Day 16

Today, I slept in until 9! Yes, that's right, sleeping in is now 9 am for me. We will see how long that lasts when I get home. :)

We had the morning to ourselves and I was able to catch up on a bit of news from home as well as check out Facebook and answer some emails.

In the afternoon, we went to another onsen. This one had a sand bath where you changed into a robe and disposable underwear and got buried in the sand. As odd as it sounds, it was really relaxing! After the sand bath, we headed to the public bath. I have noticed I am getting used to the no bathing suit thing...not completely, but a little bit.

I have to mention at this point (because we experienced in on the ride back to the hotel) that all cars have GPS screens here. Not only GPS screens, but DVD players and television channels in the front seat. Yet, wi-fi is few and far between. Go figure. I also say someone pay at a 7-11 today with a cell phone. Amazing.

Two things I'm going to have to re-learn when I get home-- the driver's side is the left side of the car and in Michigan, we use farenheit, not Celsius. :)

Day 15

Greetings from Beppu! Today marks the halfway point of our trip!

We left Kumamoto today and it was very sad to leave. I have made quite a few friends since I've been here and starting to become comfortable with my surroundings. Kotaro and Kyoko have posted pictures and videos on my Facebook page if anyone would like to check them out. Also, we have a team blog at http://carolyn-gsejapan.blogspot.com/ with a few more pictures.

I plan to stay in touch with many of the people we met in Kumamoto and, upon my return to the US, I also plan to continue learning Japanese.

Our hotel in Beppu is right on the water and, apparently, a very popular spot for visitors. Carolyn, Stacy, and I are in Japanese-style rooms. When we arrived, our room was set up like a living room with a table and chairs. The best feature of the room is the spectacular view of Beppu Bay from our window! At about 7:30 or 8 pm, the staff come to the room to lay out our mats to sleep.

Stacy and I tried our first onsen last night at the hotel. For anyone not familiar with an onsen, it's a public bath, complete with having to walk around naked. For us North Americans, this is an extremely different experience! We decided to visit the outside bath. It was very beautiful and covered in rose petals. Still, wearing my bathing suit would have been nice. :)

Day 14

Today was our last day in Kumamoto. We went to a park/Japanese garden and had a tea ceremony. After a Rotary Club lunch, I headed to a vocational study at the health department.

We had a farewell dinner this evening with our host families. I have a lot of pictures and, hopefully, tomorrow I will upload the video of our team singing "country road, take me home". The Internet connection has been bad tonight, so I was not able to upload it.

As a farewell gift, I received a cookbook of Japanese cuisine. I can't wait to try it out!

I'm not sure how my Internet will be once I am in Oita, so the blog posts may be few and far between, but I will update when I can.

Day 13

So, the past few days have been a blur...I can't believe it is already day 13!

Today was not one of my favorite days, but it definitely had highlights. In the morning, we met the deputy mayor of Kumamoto City and then headed to the traditional crafts center. After that, we went to a rotary club meeting where the district governor spoke. He spoke for 40 minutes and, since we didn't understand a word of it (actually, not true. I understood the word "rotary"), we were all struggling to stay awake. I had about 5 cups of tea to try to keep my eyes open.

That lull in the day caused to next part of the trip, a visit to a factory, to be a struggle as well.

After that, we went to a traditional Japanese restaurant where we were able to relax, watch the food being made, and then have dinner. I had to get over my issue with seeing my food whole before eating it when the chef cut open a fish and then asked me to try it as sashimi. It was very tasty, actually, but the process was a bit disturbing.

I am staying with a new host family tonight. Kotaro, a member of the Japan GSE team, is hosting me. As soon as I walked in the door, his two little girls sat me down so we could read stories. Then, we played with sticker books and toys while one of them played the piano. They are absolutely adorable (2 and 5 years old). :)

Day 12

Well, today I think I might be getting sick...I can't tell if it's a cold or hay fever.

We drove to Mt. Aso today. Our driver was not so good and there were a few moments when I thought we might die going up the mountain. When we got to the top, we couldn't go any further because the volcano's activity was at a 4 (out of 5... Our translator said 5 meant we needed to run).

At dinner, we experienced the Japanese chicken wing...apparently there is a secret to eating chicken wings...I will be bringing it back with me to teach everyone. :)

Tonight ended with...KARAOKE! It wasn't what I expected. Basically, you rent out a room...some have themes and some our plain (ours was plain) and you sing with your group in the room. It was very fun. Not only did I take pictures, I took video too. :)

Day 11

Today was another amazing day in Amakusa. We met the mayor and created and then painted pottery. Don't worry, there are pictures of all of us on the pottery wheel.

I visited a junior high to experience school lunch. The entire process was pretty amazing. All of the student come into the lunchroom and within a half hour, they serve each other, eat (they have to eat it all and it is a lot of food...ginger sardine, mushroom rice, salad, and fish balk soup...and milk), and clean up. Everyone eats school lunch in junior high and in high school, everyone brings their own lunch.

We left Amakusa this afternoon and I cried saying goodbye to my host family. They were the sweetest people and my host mother cried too. The entire two days in Amakusa are a blur, but they were amazing.

We took a dolphin watching boat across the water to meet the next Rotary club. The boat ride was hilarious...the water was really choppy and most of us were soaked by the time we arrived.

In the evening, we went to a Spanish restaurant and I tried escargot. It is delicious! We also got to experience Japanese drinking at it's finest...or maybe craziest would be a better word. :).

Day 10

Today was an amazing day...definitely a highlight so far. I am still in Amakusa and I don't want to leave! Everything about this area is beautiful-- the mountains, the ocean, the towns...everything!

Today, we left the house and headed to meet the others for a morning of dolphin watching. We saw at least 50 dolphins. It was incredible...I have great video of the dolphins near the boat.

After dolphin watching, we went to a pearl farm where we each opened and oyster to see if there was a pearl inside.

Before I go any further, have I mentioned how spoiled I am on this trip? I never have to worry about where I am going or what I am doing. After the first 5 days, I stopped looking at my itinerary because I knew things would be like Addy pushing Bo and Ruby outside. The Rotarians tell us what to do and when to do it and I dont have to think about a thing. I also don't have to do my own laundry, cook my own meals, straighten my own shoes by the door, or drive myself anywhere. It is going to be serious culture shock when I get home.

To continue, the pearl factory is making each of our pearls into a necklace as a gift. Wow!!!

After, we went to lunch. I had delicious ginger pork.

We then went to the hot springs footpath. Laying in the sun with my feet in the hot water...I could've taken a nap! Then, we went to a pottery shop where everything is handmade and hand painted. We visited an old church and drank fresh orange juice. Our final stop was at a fishing company where we saw fish being put on ice...and then into a cooler that ended up in one of our vans. I also have to mention that the fish in the cooler were still flopping around.

After we left the rest of the team, my host father took me on a tour near his house. We went to the market where he introduced me to another Rotarian (half of the time, I feel like I'm on display with everyone here) and explained all of the food to me. We bought a few snacks and he showed me his fishing boat.

We went back to the house and waited for my host family's three children to come home. We had...you guessed it...sashimi from the fish in the cooler for dinner. Don't worry, I took lots of before and after pictures.

I am extremely sad to leave this family. I have promised to email and already told Drew that if their daughter wants to come to the US, we are hosting her. :)

Day 9

This morning, we were greeted by all of our host father's family. All of them. We took pictures and then some of us went on his boat. It was an amazing trip near Amakusa, where we ended up later in the day. We were able to see all 5 of the bridges that take you to Amakusa. We also saw dolphins in the water- it was perfect!

After the boat ride, we went to a buffet-type of sushi restaurant where plates of sushi rotate on a conveyor belt next to the booth. If you want something custom, you call the waitress with a button and she takes your order. It arrives by mini bullet train to your table. It was really interesting and I think would be a great idea for America!

We met the rest of the team and took a bus to Amakusa. We stopped to see a beautiful marina and a giant Octopus sculpture on the way to an amazing hotel on the water. We changed and then went to our Welcome party. We sang all three of our national anthems and then ate and drank. Every time my glass of beer would get the slightest bit empty, a Rotarian was the to fill it up and introduce themselves. At the end of the party, an older Rotarian tied a towel around his head and had everyone hold hands, walk in a circle, and sing the Rotary song. He then came up to me, gave me a hug, and told me he liked me in perfect English. It was a moment I wish would've been captured on film.

After the party, my host family (this is my first home stay by myself) and Stacy's host family went to see lanterns (carvings in bamboo and lit up with candles). It was beautiful and, of course, the evening would not have been complete without Japanese tea.

When I arrived back to the home of my host family, they connected me to wi-fi and I was able to show them pictures on Facebook of my family and a You Tube video of the start of the Crim.

I will be at this house until Tuesday morning (Monday night in the US) if anyone would like to Skype or send emails...I will be able to respond at night or in the morning!

Day 8

Today we FINALLY visited Kumamoto castle. Everyone points it out when we drive by (that and the bullet train), so it was nice to visit it. We took some great pictures. We were accompanied by two of the inbound GSE members. It was nice t spend time with them.

We had two very ethnic dishes- Chinese for lunch and German for dinner. It's interesting to see each country's take on ethnic cuisine...have you ever used chopsticks for German food? :)

In-between lunch and dinner, we quickly checked a few emails at the international center and then went to a rotarian's house for tea.

The party at the German restaurant included three of the inbound GSE members. It was a lot of fun, although the only person who spoke English at my table was Kotaro. I very much enjoyed talking to him, learning a few things about his trip to north America and his family...who I will meet in less than one week.

Day 7

Today was our first rainy day complete with thunder and lightning. What did we do? We went to the zoo and botanical gardens! It was actually very cool and I got to eat a banana from a banana tree. I have to say, I am getting a bit tired of sightseeing. I would prefer to have hands-on experiences.

For lunch, we went to a buffet that had ice cream and Coca-Cola. It was just what I needed!

At night, I got to see pictures of the son and daughter-in-law of my host father's wedding pictures. The brides in Japan have two to three wedding dresses. It must cost a fortune! The son told me that last dress, a deep purple gown, was very expensive.

I feel that when I return from this trip, will have a bizarre accent. The only people who speak English are Canadian, so I fear that I am developing a weird use of my vowels. On top of that, I am trying to speak Japanese and, according to my team members, my Michigan accent already has "twang".

Day 6

Today I joined a new host family. The father of the family is a Rotarian and he lives with his son, daughter-in-law, their baby boy, and her sister. They are young and do not speak any English. I am staying at this house (very large and out in the country) with Carolyn.

Our dinner tonight consisted of meat and vegetables cooked in a pot on the table in a sauce made of soy sauce and sugar. You dip the meat and veggies in a bowl full of raw egg before you eat it. It sounds awful, but it was actually very delicious! We finished dinner with delicious desserts (hooray dessert!) from a bakery owned by the man's son-in-law, Maple. To finish the night off, we saw our host father play the Japanese guitar and then he gave me a type of alcohol that smelled like tequila...yikes!

I am covered in mosquito bites...apparently the japanese Mosquitos are silent and you don't realize they are biting you until it is too late!

I am using more Japanese language throughout the day and I have lost 6 lbs since this trip started!

Day 5

Today Stacy and I went with our host mother and her cousin to the stone bridge. It looked like something out of a fairy tale! It was next to a lot of rice fields where the rice was drying. It was really interesting to see.

We completed our first presentation. It was a large failure in my opinion...way too long! We need to cut a few things out to make it less than 30 minutes long!

We went to an outdoor childcare center today. It was amazing...I want to build one in Michigan. There are no toys, the children use earth materials to play. We learned calligraphy and made pottery while we were there.

At night, we made sushi with our host mother and her friend. After dinner, we were bombarded with questions about marriage. It was really uncomfortable because we were basically being told that it was not okay to be single and have a boyfriend. I also noticed that the master bedroom included two single beds.

Day 4

Today I went on my first vocational study. The first stop was the public health center. I met two dietitians and we discussed (over tea, of course) the differences in Japan and the US's food guide system. First, while we fund programs to target low income families with MyPlate, they provide counseling to all classes of society. They said that there isn't much difference between rich and poor. Second, their food guide system is more specific than ours (I like it much better). It takes into consideration the size and fat content of foods. For example, we say "three ounces of meat". They say, "one serving of tofu, or one fish, or half a chicken breast.".

I have noticed that Japanese people have a lot of dental issues. At the health clinic, they we're testing for "rotting teeth germ" in the parents of one year olds. It seemed very strange to me.

My second stop was at a hospital with Kotaro. Kotaro was an inbound GSE member and he is one of most host families as well. He is an anesthesiologist and took me into surgery. It was amazing how little security existed and I was able to walk right into the operation and take pictures! I also met with the dietitians at the hospital and the trainers in the fitness center. They have an entire center where people can stay overnight to get health screenings and learn how to have lifelong health.

It was interesting to learn that diabetes and kidney disease are still a problem in Japan even thoug obesity is not.

Things I am still getting used to- very narrow streets and no water at meals (you have to ask).

I am starting to crave western food!

I am also starting to mix my languages. In the midst of trying to speak Japanese, I am remembering (and wanting to use) French phrases that I haven't thought about since 11th grade!

Day 3

It's amazing that people still smoke in public here. There are cigarette vending machines everywhere. The funny things is, you can't tell...no one smells like smoke!

I feel like I have stepped back in time...the hotel keys are not our usual cards, but actual keys. When you walk into the room, you have to place the key next to the door or the light won't turn on.

The school I visited had no security at all. If we hadn't been extremely out of place, we probably could've walked anywhere in the school. The kindergarten sang "Jesus loves me" to us. It was adorable.

Every meeting we go to involves tea. I am officially sick of tea...and I have a few more weeks to go!

We had lunch at a temple and I am still trying to get used to the fact that I have to take my shoes off wherever I go.

We had a kimono experience today and there were three women helping me get dressed. Yes, I will be extremely spoiled after this trip.

The cars here are so small! Everything is mini...even the hallways in the houses. I am also still getting used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road...oh, and the fact that the bathrooms and toilets are separate.

Internet is hard to find and wireless is almost non-existent. My entries on this blog may be written in large chunks of days!

Day 2

Our first full day in Japan was exhausting!  We took a lot of pictures...the weather here is beautiful! 

We met the GSE Committee in the afternoon and had lunch with them.  It was a Chinese meal, but very different from American Chinese food.  There was an orange sauce that was incredible...and I am not sure when the last time I was that full was.

The coffee is also amazing.  Very strong and delicious.  I probably drank too much, but we walked a lot, so I shouldn't have any trouble falling asleep.

We had a Welcome Party to introduce us to a lot of the Rotarians and to meet a few of our host families.  From the sounds of it, my days will be very interesting!

We finished the evening with a very large Japanese meal...the food just kept coming into the room.  After a while, I couldn't eat anymore!

I am learning a lot of the Japanese language...just in one day I've picked up quick a bit more than I knew when I arrived.

Tomorrow is our first night with host families.  Stacy and I are staying together, so that should be a nice transition before we are on our own with host families.  Tomorrow is also our first presentation which we are all trying to present in Japanese.  It should be interesting!

Today was exhausting, so we are trying to get a lot of sleep this evening.  Our first trip to a high school begins at 8:15 tomorrow morning!

Day 1

We made it! 

After just over 24 hours of travel, we arrived in Kumamoto!  We were greeted by Rotarians in the area and took a very nice taxi cab to the hotel (our luggage followed us in a truck).  Our first meal was quick food from...7-11!  We asked one of the inbound GSE members from Japan what she liked to eat and, after returning to the hotel, I enjoyed noodles and what tasted like grape juice.

It took me about an hour to figure out how to turn on the air conditioning in my hotel room last night...I just hit every button until it started working.  :)

Breakfast this morning was delicious.  It was a buffet with a lot of things I couldn't identify, but there was miso soup and strong, delicious coffee!

We have lunch with the GSE committee today and a welcome party this evening.  Tomorrow begins our presentations and experiences.

The weather is absolutely beautiful here and our hotel is right across from a castle.  I'm taking a lot of pictures to share with everyone!