Hello Galesburg! This is my fifth journal, so I have now spent five months in Japan. I have been feeling very happy lately! I can understand and speak more. In December, we celebrated Christmas. It isn’t as big as Christmas in America, but I am glad we still get to celebrate it. We watched Christmas movies and did traditions such as eating with the grandparents.
After Christmas, my host family and I went on a four-day trip around Japan. We went to Sendai, Sapporo, and Tokyo! It was a very educational trip. In Sendai, we went to an area where the 2011 earthquake hit and even went inside of a school that was severely affected but still standing. They use that school as a museum and memorial to show the effects of the tsunami. Quite a gruesome sight. Next, we went to a temple ruins and learned about that as well. In Sapporo, it was very cold and full of snow. We went to eat some of their signature dishes including Kaisen-don and standing soba (soba restaurants where you eat while standing)! There was a big baseball field we visited as well as the TV tower. What I found intriguing was that under the streets there is a spacious walking space with various shops so people don’t have to walk in the cold. We also went to one of the skiing sites where the Olympics were held and got to go to the top with the lift, it was a bit scary getting on and off! There was also a chocolate factory that we went to and it was very decorated and beautiful. At night I was walking around outside taking pictures, and I slipped pretty harshly on the ice. Luckily my camera didn’t break, but my phone screen cracked. Still works though!
In Tokyo, we went to Shibuya Crossing and went shopping. The streets were crowded with many tourists, it was a struggle to get around. There was a soccer game that we watched and my host brother's high school team won! We then got to go up to the sky tree and the very top floor. It was cool seeing Tokyo 2,000 feet up! We flew back to Nagoya at night and the lights were so beautiful to see.
When we arrived back in Nagoya, we were shocked to see a note on the car saying that a light was left on and the battery had died. We were already very tired from our trip and that was a severe setback. My host father ended up staying with the car for service to come and my host mother, host brother, and I got to the train station just in time for the last train. It was a very long ride, but we stopped in the city of Nagoya. Miraculously the car had just arrived there! We then drove back home.
We then celebrated New Years! It’s a very big celebration here. We visited a temple at midnight and got to ring a bell. Then we had to pray. Also in celebration of New Year's, we made food to eat over the first couple of days of the year for good luck. On the second day of the year, we had a really big earthquake. I got pretty scared as I’ve never really experienced an earthquake before! I was in my room when it happened and I noticed everything shaking. I looked outside to see the power lines swinging and birds fleeing. It luckily didn’t hit us badly, but in other areas it did. We watched the news and the Ishikawa area was hit with a big tsunami and multiple aftershocks. I am thinking about everyone who was affected.
I attended a running marathon that my host mother was helping. I was there the whole day and I met up with my friend who likes music as I do! He knows a lot of people so we walked around and I got introduced to many nice people. The park it took place at was expansive and beautiful. I walked around a bit as well and took pictures.
As winter break ended, I got really busy. Because we are preparing for a show on February 11th, the Brass band is taking a lot of my time. I am very glad because I am included in some of their marching shows! It brought back memories of when I was in the Marching Streaks and I plan to bring what I’ve learned back with me. The students in this brass band are very talented! Our very talented baton team will be performing as well. The brass band marches and plays several short shows along with the official show called “Game.”
On February 4th, I will be going to a Queen concert! I am so excited for it. As for returning to America, the date I am foreseen to return is July 8th. Less than 6 months away! Time is going by quickly and I am almost halfway through my time here.
Until next month,
Alice Greene
