Homestay
Friday, March 20, 2009
I had no time to take pictures today, so please allow me to be lazy and merely link you to some from before. http://picasaweb.google.com/passively/TokyoFirstDays#
Today was alternating nerves and excitement ever since I woke up this morning at the Tokyo Green Palace. I was afraid we'd have to meet our families first thing in the morning, so I felt ill-prepared, especially after walking in the rain to Sophia. Yet the excitement had even more time to build towards our 3:00pm meeting with the families. Walking around the campus, we could see many of the families making their way to the buildings, but it wasn't until all the CIEE students were lines up in the front of a roomful of families (all sitting with nametags watching us), that I saw my family. I recognized them right away, and immediately my heart started beating sooooo quickly!! We all did our introductions, and you could tell the families were impressed.
Right off the bat, we talked a lot. I can tell you everything I've learned about my family, and all the things we talked about but that isn't the amazing part. Speaking to them in Japanese, no matter how skilled my sentences are, makes me soooo happy.
The area is really nice, lots of tiny stores and houses, and mansons. The streets are close together, which makes me feel rather large and awkward a lot of the times. It's a 15 minute walk form the station to home, and I don't even remember how long the train ride was since I was so engaged in speaking to my family. I get the feeling I will get very very lost very soon.
At dinner we had a special guest which made the evening even more enjoyable, though consequentially I didn't find out much of the rules and such I wanted to find out. The guest was a 30-something year old Korean woman who previously stayed with the family to learn Japanese. She was quite an adorable and endearing person! Even though she only stayed there a month, you could tell the parents were enamored by her.
I live in a house, and have my own room on the second floor. It is very spacious, and I even have my own desk. I sleep on a futon, which is exciting. I feel very Japanese right now lying down and typing this. I hope this post had coherant enough thoughts. I am tired, but the urge to blog took over. I will create posts with better flow later. For now, that's all. I'm going to bed.
Today was alternating nerves and excitement ever since I woke up this morning at the Tokyo Green Palace. I was afraid we'd have to meet our families first thing in the morning, so I felt ill-prepared, especially after walking in the rain to Sophia. Yet the excitement had even more time to build towards our 3:00pm meeting with the families. Walking around the campus, we could see many of the families making their way to the buildings, but it wasn't until all the CIEE students were lines up in the front of a roomful of families (all sitting with nametags watching us), that I saw my family. I recognized them right away, and immediately my heart started beating sooooo quickly!! We all did our introductions, and you could tell the families were impressed.
Right off the bat, we talked a lot. I can tell you everything I've learned about my family, and all the things we talked about but that isn't the amazing part. Speaking to them in Japanese, no matter how skilled my sentences are, makes me soooo happy.
The area is really nice, lots of tiny stores and houses, and mansons. The streets are close together, which makes me feel rather large and awkward a lot of the times. It's a 15 minute walk form the station to home, and I don't even remember how long the train ride was since I was so engaged in speaking to my family. I get the feeling I will get very very lost very soon.
At dinner we had a special guest which made the evening even more enjoyable, though consequentially I didn't find out much of the rules and such I wanted to find out. The guest was a 30-something year old Korean woman who previously stayed with the family to learn Japanese. She was quite an adorable and endearing person! Even though she only stayed there a month, you could tell the parents were enamored by her.
I live in a house, and have my own room on the second floor. It is very spacious, and I even have my own desk. I sleep on a futon, which is exciting. I feel very Japanese right now lying down and typing this. I hope this post had coherant enough thoughts. I am tired, but the urge to blog took over. I will create posts with better flow later. For now, that's all. I'm going to bed.
the stars are there to keep you warm at night,
7:16 AM
6 Comments:
uwa
this sounds very exciting. mom demanded i read your blog outloud for her so i did LOL. when i came to the word "mansons" i was like wtf is this. xD *looks up* maybe mansions? lol.
your room sounds amazing. O___O take pictures. you have internet??? your family sounds pretty damn cool. did you give your gifts? *more questions*
HAVE A GOOD RESTT
oooo, are you in a homestay? I thought you could only do a dorm or an apartment?
I'm in a homestay!! I need to take a picture of my family, huh? :D Hopefully I get a phone Monday, Leina!
Jeanine, "manshon" is apartment.
Leen-desu, Picasa web albums ftw! :)
Seriously, I am loving these albums.
that's so awesome! I'm glad the family is nice! And you have a futon...i <3 futons lol
