see Aya when she comes to America in March.

2/7/2018

Day Eleven! Today we are going to meet our Global Classmates. During the first semester of the school year we have been talking to another Japanese high school. It was super chill and fun. We went to a mall. I bought some notebooks from the dollar store and we looked at a bunch of puppies at a pet store. For lunch we ate cold soba. I didn't think I'd be able to finish it but I ate a lot of it. Cold soba is pretty yummy. I still prefer my noodle warm. We walked back to the school and make some cute little cards to remember the day. I think they are going to mail us a copy of the book. It was so much fun. For dinner we went to her Grandma's house. Her Grandma's house is super close and we walked over. But her father dug out a shortcut through the snow to get there. The snow was almost as tall as me and there was probably two feet under us as well. I fell through the snow a little bit but I was fine. The food was amazing. I ate so much. Just like the night before we did some homework and went to bed.

2/6/2018

Day Ten! Officially in the double-digits. Today was another early morning, quick shower, and yummy breakfast. I don't eat a lot in the morning and don't want to make myself sick by stuffing myself but thankfully my host family understands if I don't finish everything. Breakfast was over but while eating we were watching the news. There's supposed to be 80cm of snow fall. But it seems like it's been more than that. A lot of the trains have bee delayed because of the snow. Some weren't even running. We thankfully got on the train that hadn't been delayed. I got to school before anyone else. again, but I love to do that because that way I can chill before having to talk to a whole bunch of people early in the morning. A couple people came in but some people didn't show up until second period because of the snow. Kokusai Joho is a commuter school so people come from all around Niigata Prefecture to get to school. We started off our day with some simple classes, another English class, some Classical Japanese literature, and then a break and lunch. I had lunch in the cafeteria and it was better than any food ETHS could dream of making. It was soooo yummy. I had rice and fried fish, and some short of cheesy chicken pot pie kinda thing with mushrooms. DELICIOUS. The only downside is that we had to walk outside to get to the cafeteria. And it was actually colder in the halls of school than it was outside. Thanks Chicago's Polar Vortex for preparing me for the coldness of being a high school student in Japan. Aya doesn't have any club after school so we went home right after school. We took the school bus to the shinkansen and the shinkansen to the bus and the bus home. Then I had some super good ramen from a famous ramen shop. I forgot to ask for the name though. I can't usually eat a whole bowl of ramen but it was so good that I had to. We also had some gyouza. I had been dying to try some more gyouza from Japan. Both times, the gyouza was amazing but I think the first place had better gyouza. After dinner we went home and now I'm doing some homework and typing this blog. Tomorrow we are going to meet the other school who did global classmates with us. Global classmates was an online exchange program where we would ask an answer questions once a week and actual Japanese students would reply. Thankfully, their school is kind of close to Kokusai Joho so we are going to go there tomorrow. I am super excited because I want to meet even more students from Japan. Not only has this trip been a blessing but the fact that we can actually meet the people we've been talking to for the whole first semester of school if amazing. I am super grateful. Welp, time for bed. See you tomorrow!

2/5/2018

Day Nine! Nine may seem like a small number but VK sensei surely jammed packed them full of activities. Today was the first day of school. I was so excited because I have only read about Japanese schools. The freezing hallways, cleaning up after school, the routine of bowing before and after the lesson. All of it seemed too... surreal. But I woke up at 5am, showered, got dressed, ate some breakfast, and my host mom drove us over to the station where we would take a shinkansen to the stop where the school is. After the shinkansen there is a school bus, but not a big obnoxious yellow but a cute blue and white almost pedestrian looking bus. We took the bus to school and in school I got to wear slippers. In Japan, they are very careful about keeping things clean. In houses, most people take their shoes off and wear slippers around the house. Some people have wipes to wipe off their feet before bed. But in school, all of the students have shoes that go with their uniforms. They keep their shoes in a locker near the front of the school but we don't have shoes so some people wear their normal shoes or, like me, wear slippers. It's super comfy. AMERICA!!! COME ON! LET ME WEAR SLIPPERS IN SCHOOL PLZ!! The day started off with a short assembly in the (coldest) gym. Their principal, VK sensei, and Marisa all gave speeches to the students. I think the third years weren't their because there were only two groups of students watching. At the end of the assembly, a bunch of students came up and gave us gifts. The gifts were little to-go mugs with their school on the side. Sensei also gave some people presents for being up-to-date with their blogs/having good blogs. I chose peach pocky, it is sooooo yummy. My first class was English. It was cool because I when I took Latin I learned about a bunch of English grammar patterns and stuff so I kind of understood what they were studying. The day was very full of fun stuff and I kind of fell asleep during their computer class. It was so warm in there and I had just eaten a big lunch. Instead of going to P.E. we all just took a break. The day was so full of cool stuff that after dinner I watched a bit of TV but then immediately went to bed. I hope that tomorrow will be easier.

2/4/2018

Day Eight! I can't believe that I am still on this trip. It feels like it's been forever (but in a good way). Ayaka woke me up and I took a shower. For breakfast I had some green pepper soup, rice, salmon, a little sausage, salad, and something else but I forgot. During breakfast my host mom made me a little itinerary for today. Before we left, my host brother showed me a minecraft server that he plays on and we switched off playing a building game. I actually used to also play on that server when I was younger. At 11:30 we went shopping at Apita. Apita is the biggest shopping mall in Nagaoka. If I was alone I would definitely get lost. Ayaka bought lunch from starbucks and my host mom bought me some Udon from the food court. I didn't know that food court food could be this good. I was full before I had even finished and ate waaayy too much. It's 4:30 as I'm writing this part and I'm still full. I saw jack and Dennis at the food court with their students and stooped by to say hi. After eating we walked around but we needed to buy me a lunch box for school tomorrow. I said I wanted something simple and black, my favorite color, and we eventually found something I liked. We walked through this crazy store full of anime and movie merchandise. Sadly there was nothing from the anime that I like but it was still a cool store to look through. We finally left Apita and went back home for a little while. I was super sleepy but wanted to look through and work on my blog posts. I ended up letting my sleepiness win and rested for a little while. At 2:30 ish we went over to this cute little shop where we learned how to make our own dango. Dango is three or four little rice balls that are grilled and covered in a sweet so sauce. I was still full from lunch that I only ate two our of the eight that I had made. We took our extra dango home to give to my host dad and Soya. Finally we are home and I can do some homework and rest.

2/3/2018

Day Seven! Today was stressful. I woke up early and took a fast bath. The water was super hot so I couldn't get in all the way but it was still relaxing. After a quick and delicious breakfast, Jin-san, one of our hosts, gave us all personalized letters that he wrote on his day off. Marisa immediately started crying after reading hers. Sadly breakfast was over and we had to leave. I had packed before my bath so I was ready to go. But Lucy didn't even though I warned her a billion times to pack, so she just threw all of her stuff together and we were off. I didn't want to leave but I also couldn't wait for the next adventure. We took a bus and two Shinkansen to get to our host students. It was so worth it. After checking in with my students teacher we were off. We waited inside of a little room/sitting area and talked for about 30 mins before we had to go to the platform. I couldn't stop smiling (even though my Japanese wasn't very good). When we got to the top of the platform I saw a couple of my classmates, Yokota-sensei, and Vankrey-sensei. That meant that all of us were going to Nagaoka. The Shinkansen ride was fun. Ayaka, my host student, and I were talking about things we like. She also like Harry Potter and mentioned the character Malfoy a couple times. It was so much fun. The train ride was over and it was time to go home. She walked me over to the exit and that's where I met my host mom! She is super nice and has an upbeat attitude. She helped carry my things to the car and we were off. Ayaka said that her mom didn't speak English but her English is actually very good. My host mom (gotta make sure I say host so nobody ((Gina Pearson)) gets jealous) drove us home and that's where I met my new host dad (sorry dad). He is also super nice. He helped carry my things and I heard him yell at Ayaka's younger brother, Soya, to come downstairs and that my Japanese was very good. In an email earlier this week Ayaka told me that we would be having a special kind of dinner that celebrates the end of winter. Everyone eats sushi rolls and, we didn't do this but my classmates were talking about it in our group chat, sometimes people throw peanuts into the room to ward off evil spirits. I got very tired and very full and went up to my new room to go to sleep. I talked to my REAL mom on the phone before going to bed. I'm super excited to see what else I will do with my host family.

2/2/2018

Day Six! Today we ate an early breakfast and got ready for a hike. I wore two thin leggings, a pair of thicker leggings, and a pair of jeans on top of those. Also a long sleeved shirt and a sweater underneath my jacket. I was warm for the whole hike. I took my time and made sure to look at everything I could. A bunch of people bought these books so that we can get calligraphy and stamps on the inside for all of the places we went to. All of these stamps everywhere in Japan cost 300 yen. The way down the mountain was easier than the climb but it was an amazing experience overall. After the hike we all went to get lunch. I ate soba noodles and ice cream. The ice cream was amazing even though it was cold outside. We took a train ride home and the rest of the night was pretty chill. I was so full because of being tried and just general nausea but lied down and am ready for bed. Tomorrow I will finally meet my host family. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

2/1/2018

Day Five! Finally a super chill day. We had a late breakfast, 8 instead of 7, and then went over to the bath. This bath was inside the building and had two different baths that were basically outside. It was super cool. Me and my gals all gathered and went to a store to buy omiyage for our host families. We also went to a cute little coffee shop. I ate curry and milk cake. It was super delicious. After lunch it was time to get ready to see the snow monsters. We took two scary gondolas up a huge mountain. Sadly my phone died so I guess I haaadd to enjoy this experience without my phone, dang nabbit. I was super cold but was still enjoying the experience. We watched the sunrise, took lots of pictures. There was even a newscaster who came up to us to talk and she said we were cute and super polite. I felt relieved because I feel like American Travelers have a reputation for being rude. The gondolas on the way back were even worse because there were lots of people on them. Then there was dinner and then sleep. I am so glad we got to rest for these couple of days.

1/31/2018

Day Four! Goodbye Tokyo Central Youth Hostel! It's time for luxury! We got to ride a Shinkansen (bullet train) all the way to Yamagata where the hotel is. It was a really smooth ride. Cati and I did homework then watched a bit of a movie. While waiting for our buses, we got to walk around the train station and talk to some people. Marisa and I found Carlon and Trotter talking to a group of Japanese boys. We decided to join in on the conversation. They were a group of 18 year olds who, I think, where speed skaters or skiers. They went to school that was known for their amazing speed skating. We asked them to take us somewhere in the station and they took us to the 24th floor. The view was super cool. It looked like the town was covered in powdered sugar. But we had to go back! We went back to wait for Sensei and watch other people's luggage but Carlon, Trotter, Marisa, and I got bored again and talked to even more people. They were 16 and played soccer. One of the guys made a joke and pretended to drink Trotter's Starbucks. It was really funny because Trotter didn't know what was going on. But then again... we had to go. There was lots of snow outside and it was snowing. I tried catching some snow flakes on my tongue but failed. We got on a big bus and rode our way over to the mountains. Lili and I both fell asleep on the train. I woke up and my ears popped but in my sleepiness I failed to realize that we were up on the mountain finally. There were shuttles that took our luggage up to the hotel while we walked over. Everyone was quick to notice the peculiar smell of the town. Emma and I were just as quick to tell them that it was the sulfur of the natural hot springs.

We arrived and slipped on some slippers, got our room keys and we were left alone to rest. At many fancy hotels in Japan, they provide Yukata for you to wear. Ours were pink and the boys got blue ones. They're actually really comfy. I fell asleep in mine a little bit. VK Sensei told us that we should bathe before dinner. All of the girls went over to the bath called Kami-yu, which means God Bath. It was amazing. The water was so hot that some girls couldn't get in but it was worth it once you ignored the pain. It sounds worse than it is. The sulfur and the hot water made my skin so soft and my hair was even soft from the mist in the air. After our bath we worked on our project and went down for dinner. VK sensei and Yokota Sensei both said that this meal was going to be "lavish". I was excited for it. Each dish was beautifully positioned so that it was basically art. There was a lot of food that was very different from what I am used to. (After a few days I am getting used to it a little). And after Trotter and Dennis did a sweep of all the extra food, dinner was finally over. Then we went to bed. This overall was a very nice day.

1/29/2018

Day two! Me and my group were in charge of the activities in the morning, meaning me, Cati, and Lili had to lead everyone through the complicated tunnels of the Tokyo subways and metra stops, talk a little bit about the places we visited, and walk really fast. Our first stop was at Meiji Shrine. It was so beautiful. Me and Cati both bought charms to bring us good luck. I made two wishes/prayers, one at the actual shrine and one on paper. After a beautiful crisp morning walk, we headed for Harajuku. I was super excited to buy a bunch of stuff from the cute stores. We had a limited amount of time to shop but I bolted to Daiso, the Japanese "dollar" store and bought make-up and souvenirs. Me and Owen bought matching sunglasses and were rocking them for the rest of the day. As my group was walking to the top of the street we saw a couple of our buds getting interviewed by some girls. These people made super cool wedding dresses and showed up a video of "Mario" and "Peach" getting married. After shopping in Harajuku we all went to Shibuya. Shibuya is a huge place that's good for shopping. Right outside of the station was the statue of Hachiko, the dog who waited. And then there was the big pedestrian scramble which is a place where at least a hundred people at a time cross these street. I took a couple pictures with senseis fancy 360 degree camera. I cant wait to see how they turn out. Emma, Cati, Lili, Marisa, and I went to a cute little ramen shop that had a vending machine where you can buy a ticket for whichever food you want and and it to the person working there. After rushing back to Hachiko's statue, we handed off the torch to the next group.

The second half of the day was filled with scenic train rides, more walking, and more adventure. We took a train to Odaiba where we visited Miraikan, a science museum. While waiting for Sensei to buy our tickets, we waved to all the Japanese students who were also on a field trip to see this museum. We had about two and a half hours of looking at the exhibits. The actual museum was on two big open floors. All the exhibits I looked at had English on them so I could understand what was happening. These exhibits were all about science. CO2 emissions, politics, the growth of cells, natural disasters, and even more. The lower floor had these two androids that were built to look like humans. One was a woman and the other was just the shell of a person. Both were awesome. There was a huge sphere with a big staircase surrounding it and has videos projected on to it. One video was about AIDS, another about something happening in Australia. But the default was a projection of earth and it was sooooo cool. I took so many pictures and videos. Me and my group were all super exhausted after the morning of shopping so we went over to this sitting area full of couches and took a little break. The best part is the the huge sphere was right above the couches, so you can chill AND watch the videos. Owen and I went over to the gift shop and I bought a generic 50 year calendar that I could probably have bough in America but I wanted something relatively cheap to remember this museum. Time flies and it was time to go to our next destination. A big mall thing. Outside of the entrance was a really pretty light up staircase. Everyone was taking pictures on it. It was so pretty. My group took some pics and then we went in the mall for some free time. Cati, Marisa, Alex, and I walked around and Marisa wanted some water so we stopped at a Starbucks to sit and have her buy it. After walking around for a while and shopping for a couple souvenirs, we got lost. We walked out another exit and tried to just walk around to find the place we needed to be but ended up walking a block too far. We were afraid of being late so we jogged/sprinted/speed walked back over and made it back with a minute to spare. Next was DINNER! We somehow, I can't remember because I was so tired, arrived at this restaurant that you had to walk in a cave to get to. Outside the entrance was a bunch of pictures of celebrities that had eaten there. Johnny Depp, Maroon 5, Sylvester Stallone, and even more. We sat down and I had absolutely no idea what to order. My friends were ordering tempura so I got some too. I got an "assortment of tempura" for some variety. The food came last because I ordered last. But it was really yummy. I couldn't tell what some of the stuff was but I enjoyed it. Everyone was so tired that they just put their heads down a slept for a second. I was so tired that when I was eating my food and I could't pick up one of the pieces with chopsticks, FOR LIKE TEN MINUTES, I just looked at Emmet and cried at the table. I don't know why but it was over soon. Now every time someone bring it up my eyes water just a little bit. It was really funny.

Dinner is over, and it's time to get back home. I fell asleep on the train, fell asleep while walking, fell asleep while standing, But when I got back to the hostel, I took a bath and was awake. I ended up cleaning my stuff and organizing until I fell asleep. Can't wait for tomorrow's adventure.

1/27 - 28/2018

Today was the day we headed off to JAPAN!! I left my house in a state of disbelief that I was actually going to a whole other country. This was also my first airplane ride ever. I had no idea what to expect. I arrived at 8:20ish, a little too early, and said goodbye to my dad. After waiting for everyone for about an hour we checked in. I was worried about having to take off all of my coats and shoes and bags and such but luckily I had TSAPrecheck! We walked around and waited and walked some more until it was finally time to board. The flight felt like forever and just a moment all at once. I've been on Megabusses and Greyhounds before and I guess it was like that and the climb of a roller coaster all in one.

We finally landed and I still couldn't believe that I was actually in Japan. The first few hours of our time in Japan was spent going through security, exchanging money, and eating onigiri from 7-11. Three train rides (and a whole lot of speed walking) later we arrived at the hostel. Me and all of the other girls on the trip are in one room. It was a little awkward when showering but after chilling in the hot bath together we all settled down to do some homework and write these blogs. Tomorrow we are going shopping! I can't wait to buy tons of souvenirs.