(no subject)

[ichibandasai]

Miss Rose moves to a new host family!
A new, revised name-list will be appearing soon ^^

 

So, the day that I was counting down finally came. My day of moving to a new host family occured today, since today is the holiday of being grateful and giving thanks, there was no school.

I woke quite early, almost fully recovered from my headache of the past night. Shall I go over what occured last night?

So, just very shortly, yesterday, I was making the final preparations and packing for my new move. My host father helped by compressing my luggage or moving my books and such to boxes. For a bit, he got a little impatient... but for the most part, he was quite helpful.

So, apparently, my host mother was not arriving home at the usual time. Reimi had prepared a vegetable stew that sat on the stove forever until the point of cold. Everyone waited for Yoshi-chan. I didn't see why.

Finally, she called Reimi and told her that she'd be arriving late and that we should go ahead and eat without her. Well, this is what Reimi said to my host father...unless I heard wrong, because that is exactly what we did not do.

So, Yoshiko came home a little after 10, and that is when the fussing and cussing began.

Yoshiko upbraided my host father sharply, screaming at him in Japanese (like they're supposed to be speaknig anything else) for letting us go hungry or some business. This went on for quite a while. At that time, I was already having a serious headache. Reimi and I were given permission to eat. We ate.

However, I had a project to finish. I would not have been able to do it on the day I moved to my new host family, I was sure, and this project was wracking my brain for the past few days.

Although I had quite the headache, I had planned to wake early (around 5) to try to complete the project. I had expressed this to my host mother. This project idea seemed pretty much impossible to do, especially since it was due on Friday, so she told me that it was impossible, that I should not do it, and asked Reimi to ask the teacher for an excuse, since were were in the same class.

I felt somewhat relieved, but even though Reimi agreed with her mother, confirming that he is indeed her favourite teacher and she would not be afriad to speask with him, I was still a bit skeptical that Reimi would go out of her way to do such a thing for me.

So, I went to sleep with a pounding headache, and a bit of 'anshin' about the upcoming project. If Reimi didn't request the excuse, I'd do it, and give him an explanation. Finishing this project in time would truly be impossible.

So, once again, I woke up quite early, as told, but I still do not see why.

We had a bit of breakfast...Pizza (not actual pizza, but bread with sauce and mozzarella cooked in the toaster oven) that we'd sometimes have for breakfast. 

I'll spare the details, since I'm quite lazy, and skip to where I'm actually leaving the house.

 

So, at about noon, I was told that Akemi-san would be meeting us at the train station. A bit of talking was done last night due the amount of luggage I had, and that it would have been impossible for us to lug two enormous suitcases, a few boxes and bags on thr train and through the train station.

Before we left, my host father presented me with the most enormous, repulsive digital watch I have ever seen. I do not think I am able to exaggerate how utterly massive the watch is. However, I reacted as if I was in loved with the watch, exclaiming, "Kakko ii!" many time when I saw it. I thanked him ferociously, and his response was, "It was nothing particularly. It was cheap."

Later on, Yoshi saw me with the huge watch on my wrist, apparently felt sorry for me, and gave me a descent, normal-looking ladies' analog watch.

So, we took several trips on the elevator to the first floor with my luggage, and my host father laid a mat down on the first floor ground to situate my luggage on while Yoshi when to get the car. We loaded our luggage. Since my host dad could not fit in the car, I was a bit under the impression that it would be the last time I'd be seeing him. I farewelled and bye'd him sadly, but him laughed in response with a lighthearted, "bye", and opened the door for me...which made me feel a bit uneasy.

So, apparently, Reimi and I were dropped by the convenience store at the end of the bridge. Let me clarify that I had to walk about a half hour to the station everyday, and at about 9/10 of the way, we have to cross a large walking bridge over a river, which leads us to the station.

So, as soon as Reimi and I crossed the bridge, there was Akemi-san in the distance, waving to us. As usual,  I hugged her. Se and Reimi talked for a bit, and then came my host father.

What a surprise, he had come to see me off. I was coaxed a bit by Akemi-san to say a good godbye, especially since this was the holiday of giving thanks. I thanked him greatly, and Akemi-san and I were off.

I don't exactly remember what happened, but Reimi stayed behind. Therefore, Akemi-san and I rode the train together to Machida, then to Sagami-Ono station....the same path I'd use for school everyday.

There, on the train, I poured out every heartfelt thing that burdened me about the host family. This, in english, of course. Many of you are wondering about the "problems" I may have had. I believe I'll explain them. Look for an 'Explanation' entry in the future.

Anyway, I poured out my feelings, and expressed that I was quite worried that Yoshi might have old my new host mother negative things about me that were untrue. Akemi-san consoled me, saying that she believed that even if she did so, my new host mother is a very kind person, and she doubts that she'd even take any of that information to heart.

So, from Sagami-Ono station, we took a bus. I can't say this was the first in Japan, although it seemed so.

And finally, we reached our stop. I awaited the sight of my new host mother waiting for me at the strange neighborhood bus stop be a small supermarket.

And that is when I saw her. She is a young, beautiful lady with a round Japanese face, pure white skin, pretty, narrow eyes, with a semi-messy bun situated on top of her head, and wearing worn overalls. She smiled happily and greeted me equally as cheerfully.

So, we walked a short distance to my new house. I can't say I was very impressed with the upkeep of it, but it was what I would call home and cherish.

And my new host father was there with a friend of his. We introduced each other...until Yoshi and Reimi arrived by car with my luggage.

The sun began to set when we packed my belongings out of the car and into my new room. It was not what I had expected. It is a tiny tatami room with an electric piano, an adorable decorative outfit  hung on the window, and *LEGASP* There stood a koto by the window. I was extremely excited by the fact that the instrument that I had longed to play even before I came to Japan was there in my bedroom....or tatami room. Either way, however, the room was extremely small, and I worried about where my luggage would go.

While Akemi and I wee inside, I got a bit of a tour of  the house. My first impression of the house did not soothe my nerves...it was a bit unkempt, and the bathroom door had no knob. Apparently, My new host mother, or Yuko, explained to me that her son, Kden, got locked in there recently, and they had to remove the doorknob to fish him out. That is the name of my new, younger host brother, Kden, or as he is called, "K K".

At last, I was about to meet my new younger host brothers. Until then, I had no idea what the gender of the 4 year old was, but I new that the younger one was a little boy who had just turned three a few days ago.

So, from the downstairs descended possibly the cutest little half-Japanese boy I have ever seen...K K.

He seemed more sociable and glad to meet me. The trademark, "Hi!" was first uttered.

I wanted to make my first impression on him a most playful one. I pointed to my nose, and said,

"Hi there! I am a Tanuki!" (a racoon-dog thing native to Japan)

 

This was when the most priceless reaction occured.  The poor boy's features switched to confusion. He looked over in utter confusion and said, ".............................................................Yeeeeah......"

Akemi-san, Yuko and I laughed. I knew I'd be dealing with a smart little one.

"You'd have to excuse the older one," said Yuko "He's a little shy."

Finally, after a few minutes, the four-year old, or Yuma, came downstairs quite bashfully, but greeted me with a smile and eventually warmed up to me very quickly.

So, after that encounter, we all went outside on the road and chatted. The road at the house isa bit of a dead end, and beside that road, separated by a small banister-fence-type thing, is a walking park. Very frequently, there appeared strollers with their dogs, bikers, joggers, or children along the path. As Akemi-san, Reimi, and Yuko chatted away in Japanese, I sat on the banister and watched the sun begin to set, not particularly paying much attention to the conversation.

During that time, Jim and Kden played a bit of father and son baseball, using a little ball-hoister to, of course, hoist the ball while Kden hits it off with a plastic bat, and afterwards, the children rode their little tricycles around the road.

After an hour or so, Reimi and Yoshi left. I perhaps gave Yoshi the first hug ever, and lots of it. I also very awkwardly and reluctantly hugged Reimi, even though I did not wish to since I'd continue to see her in school. I just wanted to communicate...'No hard feelings, 'kay?'

After they left, I looked upon the beautiful sunset and the walking park, and felt a air of utter peace and relief that was quite unfamiliar to me. I looked at the house before I entered nearly permanently, and again the thought came to me.

This is where I would, from now on, call home and cherish.

 

Comments

[mellacious.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're in a good place now. I hadn't realized things weren't going well with your first host family; if and when you feel like talking about it, I'd be honored to hear about it. I've missed hearing from you the last month or two, but I'm glad to know you're keeping busy, hopefully having fun. Take care doll.

[jadeelf.livejournal.com]

I agree with Mell.
It's good to hear that things are looking good after what happened with your last host family.
(huggs)