New Family + Kyoto

Hi everybody!!
Its been a long time and I haven't kept up with my promise of writing in this every week. I'm sorry I have failed you. I have some free time now so I will reeeeally try to write in this every week!

So I have switched families. There is a mother, father, younger sister, younger brother and grandmother. Its really fun to have this kind of setting. It actually feels like a family instead of just being housed by someone. They have two two-month old kittens. They are so cute!

So on Sunday I got back from my class trip in Kyoto. It was a lot of fun even though I didn't understand a lot of the stuff that we did. I didn't talk much (mainly because I wasn't in a good mood) but I listened a lot and that has really helped with learning the language. Here is the link to the photos ! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150457029906147.422487.542111146&type=1&l=45d51a8f0c

The first day we all met at Tokyo station for 8:25. We got on our shinkansen (bullet train) and headed off to Osaka. On the train all we did was eat. Endlessly ate. We also played cards and a lot of people slept (because some students had to wake up and leave for Tokyo around 3 in the morning). When we arrived in Osaka we were met by a tour guide and brought to a bus. The bus took us on a short sight-seeing trip around Osaka. We were then given free time on a popular street. We met a popular comedian in the middle of filming a show. It was neat. I'll be on TV (maybe)! After our free time (which we spent eating more, taking purikura pictures and sight seeing) we all met up again and attended a stand up comedy show.  As difficult as understanding Osaka's accent and Japanese in general is, I enjoyed the performance. It was really funny! But I did sleep through most of it. After about 4 hours of comedy, we got onto the bus again and were taken to our Ryokan (Japanese-style hotel) in Kyoto. Our room was wuite lovely. It had tatami floors and futons to sleep on. Supper was brought to us and my roommates and I ate together like a family. Once again I just ate and listened to whatever they were talking about. Its really frustrating being able to understand what is going on but even though you want to contribute, you just can't. You don't have the ability to do so. This is why I am even more determined to learn Japanese. That night after supper my friends asked me if I wanted to go to the bath. Little did I know that they meant the public bath. I was really worried and self conscious but in the end it was really fun. I thought of it very professional. Everyone just does what they need to do and then they relax in the bath together. It was a really nice and comforting feeling. After the bath every one just hung out in their friends room until our curfew. As we lied down in our futons, we talked about many things. I just listened nd enjoyed the noise until I nodded off to sleep.
Day two started bright and early with one of our level 2 representative saying "good morning" on the P.A.. Our breakfast was a very Japanese styled one with rice, miso soup, fish and an arrangement of vegetables. On this day we were going to a shrine to perform a dance. So we got on the bus and headed off to the shrine around 9:00. When we arrived at the shrine, we were taken to this storage area of sorts so we could organize our costumes and warm up. It was raining on this day so we had to perform on a stage instead of a field as originally planned. We went outside in our sports wear and practised on the stage until around 12:00. People we watching us practise and there was a foreign couple that was fixated on me. I say them later and just smiled and they smiled back. Though I now wish I had talked to them to say that they should watch our performance at 1:30. We put on our costumes and our make up. They were ridiculous to say the least but really interesting. Before we performed we were taken to a part of the shrine where Maiko (shrine priestesses) purified us with blessed water. After this a Priest took us to another place and blessed us (I'm not really sure but it felt very solemn). We also saw a lot of people get married at this shrine. Japanese weddings are so beautiful. I had overheard that it was a foreign woman and Japanese man, which was interesting. So we lined up for our performance and then the drums started. I was very nervous, as was everyone else but it went off without a hitch! Aside from the fact that I messed up a little but I don't think anyone noticed. Relieved, the performance ended and we took group photos. We all went an changed into our regular clothes and ate in the storage room (of sorts). We then cleaned up and left. It was a great day and was very fun! When we returned to the hotel we did the same thing as we did on the first night.
Day three started the same as the previous. But today was different, we were given a free day to go around Kyoto and sight see and shop. We left at 8:30 and caught a bus to the Kyomizudera Shrine. Here, there were many souvenir shops and rickshaws. I really wanted to ride one, but they were around $60 for an hour or something like that. We went to the shrine (at the top of a very large hill) and walked around. The shrines in Japan are just so beautiful. The nature there is so preserved and its like you are entering a totally different world within the busy city. After the shrine and buying lots of (heavy) souvenirs, we walked around the city where we ate and shopped. We ate cake, ramen, candy, more cake and more unhealthy food. It was great. When we returned to the hotel after being lost for about an hour we immediately took our bath. Then we had supper. After supper we were given free time to go about the city once again. It was really fun at night! My group ended up running back to the hotel because we didn't pay attention to the time. So tiring. Night was the same as the rest.
The fourth day was the day we were to return home. We got everything ready, said good bye to the wonderful staff and once again hopped onto the tour bus. I was under the impression we were to be going straight home but to my delight we went to a famous shrine! If you have ever seen a 10 yen coin then it is the shrine that is pictured on it. We took a class photo and were once again given free time to look around and shop. I, of course, ate a lot again. Lots of ice cream. I regret nothing. I bought more souvenirs and we returned to our bus to go to the station. On our ride there, it became eerily quiet. Everyone on the bus fell asleep. It was a nice change from all the screaming this class does. Before going home we went to a hotel by the station and were fed. Very white food. It was nice change! haha. We got on our train and relaxed. Once again everyone slept for a good bit of the ride. We arrived in Tokyo at around 4:00. I took my heavy luggage and headed home by myself (because I had lost my friend I was supposed to go home with haha) It was nice to just relax by myself. I like being in Tokyo by myself. I arrived home and immediately went to my room and collapsed on the bed. For whatever reason I was still horribly exhausted. That night (along with every Sunday night with this family) we went out for dinner. I had tempura udon. So yummy. I came home after that and went to sleep after skyping with the family.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I want to return to Kyoto and Osaka by myself (or with friends) one day soon.

UPDATE! (how many entries will be called this?)

SO I have been really bad with keeping up with this blog! But I am moving host families today so I will try and write every Sunday and Friday and anytime that something interesting happens!

So, yes. I am finally moving host families.... I really don't want to. I love this family. I actually love them. They could not have been a better first host family. I am packing now and I am really sad. I know I will still see this family... but its not the same. But recent news in this family is that I'm going to be a host aunt!!! My host brothers wife is pregnant! I'm so happy! I can't wait until the baby is born. I'll be the first white person he or she sees! (That is a weird aspiration, Hali). I didn't realize how much stuff I've accumulated in the past two months. Just. SO. Much. Stuff. I'll have to send some home. The house I'm moving to is only I little bit away from where I am currently. But I'll have to bike to the train station in the mornings. Meaning I'll have to wake up earlier... not looking forward to that. But I love riding Japanese bikes, so its ok. They are really thin and the handles are weird but I'm kind of use to it now after riding one once or twice. I'm really all over the place with this entry. I'm sorry.
Last night I had my last supper with all of my host family. (Mother, Father, Brother, Brother and Sister-in-law) We had sashimi, vegetable tempura, panko deep fried JUMBO shrimp, tofu, and a bunch of other dishes in the really nice private part of a restaurant.

LOOK AT THE OXYMORON 

Have I ever told you I LOVE tofu?

 We took the first and last family picture together. When I decided to say how thankful I was for their hospitality and over all niceness (wow that is an actual word?), I broke down and cried. I am truthfully sad to leave this home. It was the perfect balance of independence and family feel. Of course I am excited to meet and live with my new host family (I'm becoming an older sister for the first time ever!) but I will always have a special place in my heart for the Yamashiro's.

I love you. I will miss you so much. Thank you.
大好き。寂しくになります。心から、ありがとうございました。

Update!!!!

I have been so busy lately I haven't been able to do anything with vlogging or blogging! But today I have a day off (even though I"m going out later) I swear to god I have more of a social life here than I did in Canada. Its exhausting!!I am uploading a video today so look out for that (www.youtube.com/teaforbunny)
So with the school festival over with, we are now practising for out performance in Kyoto. Its our class trip and we get to stay in a traditional Japanese hotel. I'm so excited!! It means that there is either a huge indoor bath OR a huge outdoor bath. I must say I'm very excited. But that is in November so I will be with my second host family unfortunately and fortunately. I love my host family so much!!
Oh yes, this weekend past, my cousin came to visit from Akita. So on Thursday evening, I ventured down to Ikebukuro and met up with her. We ate okonomiyaki. Which is quite possibly the best food ever. It roughly translates into "anything you like; fried", Its also described as a savoury pancake. So delicious, I swear I could eat it everyday.

Being cooked it doesn't look appetizing. But then.....

...ITS TURNS INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATION

So we stayed out until 2:30am singing karaoke. It was awesome. Then we woke up at 7ish and went in search of food. I had a panini and starbucks blueberry scone. So lovely. We went arounf all of Tokyo and didn't really buy anything. So we went to Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Shibuya, and Harajuku. We were so exhausted!!
We got back to my place around 10 and my host mom and her friend waited for us at the station. She is so nice! We ate garigarikun and then went up to bed. In the morning we had to go to a Rotary thing then after we went for sandwiches at this small cafe near the rotary function with my Counsellor. It was very delicious. After we went for sushi. I ate whale.  And I must say... it was disgusting. It was really fatty and just gross. After that we went to karaoke with my host dad, host mom, and counsellor. My host mother is very good at singing enka! My host dad was drunk so he sang a bit too. The next morning my cousin left and it wasn't really sad because we plan to meed again in the winter!
On that day I decided to meet some other Rotary students in Oomiya. It was interesting haha. I got lost in the station but found out they were literally 600m away from where I entered the station and ended up walking around for a half hour in search of them. We ate okonomiyaki after taking purikura. It was really hard to find the okonomiyaki place but this nice couple took up there. Times were had and then we went home.
All in all my life is pretty busy here. It is a nice change.

Today I don't have school so I went to the Rotary meeting. Got money, got paid. But I didn't eat anything even though it looked better than last time. My tummy hurts :(
So I'm going down to Ikebukuro to meet a Rotex (a person who went on the exchange program with Rotary but is now back in their own country.) that I met last weekend. I'm excited!!!

I will update as much as I can!! I'm so sorry!!

School Festival (Photos)

So for the past week or so we have been preparing for the Yotsubasai (Clover Festival) which is an open event that happens at most Japanese high schools (the festival I mean, not the Yotsubasai, that is just my school) that display class food shops and other fun activities. Since my school is a performance school there was dances, skits, musicals and musical performances. My class had a Discotheque, which for whatever reason had nothing to do with a Discotheque it was just us performing. I am absolutely amazed by the work that energy the students put into school festivals; arriving at school for 7:45 and not leaving until about 9 at night, practising every chance they can, and just thinking and talking about things they can do for it! There is certainly nothing of this calibre in North America. So with everyone I had to do the same. It was so exhausting! But the festival was so much fun! The thing with Japanese schools is that not only do they clean the school as for lack of janitors but they also organize everything by themselves. What to do, where to do it and setting it up! They even did the lightning for the stage which they built. All. By. Themselves. I was basically blown away.
So the festival was on Saturday and Sunday, so we didn't get a weekend (but now it is Tuesday and we have it off, along with Wednesday) and so now everyone is exhausted. I was asking my classmates what they were going to do on the holidays and all of they just said "sleep". My friend and I performed "Sora Iro Days" the theme song for the anime Gurren Lagann. It was so much fun! We did a mini cosplay as well. I was Yoko and my friend was Simon. A lot of people watched so it was a little embarrassing but I could totally do it for a living (that is huge pipe dream of mine). There was ballet performances, jazz dances, hip hop, Japanese traditional dances... all choreographed by the students! Once again, my mind is blown.

 

After everyone had performed the last dance (Japanese dance), so many of my classmates were crying and I couldn't understand why. I kept asking people but all the replied with was that they were happy. Oh well. On the last day of the festival (Sunday) there was performances in the school gym. It was a mini festival for just the students. I didn't stay around long because I wasn't feeling well but it was really fun looking and everyone was full of energy. On Monday we had to go to school again but it was to take down everything and clean. This was a shorter day but I still ended up staying at school until 3:00pm. After that I went out with some friends. All in all the festival was such a good experience. I want to do it again next year but sadly I will be back home.