Nothing Much

First day of Golden Week for most people. For me it is still just a day off. Chillin at home. Kelly is sick. I also helped put together a cabinet for my host family.

Food Stuffs

The orangeish soup is pumpkin and it was amazing

My version of the South's Red Beans And Rice.

Teriyaki Yellow Fin. It was Amazing.

How to make Dashi and Miso base!

More Pumpkin. I love it.

Tonight's dinner and I helped make it.

First Alarm

So I woke up today to my parents gone. We were supposed to go to a huge market today apparently but they let me sleep because of the headache I had last night. They came home with Yakitori. I ended up telling my host mom exactly what we were eating. I also found out that I don't mind chicken hearts but I hate chicken liver. There was also talk of going someplace but I still didn't get a day or time so I'm a little confused. Then while watching TV I got an emergency alarm on my phone. There was a 5.8 earthquake with the epicenter closer to Tokyo then they have been since I got here. Scared my host mom and we all had to run upstairs and I couldn't even feel the house move. Chiba was hit pretty hard though. Now all I can do is wait for aftershocks because of my paranoia... So much for getting some rest at the start of the week.

Nihon-buyou & I love my host family

So today was a relatively good day. I think my test went pretty well. I'm learning how to do a Nihon-buyou which I think is great and will really enjoy. I got an awesome game for under $20. I also have a migraine and my host  mother gave me an ice pack and told me to take it easy. Apparently in Japan you get headaches when you work yourself too hard. Tomorrow I'm going on a stroll with them because it is supposed to be nice. I just hope my head clears up by then. I also fucked up today and used some really poor Japanese to fix it so woot for me. Will post pictures again when the light doesn't hurt.

More and More

More and more I get the feeling that I'm not supposed to be here. I don't know if it just isn't the right time or Japan is just not the right country for me. There is the possibility that this is part of culture shock but I kinda want to go with my gut on this. Today was long but not as bad as it could have been. I have my first huge test in the morning which is in no way fun. Found out the dates for Sumo and also learned that on the 26th there is a big trip to Nikko which sucks because I already have my plans for Kyoto. GDI. Also in my Hinduism and Buddhism class my teacher used skin head when he meant someone being shaved completely bald. I have to e-mail him and tell him that probably isn't the best choice in words.

Nothing exciting

It is hard to do a daily blog when nothing exciting is happening. I again found a soda my host mom expressed interest in but she went to bed before we could share it. I bought some bean filled doughnuts for the whole family. I ate one and left a note for my host parents to try them. My host dad ate all the rest of them. Host mom didn't get any.  My back hurts and walking makes it worse. Tomorrow will be a long day. Longer than most because of the study session at the end. I'm home sick and feel strangely lonely in this huge city. I also miss green. Figured out the machine at the Family Mart to pay for the bus tickets. I get charged up the ass if I cancel anything so I know I'm going hell or high water. Now to try and get some sleep so I'm not dead tomorrow.

My back hurts

So I was really woken up this morning because the second earthquake was far bigger than the first one this morning and I couldn't just roll back over. Got up and talked to dad for a little while. Went downstairs, ate breakfast and took a shower. Fell in the shower. Now I have a huge painful bruise on my back. School as ok. Dinner was pretty good. The weather was surprisingly nice. I also signed up for a couple Taiko classes.

The Pacific

Today started off really badly in my head. I got very little sleep again and I wonder how I function. I had a super hard time in class today and almost had a mental break down in class. I feel like I keep studying and getting no place fast. Or anyplace at all. And it is driving me nuts. My meeting with Marie was mostly a bust. She gave me a pamphlet for ryokans published in 2010 and basically told me to email her if I needed help. That is why I went there in the first place... I did get the money to renew my Tekei though so I did that. Came home talked to my dad while I ate lunch. Went downstairs and tried to help as much as I felt I could since I was told my host mom feels I could help a little more. It is hard to not just be in the way.  We then watched the first 2 episodes of The Pacific which was really awkward for me. Now I'm working on planning my trip to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara with Kelly.

EWWWWWWWWWW

So I am still under the policy of try everything and today I finally found something I couldn't eat. Little cute squids with their eyes still in and their heads full of whatever. There were textures that I never want to experience again. I did get to help with dinner though which was fun. I also found out that my host mother is afraid of turkeys. I then proceeded to tell her about the turkeys around my house.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

DISNEY

My Bamboo

My host dad helping to prep my bamboo for cooking

My host dad broke a cleaver off in the bamboo...

Breakfast. It was amazing. It is a bakery in Takadanobaba near one of the Tozai exits!

The famous Shibuya Crossing.

Hachiko!

Disney store + Amazing Architecture

This was some of the best ramen I have had since I arrived.

My Bamboo, cooked and ready to eat.

A cookie made by Akiko, my host families daughter. I now have the recipe for it but it is in Japanese so I have a little translation project.  I bought my tickets for Disneyland and Disney Sea at the Disney Store. Plans are coming together. I'm excited to go but I also know I am gonna be super sore afterwards.