Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd of March

School both days. Yay. The 3rd years graduated on Tuesday so we spent a lot of time on Monday setting up the hall and practicing for the ceremony… and then the ceremony on Tuesday. I swear we spent more time practicing it than the actual thing went for.
As far as setting up it was held in the gym. And they had put a green plastic thing over the courts so that we didtn reck it with our shoes or the chairs ect. Some of the boys hung huge banners or red and white stripes all the way around the gym and the rest set up the chairs for the 3rd years and the visitors while the girls wiped them all down with wet (freezing) cloths and check that they were in perfect condition.
The ceremony itself was very very simple unlike ours they don’t all get presented on stage, there is no entertainment pieces no awards and only 3 speaches and 2 songs, the national anthem, the school song and a traditional song.
The traditional song is to the tune of auld lang syne but their version is titled the light of a firefly. I have the lyrics and I do fully intend to translate it at some stage when my language is better than it is currently.
After the ceremony we were free to go, so I went home for lunch and later went out shopping to a place I had seen befor but couldn’t decided what I wanted when I was there so I went back and brought aheap of Takaoka stuff the mascot of the town is soo cute and coz it’s the towns 400th year there are a lot of souviners available.
Then went walking in the park and it snowed. So much for it being spring lol.

Wednesday 4th march
School for 3 lessons then went to rotary which was actually kinda fun today, I spoke to a couple of the Rotarians and I think we pretty much understood each other even if my Japanese did get laughed at a few times. I then headed back to school for band, and had to apologize to the English speaking club for not being able to watch the movie with them (was at the same time as band)

Thursday 5th March
Half day at school again I had my Japanese lessons in period 1 and 2 however during the break the principle decided that he wanted to have coffee with me so Ibata sensei, the libraina nad I sat in the library staffroom with the principle and had coffee, I was nice, good chance to use my Japanese.
After school I came home for a little bit befor heading out to the “street lined with storehouses which was ok, not all that intresting but there were some cool things there, I particually liked the teahouse… some very nice ladies there. And there was also the Sugano residence which is of some cultural signifigance, it was really pretty. There was also the bank made of red brick that they seem to think is soo cool. I was like yeah , half the houses in Australia are made of red brick, whats your point? Came back and wandered the park for a bit.

Friday 6th March
School this morning. And I then went to the art museum which is across he road from school and I have walkd past every day but had not yet gone in, I must say I really don’t think its worth the 210 yen entrance fee. I actually thought that the stuff that was just genrally around in the free area and the shop was a lot more intresting that the actual museum itself, but that could just be me. Because it was kinda icky weather I decided against doing the walk to the next place om my map I want to visit and instead decided to have a lazy afternoon at home. Ended up going for a walk just for the heck of it but genrally spent the arvo knitting, studying and napping.

Saturday 7th march
Had band this morning, but not as a whole ensemble I think everyone was at school but today all the woodwinds had a sectional of sorts of our own up in the class room that we go to for tt lessons. and we played all new songs…. Well knew to me I've had them in my folder from the start and I had looked at them a bit but I hadn’t played them with the band yet.
Came home and went out with Otosan for lunch. We had tempura udon. Witch is noodles (udon) in a soup with a tempura prawn on top. Was fairly nice, I don’t really like prawns but its getting there, I will eat them now because they are there but I by no means would actually order them if I had a say in the matter. Oh and there were gold flakes in it, how odd.
In the afternoon we went to Imizu shrine, which is the one in Kojo park for a tea ceromny that was hosted by otosans mum and okasan was helping out in. it was a very intresting experience however I don’t quiet understand why you would host one. Because it is held at a huge expense. The sweet that you eat befor the tea, is alone 420 yen ($6.65 AU), and there were over 200 guests through the day yesterday. So that’s a total of 84000 yen ($1333 AU) just in the sweets and then there is of course going to be other costs involved. Otosan said its all about showing off the art that they own and sharing the knowledge of the arts that they have with the guests. I must say that some of the “art” was quiet amazing… I thought it was more intresting than what I saw in the art museum earlier this week anyway. The art displayed has to reflect the current season, so although while I still think that it is very much winter here the arts were all spring works.
We went out for dinner again tonight this time to a pizzeria with a cob fire oven. Love it. I guess I should point out that Japanese pizzas that you get at resurants are nothing like our in Australia in that they arnt made on a think bready base but on something more like pitta bread. And they are no where near as oily. We then went to baskin and robbins for an icecream which I think is absolutely crazy when its this cold but anyway. Home for a bath and bed.

Monday 16th à Friday 20th February
So we had snow again this week and I enjoyed that thoroughly but not the cold of walking to and from school in my uniform. I didn’t have club at all this week which is unusual but it’s because they are all preparing for their exams next week nor did I have to go to rotary this week. Ahh it really hasn’t been that much of an interesting week. The weeks highlights at school were Tuesdays TT lesson where they had to present their advertisements that they had been working on in English. The English in them wasn’t bad… but the ideas and concepts of what they were advertising was quiet entertaining my favourite would have to be the group that was advertising a bad memory eraser which was literally a huge eraser that you rubbed on your head. Sooo funny. I think the other really funny thing would be playing fruit basket in home class on Friday. This is a game where there is one less chair in the circle than there are people and whoever is in the middle says for example people who have glasses and then everyone with glasses has to move. If they say fruit basket everyone has to move.

Thursday 29th January
A bit of a non eventful day really. I went for a walk in the morning surprise surprise but this time the 100yen shop was actually open. So I bought a lot of the things that I need that I didn’t bring to Japan because of weight restrictions on my baggage and I knew I could just as easily get them here. And an alarm clock because I need to actually get up on time next week when I start school over here. Oh and I bought wool so I can make another scarf as I only brought one with and you really need one all the time when your outside. Um walked through the park as well and then home. Otosan and I went for a drive to Kanazawa this afternoon; really pointless I thought coz all we did there was stop at a service station so he could take a photo of it. And we are going there on the weekend for rotary orientation so I don’t see why that couldn’t have been done then but anyway. Then went for another walk... back to the 100yen shop to pick up something I had forgotten to get this morning and then visited the zoo again. Okasan got home really late so we went out for dinner to an Indian restaurant which was really good. A bit too spicy for my likings but anyway. So yeah that was my day.
Friday 30th January
Ok I actually have something interesting for you to read about again today. Yay! The morning was pretty boring really, did a load of washing, and vacuumed my room and the rest of the upstairs part of the house. And then figured out why the alarm clock I bought yesterday didn’t go off this morning. Turns out I hadn’t set it properly but hey I was reading all the instructions in Japanese and all it was, was that I had the words for right and left the wrong way round in my mind.
Okasan and I then went to the post office… she had some stuff to do there anyway so I used the opportunity to buy some stamps for the letter I had written and a stash for when I write some more. Also the atm is located at the post office so I used the opportunity to check that my visa does work over here after all the drama of being told it wouldn’t coz I need a 6 digit pin and various other things, I’d like to let you all know that it does work. We then visited the other supermarket okasan frequents and so I had to be introduced to all the checkout ladies there Yay! So by the time we returned home Otosan was home for lunch already.
Today we ate out at a ramen restaurant. Ramen is basically noodles in a soup I’m sorry but I’m too tired to explain it anymore than that and it isn’t ever 8 yet. We then came home and okasan and I just pottered for a bit before going on a sightseeing trip. First we picked up yet another pair of shoes for school. I need 4 different pairs because of the Soto and uchi rules … inside and outside and how you can’t wear the same shoes in both places and then just everyday ones and sports ones for each of these.
We then went to Zuiryuji temple. This is a Japanese national treasure. From there we went to Himi coast to a very popular lookout spot where you can see a little island. It’s hard to explain so just look at the picture. The most surreal thing though is standing on the beach amongst snow I really is I can’t begin to explain it and I don’t think it’s something you could appreciate if you haven’t experienced it anyway, no matter how well I explained it. The next stop was the Himi botanical gardens which were amazing. There weren't really any overly special plants there it was just that they are all like tropical kind of plants and there we were in the snow looking at these. Obviously in glass houses and what not but still amazing. And I managed to get a few really good photos there. We proceeded onto the Himi port which was basically a huge indoor fish market so hmm interesting but not all that great. That basically wraps up my day but I’m insanely tired I think it’s from all the Japanese I’m still not used to it and I don’t think it will be for a while yet but it’s getting there.

Saturday 31st January
Now that I sit down to write this I think wow I don’t really have that much to write but it’s been a great day. To start the day off we realized that one of the pipes that run through my bedroom floor was leaking and dripping through the ceiling onto the piano downstairs with all the rain we had last night okasan was also very worried about the roof in the front room which has also been known to leak at times. And as this is where her kimono is kept it was a huge concern for her. But after that was sorted we went into Toyama to meet with Riley one of the other inbound exchange students to our district. Riley is from Canada and has been here almost 6 months already we went round to her first host families house as her first host mum is Otosan’s sister. We then walked to a really nice little restaurant for lunch and then back to her house. Riley then invited me to hang out with her and her friends from school for the afternoon/evening so I did. We went to Karaoke which was great fun. 800 yen for unlimited time, in our own little room. We had so much fun and sung any and every sort of music in both English and Japanese. After several hours of this we went and did some purikura (photo booths) which was also great fun. We then went out for dinner at a restaurant which is a very popular one amongst the teens in Toyama as it is incredibly cheap and nice food. Unfortunately it was then time for me to head home but it was a great day and we shall be doing it again sometime soon. Especially as school holidays are coming up. Ha-ha I’m looking forward to them already and I haven’t even started school over here yet lol.

my first 2 days in Japan

ok gonna start with pictures coz i cant get it to move them however they may make more sence if you look at them after youve read it haha one of my only in japan moments

my sports uniform

at the big buddah which i still cant figure out where it is in relation to my house *is very confused as to how i can miss it but hmm*

what i saw out my berdrrom window when i woke up on monday XD

my welcoming party at the airport the girl next to me is a classmate on the other side is the club president and next to him is my host dad view if all the snow in toyama

mount fuji taken out the plane window

the 4 of us queenslanders going to japan

last family photo just befor i left

Sunday 25th January
So I’m finally here, I am finally in Takaoka, my home for the next year, and its dam cold. But I am glad to be here, especially after so long traveling.
Had to be at the airport at 11:30am yesterday, we went through the gates about 1 and of course I was a bit teary, but who wouldn’t have been in that position. Simon, one o the others flying with us soon proved to me a bit of a problem maker, first of all holding us up with his hand luggage being significantly over the limit so we had to wait as he repacked and found another bag to put the excess in.

Once that had been done we proceeded on though security check, and they decided to do a random frisk search on Simon but as he is under 18 as was our whole traveling group we had to wait for almost half an hour for them to find someone to observe the search, which in the end took about a minute.
By this time that had not only done the first but also the final boarding call for our flight and had started calling us by name to our gate to leave, luckily we still managed to get on our flight as the people on the gate had heard about our hold up at security.
On the plane I sat with Rochelle (spelling?), who is also now in Japan, she is in Gifu. (Pretty much in the centre of Japan.)
Once in Singapore we looked for the Belgium tour guide who wasn’t actually at the airport yet so based our group at the internet café and went wondering in small group from there, this ended up being the place that they ran into their tour leader and us to the others heading on to Japan.
While on the internet café there I ran into Sam (guy from school) and his family as they were in Singapore on their way home… what a small world it really is.

We then boarded our flight to narita and I had a very long and restless flight.

In Narita we quickly got ourselves through customs and immigration, and met with our drivers who transferred us onto Haneda airport. Leaving the airport I had my first of what will no doubt be very many only in Japan moments. Only in Japan do they pay someone to stand at the gate and put your ticket in and money when you could just drive 20cm closer and do it yourself. During our drive to Haneda airport we pasted Disneyland and the Disney hotel. We were also lucky enough to see Fuji Sama due to it being a fairly clear day. Although I was able to enjoy better views of Fuji later on my flight to Toyama.

Haneda airport was yet again a another long and boring wait where we literally had nothing to do so josh and I sat up on the roof out in the cold for a fair while just watching the flights

Josh and I then boarded our flight to Toyama, but we weren’t sitting anywhere near each other, although it was a fairly empty flight. I could have moved to sit with him however I had a window seat and I spent the trip being delighted by the sights and my first glimpses of the snow!!! XD
Touching down in Toyama was the most amazing experience, and one I will never forget. We got off the plane, and I spotted both of our welcoming parties waiting for us, however we couldn’t go straight out to them as we had to wait for our luggage to come off the plane first.
I was introduced to a lot of members from the club, mainly the president and yoshi’s mum and cousin (who will be a class mate at school). And while this was happening josh left, so I didn’t actually get to say goodbye to him, but we apparently have a district orientation on Saturday so I will see him there.
Otosan then drove me home, about a 40 minute trip where I experienced my first snow, and again an amazing experience. Once home I met mum and was shown to my room where I started unpacking. Which I must finish before I got to bed tonight.

I then rang home to Australia, helped okasan with dinner, did my first night questions and gave them some of the presents I brought with.

I think the I don’t know thing I found out in the 40 questions that I guess I am struggling to understand is that I have to do my own washing, I will have to talk to okasan about that some more and actually learn how to do that here in her house. It’s not that is something I can’t do, nor was it completely unexpected it’s just different and will take some getting used to.

I have a few times this week where I will be doing things at school getting ready to start there, but I officially start on the 2nd of February, so in just over a week’s time.
Anyways I’m off to keep unpacking and making my new room actually fell like its mine: P

Monday 26th January
So my first full day in Japan, i was going to say my first full exchange day, but Sunday was technically that. And what to say about it, I feel my English is getting poor already, my hosts do speak English but aren’t unless it’s really needed which is great because I know it’s helping my Japanese immensely.
This morning I woke up to look out my window to see it snowing, like actually snowing, I thought what I saw yesterday was pretty amazing but I now realize that that was almost rain and only just snow, kind of like it was spitting, only it was snow, but this morning it was really heavy and the little ledge out from my balcony had no snow when I first looked but snow about 3cm deep when I next looked less that 30minutes later. I swear that I stood there for ages just watching the snow in amazement
Today was the day that okasan had set aside to get all of my school uniforms organized. So we went for a walk this morning to get this all started. But we first visited the big Buddha which is literally a minutes’ walk from home. Okasan then went into the temple under it to pray to Buddha that I would have a good year in Japan. I know that that Is obviously there religion but it felt weird and wrong to know that someone was praying for me but not to my God. I respect her right to pray to her Gods but it did make me feel a little awkward, but I know there will be many more times throughout the year where I feel put out in a bit of a religious point of view.
From there we went to the department store to get my formal uniform fittings done. I had to try on the uniform for another school in the area because they didn’t have any from my school there, but my uniforms have to be specially made for me anyway because I am too tall and big for the standard sizes. So I will get my uniforms in about 3 weeks, until then I am expected to wear my rotary blazer to school. We went into the 100yen shop there and I bought some stationary and note books as I didn’t bring any with me to Japan and I realized that I really needed to be writing down all the new Japanese words that they are teaching me.
We then went to a sports shop and ordered the indoor sports shoes that I need for school, after they had fun telling me I have huge feet for a lady my age. But hmm I guess to them I do.
Okasan then showed me the Takaoka eki (train station) and wanted to show me the library but it is closed on the fourth Monday of every month which just so happened to be today. So we went to the basement level of another shopping place and got some fruit and veggies, then brought some okonomiyaki to take home for lunch. Generally I like okonomiyaki but I didn’t particularly enjoy today’s, I don’t know if it was just coz I was feeling kind of sick from all the walking around out in the snow and how cold I was as I didn’t wear my snow suit just a heavy jacket because when I went outside for a few minutes it was fine, but once out in the cold for a long time it wasn’t really good enough. Or maybe because this time the okonomiyaki didn’t have the same atmosphere as eating it at an okonomiyaki restaurant. It could have also been that okonomiyaki varies from area to area and I’m really not sure what was in this one, but the meat was really chewy and I don’t like chewy meat.
After lunch it was out again but this time in the car, to first visit my grandparents (dads parents) they were very nice and their house is very traditional. And a lot of the outer walls were glass windows to their backyard and thus their house was a lot cooler than it is here at home where I can comfortably walk around in a t-shirt and jeans ( when the heaters are on).
From their house we drove past my school on the way to buy my gym uniform for which we went to a warehouse, they go to the schools at the beginning of each school year but as it is currently in the middle of a school year we had to go there. I tried on the uniform and it fits pretty well. But I fail to see how the tracksuit does anything to help being warm in this weather. They then embroidered my name onto all 4 items I could choose if I wanted it in katakana or romaji, I chose katakana as it is my Japanese school uniform I figured my name may as well be in Japanese.
While waiting for the embroidery to be done, okasan told me a lot more about my school, the most interesting thing is that rotary has organized a Japanese tutor for me 2 times a week, for which I will be pulled out of whatever class I have at that time.

From there we went to the shopping mall and I had another only in Japan moments when I went to the toilet, a picture in the western toilet cubicle demonstrating how to sit on the toilet properly. It was also one of those things that made me think, how many people have to have done this that they put a sign in there, it’s like Mr. Carter said with all the stupid warnings such as on a packet of nuts Warning contains nuts, people actually have to have done that stuff for them to put warnings on it for everyone else.
We then came home and soon later okasan went grocery shopping and I opted to stay home, because right now I don’t want to go out in the cold again, especially as it is now dark and I’m guessing somewhat cooler than it was at lunch time. So I’m at home by myself writing this.

had some very strange things for dinner tonight, the main was a prawn, which was offered to the god of study earlier in the day, well to its statue in our house, so that was kind of weird for me, but also coz I have never eaten prawns before.
We also had buri which is a type of fish and many Japanese vegetables, daikon which is a white radish and then a veggie stew which had lotus roots and some other veggies I can’t remember the name of but we don’t have them in Australia anyway, to be perfectly honest with you it was kind of tasteless and had an interesting texture to it but its full of fiber and thus very good for you. So I ate it anyway.

how cold is winter?

so as i said its happening. and its scarying me. it is a long time to be away from home and all that jazz but also its a country which gets snow ! now i know some of you who read this are like so... ive seen and heard alot of picuters and storyies from my counsin and frineds who have lived in these sort of conditions an lots of cold and snow and what not, and in a way this really excites me. i want to see the snow and experiance it all. and funnliy enough one of the things i really really want to do its go to one of the outside baths in the snow. i have no idea how if at all that is going to be possible because from my understanding the outdoor bath places are becoming less and less popular and so they are shutting down, but the thing that is actually worring me at the moment is, i HATE the cold and i get cold so easy. and i have never seen snow, ever. and im soo worried that im not gonna be able to get warm and that i will be forever(so to speak) freezing

but i have been getting some nice winter clothes recently (while they are still avaliable) and ive got a decient really warm jacket, a vest several spencers /skivies (mum and i cant agree on what they are called) and a few more nice jumpers. so i think i will actually be allright, i cant at all see how its going to all fit in a suitcase but that callenge i will face later this year or very early next year.

me trying on all my winter clothes ... actually all the diffrent layers at once,... it was rather hot actually