And then there was Internet and an Update

So I finally have internet!!
I actually didn't mind not having it but I did want to talk to my parents.
So I will start from Tuesday until today. This will be long TL;DR

Tuesday, August 23rd:
I spent the entire night finishing packing. I was so overwhelmed and junk. I didn't sleep because I saw no point in it and not sleeping would get me one step closed to being on Japanese time. I played Mario Party 3 with my brother for the last time in 337 days. My family (Mom, Dad, Seb, Meghan, Teddy and Noah) and I went to the airport around 6 and had a heart wrenching goodbye with tears and Phil Collins. I got on the plane and ended up sleeping for really random periods of time. I got off in Toronto. I stayed in domestic flights for about an hour until I tried to ask Dad for directions and a flight lady noticed and brought me to international flights. There I skyped with the parents and seestor, and my friends. I had my last Tim Horton's for a year, and it was lovely. By this time I was really starting to get tired due to lack of sleep. So I was trying to find ways to stay awake. I played DS; fell asleep. I tried writing in my journal; fell asleep. So I talked with my parents on skype. My plane was delayed about an hour so I was cranky and upset (once again due to lack of sleep), but then we finally boarded. I tried to take a video of us taking off.... but I fell asleep. TL;DR. I ate and I slept.

Wednesday, August 24th:
I arrived in Japan! It was like stepping into a sauna. I went through customs and got my bags. As I walked into the arrival lounge frantically looking for the promised sign of "Welcome Miss Hali". There was none. I was so worried until I heard "Hali!" I looked and there was seven people waiting for me! There was my host dad (Yamashiro Saraku), His son (Tomo) and his wife (Sachie), Katsuhei Miyahara, and three rebounders (Yuki, Sayaka, and Aya). The girls all stood back with hands over their mouths "whispering" "Kawaii! Kawaii! (Cute! Cute!)" Introductions were made and pictures taken. Then we all got into a car for awkward English/Japanese conversations. I am promised that the Rotex's (rebounders) and I will go to Tokyo Disney. I am thoroughly excited. After trying to stay awake and driving for about an hour and a half, we stopped to eat. Once again, awkward conversations and lots of smiling and replying "hai". I had tonkatsu. Sun Sushi does not stand a chance with real Japanese tonkatsu. It was so good!! After we dropped off everyone and went back to my host house. There, I met my mother (Chizuko) and the Yamashiro's other son (Yoshi). Everyone was so nice. I was shown to my room... rather my floor. I have an entire floor to myself. It is quite lovely. I even get a work out everyday going up and down 4 flights of stairs. (I'm serious, I'm glad).

Thursday, August 25th:
On this day, I was giving permission to sleep in. So I went down for breakfast at 10. There I met Yokko and Mai Matsuura. Who are both very kind. I ate rice, ham, vegetable stuff and a pear. It was a nice change from cereal. Mai sat down with me and we chatted (she knew some English so it was easy). Then Mai and I went for a walk to the train station. She showed me around and we chatted some more. After I returned home, my host mother asked me if I wanted to look at yukata (summer kimono for those who do not know). So we went around and the places we went to didn't have any in stock. Then she took to to uniqlo where she bought me "shorts" (underwear). I had remembered seeing a kimono shop and suggested we try there. We did and there I found this very nice black/white/pink yukata. It was absolutely gorgeous. I tired it on and my picture was taken by one of the shop workers (I looked so bad because I was all sweaty and gross). My host mother bought it for me even after me refusing her to and we both went home. This night we had convenience store bento. Which wasn't that great but I tried everything and ate the things that I liked.

Friday, August 26th:
I was given instructions to wake up early this day, because we were going to go to my school. And I did wake up early; 4:30am. So by the end of the day I was quite tired. I went down for breakfast and I had toast, eggs, ham and milk. I thought I didn't like Japanese milk but... it tastes a lot better than the milk in Canada (I blame it on the radiated cows). So then I went on my first train ride in 3 years with my host father. Then I met my counsellor and together we rode the trains to the bus station, the bus station to my school. At the best stop by my school we met up with this girl who went to the school and she showed us where to go. At the school I met the vice principal, my homeroom teacher, and the principal (in that order). For the ongoing conversations I just smiled, nodded and replied with "hai" which has gotten me through basically everything I don't understand. I tried on the school uniform which the mannequin was wearing because they didn't have any. It was a bit snug but overall it fit. My host father and counsellor filled out forms while my homeroom teacher brought me around the school. We went to my classroom first where I met one of my classmates and the first thing out of her mouth besides "konnichiwa" was "kawaii". Little did I know there was going to me on onslaught of this. Imai sensei took me to all the classrooms I would be using and once again everyone from my class or every student that my teacher knew told me I was "kawaii". I met up with my counsellor and my host father and left. I was given homework...it is English so it shouldn't be so bad. I also need to make a presentation on Canada during English class on Monday. But I am unsure if it should be in English or Japanese..... At the train station we decided to go for ramen! I was so excited! I don't know what I had but it was so good! I think it was ramen noodles, miso, raw bacon and an egg. I can't wait to eat ramen again. When I returned home I went to the docomo (phone company) store with my host mother and Yokko. I got my phone which is really cool and North American phones can't hold a candle to Japanese phones. I also bought school socks/shoes and some runners. Shoes here are ridiculously cheap. I paid like $25 for a pair of addias runners! I also bought a pair of $5 (500 yen) shoes. Yokko, my host mother and I went to a place called Jonathan's. I had pancakes and a cup of blueberries topped with soft serve ice cream. Then we went home and I went to sleep at 9:00 because I was so tired.

Saturday, August 27th:
I woke up at 2:00 and couldn't sleep so I decided to email a bunch of people and check facebook because I still didn't have internet. I reawoke at 7:00, got ready and went down for breakfast. This mornings breakfast was... strange to say the least. It felt like something someone with a hangover would eat. I had pizza and melon bread. I didn't ask questions and just ate it. I asked my host mother if I could go to McDonald's to see if there was internet. At 9 I left and said I was fine by myself (because my host mother said she would come with me). But I knew I would be ok because I wasn't going to be long. I ended up getting an orange juice because I was still full. There was no internet... I was sad. So I decided to write an introduction for the Rotary meeting that would be held later that day. Then all of a sudden my host mother appears in front of me and says that she and my host dad were worried about me because I "have a cute face". So we stayed there for a bit and then returned home. By this time in my Japanese exchange, I have become very outgoing with speaking Japanese. I say a lot of things without thinking. Which is alright for now because I don't know anything insulting! At lunch time, I had fried chicken (?), potato salad and inarizushi. My host mother turned on the TV and there was Korean drama on with JaeJoong <3 So Mom, I have a drama for us to watch when I get back. It looks really interesting and I got the gist of it through reading the Japanese subtitles and my little knowledge of Korean. I was told that the internet would be set up today so I has to leave my floor unlocked. I went with my host dad to the Rotary meeting and everyone was dressed so nice. and I was wearing casual clothes. It funny because when I went to the Rotary Club at home I dressed too fancy and at the Japanese Rotary Club I dressed too casual. Next time though I am told I need to wear my school uniform and my rotary blazer. This meeting was really long (about 3 hours) but I met a lot of nice people! Yuki, Aya and Sayaka were there and they introduced me to Ryuu (I think that is his name) and Yuuko. All of them are Rotex. I also met the French exchange student (Roxanne) and her English is very very good! She is so short and cute! Everyone exchanged numbers and then we left. I am now home from the meeting and was pleased to come home to internet. I can't wait to talk to my parents on skype.
I'm noticing now that the cicada's voices are dying out. Now I do not hear them, I hear crickets. Anyway, my host mother is yet to be home so I am in my room just doing this. I will edit my videos and put them on youtube.
じゃまったね