First off, I study a lot. I woke up this morning, did my daily internet routine of checking emails, replying to emails, and sending embarassingly cute messages to Matty before signing off for breakfast. While eating breakfast, I reviewed the vocabulary for the day’s lesson. While walking my 15-25 minute daily route to the station — the minutes change depending on how full I am and/or the type of shoe I am wearing — I listened to Japanese ballads and reggae.

I like to study. This may have been a factor to why I had a bad dating streak in the past: I was too occupied studying or reading to realize the person I was with was an idiot. Good thing Matty is a nerd like me.

Anyway, I took this picture after resting a bit. Today was a bit melancoly. Today was the last day of my studies at the YWCA: I gave homemade cards to my two teachers, one of whom was so moved, she was about to cry. I would have cried too. The other? She invited me out to get drunk on margaritas tomorrow. Hahaha. Woo!

Friday: Taiwanese Surprise
Koh-san studied in the YWCA for a year two years and half ago and was under the care of my host family during that time. She and her friend, Iching-san, met at the YWCA and have been friends since.

Even now, while in graduate studies back in Japan, they occasionally drop by my host family’s house for dinners and visits.

Like Friday, when they suddenly called us up in the middle of the afternoon saying they are in the station.

It was quite unexpected. They were early — a week early. In any case, all was forgiven since they brought us lots of good things to eat AND made dinner AND cleaned up. Haha. I watched. I tossed noodles in the pan.

I did my part: I stuffed my face and ate dessert!

Osaka Gamba Soccer Game
I like soccer. I like the running aspect of the game. I wouldn’t really call myself a soccer player, per se, even though I play soccer for a recreation league in the summer with my friends.

I am a fan of the game. Ok, I am a fan of watching the game. Besides, liking to watch fast breaks and impossible fancy footwork, I like watching soccer players. Ever since junior high, which consisted of mostly soccer-fanatic Italians and Portugeses, I have held the opinion that soccer players are the best looking players in all of sports.

Some women like swimmers; some women like basketball players; I like my soccer players. I can hardly complain about high endurance, good abs, and a lack of hesitation to take off one’s shirt.

Rawr.

Unfortunately, not a whole lot of the Japanese soccer players are good looking. Hahaha. Good thing they had a pretty exciting game.

My host councellor, bless him, bought damn expensive seats. I was thinking of going myself and paying about ten dollars for seats with other home fans behind the net. However, we got to sit in the good section, far back, but in the good section for about 40 dollars a seat.

It was really busy and packed. My host councellor took a picture of me during half-timel.

After Osaka won against Hiroshima 3-0, we headed off to a nearby family restaurant to eat some dinner. There I found some mysterious Canadian bread, which tasted like normal bread. I thought that may be it would have a flavor of maple syrup or may be something bizarre like a French-Canadian person made it. Nope. Normal bread. “Canadian Bread” just sounds fancier.

March 14th is White Day. I think I have mentioned it before, but I will explain again in case my dear readers have forgotten the purpose of this occasion.

White Day is the opposite day of Valentines Day in Japan. While Valentines Day is purely for women to give gifts of chocolate and other types of confection to their dear ones, White Day is a day where the one who has received a little treat repays the giver with a treat of their own.

Dark chocolate and milk chocolate are the usual choice for Valentines Day, so white chocolate (or silver jewelry) is given on White Day. Really, you could give anything. It’s the thought that counts right? (Matty …)

Anyway, I gave my host dad some cute chocolate for Valentines Day so he decided to give me a little something. After receiving my gift and having a laugh, we constructed this four part camera story.

Hmmm? I wonder what this could be inside this package? Hmmmm …

Oh! It’s a small strawberry shortcake! I love strawberry shortcakes! Mm, I want to eat it right away!

Oh no no no! You are NOT allowed to eat that!
Huh? Why not?

Oh! It’s really a small pink blanket packaged to look like strawberry shortcake. Thank you very much!

Yeah, we had fun taking those pictures and getting the expressions right. Haha

So on White Day, on a completely unrelated note, my host parents decided to throw a little party. This party involves friends of my host dad since he was 10 years old!

His friends are musicians who have lived in France, America, etc. They have travelled and lived around the world. They can speak English, French, and, of course, Japanese. They can play things on the piano on a whim!

My host mom made a big feast and I helped make all things that comes wrapped: spring rolls and banana rolls. (”Turon” in Tagalog/Filipino or what I dubbed in Japanese, “BANANA-maki”).

And here is a picture of everyone!

They are a silly bunch and just as fun as my host parents. Hahaha. You can never have a boring moment with musicians. Oh, they played jazz and Hawaiian-style songs all night Hahaha.

Their friends brought a whole lot of strawberries for us to share, so they made smoothies. I am not a big fan of smoothies so I just made some strawberry sauce for my ice cream and ate it like that. Haha. I helped make the smoothy anyways.

Mmmm. I love ice cream and fresh fruits. Yummy.

All in all it was a fun night. My host parents and their friends actually get together on warm spring/summer days, don on Hawaiian t-shirts while their wives don on floral muu-muus so they could sing Hawaiian songs and play with their ukeleles all day. Not a bad idea. I may have to steal that and learn how to play the ukelele or at least the guitar. Haha.

Random Cuteness

 
They’re holding hands and wearing little hats.  Oooh!

Soo damn, cute!  Oh!

 
Oh, a quaint little shop! Hee hee.

Before I begin, here is the evidence the PROVES I did not cut my hair.

Thank you, now back to our semi-regularly posted update …

March 10th was a terrifying day. Not because I had kendo; it was because I also had kendo to worry about on top of going to the kendo practice hall by myself in a city I am not familiar with … in the dark … while it was raining.

I almost chickened out. Well, to be truthful, I did chicken out. I went walked back after 5 minutes when the rain began to drizzle, only to be sent back out after another 5 minutes talking to my host dad who forced me to go back there since my host councellor and my kendo senseis went to all the trouble of setting this up for me. Since I was expected, I guess I just have to suck it up.

So, I did.

I hefted my heavy load and began my not-so-merry, but oh-so-wet journey. I made it to Sakasegawa without mistake. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was getting off the station with my little map my host councellor gave me and then decoding it. So there I was with a load on my back, my purse, my umbrella teetering in one hand, while the other was holding a map.

I asked someone and managed to find the one Japanese woman who DOES NOT live in the area. I ended up walking the wrong way. I had a feeling something was amiss; I asked another person who directed me back to the eki and then pointed on the right way. She must have felt sorry for me or something. She gave me two bread buns.

Things were fine the whole way through. It was a long walk, more than what I had expected, so I actually thought I was getting lost. It was just then I saw a sign that pointed me to the right way: “Sports Center 500 m”. I made it safe. Me and the buns were safe. I practiced from 7pm - 8:30pm. I felt way better after practicing. I also felt very grateful and much happier the moment my sensei gave me a Japanese book on kendo (with furigana so I could easily look up the words I don’t know - so thoughtful!!), my own shinai, and a Japanese fabric shinai bag. Ohhhhhhh — my haul back to Canada is going to be a heavy one.

Day trip to Kobe
By some force unimaginable, I find myself in very lucky positions. Some students get councellors who just do the most minimal of minimal tasks. Some councellors are just plain bad and don’t communicate with their student. “As long as they are alive, I am doing my job” seems to be the motto for these types. Haha. However, my councellor, Umezaki-san, has to be the best. He and I keep talking about going on a trip together with his wife, but we got busy along the way that we were never were able to do it until now. He and I get along just fine. I feel lucky to have him as my councellor.I met him and his wife at one pm on the train to Kobe at Kotoen station. Considering that yesterday was a rainy disaster, today went smoothly. The weather was even in my favor: it was bright and sunny. The wind could have been more considerate and should have buggered off, but it stubbornly stayed put and blew cold gusts all day. However, there was sun so I can’t complain much.

We spent some time wandering a bit in Harbourland. There was a food fair so I had lots to see and plenty to smell. I was not allowed to eat though since we were going for a treat in the ship Concerto!! A ship trip around the harbour that shows off the port and some of the sites in Kobe! Wee!

There were some really cute shops.  There was one shop all dedicated to Snoopy.  I love Snoopy, at least the dolls.  I think the actual character is a bit of a dunderhead.

 
So in the boat we went.  We went for their “tea time” cruise which lasts for 45 minutes.  It goes around Kobe harbour and back again while we eat dim sum, dessert, and tea.

I took pictures of factories around the area, the bridge that connects the next island and Kobe together and this pretty picture of Kobe:

We walked downtown where I bought an Osaka Gamba team home jersey. (YEAH! OSAKA!!) We also stopped by the 1995 Earthequake Memorial.  They kept a piece of the wreakage in its actual location to help remember how devestating the earthquake was.  It wreaked the harbour completely, not to mention toppled tall buidings and killed thousands of people.

We met up with their daughter and went for dinner.  I admit it — I was completely spoiled in this occasion for tea and for dinner.  This was a fantastic little place.  It seats 8 people.  There is ONE chef and he cooks everything and prepares everything in front of the customers.  It is amazing.  The food — wonderful.  I had kobe beef.  Wonderful, tender, perfectly marblized meat.

Undoubtedly the BEST dinner I ever had in Japan.  Soo damn good. :D

Shuya is the second youngest grandson of my host parents. Shuya or “Shu-kun” just turned 4. My host parents were incredibly late in sending a gift and turned to me to write a card.

“He doesn’t know me!” I protested.

“He’ll like it; he likes silly cards”.

So the card I chose is one that sings “Happy Birthday” with … pink bunnies. Shut up — they are cute!

Here is the card with the message I wrote:

If you can read it, it basically says in English:
To Shunya,
Happy Birthday! I am the exchange student from Canada, Ana! Nice to meet you! What are you turning? Are you turning four? A genius? A vegetable? Or a rhino? I wonder which one?

Call me and give me an answer ?!

Ana

Japanese Pun explaination

???????
(?????????
Nan sai desu ka?
How old are you?

????
(?????
Yon sai
4 years old.

??
(????)
Tensai
Genius

??
(???)
Yasai
Vegetable

?????
(??????
Tada no sai
Just a rhino

He liked it.

March 9: Ah, Takarazuka. Takarazuka known for horsetracks; seasonal harvesting of strawberries, chestnuts, and matsutake mushrooms; and cross-dressing actors in whimsical plays. In a small little corner at the end of “Hana no Michi” or Flower Road is a lesser known museum called the Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum.

A phoenix marks the location of the museum, a symbol of rebirth and recreation, and is also Tezuka Osamu’s first major known work. But who is Tezuka Osamu? He’s mostly known for two things, but I shall mention three:

1) He is called the “Father of Manga” being the first of his time to create popular manga, anime, and movies based on his work for decades to come.

2) He created Astroboy. He obviously created other things, but they are not as well known in the West.

3) He created “Kimba the White Lion”. The story about a young white lion in the jungles. His father, betrayed by his brother or Kimba’s uncle, was killed and Kimba was left to abandon a kingdom that is rightfully his … wait a minute, does this not sound like The Lion King?? Yeah, that’s right. Kimba = Simba.

Oh, look! It’s Simba — I mean, KIMBA!

The title of this work is hilarious (verbateum): “A Woman of Ill Repute Who Inhabits in the Deeppart of Congo”.

I had fun reading some manga and wandering about the museum — just being silly. Then it was time to say good-bye. Good-bye Astroboy!

On the Way Home from Takarazuka
She wears a hakama, not a kimono. I prefer these myself.

Before I write another update, I just wanted to write a small note on my condition right now.

I had kendo today again.  Ugh, I am sore.  My body feels sooorree.  Ugh, I think I will call it a night.

The sensei had a good time playing “whack a girl” with me again.  Bad feet position? Whack on the calf.  A bit slow?  Whack on the head.  Need a demonstration dummy?  Whacked on the head, wrist.  I got whacked around many times today.  Good news though: I’ve slightly become used to having body armor in front of me.

I was looking rather haggard when I stepped back into the sweet rainy sidewalk of Kawanishi, when a man came up to me and began talking to me.  I then realized that he is from a beauty parlour and he was promoting himself and their 30% deal.  Oh god.  Was I THAT haggard that the hair stylist HIMSELF came to give me a coupon??

Anyway, I don’t think I’ll be cutting my hair until the fall.  And when I do cut my hair, it’ll be short and curly; it’ll be just like how I always set my hair for an event. 

Hmm, I’m wondering if I should just erase all the pictures in my camera.  I am running out of space and I’m too cheap to put it all in a CD.  Hmm, may be I’ll check out how much it costs first.  Haha. 

Boku wa kuma.  I am a bear. The cutest song ever.  (Matt, I think you can learn this one!)

Check out this link.

YWCA OSAKA GRAD PARTY!
March 7th was the Graduation Party for the students of the YWCA. It is the end of the term so we all get our report cards and little certificates of sorts. I passed the final with a mark of 84%.For most of the students, it is a time for partying and fun. For me, it’s a normal day at school where I go to my private lessons, and then join in on the eating and festivities after.

It was also an occasion to wear something fancy, like a suit may be? I went to my private lesson wearing a snazzy suit. My professor of the day (I have two for my lessons) was very shocked, because

1) I was wearing a suit
2) She has never seen me wear make-up before.

It is snazzy. It’s — cough — Indivi. (http://indivi.jp/)

There were others who graduated, but I only got this snapshot of the two girls in my class who graduated. The others were somewhere, but not here.

Yeah, so what if I am using chopsticks to eat pizza? Haha.

My favorite teacher, Mitsui sensei. She has to be my favorite. She’s patient, funny, and very good at explaining things. She taught me during my B class time and is still teaching me now during my private lessons. I wonder how she must think of me? Haha. Sometimes I think I must appear to be this odd little thing to her. Haha. My knowledge of Japanese is just — scrambled. Haha.

NOTE: I got the idea that some people think that I cut my hair short. (My dad wrote me an email saying that with the pants suit and new haircut he can now call me “My son”.) Actually, I put it back to look like a bob. I was actually thinking of cutting my hair short to look like that, but I chickened out and kept it long. If you look at the Arima pictures you will notice my hair is long. The only change I did was the bangs really. I got them cut and some of my layers as it was becoming unruly shaggy.

Family Trip #2: Arima
My host family — lovely people, they are — decided to take me to a mini trip to Arima on March 4th.Arima is located in Kobe and is a famous little town district for hot springs, onsens, and the Rokko Moutain.

Our first stop was at the Arima Grand Hotel. We stopped there to park the car so we could walk down to the main road. First we walked around the Grand Hotel garden.

The Grand Hotel is known for being the biggest in the area. (Does not mean it is the best, just the biggest and most expensive.) There I was amongst the flowers, again.

I grew quite fond of taking pictures of flowers while I am here. News in Japan is that the warm weather is causing a surprisingly early blooming of cherry blossoms. When Matt comes to visit, it should be just perfect in Kyoto.

I thought the kappa statues in the pond was cute. Kappas are little Japanese legendary water imps. They cause trouble of sorts and play tricks on people that range to plain annoyance to ripping your stomach from your anus. They have bowls of water on their heads and, should you be near a kappa, the trick to diminishing their power is to trick them to bow or somehow lose the water in their heads. Once the water is gone, they are helpless.

(Also, “Kappa” is the name of a novel written by Japanese literature author Akutagawa Ryunosuke. A social commentary on his views of contemporary Japanese lifestyle and habits in the guise of a story about a lunatic who accidently finds himself in the world of the kappa. A very interesting read, if not a bit depressing. He did write the novel before commiting suicide. Other works by him that I admire, “In the Grove”, “A Fool’s Life”, and “Hell Screen”.)

Haha — I got a kappa in my head!

After walking around for a bit, we found the “foot spa”. It’s free and refreshing. Sure it looks like mud, but it’s not. It’s real spring water of sorts with natural salts in it. Nice and hot!

We did more walking around. The streets in Arima are bit old fashioned. I think I will see more of this in Takayama when Matt and I go for our whirlwind tour of Japan.

We went back to the Arima Grand Hotel for lunch. We went to their Singapore style restaurant, ordered three dishes and divided it amongst ourselves. As always it was yummy.

Oh yeah, my host mom thought it was a good idea to take a little peek of the ryokan that I was going to stay at with Matt. All I have to say is that it’s small, cute, and damn worth the price we are paying. Hee hee. More on that when it comes our way.