Eye Contact and Climbing Through Windows

I am aware that I do not tend to make eye contact with people while I speak, which seems to bother some people here. I always make eye contact with someone while he or she speaks to show that I am listening, but when I speak to someone, I don't tend to look him or her in the eye. I think that this style of speaking is not compatible with the style in Japan, and I have noticed through my peripheral vision that when I speak to someone, he or she will tend to lean in a certain direction and move closer to me in order to make eye contact, which reminds me that I should look make eye contact when I speak to someone. I wonder if people are bothered by this habit of mine, or if it changes a person's opinion of me.

Another funny situation in my life in Japan arises from the layout of my host family's home. As I described in a previous post, I live in a section of the house that is separated from my host family's section of the house. I must leave my section through one door, walk around the corner, and go in the house through a different door to access the area in which my host family lives. However, there is also a window in my sink and shower room, and if I poke my head through the window, I can see into my host family's backyard, which is accessible through the back door of their home. One day, I decided to climb through the window in my shower room and see if I could fit. I did fit, and my host family thought it was funny, probably thought it was strange, but didn't condemn the action, so I've been climbing through the window ever since in order to enter the main part of my host family's home. I think it's hilarious, albeit slightly undignified. Okaasan, however, put a foot stool in my shower room to give me a leg up and facilitate my climbing through the window, so she must not mind. Today, when Okaasan wanted to enter my living area, she even climbed through the window herself (she did it much more gracefully than I do because she is shorter than I) to enter into my room. I should post a picture of the window on my blog, because I think it's hilarious that I climb through a window every day to see my host family.

I just added pictures to various blog entries starting from September 15th, so if you wish you may view those.

Today has been an uneventful day. I went to class, and afterward attended an International Fair for an hour. I'm not sure which student group organizes the fair, but the fair facilitates exchange of information about study abroad experiences by providing Japanese students and international students with a place to meet up and talk. I met a few interesting Japanese students. Most Japanese students seem to have completed short study abroad experiences (a few weeks, a month, or a few months) in a foreign country, but it doesn't seem as though many go abroad for nine months or a year.

I bought postcard stamps at the post office and lunch at a supermarket next to the train station. Persimmons are commonly enjoyed in autumn in Japan, so I bought one this afternoon and am eagerly waiting for it to ripen. Otherwise, today consisted of of homework and studying, violin practice, room cleaning, and journal writing.

Yesterday I finally spoke with someone in the tea ceremony club. I expressed interest, but she told me that it would be difficult for an international student to join the tea ceremony club. It requires a lot of time and dedication for hours each Monday afternoon (I have two lessons every Monday afternoon), the concepts are very advanced, the emotions are difficult to explain, and the discussions the club sometimes holds involve the use of specific, abstract vocabulary that the typical international student wouldn't understand. More incentive for me to study Japanese very diligently! Yoshiko (the member of the club with whom I spoke) invited me to attend for an hour or two on any given Monday afternoon and have my own taiken (personal experience) and see how I like it. I'll give the club a try, and if I feel willing to dedicate my time and energy toward that art, I may try to join the club next semester.

During Japanese class this morning I decided that I'm done with getting bad quiz scores and making stupid mistakes on all my grammar points. I approached the teacher during the ten minute break and explained my predicament. My teacher proceeded to pull out her grade book and assure me that my grades are good, but I want the extra help. So she referred me to another teacher who's in charge of the E Class, the Japanese class in which I study. I have set up weekly appointments with my teacher, and she will help me learn the grammar points ahead of time and correct my practice sentences that I will write on my own in order to demonstrate proper usage of previously learned grammar points. I guess my grade isn't that bad, but this is what happens when one is a perfectionist.

Ryosuke left this evening for university. I feel kind of lonely now that he's gone, because I spoke with him a lot and spent a lot of time with him, but I don't think he's the type of person who keeps in touch with people well. No one made a big deal about his leaving or showed much emotion, but the whole family came to the port, along with the two long-haired dachshunds, to see him off. He rides a ferry back and forth between home and university, and he takes a motorbike with him on the boat for use at school. I don't know when I'll next see him, but I think it won't be for another three months at least, so I'll have to get used to his not being around.

Now I'm going to go study for tomorrow's kanji quiz. I enjoy sitting at the dinner table in my host family's living room and studying with them, it's a nightly ritual. I haven't practiced violin for four days now, which I feel terrible about, but I'll have to get back into that routine tomorrow, because soon I will meet up with my host aunt, Ayako-san, and play violin and piano duets with her.

Sunday, September 27, Part 2

As darkness appeared on Sunday evening, I recalled that it was Yom Kippur. I felt really disappointed because I knew I wouldn't be doing much, if anything, to observe the holiday. I didn't have time to go to the Kol Nidre service on Sunday evening because I had homework to finish for school the following day. I couldn't miss school because I have three classes on Monday, and that would be a lot of missed lessons. Also, since I knew I'd be going to class, I didn't think I should fast, because I wouldn't have enough energy to complete my lessons. I wish that there were a way to fit the observance of such a meaningful holiday into my life.

When I arrived at the dinner table on Sunday evening there was an elaborate spread of sashimi (raw fish) and other ingredients, such as egg and cucumber, spread across the table along with a huge bamboo bowl full of rice. Okaasan explained that since it was Ryosuke's last dinner at home before returning to college for the winter semester, she asked him what he wanted as a special going away dinner, and he requested temakizushi, or hand-rolled sushi. We all enjoyed rolling the rice and sashimi into small seaweed squares and eating the various ingredients. After dinner I did some homework and drank some tea with Okaasan and Yoko. The tea was so delicious, I felt as though I'd never drank such superbly flavored green tea before in my life. I also stayed up late talking with Ryosuke last night, since it was the last night he'd be at home for the next few months. He told me about how he considers it a hassle to move from school to home and from home to school. But I know he's looking forward to meeting his college friends again.

Sunday, September 27

All the exchange students woke up at 6:00 this morning in order to observe a Buddhist religious ceremony that began at 6:30, hence my early bedtime the previous evening. At the religious ceremony we listened to two monks chant mantras from memory. The monks' breathing was well coordinated. They chanted for over half an hour, never once stopping except to take in more air. They never breathed at the same time, so at least one person was always chanting the mantra to keep the rhythm and prayer going.

After observing the religious ceremony, we enjoyed another delicious meal, tidied up our rooms, brought our luggage to the front door, and then entered the same room in which we observed the ceremony to learn how to practice ajikan, a type of Buddhist meditation. We were supposed to sit with our right leg folded over our left leg in a pretzel position, and our hands on top of the right foot with the right hand on top of the left and thumbs extended up and brought together in a circular shape. After that we were supposed to arrange our tongues so that they rested behind the top teeth to allow for easy exhalation of air, and we were to keep our eyes halfway open so as to not truly see anything with our vision but so as to not accidentally fall asleep. We meditated for only fifteen minutes or so, but I could not concentrate easily, and the sitting position was uncomfortable for me.

After the meditation practice we had free time for lunch and exploring the town. We all returned to the sleeping area around two p.m. and from there retraced our steps to get back to Osaka and Kobe. It was a bit of a culture shock to return to the bustling city scene.

Saturday, September 26

I woke up very early this morning and hurriedly prepared for the group trip to Koya-san (Mount Koya) that took place this past weekend. All forty-five exchange students as well as a few staff members met outside a train station near Konan University, and from there we took the train to Koya-san, which is located in Wakayama Prefecture right next to Hyogo Prefecture (in which I live). We took several trains, including three transfers, to get to Mount Koya's base. From there we rode a cable car up the very steep mountainside. We then took taxis to the Buddhist sanctuary at which we stayed during the weekend.

The air was refreshing and cool. It was not crowded, and it was such a different setting from the busy urban area in which we live. The group sat down in a tatami (bamboo mat) room, drank tea and ate a sweet bean paste cake called manju, and we then listened to a brief description of the sanctuary's history. Afterward we went to a mausoleum for the monk Kuukai (who founded the Mount Koya sanctuary) and the surrounding Okunoin graveyard area near the mausoleum where many famous people are buried.

We ate only vegetarian food while at Koya-san, and I found it all absolutely delicious. We slept on futon in tatami covered rooms with thin, sliding doors through which you really could hear any sound. I took a lovely walk after dinner with a few friends and went to sleep by 10:30 that evening.

Almost everyone was sore the morning after the climb up the mountain. One of the first things Okaasan asked me when I came to breakfast was whether or not I was sore, and if so, where. Okaasan said that her calves were sore, she said that Yoko was complaining of a sore lower back, and I told Okaasan that my butt was sore. Ryosuke was the only one who didn't seem to have any complaints.

I decided to take it easy on Wednesday and complete various responsibilities around home. I cleaned my room, did a lot of laundry, studied Japanese, wrote in my journal, and I caught up with some e-mails and messages online.

One funny aspect of my karaoke experience from the previous day that I forgot to mention was that there was a calorie counter on the screen, and after each song, it displayed how many calories the person singing the song had burned.

Even though I had just climbed Mount Maya the day before, my host brother and I went on a walk. He goes on walks almost every day because he really likes walking, and it may be a good habit for me to pick up until I become accustomed enough to these hills that I can run on them. We walked very far, past the synagogue where I prayed on Rosh Hashanah, and through the entire district in which the synagogue is located, which is a center for international culture within Kobe. My feet were quite sore when we returned home, but I still had enough energy to practice violin and memorize a new set of kanji for the quiz the following morning before going to sleep.

Ascending Mount Maya

A block away from my host family's house is an entrance to a huge national park. This national park includes three mountains, one of which is Rokko Mountain, another is Maya Mountain. Otousan decided last week that we would climb Mount Maya on Tuesday during the Silver Week holiday. We left the house at 8:00 A.M. because the clouds were threatening with rain. I am grateful for the presence of those clouds, for although they brought humidity with them, they also hid the sun from us. The climb up the mountain was so difficult that I don't know if I could have made it to the top on a sunny day.

The path was uphill the entire way. The hills of lower Kobe may seem steep when I jog, but they are nothing compared to the constant uphill path of Mount Maya. The path up was so steep that many steps were built into the side of the mountain. I just climbed up step after step, all the while trying to inhale as much air as possible and not think about how difficult that was proving to be. I hiked in jeans, which I almost never do, because Okaasan said I should wear long pants to prevent insect bites. I did encounter many bugs during the hike, probably due to the humid air and forested earth. We went as a big group: Otousan, Okaasan, Ryosuke, Yoko, Okaasan's mother, Okaasan's older sister Makiko, Yoko's friend Miyu, and myself. As we walked along the trail, we inevitably split into smaller groups as people climbed at different paces. We picked a few places to stop and wait for everyone. I also took a break or two along the trail on the way up because I absolutely needed to rest amidst so many stone steps. There were such amazing views and places at the summit that I was quite content as soon as we reached the top. You really could see all of Kobe, but the view of Osaka on the far side of the bay was rather limited due to the clouds. We walked to a Buddist temple which was situated on top of the mountain. Along the way we stopped at a fun playground with two neat features: a slide made of rolling pieces that increased one's speed as one slid downward, and a buoy-like object attached to a rope that slid across a wire at a very fast speed (like a hand glider, only one sat on the buoy instead of holding on to the glider with one's hand). Once we reached the Buddhist temple, a few of my family members prayed, and everyone payed two hundred yen for paper fortunes, a common procedure at Buddhist temples.

The descent to my host family's home was quite steep. The stairs were very tall, and we walked back down a lot of stairs on the way home. We also took a slightly different path to reach my host family's home, and it was so dangerously steep. Everyone kept slipping and falling because eventually the stairs disappeared and dirt, leaves, and pebbles covered the very steep, narrow trail. I kept running into trees for support so I wouldn't fall, and I had to inch my way very carefully down the side of the path. By this point my host grandmother had left the group and taken a cable car back down the mountain, so the seven of us continued on. We found some pull-up exercise bars just sitting on the mountainside on the way down, and Otousan, Ryosuke, and Yoko showed off their pull-up skills. I was very sweaty when I arrived home, so I changed, rested, and then Okaasan, Ryosuke, Yoko, Miyu, and I went for ice cream at the nearby Baskin Robbins store, which is called "31" here in Japan. Yoko, Miyu, and I ended the day by going to a karaoke building and singing some tunes for an hour.

Sunday, September 20th

My host family enjoys hosting barbecues. Today they held their second barbecue since the time I arrived about three weeks ago. I wasn't expecting to attend this many barbecues in Japan, but I'm not complaining. Both Otousan and Okaasan know how to grill, but usually Otousan grills outside, Ryosuke helps with setting up the yard (disassembling the laundry lines, bringing out chairs and tables, and setting up the grill), while Okaasan and Yoko prepare the food for grilling (cutting up meat and vegetables, wrapping vegetables in tin foil, and preparing drinks). Today they had about fifteen people over, which is quite a crowd for small Japanese living quarters. However, my host family has a somewhat spacious backyard, so most of the guests sat in the backyard and talked and ate food, while a few people stayed inside and sat at the table. My family grilled beef, sausage, green pepper, mushrooms, bean sprouts, sweet potato, and fish. I decided to be adventurous and sample the fish eyes. I had never eaten animal eyes before, but people eat fish eyes in China, and my friend from Perù eats sheep eyes in soup sometimes. I ate two fish eyes, and I thought they were kind of dried out from the grilling and that they do not have any special flavor of their own, so the flavor was not especially pleasing or displeasing. Everyone was tired by the end of the barbecue, but after everyone left I had to finish my Japanese language class homework that was due the following morning.

Monday, September 21

This week is known as Silver Week in Japan because there is a three-day holiday from school and work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I, however, had two classes yesterday. All the foreign exchange students from my program were required to attend Japanese language class yesterday morning. I received Friday's test, and with it my grade. I am slightly disappointed, so I will have to study more. I realize now that some of my mistakes do not occur when I use newly learned grammar, but when I use grammar concepts I learned a year ago. I guess I am learning everything thoroughly right now, but grammar concepts I learned in the past have not all stuck in my mind, and that is the sort of subject that I need to improve. It's difficult for me to study previously learned grammar concepts, so I'll try to use them in everyday conversation to improve my skills.

I was so tired this morning because I was up late the night before finishing my Japanese language class homework that I did not complete during the entire weekend. But even though I was tired and it was getting late, Ryosuke asked me to go on a walk with him, and I couldn't refuse. I really enjoy talking with him, and who doesn't love taking walks? He led me to this park high up on the mountain side and it has a very nice view, so I got to see Kobe at night. We also told each other funny stories about our travels to other parts of the world. He told me about a day when he was in elementary school and he became lost in a rather international district of Kobe. He was so naive at the time that he thought he had crossed international borders and entered various European countries. It was absolutely adorable. I told him about some of my adventures at Kruger National Park in South Africa. Even though I was really tired, we stood outside the house talking until Okaasan ordered us to go to sleep at midnight.

Saturday, September 19, Part 2

Yes, I had to leave shul at 11:30... But why? Since there are hardly any semblances of Judaism in Japan, I actually forgot that the Jewish New Year was this Saturday, and I told one of my friends a week ago that I would go to a baseball game with him. So after worshipping all morning, I headed to downtown Osaka on a crowded train to watching the Hanshin Tigers on their home turf go head to head against the Hiroshima Carp.

Koshien Stadium holds somewhere around 45,000 people, and the stands were almost completely packed. Just about every fan at the game seemed quite devoted. Many people were wearing yellow and black colored uniforms with players names on the back, or just regular t-shirts or baseball camps with the Hanshin Tigers name and logo prominently displayed. Everyone had noise makers, plastic, mini baseball bats with "Hanshin Tigers" written on them, and they knocked the bats together, creating a lot of noise, and sang when Hanshin Tigers players were up at bat. The fan base was incredibly devoted, one of the most devoted fan groups for any baseball team in Japan, so I've heard.

In addition to food and drink that you'd expect to see at a baseball game, vendors also sold such items as friend octopus and bento boxes with sushi.

The seats were very small, smaller than the seats in the stands in U.S. stadiums, and there were no chair backs, just benches. We sat in left field, near the visiting team's section, so we saw a fair number of fans clad in red uniforms cheering for the Hiroshima Carp.

The Hanshin Tigers lost the game 4-3, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and consider the baseball game a unique culture experience during my stay in Japan.

Saturday, September 19

Celebrating the Jewish New Year in Japan is unlike celebrating it in the United States or Israel, for many reasons. One major difference lies in the difficulty in even realizing that it's the Jewish New Year. I feel as though the only semblances of Judaism in this country up until now have been myself and my Star of David and chai necklaces.

Backing up to Friday morning... I woke up on Friday morning, realized that the Jewish New Year began in less than twelve hours, and panicked because I had no idea of when services started on Saturday morning. I didn't even care about the fact that I had no idea where the synagogue in Kobe is located, I knew I could find it on the Internet or ask around. I looked online, found the website and mailing address for the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Kobe, and sent them an e-mail asking when Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) services began. I didn't check my e-mail until after nightfall because I came home late after a full day of classes on Friday afternoon. I opened my inbox and saw that the e-mail I had sent out that morning had been returned as "undeliverable" to me. I looked online at the JCC website and read that morning worship began at 8:00. I gave my host mother the address of the shul (synagogue) and asked her how to get there. It turns out the shul is quite close to my home, a fifteen minute bus ride and fifteen minute walk away.

I woke up at 6:00 A.M. on Saturday and arrived at shul at about 7:30. I opened a tall, wooden door that led into the shul and saw two men in black suits and wide-brimmed hats speaking Hebrew in the corner. With my head poking through the doorway but my body still outside, I called out "Slicha?" ("Excuse me?") in Hebrew. They saw me and came forward, and as I entered the shul I greeted them with the proper Shabbat (Sabbath) and holiday greetings and then explained to them that I wished to worship there for the holiday. They reminded me of the orthodox Jews of Israel who were incredibly hospitable, even upon meeting someone for the first time. They told me services were open to everyone, they invited me to worship with them during all the services for the next two days, and to eat meals with them at shul.

I sat down in the women's section at the back of the tiny sanctuary. This was a Sephardi shul, so I was not used to the customs, prayers, or melodies. They prayed out loud, as a group, everything was in Hebrew, the prayers were said very quickly, and they were said with much vigor. There was no chazan (cantor), and only a visiting rabbi as opposed to a full-time rabbi. People noticed that I was new, and one of the women spoke with me a lot, as well as several of the men, asking me from where I came, for how long I would live in Japan, and my purpose in coming to Japan. Everyone was very friendly, and they were impressed that I spoke English, Japanese, and Hebrew. I worshiped until 11:30 A.M., when I had to leave. Everyone was very kind, and I anticipate returning to shul again soon (especially since Yom Kippur is quickly approaching). I hope it was not rude to show up only to pray, and I look forward to finding out more about the interesting people who were at shul this past Shabbat.

Friday, September 18th

I took my Japanese language test today. I thought it went fairly well, but I will not assume that I will receive a great score before I know my actual grade. I will, however, think optimistically.

I stayed at school all afternoon for my Culture and Education class as well as my Business and Management class. In Culture and Education, we listened to a few more haiku written by classmates, we watched video segments on Japanese cuisine and sightseeing locations, and we learned about the concepts of mono no aware and wabi. Wabi refers to an aesthetic preference of simplicity and tranquility. Mono no aware especially correlates to appreciating the impermanence found in nature. In Business and Management class, in small groups of three to four students we brainstormed keywords that are pertinent to Japanese business, and then each group drew a mind map, a sort of visual learning aid, that linked all the key words together.

Last night I did put some pictures up on my blog, so if you wish to see those, please return to previous blog entries to view the photos.

I finally went to sleep at a reasonable hour last night, and it really made a difference in my emotions today. I feel much better. I'll have to keep up with this good routine. I also did go on a run this morning (my first run since I've arrived over two weeks ago), so maybe those endorphins helped me as well. The hills in Kobe are killer - definitely not what I'm used to in flat Illinois.

I also began my studying at a reasonable hour today, unlike the past few days, and I'm glad I did so. However, I had to forfeit going to downtown Kobe this afternoon with some other international students in exchange for studying, which disappoints me, because I wish to have fun with everyone, get to know the students better, and experience more of Japan, but I also wish to get good grades. Normally I'd have time to spend a few hours downtown and then study later in the day, but tomorrow everyone has a big chapter examination in Japanese language class, the first one of the semester, so I'd like to be well prepared. However, next week there is a three-day holiday, so I suppose I will have time to have fun then.

I have already studied for a few hours for this test, but I feel like I should study more. I definitely have not yet retained all the information I need to know. We did not cover that much this week, just a week's worth of grammar, vocabulary, and kanji. But I guess since I did not study hard at the beginning of the week, I now must make up for it by studying extra. However, I'm having trouble concentrating on my studies because I keep becoming hungry every few hours. I'm eating little snacks every few hours, and my host family provides me with good breakfasts and dinners just as they're required to do by the program, but I'm still feeling hungry all the time. I have enough money to buy snacks and food, so I am able to try new Japanese fruits and sweets since I'm eating so frequently. I learned that in Japan, people peel the skin off most fruits, such as persimmons, pears, and apples, while in the United States, we tend to eat the fruit peels. I got Ryosuke to try a Japanese pear with the peel still on. He said he liked it. But I do not see people eating bananas here, which is quite a change from home, where I eat a banana almost every day.

Whomever asked me about the twenty-five businesses and what products they produce, keep dreaming for an answer...

I do not recall mentioning this in a previous blog post, although it happened almost a week ago. It's quite a funny exchange, so I will mention it now. Last week, I asked my host mother if I could wear a tank top and shorts in the house. She said that was fine. But she said it may not be such a great idea to wear such a revealing outfit (in my opinion, the average Japanese woman dresses more modestly than the average woman from the United States) outside when I leave my section of the home and walk to the section of the home in which my host family lives, which is right around the corner in a busy intersection. My host mom cautioned that if people saw me wearing that sort of outfit, I may give off the image of a "slut." I said, "Excuse me, a what?" My host mom replied, "A slut. You know what that means, right?" I told her that in the United States the word has a negative connotation, and she told me that it refers to a good-looking, long-legged girl who reveals a fair amount of skin in Japanese. The word's Japanese definition does not seem like such a bad thing, it may even be rather complimentary. However, I think my host mom cautioned me against portraying that sort of image so that I would not attract unwanted attention, which it is, as I have noticed, fairly easy for me to do in Japan.

Last night Okaasan (my host mother) and I teamed up and got Otousan (my host father) to agree to go on a family outing next week during the national holiday. (I am now using the names I call my host family members by to refer to them. It seems silly to call them host ___ when that is not what I call them in conversation. It also takes too long to type.) I told Okaasan (honorific for mother) that I wanted to do something as a family soon since Ryosuke (my host brother) is returning to college in a few weeks and Otousan (honorific for father) and Yoko (my host sister) are always busy with work, school, and horseback riding. Okaasan told me that I should ask Otousan instead of her, because he would be more likely to acquiesce if I asked him than if she did. After I asked, Otousan agreed that we will climb nearby Mount Rokko next Tuesday, so I am looking forward to the family outing.

It is easy to have fun and neglect my responsibilities here in Japan. I know I'm supposed to have fun, but I still feel a little guilty for not studying as much as I should. I enjoy going out to the downtown area of Kobe with other international students and with my host siblings, and I usually return home for a seven o'clock or eight o'clock dinner, which is a later dining time than what I'm used to. Dinner lasts for an hour or so, and then I begin my homework. I'm always up late chatting, taking walks, or studying with my host family. It's wonderful in the sense that I interact with them a lot (I still wonder if they consider it too much interaction), but I'm not sleeping for as long as I would like each night.

I received a few questions about my host family that I will answer now in case more than one person has similar questions. My host brother is nineteen, he'll be turning twenty this January, and my host sister turned sixteen this past June. My host brother is definitely someone whom I consider spending time with enjoyable. His demeanor seems mature, he shares some similar interests with me, and I find him very easy to speak with. My host sister, while I enjoy spending time with her, is more rebellious, I'd say, more mischievous, and maybe more self-centered than my host brother. When I say self-centered, my intent is not negative or reflective of a perceived character flaw, but simply an observation I believe to be true due to her young age and lack of worldly experience in comparison with someone older than she. However, I have gone shopping with her one-on-one, I talk to her at home, and I have gone on walks with her, but always in the company of another host family member. I have spent a considerable time with my host brother up to this point because he is home from university, but when he returns to university for the fall semester in two weeks or so, I will rarely see him, and I may spend more time with my host sister then than I do now.

I know I have not been keeping up with my blog this past weekend... I've just become very busy, and I am always up late and waking up early, which leaves me rather exhausted. If you know me, you'll recall that I need sleep in order to function, so a schedule of staying up late doing work and waking up early to eat breakfast and go to school has probably led to my being somewhat moody and quiet. I do notice that I am quick to become frustrated, angry, or sad.

I suppose I'm used to Israel, where I had a lot of fun without having to do much work. But this is a year of my university education, and I came here expecting to study a lot. I feel irresponsible for putting off my work at the expense of enjoying Japan, but then again, I did come here to enjoy Japan as well as to study.

I had an amazing time yesterday with my host brother. He calls me a chatterbox (in a teasing way, I hope), yet he puts up with all my "chatter." We ventured to... Well, maybe I should ask him the name of the place and try to remember it, but long Japanese names are difficult to remember. It's a huge shopping district in Osaka, and it's famous for people's interesting sense of fashion. Interesting, in this case, has several meanings: literally interesting, but also figuratively funny, unusual, and downright weird. I also went to a street that I call the Michigan Avenue of Osaka; it is home to various expensive, fashionable, popular American and European brands such as Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and Hermès.

According to my host brother, Osaka is also famous for fried octopus, so he led us to one of many restaurant stands so we could sample the dish. He warned me before I even saw the food that it was difficult to eat. I asked him how one eats fried octopus, and he replied that I must see the food first and then figure it out. Venders take two large, orange rice crackers, drizzle them with a special salty sauce made for eating with fried octopus, add some other sauce (it looked and tasted like mayonnaise), and stick two balls of fried octopus in the middle. It is an awkward looking food, although my host brother and I, who normally don't normally like the taste of octopus, agreed that we would gladly eat fried octopus any day, because it is delicious.

It was difficult to wake up on Friday morning. I was exhausted from a late night of homework the previous night. After class, someone even asked me if I was feeling well, I suppose because I seemed tired, sad, or quiet.

I came home in the middle of the afternoon and took a nap. Then, over dinner, I had an interesting conversation with my host mother about dating, significant others, and relationships in Japan. I asked her how girls communicate their feelings for a boy, and vice versa. She believed that since boys and girls normally do not have physical contact as friends in Japan, if a girl were to hug a boy when they were saying goodbye to each other and initiate other physical contact, that could demonstrate the girl's true feelings. I also asked her what happens to a friendship if one person likes another but that person's feelings are not reciprocated. She told me that depending on the people, the friendship could remain intact, so I guess it's similar to the United States.

In the evening I met up with a group of nine or so fellow exchange students from Konan University, and we walked around Sannomiya. Sannomiya is the name of the large, downtown area in Kobe where one can find a plethora of shops, businesses, and bars. We saw many karaoke buildings and pachinko stores, but we did not stop in any. I returned home by midnight, in time to catch the last train home so I would not have to take an expensive taxi ride from the middle of town to my host family's home.

Yesterday morning... I went to breakfast, and my host mother began speaking of the disastrous previous night and chopsticks. I became a little upset and left the room, and when I returned all of my morning rice had been rolled up into a piece of seaweed and placed in my rice bowl. It was a kind gesture...

I was kindly corrected by a friend in regard to my interpretation of "purikura." The word's actual meaning is print club, not print camera.

I went with a friend to purchase a cell phone yesterday, and with two of us there, it took a total of four hours. I still have no idea how to use my phone.

I was also up quite late last night finishing homework. I went on a very nice walk with my two host siblings, but we then ate a late dinner, and I did not start my homework until late at night, and then it took over an hour to complete.

I need this weekend to get my life back in order. Laundry, cleaning, organizing, studying...

I could not seem do to anything correctly today. It all started out bright and early at 6:40 A.M. when I woke up way before I needed to be awake, with memories of a rather unpleasant dream lingering in my mind. This dream involved me being back at U of I when I was supposed to still be in Japan, and my roommate happened to be someone of whom I am not very fond.

I was excited to learn that the Japanese instructors placed me in the highest level Japanese class (along with seven other students, two of whom are also from U of I). But once I got to class and opened the textbook, I realized I read Japanese at the same speed as an elementary school student, and that I cannot recognize some of the most basic kanji, let alone the more difficult kanji that also pervade my textbook.

I went to my host father and host sister's barn where they ride horses, and I met their horse and saw each of them ride. After we returned home from the barn it was quite late, so my host parents decided to take us out for sushi. I made a huge fool of myself while taking my first bite. The bite was too big, and I already lack skills in the chopsticks department, so I took a bite of fish and rice, and half of the rice fell from underneath the raw fish and onto the bench on which I was sitting, barely missing my host sister's leg. I promptly started laughing and shaking my head in embarrassment, causing my hair to fall into my mouth and, consequently, become entangled in and stuck to the rice I was trying to chew. I put my hand up to my mouth, tearing at my hair to move it out of the way, and rice stuck to my fingers. I removed all but one of the grains, and while trying to flick it off my finger, I flicked it at my host father and it landed on his arm. My host brother was kind enough to suggest I tie my hair back so that it would not be in the way for the rest of the dinner, but alas, the damage was done.

I have no way of gauging my host family's comfort level with me. I know I can try to pick up on context clues, such as what is said, or how people behave in my company, but that is difficult to do in a country that bases its communication on subtlety, conformity, and consensus. I simply wish to fit in with my family, and I know that the process may take time, but I am of course curious about what they think of me.

I have been so bold as to ask the host siblings whether or not they think I spend too much time with them. Of course they immediately assure me that they both want to spend time with me and that I do not take up too much of their time, but I don't suppose they could answer me honestly if they did not enjoy my company.

Today I took the second part of my placement examination, and tomorrow I will find out my language class placement. I also went to the downtown, trendy, shopping district of Kobe called Sannomiya with my host sister. We took pictures together in a tiny photo booth used for the activity called purikura, which stands for "print camera." We entered into a small booth, had our picture taken by a machine, decorated them at a computer, and then printed the pictures. My host sister is a wonderful Japanese teacher. She uses up-to-date phrases and unique vocabulary words that are simply unknown to me, and she speaks fluidly. That combined with the fact that she will repeat words and phrases endlessly for my benefit and use circumlocution in Japanese make her an invaluable language instructor to me! Doumo arigatou, Yoko!

The mystery meat from Saturday's Fiesta Mexicana in Osaka turned out to be chicken cartilage, by the way. That's definitely one of the most unusual foods I've eaten in Japan.

I already lived in Japan for five weeks during high school, and I've been here for over a week now, yet chopsticks still give me such a difficult time! I wonder if I'm the only one whose fingers cramp up uncomfortably while using chopsticks. It's rather embarrassing to struggle with them at every evening meal.

Today I took part one of the placement test that determines into which level of Japanese language class I will be placed. I wasn't nervous, and the test was easier that those which I took at U of I last year. I forgot a few kanji, and the listening section was, at times, tough to hear and understand, yet I'm confident that I'll be placed in the correct level.

My host family is so kind. I hung out with my host brother all afternoon, and he spent a lot of time talking with me and answering my bounty of questions regarding Japanese culture, social interaction between people, and meanings of certain Japanese slang words.

I have to purchase a cell phone plan soon, either today or tomorrow. I'm not yet ready to be an adult and purchase my own cell phone plan. Doing the research is overwhelming because of all the options, and my lack of experience makes me worry that I won't purchase the "right" plan. I'm not tied up over purchasing a "cool-looking" phone, I just want to have a reasonably priced, viable plan.

A Typical Day With the Ito Family

I have had a fun day with my host family, which has left me feeling very pleased to be living with them here in Kobe. I went to the supermarket with my host mother, and we bought food to be used for the barbeque we held this afternoon. Maybe the first trip to the supermarket is the most exciting, but I was overwhelmed by the array of tasty-looking Japanese sweets, including dango (balls of sticky rice flour on a stick covered in a sweet and salty sauce) and mochi, balls of rice flour filled with anko, or red bean paste, to name a few of my favorites. I was also surprised to see that in Japan, furikake, or rice seasoning, is packaged in plastic packets as opposed to glass bottles, which are used in the United States. In addition to going to the supermarket, my host mother took me to an outdoor court where my host brother plays basketball. He was shooting hoops this morning as opposed to playing a pickup game, but it was still fun to see. He practices right near the port, so I enjoyed the ocean view as well.

This afternoon my host family held a barbeque at their home, and a few aunts and cousins came over. We grilled hot dogs, beef, and chicken, as well as corn, green pepper, carrot, sweet potato, and lotus blossom root (a commonly enjoyed vegetable here). I enjoyed meeting my host mother and host father's relatives, and I learned more about the personalities of those in my host family. We grilled s'mores for dessert, which of course reminded me of the U.S.A.

After dinner I spent a long time sitting around the table with my host siblings, talking and writing kanji. They also taught me a few origami designs, which is always a fun experience, because my attempts are usually quite off-beat and creative since I lack a knack for origami. Now I'm up past my bedtime because I need to be up early tomorrow to take part one of my Japanese language placement test!

Election Talk and Fiesta Mexicana

I finally investigated the lack of buzz over the recent election. It was quite difficult to discuss given the language barrier because I do not possess the specialized vocabulary needed to converse about politics, and those with whom I spoke had a limited knowledge of the relevant English vocabulary. I asked a fellow exchange student's host father and my host brother why no one discusses the election and they said that there is much apathy in regard to the newly elected party's ability to instill change. Some people apparently believe that no changes (I'm assuming in regard to the economy and demographic dilemma) will come about. My host brother also emphasized a lack of enthusiasm for the newly elected prime minister. From what I understood based on my limited language skills, my friend's host father said the candidates who run for prime minister are chosen from within the party as opposed to by the general public, so these candidates do not always have the support of the public, thus leading to a lack of enthusiasm for the political scene once the candidate is in office.

The above discussion took place at the "Fiesta Mexicana 2009" in Osaka. Today I rode the train to Osaka with my host mother and host brother, and we met up with a fellow exchange student and his family, which includes a mother and father, a seventeen-year-old son, a thirteen-year-old daughter, and a four-year-old son. The mother is Peruvian, so I already have found a companion with whom I may speak Spanish! Her seventeen-year-old son also speaks Spanish very well, so I practiced with him at the festival. When we entered the festival area, we witnessed children whacking a piñata, which soon after spilled open, pouring Japanese crackers and sweets on the stage floor. The next activity featured a mariachi band, and later there were Japanese women dressed in colorful dresses performing a traditional Mexican dance. When they started teaching the crowd the macarena, I jumped up and joined the crowd onstage for my first dance experience in Japan. I also experienced my first exotic food today: chicken bone and either ligament or tendon. I think I ate chicken ligament, but I shall check the Japanese spelling and look the word up in the dictionary.

Meeting the Host Family

All forty-three of us exchange students were introduced to our host families in a formal, public ceremony today. They called out the students' names in alphabetical order, and as they called out our names, our host families would walk into the middle of the room, as did we, and we met and bowed to them, introducing ourselves. After the introductions, we went into a banquet room and listened to speeches made by the President and the head of the Board of Directors of Konan University, followed by a scrumptious lunch. After lunch we drove home.

Only my host mother and host brother attended the morning's ceremony, so when I arrived at home, I met my host sister. She was sitting in front of the TV watching the Disney channel, and I found it slightly difficult to pull her attention away from the TV and make conversation. After an hour or so, my host mother showed me to my room. To enter the room I must leave the house, walk around the corner, and enter the house again through a side door. Thus, I am separated from the rest of the home in my own living quarters. I was feeling kind of lonely as I unwound in my room, but I was pleasantly surprised when my host sister showed up outside my door saying she came to hang out with me. We had an interesting conversation, and then I returned to the main part of the house for dinner. At dinner time I met my host father, and he has a great sense of humor. My host mother is very patient with me and answers all my questions about life at home as well as about Japanese grammar. My host brother seems rather shy, but he warmed up at dinner with the whole family sitting around the table.

I'm comfortable and happy right now, and I can't wait go to the Mexican Festival tomorrow in Osaka. I'll see for myself the Japanese take on Mexican culture!

Second Day of Orientation

Today I returned to Konan University for additional sessions on various aspects of the study abroad program. In the afternoon we split into the same groups we had yesterday during the campus tour, and today our Japanese guides showed us around downtown Kobe. My feet became quite sore from all the walking, and I was also rather tired from the heat and from jet lag, so the students who took me on the tour kept commenting on my lack of energy. I tried to express my appreciation and enthusiasm for the time they spent and the effort they put into providing me with a fun tour.

One hot topic about which I have not yet heard much is the recent election in Japan. It may be due to the people with whom I've been spending most of my time lately, but no discussion of the election has come up. I'll have to investigate in a sensitive manner to find out what people think of the change in power. Today I did, however, engage in conversation with my fellow French students in regard to Nicolas Sarkozy and their malcontent with his politics. Their comments reminded me that I would like to find out more about what people think of the new prime minister and the Democratic Party here in Japan.

A Beautiful Day In Kobe

I felt refreshed after an eight hour rest yesterday morning when I awoke. My group met at 8:45 in our hotel lobby and immediately headed for the train station. My first train ride was atypical of what one would think of a typical train ride in Japan. Then again, I was not riding the train at rush hour, so I was not shoved into an overly crowded train car with my nose practically brushing up against someone else's nose. We rode to my university, so I got my first view of the campus. We had several hours of orientation, so I received a campus tour from a few students currently enrolled in Konan University, I listened to a professor discuss how to have a successful home stay, and I learned how to operate campus computers. It was hot and humid as we walked around campus and then from campus to dinner, but I did not mind the heat and humidity, I felt ecstatic just being in Kobe.

I conducted a small social "experiment" on the way to dinner. I spotted a person on the street and decided to pay him a compliment. I wanted to discover how receptive a person was to a compliment from a stranger. I approached him and told him I liked his hat, which was striped in a variety of vivid colors. Maybe he did not find the compliment odd because I am a foreigner and he expected a foreigner to be more forthcoming, but he smiled and graciously accepted my compliment, and we continued to have a small conversation until we headed our separate ways at the next intersection. After a delicious dinner of hamburgers (I'm glad I now eat hamburgers!), we walked back to the hotel and then I went out to a billiards bar with a few friends. I watched two games and was back in the hotel by 10:30 P.M.

My First Few Hours In Japan

It turns out that I do have an Internet connection from the hotel, so I am able to update my blog. I was overwhelmed upon arrival today, mostly from fatigue. I awoke at 3:45 A.M. on Monday morning and arrived in Japan on Tuesday afternoon. However, it was also heart-warming to be back in Japan after three years. I feel more confident in my language skills than compared with the last visit I made to Japan now that I have studied Japanese for two years. On the other hand, every time I anticipate the difficulties I will encounter while trying to obtain a high level of fluency, I wonder to myself whether or not this is really doable. I feel as though my goal to learn Japanese is one of the most difficult I have ever set for myself. I dug through my memory trying to come up with a goal to which I devoted a similar amount of time and energy, and the most I could come up with was learning violin in high school. But as I'm typing this, I remember that learning Japanese is fun for me, and it's a hobby, not a chore. I hope that thought will drive my motivation to study.

Kobe is warm and humid at this time of year, and I feel that Kobe has a homier vibe and is easier to navigate than Tokyo. I enjoyed a solo dinner tonight, my first dinner during this study abroad experience. As I sat on the pier munching onigiri (rice triangles wrapped in seaweed and filled with fish or vegetable), I gazed up at the light of the Kobe Port Tower and listened to the steady taiko drum beat coming from the building next door, eagerly anticipating all the wonderful experiences in store for me this year!