Last Day at Shirayuri

Back row: Yu, Alexa, Miracle, --, Hiromi; Front row: Mayuko, Keiko, Chihiro

Today was my last day at Shirayuri Gakuen High School. It was so sad. I've made so many amazing friends there, and hugging them all goodbye today (I don't care if the Japanese don't believe in hugs - I insisted on hugging all of them) was one of the most bittersweet experiences ever. I really don't know how I managed to get through the entire school day without crying. It wasn't until I was walking home in the pouring rain that I really broke down.

So last night after dinner my host mother said "Alexa! I have idea!" And then she proceeded to carry a huge plastic bag into the room filled to the brim with washcloths with Minnie Mouse, and Miss Bunny, and the Aristocats on them. Gifts for each and every one of my 39 classmates. So then I was up till midnight wrapping them and handwriting letters to everyone.

The walk to the bus stop this morning was no different then usual, except that it was extremely gray and rainy out. For being in the middle of the rainy season, we have had a staggering amount of sunshine. Funny that the gray skies and thunder should hold out till my last day of school, the beginning of the end.

I got off the bus and my two little primary school friends came running after me as usual, calling "Onesan! Onesan!" in thier adorable sing-song voices. They gave me goodbye letters, and we took pictures, and now I will never again see the two little girls who put such a huge smile on my face every morning.

The morning proceeded with normal classes; lunchtime came and many of my classmates gave me more letters and gifts; I got to go to the teacher's office to say formal goodbyes to everyone; I met, and said goodbye to the principle, who gave me a pendant of the Virgin Mary, or maybe it's just a nun, I can't really tell; I took pictures with all of my friends; was given even more gifts, and letters; attended the closing ceremonies for their meager 20-day summer break; and then went back to the homeroom for the final minutes of school.

Midori, Akane, Alexa

I was called to the front of the class, and presented with this, which is signed by everyone, and made me realize all over again just how much I really will miss them all. I gave them all their gifts, and then we said our final goodbyes.

Me, and Momoka

Having the opportunity to attend a Japanese high school has been the most incredible experience. It is an experience that I will always look back on with the fondest of memories, and will always wonder at the fact that it was actually five weeks, for it flew by as if it were only five days. The things I have learned and the memories that I have come away with are irreplaceable, and my only regret is that it couldn't last longer.

Yukatas

Sunday evening my host mother's younger brother invited us to a fancy sushi restaurant for dinner, and Midori asked me if I thought we should wear our yukatas. I agreed immediately. My host mom bought me a yukata my first week here and I hadn't had a chance to wear it yet, and was eager to see what it was like.

Yukatas are extremely difficult things to wear, and so we had to start getting ready an hour before we left. It is a very complicated process. The right side has to be folded over first, otherwise it signifies death. then you have to pull it up so that the hem just reaches ankle-length, tie the first tie around the waist as tight as possible, fold the excess fabric over the tie, straighten it out so that everything lays flat, make sure that everything in front and back in centered, tie the second tie around the lower chest as tightly as possible, and then the real sash, or obi as it is called. It is wrapped around several times until it is suffocatingly tight and just barely loose enough to let you breath enough to stay alive, and then it is tied in a very complicated and artful way to look like a large butterfly. And don't forget that the entire robe and especially the obi are made out of very stiff cotton so that it is nearly impossible to move.

Okay, I made it sound a bit torturous, but it was actually a lot of fun.


This is Midori and I wearing our yukatas, and behind us are Midori's two cousins - Yoshitomo and Miho. My host dad thought it would be funny to make Yoshitomo and I, boyfriend and girlfriend, so apparently I have a boyfriend now. lolol.


It's my extended host family! I'm not going to remember everyones' names, but I can tell you who everyone is. Back row: host mom's younger brother, his wife, host mom, host dad; Middle row: Midori, Yoshitomo, Miho; Front row: ALEXA!, obachan (host mom's mother), obachan (host dad's mother), and ojichan (host dad's father).

The Ocean

Sunday was yet another incredible day here. My host parents told me that we would be going for a drive, but it wasn't until we were in the car that they actually told me where we were going. Still, knowing the name of the place didn't actually mean anything. After a long drive we arrived at a small bay with a dock, an information booth, and several small motor boats. My host dad bought tickets and then after about a half-hour wait, we boarded one of the small boats. They were just your ordinary motor boats, but even so, the little enclosed area was still covered with tatami mats and cushions to sit on, and a place to remove shoes. I sat next to the only window that was actually open, and after everyone else had taken a seat, we were off!

The scenery was gorgeous - beautiful rock formations and islands jutting out of the water, and caves and trees everywhere. We went through an area with a huge flock of seagulls and opened the windows to feed them. It was amazing; they would fly right up to the boat and eat out of our hands.

When the boat slowed down again my host dad went to the back portion, outside of the enclosed sitting area. I dashed over to join him; the fact that we were on a boat and completely sheltered from the elements was killing me. A couple other people came out to join us in order to snap a few pictures, but then returned to the safety of their tatami mats once the boat started up again. My host dad and I were the only ones left, which I found ridiculous considering I was the one who lives thousands of miles away from any sort of ocean, and there I was the only one not afraid of getting wet.


It was incredible! Until that point, I hadn't realized just how much I really have missed being on the ocean, with the hot prickle of the sun, the cool salty ocean spray, the sound of crying gulls, and the adrenalin rush of riding up and down with the crashing waves. It was amazing. I had the best time. But curse that boat ride for making another hour of my precious time left in Japan pass as if it was mere minutes. lol.

After the ocean, we drove to the small island of Miyatoshima, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. We parked at the base of a mountain and my host dad told me that the two of us were hiking to the top to see the view. My host mom stayed behind because she was too tired. So we started the ascent, with me wearing high-heeled sandals. It was an incredibly steep hike with a very jagged path and lots of roots to climb around. Every few minutes we would come across another group of sight-seers, standing on the side of the path to catch their breath. I was extremely proud of myself when I reached the top without having stopped once, high-heels and all. It made me wish that I had bought the tshirt I found in Colorado that said "Sea Level is for Sissies".

The view from the top of the mountain was incredible, more so then I ever could have imagined. You could see the ocean in nearly every direction, sparkling in the bright sunlight, the mainland in the distance, and all of the little rock islands scattered everywhere. It was something that a picture could never begin to capture the beauty of. Ever. I only had one small complaint: Of all the silly places to not have a vending machine!

Meysen Kindergarten

Since I arrived here, everyone has been asking me if I have been to Meysen Kindergarten yet. The question seemed a bit odd; yes, my Japanese is very limited and I would probably get more out of kindergarten then out of high school, but still, why is EVERYONE asking that question?

Saturday evening Midori, my host mom, and I went to a YFU meeting for Midori's departure to America. And it was at the kindergarten! Yes, it was very cute but besides the numerous cages of fuzzy little rodents, I did not see anything special about it - until we went outside after the meeting.

Maysen kindergarten had the playground to end all playgrounds. And I'm not even a huge fan of playgrounds. This was incredible though! The slides were monstrous! And there were rock-walls, and monkey bars, and amazing things you've never even seen before, and things that could spin faster then should be possible without being electronic, and then you'd walk a little ways through all the beautiful trees that surround everything and find even more slides and jungle gyms.

Amazingly fun slides. (Let's forget about the fact that I was wearing a skirt)

Jungle gym #17 was hiding in the trees

This was actually even taller then it looks in the picture, and on the other side was a yellow slide which was pretty much just a steep drop.

And they had actual ponies! At a kindergarten!

Tempura

Saturday afternoon my host mother and I picked up one of her friends, who had invited us to a fancy tempura restaurant. We drove downtown, and eventually came up to a very small traditional looking Japanese building squished within the midst of all the other large modern city buildings. The seating hostess, dressed in a traditional Japanese yukata, led us to a small tatami mat room where there were a number of seats surrounding the area where our tempura chef was cooking. Tempura is a very skillful art that requires many years of practice to perfect. Wow, was it amazing. We were served on piece at a time - numerous different fishes and vegetables that I have never even heard of, and each had a specific way to season it. Some we dipped in salt, some with lemon, and some with the usual tempura sauce mixed with minced Japanese radish. It was so perfect that it just melted in your mouth.

Libraries

Japan, or at least the Sendai area, seems to have some pretty awesome libraries. My host mom has taken me to three so far, and they've all been completely different and equally amazing.

The first one was in downtown Sendai, a couple weeks back. It had crazy architecture, such as the glass elevators, and was decorated very retro.


The second library we were invited to because one of my host mom's friends actually works there. They had a bunch of activities set up for little kids, which we watched for a while, and then we went upstairs to the media room. It was so cool! They had dozens of large television sets set up with seats that had headphone jacks, and you could use them to watch any movie you wanted. My host mom and I spent the afternoon watching Kiki's Delivery Service.

The third library is actually right next to my school and from the outside looks like a huge metal spacestation. My host mom brought me there for the first time after school on Friday. It was so beautiful, with glass windows that looked out over the endless forests covering the entire height of the two-story building. It wasn't just a library either. There seemed to be a small arena and a coffee shop as well.

English Class

Every week my host mom goes to her English class with an instructor from America. I went with her the first week, and somehow the entire class turned into a question and answer session with me. The five older women all got to go around and take turns telling me about themselves and then asking me questions. It was all very cute. Then the English instructor invited me to come back on Thursday nights for the class that he holds for college students. It's been really fun! There are always about a dozen or so Japanese students, and then a bunch of students from all over the world. I've met a girl from Sydney, a girl from Switzerland, two boys from America, and then this past week there was a whole group who had just flown in from England! They're here for a month to visit different colleges and help out with the English classes. I got to visit with the girl from Cambridge University, Hannah, and then also one of the guys from Oxford, Peter. It was kind of funny because he started talking about treacle and I was the only non-British person there who knew what in the world he was talking about. Also, all of the Japanese girls thought that Hannah (the girl in the green shirt) and I were sisters.