Current mood:	mischievous
Entry tags:	futari boshi, japan, judy, nigata

do like the Japanese!
Wedding At Nigata
My host brother's wife's little brother got married recently and my host family invited me to the traditional Japanese reception at Nigata, which is Eriko's hometown. It was quite lovely and I had a great time! I'm feeling slightly embarassed though, because I didn't realize the event was strictly close family only-- and there I was, fermenting all of it. They even included me in the family wedding picture, and I was doubly embarassed-- but at the same time I was very grateful they are treating me like I am part of the family.

They even gave me my own hotel room, and that totally took me by surprise o_o We stayed overnight at Nigata and Eriko's family thought me how to drink o-sake. It's funny-- my host mom pours me tea, while Eriko's mom poured me sake XD That's just awesome. Eriko's family looooooves their o-sake. Her older brother knew a bit of Tagalog and it was fun listening to him tell me every tagalog words and phrases he knew while he was slightly tipsy from drinking. He would point to me and say "Magandang dalaga!" which means 'beautiful young lady'; then he'll point to Toru and say "Pogi!" which means, 'handsome'; then he'll point to his sister, Eriko and say "PANGIT!" which means, 'ugly' XD It made me laugh a lot.

Eriko's family was very nice though. They want me to go back and spend the other half of my golden week at Nigata, which I think will be awesome.

my name tag on my seat, awwww


The view while driving towards Nigata. we had to go through this long tunnel that went through a mountain--- driving took about three hours, and we kept getting lost because the hotel for the wedding was smack dab in the middle of nowhere!


this is sakura tea that they fed me before the reception party started :3








I borrowed all my clothes from Eriko (and I amazingly fit in them x_X), these shoes were hers too. they fit fine, but man, did my feet hurt...


the groom and the bride


Toru, Eriko and Eriko's older brother performed a song. Eriko was on the piano while Toru and Eriko's brother sang. I have a video of their whole performance, but I haven't felt comfortable about uploading video of my host family on youtube.com--- plus it's a big file, so when I get home, the lucky ones who can visit me can watch the video if they want XD They did a lovely job! Toru was so stressed out about the performance. he had to write lyrics on his hands because he gets so nervous before a performance that he forgets things XD








there were much more food than that, but they kept coming and I couldn't keep up o_o plus i had to fend people away from trying to feed me beer the whole time...


the most elaborate fish ever




i got that whole hotel room to myself. two beds!!!

this was the view from my room. you won't see another building around the hotel at all, it was awesome.




these were Eriko's nieces and nephew. The one in the middle with me is Mako-chan, and she was SO FREAKING CUTE. During the wedding reception and dinner at the hotel buffet she kept staring at me, until she finally got over her shyness and took a picture with me, sitting on my lap. Then she sat on my lap forever, and whenever someone said "Mako-chan! Oneechan, suki?" (translation: "Mako-chan! Do you like your big sister?"), she would snuggle up to me.

Totally wanted to take her home with me. The kids loved me and Toru... well, they liked BEATING up Toru, at least.





Oh the Onsen!
Eriko took me to my first onsen experience in the hotel we stayed at Nigata. At first, I had a two second hesitation about getting naked in a public bath--- but then I said "oh f**k it!" and got naked. It was great! Everyone was nakey! But no, seriously, it really isn't a big deal and it was really relaxing. Especially the onsen outdoor-- you can have a view of the snow while dipping in the bath. Oh man. I hope I can go to another one before I leave...

Although, I have heard from other JSP kids about feeling slightly awkward in onsens, and I think it was to my advantage that I tend to blend in so I never get strange stares. But really, don't let the "oh my god a gaijin!" stares get to you. They will always be there, and it's best just to live with them. Or be like Brett and say things like "it's the foreigners! look at us! throw peanuts!"


Judy
Five years ago, my host family hosted their first JSP student, and her name is Judy. I am only their second host daughter since Judy.

Last weekend, Judy came to Japan for a business trip and of course, she dropped by to visit. She was awesomely pretty and really sweet, and her Japanese was very good. It made me jealous T___T But we had a great time, and we dubbed ourselves the adopted Arai children. XD We're making plans about having Eriko come to California for the summer and go to Las Vegas together or something. Judy lives in San Francisco, and we both want the Arais to come out and visit!

Poor Toru can only probably visit for a week or less because the Japanese companies out here never give their workers enough holidays. It's kind of scary the way they treat the working people out here, really... but anyways, here's me and my Taiwanese sister! yay!






Judy, Eriko, Toru, and Eriko's friend, Naoki, and I went out to dinner together. Well.. sorta. We snacked on small dishes and drank. Hahaha. Doing like the Japanese young un's do! They talked a lot. In Japanese. I understood most of it... I think. XD


TIU Clubs
I want to join some clubs, but I can't find the Art Club, and I want to join the Tiny Love club, just because their name is awesome... but they're a music club and I can't play any instruments. DARNIT!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9zMLQ_RMiM
video of one of the sports club.


Street Performers
tonight, on the way home, I ran into a duo band called Futari Boshi-- I stopped by to listen to them perform on the street with other Japanese school girls. they were pretty cool and nice guys! Although, I stood by this female otaku--- just form an image in your head of a creepy Japanese otaku and turn him into a girl, and you'll know what this girl was like. At one point, the band was joking around and she thought something was so funny that she spat the iced tea she was drinking all over them. The guys were good-natured about it though. Female otaku kept asking me questions. I was trying to film the guys perform a whole song, and she started talking to me, so now that video is kind of ruined. I tried to upload it but I think it's too big. So I uploaded a smaller video. Take a gander at it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDX8mXNvxEw

Although the full video is really fun, so I'll try to upload it later~!

They passed around a notebook for us to sign and write a message to them. I decided the quickest way to go was for me to write my message in English. Otaku-girl got the notebook after me, and she immediately showed the guys that HOLY CRAP! I WROTE ENGLISH STUFF! They guys' eyes popped out, and one of them said "Eigo... wakaranai!" (translation: "I don't understand English!"). I wrote a little bit in Japanese, and this also amazed them that I know how to write with kanji and my name out in katakana. They kept shouting my name when they figured out how to read it. Oh the Japanese can be so pwecious sometimes!


Here's me with the guys, looking cool even with the cheesy sign they made me hold--- If I need another reason to stay in Japan, I think we all know what it would be XD

Announcement
I have a couple of midterms next week, and I think I will be staying off the internet to spend the free-time that I can spare to study. After midterms, on Friday next week, we're going on the Kansai Trip. Which means I'll be gone, roaming Hiroshima and Kyoto and whatnot for about five days. I'm not sure if I'll be on the 'net again, though I'm sure I'll manage a couple of quick e-mail checks. :3 Or maybe get completely distracted from studying and get on the internet anyways... hahaha! But otherwise, expect a huge update next, with a gazillion pictures from Golden Week! I can't believe we're on the mid-point of this semester already... AHHH!!!

Videos
The videos should be working now, so here's a review of the links.


Teaching Takaki about American innuendos in the student lounge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bw4tszb5sg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW3S3r-uGgY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2edwn3NCAvM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QsKI_u6oiA

Plastic balloon fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mcuV64_2mk

Sakura Tree Climbing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDt7ujveliU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbUTLZGfKD8