Homestay with the Ohta Family!

So, finally caught up to the present.  I apologize that it has taken so long, but here I am, and here is my home stay trip.  Lemme tell you,  if any of you ever have the opportunity to host a foreign exchange student, do it.  I expected the 2 days and one night to just be awkward and uncomfortable but, in reality it was one of the most exciting things I've ever done. 

So back tracking a bit, Steve and I went to dinner Thursday night and managed to find a restaurant run my people who used to live in Hawaii.  We enjoyed some home made spam musubi and spent an hour or so chit-chatting with them and their son.

おいしいいいい！！！！

So.  Enough side-tracking, Friday after class, we all went to CIEP (the foreign exchange center where we practically live when we're at school and not in class) to meet our families.  My family wasn't there yet, so I decided to take this AMAZING picture of Lauren while we were waiting.

Anyways, my host mother and sister soon arrived to pick me up, Junko and Utano (who will be known as U-chan from here on out).   The three of us then proceeded to go to Aeon to get some groceries and the fixings to make pie!  U-chan had asked me on the way to Aeon what kind of foods I like to bake and I said pie and she asked if we could make one, and thus it was decided.  As we were looking for ingredients, I realized that at home we call Crisco, Crisco, and I didn't actually know what Crisco was to translate it and find it in a Japanese store!  After about 20 minutes of fumbling in Japanese, I spotted a tube of "Crisco" called "Shoatenningu."  Crisis adverted.  Now come to the second crisis, figuring out how to convert American "cups" to grams.  Luckily, as I was trying to explain the issue to Junko and U-chan, U-chan's friend realized what I was saying and started screaming "two-hunred grammu" at me.   I don't know if that's correct, but I went with it and the pie turned out amazingly, so there you go. 

After grocery shopping, we went to the Daiso or Hundred Yen Shop (like Dollar store only 2000x better quality and with a HUGE selection!) to search for pie plates.  Time for crisis #3.  No pie plates and finding out that Junko's oven is the size of a microwave.  After searching for a while, we found paper tart pans that were about 6 inches in diameter.  I figured I could make 2 pies with the recipe for one with said plates, so we bought them.

After shopping, we went to a HIPPO meeting.  HIPPO is the club that organizes host families for exchange students.  We ate a lot of good food and had a really fun time, until they decided it was introduction time.  Junko, U-chan and I pretty much got to sit up in front of about 15 people while they asked me questions for half an hour.  Luckily Junko knows a fair amount of English and between my broken Japanese and her English, we were able to communicate very well and it wasn't as bad as it could have been.  Then we played the Japanese version of "Duck-Duck-Goose." We all sit in a circle, while someone runs around with a hankie.  They drop the hankie behind someone, and if you don't get up by the time they come around the circle, you're out.  It was really fun, especially seeing as there were about 8 kids present.

The HIPPO meeting ended around 9pm and we made our way to the Ohta house hold.  Can you say nervous as hell?  We drive out into the country, and, before I know it, we're there.  I don't have many pictures of the house, because Junko told me not to take pictures because it was a mess.  It wasn't, but I didn't push things. 
Meeting Tomasato and the younger daughter, 10 year old Makoto went well.  We sat around eating fresh strawberries and drinking bear.  After showering and taking a bath (as is traditional) I felt great. Their bathroom resembled this.

You shower and then get in the heated tub (and by heated I mean the tub is warmed like toilet seats so the water doesn't cool off) and relax.  Afterwards, U-chan, Makoto, Tomasato and I all played Wii fit then went to bed.  I slept on the floor in U-chan's room.  I don't know what the futons were made out of, but I don't think I've ever slept so comfortably in my life.

U-chan and I woke up around 8 and got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast.  Damn, lemme tell you, breakfast is a BIG deal.  We each got a bowl of rice, eggs, sausage, miso soup, and more.  I couldn't eat all of it.  I don't know how they're all so skinny with the amount they ate!  Lol!!!

After U-chan and I did dishes, we started making pie!  It was so much fun!!!  The girls really had no clue what they were in for, and despite looking pretty "ghetto," the pies were DELICIOUS!

I'd just smeared flour on her face

After making pie, U-chan and I made origami. Yay!!!

Now, the entire time we were making pie, Tomasato was outside doing what sounded like woodwork.  Next thing I know, there was a nice long piece of bamboo sliced in half and set up as a water slide outside the door.  Confused, I ask U-chan what it's for and she tells me it's for lunch.  Which only confused me MORE!!!!  Apparently, you put clumps of soba noodles at the top, and using water, make them slide down the bamboo and as the clumps go flying past try to catch them with chopsticks.  Quite difficult until you get the hang of it.  And a fun and delicious way to eat lunch!

I'd just missed a really really slowwww moving clump of soba. >.<

I did it!!!

Eating pie for dessert!  Love the picture of me with my mouth full. >.<

After lunch, Tomasato and Makoto left as she had to go to Cram School.  Cram School is for students prepping for exams necessary to move on to the next school in the school system.  Makoto is finishing up elementary school and is getting ready for the test for middle school.  Junko, U-chan and I then went to Junko's calligraphy classroom.  Expecting we would be driving there, I put my shoes on, only to walk to the building next door where Tomaso's parents and grandparents live.  Lol.  The classroom was beautiful and we had a lot of fun making fans and scrolls, and helpin Junko figure out how to teach a southpaw!

U-chan practicing to be a calligrapher when she grows up.

Junko!!! <3

My work station.

Southpaw!

Love the doors.  They were etched with bamboo and falling sakura petals.

After my Calligraphy lesson, I was given a big bag of snap beans and peas from the garden to bring home with me.  Did I mention that they have a garden the size of our back yard in Weirton (including the hill) and that's not including the Orchard off to the side of the house of plum and peach trees which is even larger!  Soon thereafter, we packed up my things and got ready to go.  We decided to go to a shrine nearby then to a final HIPPO meeting, and dinner before they brought me home.

At the second HIPPO meeting we were talking about everywhere I had lived, and when I mentioned Pennsylvania, one of the women informed me that she'd been to PA and then askes me if I knew where TITUSVILLE of all places was!!!  Apparently when she'd stayed in America, her host family had relatives there and she visited for a few days!  Can you say small world? Also, one of the little boys there, I'm convinced had never seen a Caucasian before and took about 20 pictures of me, so I decided to pay him back and take a few pictures of him.  Lol.  He was so cute!

Then we went to dinner.  We went to one of the restaurants where you cook your own food and ate A LOT!  Everytime I figured we were done, they'd order more food!  Lol!  But we had a lot of fun cooking and talking and Junko asked me if I would like to stay a week with them if the school will allow it  I really hope so.  I had so much fun and didn't want to say goodbye.

Me failing at flipping okonomiyaki

Utano, me, Makoto, and Junko

Okonomiyaki, yakisoba and more!

Om Nom Nom

After dinner they brought me home.  It sucked.  I totally wanted to stay with them longer and miss them already.  I had so much fun!  It was splendid. =)

As it stands, I'm going to try my best to keep caught up on this blog.  I am so sorry for not blogging as much lately, but I'm going to work on it.

<3 Love and Miss you! <3