I'd give anything to have one right now

Second Video Update and some pics

Baseball game at Tokyo Dome with host Dad

Caligraphy

Mum and Pop

Me and Takafumi. And Cheese snuck in there too

Bought every last bottle they had

The boys in my class

Funnest Day So Far

So today I went to school, which is getting funner each day, because I am talking more and more with my class mates. And school was only a half day today since it was saturday. After school me and Jo took the train to Takasaki and met two other exchange students. One from New York and one from Australia. We all got lunch and sat around and talked for a while and then we went to the arcade. After that I caught the train home and now im just chillin. great day

The Porcelain Throne

Fun Fact: My toilet has 20 buttons, 2 knobs, sprays your butt, and is heated and flushes by itself

First day of school

So, I had my first day of school today. It was a rather eventful day altogether actually, even though school was only a half day. Anyway, heres how it all went:

So, woke up and got all showered and what not. then i headed off to school. when I got to school I met the other girl from Rotary who is at my school. She is from Nebraska and her name is Amber.. So me and her got introduced to all the teachers, and we had to give a short speech in fron of all of them in japanese ( i already had one prepared. Takafumi helped me). So after that I went to my class, and there i gave the same speech. As soon as I walked into class, everyone went crazy. Like, literally, everyone was suuuuupppppppeeeerrrrr excited. So then it was time for their morning service (Im at a christian school). After that, I had to give my speech again to the WHOLE school. All day everyone was saying hi to me and I felt famous. It was wierd. Unfortunately i was not with my cass today because they were all testing. But I did get to hang out with the other Rotary student, and the one other exchange student at Kyoai who is from Denmark, her name is Jo, and she speaks like perfect English. She has been there since April. We all just hng around and talked.

After school Jo came with me to my host moms house, because my host mom is actually her counselor for the exchange program she is here through. So us three went out to eat and had a big lunch. After lunch my host mom thought it was time for me to learn how to use the train, and see more of Maebashi. So my host mom dropped me and Jo off at the train station and we rode it to downtown Maebashi. From there me and Jo went to the mall, which is HUGE! We just chilled there for a while, and then we walked over to this awesome guitar store that has tons of Gibsons and Fenders. After that we went back to the train station and it was time for me to ride the train by myself, since Jo lives in downtown Maebashi, back to the station that is close to my house. So i got my ticket and off I went. I made it back with no problems at all.

Later tonight me and my host mom went somewhere to get flowers (i dont know why) from someone. The persons daughter is a senior at Kyoai, so me, my host mom, the lady, and the ladies daughter that goes to Kyoai all sat around and talked for a while. Apparently everyone thinks im "cool", and that I look like Zac Effron from High School Musical.

So overall, pretty great day. Lookin forward to tomorrow very much

This morning

No better way to start the morning than chasing a cockroach around the house with host mom. good times. good times.

Life so far

For those of you wondering, it is a mat on the floor that I have been sleeping on. Its actually quite comfortable.

Yesterday I spent all day with Mrs. Minegishi and Takafumi (some of you know who that is). We went up into the mountains by Maebashi that apparently are very famous. We went to the lake up near the top of one of the mountains, and we went on a jet boat ride. After that we went to Kyoai Gakuen (my highschool) and had a meeting with a chairperson there. Then we went to dinner, which was amazing. There was a stove in the middle of the table and all the meat was given to us raw, and we cooked our own food. After that we went to a traditional Japanese bath house. It is built around a hot spring so all the water is heated naturally. It was very strange at first and i was very nervous, but soon got over that and it turned into a very enjoyable and relaxing experience.

So, yesterday, I was offered (which on exchange means you have to say yes) ice cream almost everywhere we went. I ended up eating it 4 seperate times yesterday! But, the ice cream I have had here is very good. For some reason it is creamier and softer than in America, which is cool because I like it like that.

So overall, first two days have been great dispite all the confusion and moving around. Currently it is 9:43 am, so the day has just begun and I cant wait to find out what I'll be doing today.

Oh and also, it sounds like Rotary wants to buy me a guitar, which is cool, but, I think guitar stuff is expensive over here so I'd feel bad if they spent lots of money on me. But it sounds like they really want to, but only on one condition..... I have to play for them. hahaha

Change of plans

Well, yesterday Rotary showed up at my house and had me pack up my stuff. I am transitioning to a new host family. They thought that my exchange would not be very good at the last house because the family was off on business a lot, which would leave me a lone at the house, and i would be lonely and not learn anything. So right now I am at the Minegeshi's residence. On Tuesday I will move to a new house. The family there has a daughter who is in the united states right now. Then school starts on wednesday. I will be at this new family for 3 or 4 months. So after Tuesday everything will be normal.

Finally Here

The crew

First Meal in Japan

My New Room

Well, after the longest day of my life, I am finally here. I spent around 12 hours in a plane, and around 5 in a car. 3 of which were in Tokyo alone!

When I arrived at Narita airport I was greeted by the district chairman of Rotary Youth Exchange here in district 2840, as well as Takafumi, one of the inbounds from last year. We then drove back to Maebashi which took forever! We had to go through Tokyo, where traffic was basically at a dead stop. Once we got to Maebashi we met up with my host father, and a few other fellow rotarians. We then had a large dinner.

One thing I know for sure here is that I wont go hungry. People just keep giving me more and more food! last night alone I had 3 meals! as soon as I was off the plane i was taken to resteraunt, then i had dinner a HUGE dinner in Maebashi. Then once at my new house, my host family insisted I eat some mcdonalds.

This morning my Host Dad took me over to the train/bus station to show me around. Then I helped him sweep the front of the house, and water the plants. Once I came inside they had a very large breakfast prepared for me. The hospitality here is second to none. I am very much looking forward to the rest of my year here.

Fruity-Jelly-Candy-Awesomeness Thingy's

Went to a Japanese market the other day with the other outbounds to Japan. While at the register I tried this candy thing that everyone convinced me was amazing. It was. So i sprinted back to the candy isle and bought a whole tub of them. Thirty in all. They were all gone within a few hours. I am highly considering running back up to Beaverton just to get some more. And the best part is, the whole tub only cost $4. I think I have stumbled upon a new addiction.

48

48 days left until the next my new life begins. At 10:15 am, on August 26th, I will be rolling down the runway and saying my final goodbyes to Oregon. The days are going by so slowly. It feels as if my departure date is never going to get here.

Summer 2010

Well, as you may or not know, i am leaving on August 26. I'll be gone for roughly ten months, which means I'll be comin back sometime in June. Its been a long but very fun, and educational, process to get to where I am now in my exchange. Applications, interviews, orientations, fundraising, so much has had to be done to get to this point. And now that school is out, and its this close to my departure, everything feels so much more real. Everything is falling into place, and I am more excited than ever.

I haven't even left yet and its already becoming the experience of a lifetime. I have made many new friends from many different countries. I have also made many friends from all across Oregon and Washington. I have learned about many different cultures, and have learned so much about the world. I am becoming more independent, and my views on life, and the world, are constantly changing. I see things on a much larger scale now, and different things now seem more important to me than what i once thought was important.

Things are only going to get better as my Exchange unfolds, and I can't wait. Thank you to everyone that has got me this far, and I can't wait to share my experiences with you.