Surviving Homestay

Only 3 and she's already a pro at the peace sign!

Woohooo!

This last weekend was my first experience staying with a Japanese family.

I wish I would've known about the option to do homestays much earlier in the year.

Either way, it was a pretty good experience..

When i turned in my application a few weeks ago, of the ladies at the ryugakusei center asked me if I liked kids.. I just kinda shrugged my shoulders and said "yeah" with more of an I guess tone. At first I was a bit nervous cuz i usually cant understand kids in the first place, specially Japanese speaking kids. In actuality, they kept me pretty entertained.. It was a nice weekend eating and taking some trips with the family. I also got some good insight into how to raise Japanese 3 and 4 year olds.. or at least a little bit of what to expect. Eta-kun, the 4 year old boy is pretty hyper... well behaved when he wants something... likes to make funny faces when his picture is taken. The 3 year old girl was cute too. She seemed to cry alot though and for reasons i don't know why. Enna-chan would draw something with crayon, all of a sudden she would be crying at the dissatisfaction of what she just drew. It was cute... like a true troubled adolescent artist. I had to keep making silly faces in order to keep her smiling. There were a few times i thought she was about to cry but luckily i did something silly enough to make her laugh instead.

Thanks to them I got to see some cool limestone caves in some remote part of Oita-ken. I got to see some stone carved buddhas in Usuki too. They must have been almost 800 years old.

If I have time in the future I would like to spend more time with them... I barely spoke any English! Even in Japan, when you have a whole community of English speakers, its pretty hard to resist... I still feel like i need to improve my Japanese though. As of the last few weeks ive been brainstorming ideas on how to come back or at least not lose my Japanese when I go back home.

I don't remember the name of this god but he looked pretty bad-ass. See the dragon?

Limestone caves. The last time I saw one was in a video game called Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven...yup... ninjas.

Feeding fish and watching them fight over little food pellets is entertainment for all ages.

If I remember correctly, this is the god you pray to so you don't get schizophrenia. Notice the happy human statues?

The god of luck?

The coolest looking buddha ive ever seen...

My Japanese family took me out to try some Japanese "Chinese" food. Not bad at all... pretty good actually. Im just not sure what the difference between public and regular food is. If you look closely it says "public chinese food" !!!

Buddha buddha buddha!

I couldn't quite capture the scenery here.. but burning incense and a beautiful scenery is somehow.. relaxing. ^_^

My host family the Yamaguchis

送別会

まさか、もう一年が経った。去年の歓迎会は今まですっきり覚えている。それは十か月前以上のに一年間はほとんど終わっている。昨日の送別会はよかった。日本に来てよかった。どうして日本に来るか、いろんな理由が覚えた。アメリカにあまり帰りたくないけど今夢のように日本に住んでいる。帰った後で実際事を続けなければならない。アルバイトとかインターンシップとか真剣な事などまた考えさせられる。でも、しょうがない。さびしいけど大分に来てよかった。色々な大切事を習った。日本に来たばかりの頃より僕はもっとワイズかもしれない。

Its hard to believe that its already been about a year since i came to Japan. I still remember the welcoming party from the first week so clearly, all the people i met and some of the conversations i had. Ten months flew by just like that. Everyday I wake up and i realize, wow.. im in Japan! With all the events of yesterday I remembered why i came to Japan. I also know that I don't want to go back just yet. Ill have no choice but to continue with all of the practical things like getting a job, internship, all of the serious things. Ive been living somewhat of a dream here. It can't be helped. Its sad to see everyone part ways, but i'm glad I came to Oita. I learned so many important things in my time here.. I also feel a little bit wiser now than when I first came here.... Maybe...

いろんな国から来た人と友達ができた。僕の国の文化に比べて日本の文化とか韓国の文化とかオーストラリアの文化など大変違うのにいい友達ができた。日本に来てからずっと遊んだり一緒に勉強したり食べ物を作ったりしていた。

I got to make friends with people from so many different countries and cultures. Compared to American culture, Japanese, Korean.. Australian, etc... are different, but I learned to make friends different kinds of people. Eating together, studying and hanging out together..

学校の送別会後で居酒屋に行かなければならなかった。もう少し、もう少し一緒に飲もう！笑おう！

We had no choice but to go to an izakaya afterwards.. For at least one more great night out with everyone while we can still get everyone in the same place. One more night of drinking. One more night of laughs.

実は夕べの居酒屋はめちゃくちゃよかった！食べ放題焼き肉と飲み放題は３０００円だけだ。２５人で楽しんだ。

Luckily we found a place with all you can eat yakiniku and all you can drink for 3000 yen. The best izakaya ive ever been to in Japan actually.

めちゃくちゃ楽しかったって言っていた。＾＿＾

僕のチュターのおかげで最初の日に死なかった。ぼくの悪い発音を我慢してくれてありがとう。

Im sure its thanks to my tutor I didn't die in the first few days. Thank you for putting up with my horrible accent!

居酒屋後でもっとたのしんだ。もしろん、写真を取って、カラオケに言った。

Of course afterward, we were all a little silly.. we decided to go to karaoke.

前に今日の送別会は悲しいの感じを持つと思ったけど友達のおかげでたのしかった。涙が降らなかった。

Before the going away party, I thought I would be really sad. But thanks to my friends it was really fun. I didn't end up crying.. ^_^

後一か月もあるけどまた遊びたい。皆さんにお世話になったありがとございます。

I have about a month left, but i want to hang out with everyone again before we all split ways!

To everyone who made my year so fun, thank you so much!

春学期　part 1

春学期　part 2

A little late but still pretty

On my way home from マック(McDonalds) after a long 4 hours of studying, I decided to head back home..I chose a different root and what was normally a peaceful road pleasant for walking or bike riding was suddenly up in festival. I had heard about 七夕 but i didnt know it was this big! It was fun... I've never seen Oita so alive since being here. Even the grocery store I normally pass by was busier than ever.

Upon arriving home I found the entrance occupied by some festival goers with a moveable shrine.

金魚！Goldfish! I always thought it would be fun to catch some of these to take home.. only problem is I wouldn't know what to do with them :/

Nagahama Jinja, usually a small quite shrine now seemed like it had a life of its own with tides of people ebbing in and out.

This is also Yukata wearing season... the girls especially look great. This is my friend Seulgi who i ran into at the festival.. かわいいね。＾＿＾

Traditional Japanese theater.... nou???

On campus we had a small Tanabata celebration.. Everyone wore Yukata (except for me).

Everyone looked really good! I felt a little underdressed and ashamed that i didn't buy a Jinbei or Yukata beforehand.

Although it wasn't a going away party or event, with the semester winding down the video they played, along with the candles and all the group pictures almost had a sense of bittersweetness too it. I felt a little sad because the real going away party is coming up so soon.

Give a few young people candles....and crazy things happen.

Yuta with a double-sided candle?

Seriously... the backround music that was playing was sad... and the candles?? At least these are memories that i can treasure forever!

July 4th..

Somen noodles, Starcraft and fireworks...

Is how i celebrated America's independence in Japan.

However, It wasn't such a bad day! minus the rain of course. Ill let the pictures do all the explaining.

Beppu Daigaku Mae

Noir Watermelon Slices

Somen noodles! Somebody was a genius in designing this experience.

As the noodles flow you can simply catch them with your chopsticks and put them into your sauce cup!

Playing with some green.

We lit of some bottle rockets and sparklers down by Oitagawa..

Not a very organized, well planned day, but overall... a successful 4th.