Adjusting Back to Living in America. . .

   Five days being home is enough time to make my whole YFU experience seem like a distant dream ((but it wasn't haha)). I learned so much this summer, and living abroad in Japan for 6 weeks was a lovely experience. I was able to fully immerse myself in the language, culture, food, and nature of Japan. I have previously experienced Japan from the point-of-view of a tourist before, and now I know how much you miss of Japan standing from that side. I remember the day Josh and I really realized we weren't tourists anymore, and we were actually waking up every morning in Japan from the place we were living then. We felt as if we fit in in school ((fit in with our clothing included)) and belonged in our town. It was a nice moment(:
   Since returning, my friend has brought up how he gained a lot of weight while in Japan, which made sense to me, seeing as we spent a lot of time trying the sweets and candy over there ((oops)). I was curious, so I weighed myself to see how much I gained. I was rather surprised to see the opposite happen-- I seemed to have lost a startling amount of weight abroad ((nothing unhealthy though, I'm fine haha)). After school a lot of days, my friends and I would go to bakeries of sweets shops to hang out, so to me it seemed we were eating a lot of sweets. But thinking about what you eat over there. . . Food with my family was always prepared in smaller portions than anything you get in America. This was because the food was communal, usually on big plates in the middle of the table. Also, I ate white rice three times a day for 6 months; Not sure why I was expecting to gain weight. Looking back on everything, I ate really healthy food with my family and healthy-sized portions. If I were on vacation, this would have been different, BUT this was how my family ate, so this was just what I was used to. (: Surprise. . .
   BLAH. OKAY, sorry, that was far too long for a simple explanation. Here are my thoughts on adjusting back to living in America:

• No one thanks me for buying their products. In Japan, you'd always get a "arigatou gozaimasu, okyakusama" which would always be followed by a smile. Buying Shampoo and Conditioner in America, all I got was some attitude and a "NEXT!" haha, it was different. . . Japan-1, USA-0
• It is much less humid back at home. Okay, my friends always complain about how humid and hot it is in Georgia. It's hot, I'll give you that,  but this humidity is SO beyond manageable, you have no idea! In Toyama, when you stepped outside, it was so humid, you suddenly felt as if you existed as a cloud. but you got used to it. . . Japan-1, USA-1
• I forgot how much grass there was here. I've always grown up with grass just being grass. It has always been fun to play on, but I have never noticed anything particularly beautiful about grass...In Japan, not much grass, but many, many rice fields. Rice fields have a mysterious, beautiful aura about them, it's difficult to explain if you have never seen the wind roll through a rice field♥ Japan-2, USA-1
• I'm afraid of being hit by a car. In Japan I rode my bike everywhere-- It was a lovely mode of transportation. But where I live in Georgia, the sidewalks aren't connected, in fact they are so few that I would spend more time looking for sidewalks as opposed to riding on them ((oops so much sass sorry haha)). I'm not too sure if riding in the streets in illegal or anything like that, but I just know i'd be hit by a nice driver here if I tried. . . Japan-3, USA-1
• Summer isn't about sleep, anyway. In Japan, the sun would rise at 4 in the morning (I believe due to their latitudinal position, si?). I would always wake up at around 6am, because there was so much to do, and because no air conditioning in Japan so it became hot very early. . . I'm not sure what time the sun comes up in America, because I've slept right through it this past week haha This Jet-lag has destroyed me, I'm not sure if I'll be able to wake up before noon for the rest of the summer -_-   Therefore, points to both haha Japan-4, USA-2

    Adjusting back to American food was easy-ish, I haven't had a lot of it since coming home though. you drive on the right-side in America, and you also wear your seat-belts. That was a little shocking to adjust back to haha. Other than that, my main difficulty adjusting back to life here has been the Jet-Lag. . . It's really not like me to sleep 17 hours a day, oops~

~Jane Claire  ☆〜(ゝ。∂)

The Long Journey Home

   Soooo, it's 11am on a Wednesday Morning (July 31st), and I just woke up in my bed for the second time this month.... I am back home! :)

   Okay, so My last day with my host family was July 28th. After we parted ways with our host families in the airport ((which was pretty sad)), the Toyama YFU kids boarded the flight from Toyama to Tokyo. The flight was only an hour long, so once we arrived at Narita Airport, we waited for the other 20 YFU students to arrive as well ((there were really 71 YFu students, but only 20 were staying the night in Tokyo)). I believe all of us arrived at around 4pm that day, so we headed to the hotel in Tokyo to stay the night. In the morning, we all met up with the other 50 YFU students again at the airport to board our plane back to America.
   No one on our flight from japan was too thrilled to see 70 teenagers on the same flight....haha, I cannot imagine why. :) We were all good for the most part, but it was an incredibly long flight to San Francisco... We finally arrived in SF at 10:30am on July 29th....the same Day we left Japan. . .Gotta love time travel~
   My next flight to Dallas left at 11:45am, I barely had any time to rush through customs and re-check my bag. SO this was the stop that I left most of my friends, because only 10 of us were on the first flight to Dallas. I cannot fully express how heart-breaking this goodbye with everyone was. We all spent the summer together and became extremely close. We were there for support through good times and bad. Saying goodbye to 70 friends at once, The feeling is difficult to explain. Let me just say, many tears were cried.... But most of all, this was the moment I said goodbye to my best friend, Josh. Josh lived down the street from me in Toyama, he attended my school, and our parents were best friends. I experienced everything with Josh, and he was my support through everything I went through in Japan. Josh is funny, smart, and has an incredible personality overall, Glad I could find a best friend in him over our 6 weeks abroad this summer! Most of my tears were shed saying goodbye to him. I promised to visit when I go up to Pittsburgh for college visits, as long as he promises to come down to Atlanta!
   Okay, so as I boarded my flight to Dallas, I left blowing kisses to all of my friends, making promises of nationwide hang-outs in the future weeks and months. It was a lovely farewell!! Granted, when I actually got on the flight, I started crying again.... I feel bad for the lady who sat next to me on the plane. I was silently crying, but she did NOT know how to deal with me while that happened, oops...
   My flight to Atlanta left the airport soon after I arrived at the Dallas airport, so I had a similar but less emotional goodbye with my remaining 10 friends at that airport. And then my final flight took off for Atlanta. I arrived 8:45 pm on a Monday night, July 29th. My Journey across the globe began on  June 14th and it ended July 29th. . . It does not feel like everything is over yet ((probably because I am behind on my blog, oops sorry. . .))

   Sooooo, Today is July 31st. Since being home, I've slept for 17 hours straight, I woke up at 6-m last night, and I went to bed again at 4am this morning. Jet-lag is its own special gift from my trip in its own way, haha(:
I am back home now, but STILL so much to update on my blog about my experience, and now I have to finish summer reading and projects for school...12 more days until school starts again, I'm going to be really busy, but this is what I was looking forward to for this summer so I am happy!
じゃあね、
またいつか♥

~Jane Claire   ⊙︿⊙ zzz

Chopstick Etiquette

   When you are living in a foreign country where you eat 3 meals a day with chopsticks, you become extremely aware of of importance behind chopstick etiquette. As a foreigner, you already stick out-- no need to stick out further  due to bad table manners....

   Chopstick etiquette is very important, and something I think we (rightfully) review every year in Japanese class. Do the wrong thing with your chopsticks, and you could accidentally be creating an offering to the dead ((such as by stabbing your rice with the chopsticks)). So here are just a few rules I've learned over the years that I finally get to live by! First and foremost, you never want to stab your rice, or any food for that matter, with your chopsticks....It is very rude. In school, we also talked about never passing food directly between pairs of chopsticks. When moving food from another plate to your own, flip the chopsticks around, and move the from the serving plate to your own-- You don't want to touch all of the food with the side of the chopsticks your mouth touched. ewwie(: haha It is also very rude to lick your chopsticks, also to stab your food with your chopstick. chopsticks are not forks, so do your best to pick up the food without attempting to stab it...

   I was fortunate enough to have learned these rules before coming to Japan, but some people on this trip had never taken Japanese class before...Thank goodness we learned these rules right before at orientation!
That touches on some of the more important rules to using chopsticks, but there are many more. I found this video explaining chopstick etiquette-- It even has some points that I didn't know about! check it out~
Chopstick Etiquette

   The reason I am blogging about this randomly is because my host family has created confusion in my head....Everything I know is a lie...! haha no not really... My host family picks up there food with the same ends of their chopsticks ((the end they eat from)) and they also stab foods like dumplings and meat....I always learned these were HUGE no-nos haha, but I guess within the family it is fine!

~Jane Claire   ☆＾▽＾☆

Japanese Phone Calls

   So, something really amazing happened last night. My friend called our house-line just to touch base on some plans to do Karaoke within the next few days. We talked on the phone for just around 30 minutes, and we talked about our karaoke plans, the new Studio Ghibli movie that came out, the end of school, and our departure information at the airport for next week. . .
   That's when it hit me. I'm in Japan, and I'm getting by speaking only Japanese everyday. I had a 30 minute Japanese conversation on the phone with a friend. I am successfully getting by in Japan with my language knowledge. woah. (: We went over a phone-call unit in Japanese class at home, where we learned how to answer the phone, ask if someone was home, and respond with "this is the wrong number." I was really thankful for the knowledge I received from that lesson, but even that did not prepare me for what just happened. And the bucket-list just got shorter!

~Jane Claire   (っ･ω･)っ

Today's Adventure: Getting Lost(:

  Today, I found myself lost(: Today is Tuesday, but I didn't go to school because the final day of school before summer vacation was last Friday ((it was an incredible sad but meaningful last day at my school--with of course many tears-- Post about that day coming later~))

    So, don't worry, I was not really lost... I have become very comfortable with the area in my town, so it would be very hard for me to actually get lost here... But today, I went to the book store with my friend Josh. I have been wanting to go to that book store for a while. There were so many books I wanted to look for and I found everything I was looking for and more! So, walking into the bookstore finally getting to circumscribe its books, I became lost. haha(:
   First things first, what I was really looking for some reliable Kanji study books. Japanese Has three alphabets: Hiragana (ひらがな), Katakana (カタカナ which reads foreign words), and Kanji (漢字 Chinese characters that each have different meanings). Hiragana and Katakana have only 46 characters each, so these are the alphabets we learned to write first in Japanese class. As we moved up in Japanese levels, my class and I learned more and more Kanji, which we have been able to learn and sporadically use kanji in our writing. Because there are thousands of Kanji, not even educated Japanese people can read or write all of them. Being a level 4 Japanese student at school and living in Japan, the reality has hit me that my kanji ability is not where I would like it to be, so I am really glad I was able to buy these kanji books!
   After I found my Kanji books, Josh and I went into the kids section of the store just to see what books we would know~ We found The Giving Tree in Japanese ((its name in Japanese translates to "The Big Tree" lol)) and we found....we found that book about the Caterpillar that eats things. Haha, sorry, my English is escaping me, what is the name of that picture book? (^^) After finding our way out of the children's section, we headed to the manga section--As a foreigner, I felt obliged to venture over there haha(:
  Before we got up to pay for our books, we stumbled across a few familiar pieces of literature. Josh found Le Petit Prince in Japanese. He already owns that book in several Languages that he knows-- I think in French, English, Spanish and Italian?-- so he felt he needed to add the Japanese version to his collection. (: I thought that was really awesome~
   I came across this~ The Japanese version of Romeo and Juliet!! C: I am a good Shakespeare fan, so this was an incredible find!! It will be an interesting project to read through this and translate to an understanding that I can handle! (: When we read Romeo and Juliet in school, no one appreciated it (lol), but I really liked it; it was such a perfect tragedy I thought. I don't know if she has been reading my blog, but I really want to show this to my Lit teacher when I get home!! ((Ms. Salmon, look at what I got! haha))

Japanese version = way stellar

After the bookstore, Josh and I went to lunch, ohh my gosh I am too in love with Japanese food. . .

  ahh, sorry for such a long post about my bookstore adventure -_- I'm 16 years old, am I supposed to be this excited about a trip to the bookstore?? ((YES.))

~Jane Claire      (｡・ε・｡) 

~*~Purikura Magic~*~

   Okay, so I know I already did a post dedicated to ~*~Purikura~*~ and all of the magic that comes with those photo booths, but I have been taking a lot more recently with my friends, and my friends have put them online. (: haha sooooo for anyone who has never had the pleasure of experiencing purikura, here are some more recent photos I took with my friends!! ((as opposed to the ones I posted from last year~))
haha I could probably talk about ~*~purikura magic~*~ all day... (:

Ahh, I do have a short, funny purikura story, though! Josh and I were exploring the 100yen store at the mall the other day and we came across a purikura machine! photobooth for 100yen?? We couldn't resist, haha(: so we paid for the really cheap purikura. And for 100yen, we could tell the quality was going to be really bad....So we decided to do many funny poses instead of just standing there smiling. (: this purikura turned out hilarious, we added so many sparkles and stickers over our funny faces. Purikura is something that is always really fun, even the purikura that is at the dollar store, haha. ((another one of those why-don't-we-have-this-in-america moments!!))

~Jane Claire  ♡☆♡☆

Gion Matsuri ( During 宵々山)

   Aggh, another much delayed post ;; Internet was out for a while, sorry~ The weekend of July 15th, I went to Kyoto with my host family, and we were able to go to Gion Matsuri ((a very large summer festival in Kyoto's Gion disctrict)). Check it out~ Kyoto's Gion Matsuri

   Anywho, Kyoto is a very special place in Japan. It shows the more traditional, incredibly beautiful side of Japan which I absolutely love. I was looking at a map of Kyoto one night trying to figure out what temples and shrines i wanted to visit the next day, when I decided to to count just how many temples and shrines Kyoto has. The Map I was looking at was not complete, but still I counted over 100 temples and shrines! (: Something else to add to my bucket list: One day, I want to visit all of Kyoto's temples and Shrines!!
   So Gion Matsuri is put on over the whole month of July. The biggest festivities happen on the evening of July 17th, when a large parade and procession moves through the street's of Kyoto's Gion district. We could not be in Kyoto on this night, however, because I had school that day, but we were there on July 15th ((a night called Yoiyoiyama 宵々山).
   My family and Josh's family were staying in a small bed and breakfast in the heart of Gion district. I cannot begin to explain how wonderful it was to wake up on a futon of tatami floors(: haha. So the day of yoiyoiyama, we woke up early to go shopping around town and to eat in a little cafe. It seems everywhere I go, I try to get some sweet that is Matcha flavored, so of course I bought this....It's iced Matcha, and it was delicious haha. Kyoto was definitely the place to buy Matcha goods♥

Saki knew I wanted to try on a yukata while I was in Kyoto, so after she took me to a shop where we both rented beautiful Yukatas for the day~! I was able to cross something off of my bucket list-- Wearing a Yukata at a summer festival~ It was very comfortable ((even the wooden geta shoes))! It ended up raining minutes after Saki and I got out Yukatas on, but the rain did not spoil the day(:
   Because it was really early in the day, Saki and I wanted to take a little tour of Kyoto, so we signed up to take a tour on......on one of these. goodness, I don't even know what this is called in English....Yikes. Haha, it was just a cart pulled by someone. He took us through the streets of Kyoto. So here Saki and I were, sitting in the cart in our Yukata, posing for pictures that strangers were taking of us. haha, it was an interesting experience(:

  Soooooo, the evening of the summer festival.....appearently a few things did not happen that night because of the earlier rain, however, we were still able to walk through the streets of the festival, take pictures in our yukata, and buy Takoyaki and Dango from the street-venders. It was my first summer festival in Japan, and it was a great experience! ♥ Glad I could make these memories!

~*~Here is a video I shot at the festival....not much, but maybe it will give you an idea of what the festival looked like?? (: ~*~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPK3KMdzs5M&feature=youtube_gdata

~Jane Claire   ☆〜(ゝ。∂)

Celebrating 七夕♥

    Sorry for such a delayed post-- My school has been finishing final exams before summer break begins, and I have been immensely busy~ 本当にごめんね (ﾟДﾟ≡ﾟДﾟ)

   July 7th marked the beginning of festivities commemorating 七夕 (Tanabata-- The star-viewing festival♥). My host mom knew that I was beyond excited for Tanabata ((being in Japan to celebrate it and all)), so she let our family celebrate Toyama-style! ...Toyama style is very similar to any other style, we just celebrated the Japanese way.... We celebrated by going to a 祭り (a summer festival), making tanabata inspired あんこ (sweets eaten at a tea ceremony), by writing down our wishes on たんざく and hanging them on Bamboo in public places, and finally by sitting and watching the stars in a rice field!

Tanabata decorations to share with my family once I get back home~

Japanese Anko sweets that I made!! ＾▽＾

   A few days before the evening of the seventh, my host-sister and I went shopping at Daiso, the local dollar store, and we bought many Tanabata decorations and たんざく strips. We also bought a bambo strip to hang our wishes in our house and to hang out origami decorations. The origami we made involved a lot of cutting along with folding. We made many streams and lanterns to hang from our bamboo! (:
    The summer festival we went to was a small local festival in my town, but it was amazing! There were many stalls along the road with people selling fresh たこやき (octopus balls) and だんご. The streets were also decorated with wishes people had hung up and lanterns! (: It was incredibly beautiful.

Tanabata festival~ ＾▽＾

    Many adults and kids were dressed in Yukata at this festival, which is generally popular at summer festivals. I was not able to buy a yukata in time to also wear one, but I will have another chance soon!! (: This weekend, my family and Josh's family are taking a trip to Kyoto where we will attend the Gion summer festival! The Gion Matsuri is one of the most famous summer festivals in Japan, and it is held in Kyoto's traditional district Gion. This festival is HUGE and last the whole month of July. But this weekend, we are attending for the biggest night of the festival!
     I am beyond excited to get dressed in festival wear with Saki and Josh; I think we are buying yukata, 下駄 (traditional Kimono shoes), and we are even getting our hair done! :D I just know this weekend will be fabulous~ pictures to come soon~!

~Jane Claire  (ﾟωﾟﾉ)ノ

Perfect Day for a Bike Ride Around Town

     So, I'm not usually into the whole vlogging thing....but the other day was the 4th of July, and Josh and I rode our bike's to the Super Market and bought things to have a picnic with. (: so I took more videos on my bike; this is the town I live in~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YOy2Y6_e0k&feature=youtube_gdata

~Jane Claire (◡‿◡✿) 

一期一会

I just got back from a 3 hour soccer practice! Soccer practice....In Japan.... My two favorite things mesh together so well!! X) This practice wasn't with my school team, however, I played with a local team of 11 and 12 year-olds that Josh's little brother is on! They welcomed me to their team so graciously, I had a great time at their practice! 

     So they were 12, and I was just a few years older than they were; they were also very small because they were still young....even so, soccer isn't a game about age! It does not matter how much older I was, soccer is soccer! I had a lot of fun at soccer practice with all of them!
    When the coach was giving his end-of-practice speech, he explained my favorite Japanese proverb to everyone: 一期一会. Ichigo Ichie translates to one life, one meeting. It means that in life, they is really no guarantee that you will be able to meet someone tomorrow, or the next day. Therefore, you must treasure meeting now with friends and strangers. The coach was explaining to the team how I'm from America, and how it was a lucky meeting that we could all play soccer together in Japan ((Granted, I was the lucky one to be welcomed so kindly, and I was incredibly humbled)). Then he said, "If we meet again in the future, possibly in America, great. Let's all play soccer together then. But because we do not know if this will happen....一期一会."   I was incredibly touched. This moment was incredibly important and this explanation of that proverb really put things into perspective.
    But you know what, that coach was absolutely right. Everyone in my life now, everyone in my life at home, I have no guarantee that we will be able to meet tomorrow, or the next day. Today is truly the only Today. Even if we meet again in the future, we will never meet again under these same conditions, good or bad. I think this is what I was trying to get at with those boys in my class that I was having issues with. The next day, after they had called me "gross foreigner" and "idiot," I started on a clean-slate with them and made sure to greet them with "good-morning." Because there is no guarantee of meeting again, so I want to be able to enjoy and treasure every moment now....ahh, anyway ._. I guess I've been doing some serious soul-searching in Japan....
    I feel like everyone I have met in Japan so far, I have met for a reason. They have all taught me so much, and this has been a really incredible life-changing experience. To everyone, I just want to say 本当にありがとうございます♥

~Jane Claire☆彡

アメリカ、お誕生日おめでとう！(:

     Yesterday was the 4th of July, and Josh's family and my family wanted to celebrate     どくりつきねんび (Independence Day) the "American-way!" So, we spent the day riding our bikes around town, having a picnic together, and setting of small fireworks when the rain finally let up. (: On facebook, a lot of the YFU students were posting about how they really missed America on the 4th of July and how their feelings made them extra-patriotic yesterday. I didn't really experience this sudden boost in patriotism, but I had a lovely time explaining the history and symbolism of the 4th of July to my host family! After I explained some about the 4th of July, Josh's little brother, Kakeru, asked me in a small voice, "Hey, is today America's birthday??"
      Haha, that question absolutely made my night! But you know what, I guess that is a real question-- and It was America's birthday (^^) I usually think of the 4th of July as the day our nation's freedom was declared, but being the day we declared our independence, I guess that also makes it America's birthday!(: I had a great time celebrating America's birthday yesterday in Japan with my family!

~Jane Claire       マジＬＯＶＥ１００％

*~Tokyo Skytree~*

Today, I flew to Tokyo with my host family to go shopping, sight-seeing, and to visit Tokyo Skytree!
I was supposed to be at school today to take a history exam, but my host mom and homeroom teacher said it was okay that I did not come in today....So we went to Tokyo instead! It was about a 45 minute plane ride from Toyama, and we arrived soon after 10am. After making our way through Haneda airport, we got on the Tokyo Metro! Tokyo's subway system is really complex and has many stops in the many districts, but with practice or previous knowledge, you can easily and conveniently make it to any stop in Tokyo! 

   After making switching a few trains and making it across town, we made it to the station at Tokyo Skytree! Tokyo Skytree is the worlds biggest tower. It reaches around 630 meters in the sky. From the top, you can see incredible views of the world's biggest city! Tokyo really is an amazing city, and it was absolutely incredible seeing it from the top of Skytree!! (: It was very difficult getting a picture of our family in front of Skytree, but the person taking our picture managed to do it!! ((He was literally laying face-down on the ground taking the picture in order to capture everything....Thank you kind stranger ;o;  ))

   Tanabata is coming up this weekend beginning on July 7th. Tanabata is the star-viewing festival in honor of the ancient Chinese folk-tale of the "Princess and the Cowherd." I know I have mentioned this before, but Tanabata is my absolute favorite holiday/festival! I am very excited for Tanabata!! Tokyo was in the process of being transformed for the festivities when we arrived in Tokyo! Tanabata is celebrated by writing your wishes on a slip on paper known as tanzaku (短冊). Then, people hang these wishes from trees~

   Even though it was raining, Tokyo was still beautiful and I was so happy and lucky to spend the day there with my host mother and host sister!! (:

~Jane Claire (っ･ω･)っ

Dreaming in Japanese o:

    I began yesterday on the wrong foot, starting when I said goodbye to my host-mother with いってらっしゃい instead of いってきます....oops. She's supposed to say いってらっしゃい when I say いってきます.... ohhwell, I corrected myself and she understood my mistake because I haven't been sleeping much lately(: haha

     Anyway, this small slip-up was actually weighing on my mind all day, because when I went to bed that night, I had a dream where I explained why we say certain Japanese phrases at certain times... I was explaining いってらっしゃい and ごちそうさまでした. Hmm, a dream soley about explaining something....not too exciting, right?? WRONG.

   The dream was entirely in Japanese!! I was explaining the Japanese phrases in Japanese!(: And the explanation even made sense ((I don't know...I was asleep))! Even since my host-sister has come home from America, I have been becoming more comfortable with my language ability. I am now at the point where I will unconsciously think in Japanese in response to something, like if someone asks me a question or I see something scary-- My response is immediately Japanese! (: And the fun didn't stop there~ When I woke up, in Japanese, i questioned whether that dream was really in Japanese or not(: haha. My host-sister and host-mother promised they would speak Japanese with me 90% of the time, and I really appreciated them being patient with me at first, because now I am finally comfortable with just Japanese!

~Jane Claire  ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

Toyama Bike Ride

School was released early today at around 11:30 due to the students taking final exams~
    Everyday, Josh and I usually bike home. Because we had extra time today, I filmed our ride home!! (: I know I usually post pictures of the rise fields in Toyama, but today I filmed them!! I also love my town because it is a town, not a city, and this video shows just how small and quaint it is!(:
(( the video is rather shaky...sorry]: I was on my bike...))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DuJLxA-qy0

~Jane Claire <(ゝω•)~☆

Culture Shock: ぷりくら ((photo booth))

((okay not so much of a culture shock for me because I had done Purikura in the past, but...))

Purikura of me and my host sister from a few years back

     Purikura is a photo booth fad in Japan that is a popular activity friends do when hanging out. Purikura can be found anywhere from inside the 100yen store to any floor on the local gaming center. Purikura has something known as ･ﾟ☆Purikura Magic☆･ﾟThe photo booth corrects any blemishes you may have on your face and makes your face one solid, neutral color. The machine also makes your hair color lighter, your face rounder, and your eyes MUCH bigger. (: This machine is definitely stellar and out of this world~!
    After posing for about 6 photos in the booth, you have the opportunity to add stickers and write messages on the pictures.... Some purikura even come programmed with certain celebrities that you can pose with in pictures...
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB2RTHaOvPY ((a video about purikura))

It is all great fun, and anyone who has not tried Purikura definitely needs to try it~
*This has been one of those Why-don't-we-have-this-in-America- moments*

~Jane Claire <(ゝω•)~☆

Myōryū-ji Temple ((Ninja Temple))

   This morning, my host sister Saki had a very large English test to take in Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa-ken. Ishigawa prefecture is the next prefecture over, west of Toyama prefecture. So, we all got in the car early this morning, picked Josh up, and headed for Kanazawa city! (: 
    First, my host mother took us to the Higashi district (金沢のひがし地方), which is the traditional district in Kanazawa. The traditional district still has many Geisha (芸者), Tea houses (おちゃや), and Temples (お寺) located within heart of the city. My host mother knows how much I love Matcha, so she took Josh and I to a traditional tea house. We took a tour of the beautiful tea house, which was made up of wall-to-wall tatami flooring and had special tea rooms for the Geisha. After the tour, we sat down for sweets and our matcha.     After tea, we spent quite some time walking up and down the streets, entering and shopping at many shops. (: Soon after, we headed to a small restaurant where we ate an early lunch of local Ishikawa specialties. Our meal included miso soup, fresh sashimi, rice, three types of tea, and more~!  

       After lunch, we headed over to Myōryū-ji temple (妙立寺) which was the most amazing temple/building I have ever been to in my life!!! Myoryu-ji's nickname is "Ninja temple" because it is made up of secret staircases, pitfalls, secret doors, and wells with tunnels that connect to the closest castle.... :O The tour was incredible-- each corner we turned revealed a new hidden trap designed to protect the lord and samurai from an oncoming attacker. There is always one scene in any Scooby-Doo episode that shows exactly how this temple is set up.... In Scooby-Doo, there is that scene where the Mystery Inc. gang is running through a halls way of door with the bad guy, and each time they go into one door, they come out a different door.... Do you know what scene I am talking about?? (: haha anyway, that is how this temple was amazingly set up(:

  During the Edo Period, the Tokugawa shogunate prohibited the construction of buildings higher than three stories. Myoryu-ji looks like a two story temple from the outside, but really it is made up of seven layers ((4 hidden layers inside, 3 layers as a labyrinth of corridors in the basement)). The staircases on the main floor were made of see through white rice paper. If an enemy was entering the temple and using the staircases, the samurai below could see where their shadow was and could stab the enemies' feet with their spears... Also, literally every floorboard piece could be lifted up to reveal a secret staircase into the basement labyrinth. Myoryu-ji has only 25 rooms but 29 staircases in total!! :) 
    Oh my gosh what else? Everything about this temple was so amazing~! Oh yeah, like I said, the top 2 stories of the temple were prohibited and therefore hidden, so the staircases leading to them were hidden in closets behind latched doors. Also, the well in the middle of the temple did have a tunnel leading to the near by Kanazawa castle. Because the well was located in the middle of the temple, is was at convenient access for a quick escape when needed.
    So, even though this temple was built early in the 1500's, it is still full of many tricks and traps that are really amazing even today-- Ninja temple was definitely the most amazing temple I have ever visited!! (: Like always, if you have any questions or want to post a subject for me to address, please leave that in the comment sections below. Sorry for the long post....but it was worth it for Myoryu-ji (:

~Jane Claire (o^^o)

Firefly Viewing Magic

      Yesterday was Saturday, my first weekend day I could spend with my host sister since she has been home!! ((It was also the first day that Saki was probably fully recovered from her Jet-lag!))

  So my friend Josh's host-family and my host-family are really close friends, so other than us being neighbors, our families spend a lot of time together ((which is nice~)). Yesterday, I went over to Josh's house in the morning while my host-mother ran errands, and Josh's little host-brother took us all to the park to play soccer with some of his friends! (: They were all only nine years old and less afraid of me, so I had an easier time talking with them than I did with the students at my school.... Plus, we all bonded over playing soccer, something we all loved. I had to be careful playing with them because they were only nine and therefore two feet shorter than me, but it was such a nice gesture to invite me to play! (:

     After Soccer, I went with Josh's family to meet up with my family at a karaoke bar in town~! I was so excited to finally do karaoke in Japan, I was able to sing a lot of my favorite songs ((Japanese and English))! However, karaoke in Japan is more serious than in America-- We were at karaoke for 4 hours. hey, we were in Japan, Go big or Go home, am I right?? x)

Saki and Josh at karaoke~!

     Going into the evening, our families took us to the zoo as the sun was going down for an activity I have very much been wanting to try!! (: We were going firefly viewing at the zoo!! :) firefly viewing is a popular summer activity in Japan! 

my extended host family, including Josh and Mark(:

      We were waiting in a long line for a while until it look us into a forest where the fireflies were. This activity definitely lived up to the hype about it. There were no lights on the path in the forest, and the suddenly there were millions of fireflies lighting up the forest as if they were tiny stars. The only thing we could hear were the sounds of millions of frogs and crickets echoing in the forest and the sound of flowing water in the nearby creek; All we could see were millions of fireflies surrounding us, lighting the way. Last night was purely magic; I have never before witnessed something so magnificent in nature. And on top of everything, I was able to experience it with my host family and friends....In Japan. (: The word to describe last night was perfect. If you find yourself in Japan during summer in the near future, this is something you do not want to miss!

Basically what the forest looked like, but it was more dark....
photo credits to whoever put this on tumblr lol

~Jane Claire (o^^o)

Japanese Trees♥

 Before leaving for Japan, my friend Austin made a special request~ He asked me to please take many pictures of Japanese trees, and I willingly agreed. At first, this seemed like a strange request, and i did not really understand what was so special about Japanese trees.....Well, living here in Toyama now, I finally understand. I have never before been to a place in Japan where there was enough room for this many trees ((even though there still aren't a lot of trees here compared to Georgia)), so I finally get to take a close look at them in detail!
   I thought trees were just trees, but I have realized that trees in Japan are Beautiful! These trees look so delicately put together, and each tree is unique. They really do add to the beauty that is Toyama city. (: Thank you Austin for this request~!! I will continue updating you with more Tree pictures! (:

   I also want to take a second to appreciate the rice fields. (: They are so incredibly beautiful and they are Everywhere!! Everywhere! I live in a town, not a city, an actual town, and I am in love with it!!

~Jane Claire                                   ♪☆ＬＩＫＥじゃなくてLOVEよ☆♪

Small Classroom Issues....

So, today may have started as a bad day... ):
    I've been having a few small issues with my class lately, and I guess the issues make me feel a little lonely. My classmates don't really speak to me, sometimes even when I try to speak to them. I'm used to being alone, in fact I usually push myself away from being around many people at once, so I was prepared to the possibility of not talking to many people...but I guess it is kind of wearing me down. Before I leaving for Japan, i knew this would be one of the biggest problems I would be faced with this summer, and I made a promise that I would not let it destroy my happy mood while I am here. I will just continue to talk to my classmates whenever time permits and hopefully having them talk to me will become easier!(: Tonight, my host sister returns from her study abroad experience in Florida, so things should become easier at school when she is there with me!(:
   I guess my main problem has been coming from a few boys in my class.... Like, they say really mean things about me, and i sit right next to them. Yes, when you call me a "gross foreigner" while looking into my eyes, I know you are talking about me. They call me an "idiot," but I cannot be that much of a fool if I can understand their insults. Do they even realize I understand Japanese? Anyway, I constantly hear them saying really harsh, hateful things about me everyday, and it is kind of bothersome when that is the only thing I hear from my classmates all day. It is truly a shame that they are acting this way....Even so, I stated earlier that I don't want anything ruin my happy, optimistic mood, and I truly will not let that happen. The sun first rises every morning over Japan, and tomorrow brings a new day. They may have said harsh things today, but I will try again tomorrow to start fresh with them. I do believe they are good people at heart, and I hope to get on better terms with them.
Wish me Luck~!
   Also, if you are an aspiring exchange-student, please do not be concerned about your situation based on this post. This is just my personal story-- I cannot promise that this will or will not happen to you. Whatever happens, make the most of your exchange experience no matter what! Take everything with a smile and give people the benefit of the doubt!
   Anyway, my day turned around come lunch time when my friend ((another foreign exchange student)) found me and said "look! it's my favorite person!" that was so kind and he definitely helped to cheer me up. (:
 ~Jane Claire


 

Japanese School Lunches

   In Japan, it is most common for students to bring a lunch from home. The lunch is called an Obentou. My Host-mother makes me an Obentou every morning! My Obentou usually comes with a layer of rice and then a layer of fruit meat and vegetables. This is also typical for the obentou my classmates bring to school. 
   At least at my school, the students also have the option of buying lunch at the school and eating in the cafeteria. This lunch is usually a bowl of ramen, soba or udon. Buying lunch at school as opposed to bringing lunch from home seems to be more popular today than it was, say, 10 years ago. The kids that bring an Obentou from home, however, usually eat lunch in their homeroom class. (:
   Normally, I have been bringing a traditional Obentou to school for lunch.....However, today, my host mother gave me this fruit bowl.... (^^) haha it was different but awesome~!

~Jane Claire♥

★The Giving Tree, Rice Fields and Kind Host Mothers★

I bought The Giving Tree this weekend at the mall while I was shopping!! The Giving Tree is the most important book to me, and I have actually been wanting to buy the Japanese version for a very long time. Because it is important, I wanted to share this with someone at home, so i bought this for them when I saw it! ((spoiler alert: this book is indeed just as sad in Japanese as it is in English...I only shed a few tears, so everything is okay~haha))

   Toyama city is completely surrounded and filled with rice fields. (: It is very nice. I might have mentioned this, but Toyama is not too rural, not too suburban. I definitely realized there were rice fields everywhere, but there was something else a little regarding what my town looks like at home in Georgia. I couldn't quite put my finger on if for a while, I couldn't figure out what was different. Sure, my town in Georgia doesn't have rice fields, but Georgia definitely has houses like Toyama. Georgia definitely has roads and cars like Toyama. Today, I finally figured the aspect of Toyama that is different than at home! (: Toyama doesn't have any trees!! Well, that's not true, Toyama has a few trees every now and then.... But where I live in Georgia is very forest-like and there are many trees every few feet. Toyama has houses and rice fields. If you look out onto the horizon, you can see houses and rice fields for miles. (: In Georgia, there are so many trees that you cannot usually clearly see but a few meters ahead of you. In Toyama, the land in flat, the grass ((rice)) is green, and there are no tall buildings obstructing your view of the land or the sky. (: it is absolutely magnificent! (:

Also, today I had a slightly less than stellar day when I was ditched after school by some friends. Anyway, my host-mother noticed I was sad, and when she found out what happened, she took me out for ice cream at a local cafe~ It was wonderful! I got a few ice cream flavors, one of them being my favorite~ 抹茶 flavored ice cream (green tea)!! YUM★ It was so nice of my host mother to do that~ it made my day so much more stellar!

~Jane Claire (｡・ε・｡) 

Traditional Side of Toyama

   Saturday, I spent the day sight-seeing around the older, more traditional parts of Toyama!
   My host-mother and host-father had to go away this weekend to Kyoto on business, so I spent the weekend with my Prefecture's YFU representatives. I went to stay at their house on Saturday, and we also went shopping that day. Sunday, they wanted to take me to see Toyama's 大仏 (Great Buddha) and then to visit Toyama's oldest temple (Zuiryuu-ji Temple). I mentioned in my YFU application that I love studying about the traditional aspects of Japan's culture's, and that I am also really into visiting Temples and Shrines! Most people my age could easily get bored visiting such places, but I find them to be a place of relaxation and a place to indulge in my love for history. (: 

   The places we visited Saturday were definitely very, very magnificently built and beautiful to look at, but one thing i really appreciated about that day was that everywhere we visited appeal to mainly all of the senses. Normal, I spend most of my time focused on my sight and everything I could see, but that day I was also more focused on my what i could hear, smell taste and feel~ it was nice. Entering Zuiryuu-ji Temple, for example, you are immediately captivated by attention to detail of the decorations on the walls and ceilings. but, close your eyes for a moment and you are overpowered by the scent of burning incense in the air and the sounds of a gong being slowly hit nearby. It is hard to find any other place that is so appealing to the eyes, ears and nose(: haha over-all, every aspect of the Temple was very relaxing! 
  After visiting the Temple, we stopped at a Tea Shop for a little snack! I ordered a cup of むぎちゃ(Barley Tea) with a side of 抹茶 ice cream♥ YUM~ At first glance, it just looked like regular tea. But when I look closer, i discovered that the tea smelled like honey and tasted like spring ♥ haha, it was wonderful!!!

 Before setting out for these places, my YFU reps took me out for lunch at a Yakisoba restaurant! Yakisoba and Okonomiyaki are my favorite Japanese foods! (: They are so fun to make and are always really delicious! I had a lot of fun that day!

~Jane Claire (｡・ε・｡) 

Is Lady GaGa a Devil Worshiper?!?

Okay, funny stories from talking to my classmates! c:

     First, I was talking with a girl named Kaneha about music, and I mentioned that I liked listening to Lady Gaga.....oops. When I said this, Kaneha gave me the most horrified look and said "Ehhhh~!?!" After she saw my confusion, she explained, "I thought christian Americans were not allowed to listen to the Lady Gaga. Did you know? She worships the devil!!" This came as such a surprise!! O: i didn't know Lady GaGa was a satanist....But I guess I'm not really christian so what do I know? haha(: It was really interesting to see how people from the other side of the world view a famous American like Lady GaGa...hmm....

Another funny story! (: I turned around to ask my friend Shiko a question, and when I turned around, he sang, "I remember this from America-- ♪Red Robin.....YUM♪"   This was just so unexpected, but it made me laugh really hard. My friends at school are really nice and they are always making me laugh or smile. I have been trying to make them smile equally as much, some times by messing up my Japanese -.- ((which is not on purpose....)). Usually when I mess up my Japanese, they just say "How cute!" which I guess I am okay with(:

~Jane Claire  (｡・ε・｡)