The Adventure Continues

June 9: Shinjo, first day of school
I must have been exhausted yesterday ‘cause I didn’t wake up at all until I was actually supposed to this morning. Got ready, had some delicious omelet rice that ‘kaa-san made for me (with a smile drawn in ketchup on it and everything!), and then went off to school. Obaa-chan (grandma) had to show me the way though, because I couldn’t quite remember it from the bike ride ‘kaa-san took me on a few days ago. Obaa-chan rode ahead in the car while I took the bike they’re letting me borrow, and she stopped at the turns to wait for me to catch up. It was really sweet!

I had class for second and fourth period today, so I made a quick PowerPoint about myself and Colorado, which only took maybe twenty minutes, and I spent most of the time after that reading manga online. I finished catching up with all the D. Gray-Man chapters, and then started on Zettai Kareshi.
Helping out with the English classes today was really fun! I had 3A and 3B to help with, so we did the same thing both classes: I gave an introduction of myself and showed the PowerPoint, and then the students got into groups to play some answer bingo based off of my introduction. They had to figure out what questions to ask to get the answers written down on the sheet, all in English of course. The first class I went to, 3B, was rather shy and quiet, but 3A was really energetic and did fantastic. One group even got them all! I was really impressed.
I ate lunch with them again. One girl, Ume-san, is very lively and talks with me a lot. A few more of her friends talk to me too, but I can’t remember their names very well because I’ve only heard them once, and they said them very quietly. I remember Ume-san’s name because it’s Ume, which means plum, and I love umeboshi (pickled plums) and umeshu (plum wine), so, there you are!
At around 4 or 4:30 I changed out and went to practice with the tennis club. It’s been probably eight or nine years since I last played tennis, so I was horrible at it, but the coach (who’s also the vice principal, I found out from Kusakari-sensei), helped me a little with my basic swing. The rest of the time I just kind of hung back and talked with Kusakari-sensei about different things, and then we decided to go for a jog together tomorrow at 4 before the start of the club. I’m kind of roped into coming to tennis every day now, so I figure I’ll just get my exercise in beforehand by jogging, then just watch with Kusakari-sensei again.
I biked home when we were done with tennis, and was very grateful to get into the bath when I got home. It felt amazing. Then we had dinner, and watched a sketch comedy show called “Hen na Ojiichan,” or “Weird Grandpa” or “The Weird Old Man.” It’s kind of like Monty Python or Mr. Bean in a way. It was hilarious, and I could even understand most of what they were saying, which was an accomplishment.
But now it’s time for bed, because I’m exhausted.

June 10: Shinjo
I can`t believe it`s the middle of June already. Summer`s going so fast.
I ate a quick breakfast this morning (which included sasamaki, which are steamed rice wrapped in bamboo leaves; they`re sticky and really good with dried edamame powder), then rode my bike to school. I helped with the third yeards and first years today. With the first years, I introduced myself in simpe English and then we played Simon Says and a game where one person stands in the middle of the circle ands says something they like, and the other peopl who also like it have to get up and changes places. Then the person left in the middle without a seat has to continue the game by sayins something they like, and so it goes.
For third years we did a game called Runner. In it I posted ten English sentences around the room, and each group had to send a Runner to go read and memorize the sentences one by one. Then there is an English writer, who writes down what the Runner says, then a Translator, who translates it into Japanese from what the English writer wrote, then a Japanese writer, who writes the Japanese translation down, an English speaker who comes to me and speaks the English sentence, and a Japanese speaker who goes to Kakizaki-sensei and tells her the translation. It was really fun!
I read a lot today again, starting on Alice 19th after I finished Zettai Kareshi. I hated how ZK ended, it felt abrupt and kind of stupid, really. I didn`t do the tennis club today, but went for a jog instead, then rode home, took a bath, dried my hair and napped a little before dinner. I met Sayaka`s friend Nozomi, and then we decided we`re going to have sushi at Kappazushi for lunch on Sunday. Kappazushi is a really famous kaitenzushi chain here, where they deliver your food on little bullet trains. I`m excited, since I haven`t had a chance to go to a kaitenzushi restaurant yet!
We watched a little bit of World Cup stuff on TV, and then bed.

June 11: Shinjo (surprise...)
Same old story: woke up, ate, biked to school.
Today I helped with the first years again. They did self-introductions (My name is..., I am from..., I like..., Nice to meet you; cute, really), and then we played telephone, which they seemed to enjoy. Yaguchi-sensei seemed to think it was a success too; we`re going to come up with a few more rules cause we didn`t really instate any today and play again sometime.
I only had two classes to help with today so I walked around outside a lot after lunch. Then I had to wait till like 5 almost to discuss the second year class lesson schedule for next week with Kusakari-sensei, and finally I was able to come home, bathe, and get ready for karaoke. Tou-san drove me to a karaoke and darts place called The Rooms, where I sang a bit of karaoke with Sayaka and her boyfriend (who`s name is Tomohiro, by the way). After karaoke, I met up with Will and one of the teachers at his school, Yuka, and her younger sister Tomoko. We went to the station together (Tomoko offered to drive me home so Kaa-san, Sayaka and Tomohiro went home) to meet Andrew. Then we went to a super market, bought some fireworks (sparklers really) and a small something to drink, then went to a park by the Shinjo history center and hung out for a while. The fireworks were fun but went quick, which was fine because we had to drop Andrew off by 11 so his family could lock up. Then we dropped Will off, then Yuka and Tomoko drove me home. I really like those two. They`re really sweet and honestly it`s nice to have some girls around my age that I can do stuff with. Not that I don`t love Will and Andrew, but a girl can only go so long without some peer feminine commodory. Plus Yuka said she`ll help me meet some possible Japanese boyfriends!

June 12: Shinjo
I woke up this morning arond 7:30ish even though I meant to sleep in. I went to go the bathroom only to find that baa-chan was there and hadn`t even bothered to close to door or anything. Awkward. Anyway, even before that run-in I wasn`t hungry yet, so I decied to go for a quick jog. It felt great, except that now my calves and shins are killing me. Took a quick shower to rinse off and cool down, then had breakfast and napped for a bit. I woke up, checked stuff on Facebook and mail real quick, had lunch, and then kaa-san drove me into Shinjo to meet up with Will, Yuka and Tomoko again (Andrew was out of town somewhere). We went shopping a bit, and I got two new shirts to wear to school since I`ve been feeling a bit underdressed lately. Then we dropped Will off at 6 for dinner, and Yuka, Tomoko and I killed half an hour before I had to meet kaa-san back at the train station so I could go home for dinner. The three of us made plans to go to this event caleld Candle Night next Saturday afternoon/evening at thes station. Apparently it`s a  big event where everything is lit up with candles and there`s music et cetera; kind of sounds like a mini festival. It should be fun!
Once I got home, I took a bath, then had some yakisoba for dinner. Kaa-san showed me some videos of Sayaka from a few years ago when she danced in the yearly dance show, which were really cool. They aren`t like our elementary/middle school stages shows at all; they actually put some thought into their execution and they`re pretty awesome.

June 13: Sea of Japan and Akita Prefecture
I woke up kind of late (8:30ish--I know, but that really is sleeping in for me now), had some breakfast, then chilled in my room and watched the end of the Never Ending Story 2. Then around 11, kaa-san and tou-san and I headed out. I thought we were going to lunch, since the original plan was to do Kappazushi today, but they took me to the Sea of Japan, about an hour and a half away by car (which was just fine by me, I`d been wanting to see the ocean since I got here). It was amazing and so beautiful, even though it was a bit hazy on the horizon. We went to a place on the beach where there are a lot of gods carved into the rocks on the shoreline and it`s llike a scavenger hunt to try and find where all of them are (there are 16 in total you have to find; but on the map there were twenty-two marked, so...). In any case, we found all 16! After that we went to get some lunch. Kaa-san and tou-san are so sweet--they know I like cold soba, so instead of just eating at the ramen place right there we got back in the car and went in search of a soba place. On the way we stopped at a little beach and ran around in the waves for a bit, then continued our hunt.
First we stopped at this middle-ish-sized shopping area and took a quick footbath, then got some oysters and ate them raw out of the shell with this light sauce. I was surprised at how good it was; I`d never had oysters before and I wasn`t sure if I`d like it or not, but I did--though I could only stomach one at a time, probably. We thought there would be a soba place around, but there wasn`t, so I got some green-tea flavored soft serve, thinking that we weren`t going to be eating again till dinner at Kappazushi. But we found a soba place eventually and stopped there for lunch. I had half soba half udon, with this soba dango that was really yummy! As we were leaving, the soba chef stopped us and showed us, as a special treat for me, the foreigner, how he grinds buckwheat into flour for the noodles. He even let me try a little! It was really difficult, but a fun experience.
We drove home to Shinjo, stopping along hte way so kaa-san and tou-san could show me this little stream with absolutely HUGE koi fish swimming in it. We got home and then about an hour later we went to Kappazushi, and it was amazing! I was really full from the soba though so I didn`t eat much; I hope I get to go back again before the end of the summer! Kappazushi is really cool--you can either grab what you want from the conveyer as it passeds you by, or you can order off a little touch screen at your table and have it delivered to you minutes later on a cute little toy bullet train!
We came home, I showered, and went to bed. I have to say, today was one of the best days of the summer so far. It was great getting to see the ocean and experience so many new things!

June 14: Shinjo
I woke up early so I could go for a jog again. This time I jogged the whole way instead of just half. It was about a half hour jog, so I`d make a guess that I went for somewhere between three to four miles. I`m pretty proud of that, seeing as how I`m still a beginner.
I got home and rinsed off really quick and ate breakfast. Then, since it was raining, Kakizaki-sensei picked me up and took me to school.
I helped out with 2A and 2B today, which are Kusakari-sensei`s classes. They are so energetic and curious. I absolutely adored helping out with them! First I gave an introduction of myself, and then I went around the classroom as each student introduced his or herself to me, and practiced shaking hands with them. Then we played a quick game of telephone, which they seemed to like.
I ate lunch with 2A, which was fun but a little awkward since a group of girls crowded around me after lunch was done and started babbling about what kind of movies do I like and what anime do I like and my hair is so pretty, et cetera, et cetera. After lunch I read some Hana Yori Dango (I can`t stand Doumyouji`s hair style!), and then the principal drove me home a little after three. Since I was home early I napped, and when I woke up no one was home still so I went out for a walk. When I came home I worked on writing replies to the second year students—they had all written me brief self-introductions in English, so I wanted to write them back and answer some of the questions they`d ask or just talk about the things they`d written that they said they liked. Then I took a bath, ate dinner, and went to bed.

June 15

I woke up and jogged again, showered, and had breakfast. It was clear out so I was able to ride my bike to school. When I got to school, Kakizaki-sensei asked me if I was free on Thursday, which of course I am, and so we made plans to go to an izakaya for dinner and drinks with the teachers. I`m excited!
Today I was with the second years again, and first year class B. We played Runner with the second years, the same game I played with the third years earlier last week. In 1B some kids who hadn`t given their introduction gave it, and I showed them a quick PowerPoint of pictures from Colorado and some of the cosplays I`ve done. After that we played telephone again and Duck Duck Goose. It`s really funny to watch them play that game, they don`t want to touch anyone else on the head when they go around the circle, and some of the kids just stand there because they don`t want to have to go around because they`re shy.
After lunch I read more Hana Yori Dango (onemanga.com is really saving me this summer), and after school I learned a bit of judo, which was fun but kind of sucked since the judo practice room was boiling. It didn`t help that the gi I had to wear was super heavy and thick. But now I know how to through an attacker coming at me from the front, yay!
Anyway, after judo I biked home, napped for a bit, and then obaa-chan woke me up to let me know I could get into the bath if I wanted. So I did, then napped again and had a late dinner. Sayaka tried to come some sort of sweet potato cheesecake concoction for her boyfriend`s birthday tomorrow; I tried a little, and I don`t know if it was supposed to taste the way it did but it wasn`t horrible.


June 16

When I woke up it was pouring, so I couldn`t go on my jog. Obaa-chan drove me to school.
I read more manga, of course, and then helped out with 1A. We did the same thing as with 1B yesterday. Duck Duck Goose is hilarious. This time none of the boys would touch a girl, so it was boys for the first ten minutes playing until one of them finally called me as the goose and we got the girls in the game. The boys are so rough when they`re playing, smacking each other around and tackling each other, it`s kind of shocking to me. I don`t remember middle school that well, but I don`t think the kids were that rough. It doesn`t seem to faze any of the teachers here though, so I guess there`s another cultural difference for you.
I had lunch with 3B again, with Ume-san and her friends. I adore that girl! She was the first student here to really approach me and engage in some conversation (albeit in Japanese), which is impressive since most of the kids here are really super shy. She`s a really strong character and I`m really glad to have gotten to know her!
After school was out there was a pep rally-type ceremony for all the clubs, since they`ve all got big tournaments for the Shinjo schools this weekend. Ume-san is in the basketball club, so I think I may try and go catch those games if I can to cheer them on.
Kakizaki-sensei drove me home a little after 6, then I took a long bath, napped, and had dinner and went to bed.

June 17
I woke up and I felt really lazy, so I didn`t go on my jog. Instead I slept in till like a little after 6, then made myself roll out of bed (futon really I guess) and get ready for school. Since it cleared up I was able to bike to school, which made me happy.
I didn`t have any classes to help out with today, so I basically just sat in the teachers` lounge and read Hana Yori Dango. I went for a walk a little bit before lunch, then worked on writing some replies to the third years` introductions that Kakizaki-sensie had given me earlier.
I ate lunch with one of the second year classes, and this time they practiced a little English with me.
After lunch I read more HYD, worked on the replies, and then biked home around 4. Since I was going out with the Hagino teachers to eat, drink and be merry later, I decided to take a nap. I woke up a little after 6, got ready, and then me and `tou-san headed out.
We went to a nice izakaya and had freaking delicious food. There was yakisoba, tempura, sashimi, yakitori, and even liver and onions. I tried one piece of the liver just because they all wanted me to, since I`d never tried liver before. It wasn`t terrible, but it was kind of dry and I didn`t really care for the texture. I kind of pigged out on sashimi, yakisoba and tempura, and had a little bit more than usual to drink. I ended up getting near the high end of the tipsy scale, but only way after everyone else in the room had been red in the face for at least half an hour.
I talked a lot about anime with several of the teachers, and a lot about HYD because that`s really popular here. I also found out that the writers of Yu Yu Hakusho and Sailor Moon got married, which is awesome since those are two of my favorite anime. Yu Yu Hakusho`s writer is also from Shinjo, so I`m pretty psyched that I get to stay here in his hometown.
I had so much fun last night. I drank mostly umeshu (like 5, tee hee...), but I even tried some Japanese beer, which was pretty tasty. I`m not exactly sure which beer it was  (I`m gonna guess Kirin but I`m not 100% on that), but I actually finished it, which isn`t normal for me because I usually only have one or two sips of a beer and then don`t care to drink any more. I had done that, though, but when `tou-san and I were leaving someone or several someones joked about how I left my beer unfinished, so just to show them up I chugged the rest, to their appreciative applause. `Tou-san also had his whole beer left, so he chugged his too and we left. Needless to say he was pretty intoxicated, but not to worry because the owners of the izakaya have this great system set up where you give your car keys to them when you first come in, and then they drive you home in your car when you leave (for a fee, of course, since they have to have their own car follow them to take them back). Drinking and driving just isn`t done in Japan, so they think of everything beforehand. It`s pretty cool.
We got home a little bit before 11, and I changed out into my pjs and went straight to bed, which felt amazing.