Moving in :D

So yesterday, we had to take the dreaded written exam Dx  I did utterly horrible.  I must have looked really sad because one of the other KCJS girls told me to smile...But after we ate lunch, I felt a lot better!  We had to do the interview next.  I had Yamaoka-sensei, who has a girl's first name.  He asked me normal stuff, like to introduce myself.  He asked me when I started dancing because I said I like to dance ballet and jazz.  I messed up such an easy question, but it sounds like other people had it worse!  Some of my classmates said that they like to read, so they were asked about the plot of one of the books that they had read.  I think I'd have trouble explaining something like that in English, too!  and then someone said that she likes tennis, so she was asked to explain how to play tennis.  Who knows that kind of vocabulary??  

Oh, the day before yesterday, we had met some of the Doshisha and Kyodai students who are going to be taking classes with us.  We were split into groups, and my group had two girls who toured us around the school and took us to get our commute passes!  They were so nice and helpful!  I think their names were Ruriko and Yuki?  That day I also met Rosaline and Angela, who are Christians, too!  For dinner, we were split into different groups and we ate at a tonkatsu place.

Last night the whole KCJS group ate at a tabehoudai!  Lots of good food!  Oh, tourist-y moment of the day: marveling at the hard tube inside Sandy's wrapping paper.  The wrapping paper tubes aren't squishy like American ones.  After we went back to the hotel, we waited in a conference room for our host families to pick us up!  The feeling was probably something like kids waiting to get adopted, or like Gio said, puppies at a pound...when the first person was called, I think it was Yaya, everyone went, "Awww!" because her host mom had her super cute baby with her!  Soo cute.  We were all jealous of her because of that host baby.

My host parents did not forget about me.  I had feared that they would because I didn't email them like the other kids.  They have a really nice big house!  With a super cute dog!  So cute!  My room is surprisingly big.  I had imagined a Card Captor Sakura-sized room, not a Kare Kano Souichiro Arima-sized room.  Maybe it's not that big, but it's not as small as I thought it would be.  They have wifi, too!  Surprising because my host parents are in their sixties.  I don't think my grandparents are that technological.  

House tour this morning!  My host mom drew a Buddha, she's really good!  She'll be off to her drawing class soon.  and I should finish unpacking.             

The arrival!

Monday, August 26, 2012:  Arrival at Osaka-Kansai Airport with my older sister!  Forgot to write down the home-stay and KCJS addresses!!  What is this residence permit card??  Apparently it's part of the new policies, but I don't know what the old foreign policy was anyway.

During the hour long bus ride from Osaka to Kansai, we saw a building shaped like a dog!  That's Japan for you, isn't it?  The industrial Osaka looked very romantic in the setting sun.  I'm glad we had seats on the side that looked out toward the water :)

Arrival at Hana Hostel and dinner in the train station.  Jet lag gave me a headache, but the noodle dish we had was refreshing!  The shave ice was very good, too!  Japan is hot.

Tuesday, August 27, 2012: We had chocolate covered macadamia nuts that I had brought for omiyage to give to random people that I might meet for breakfast x)  My sister insisted we eat one.  After, shopping!  We checked out the new Aeon Mall by the station and bought a lot of socks for me.  It's bad to have socks with holes, and many of my old socks have holes :(  So shopping for socks at Uniqlo!  Jenna bought a new purse that was on sale!  I think I bought stuff, too, besides socks, but now I don't remember.  

Off to Teramachi Dori and Shinkyogoku!!!!  We took the train and Jenna bought the tickets.  I still didn't understand the whole map thing.  She told me that you can't just get on any train because they don't all go to each stop.  Only the local trains stop at each station.  So many shops and restaurants along these roads :)  We looked in Clef de Sol!  I bought a top from there 3 years ago, so it was interesting to go in again after so long.  

Why did our room's AC keep on turning itself off?  Japan is very eco-friendly, so maybe that's why?  But it gets so hot on the third floor.  Jenna said that they should put fans in each room for people to use at night when they sleep.  More eco than AC! 

Wednesday, August 28, 2012:  Today I had a hair appointment at Earth!  My first time to get my hair dyed!  My hair stylist was a very fashionable young guy.  Everyone was so fashionable there!  He quickly realized that I speak English and not so much Japanese ^^  His explanation of pricing was half English half Japanese.  The girl who helped him put color in my hair was very cute!  She had short, light, curled hair.  She had those pouty lips that you only ever read about in stories, but never see in real life (until now).  Maybe she was new?  She was clumsy, too!  Adding to her cuteness.  They put these funny tiny plastic bags over my ears!  That was funny.
While the male hair stylist washed the color out of my hair, he asked me in Japanese if I dance.    I thought..how does he know??  so I was confused and didn't answer xD  He tried to elaborate his question by saying Hawaii dansu?  and then it was like...<pause> OH HULA!  haha I told him I learned a little, but I don't dance it now.  He said he has an image that all people in Hawaii dance hula xD  Oh MAN Hawaii stereotypes can be so funny.  He used these cool scissors that have teeth on one side.  Then when he combed the hair after using it, big balls of hair would come falling out O.o  He could tell I cut my own bangs.  I was very happy with the way he styled my hair after!  Too bad it rained today.  My hair goes berserk in muggy weather.  I tried to look at other people's hair today to see if anyone's gets as bad as mine, too.  Anyway, after, Jenna took my picture with him and he wanted a picture, too!  Haha and he invited me to come back again before I leave.  But I never knew his name.  I don't think they told me his name.  

We checked in at the Hearton Hotel Kyoto.  Oh, I bought purple glasses on sale for 3999 yen today!  We took the subway and I helped by the tickets this time!  Jenna and I both think it should be pronounced Hear-ton, but it's actually Heart-on.  Surprising, I have my own room!  I thought I'd have a roommate.  After we went to the shiyakusho (City Hall) and talked to the receptionist about the residence permit card.  She told us to go to the one near where I'll live, so we took the subway to Imadegawa.  We couldn't finish the paperwork :(  Jenna had a small tantrum outside the office, then we ate popsicles from the konbini!  Back at the hotel, I met Jenna's old sensei Nakamura-sensei.  She seems nice.  I also met some other KCJS students!  They seem like nice people..maybe I'll be friends with some of them?  I can only find out!  Dinner from 7/11 (sushi and pineapple) and eaten with them at the hotel.  Found out that KCJS will do all the paperwork for the residence permit card :D  Say good night to Jenna and now...Goodnight!