Estoy aqui! errr, well, say that in Japanese, please.

Dear everyone,
First, I would like to offer my apologies for all those (the few) who actually read my blog and noticed that I haven＠t, until now, updated it. My regrets.
My other apology: I am using a Japanese keyboard, and it is not meant for the Amrican user. Please do not let interesting use of spelling and punctuation deter you from reading.

Presumably, I have arrived in Tokyo...It was so hard to leave Austin, but after a plane movie and a flight to San Francisco, it was a lot easier to bear, I guess just because I was depending on bear, I guess just because I was depending on myself. Sorry for cliche-ness. I somehow made it to Tokyo (don:t ask me how- made it to Tokyo　(don:t ask me how--I am pretty hopeless in airports) I met my host family, the Fukunagas, as well as the ｐｒｏｇｒａｍ　ｈｅａｄ，　Ｓａｋｕｒａｉ－ｓｅｎｓｅｉ，and after 2 photos, we set off to their home. After about 3 hours in the car (ｆｏｌｌｏｗｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　１５ hours in the plane) I was exhausted. Completely. When we got their, I found out that I am sahring a room with my host sister Natsu...i was really worried at first, because their house is quite small, and I wasn]t sure if Iwas going to be able to unpack without completely taking over the room. But...by means of a plastic bin and a spare desk and some closet space, all:s well that ends well. Tｈe next day was quite very exciting. I went to Natsu:s handball game via the trains exciting. I went to Natsu:s handball game via the trains, which are not really trains but subways above ground. Handball was really fun to watch, as the players will make these leaps into the air and simulataneously hurl this ball through the air in the attempt to make a goal. (Interesing & very cool fact* after a handball game, they teams bow to each other, then to the crowd, bow to each other, then to the crowd, to which you other, then to the crowd, to which you are supposed to say ありがとございました, or thank you.)

After one of the games (she had 4 that day), I met Mizuki and Kaho and anotｈer girl whose name escapes me. They both were semi fluent in English--especially Mizuki, who knew it very well--so we made multi lingual small talk, interrupted by tｈem consulting each other on how to say something.

By the way, the one word took me multiple days to learn is ``douitashimashite`` which is `you:re welcome`. Literally about 7 people have pronounced it, spelled it, written it...yet somehow I always manage to mangle it. But--besiudes that, my stabs at the Japanese I do know have been successful. For the most part. =)

After that, we went to a Japanese market, rode the trains home...fun, but not in a way that you can record for the blog-reader`s purposes.

Ojiijan and obaasan (sp?), the Fukunaga family grandparents came for dinner, which was tempura veggies and shrimp. Very good. The grandparents didn`t speak a word of English (ok, the grandfather asked me,　‘You like curry?`　but I@m not counting that.) so it was really fun though confusing ｔｏ have a dinner conversation. They were very interested in American culture, and they thought it was a riot that my dad does the large majority of the cooking in our household at home. They were also very impressed with my chopstick skills. Beats me.

While I*m on the subject of dinner conversation: It is very typical to watch TV during meals here...lately, there has been an international track and field event in Osaka that just finished up. In case you were wondering.

Today was likewise really fun. Fukunaga-san and Fukunaga-san both were at work today, so Natsu and I rode the train to Fuchu and walked around that area. She first showed me the department store (read mall), and then we spotted おくにたまじんじゃ (Okunitama Jinja) which is a really amazing shrine, or grouping of them. This place was so nice and peaceful, which is really cool because in Japan, you have your markets in your department stores next ｔｏ your shrines next to your houses next to your convenience store next to your factory next to your karaoke bar next to your train station next to your...well, I hope you get my idea. I was feeling ansty and touristy (like I always do *smirk*) and I took a bazillion pictures of this place, because it was just so beautiful. You don]t find this sort of thing in Texas. Inside (though still outside) there was a tree surrounded by a square-shaped laundry line sort of thing, covered in paper that had been knotted on it. Natsu explained to me that these were fortunes, and for 100 yen we each got one. We opened ours up, and they were the same (44 & 44). Apparently, this is a rare occurence, so we took a picture of us with the same fortune, tied one on, and brought one ｈｏｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｓｈｏｗ　her parents. Ｗｅ were in a picture taking mood, I suppose, so we went and I got my first ぷりくら、ｏｒ puriｋura　（ｓｐ？） ｗｉｔｈ　Ｎａｔｓｕ．Ｐｕｒｉｋｕｒａ　ａｒｅ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｖａｍｐｅｄ　ｕｐ　ｐｈｏｔｏ　ｂｏｏｔｈｓ．．ｉｔ：ｓ　ａ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｔｒｉｃｋｙ　ｔｏ　ｅｘｐｌａｉｎ，　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｇｉｖｅ　ｙｏｕ　ａ　ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔ　ｂａｃｋｇｒｏｕｎｄ　ｆｏｒ　ｅａｃｈ　ｏｎｅ，　ａｎｄ　ｏｎｃｅ　ｙｏｕ＊ｒｅ　ｄｏｎｅ　making　ｙｏｕｒ　ｒａｎｄｏｍ　ｐｏｓｅｓ，　ｙｏｕ　ｇｏ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｄｅ　ａｎｄ　ｄｅｃｏｒａｔｅ　ｔｈｅｍ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｔｈｅｒｅ：ｓ　ｎｏ　ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ．Via　ｔｅｃｈｎｏｌｏｇｙ：ｓ　ｗｏｎｄｅｒｓ，　ｙｏｕ　ｉｎｓｅｒｔ　ｓｐａｒｋｌｅｓ　ａｎｄ　ｈｅａｒｔｓ　ａｎｄ　ｓｔａｒｓ　ａｎｄ　ｗｒｉｔｅ　ａｎｄ　ｄｅｃｏｒａｔｅ．．ｔｈｅｎ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｐｒｉｎｔ　ｏｕｔ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｔｉｎｙ　ａｎｄ　ｙｏｕ　ｃｕｔ　ｔｈｅｍ　ｏｕｔ　ａｎｄ　ｓａｖｅ　ｔｈｅｍ．．．

Ａｆｔｅｒ　ｔｈａｔ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｅｘｃｕｒｓｉｏｎ，　ｗｅ　ｇｏｔ　ｌｕｎｃｈ　（ｒａｍｅｎ　ｎｏｏｄｌｅｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ．．．ｎｏｔ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ｓｕｒｅ　），　ａｎｄ　ｔｏｏｋ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ｈｏｍｅ．．．ｈｅｒｅ　ｗｅ　ａｒｅ　ｎｏｗ！　Ｗｅ　ａｒｅ　　ｒｅｓｔｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ａｆｔｅｒｎｏｏｎ，　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｗｅ　ａｒｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｗｏｒｎ　ｏｕｔ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｏｕｒ　ｈｙｐｅｒ－ａｃｔｉｖｅ　ｄａｙ　（ｗｅｌｌ，　ｅｖｅｎｔｆｕｌ，　Ｉ　ｇｕｅｓｓ，　ｉｓ　ａｐｐｒｏｐｒｉａｔｅ）　ａｎｄ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　ｓｔａｒｔｓ　ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ　ａｎｄ　Ｆｕｋｕｎａｇａ－ｓａｎ　ｗａｎｔ：ｓ　ｕｓ　ｔｏ　ｃｈｉｌｌ　ｓｏ　ｗｅ：ｌｌ　ｈａｖｅ　ｅｎｅｒｇｙ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ．Ｉ　ｃａｎ：ｔ　ｗａｉｔ　ｆｏｒ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ．．．Ｉ　ａｍ　ｕｂｅｒ　ｕｂｅｒ　ｅｘｃｉｔｅｄ．

Ｓｏ，　ｔｈａｔ：ｓ　ａｌｌ　ｆｏｒ　ｎｏｗ．　A　ｔｏｎ　ｈａｐｐｅｎｓ　ｈｅｒｅ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｔｒｙ　ｔｏ　ｋｅｅｐ　ｙｏｕ　ｉｎｆｏｒｍｅｄ．　＝）

Ｉ‘ｍ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｇｏ　ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｅ　ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　Ｇｒｅａｔ　Ｇａｔｓｂｙ．Ｎｉｃｅ　ｂｏｏｋ．

またね。　or maybe it:s まてね。