First days
8/20/04 4:40 PM
On the airplane from Detroit to Osaka. Only a few more hours until we touch down. Rahul is sitting next to me in the lucky exit row with plenty of leg room. The most interesting aspect of this flight is that throughout the 13 hours we've been in the air, the sun has not set. In fact it’s getting brighter. This makes for pretty exciting scenes above the clouds, white caps on the ocean water.
8/21/04
I am currently at a Chinese lesson with my host mother. It’s beautiful outside. I woke up feeling wonderful. There is a man who teaches computer classes here. He let me see the computer lab inside of this department store and I showed him my website. Amazing what you can portray with only a little language and some pictures. This Chinese lesson is quickly disintegrating into a cooking class. Everyone is very nice, and also happy. There is a large warehouse out the window to my left, with men making some sort of metal items.
8/22/04
I am not writing until the next morning because I was very tired last night. It was quite a day. After the Chinese lesson I went with Shoko, Shun, and Mai to a sort of Italian restaurant on the water. Very pretty. Afterwards, we went to a department store where I bought the most Engrish-looking notebook I could find and a pen. Then we went to see the umi (ocean) which was very close and quite lovely. Mom would love it here. We traveled up a mountain to the Tamano/Okayama national park which was breathtaking. It was truly just like the pictures of the town in the brochure; a widespread ocean with scattered islands, ships, and tiny towns. There are large rocks which tower over the water, each with a different name. Smiling rock was my favorite. Returning to the house we were greeted by Masatoshi who took the four of us in a different car to see Okayama. We made a quick stop at a Toyota dealership to fix something on his car, and during the wait we were served ice tea and juice, right in the dealership. The cars here are very advanced, with GPS systems and automatic sliding doors. After our “meal” at the dealership I was getting tired but we went on to Okayama castle, which promptly woke me up. Built in 1700, almost nothing has changed since its construction. We toured the gardens, took some pictures, and ate shaved ice.
Around sunset we came home, switched cars again, and went to eat yakiniku, also called Korean barbeque, which involves cooking food in a fire right at the table. I accidentally ate an uncooked piece of liver, but was quickly corrected by my family (with some laughing). No adverse effects yet. I fell asleep quickly after returning home. Cold shower this morning because I didn’t remember to hit the hot water button in the kitchen.
8/23/04
Another wonderful day. Masatoshi, my host father, took the whole family (except Shun who had school work) on a tour of Okayama. First we went to an art museum in Kurashiki which had both Japanese and non-Japanese artists (Picasso, Andy Warhol, Rodin, etc.) There were also some old Chinese pieces from 20 AD. After the art museum we walked around Kurashiki Ivy Square where I received my name. Three symbols: "study," "dream," "citizen." In Kurashiki we ate in a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with pillows and slippers, while sitting on our knees. Even my host family didn’t recognize all the foods. After lunch we shopped in a couple stores. I’m able to communicate a little better now. At least I can get an idea of what is going on.
There is a very large bridge near Tamano, on the edge of Kurashiki, much like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. We took the bridge to a Fisherman’s Wharf, which was very nice with a cool ocean breeze. We went to a temple that was 200 years old, and then to a Japanese electronics store.
8/24/04
This morning I was home alone with Mai, my host sister. She slept in so I played the guitar and studied Japanese. Around noon Shoko, my host mother, and I left to go to city hall so I could register in Japan with Mr. Aketa, my Rotary counselor. Shun, my host brother and I went on a bike ride to my school (it rained a lot) but we had fun. I met a few of his friends. Shoko made a wonderful dinner and we watched the Olympics.
please send me your address (e-mail or mailing) at benginjapan@hotmail.com
i can't check the internet every day, but i would love to hear from you.
On the airplane from Detroit to Osaka. Only a few more hours until we touch down. Rahul is sitting next to me in the lucky exit row with plenty of leg room. The most interesting aspect of this flight is that throughout the 13 hours we've been in the air, the sun has not set. In fact it’s getting brighter. This makes for pretty exciting scenes above the clouds, white caps on the ocean water.
8/21/04
I am currently at a Chinese lesson with my host mother. It’s beautiful outside. I woke up feeling wonderful. There is a man who teaches computer classes here. He let me see the computer lab inside of this department store and I showed him my website. Amazing what you can portray with only a little language and some pictures. This Chinese lesson is quickly disintegrating into a cooking class. Everyone is very nice, and also happy. There is a large warehouse out the window to my left, with men making some sort of metal items.
8/22/04
I am not writing until the next morning because I was very tired last night. It was quite a day. After the Chinese lesson I went with Shoko, Shun, and Mai to a sort of Italian restaurant on the water. Very pretty. Afterwards, we went to a department store where I bought the most Engrish-looking notebook I could find and a pen. Then we went to see the umi (ocean) which was very close and quite lovely. Mom would love it here. We traveled up a mountain to the Tamano/Okayama national park which was breathtaking. It was truly just like the pictures of the town in the brochure; a widespread ocean with scattered islands, ships, and tiny towns. There are large rocks which tower over the water, each with a different name. Smiling rock was my favorite. Returning to the house we were greeted by Masatoshi who took the four of us in a different car to see Okayama. We made a quick stop at a Toyota dealership to fix something on his car, and during the wait we were served ice tea and juice, right in the dealership. The cars here are very advanced, with GPS systems and automatic sliding doors. After our “meal” at the dealership I was getting tired but we went on to Okayama castle, which promptly woke me up. Built in 1700, almost nothing has changed since its construction. We toured the gardens, took some pictures, and ate shaved ice.
Around sunset we came home, switched cars again, and went to eat yakiniku, also called Korean barbeque, which involves cooking food in a fire right at the table. I accidentally ate an uncooked piece of liver, but was quickly corrected by my family (with some laughing). No adverse effects yet. I fell asleep quickly after returning home. Cold shower this morning because I didn’t remember to hit the hot water button in the kitchen.
8/23/04
Another wonderful day. Masatoshi, my host father, took the whole family (except Shun who had school work) on a tour of Okayama. First we went to an art museum in Kurashiki which had both Japanese and non-Japanese artists (Picasso, Andy Warhol, Rodin, etc.) There were also some old Chinese pieces from 20 AD. After the art museum we walked around Kurashiki Ivy Square where I received my name. Three symbols: "study," "dream," "citizen." In Kurashiki we ate in a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with pillows and slippers, while sitting on our knees. Even my host family didn’t recognize all the foods. After lunch we shopped in a couple stores. I’m able to communicate a little better now. At least I can get an idea of what is going on.
There is a very large bridge near Tamano, on the edge of Kurashiki, much like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. We took the bridge to a Fisherman’s Wharf, which was very nice with a cool ocean breeze. We went to a temple that was 200 years old, and then to a Japanese electronics store.
8/24/04
This morning I was home alone with Mai, my host sister. She slept in so I played the guitar and studied Japanese. Around noon Shoko, my host mother, and I left to go to city hall so I could register in Japan with Mr. Aketa, my Rotary counselor. Shun, my host brother and I went on a bike ride to my school (it rained a lot) but we had fun. I met a few of his friends. Shoko made a wonderful dinner and we watched the Olympics.
please send me your address (e-mail or mailing) at benginjapan@hotmail.com
i can't check the internet every day, but i would love to hear from you.
1 Comments:
i can't really picture anything sitting here in cincinnati, except you smiling.
keep it up keep it up.
one two oh-my-god?
kostya
By Anonymous, at 12:24 PM
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