Mon 12/11 10:18

It’s past lights out and I really shouldn’t be doing this but based on our Greece trip I know the terrible consequences of getting behind on journal writing, soo…

First of all, my muscles are quite sore (1 leg and 1 arm.). I have walked up sooooo many stairs today it is not even funny. Imagine the London Underground times 20. And then my hand is sore from Taiko Drumming tonight (interestingly enough, I realized my left hand, my violin playing hand, is much less loose than my right hand. I guess I understand what Didi meant when she said loosen up, though I still don’t know how it’s done.). I will probably eat milk (w/ cereal) and bananas tomorrow for breakfast to help the soreness and prevent cramping. It’s really minor, butttttt…

Now, a note about the food. They have decent Veg food, Cheese and Veg Pizza (though it’s usually out by the time we get there, we got to get lucky) nice Pesto Pasta, though the Marinara sauce Pasta is terrible. Salad variety is quite good, lots of ice creams, Popsicles, fruits, pastries, so while it may not be my ideal, simple but delicious Dal-Bhaat, it’s not as bad as I expected.

Anyway, this morning we did Radio Exercise, quite similar to what Madsen and Okamura Sensei have had us do, and it was quite fun and refreshing! Apparently it was started after WW2 to invigorate people in the morning, before the hard day’s work of rebuilding their country. I had no idea!!!

So, after that, we had a class about Culture Shock (which I hope I won’t get but know deep down is inevitable), Japanese, a great simulation of observing other people’s culture called Bafa Bafa (can’t say what it is in case incoming YFU students in later years read this,) and Current Japan. We then had two culture workshops, I took Japanese Manners and Taiko Drumming, which were absolutely amazing! We learnt a lot of simple things such as taking off shoes and seating and chopsticks (and my sensei answered my long time question about if, and why, Anata is considered rude.). For Taiko Drumming, we actually played on garbage cans with tape, but it still sounded real and was amazing! I think multiple people videotaped it, so I think I’ll ask for it on the FB group when I get back — REMIND ME PLEASE!

By the way, our Kumi sensei (I am trying to refrain from using specific names on here,) reminds me A LOT of BM!!!

It would be amazing if I could teach 29 to my Host Family!

Anyway, we have another packed day tomorrow, so I should probably get sleep. Goodnight! 😀

Hopefully I’ll get extra time at SF airport to update all this!

Gnite!