Monday 16^th
à Friday 20^th November

Had another half day host this week, was another kinda boring one, and again I don't really blame the hosts as ive done everything that there is to do in the area and available to do on Wednesdays, Japan is strange, a lot of places are closed Wednesdays (or else Mondays like things are closed Sundays in Aus) so we went to their company, and they kinda just left me with the ladies that work there, the company make control panels, so I got to watch a bit of that which was sort of interesting. The rest of the week was school, and study.

 

Saturday 21^st, Sunday 22^nd and Monday 23^rd November (labour day holiday)

Saturday I went for a wonder down to Aeon, and the shoe warehouse near it in order to replace my boots that I walked holes into the soles of last winter, and managed to find a new pair for about $20 J Sunday I decided to spend the afternoon at the library, even just to study, because they actually have desks there, unlike my bedroom, and the kitchen table, is always very crowed and the kitchen is freezing. Monday I went for a walk down to Aeon, just because it was such a nice day, and I needed a new set of earphones, my old ones were only making sound in one ear at a time, and would change as I walked along and bended the wires differently and I managed to get a blister on the bottom of my foot, because I didn't put my orthotic in properly and *ouch* and then home again for the standard at home thing at the moment of study, less than 2 weeks now until my exam! Eek*

 

Tuesday 24^th
à Friday 27^th November

No rotary or half day host this week, but just lots of school, and study for the Japanese profiency test. We finished our current project in calligraphy this week, of writing out a haiku, the one I did translates as looking up, beautiful cloud, autumn sky.

Saturday 28^th & Sunday 29^th November

Once again out for lunch, on both days of the weekend, and my hosts were out for the rest of the time, so I went for a walk in the park on afternoon and just around the general area the other. the rest of the time spent studying or working on Christmas(new year) presents

 

Monday 30^th
à Friday 4^th December

I have this week off school because they are in the equlivent of block exams, although I went in for my Japanese lesssons now with my Japanese test less than a week away. Most of the week was spent studying, with a daily walk in the afternoon, either to the library where I would read that days English newspaper and check my email if I could grab a computer, or to the park.

Wednesday saw another half day host, and I must say it was frustrating, they own a teawear shop on the main street of town, and live above it, and we spent the whole time there, other than when they decided to take me for a walk down that street pointing out what every shop sells, it was another of those "hello! I have been here since January do you realy think that I haven't been here yet?" Moments

 

Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th December

Sunday was the big test day, and boy it was a freezing day, but all went well as far as I can judge, wont be getting results until late febuary or march next year, and of course, that ment Saturday was spent studying for the test. After the test Sunday I kinda felt a bit lost at home, no longer having study to do, but did easily fill the time doing a practise pack of my suitcase, and packing my box of things to post home, suprizinlgly enough everything does fit in my suitcase it just weighs way to much… so I shall be posting 22kg worth of stuff home. You really don't relize how much you have accumliated until you have to pack it all up again.

Monday 7^th – Friday 11^th December

Monday I posted my box home, all 22kg of it and it only cost me 10900 yen which is less than the $270 that it cost me to post 13kg to Japan at the start of my exchange. Wednesday saw me do my goodbye speech to my rotary club overe here, ill try and get an English version of it up soon, I do have a video of it, but I doubt many of you will find that intresting as its really just 10 mintes of me rambling in Japanese.

 

Saturday 12^th December

Today I returned to my 7^th host families house for a Christmas party with a lot of yoshiki's friends, oretty much the same bunch of kids I went to genkigekijyo with back in September, this was lotf of fun, and I had decided to give them their Christmas presents there, but then they told me I will actually be spending Christmas night with them, oh well. I had knitted them all something, Yoshiki and Haruki got scarfs to match the beanies that I made them while I was staying with them, mama and obachya (grandma) got bags, ayako a scarf ( I made her a bag for her birthday in October) and papa a scarf. And then for the whole family I did a kinda scrapbook thing with photos and a message to them that detailed the time I spent living with their family, I have actually made( or will make for my current) these for 5 of my 8 host families, they 3 im not doing them for, are the 3 host families that together made up august, as I don't quiet have enough time, and they were all incredibly short hosts.