Finally a new post!

Sorry everyone that it's taken me so long to post again. Life has been pretty crazy.

My Okasan and Onesan met me at the school and right off the bat were very kind. Their apartment is kind of out in the boondocks, about 40 minutes bus trip from campus. It's about 440 yen each way to take the bus, so that's about 10.00USD a day to ride the bus to campus. I'm going to try it on my bike. I payed attention today, and it's really not that far, it just seems far becuase the bus stops and starts, stops and starts. If I do decide to take the bus I'd have to get a bus pass, but even the student discount one is very expensive, 100.00 USD a month. Plus by biking not only will I be working out a bit, but I saw a lot of really cute shops I'd pass on the way to campus! Wait, maybe it won't be chaper! So, I'm really hoping the bike works out... even though I'm nervous about biking...

Anyways! So they live in an apartment, well actually two. The apartments are big enough maybe for three people? (I'm going to post a walk-through of the apartement on Youtube) This is the building and my stairwell:

They have two apartments, one on the third floor and one on the fourth floor. The fourth floor has my host sister's room, the shower, a toilet, the living area, the kitchen, and Okasan and Otosan's rooms.

The third floor has a washing machene (where the shower would be) a toilet, sink, my room, a more informal living area, another "kitchen" which is more like a second wash room for things by hand, and Kai's room. Kai is my big brother. This is the view from the third floor:

But, that's not the view from my room, this is:

They said it's a great view because I can actually see trees. I guess it's a little park-type area for the surrounding apartment buildings. But I think I need to help them redefine their opinion of a "great view!"

Anyways this is my room with my futon out:

During the day the futon is packed awa and it's just open space, which is kind of nice actually. I have a dresser, a closet, some shelves and the desk which you can see. Because I live in a different apartment from Okasan and Otosan I don't really have a cerfew because I have a key, I just need to tell them when I'm coming home. (Oh, and PS, doesn't the stuff look like something you'd find at Ikea? Just saying...)

So the first night for dinner I had a "night off" from my normal chores and things. We had "do-it-yourself" sushi. The table had seweed paper, rice, and all kinds of vegtables and meats. You took a piece of seaweed paper into your hand, put rice on it, whatever else you want, and then yum! It was good, the older brother Ken, who is married and has a newborn baby came over. Kai the brother who lives with me works late and gets up early, he works at Mitsubishi, I think as an assembley worker... Either way there were a lot of people all of a sudden around me and only one of them spoke decent English, and one other speaks very broken english (okasan).

But, at the first dinner I did have my moment of glory. They began talking about my hair and it being blonde as if I couldn't understand, but I could. So I said "Kinpatsu wakarimasu!" (I understand, blonde hair) and they all blinked at me and were impressed, hehe. Then I showered and pretty much went to bed. The first night was really mentally exhausting for me. Getting moved around to begin with, then being thrust somewhere that's so different and really only the sister speaks decent english is hard. But, I'm already using my Japanese a lot, and I'm sure it'll get better from here on...

This morning I had a breakfast of a fried egg, toast (which Japanese bread is sliced like an inch thick!), fruit, yogurt, sausage, and salad. It was so good and filling that all I had between that and dinner at 7pm was a soyjoy bar.

Then I braved the bus. It was an experience, but now I know where to go... I got the first bus right, easy. But it drops you off in a big hub for the entire city where there's like 20 different busses. I walked around and began trying to read signs and remember the one time I'd done it before as best I could. Then this nice asian lady walked up to me, didn't speak a lick of English but said "Kansai Gaidai?" I nodded, and she walked away from her own bus to help me find mine. After myself asking two other people I was finally on the way to school.

I had my first ceramics class today. I spent the whole class trying to become familar again with the wheel. My professor was helping the newbies do wedging, I'm SO glad I din't take the beginner. Then all of a sudden in the last 30 minutes he came over and demonstrated techniques and Japanese bamboo tools I'd never seen that makes your entire world easier on the wheel. I was SO impressed, and felt so stupid. But he seems really nice, and hasn't given up on me being intermediate. He gave me DVDs of the entire class and what he'll cover for the semester. They're 300 yen, but I'm really going to pay attention because what he did today was awesome.

Then I braved the buses home. I still had to ask for help once, but it was much better than headed to campus. When I got home I immedately began to help with dinner. My chores are:

1) Help cook dinner (which I wanted to do anyways)

2) Help clean up/wash the dishes

3) Take the trash down twice a week

4) Clean my room twice a week. (Which won't be hard considering it's tiny and I don't have much stuff)

I learned a lot tonight about Japanese table manners. For example, the Japanese don't use napkins (that's the hardest to get used to). And your right hand holds the chopsticks and your left hand holds the dish. You never put it below the table (I was resting mine on my seat). Also, Japanese meals are like a lot of little side dishes you pick from, rather than one big main dish in the middle. We had fried eggplant. These delicious, I don't know what you call them but they were like a potato pancake with onions and sushi - awesome. Rice, of course. Eel to dip in soy sauce. Tofu with grated ginger and soy sauce on top, and a few other small things.

Oh! I also introduced them to Spagetti Squash. They said out of all the 13 homestay students they've had (yes, 13 they have this down to a science) I was the first one to tell them about it. They all want to try it now.

This dinner was a lot more bareable, significantly less overwhelming than the first dinner and equally as good. I'm still not sure how asians stay so friggin skinny on their diets!

I showered second tonight, and then came downstairs. I'm really tired and I can't wait to go to bed. They turn the AC off here at night, my Okasan told me to open the door for some breeze to keep cool. But I didn't... what if a spider crawled in?!!! When she asked me today if I did or not I told her I turned it off, but didn't open the door because I was afraid of Spiders, she just laughed. It really didn't get -that- hot in here anyways... not hot enough to make me want to brave a hell-spawn. Then she told me right after to open the door (the slider to the balcony where the cloths dry, in my room, not the front door) when I go to school, I wanted to be like "WOMAN did you not just hear what I said about the spiders?!!" But I just said sure and did it...

It's time for bed now, another host student left a bike here, but it needs new tires, I offered to help pay to replace them, since I thought I'd have to buy a bike anyways, and this is likely significantly cheaper. But, until the bike is fixed, it's the bus for me!

Tomorrow, Okasan and Otosan and myself are headed to City Hall. I need to perform alien registration so I have a verification card that I'm staying here legally. Technically without it any Police officer can detain me. Not that it actually happens, but it could. Then Otosan is going to drive me to school, and I'll take the bus home.

I really miss everyone. Like I said, after the first week, it's finally beginning to sink in how long I'll be here. I'm still excited, but I have a bit more anexity about everything. I know I've made the right decisions, but I'm still nervous, and I miss everyone and everything that's familar a lot.

So, sleepy time, much to be done. I look forward to talking to you all soon!

Also, P.S.

If you want to mail me something I have a physcal address now, so e-mail me if you need/want it and I'll e-mail you back with it!