Monday 5 November 2012

Back In Canada

Okay

This is SUPER hella late!

So I am just going to get this out of the way. Yes I am no longer in Japan.
For sad reasons... I came back at the start of September actually. I was thrown around every which way I can't even explain.

How about I do a quick update on what happened of the last couple weeks into being in Japan?

Alright; so I moved to my second host family at the start of August and stayed there for a month. Because of the lack of Internet I got there I wasn't realizing what really was happening at home. My Grandpa got really really sick. And I was asked to come home. Now I didn't know anything because my mom couldn't get in contact with me and my program wouldn't contact me (BIG issue there!)

They came to my host parents house too tell me on August 26th that I would be leaving Japan on the 28th of August. (ALL OF A SUDDEN I KNOW RIGHT?!) but because my mom had no contact with me she didn't know what to do so she didn't book a flight back. So I am sitting here being told by host family and program that I am being moved to the dorms of my school. So I lived there for a good 2 weeks (WHICH WAS AWESOME BTW!)

But anyways. so from then I lived in the dorms till September 6th then I headed back home to Canada.
4 days after I got back (September 11th) My Grandpa passed away.

Everyone says that I made it back just in time... and hell I miss him so much.

But I am back in Canada now, no I am not returning there to finish the year.

I am now working two part time jobs and trying to figure out college. And every day I just want to go back.
It has been 2 months now since I left Japan and I miss it everyday.

Thank you everyone for following my blog or vlogs for this long but sadly my journey came to a close way too soon.

Thank you.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Lack of Updates!

Oh my gosh!

I just realized I haven't updated my blog in almost a month!
Sorry guys! Been super busy with preparations for personal matters, and also moving to my new host family last week as well. So, I have been great!

On Sunday July 29th; I went to fireworks and a festival with my friend Sayaka and her friends. I ended up running into my friends Noora (from Finland) and Nico (from America) there as well. We chatted a bit and I had a great time! Ate lots of food and Japanese fireworks are wonderful! They go on for a good 30 minutes! I am not joking! I thought by fireworks it was only going to be 5 minutes or 10. BUT A WHOLE 30 MINUTES! I will post a video on my Youtube channel soon! My friend Sayaka also gave me a Yukata to wear and she actually gave it to me to keep! Its so pretty! Sadly I dont have any good pictures of me in my Yukata TwT Was hoping for Sayaka to post pictures but nothing yet XD




Its been tough keeping up with both my BLOG and VLOG's so I have been taking a bit of time with them.

Also I am now with my 4th host family now. I am currently in Ube now which is closer to my school. So I do less travel time on the train. Which kind of makes me sad. I really liked my 40 minute train ride to and from school.

In my current host family I have a host sister; Miki, another host sister I will be meeting on Friday since she lives in Tokyo, a host dad and mom. They are all super nice! They also have a cat; Miko and a dog; Bekey/Becci? I dont know how to spell it XD

Its summer here so that means its SUPER HOT! All I have been doing this past couple weeks has been sleeping through the heat. Its really difficult because I am not used to the heat! So my body just wants to sleep right through it! XD

Hm... nothing much else to update on; I might have an announcement happening in the next couple weeks. But I will get back to that later. I am also going to Fukuoka with my host family this Saturday! I haven't had the chance to leave Yamaguchi since I arrived here. So it will be a bit nice going somewhere different.

Till next time!

Monday 2 July 2012

NO SCHOOL! =D

It is July 3rd.

We started test week at school this week.
I woke up this morning (Tuesday) to go to school for 3 hours while everyone took tests and I sit in the library.
It was raining a bit but its rainy season so thats cool.
I was told by my host mom and sister my train might be late because of the rain fall.

Get to the station; 4 other trains were late leaving Shin Yamaguchi. A couple trains came and went but my train never showed. Fell asleep for about 20 minutes, woke up and my train still wasn't there.

Pretty much 40 minutes later some students from my school left. I slept for another 5 minutes when a guy from my school came over to wake me up. XD
He told me that we could go home (because they put up a sign saying there was no trains running from Shin Yamaguchi to Onoda) and that school was cancelled for the day because of the rain fall.

I was happy!!
I didn't have to go to school and sit in the library for 3 hours! =3
Home alone now; chilling and enjoying the peace and quiet, eating candy and feeling fat.
That is how I am spending my day. XD

Welp nothing really much else happening xD

Chat again soon! =3

Sunday 17 June 2012

Cultural Festival!

So its that time of year at my school where we do out Cultural Festival!
And gosh that was a lot of fun!

So on Thursday June 14th 2012; was only half a day of class (so 1st to 3rd period) then the rest of the day was working on Cultural Festival things; putting our classes together and working on finishing posters and other small things.
Here is a quick video I did XD
I plan to post the rest of my VLOGS from this weekend soon~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0tWc9CyZjA&feature=plcp

Lets start off with this; my class 2-3 did a Curry Rice shop~ it was super yummy!


I helped a couple students in my class with posters; but since I am horrible at drawing; I did the colouring! =3
Hm... A lot of things happened just trying to remember xD
Thursday was all just prep for the Friday; Friday was pretty much a trail day and getting this completely ready for the Saturday which was the main day of the cultural festival. 

Friday 15th 2012

That was a very eventful day.
Got to school; helped with some small things; then went to the gym for the events of the day hosted for the students. It was also the opening ceremony for the Cultural Festival; I sat with two friends from my class.
Some first years came around with some balloons and I couldn't figure out what they were for. 

We were told to blow them up but not tie them. Then after the little speech we were told to let them go. So the balloons went flying across the gym to officially open the Cultural Festival! =D
It was tons of fun!


A, K and Me 

The Music Club put on a terrific performance! I was so shocked for a high school band they were very very good! (I used to be a flute player in band back in high school in Canada and it made me want to play the flute again XD)
Then the Drama club put on a funny performance! It was hard to catch every word but I figured it out after time went on.
Next we had a good 30 minute break; so I just walked around for a bit.
Went back to my seat and a Traditional Japanese Dance was performed by a student. It was very beautiful!
Then a group of bands formed at the school played. Some of then were really good actually!

Then the costume contest started. Each class has a "mascot" character for their shop during the Cultural Festival. My class was Winnie the Pooh! So our teacher and a couple students dressed up as Pooh, Tigger, Eeore, Piglet and Kanga. And started to dance to Kiss My-Ft2's song EVERYBODY GO
got alot of laughs from that one. 
Sadly we didn't win. But the other classes' performances were awesome! XD
That was my Friday in a nut shell. 

My Saturday... oh gosh that was one tiring day!
In the morning I walked around by myself, just to see things. I ate SO much food that day!
Through the day I ate maybe 6 Kakigooi (which is Japanese Shaved Ice). It was super yummy!
Then some chicken, hot dog, and some other salty meat xD
I was also being fed by some students XD "Haley try this!" and gave me Udon, Yakisoba (2-1) and some Curry Rice (2-3).
Gosh that was fun XD
After my friends K and A were finished with their duties I met up with them and we walked around for a bit. we went to a traditional Japanese cafe sort of hosted by I believe a first year class. I ate some Green Tea ice cream and Green Tea. Gosh it was yummy! A even gave me a bite of some Japanese sweets; it hate red bean in it if I am not mistaken.

I also ate some fried chicken and fries(3-1), popcorn and juice (3-3), Ice Cream (3-1). Oh gosh I feel fat just talking about all of it xD

My friend K (another friend that starts with the letter K XD), who is a first year, wanted me to go to her class (1-1) because they had a Game Centre, gosh I wanted to go but I had to go to work (work in the Curry shop) when she started! So I was sad  about that D=
There was also a Haunted House (1-3) but me being a chicken didn't want to go in by myself since everyone else are chickens xD
Started working around 1 till 3. Had a blast with everyone!
After the Cultural Festival was over we all did a major clean; and like I said in my video; took 2 days to put everything together; all cleaned within 1 hour. XD


But gosh I was tired after the day! Had the closing assembly  which was very emotional or the 3rd years since this was their last Cultural Festival at Xavier. It was super sweet <3

I had such a wonderful time! I really got to bond with lots of students over this time and really got to see them not all stressed about studies and just having a good time.

Back to school Monday; then they have tests coming up. So more time off for me soon xD
But till next time guys!

Sunday 10 June 2012

Been awhile!

Wow I really need to keep up with these blogs!

I have been super busy over the last couple weeks I haven't really been able to just sit down and write about my events!
The last one I was talking about Golden Week and that was a month ago!

Now lets get this show on the road shall we ;)

I was lucky enough to see VENUS over the week! if anyone didn't know; over the week Venus was visible near the sun and that wont happen again for another 130 years or so, so I am so happy I got to see it!
Here is a picture I nabbed from my English teachers Facebook xD I believe he was with the Math teacher and he is super interested in space and stars. So I am happy to have seen a better picture.




So; right now in school we are preparing for the yearly 文化祭 (ぶんかさい - bunkasai - cultural festival)
at school. If you watch anime or watch Dramas you guys will know what this is xD
its a huge event put on by Elementary, Junior, High and University schools to show the students every day achievements. Its the only day out of the year that other students from other school's are aloud in another school. There are plays, food shops, and all these awesome things! My class (2-3) is doing a Curry Rice restaurant ! I am super exited for it! Its this up coming weekend so I will make sure to bring my camera over the week and get some pictures and videos! (I really need to update my VLOG as well)
I also helped make paper flowers for decorations! Lots of fun is going to happen this week!


Hm.. I don't know if anything else really happened ...

Well I might post some emotional things like right now so if you don't want to read about all the things that is making me mad dont continue xD

So like I said; I really love Japan. I do. But Japan is like any other country. It has its negitaves to their postivives and lately I have been experianceing a lot of negative vibes from it... What I have noticed about Japanese people (maybe not all but some) they are very two-faced. They will act like everything is okay and say don't worry about it, but really they are pissed off and talk about you behind your back and if there is a problem will not tell you about it till its so far along that they already hate you and you can't do anything to fix it.

Its annoying... because I honestly don't know how anyone feels about me; if they are just putting on a mask and hiding it or if that is how they really feel.
Over the week I was feeling a bit sad. Who doesn't feel that way? I am still a bit homesick, I wasn't feeling good over the week, I am exhausted, and of course I might show that I look sad sometimes. I can't really control that. But I am being told that teachers are concerned about my well being because I haven't been "genki"
OH DEAR LORD! I hate that word. I can't be GENKI (which means happy or something) all the FRICKEN TIME PEOPLE! So because of this concern; the teacher in charge called my program.... yea... I already have a feeling I  am not in good standings with them... and she asked them what she can do to "fix me". . .
DEAR LORD PEOPLE! I am feeling down for a couple days and now you all think I am depressed?!
I am not depressed! I am just feeling down!
Even if you are sad; you have to smile. Yeaaaaaa... that isn't easy when I come from a cultural where you are told to EXPRESS your emotions and how you feel them holding them in.

And it doesn't help that even though I say I am happy here...sometimes I just want to go home... if this was really a good idea for me. This cultural is harder to adjust to then I realized. It is so different its crazy... I am almost 4 months in and I am still trying to adjust to it all... Right now my goal is to make it to the end of August or September and if I still feel like this was a bad idea I might go home early... Nothing set in stone or anything yet but I am just fighting a war that I feel like I won't ever win.

Let's just see what happens in the next couple months.

Well other then that; I am off. I hope to make another blog more positive next time. Probably about the cultural festival~ Till next time guys!

Sunday 20 May 2012

One Month in a Nutshell

Wow I haven't updated in awhile.

Sorry for the long wait guys!

Golden Week was great (which was a holiday here in Japan from April 29th till May 7th. It was a lot of fun!
on one of the days my host family and I went fishing in Hikari city. I got to see the ocean to! Which was so awesome!

I can't fish though... so it was a major learning experience for me (I haven't gone fishing since I was a kid!)
Lets just say... I am still horrible at it xD

(ALSO; that boy in the picture is my host brother Yuta, and the girl in the pink is my host sister Yuka)


Later that day we went to a Pasta place for lunch and it was super yummy! I had a great day~

Then the next day I met up with a nother exchange student named Noora (check out her blog; its all in Finish but you will get the point: http://fantasyneverland.blogspot.jp/)

We went to a place called YOU ME town here in Yamaguchi City, had a blast! LOTS of Purikura was done that day. Probably spent $10 Canadian or more on Purikura xD
But if you come to Japan. Purikura is a MUST!

Lets see...what else has happened that I haven't blogged about.

OH RIGHT! This past week the students at my school had test week, so I still had to go to school even though there was no classes all week and we got to go home around 12 everyday. Which was nice. Did some studying and sleeping in the library all week.

Then went shopping with Noora again to a place called Sun Town in Onoda City. Lots more shopping! And Purikura with a group of girls from my school xD

Yesterday (May 19th) a friend of my host sisters came over (lets call her S) she is super great! We have a lot of things in common (Anime the most!) and she wants to go shopping, karaoke, to festivals and a convention with me in the next couple weeks xD I can't wait!

ALSO! School Festival is coming up! My class is doing a Curry Shop ;)
I will most definitely get some pictures of that!

Hm...other then that nothing really much else has been going on. Till next time! I really need to keep up to date with these blogs xD

Monday 30 April 2012

Golden Week and KAT TUN Fans!

Well its Golden Week here in Japan!
How it works; Sunday and Monday are days off. Then there is school on Tuesday and Wednesday. But then off Thursday till Sunday. So its not to bad. I am kind of happy to go to school tomorrow so I am not sitting alone in my house just studying. I would rather be at school studying since there is less things to distract me from it.

Yesterday (April 29th) was a great day! Went out with my Host family (host brother and mom all day). We went to a mall in Hofu (I so wish I brought my camera to make a vlog!) There was a huge flea market happening and a lot of festival things going on! So mad at myself for forgetting my camera! We also went to see a movie. My host brother (who is 13) wanted to see Detective Conan: Eleventh Striker. I have been wanting to see that movie for weeks! My host mom was a bit iffy about it since I can't understand Japanese all that well. I said its fine I will be okay! XD

And sure enough I was fine! For some reason its a lot easier to understand anime Japanese then actual conversation (I guess because of the animation helped? XD) I understood the whole thing other then the villains motive. Which I will probably find out when the subs come out in October xD
No worries. I am just happy to have actually seen a Detective Conan in theatres! I was super happy!

Today I pretty much stayed in my room. My host brother watched baseball all day and my host mom and sister were out the most of the day. But I got to get some studying done and I finally sat down and watched the KAT TUN NO MORE PAIN Asia Tour DVD's a student in my class let me borrow for these two days so I haveto give them back to her tomorrow. xD
I dont know if I talked about that incident yet...

So what happened and how I ended up with these beautiful DVD's. I have a major celeb crush on Kamanashi Kazuya since I was ... 14? xD I remember seeing him in the drama Nobuta wa Produce god knows how long ago. And I fell in MAJOR love with him (just celeb crush xD). So what happened was I was sitting in class in between break between 7th and Homeroom at the end of the day. And this group of girls beside me were singing songs like LADY by Sexy Zone. And then they started to sing the theme song to Nobuta wa Produce. The FIRST THING I said was "/GASP!/ Kamanashi Kazuya?!" They looked at me and said "YOU KNOW KAMANASHI KAZUYA?! HOW?!" Told them I watched the Drama. They were SUPER exited! And started to ask me billions of questions like who my favourite members of each group was, favourite songs, what drama was my favourite. Oh it was great xD Then I said hold on a second and pulled out a binder of my Kamanashi Kazuya pictures that a group of 1st years gave me. They were all fan girling xD they then called over another girl and said along the lines "SHE KNOWS KAMANASHI KAZUYA!"
She screamed and ran over to me with binders and books and EVERYTTHING full of KAT TUN and Kamanashi Kazuya (KAT TUN is the band that he is apart of btw)

She told me to see her tomorrow and she wanted me to borrow something.
I came to school and she gave me the KAT TUN NO MORE PAIN Asia Tour DVD set!
Holy crap I was one happy girl! I am actually watching it right now while writing this blog.
And it features a lot of things from the drama WALL FLOWER that came out during this time AND HOLY SHIT ITS BEAUTIFUL ! Vampire themes and just AH!
I am so happy. I am def. going to buy some KAT TUN and ARASHI CD's while I am here in Japan!