So the trip to Japan has finally allowed me to get some time to write in this journal blog thing, just to let everyone know I'm still having the time of my life. In the past week, I've been dealing with all of my classmates having tests, so I've been left to wander around japan by myself and wander I have. I've been wandering around near my home, trying to find the elusive carbonated orange juice that's tasted once and haven't found since. I've also been trying to find a fame center with a taiko game that someone isn't playing, and that's just as impossible. So I've also been to 100 yen shops, but they don't seem to have anything gifty or souvenir like. So I've been looking around bookstores, but I think I'll be able to find good things on a Tokyo trip I'm taking a few days before I leave. But anyway, i went to one of the buddy's middle schools for whatever reason, but the school gave us five minutes to find the teacher and we couldn't. So the highlight was looking through a really interesting book he had on common mistakes foreigners make with English. Picture below. But anyway. I had to give a speech on Japanese politics on Saturday, so that was a really interesting experience trying to decipher the kanji filled 4 pages that described the topic I was supposed to talk about. Which was just politics in general and how kids don't care about politics. But I actually contributed to the group discussion and gave my opinions which were used in the group presentation. So that was an interesting experience, trying to decipher bunches of kanji and forming my opinions on Japanese politics. But other than that fun experience I've been hanging out with friends at the cafeteria because that's what you do on test days apparently. And all the school had me doing is taking with japanese transfer students to America, but they turn out less of lessons and more of talking and sharing experiences. Or in the case of the picture making card castles. But on Monday the YFU kids had a big potluck, and also brought together the Japanese kids who were going to America. A lot of them were fairly fluent in English, which surprised me quite a bit. After the potluck, one of the kids organized a karaoke gathering of about 20 kids and to my surprise it worked splendidly. We had to get 2 rooms because of that, but I think it was more fun that way instead of everyone trying to cream in. Along that same line, I've been adding pretty much everyone to Facebook, which is a good thing I guess because everyone I've met has been a really good person, but I'm just shocked at the number. But I suppose it's getting popular. Anyway, after karaoke me and two other YFU kids ate dinner, and because it was a gaijin party I was the one that ordered, which made me feel appreciated. But I'll tell you about food in the next post, I swear. But karaoke was fun again, because thus time it was with people who knew American songs and also I sang to the Japanese songs. It was indeed fun. Today a classmate showed me around where I live, and all the places I missed when I wandered around. And tried various flavors of chips, like soy sauce and mayonnaise chips. Which were delicious. But in summary, I'm enjoying life here still and am Saad that I have around a week left. And even worse that school ends this week. Because school is the best. Never quote me on that. But I really want to get a picture of everyone in my class and get their name, because everybody is just so awesome. In their own ways I suppose. There's a kid who always wears a cold mask, has the nick name kuma-San, literally Mr. bear, and is the best singer I've heard in high school. There's another kid named umehara kou, who is my buddy the school assigned me, loves baseball, and has a bad mouth. There's this group of girls that always is together, kind of like the popular girls except without drama and accept everyone in the class. There's a tiny girl named mayu who seems to always carry a towel and is always covering her face with it because she's always laughing. Those are just a few of the many interesting people in my class. So this is why I'm sad that my school ends in 3 days. But they invited me to their school festival in September, but airplane costs.
But yes. I don't know I'd I'll get a post in before my last one, so if not, I'll be seeing you in a little over a week!
Christopher Scrafford
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