Green Day and Golden Week, Oh My!

Tomorrow is Green Day which means three day weekend! Yatta! My sister's and I will be going to see 'Shall We Dance', the American version with Richard Geer (right?). He was all over the TV for a while. Him and Yon sama, probably the most popular Korean drama star in Japan. Someone put a picture of him up in my classroom at school and he's in all sorts of weird commercials. My favorite drama is one from Taiwan, I believe, that's called Meteor Garden. They're all kind of funny, as soap operas are. Looking forward to Golden Week too. I have to go to school on Monday, ew, but the rest I have off.
Bai!

In the News...

It was on the news yesterday when I came home when the death toll was only 50, now it's up to 70. They showed the names and ages of all of those who died. It was really sad to see so many younger people, 17 and 18, were on the train.

(taken from 9 news, read the rest here if you want: http://9news.com under world news)

AMAGASAKI, Japan (AP) - A packed commuter train that was behind schedule and may have been speeding jumped the tracks Monday and hurtled into an apartment complex, killing 57 people and injuring 440 in Japan's worst rail accident in 40 years.
Investigators focused on whether excessive speed or the actions of the inexperienced, 23-year-old driver caused the crash in an urban area near Amagasaki, about 250 miles west of Tokyo. The driver overshot the last station before the wreck, and a crew member and several passengers speculated the train was speeding to make up time.
Floodlights were trained on one of the worst-damaged cars as rescuers tried to free at least three people still alive in the wreckage more than 11 hours after the 9:18 a.m. crash, said Yoshiki Nishiyama of the Amagasaki fire department.
The fate of the driver was unknown.
The seven-car commuter train was carrying 580 passengers when it derailed, wrecking an auto in its path before slamming into the parking garage of a nine-story apartment building. Two of the five derailed cars were flattened against the building, and hundreds of rescuers and police swarmed the wreckage and tended to the injured.
"There was a violent shaking, and the next moment I was thrown to the floor ... and I landed on top of a pile of other people," passenger Tatsuya Akashi told NHK. "I didn't know what happened, and there were many people bleeding."
Photos taken by an NHK reporter aboard the train showed passengers piled on the floor and some clawing to escape.
Police official Hiroshi Yamatani said the death toll had hit 57, with at least 440 people taken to hospitals, including 137 with broken bones and other serious injuries.

My lone terrible food experience

This Sunday I went to a concert (classical) in Narita. On the way there we stopped at a Japanese pickle shop and I experienced (gasp) the worst food ever >< I was trying things that were all so nasty (I don't like pickles hehehe). Then the guy I was with gave me this dark green wrinkly round thing covered in mustard. I put it in my mouth and about died. I would say it tasted like hair spray, but that would connote it was something a little less toxic than say, gasoline. I about cried because it made my eyes so watery and my nose sure cleared up quick. The shop guy said to me in English ‘dangerous’. Yeah, NOW I know. But just so everyone knows almost all other food is really delicious. And the concert was wonderful and Narita was really neat. That pickle was just an exciting little event in my weekend ^_^

Food and stuff because Katie asked

Today for a snack I stopped back into the new convenience store and got a candy called Pino's. I thought maybe it would be like Reeses because that's what it looked like on the commercial. But instead I found it in the frozen treats area. It turned out to be little mini Reeses sized chocolate covered vanilla ice cream treats! Sooooo unbelievably yummy! I also had a cream filled croissant roll and a slice of a kind of chocolate moose cake at home. Hannah's food travel journal, that's what my entries should be called! Anyone who stops in Japan must now try Coolish, Reverse (pocky reversed), Pino, and Qoo! Alright?
A friend of mine in school who helps me A LOT with translations and is just really nice is leaving for Italy (I think, or India ><) to look for a ballet school on the 25. I heard India the first time and Italy the second. She'll be gone for a whole week. So next week at school I've got to rough it and get my booty in gear so that I can rely on my own speaking skills. It'll be really good for me. It's way challenging when your in a country trying to learn the language and everyone seems to know English. It would be easy for me to get lazy and not try. But I won't do that!!!! Never!

Learnage!

I’ve finally memorized 6 new kanji, 雑誌、お願い、お世話に、気持ち、手帳、and one I can’t figure out how to type on the computer. Last week I learned 会社員、医者、学生、大学、and 先生。Those were easy to remember, but the new ones are more fun to write. Everyone, let's all learn kanji! When I first tried to remember the kanji for dictionary I mixed it with the characters from magazine, it was terrible. But now I've got it down pat! I think... I'm waiting for my new electronic Japanese-English dictionary to come in the mail. I can't wait (even though I said I was). My paperback one is really not adequate at all >< But we still get along. Things'll work out in the end ;P

short tiny itty bitty update!

I saw a trash can today that said 'petbottles' on it. I would never throw mine away if I had a pet bottle! Mean while I'm getting along in my Japanese. Some days are harder than others. I'm learning kanji which seems like throwing spaghetti on the ceiling, some stick and some just come right down. Do people still do that to find out if the noodles are ready?? Hehe.

You Are What You Eat!

Today I tried this thing that was on my list of ‘must do while in Japan’. I saw a commercial on TV for it. It’s a product called ‘Coolish’. The name’s what hooked me, with that lovely weird English. Anyway it’s like ice cream in a pouch and you squeeze it out to eat it. Yup, I decided they really need to export Coolish to the US! They have some American food here depending on where you go. Mostly Kit Kats, Oreos, and Ritz. Oreos are pricey. I actually saw a Dr.Pepper the other day! It's really rare to see anything other than Cola. Oh, I see M&M's once in awhile too! There is a French super market chain called Carrefour that has a lot of foreign food. And foreigners, everytime I go in there I see someone blonde. My host family was searching for an artichoke last time we went. Their daughter in the US had just tried one for the first time and said it was really good and they hadn't tried it ever. We didn't have any luck finding it though. We did make brownies from a mix I brought. Something else they had never tried before. They were really good (were, they went fast). And while I'm STILL on the topic of food :) my host mom just baked us apple pie. It was really good (was, that also went fast)! Pie is my new love! Replacing chocolate milk I think.

Randomness...

Tomorrow I have school!!! Saturday! Only half a day so it’s not too bad. Today was my first actual gym class. We did this thing were they played the do re mi fa so la ti do tones at different paces and you had to run across in the time it took for the tunes to play. I ran across 71 times more than all of the other girls in my class, yay me! There was a guy in my class who ran it 100 times! He plays basketball. I got all icky and sweaty though. I had Japanese lessons today with the Australian exchange student and it went really well. I’m actually learning kanji and expand my vocabulary! Woo-hoo!

Today we had some time before the train and I bought a comic book at a book store, yes a book store!!! That’s what made me really happy! It’s a series I was reading at home that was only up to vol. 4. Here it’s up to volume 9!! So that’s what I bought for a mere $3.90!!!! Why can’t that be an international price?

Jishin

Today was an earthquake! I real earth shaking earthquake! Aki and I were at the station this morning and the station started to shake, like wobbly jello. I didn’t know what it was, now I do though, jishin! It was exciting but we had to wait for our train an extra 50 minutes. And then when it came it was like how they show the Japanese subway on TV, PACKED! I got sucked one way while my bag went another way, still attached to me of course. And then when I went to get off my uniform button got snagged on this lady's bag. It was quite the adventure! And on the way home, not to be beat, the rain hammered down and the wind blew extra hard! I thought my hands were gonna freeze to the umbrella. It didn’t ruin my appetite today though! I had a bunch of homemade apple pie at lunch that was to die for and then I stopped at a bakery with Aki on the way home for a snack. Then when we got home we had hot chocolate! One things for sure, I could sure eat some more pie!

Glad to hear it's snowing in Colorado. I wouldn't want to break the tradition of having large amounts of snow fall whenever I leave.

No. 1!

I just had to say that last night on TV I watched Ichiban! Those of you in my Japanese class at school should know it! It's a crazy athletic show where people compete to be 'number one'. I just thought it was really funny because we watched it a lot sophomore year. That's all for now ><

School!

Please be patient with my spelling tonight, I'm super tired!
Okay, yesterday was my first day of school. It was only a half day. I'm second year class four. Everyone is VERY nice and they all say funny English sayings to me. I gave my speech to the teachers in the morning and then to the students later. They were all lined up in the gym by class. They had to stand for the first half, including my speech. Very intimidating! The boys tennis team got an award for second best in Japan, I even saw them play on TV. Anyway, today was a full day. I had an English class which was really easy (no wonder :P) and art class , which I understood zero of! I had some free time to hang out in the International Relations Room. I'll be learning Japanese in there. I also did the recording for the Englishconversation book. It was sooo weird. But fun! Tomorrow is gym and I have that uniform all ready. Must go for now, it's 10:30 here and I need sleep!

I'm glad to see (I think) that my posts are showing up! Anyway I have a bit more time to tell you all about what's going on around here. Let's see, there's a lot to catch up on! When I arrived here I went to the Olympic Center near Shinjuku for an orientation. There I met three Australian exchange students and one other American. We were told basic manners and chopstick taboo, no stabbing food! We were also told not to be 'too nice'. Apparently there was a French exchange student who proposed to a Japanese girl who took him seriously. I don't think I'll have that problem!
A few days ago I went to my school, TGU, for uniform check. I met some of my teachers. My home room teacher, English teacher, and nihongo (Japanese) teacher. I'll also be taking Spanish as my other language ><. I think I get to choose a few more electives like art or something. TGU is huge! Oh, and I have to give a speech in Japanese in front of the entire student body (eek!).
I watched the Matrix on TV last night. I hadn't seen it before. What a crazy mind trip! It was pretty good though. TV here is pretty funny. There are lots of weird game shows and everything has Japanese subtitles it seems. It's good for me because I can pick up new kanji and such.
I sit down here and forget what I'm going to write! If anyone has any questions, please post them under the comments.
Bai bai!

Hello! Finally!

みなさん　こんにちは。 Everyone, hello.
I've finally made it back to my blog. So sorry for anyone who has been dying to hear from me! I've only been in Japan for a while :) Anyway, about that! It's almost cherry blossom time here! There is a park near here called Kasumi park which is full of sakura trees. We take the family dog UP there for 'sanpo' walks. Okay, I know that was short but it's dinner time now!