I am currently in Japan. It's a saturday morning and I am having quite a free time. First time on the computer and I see 42 new e-mails. Yes it is taking me a while to reply but that's okay.
Anyways, Orientation in Japan was very fun. I had to make a goal speech fully in Japanese. that was interesting but everything was fun. the food was very good there as well. Took a bunch of pictures with the teachers there. After 2 days in OVTA (the orientation location. The place is like a dorm and there were other people there as well) I finally went on a shinkansen (bullet train). It was going so fast but it was fine. I was not alone on the shinkansen one of the orientation teachers is from Hyogo which is one station before Okayama station, and she accompanied me. There was also another exchange student from Australia (Liam was his name) who was going to Okayama as well. Got to the station and I met my homestay father. Who reminded me so much of my uncle Purba in Indonesia. And my teacher Miwa-sensei. Since my homestay father is the principle of my school. He has that power. hahaha. It was a 2 hours from Tokyo to Okayama because of the Rain delay. And another 1 and a half hour from the Okayama station to my city Ibara.
When I got to Ibara, I was greeted by my homestay mother who is always cheerful and has a singy greeting. There was also the grandmother and the daughter. I asked what to call them. Homestay father - BOSS! Homestay mother- Keiko-mama; Grandmother - Aaa-chan; Daughter- Asuka. Miwa sensei went home instead Osamu Morihara-sensei came instead. He is the English teacher at the school. So he was invited for dinner and translated the orientation of the house for me.
The next day, Morihara-sensei or he asked me to call him Osamu, picked me up. 8:00 in the morning. Got to school and arranged my schedule. I decided to try all subjects to see what they are like for one week. I am placed in what is called the SUPER-A class. Super Academic class. High level in Academics. So everything is very hard. I am in the first year here which is equivalent to grade 10 in canada. So I am in 1-A class.
In the evening, we went out for some Yakiniku. There is like a barbeque grill in the middle and they serve raw meat and we cook it ourselves. It was very good.
The next day was School orientation and that definitely took my by surprise. The school lent me the uniform. They can't find any sports uniform so I am using my Canadian sports uniform instead hahaha. School orientation. Everyone was very attentive. Not like the first day of school in canada. Everyone was attentive. Respected the teachers. They were always bowing towards the stage. In which I don't understand but oh well. I had to make an introduction of myself in Japanese to the WHOLE STUDENT BODY. At first very nerve racking but it was okay. What took me by surprised was everyone was sooo loud when saying the School policy? school ethics? School ethics I think it is. They were very loud. They also were very loud when singing the school song. I had to make another introduction in front of the Super-A class. My home room teacher is Gujima sensei. She is soooooooo pretty. She is always trying to speak in English even though I said to speak in Japanese because I came to learn japanese not hear more english.
First day of school. Morning classes were world history, Classic Japanese, PE and something else I forgot. It was really difficult the morning classes except PE. PE was easy. oh ya there was a Japanese class there. World History was about the Roman Empire. What made it difficult was that I didn't understand the kanji at all. So it was very difficult that way. I forgot the teacher's name but he is very easy going and quiet. Oh ya did I tell you that my class only has 9 other students. 1-A is very high level academics for the first year so only 9 other students. 7 girls and 2 boys. Japanese Classic was very very very difficult. It was like for canadian students to learn Old fashion english. So I don't even know the regular Japanese let alone the classics. So I just listened and tried to understand as much as i can. Japanese class, I had to make a speech again. It was okay. I forgot the teachers name. BUT he is tall, bald and has big eyes. He speaks very loudly and slowly and clearly. Even though half of the time I didn't understand the other time I slowly put together the grammer. It was good listening practice. P.E was Tennis time. it was fun. Lunch was short. I made friends with all of the my classmates of course since the class is so small. MATH CLASS WAS SO HARD. They were doing grade 11 math for canadians. I totally forgot all of my math so I was trying sooo hard to remember. They were doing discriminants and such. b2 -4ac kind of stuff. I totally forgot those. Oh well my bukatsu was brass band and we are playing cutie honey. Koda Kumi's Cutie HOney. Very very interesting for a band to be playing. Search it on Youtube. It's very lively.
Yesterday. It was raining so hard. Morning classes were English classes. very easy. hahaha. I helped Osamu with English pronounciations. Than I had more Math. This time statistics math. That was definitely grade 12 math. AAAA. Math was so difficult. Japanese Ethics class was also very difficult. Didn't understand a thing. Home economics was also difficult because I didn't understand anything but I did see pictures in the text book and I realized they were talking about contents in food. Starches and carbohydrates kind of stuff. Yesterday Osamu picked me up and dropped me off. And the day before yesterday as well. Poor guy. I wish I knew the way to school. I could just bike to school.
Wednesday evening, Keiko-mama took me to calligraphy lessons. It was very difficult. Sitting was also very hard. I had pins and needles after that. ON Thursday, I was dropped off at Asuka's piano lesson. Her piano teacher is Boss's sister. I got to play a little bit. Today I will be recieving some piano music. I'll be practicing some Beethoven and Chopin.
So things are pretty busy. I already opened a bank account here and got a cell phone. Well They gave me a cell phone to use while i'm here. As well my room is small but I love it. so far everything is all good. ^0^
karmie signing out~
Anyways, Orientation in Japan was very fun. I had to make a goal speech fully in Japanese. that was interesting but everything was fun. the food was very good there as well. Took a bunch of pictures with the teachers there. After 2 days in OVTA (the orientation location. The place is like a dorm and there were other people there as well) I finally went on a shinkansen (bullet train). It was going so fast but it was fine. I was not alone on the shinkansen one of the orientation teachers is from Hyogo which is one station before Okayama station, and she accompanied me. There was also another exchange student from Australia (Liam was his name) who was going to Okayama as well. Got to the station and I met my homestay father. Who reminded me so much of my uncle Purba in Indonesia. And my teacher Miwa-sensei. Since my homestay father is the principle of my school. He has that power. hahaha. It was a 2 hours from Tokyo to Okayama because of the Rain delay. And another 1 and a half hour from the Okayama station to my city Ibara.
When I got to Ibara, I was greeted by my homestay mother who is always cheerful and has a singy greeting. There was also the grandmother and the daughter. I asked what to call them. Homestay father - BOSS! Homestay mother- Keiko-mama; Grandmother - Aaa-chan; Daughter- Asuka. Miwa sensei went home instead Osamu Morihara-sensei came instead. He is the English teacher at the school. So he was invited for dinner and translated the orientation of the house for me.
The next day, Morihara-sensei or he asked me to call him Osamu, picked me up. 8:00 in the morning. Got to school and arranged my schedule. I decided to try all subjects to see what they are like for one week. I am placed in what is called the SUPER-A class. Super Academic class. High level in Academics. So everything is very hard. I am in the first year here which is equivalent to grade 10 in canada. So I am in 1-A class.
In the evening, we went out for some Yakiniku. There is like a barbeque grill in the middle and they serve raw meat and we cook it ourselves. It was very good.
The next day was School orientation and that definitely took my by surprise. The school lent me the uniform. They can't find any sports uniform so I am using my Canadian sports uniform instead hahaha. School orientation. Everyone was very attentive. Not like the first day of school in canada. Everyone was attentive. Respected the teachers. They were always bowing towards the stage. In which I don't understand but oh well. I had to make an introduction of myself in Japanese to the WHOLE STUDENT BODY. At first very nerve racking but it was okay. What took me by surprised was everyone was sooo loud when saying the School policy? school ethics? School ethics I think it is. They were very loud. They also were very loud when singing the school song. I had to make another introduction in front of the Super-A class. My home room teacher is Gujima sensei. She is soooooooo pretty. She is always trying to speak in English even though I said to speak in Japanese because I came to learn japanese not hear more english.
First day of school. Morning classes were world history, Classic Japanese, PE and something else I forgot. It was really difficult the morning classes except PE. PE was easy. oh ya there was a Japanese class there. World History was about the Roman Empire. What made it difficult was that I didn't understand the kanji at all. So it was very difficult that way. I forgot the teacher's name but he is very easy going and quiet. Oh ya did I tell you that my class only has 9 other students. 1-A is very high level academics for the first year so only 9 other students. 7 girls and 2 boys. Japanese Classic was very very very difficult. It was like for canadian students to learn Old fashion english. So I don't even know the regular Japanese let alone the classics. So I just listened and tried to understand as much as i can. Japanese class, I had to make a speech again. It was okay. I forgot the teachers name. BUT he is tall, bald and has big eyes. He speaks very loudly and slowly and clearly. Even though half of the time I didn't understand the other time I slowly put together the grammer. It was good listening practice. P.E was Tennis time. it was fun. Lunch was short. I made friends with all of the my classmates of course since the class is so small. MATH CLASS WAS SO HARD. They were doing grade 11 math for canadians. I totally forgot all of my math so I was trying sooo hard to remember. They were doing discriminants and such. b2 -4ac kind of stuff. I totally forgot those. Oh well my bukatsu was brass band and we are playing cutie honey. Koda Kumi's Cutie HOney. Very very interesting for a band to be playing. Search it on Youtube. It's very lively.
Yesterday. It was raining so hard. Morning classes were English classes. very easy. hahaha. I helped Osamu with English pronounciations. Than I had more Math. This time statistics math. That was definitely grade 12 math. AAAA. Math was so difficult. Japanese Ethics class was also very difficult. Didn't understand a thing. Home economics was also difficult because I didn't understand anything but I did see pictures in the text book and I realized they were talking about contents in food. Starches and carbohydrates kind of stuff. Yesterday Osamu picked me up and dropped me off. And the day before yesterday as well. Poor guy. I wish I knew the way to school. I could just bike to school.
Wednesday evening, Keiko-mama took me to calligraphy lessons. It was very difficult. Sitting was also very hard. I had pins and needles after that. ON Thursday, I was dropped off at Asuka's piano lesson. Her piano teacher is Boss's sister. I got to play a little bit. Today I will be recieving some piano music. I'll be practicing some Beethoven and Chopin.
So things are pretty busy. I already opened a bank account here and got a cell phone. Well They gave me a cell phone to use while i'm here. As well my room is small but I love it. so far everything is all good. ^0^
karmie signing out~
Wow that sounds like fun! I'm really jealous just to let you know... How was yakiniku?? How was brass band?? When I was part of the brass band in Kouchi we played a song by Orange Range, which also surprised me.
ReplyDeleteLucky that you get to be in Japan...sounds busy there! Everything is going well it seems? I wish I could go to Japan. How long did it take you to learn sufficient Japanese for all that? Ha ha, I'm asking so many questions. Hope you're having fun, IT buddy! ^^b
ReplyDeleteSteph