Shilo Christiansen -- Japan (Home Club: Cobleskilll)

January 12, 2014

01/12/2014Host Rotary Club: 7190

Sponsor Rotary Club: 2560

Current Host Family: Sumimoto

Counselor Name: Nishiyama-san

         It’s the five month marker! Ack! I can’t even believe it. This month was quite busy, since we celebrated New Year’s, which is like Japan’s Christmas. For Christmas, couples celebrate, but families don’t. I celebrated it with one of my Japanese friends, where we ate so much food and cake. It was a little sad because I wanted to be home with my family for the holidays, but I know everyone feels like that. For New Year’s, I spent it with another foreign exchange student and her host family. Her host dad is a monk, so we did a lot of traditional things like clean the house and make food. It was a lot of fun, we even went to a temple and ate for three days straight (which is tradition).

         I’m back at school and entered my new class. They’re nice, but not as welcoming as my first one. No one believed me when I said I could speak English, and when I did, they were all thoroughly shocked. Then they were shocked that I could speak Japanese, but I think my being Asian really confuses people in Japan haha. Anyway, they are pretty interesting and I think I’ll adjust to them.

         My host family is quite strict and traditional. Sometimes it’s a little bit suffocating, but I only have a month and a half left with them, so it will be okay. They are really nice though, so we get along pretty well. I really want siblings, but my host families are chosen through the Rotarians, and not the school like the others―but that’s okay. My host family has really cute grandkids!

         My relationship with my host club is really good, I think. I talk with my counselor a lot, and he often invites me to do things with him and his family. I met his grandchildren months ago and sometimes Nishiyama-san will invite me to play with them. I don’t know a lot of Rotarians, just the few that sit near us at the lunches.

         I went to something called illuminations in Mie last night, I will include some photos because the lights are gorgeous! I also have some photos of going to Kyoto to see the autumn trees. Now it’s getting cold, and winter has finally begun!

         This month was hard because of the holidays and missing home, but my friends made missing home bearable. It’s odd to think that my exchange is half-way over!