Adventures of Super Mai, Summer 2008 (pt 2)

So here I am, another day in the house of my host family. In the last couple of days, I've experienced and gone places never gone before!!! Well, not really, but I went somewhere at least. Yesterday, I went to the Tanabata festival. I think my friend called it something like the bamboo festival because people write their wishes on a piece of paper and hang it up on the trees. Anywho, I took a few pictures of the place. It's four days long and my host family took me there there the first day after my oldest host sister was done with her swim practice. By the way, if I haven't mentioned it already (mostly because I'm too lazy to look at my last entry) I have three host siblings: the oldest sister being 7, the next is a boy who's four and the youngest daughter will be 3 before the end of this month.

We went walking downtown (Gunma part of Tokyo, even Tokyo's divided up!) and there weren't that many people out but there were many things hung up and they were really pretty. There wasn't really much to see because many of the shops sold things that didn't really pique my interest. Afterwards, my host family and I went to a restaurant and I must say that I was a bit weirded out by it. When we entered, we were told to take off our shoes before entering and placed them inside a box-locker thingy. The key wasn't a key, but a piece of block that told us where our shoe was. Didn't matter what kanji was on the block thingy, to me, all the lockers looked the same. Before leaving, it took me quite a while to remember where my shoes were and which locker thingy had the same characters as the one on my key-wooden blocky thingy.

We were ushered to a table and when I took a look at the menu, I had NO CLUE what to buy. I haven't been practicing my kanji for almost a year now and needless to say, I couldn't read SQUAT! lol Good thing there was english in small print on the side of the kanji so at least, I could read what the name of the food was. In the end, I ended up ordering a stuffed omelet... with the help of my host mom. It was good, that is, if I didn't listen to the complaints and squealing of my host sibs. They're cute, but really loud! lol

The next day, I tried calling home and for some reason, the call wasn't getting through. I had my host mom try it and she told me that the operator said that the phone card wasn't in service. Dad, Wang, any family who's reading this, that phone card numbers and stuff you gave me doesn't work!!! I tried using a pay phone the next day when we went to the convenience store, but it didn't work either!!!! WAH!!!!!!!!

Anywho, the next morning, while I was eating breakfast, my host mom told me that the egg I was eating came from a vending machine... wait, vending machine? You mean like, not from the store, but from something that you put coins into and comes out, like pop from a vending machine? Yes, something like that, I even took pictures of it later!!! Anyway, it doesn't drop down, but it's tucked in a box and you just open the door of one box and take the eggs out (they come in a bag). Of all the things in japan, I never expected an egg vending machine. lol Where's a panty vending machine when you need one? (^_~)

After my host mom went to pick up her kids from daycare/preschool, she took me to the bank and then we went back home. After Yuka, the older sister, came back home, we went to Kose's, the brother, swimming practice. After that, we went to store to get some things for me and for the family. I ended up buying nail polish (among other things) and we drove home in what was perhaps one of the worst rainstorms I've ever been in since I came to Japan. We were practically going across a river. Later that night, there was a loud clap of thunder that sounded undeniably close and booming that it scared the kids into hiding underneath the table between their dad's feet and their bank accountant who came over to discuss things with them. Also that night, after the thundering went away or grew less, I painted Yuka's and my fingernails. Kose had one fingernail painted, but washed it off later. lol

The next day, which was yesterday for me, Yuka went to english school in the morning so I got up late, at about 10. It was a REALLY hot day and my host mom asked me if I wanted to go to the festival. I said yes, but we decided to go when the weather was a bit cooler. We went to pick up Yuka from school later. At about 4:30-ish, the kids got into their yukatas. I wanted one too, but thought I'd better not because I'd be lugging it around for another month and a half and decided against buying one... for now. We went and it was the most lively and crowded that I've ever been in since the first day we went. There were so many people in yukatas and so many food and game stands. I wanted to participate and try all the foods, but decided against it because I didn't want to look like a pig in front of my host family. My host mom tried feeding me a piece of pineapple the way she was feeding her kids or how my mom fed me when I was little and feeling a little embarassed, I politely refused and she laughed, seeing that she was feeding me like a little child. I saw a KFC there, and took a picture of it. Seeing american stores here in Japan makes me feel giddy, and it looks somewhat out of place for some reason that it's kinda funny.

We went back home and did nothing but laze around the rest of the night. Today, we went to the Gunma Museum of Natural History. Lost of stuff I'd probably see in american museums, but only in japanese. Oh well, it was interesting and even taught my host family a few things I knew. There were robotic dinsaurs there too and it scared my host brother so much that he had to run each time we ran across it and kept bugging his mom where the exit was. When we took a rest outside, I watched my host siblings run after a bird because they wanted to catch it. The youngest sister, Aina, wanted to catch the bird and put it in one of her bags so whenever she saw the bird, she'd rush over to her mom and grab the bag and then run after the bird. It was hilarious watching them run after the bird.

After that, we went to a a sushi bar! AH!!!!! IT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!! lol It was like a mini amusement park for me. The sushi move around in a mini conveyor belt and the price isn't too bad, considering that the food fills you up quickly. I was so giddy and excited that I ate nine plates. lol I felt somewhat embarassed about it later because my host dad only had seven and my host mom had about four or five. My host sibs had about three plates. I felt so bad about it and tried giving them money for my share, but they refused, saying that they were treating me. I still feel bad about it. Man, I better give this family something damn good.

I like this family. I always clean the dishes and help my host mom out with the kids that she tells me everyday to quit my job and not go back to america. sadly, that isn't the case. I like this family, but not enough to leave my fmaily and friends back home. I really miss my baby sister most of all. I don't think I can leave her yet for a long period of time. Now, I'm not saying that I want to leave america, well, at least for now, but rather, I don't think I can leave for a long length of time again. I miss my baby sister everyday and hope that I can talk to her at least.

So, family in america, if you are reading this, go buy me a phone card!!!! I can't find one here and missed my chance at buying one at the hotel. GO GET ONE FOR ME ASAP BECAUSE I AM DYING HERE NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR GIGI'S VOICE! Well, yes, I miss you guys too, but I MISS GIGI MORE!!!! So anywho, that aside, that's it for now. I also talked to my friend Cindy for a bit too, but my host sibs came and bothered me while I was trying to talk to her so I had to hang up, but it was good to hear her again. Anywho, I hope I can see some of my friends from my team before camp starts. I miss them alot too, but not as much as I miss Gigi!!!

Okies, that's it for part 2. Until next time, ja ne!