Piczo

August 19, 2007
Hey i got four new pages up, or maybe it's three i can't remember. School officially starts tomorrow. Friday i had to go to school and give a speech. It went okay. I was so nervous and glad when it was over. I've been keeping busy if you can't tell from all the pictures I've put up Lately. The next few days are supposed to be hot, I' hope they aren't too hot. Today I went to Shikaribestu lake with my host parents and my brother. I had a blast, it was somewhat hot today and it was very cool on the lake so it was a refreshing trip. I also got to try some more specialty ice cream. I think it was milk flavor, and it came from the cows in the town, it was very good! Anyways i better go and get to bed i have to get up for school tomorrow!

~*Meg

August 10, 2007
My first two days in Japan went a little bit like this... As soon as I arrived in Tokyo a Rotarian was there to pick me up. It turns out, I'm the only long term exchange student for this district. Do you know how spoiled I'll be?There will be a short term student from Germany coming in one month. After i got into Hokkaido I was met by my Rotary clubs President. while I was at the airport talking to them this guy came and talked to me, I tried to respond the best I could. After he left they told me he was a member of parliament! Thats why he had all those guards around him! With Mr. Hatakeyama and his wife we went to a super market to get my picture taken for my Foreigner Registration card.then went to my new high school to see it. I also got to see the Hatakeyama's Dog's! they are so cute! I was surprised my the Hatakeyama's car, There was a TV in it. Not like a DVD play an actual TV!! You could switch through the channels, I thought it was rather amazing.After Mr. Hatakeyama showed my around my new town I went to meet my host family. They own a company across the street. I have a host Brother named Daisuke, a host sister my age named Ami and another host sister named Yuki. Their house is so big! Especially for a Japanese house! I still get lost sometimes. Their bath is huge and they have a sauna right next to it. They tried to the the lock on the door to accept my fingerprint but every time I try it doesn't work for me. I like their house very much. Today (right now it's 4:33 am Aug 9) I will be going to get some supplies for school and for the welcome BBQ they are throwing for me. My Host sister Ami doesn't go to the same school as me but she has many friends that do.

~*Meg

August 14, 2007
Hey! I've been so busy lately and I'm sorry I haven't posted any pictures i will soon I promise! I've been to Furano on a Rotary trip, Fireworks, School Supplies shopping, School Uniform Shopping, and Today is my BBQ Party. I'll be getting some more pictures up soon but for now you can look at the picture to the left of my Host Family and their friends before the fireworks. :) mata ne~

~*Meg

August 26, 2007
not much has really happened since I last updated. I've been busy with school each day, I have been staying after to check out all the clubs, I'm still not sure which one I want to join. I'm thinking Tea Ceremony club, I really liked dance club but I could do Dance in the U.S. so I should really go for something new. I'll find a way to stay active and in shape. Today I'm going with some new friends from school to Karaoke. Last night I was going to go to the Hanabi (fireworks) with some friends from school but all the people who I had their email address had to work so I was on my own. At the last minute my host mother and I got invited to go with a group of Rotarians. I'm glad I went I had such good seats! We were sitting right in front of the fireworks! I also went to see the Hanadoki (flower Clock) yesterday with Okaasan (host mom). It was such a nice day and the clock was absolutely beautiful. my host mom told me it's the #2 flower clock in the world, woot! Anyways I'm going to go, I gotta get ready for today and singing my heart out! XD

~*Meg

September 2, 2007
Well It's September, I've almost been here, in Japan a month. It doesn't feel like I've been here that long. I've finally settled into a routine here and I think I've adjusted quite well to Japanese life. Yesterday my family had a BBQ, Tons of people showed up if theres one thing I've learned while I've been here, it's that Japanese men love Beer the only thing they love more than beer is getting together and Drinking beer. It's really funny to see how crazy Japanese people act drunk. The first time I was around a bunch of Japanese drunks I was pretty scared, but now it's only natural, so I'm not that scared anymore. The President of the company my host dad Manages was staying the night at our house. I didn't know weather to speak to him in the polite form of Japanese or the casual form I probably should've stuck with the polite form, when addressing him but he was drunk anyways and probably doesn't remember what form I was talking to him in. It's always interesting to see what the next day holds. This week I'll be spending the night at my friend yuko's house, this month I'll be going to my first rotary meeting and I'll have my first Rotary Orientation and I'll get to meet the German Short term student (I wonder if He'll do Print Club with me hahaha XD). This month will also be busy planning for my school trip which is at the end of october. I'll be going to Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo. While in Tokyo we'll be going to Disneyland. Guess what day... Halloween! I'm sure you can imagine all the festivities there will be, I'm really excited and Happy that my school planned a perfect day to visit Disneyland. I've been procrastinating on getting pictures up but I have most of the ones up that I took. I added two new pages, one of the Flower clock I went to see and one of more fireworks. I'll post pictures from karaoke last weekend up sometime tonight so check back. Bye Bye for now~

~*Meg

September 16, 2007
Well I've now been in Japan for over a month. Yesterday was my first rotary orientation. There is actually another inbound staying for the year from germany, He's living in Asahikawa, the second biggest city in Hokkaido. It was just the two of us inbounds and 3 rebounds. One of the inbounds was in Chicago last year (CSRYE woot!), One in California, and the other in Germany. The orientation was fun, it was nice to talk to someone who kind of understood how you felt. The next orientation in Kitami should be a blast, The german inbound seems very nice. Anyways I'm sure you all want to know why I haven't updated in a few weeks. Well you see, I've been staying away from the computer, I've been working on my language skills which I feel have improved quite a bit, it's still hard for me when I talk to get everything perfect but I can get the gist of what people are saying around me. If I keep studying I should have no problem saying what i want to in a few months. I've also been reading, I figure it will help a lot if I read in Japanese too. It takes me a while but I'm able to get through a few chapters of Manga with little trouble. Not really much has been going on, School, marathon training, and school trip preperation. I've wanted to go shopping for some new clothes and a new purse, but I'm pretty sure I can hold off a few weeks until I hit Tokyo and Kyoto Station. I'm sure it will be easier to find clothes that fit my body better than the ones here, in the bigger cities. Anyways I'm going to go back to studying,

~*Meg

September 24, 2007
Well I don't really have much to say right now, I've been keeping myself busy by studing Japanese and chipping away at reading a book in Japanese. I attended my first rotary meeting (I have the pictures up) and I've been enjoying a 4 day weekend. Soon I'll have the marathon coming up (I'll be running 8 km) it will be interesting to see the outcome. october will be very busy and go by real fast. I'll have the marathon, a rotary orientation, Rally Japan (a car race championship which I am going to wear a kimono and welcome people to the event), and finally at the end of the month I'll be going on the school trip! Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo.I'm not sure the next time I'll update but I'm really glad everyone has kept checking back. It makes me happy to receive all the comments I have been about this site and about the pictures I've been taking. I hope everyone is well

~*Meg

October 21, 2007
where have i been the past few weeks? Good question, I've been keeping really busy with school exams then I had a sports tournament at school. Now I'm busy preparing for My school trip and Rally Japan, both are this week I really don't have much so say right now, just thats it's been really cold lately, but this week is actually supposed to be rather warm which is somewhat surprising to me. I've added 3 new pages so you can check them out if you want :). I'll add pictures from the Rally later this week, then I'll have like 5 pages of pictures from my school trip, so I'll have lots of photos up soon!

~*Meg