Japan girl
The front of our Kimonos
And the back!
Watching the fireworks
And they got a little to loud!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Fireworks
We went to go see fireworks yesterday night. I got a lot of movies (I am only going to post 1) and some pictures. Rieko, I, and another girl wore kimonos. I wore mine (that was a gift from Rieko's Aunt). And I wore my new tie (I picked it out myself, and love the pattern!!).
Japan girl
The front of our Kimonos
And the back!
Japan girl
The front of our Kimonos
And the back!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Journal - more updates
Sunday July 20th, 9:00pm.
We didn’t get home from the LABO party until 11:00pm!! I had a lot of fun, and got to see Riko!! Every mother brought a dish of food to the party; my host mom brought fried chicken (!), and the leftover pancakes that I cooked that morning. All the pancakes went very quickly! And everyone said they were good!! I went shopping before the party, and got some gifts. I got to go to the guide dog school today! (YEAH!) It was a lot of fun; they had a “real” guide dog there with a blind lady, and then a trainer with a dog that can be placed anytime. She showed us how they train them to walk around things, (so that they won’t trip and fall), after that she asked if anyone wanted to come and walk with the guide dog (that was wearing a harness). A whole bunch of kids raised their hands, and she was only going to pick 5. I happened to be one of them! (Lucky me), so I put the blind fold on that she gave me, took a hold of the harness (and the trainer was walking the dog with a lead on the other side), and started walking, it was a really fun! My host mother got pictures so I can post them on my blog. After she finished talking we got to go to the gift shop. They didn’t have any t-shirts, but they had a lot of other things, I got some things, (including 2 guide dog post cards), and then a lot of information on the guide dog school. Once we left the guide dog school, we went and got lunch. I got to go in a bakery to choose what bread I wanted. It was way different from the bakeries I am used to. You got a plate with a handle, and your own picker-up to pick up bread, and all the bread was out on plates. Once you were done you go to pay. They bag each bread in a separate bag, and then in a bag together. It looks, and is, a lot different!! But the bread tasted great!
I was quite surprised when I got to the LABO event, because I saw Charlie!! She was my roommate at the hotel in Japan (she is from America). She was surprised to see me there too, and there were also 2 other people from America. All four of us got up on the stage and had to sing the chicken song (I don’t want to be a chicken, I don’t want to be a duck…), then we got all the kids singing it! We had alot of fun, and also played alot of other games. We did origami too. Then when it ended we went out to eat! It was my first time going to a restaurant in Japan!! It was one that they brought all sorts of different meat to the table and you cooked it yourself. That was soo much fun! I have never done that before at a restaurant! We also ordered dessert; Rieko and I got vanilla ice cream, it was really good. I will be posting pictures of going to my first restaurant and the guide dog school tomorrow (since its already 9:30!). So good night.
Monday July 21, 10:15pm.
HAIR CUT!!
I went and got my hair cut at 2:30pm today, it was a really nice place, and expensive, one cut was 30,000 yen (about 300 dollars!!!), but mine wasn’t too expensive!! (Since I wasn’t getting a perm, or my hair colored!!) I looked through more than 6 big books of hair styles, but didn’t find any ones I liked. So I got the word across “layered” to the person who was going to cut my hair, and told him how short I wanted it. He chose what the style was going to look like, and what the layering would look like. After getting it washed, cut, washed, dried, brushed, and I think thinned, it was done. I really like it, and glad I chose to get a haircut in Japan.
After that we went to a shopping center, and got ice-cream Sundays. Mine was really good, and in the middle of it there was cake. We then went shopping for an hour. Tonight we watched a movie, it was in English but had Japanese subtitles, I asked what the name was, and was told (Lalyie’s Adventure), I know the name Lalyie isn’t right but it was close to the girls name in the movie. I thought for sure I knew what the movie was, but the name didn’t fit at all. Then once it passed a part that Lalyie was given a golden compass I knew the name!! I remember seeing commercials for it. The name I think was The Golden Compass. (Mom and Dad hadn’t intended this movie for our family, but I didn’t know that.)
I have to go to bed now, since we are leaving for a theme park tomorrow, and also staying the night at a hotel. So I want to get my sleep.
Good night!
Wednesday July 23, 8:38pm.
I decided not to bring my computer with me yesterday so I didn’t write in my journal at all. Yesterday’s update is…
Tuesday July 22.
We left the house at 11:00am, and stopped to eat lunch at 12:15pm. I had corn soup (which is REALLY good!!), a hamburger, and salad. After we left the restaurant we got back in the car and went to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel around 1:50pm. At the hotel we got out of the car with our backpacks and things, got to the front of the hotel, and a person came up, took all of the luggage put it on a cart, wheeled it in the door, and handed the cart with luggage to another person, a lady wearing a kimono, (there were about 10 ladies all wearing matching kimonos!!). The lady that had our luggage took it to our room (with us following), and, when we left our room, whenever we came back the room was either ready for bed (all the beds put out), or a small table put out with water, green tea, and a sweet (dessert). And if the lady ever came in when we were in the room, she would always kneel down and bow. Just like when I walked around the inside of the hotel, anybody working there would stop and bow!! But that is what they do in Japan. When I went to school with Rieko last week, whenever a different teacher came into the room, all of us, including me, had to stand up and bow to him/her. If you ever went to this hotel you would think the same thing (it’s REALLY, REALLY nice!!) I got some pictures of it so I can post them on my blog. Well after we got our swimsuits out of our backpacks (only me and Rieko, Rieko’s father was going to take a long bath, and Rieko’s mother was going to take pictures of us) we went to the water park (which is attached to the hotel, well pretty much, it’s not INSIDE, of course!!). We had a blast! There was this slide that after you started you come out into a funnel and go round and round until you fall into the hole in the middle (sometimes head first!!). We also went in a pool that goes around almost the whole water park (which was just like the lazy river at Splash Country). Then there was the “Sea Pool” which is just like the Wave pool at Splash Country! It has waves just like a real sea. Then there was a slide that you climbed up a lot of stairs to get to, it was a really long one! There were a lot of others but I don’t want to name them all, I think this water park was just like Splash Country!!
Once we were done with the water park we went to eat dinner (supper), you know sometimes when you are at a restaurant and you complain that your food takes forever to come? Well if so then you never want to go to Japan!! Because some restaurants like to drag out your supper! I mean we got to our table, ate the little bit of food that was already at the table, and waited, and after 30 minutes, a bowl of soup came, once we finished that (if you liked it, otherwise you would be really bored!) then wait for another, it was a long supper!! But I had a lot of time to get pictures of each food!! When we went to bed I decided to climb up and sleep in where the beds were stored! I convinced Rieko to sleep with me, and from reading the Little House books, it was just like a box bed!! Which is a bed that is just big enough for you and one other person, and has a door to shut (all of it is wood), so if your parents want to stay up and read, you can shut the door and go to bed! I got pictures of it, and will be posting that on my blog too!!
Wednesday July 23,
We went to the theme park today, (much like DollyWood) half the rides were just like ones at DW!! We did Roller coasters first, which I am now calling this theme park the Roller coaster park! Half of it is roller coasters! I rode 6-7 different ones!! One of which was called the Steel Dragon. Now when Rieko came to our house she went to DW and didn’t want to ride the roller coaster that went upside down, (called TN Tornado) but the next day she felt bad for not doing it, so she went on it. And ended up loving it and doing it again! But that didn’t work with Steel Dragon!! She would not ride it (neither would her mother!) but her father rode it with me! This roller coaster was way different than TN Tornado. It is in the Guiness Record Book! It is the roller coaster that goes really, really far up, and almost straight down!! I have pictures of how high it is, but I really wasn’t that scared, and it was a lot of fun! All the other roller coasters Rieko’s mother rode with me, but there was one other one named White Cyclone that was made of all wood (just like the one at DW), and Rieko wouldn’t ride that one either. So her mother rode it with me! Rieko went to ride something called Frog hopping, (one at DW that goes up and down and up and down), and it went up and stopped really fast, and it felt just like frog hopping! Well, I think so, I really don’t know since I have never been a frog! But we rode a lot of different rides, one of the last rides (that Rieko would not ride, and I wish I had followed suit) was a boat that went up, up, and up, then went down into water! It was like the one at DW but you got WAY more wet! I thought it would be just like the one at DW but I was wrong, it was a good thing I got to take my shoes off before doing the ride! I was dripping wet from head to toe, and every part of me was wet!! But Rieko was nice and dry! After lunch (2:00pm) we went back to the water park (since it was getting to hot). I did the funnel ride 2 more times (since it is soo fun!) and then a lot of other rides.
I had a lot of fun, and think the water park and theme park was just like DollyWood and Splash Country!!
We didn’t get home from the LABO party until 11:00pm!! I had a lot of fun, and got to see Riko!! Every mother brought a dish of food to the party; my host mom brought fried chicken (!), and the leftover pancakes that I cooked that morning. All the pancakes went very quickly! And everyone said they were good!! I went shopping before the party, and got some gifts. I got to go to the guide dog school today! (YEAH!) It was a lot of fun; they had a “real” guide dog there with a blind lady, and then a trainer with a dog that can be placed anytime. She showed us how they train them to walk around things, (so that they won’t trip and fall), after that she asked if anyone wanted to come and walk with the guide dog (that was wearing a harness). A whole bunch of kids raised their hands, and she was only going to pick 5. I happened to be one of them! (Lucky me), so I put the blind fold on that she gave me, took a hold of the harness (and the trainer was walking the dog with a lead on the other side), and started walking, it was a really fun! My host mother got pictures so I can post them on my blog. After she finished talking we got to go to the gift shop. They didn’t have any t-shirts, but they had a lot of other things, I got some things, (including 2 guide dog post cards), and then a lot of information on the guide dog school. Once we left the guide dog school, we went and got lunch. I got to go in a bakery to choose what bread I wanted. It was way different from the bakeries I am used to. You got a plate with a handle, and your own picker-up to pick up bread, and all the bread was out on plates. Once you were done you go to pay. They bag each bread in a separate bag, and then in a bag together. It looks, and is, a lot different!! But the bread tasted great!
I was quite surprised when I got to the LABO event, because I saw Charlie!! She was my roommate at the hotel in Japan (she is from America). She was surprised to see me there too, and there were also 2 other people from America. All four of us got up on the stage and had to sing the chicken song (I don’t want to be a chicken, I don’t want to be a duck…), then we got all the kids singing it! We had alot of fun, and also played alot of other games. We did origami too. Then when it ended we went out to eat! It was my first time going to a restaurant in Japan!! It was one that they brought all sorts of different meat to the table and you cooked it yourself. That was soo much fun! I have never done that before at a restaurant! We also ordered dessert; Rieko and I got vanilla ice cream, it was really good. I will be posting pictures of going to my first restaurant and the guide dog school tomorrow (since its already 9:30!). So good night.
Monday July 21, 10:15pm.
HAIR CUT!!
I went and got my hair cut at 2:30pm today, it was a really nice place, and expensive, one cut was 30,000 yen (about 300 dollars!!!), but mine wasn’t too expensive!! (Since I wasn’t getting a perm, or my hair colored!!) I looked through more than 6 big books of hair styles, but didn’t find any ones I liked. So I got the word across “layered” to the person who was going to cut my hair, and told him how short I wanted it. He chose what the style was going to look like, and what the layering would look like. After getting it washed, cut, washed, dried, brushed, and I think thinned, it was done. I really like it, and glad I chose to get a haircut in Japan.
After that we went to a shopping center, and got ice-cream Sundays. Mine was really good, and in the middle of it there was cake. We then went shopping for an hour. Tonight we watched a movie, it was in English but had Japanese subtitles, I asked what the name was, and was told (Lalyie’s Adventure), I know the name Lalyie isn’t right but it was close to the girls name in the movie. I thought for sure I knew what the movie was, but the name didn’t fit at all. Then once it passed a part that Lalyie was given a golden compass I knew the name!! I remember seeing commercials for it. The name I think was The Golden Compass. (Mom and Dad hadn’t intended this movie for our family, but I didn’t know that.)
I have to go to bed now, since we are leaving for a theme park tomorrow, and also staying the night at a hotel. So I want to get my sleep.
Good night!
Wednesday July 23, 8:38pm.
I decided not to bring my computer with me yesterday so I didn’t write in my journal at all. Yesterday’s update is…
Tuesday July 22.
We left the house at 11:00am, and stopped to eat lunch at 12:15pm. I had corn soup (which is REALLY good!!), a hamburger, and salad. After we left the restaurant we got back in the car and went to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel around 1:50pm. At the hotel we got out of the car with our backpacks and things, got to the front of the hotel, and a person came up, took all of the luggage put it on a cart, wheeled it in the door, and handed the cart with luggage to another person, a lady wearing a kimono, (there were about 10 ladies all wearing matching kimonos!!). The lady that had our luggage took it to our room (with us following), and, when we left our room, whenever we came back the room was either ready for bed (all the beds put out), or a small table put out with water, green tea, and a sweet (dessert). And if the lady ever came in when we were in the room, she would always kneel down and bow. Just like when I walked around the inside of the hotel, anybody working there would stop and bow!! But that is what they do in Japan. When I went to school with Rieko last week, whenever a different teacher came into the room, all of us, including me, had to stand up and bow to him/her. If you ever went to this hotel you would think the same thing (it’s REALLY, REALLY nice!!) I got some pictures of it so I can post them on my blog. Well after we got our swimsuits out of our backpacks (only me and Rieko, Rieko’s father was going to take a long bath, and Rieko’s mother was going to take pictures of us) we went to the water park (which is attached to the hotel, well pretty much, it’s not INSIDE, of course!!). We had a blast! There was this slide that after you started you come out into a funnel and go round and round until you fall into the hole in the middle (sometimes head first!!). We also went in a pool that goes around almost the whole water park (which was just like the lazy river at Splash Country). Then there was the “Sea Pool” which is just like the Wave pool at Splash Country! It has waves just like a real sea. Then there was a slide that you climbed up a lot of stairs to get to, it was a really long one! There were a lot of others but I don’t want to name them all, I think this water park was just like Splash Country!!
Once we were done with the water park we went to eat dinner (supper), you know sometimes when you are at a restaurant and you complain that your food takes forever to come? Well if so then you never want to go to Japan!! Because some restaurants like to drag out your supper! I mean we got to our table, ate the little bit of food that was already at the table, and waited, and after 30 minutes, a bowl of soup came, once we finished that (if you liked it, otherwise you would be really bored!) then wait for another, it was a long supper!! But I had a lot of time to get pictures of each food!! When we went to bed I decided to climb up and sleep in where the beds were stored! I convinced Rieko to sleep with me, and from reading the Little House books, it was just like a box bed!! Which is a bed that is just big enough for you and one other person, and has a door to shut (all of it is wood), so if your parents want to stay up and read, you can shut the door and go to bed! I got pictures of it, and will be posting that on my blog too!!
Wednesday July 23,
We went to the theme park today, (much like DollyWood) half the rides were just like ones at DW!! We did Roller coasters first, which I am now calling this theme park the Roller coaster park! Half of it is roller coasters! I rode 6-7 different ones!! One of which was called the Steel Dragon. Now when Rieko came to our house she went to DW and didn’t want to ride the roller coaster that went upside down, (called TN Tornado) but the next day she felt bad for not doing it, so she went on it. And ended up loving it and doing it again! But that didn’t work with Steel Dragon!! She would not ride it (neither would her mother!) but her father rode it with me! This roller coaster was way different than TN Tornado. It is in the Guiness Record Book! It is the roller coaster that goes really, really far up, and almost straight down!! I have pictures of how high it is, but I really wasn’t that scared, and it was a lot of fun! All the other roller coasters Rieko’s mother rode with me, but there was one other one named White Cyclone that was made of all wood (just like the one at DW), and Rieko wouldn’t ride that one either. So her mother rode it with me! Rieko went to ride something called Frog hopping, (one at DW that goes up and down and up and down), and it went up and stopped really fast, and it felt just like frog hopping! Well, I think so, I really don’t know since I have never been a frog! But we rode a lot of different rides, one of the last rides (that Rieko would not ride, and I wish I had followed suit) was a boat that went up, up, and up, then went down into water! It was like the one at DW but you got WAY more wet! I thought it would be just like the one at DW but I was wrong, it was a good thing I got to take my shoes off before doing the ride! I was dripping wet from head to toe, and every part of me was wet!! But Rieko was nice and dry! After lunch (2:00pm) we went back to the water park (since it was getting to hot). I did the funnel ride 2 more times (since it is soo fun!) and then a lot of other rides.
I had a lot of fun, and think the water park and theme park was just like DollyWood and Splash Country!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Theme park!
Rieko and my host mother got some picutres of me riding the roller coasters, but the ones she rode we didnt get any. So the 2 most scariest ones (the ones Rieko would not ride!) we paid for pictures, like they do at DollyWood.
Japan girl
Japan girl
Here are some picutres of the roller coaters, before I rode them:
Steel Dragon
Steel Dragon 2
A different roller coaster I rode. 
A really fun roller coaster called Wild Mouse.
Me and my host father with the Steel Dragon sign.
And now pictures of me riding the roller coasters, and other rides.
Me riding Steel Dragon, (I am the one waving)
I am in the second row in the front car.
Riding the Wild Mouse roller coaster.
Rieko did this ride, (I really didnt want to go all the
way upside down!!) She is number 6 not 9, so she is
upside down right now!!
I decided not to do this ride either.
It went up really high while turning around. But
Rieko and her father did it.
Me and Rieko riding in a boat,
and it wasn't on a motor!!
We had a lot of water to drive around in!
The water ride that my host father and my
host mother, and I did. Rieko didn't want to.
And after doing it I thought the same thing!!
This is why!!
Me and Rieko doing the ride "Frog Hopper"
Water park!!
The first day we went to the water park, and I was told that we would go to the theme park (which I am now calling the roller coaster park, since half of it is roller coasters!!). I think the water park is just like Splash Country (if none of you have been there go to http://www.dollywoodssplashcountry.com/). And there was this REALLY fun ride that part of it is a big funnel, and you go around and around in 'til you fall through the middle into a pool of water!!
I have a movie of me doing it and also Rieko. And a couple pictures (I even got my host mom to do it!!).
The bucket is dumping out!
I have a movie of me doing it and also Rieko. And a couple pictures (I even got my host mom to do it!!).
Look at the pictures below (and movies), since I am not going to try to explain everything I did, the pictures will show it all. But most all the rides there were just like Splash Country.
Japan girl
Me and Rieko in the pool that is just like the lazy river at Splash Country.
Playing in the little kids area 
Me getting ready to fall through to the pool!! 
Mom (going head first!!) going into the hole.
Rieko! Getting ready to land.
Me going down the really long slide.
There are only 3 slides! One of these I went down, and it was really long! 
The bucket is dumping out!
Rieko going down the slide into the funnel
Me going down the slide into the funnel
Monday, July 21, 2008
HAIR CUT!!
I went and got my hair cut today. It was a really, really nice place, and I was surprised by my host mother paying for the cut. I didn't choose my hair style from a book (even though I looked through 6 big books!!), I got the word "layered" across to him and let him do the rest. I like it a lot (even if I didn't pick it!!)
Rieko also got her hair cut. I have before, during, and after pictures of my hair. So look at them, and comment on how you like it!!
Japan girl
BEFORE:
The front view
The back view
...washing again
....drying and brushing
...AND DO YOU LIKE IT!!!
The back view.
During:
First was washing
...then was cutting
...then was cutting
...washing again
....drying and brushing
...AND DO YOU LIKE IT!!!
The back view.
Me and Rieko in front of the building
And this is the name.
Guide dog school!!
Yesterday I went to the guide dog school!!
It was a lot of fun. I got to see a real guide dog there with a blind lady, and then there was a trainer with a dog that wasn't a working dog yet. She showed us how they trained them to walk around things so that the blind person won't trip and fall. And after that was the best part!! She said something in Japanese (I had NO clue what it was), but then Rieko was trying to explain it, by the time she did another girl already raised her hand. I figured out right then (since Rieko found the right words to explain it) but since the other girl raised her hand first, I couldn't do it. "It" was if you were the one who raised your hand then you got to come up get blindfolded, and then walk with the "in training" dog, that was wearing a harness!! You even got to hold the handle, the trainer was on the other side holding the lead, just in case. But it wasn't me who got to do it, it was another girl. After she was done walking with the dog, I found out that the trainer was going to let some more do it, I raised my hand right away!! But she was only going to let 5 kids walk with the dog. And more then 15 kids raised their hand. Somehow out of all of them I was picked as one of those five!!
It was a lot of fun. I got to see a real guide dog there with a blind lady, and then there was a trainer with a dog that wasn't a working dog yet. She showed us how they trained them to walk around things so that the blind person won't trip and fall. And after that was the best part!! She said something in Japanese (I had NO clue what it was), but then Rieko was trying to explain it, by the time she did another girl already raised her hand. I figured out right then (since Rieko found the right words to explain it) but since the other girl raised her hand first, I couldn't do it. "It" was if you were the one who raised your hand then you got to come up get blindfolded, and then walk with the "in training" dog, that was wearing a harness!! You even got to hold the handle, the trainer was on the other side holding the lead, just in case. But it wasn't me who got to do it, it was another girl. After she was done walking with the dog, I found out that the trainer was going to let some more do it, I raised my hand right away!! But she was only going to let 5 kids walk with the dog. And more then 15 kids raised their hand. Somehow out of all of them I was picked as one of those five!!
This is the first time I have every gotten to walk with a dog in harness holding the handle!!
There are pictures below, mind you the harness was a "Japanese" harness, so it was a lot differnt, and it was white!!"
Japan girl
Showing how they train themto go around things, (it was a fence).
Showing us how they get them to go around chairs.
This was the working guide dog, and for some
reason, it was not just wearing a harness, but also
wearing clothes!! And that was just like the service
dog I saw at the other school. I wonder if that is to
show that it isn't just in "training" with a harness ,
it is really working.
ME!! Her telling me what we are going to do
ME!! Her telling me what we are going to do
(in Japanese!!).
Me walking with the dog.
Me walking with the dog, (going back to where we
started)
And giving the blindfold back, and also saying
thank you.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
shocking email
This is the email I sent home to my parents today.
Hey mom!I have great news! I got to see a horse auction, and they were selling a cute little horse (filly), and well, I raised my hand and brought it since the dog food guy was the only other one bidding. I ended up using all my money to pay to have it shipped to our house. Since a couple other horses were brought by people in the US it was not near as expensive to ship. I have named her Jewel (her real name is Halley). She will be leaving for the US tomorrow, so if you really do not want me to bring it home I guess I can find a home for it, (but my host family already said that they can not keep it). It will not eat that much grass or food since it is a minature horse. Please let me know soon, other wise the money I paid for shipping I can not get back. (you have 1 day to say never mind). I think you will love her, since she will be arrivving before me, please take good care of her. I think for right now she can have the old pig pen. That is were we put Jesse bear for his first week. I attached a picture of her, it was taken with her and her mother, she was just weaned.(it was taken by my host mother, I hope you can veiw it, even if it was taken on a Japanese cammera).
Let me know if I can keep her (I think she would be good for the petting zoo, now that we don't have Jesse bear).
Also how is the goose doing?
Japan Girl
Hey mom!I have great news! I got to see a horse auction, and they were selling a cute little horse (filly), and well, I raised my hand and brought it since the dog food guy was the only other one bidding. I ended up using all my money to pay to have it shipped to our house. Since a couple other horses were brought by people in the US it was not near as expensive to ship. I have named her Jewel (her real name is Halley). She will be leaving for the US tomorrow, so if you really do not want me to bring it home I guess I can find a home for it, (but my host family already said that they can not keep it). It will not eat that much grass or food since it is a minature horse. Please let me know soon, other wise the money I paid for shipping I can not get back. (you have 1 day to say never mind). I think you will love her, since she will be arrivving before me, please take good care of her. I think for right now she can have the old pig pen. That is were we put Jesse bear for his first week. I attached a picture of her, it was taken with her and her mother, she was just weaned.(it was taken by my host mother, I hope you can veiw it, even if it was taken on a Japanese cammera).
Let me know if I can keep her (I think she would be good for the petting zoo, now that we don't have Jesse bear).
Also how is the goose doing?
Japan Girl
Oops
My mom is new to all this blog stuff. She was posting one at a time but didn't realize the dates were set when I originally did the posts. So...there are two new posts, but they are before that last journal update. Scroll back to see them.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Journal update
Monday July 14th, 7:45pm (Sunday in America)
I was told that I would have to stand up and read off of a piece of paper (in Japanese) in front of all the 4-hers and their host family’s (each 4-Her would have to do this) and it would be at 11:30am, (on the 12th) but when I woke up that morning I found out that my host family was coming to pick me up at 8:30am instead of 11:30am. So I ended up not having to stand up and read something I had no idea how to read!!
After I was picked up we went to the service dog school, it was way different than the guide dog school I have seen in America. I met a working service dog that was 11 years old, and saw another service dog work. He was really good and I got a video of him doing some commands. I will be visiting the guide dog school on the 19th.
I have gone shopping to the 100 yen store (dollar tree) and gotten lots of neat gifts. I got ice cream at McDonald’s and it tasted the same as American ice cream. I got up at 6:30am this morning to go to school. My host family got me a uniform to wear there (pleated black skirt and white shirt) and it looks the same as all the other girls. I got to teach 2 English classes including reading out of a text book. It was a lot of fun and I even got to grade some of the kid’s papers. I wrote on the board saying my name and some other things (where I live, what I like, how many brothers and sisters do I have) and the whole class asked me questions in English so I understood them!! So far in Rieko’s school English is my favorite subject!! I also helped some of the girls spell words right.
Last night I ate fried chicken, pork, rice, French fries, potatoes, and corn. Then we had cake (that said “Welcome to our home Allie”) it had strawberries on top and in the middle. The flavor was vanilla, and it had cool whip on top (I said that just for you, Dad!!). Tonight I helped make supper, I washed, skinned, and cooked the squid, I seasoned and cooked the fish, I washed and pealed eggs (for salad) I washed lettuce, and got tomatoes and cucumbers to put on the lettuce. The food I helped cook tasted really good! And I tried to squid, and it tasted good too. I went to 2 electric stores yesterday looking for a new air conditioner for Rieko’s room, since hers broke. While mother and father looked at new AC Rieko and I looked at the whole store(s), and at one of the stores we found pianos!! I played some on it and Rieko got a movie and a picture.
My host family also has a piano, and music books. Rieko’s brother used to play, but he doesn’t play anymore. The rooms in the house are small, but there are a lot of different rooms. I have used the shower twice and I know how to work it. I spent half the day with the English teacher at school helping her teach classes (who is fun to talk to!!). I have given some gifts to the family, but still have a lot more left to give to people. I have used my host family’s computer to send emails since I can’t get internet on mine. My host mother told me that I can try to plug it in downstairs and it should work. Japan is way different than America, but I am learning new things every day.
Tuesday July 15th, 10:00pm.
Today was my second day of school, and since everything is in Japanese I don’t understand what they are doing or saying. But I did understand what they were doing in science today since I have done it before. We did science for about an hour, and before that we had a dance class (folk dancing!!). I brought pancake mix from America with me to make for my host family. I am planning on making pancakes on Saturday, and I am told that I might be able to get my hair cut this Sunday (I will be sure to get lots of pictures!!). This Thursday (the day after tomorrow) I will be spending some of the day with Rieko’s LABO teacher. She came over today and brought with her 3 girls (2 were 11 and 1 was 12) and we played a game and ate caramel popcorn! Rieko will be doing something for a couple hours that day so I will be going to her LABO teacher’s house. I just got back from Rieko’s Calligraphy class, I wrote some Japanese words with ink and a paint brush. The words I wrote were “horse, rain, star, an old version of star, flower, and my name.” I am bringing what I did home with me so I can show my family and friends.
I would write more but I am really tired and have to get up early tomorrow!
Wednesday July 16th, 8:50pm.
I went to elementary school today, (ages ranging from 5-12) and got to sit in 2 English classes, one of which I helped in. I also got to go see their music room and science room. For lunch at school today I had bread, noodles, and fruit. The bread tasted really good!!
I found out when I was picked up from school that today is Rieko’s father’s birthday. Just my luck that I haven’t given him the gift I brought with me from America (specifically for him) yet! So I gave the gift to him tonight, and he was really surprised! It was a shirt with horses and the American flag on it. He told me that his favorite animal is a horse. And it was the right size. I found a box of cookies (that had to be warmed up in the microwave) I brought from America also and we had them tonight for dessert. Everyone said they tasted great. I was just told that we will hopefully be getting my hair cut this Monday, not Sunday since we have the tour of the guide dog school and a LABO thing that day. In Rieko’s school there is no air conditioning, so it is REALLY hot. And if you don’t bring a fan you will be miserable all day. Most of the kids also bring a washcloth to wipe off all the sweat. In English class yesterday I was being asked questions, most of which I have never had or heard of. They were asking if I have had certain foods, and a lot of the foods were Japanese foods. My answers were always no, but then they were being silly and asked a question that the whole class knew I have never had… SNAKE!! But I answered them saying “yes!” the whole class went wild! Since they were joking in the first place they were definitely expecting a “no.”
I only have 2 days of school left! I think everyone there is going to miss me, now that I have been to each of the English classes and taught, or helped teach, them all the kids know me! I mean if I walk down to hall to use the restroom all the people standing there yell “HI ALLIE!!” and when I leave the school its “BYE ALLIE!” its soo funny that they all remembered my name, and always say hi and bye! I think I like being popular at school! Well, good night.
Thursday July 17th, 9:25pm.
Today I had P.E at school; it was WAY more fun then doing math or Japanese classes!! We all went to the gym, the boys went outside to do P.E and the girls stayed inside. We had mats all over the gym. After our teacher said go we had 10 minutes for each thing. Some were handstands, rolling doing a front flip, rolling doing a back flip, and then we did all the things at one time. Some I was really bad at but some I was better than the other girls! One girl was doing a hand stand near the wall and ended up falling into the wall. After sitting for a while she felt better and joined back in. We had P.E for 1 hour, and then it was lunch. For lunch we had an orange, rice, fried fish, soup, and vegetables. Once school finally was over we came home by a bus and then I left for the LABO teacher’s house. I didn’t know but they invited all of their friends to come also, so we played a lot of games since there were soo many people! I had a lot of fun and even ate dinner with them (and it was my first attempt to try and use chopsticks in front of people!! I did pretty good!) We had pizza (!), hamburgers (!), salad, oranges, corn, and rice. I also was asked if I could answer some questions, so all the people there got to ask me 1 question (it was the same as being in the English class!). For some odd reason I was asked a question that I had to answer way too many times in school, “do I have a boy friend?” and when I said “NO!” then they asked “do I want a boy friend?” and I said “NO!” again. In the English class after I said that someone then asked which of the boys in the classroom was the best looking and I like the most! I told them that I didn’t want to answer that question.
Me and another girl I made friends with, when she came over the day before yesterday, (her name is Riko, close to Rieko!) won a game and was given a prize. I think it really was a gift to me though since she wouldn’t take it. I haven’t opened it yet and I am not planning on opening it ‘til I get home. I will be going back to the LABO teacher’s house (and seeing all the people again that I saw today) for a LABO party. I can’t wait, I had soo much fun today, and they even have a dog! He is full grown but is still really tinny! And his name is Bigga (almost like bigger!). Good night, and tomorrow is my last day of school (thank goodness!) so I will be going to more places and will write more.
Friday July 18th,
Yeah!! Today was the last day of school! Me, Rieko and another girl from the school made sweet potatoes from sweet potatoes, (which I think must be called something different but that is what they called it), each person in our class had to make some kind of food and it would be video taped. Someone right beside us was making a sweet that they said would look something like a doughnut when it was done being cooked. I was surprised by being asked to come up at the end of school (in our class) and was given a gift, it is signatures of all the students in the class I was in!! and then I got to get a group photo.
For supper the night before I had a cooked roll and the inside was filled with stuff from an octopus, it was okay, but I would rather eat the squid! Tonight we went to a LABO event, not the party, that’s tomorrow. This was a time for all the LABO members to come and practice what they were going to say (all of the LABO members will be doing a play tomorrow). Riko was there again and I brought a gift with me for her just incase I saw her, (hello kitty pez) and she was quite surprised! I will be seeing her again tomorrow so if she needs help putting the pez in the pez container I can show her how. After the LABO members finished practicing the play we had hamburgers! Riko and I made them while they were practicing the play, they were really good. I opened the gift they gave me (yesterday) since my host mom said it would go bad before I got home. It was a kind of Japanese desert, it had cinnamon in it, and it was pretty good.
Saturday July 19th, 11:50am.
I made blueberry pancakes today from 2 pancake mixes that I’d brought with me from America. I used both and it made a whole bunch! After a little math we figured out how much water and oil to put in the mix, (they don’t use cups) and then I cooked them. Since I had soo much it took a while but after I was done we ate them (with the syrup and honey I brought). The Mom liked the honey the best on the pancakes, Rieko liked the breakfast syrup the best, and I like the maple syrup the best. We will be leaving for the LABO party at 3:30pm since it starts at 4.
Japan Girl
I was told that I would have to stand up and read off of a piece of paper (in Japanese) in front of all the 4-hers and their host family’s (each 4-Her would have to do this) and it would be at 11:30am, (on the 12th) but when I woke up that morning I found out that my host family was coming to pick me up at 8:30am instead of 11:30am. So I ended up not having to stand up and read something I had no idea how to read!!
After I was picked up we went to the service dog school, it was way different than the guide dog school I have seen in America. I met a working service dog that was 11 years old, and saw another service dog work. He was really good and I got a video of him doing some commands. I will be visiting the guide dog school on the 19th.
I have gone shopping to the 100 yen store (dollar tree) and gotten lots of neat gifts. I got ice cream at McDonald’s and it tasted the same as American ice cream. I got up at 6:30am this morning to go to school. My host family got me a uniform to wear there (pleated black skirt and white shirt) and it looks the same as all the other girls. I got to teach 2 English classes including reading out of a text book. It was a lot of fun and I even got to grade some of the kid’s papers. I wrote on the board saying my name and some other things (where I live, what I like, how many brothers and sisters do I have) and the whole class asked me questions in English so I understood them!! So far in Rieko’s school English is my favorite subject!! I also helped some of the girls spell words right.
Last night I ate fried chicken, pork, rice, French fries, potatoes, and corn. Then we had cake (that said “Welcome to our home Allie”) it had strawberries on top and in the middle. The flavor was vanilla, and it had cool whip on top (I said that just for you, Dad!!). Tonight I helped make supper, I washed, skinned, and cooked the squid, I seasoned and cooked the fish, I washed and pealed eggs (for salad) I washed lettuce, and got tomatoes and cucumbers to put on the lettuce. The food I helped cook tasted really good! And I tried to squid, and it tasted good too. I went to 2 electric stores yesterday looking for a new air conditioner for Rieko’s room, since hers broke. While mother and father looked at new AC Rieko and I looked at the whole store(s), and at one of the stores we found pianos!! I played some on it and Rieko got a movie and a picture.
My host family also has a piano, and music books. Rieko’s brother used to play, but he doesn’t play anymore. The rooms in the house are small, but there are a lot of different rooms. I have used the shower twice and I know how to work it. I spent half the day with the English teacher at school helping her teach classes (who is fun to talk to!!). I have given some gifts to the family, but still have a lot more left to give to people. I have used my host family’s computer to send emails since I can’t get internet on mine. My host mother told me that I can try to plug it in downstairs and it should work. Japan is way different than America, but I am learning new things every day.
Tuesday July 15th, 10:00pm.
Today was my second day of school, and since everything is in Japanese I don’t understand what they are doing or saying. But I did understand what they were doing in science today since I have done it before. We did science for about an hour, and before that we had a dance class (folk dancing!!). I brought pancake mix from America with me to make for my host family. I am planning on making pancakes on Saturday, and I am told that I might be able to get my hair cut this Sunday (I will be sure to get lots of pictures!!). This Thursday (the day after tomorrow) I will be spending some of the day with Rieko’s LABO teacher. She came over today and brought with her 3 girls (2 were 11 and 1 was 12) and we played a game and ate caramel popcorn! Rieko will be doing something for a couple hours that day so I will be going to her LABO teacher’s house. I just got back from Rieko’s Calligraphy class, I wrote some Japanese words with ink and a paint brush. The words I wrote were “horse, rain, star, an old version of star, flower, and my name.” I am bringing what I did home with me so I can show my family and friends.
I would write more but I am really tired and have to get up early tomorrow!
Wednesday July 16th, 8:50pm.
I went to elementary school today, (ages ranging from 5-12) and got to sit in 2 English classes, one of which I helped in. I also got to go see their music room and science room. For lunch at school today I had bread, noodles, and fruit. The bread tasted really good!!
I found out when I was picked up from school that today is Rieko’s father’s birthday. Just my luck that I haven’t given him the gift I brought with me from America (specifically for him) yet! So I gave the gift to him tonight, and he was really surprised! It was a shirt with horses and the American flag on it. He told me that his favorite animal is a horse. And it was the right size. I found a box of cookies (that had to be warmed up in the microwave) I brought from America also and we had them tonight for dessert. Everyone said they tasted great. I was just told that we will hopefully be getting my hair cut this Monday, not Sunday since we have the tour of the guide dog school and a LABO thing that day. In Rieko’s school there is no air conditioning, so it is REALLY hot. And if you don’t bring a fan you will be miserable all day. Most of the kids also bring a washcloth to wipe off all the sweat. In English class yesterday I was being asked questions, most of which I have never had or heard of. They were asking if I have had certain foods, and a lot of the foods were Japanese foods. My answers were always no, but then they were being silly and asked a question that the whole class knew I have never had… SNAKE!! But I answered them saying “yes!” the whole class went wild! Since they were joking in the first place they were definitely expecting a “no.”
I only have 2 days of school left! I think everyone there is going to miss me, now that I have been to each of the English classes and taught, or helped teach, them all the kids know me! I mean if I walk down to hall to use the restroom all the people standing there yell “HI ALLIE!!” and when I leave the school its “BYE ALLIE!” its soo funny that they all remembered my name, and always say hi and bye! I think I like being popular at school! Well, good night.
Thursday July 17th, 9:25pm.
Today I had P.E at school; it was WAY more fun then doing math or Japanese classes!! We all went to the gym, the boys went outside to do P.E and the girls stayed inside. We had mats all over the gym. After our teacher said go we had 10 minutes for each thing. Some were handstands, rolling doing a front flip, rolling doing a back flip, and then we did all the things at one time. Some I was really bad at but some I was better than the other girls! One girl was doing a hand stand near the wall and ended up falling into the wall. After sitting for a while she felt better and joined back in. We had P.E for 1 hour, and then it was lunch. For lunch we had an orange, rice, fried fish, soup, and vegetables. Once school finally was over we came home by a bus and then I left for the LABO teacher’s house. I didn’t know but they invited all of their friends to come also, so we played a lot of games since there were soo many people! I had a lot of fun and even ate dinner with them (and it was my first attempt to try and use chopsticks in front of people!! I did pretty good!) We had pizza (!), hamburgers (!), salad, oranges, corn, and rice. I also was asked if I could answer some questions, so all the people there got to ask me 1 question (it was the same as being in the English class!). For some odd reason I was asked a question that I had to answer way too many times in school, “do I have a boy friend?” and when I said “NO!” then they asked “do I want a boy friend?” and I said “NO!” again. In the English class after I said that someone then asked which of the boys in the classroom was the best looking and I like the most! I told them that I didn’t want to answer that question.
Me and another girl I made friends with, when she came over the day before yesterday, (her name is Riko, close to Rieko!) won a game and was given a prize. I think it really was a gift to me though since she wouldn’t take it. I haven’t opened it yet and I am not planning on opening it ‘til I get home. I will be going back to the LABO teacher’s house (and seeing all the people again that I saw today) for a LABO party. I can’t wait, I had soo much fun today, and they even have a dog! He is full grown but is still really tinny! And his name is Bigga (almost like bigger!). Good night, and tomorrow is my last day of school (thank goodness!) so I will be going to more places and will write more.
Friday July 18th,
Yeah!! Today was the last day of school! Me, Rieko and another girl from the school made sweet potatoes from sweet potatoes, (which I think must be called something different but that is what they called it), each person in our class had to make some kind of food and it would be video taped. Someone right beside us was making a sweet that they said would look something like a doughnut when it was done being cooked. I was surprised by being asked to come up at the end of school (in our class) and was given a gift, it is signatures of all the students in the class I was in!! and then I got to get a group photo.
For supper the night before I had a cooked roll and the inside was filled with stuff from an octopus, it was okay, but I would rather eat the squid! Tonight we went to a LABO event, not the party, that’s tomorrow. This was a time for all the LABO members to come and practice what they were going to say (all of the LABO members will be doing a play tomorrow). Riko was there again and I brought a gift with me for her just incase I saw her, (hello kitty pez) and she was quite surprised! I will be seeing her again tomorrow so if she needs help putting the pez in the pez container I can show her how. After the LABO members finished practicing the play we had hamburgers! Riko and I made them while they were practicing the play, they were really good. I opened the gift they gave me (yesterday) since my host mom said it would go bad before I got home. It was a kind of Japanese desert, it had cinnamon in it, and it was pretty good.
Saturday July 19th, 11:50am.
I made blueberry pancakes today from 2 pancake mixes that I’d brought with me from America. I used both and it made a whole bunch! After a little math we figured out how much water and oil to put in the mix, (they don’t use cups) and then I cooked them. Since I had soo much it took a while but after I was done we ate them (with the syrup and honey I brought). The Mom liked the honey the best on the pancakes, Rieko liked the breakfast syrup the best, and I like the maple syrup the best. We will be leaving for the LABO party at 3:30pm since it starts at 4.
Japan Girl
Friday, July 18, 2008
Bird
Me
I don't really now what kind of bird it is.
I don't really now what kind of bird it is.
Rieko's brother made it, and it even has eye holes!! It looks really weird on me but makes a great photo!!
Japan girl
Me and Rieko
Kimono
I was given a Kimono as a gift from Rieko's Aunt.
I love the color of it, and have learned to put it on AND make the bow... all by myself!
We will go shopping for a tie (the red thing around my waist) soon, since the red tie isn't mine.
Now that I know how to put it on, I can wear it somewhere!!
Japan girl
The front
and the back, (the bow is hard to tie!)
I love the color of it, and have learned to put it on AND make the bow... all by myself!
We will go shopping for a tie (the red thing around my waist) soon, since the red tie isn't mine.
Now that I know how to put it on, I can wear it somewhere!!
Japan girl
The front
and the back, (the bow is hard to tie!)
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