Adventures of SuperMai, Summer 2008 (pt 8)

This was written on the 13th.

Bah, I didn’t get to see John, but I did see Ger so I was happy. I think I almost cried when I saw him, but oh wells. He was living with my host sister’s English teacher’s brother who was rather young. Ger seemed to like him a lot, so much that they got drunk together the first night he was with them. Lol His host family as well as mine went to an okonomiyaki restaurant and there, my hot family and I parted. My host mom started to cry and I was like, “No! Don’t cry!” Not because I was gonna cry too, but because I couldn’t cry so I didb’t want to look like the odd one out.

Anywho, after a final farewell to my host sibs and host mom, I went into the restaurant and there, we met Ger’s next host family whom he would be switching to the next day. His host dad was rather old, almost 50, but he had host sibs that were way younger than him, the youngest who looked like he was in elementary school still, and one who was a teenage and learning English. The wife seemed pretty young too, like in her thirties. Meh, oh well. He was a funny guy. Ger and he, as well as his current host dad, were laughing away the whole night.

The English teacher’s youngest sister, as well as her oldest daughter, were there for a bit for dinner with everyone, but they didn’t talk to us much. She also brought my next host sister to eat dinner too, but my host parents were a bit busy with work and wouldn’t be able to meet up with us until later. She was quiet and shy and didn’t talk much with me whether I spoke English or Japanese to her. She had been learning English for five years, but it was only one hour a day a week so it really doesn’t amount to much but it was better than nothing.

I got really tipsy that night because they kept giving me beer. I think I had about four pints of beer? I can’t remember, but it got me really tipsy. Since tasting Japanese beer, I think it tastes better than American beer. American beer has a nasty aftertaste and Japanese beer doesn’t leave too much of an aftertaste so it’s not bad. I felt really bad though, because I didn’t talk much to my host sister and didn’t eat much. That’s because my first host family had fed me gyoza and I kind of ate my fill there before going to eat okonomiyaki. Oh, I knew we were gonna eat when we met up, just didn’t expect it to be true. Lol

John wasn’t there sadly enough. His host family took him to Kanagawa or Kanakura or something or other that started with a K. Although he was supposed to change the same night that I did, the English teacher, who was to be his next host family, told me that John’s host mom found him to be rather…pleasing to the eye. Lol It was funny. The English teacher had never seen him before so I showed her a purikura picture of him that we took our first night in Japan. I suppose he’s pleasing to the eyes, but his host mom was really taken with him. So taken was his current host mom that the English teacher said that when they talked, it sounded like she didn’t want to let him go. Lol Good ol Johnny boy. Looks like his special sweetheart’s gonna have to fight for his love.

My host parents came later that night after they finished work (they own and run a massage clinic). My host dad was pretty surprised that I could hold my liquor (as well as everyone else including me). They asked if I was Taiwanese to the teacher, but I explained (in Japanese) that I was Hmong and Hmong people were like the Ainu people in Japan as they were in Thailand and Laos. I wonder if they think that Hmong people are like tribal people in Africa? Lol I hope I didn’t give them the wrong idea.

They took me to their place afterwards and though I was somewhat tipsy, I got along fine. They showed me around their apartment (which was bigger than my the previous host family that I had been staying with) and I went to sleep not too soon after. The next day, I got up at 11:30. Lol I think it was the alcohol. Anywho, we had lunch and then my host dad left us to go set up work I guess. Then she took me to the bank so I could pull out some cash. The night before, Ger needed to exchange American bills with me cause his wouldn’t go through when he wanted to exchange it at the bank because it had become so worn and folded. I gave him mine, but he has yet to give me his…

My host mom asked me where I wanted to go and wanted to take me to all the places that they wanted to take me, but well, the previous host family had already taken me there, especially Disneyland. I was willing to go again, but I got a rather horrible suntan and sunburn so I was a little bit worried about it happening again. They finally decided to take me on a boat ride near the temple in Asakura. From there, I could see Tokyo from the river and then we took the boat to Odaiba seaside port…? I think that’s what it’s called, but it was a pretty cool place.

On one of the levels of the shop place, there were oldie games there and I heard the music from the old Nintendo version of Mario. Ahh, nostalgia. Lol They had one place that reminded me a bit of Spencers, but more tone down. I wanted to buy lots of things, but refrained from doing so. Next door was a candy store and there, my host sister bought fake gum thingy where a person pulls out a stick of gum, but on the back of the stick is a thing that flips over and hits your finger. She tried pulling that trick on me, but I said no. We have them in America too, I know what’s in store for me.

Sometime later, we went to a Disney store and I kinda… bought more stuff… for me. Lol They were all Stitch stuff surprisingly enough. I bought a Stitch cover for my DS, a Stitch cellphone strap and a Stitch doll with a cute bow and holding up a picture of a woman’s body with no head to his own. It’s rather funny and cute. I even got a key holder as a gift from the store from buying stuff I guess, or maybe it’s because it’s Tokyo Disneyland’s 25th anniversary. When I opened it, it was a Chip fom “Chip&Dale” keyholder. I gave it to my host sister cause I don’t really use my keys actually (I use my parents’ and brother’s mostly, if not, always). Afterwards, we went outside and saw a street performer perform. I didn’t understand most of what he said because he spoke so quickly, but he was really funny and pretty good at what he did.

We went on a monorail that was manned by what I can assume to be a computer AI cause there was no one at the steering wheel nor was there a steering wheel. We got off to eat at a Yakiniku restaurant (it’s a restaurant version of barbequing) and I was so happy when my host mom ordered hot and spicy food for me on the side. I’ve never been more happy in my life since being in Japan because the spicy noodle soup was like my favorite dish at home, expect it’s the fobby version of it with water rather than coconut milk. Tastes just like home. Then we went and took some purikura and then went back home. It was a good day and I didn’t get sunburned. Yay!

So now, I’m just gonna talk about things I’ve been thinking about. My skin got darker since coming here. I used to put on sunblock everyday, but I got lazy and now I’m darker. Also, I don’t think the sunblock I bought works very well. Maybe I sweat too much and it washes off? It definitely didn’t work when I went to Disneyland, but I didn’t put it back on after getting wet and toweling. Meh, my mistake. I’ve got a rather ugly, almost farmer’s tan.

Also, Japanese girls are totally in love with Stitch over here. My previous host sister wasn’t really into Stitch. She liked dogs and wasn’t really into the Disney scene. My host mom liked Gigi/Jiji? from Kiki’s Delivery Service and Totoro. Both were Studio Ghibli films. The few Stitch stuff they had at their apartment, they gave to me. Great, more junk for me to take home. My suitcase’s already filled enough with junk for other people, now there’s even more for me to bring home… for me! Also, I don’t know if it started because of Mom/Ixchell or because of the mass fandom of “the Stitch” over here, but I’ve been pulled in. Damn you crazy fandoms in Japan! Damn you all for getting me crazed over him!... Although he is rather cute and plushy.

The most girly looking Japanese boy I’ve ever seen was when I went to the Odaiba Seaside Port. He was helping the street performer light his fire torches and toss it at him. I swear, he was wearing make-up! I had to do a double take to make sure he didn’t have boobs because frankly, all the girls in Japan that I’ve seen so far have no boobs, and that’s the only way I can confirm if the person is a guy or girl. Most times, I can’t even tell cause the guys look like girls and the girls… well, they look like girls so it gets hard at times to tell.

I want to see Pon-ya. It’s a new Studio Ghibli anime film that’s out in theatres right now. It looks cute and interesting. Unfortunately, my Japanese sucks ass so I think I’ll have to wait for it to come to America. Aside from that anime, there’s one anime that I’ve been looking for everywhere, or rather, the Gacha Gacha (it’s the same as those 25/50 cents machines right before you leave Cub Foods or Walmart, but MUCH cooler and cost 200 yen) version of it. Code Geass. I’ve been looking for Lelouch everywhere because I found it at one of the rest stops, but I was running low on money (this was right before the advance camp where I was LAC) so I only did one and got Lelouch dressed as Zero without the helmet. There’s also one where he’s activating his Geass and dressed the same way. There was also C2 and several others that I can’t remember. I think there was also one where Lelouch was in his School uniform. Meh, I’ll try to see if I can find one again cause I’m sure Ker and Wang’ll want one or else they’ll clobber me when I get home and show off my Lelouch to them. Lol

Okie, I can’t remember what else I wanted to say, but maybe later when I can, I’ll talk. Anywho, I’m hoping that I’ll get the chance to hang out with some of my teammates if possible. Definitely thinking of doing so. My host family now doesn’t seem to talk much. I dunno, something about them is kinda off so I can’t really work my charm on them. Oh well, I’ve got about three or four more days with them so yeah. We’ll see. Till then, ja!