Soccer Club

So last Thursday, I started soccer club. Wednesday I met the captain, but I couldn't go because I had Japanese class. Thursday, I realized I had no idea where to meet, so I was just standing in the hallway looking kinda lost, and then the captain comes up behind me. I thought it was really nice of him to come find me and show me where the girls meet ^^.

There are 11 girls in the club (2 first year and 9 second year) and 15 boys. There are no 3rd years, so I am the oldest >.<. We practice on the same field, but are on separate sides. It started raining, but we still practiced anyway XD. Club is from 4:30 to 6 or 6:30. I go on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday(9am to 12pm). I've gotten a lot of exercise and its great! I joined a sports club to get into shape. Everyone is really nice. They were asking me some questions and one girl asked if I like Maximum the Hormone (Jrock) and Linkin Park! I thought "Yes! finally people who actually like rock music, and not just Disney pop stars!" Alot of poeple here are really into Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montanna, Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber (bleh!), etc. Sorry to anyone who likes them (you are entitled to your own opinion, as am I) but I really do not like their music.

The first day, we just played a game, and apparently I don't suck as much as I thought because they kept saying sugoi (awesome/amazing) and kakkoi (cool).

Saturday, It was kinda was hard getting up early on a weekend, but I was able to drag myself out of bed. Unfortunately, when I was about to leave, I realized there were only 2 bikes outside...where was mine?! Turns out when my host sis was at her dance practice and my brother was at his cram school, my bike was stolen!!? O.O We know when it was, because they would have taken my host siblings bikes too. It was quite a shock first thing in the morning, or just in general. This hardly ever happens where a bike is stolen from right in front of the house >.<. I ended up borrowing my host bro's bike and was only a bit late for club.

It was really hot and I kinda forgot to put on sunscreen, so my face and part of my legs got a bit burnt >.< I have a stripe on my legs between where my shorts ended and my soccer socks started X\. Club was pretty fun. We just did a couple drills like zigzagging between cones, using diff parts of our feet to dribble and then we passed and took shots for a bit. We played a game for about an hour, so that took up alot of time.
I bought sunscreen on my way home, so now I don't have an excuse if I get burnt.

Japanese Lessons

Today was my first Japanese Lesson. Unfortunately it was raining so we had to drive, and we ran into traffic. We were running late so okaasan starts taking all the side roads. I was hoping I could try and remember where to go, but the zigzagging made that impossible. I was only a couple minutes late, so it was okay.

I got into the class and sat down, and someone calls my name. It was the other girl from AFS who lives in Kanazawa. I’m glad she’s taking the class with me. Ureshii (happy)! There’s about 10 people in the class, and everyone else is either in university or working in Kanazawa. It made me feel young XD. The teacher is really nice, and she makes sure to get everyone involved. She would ask questions using the verb form we were learning, and then we had to respond. Things like our hobbies and what we were going to do after class. I kept answering anime/manga or something to do with food XD I couldn’t think of anything else >.<. There is a lot to learn, so we’re going to go pretty fast. I think I’m gonna enjoy this class :D!

I start school tomorrow! I’m so excited, but nervous about my speech and being able to communicate with everyone. I have my speech pretty much memorized, so hopefully I don’t blank. I have to introduce myself in front of the teachers and then the entire school at the assembly! Still, I’m really looking forward to tomorrow! (not biking for 30 mins to school in a skirt part tho)


My host sis came back from Yokohama today. She got me an omiyage (souvenir). A cell phone strap with my name and Hello Kitty! Kawaii! I should be getting a phone in the next week or 2… hopefully ^^

Gotta get up early tomorrow for school. I have to be there at 8am instead of 8:30 like everyone else, because I have to introduce myself to the teachers. Wish me luck!

Oyasumi! ^^ (good night)

Buzz Buzz

So when okaasan got back from work, I went up to my room to get my stuff for my japanese lesson. However, when I got to my room… there was a surprise, unwanted guest on my window.

The next minute or 2:
Me: Ahhh!!
Okaasan: Jenny, daijoubu? (are you okay?)
Me: ano… heya ni mushi bzz bzz wa aru. (um... There is a bzz bzz bug in my room. - I didn't know what it was called in japanese XD)
Okaasan(in my room): eh! Hachi. Abunai! (it’s a wasp. Careful/dangerous!)

We were able to catch it between the 2 shoji screens on my window. I guess they got rid of it while I was at IFIE. So if you were paying attention, I had a wasp in my room. Wasps here are like twice the size of the ones in Canada! Kowai (scary)! We still have no idea how it got in there :S.

So I’ve signed up for Japanese Lessons. I’m level 2 (out of 4). When they gave me the application, they said the classes were on Tuesday and Thursday. Then when I got the email for my placement, they said it was Wednesday and Friday. I email them back asking if that was right, and they said no, my lvl 2 class was really on Tuesday and Thursday.

Okaasan and I biked to the building for my classes, and she said she would meet me there after. I got to my supposed classroom, and I was the only one there. After about 5 mins 2 guys came. We started talking while waiting for the teacher, and they said they were in lvl 1 class. I thought: oh crap! I bet my class is actually tomorrow >.< It was weird being in a higher level than them because they were in their mid/late 20s XD. Anyway, the teacher came and told me to go to the office, because this was lvl 1 class.

I went down to the office and they told me my class was tomorrow So confusing >.< Anyway, at least I’m getting lots of practice biking to IFIE. I think I am almost ready to go alone :)

Also, I finally finished my speech for the assembly at school on Thursday. Now I just have to memorize it...

Bike Ride of Doom

Today, my host mom showed me the way to school by bike. If I described it in one word it would be kowai (scary).

I have not ridden a bike in a while (year or 2) so for the first bit I was kinda shaky/ unbalanced. My seat was loose which did not help because I kept turning it. Anyway I thought I would just deal with it, but then came the first crossing so I hit the breaks, and the one side screeched like a dying squirrel. No joke, I screamed, which made my host mom turned around XD. The breaks were also kinda slow (one side doesn’t work at all). My host mom still wanted to show me the route, since it was supposed to be rainy the next couple days, so we ended up switching bikes. Her seat was really low, which made it a bit more difficult to pedal, but wasn’t that bad.

Now for the actual route, the first 15 minutes I was scared. I had to drive on the road with the cars. It’s a main road so there were lots, and I would freak out when they drove by, because they are like right next to you (sometimes within a couple inches O.o). About halfway in, there was a sidewalk we could bike on so that was better. It was still kinda nerve wracking because there were a lot of side roads, and you can’t see if there’s a car coming until you actually cross. We finally got to school after 30 mins and she showed me where to park my bike. There were only one or two hills, and I wasn’t too tired. I will be in good shape though. :D.

Then it was time to come back. It was busier, being close to rush hour. Returning seemed to go a lot faster. When you’re not watching out for cars, you have to watch out for bikes. When we were about 10 minutes from home, we were crossing the street, and this one guyon a bike almost ran into my host mom, so she kinda veered away, which caused her to almost run into the side of a taxi turning >.<. A lot of the streets in japan are pretty narrow, so it can be difficult maneuvering around pedestrians, other bikers and cars.

We got home safe and sound. I don’t remember much of the route other than we crossed 2 rivers, train tracks and drove through the parking lot of the gym where my host sis practices. All of my attention went to trying not to run into anyone or get run over. I’m sure everyone got a good laugh watching the gaijin (foreigner) trying to ride a bike XD.

I’m sure in time I will get used to it and with practice I will learn where to go. I did not crash into anything and I can still ride a bike, so to me, it was a success.
I also got my skirt, so pics of uniform soon to come...

Edit: Host dad is in the process of trying to fix my bike…