Homestay, etc.

So this past week has been ridiculously busy with no end in sight. Jesse and I are going to be incredibly busy almost right up until we leave. Which sucks. However, I do have good news. I just sa-no, I can't do that. That's just retarded. I'm sorry everyone.

Yesterday was our middle school visit (not to be confused with our elementary school visit). We had to wake up super early on a Saturday morning to go visit some stupid middle school before our homestay, which could not have come at a worse time because of the sheer amount of work we have to do, and talk to middle schoolers in English. So we're all bitching a little on the bus, with things like, "Man this sucks!" "Man, this is so early" and other such inspired and witty commentary. When the bus pulled up some of the students saw us pull in and all started waving and yelling, "Hello!" What followed was possibly my very best couple of days in Japan.

For this middle school visit, everyone was placed in classrooms, with several foreigners to a room. While we were wating for the day to start, we were sitting in an upstairs room of this giantic Soviet-esc building. Really, it looked like something straight out of Stalinist Russia. It did not bode well. It turned out to be really fun, though. Sitting in the library, I think it was, there was old 1940's music playing. I heard "Take the A-train." It was surreal. I was placed in a first year class, so the kids were around 11 or 12. The first part of the day we talked a little about ourselves and they talked a little about themselves, and it was a general get to know you, let's ask awkward questions time. We had lunch and then reccess. I don't know the last time I had recess. It was amazing. We played dodgeball. I was awesome. In the afternoon we played games that the students had made. This was also fun. There were three groups, one group had a board game, one group had a card game, and the third group had a chopstick relay. After the afternoon session finished we all went down to the gym and sat with our classes and had a closing ceremony with people saying how much they enjoyed their time at the middle school, etc., etc. After this, the foreigners went back up to our little welcome room and had a closing ceremony of our own where we wrote messages to our class, talked about the day, and then had a short little closing ceremony of our own. This was quickly followed by host family introductions.

We were all down there in a group, wondering who was our family. I spotted a couple of girls who looked the correct age for my family which was 15 and 18. Lo and behold, when my name was called, they were my family. And ya'll, the 18-year-old was hot. Not just pretty, but smokin' hot. Her english is also excellent so if she reads this (since I gave you my blog address, Saki), I'm going to have to ask you to not translate that last part to your family. Thanks. Annnnywaaaaaaay, back to the story at hand. My family consisted of 6 people, 4 of whom met me at the middle school. It was the Shibata family, consisting of a mother, father, two teenage daughters, a 10-year-old son, and a grandmother. Mr. and Mrs. Shibata along with Saki (18) and Risa (15) (who had just gotten out of school at the same middle school) met me at the school, introduced themselves and told me that it was very nice to meet me. I told them that I had made sure to memorize their names and that it was very nice to meet them as well. I even showed them the sheet that the CIP had given us with their names and ages on it. They thought that was very funny. Thus begins awkwardness, I thought, but I was wrong, since Saki's English was so good, she was able to translate when I didn't understand or couldn't explain something in Japanese on my own. These people gave so much to me in the 24 hours I was with them, I couldn't even begin to explain how welcome and at home I felt with them. They live in Kasahara, a suburb of Taijimi, the city right next to Kasugai. Their house is a very nice, middle-class house. They have a dog. His name is "Pakku." I asked Saki about it, him being her dog and whatnot, and she told me it was for a hockey puck, because she likes hockey so much. They asked me if church was okay, and I told them it was. We didn't end up going, but I think it meant a lot to them that I was willing. The family except for Saki is Buddhist. Saki is a Christian. It is the opposite of my family, I told them a little later. Saki had to go to church anyway because she was on the worship team and had to be early to sing and such. So we piled into the van to take Saki to the church, and the rest of us (except for Obaachan, she stayed home) hit the batting cages. It's been at least 10 years since I've hit a ball with a bat, folks. I think I tried to hit about 60, that seems right. Three times in the cage at 20 balls each.

While we were waiting for our turn in the cage, I noticed something: It was a right-handed cage. I told them this might be problematic for me, being a lefty and all. So we moved down to a switch cage to bat. I'm still sore, but it was worth it. After the cages, we went to the mall and window shopped for a while, they asked me questions about myself and my family, and I asked them standard polite questions. At one point, we were in the toy section and I saw a Nightmare Before Christmas toy. I asked Risa if she had seen this movie (this is Japanese, FTR):
"Yes, but it was a long time ago"
"Did you like it?"
"Yes!"
"Would you like to watch it? I brought it with me. It's in my bag."
"Really? That's cool!"
"Yes! We can watch it in Japanese, too. I don't understand everything, but I have seen it many times and remember it."
and she runs off to ask her mother if it's okay to watch the movie after we get back from dinner.

About this time, it's time for us to go get Saki from church, so we go to pick her up, and I go in. It was mainly foreigners with a smattering of Japanese people. I soon realized it was won of the more...how to put this...open? Dad will know what kind of church makes me uncomfortable, and this was one of them. And I'm done talking about that. People's religion is none of my business.
After church we went to Yakiniku, or grilled meat. At this restaurant, there is a brazier in the middle of the table and you put pieces of meat and vegetables on it. It was really delicious. I mean, really delicious. I had a bit of everything, beef, beef tongue, pig intestine, pig skin, squid, chicken, regular pig and other such things. They kept putting food in my little bowl and I kept eating it. I could not finish everything, though. This was soon to be a theme. Full of meat and other such goodness, I waddled back to the car, and we all went back home.

After everyone had gotten comfortable, I got out my tiny, tiny computer to show them some pictures. I had forgotten my digital camera, unfortunately, so I have no photos from this trip to post yet, nor was I able to show them photos from my travels. They thought Bethany was very pretty, and Dad looked cool. I mostly showed them pictures from Hawai'i because that was what I could find on the internet that had my family in it. I also gave them their gifts which were various and sundry little things, in addition to an OU coffee mug. They got some lanyards from OU and pens and pencils from the John and Annie Glenn house. They were thrilled. We then proceeded to watch Nightmare. I finally hit the hay around 11:30 on an incredibly comfortable futon.

Sunday dawned cloudy and rainy. I got up around 7:30 and took a shower and tried to eat everything at breakfast. Unfortunately, and Dad can attest to this, I don't do well with big early breakfasts. There was so much food, and I couldn't eat a whole lot without getting sick. We lingered around the breakfast table, drinking coffee and talking for a while. I learned a little more about them, and they a little more about me. I wrote my information on a piece of paper and gave it to them so we could stay in touch. I promised to write them as often as my schedule would allow.

Unfortunately Saki had her part-time job and so could not be present for the next part of the adventure. We did, however, pick up Obaachan (grandma), and she came with us to this historical villlage. It was fun, but I didn't understand a whole lot. They picked out a present for Kelly. When I say picked out, I mean they bought it. For me. To give to her. All because I had asked Risa what something she would want would be, since Kelly and Risa are the same age. So we walked around, did some shopping, and my family treated me to another meal. This time of soba noodles, for which this village is famous. (Sidenote: Every village in Japan is famous for something. Some little niche is filled. If you mention a town, chances are someone will say, "Oh yeah, they're famous for -----"). Again, I couldn't eat everything, but I gave it a run for its money. I made sure to eat the stranger things on the dish. An entire pickled fish, some other pickled bits, and so on. After lunch was a little more shopping, and I made sure to get a picture with the (almost) entire family. We headed back to Kasahara.

We had a little time left, so we returned to the house before I had to head to the middle school to get picked up. Taiga (their 10-year-old boy) and I played video games. He seemed to really enjoy it. I did too. Video games are the ultimate equalizer. If you enjoy them, it doesn't matter what your culture is, everyone can gather together. そろそろ時間です。(As they say in Japan.)Too soon, it was time for me to leave, and so leave I did. I said my good-byes to Taiga and Obaachan, and even Pakku. Risa, Mr. Shibata, and Mrs. Shibata came with me to say good-bye. We got our picture taken in front of the bus, and I hugged Risa and Mrs. Shibata good-bye and shook Mr. Shibata's hand and told them I would write them often, and try to return as soon as I could. Despite my misgivings about the whole thing, it was great. I could not have asked for a better time.

I'm glad when I'm wrong like that.