Last Day of School in Japan!

Today is my last day of school in Japan.

To be honest, it hasn`t settled in completely. I`m going to be coming into school for an hour tomorrow too, so it still feels too early to cry. That didn`t stop the tears from coming out at lunch ahah. To be fair, it was after saying goodbye to a bunch of people and taking pictures. My teacher also dedicated a whole class period to taking pictures, so I got to take a lot of photos :)

Some girls in my class and me!

The classes have been the same, except for taking pictures at the end and saying thank you to the teachers. Everything feels so surreal, it feels like I`ll still be going to Nichidai next week. After all, going to school here has become a normal part of my life.

Gym Class

I also did a speech in front of the entire school at the end of an earthquake drill. My teacher told me about the speech this morning, so I wrote it in ten minutes ahah. Started it out with `Helllloooooo Nichidaiii!` and everyone in my class yelled back `Hello!!!!` Made me so happy :) Then people came up to say goodbye and to shake hands. Overall, today has been normal but not at the same time. Sad but super happy. It doesn`t feel real but the reality is settling in.

All the boys in my class

Thank you to everyone who has read my blog so far! I will write a bit while I`m in America about reverse culture shock and what it`s like returning to American school.

Thank you!

Passing the JLPT N2!

The other day I got the results of the JLPT: I passed!

Got 47/60 in vocabulary and grammar, 52/60 on the reading, and 60/60 on the listening. Overall 159/180.

I was most surprised at the listening section results. When I was taking the test I felt like I didn`t understand a lot of what was being said, but I guess my intuition is really good ahah. 

My goal from now on is to pass the N1 before going to college! If I study a lot I may be able to get there.  

Staying in a Japanese Log Cabin!

This past week has been super fun! It`s also my last week in Japan :(

There were only two hours of school on Monday, and then we were off of school until Thursday! After school, I went to a ramen shop with three other friends. It was super delicious and cheap!

Five dollar ramen

After eating I had a bit of time to pack and relax before going to the sleepover.

At around five, I met with my friends Airi, Chise, and Nariho, ready to have an incredible time. We planned this sleepover at least a month ahead of time; we were going to stay in a log cabin by the beach! When we split the fee four ways, it only ended up being about 25 dollars.

The log cabin behind us

Once we put down our bags, we ran down to the beach. We were the only people renting the cabins that night, so we were able to yell and shout as much as we wanted. And that we did!

We wrote our names in the sand and sang. Watched the waves and danced. Just the amount of energy you would expect from four teenage girls :)

 

Dancing by the ocean!

Then we started to make dinner. We felt like such adults, cooking dinner all on our own! We made salad with hard avocados and sweet curry. And I brought cake :)

Yum!

After dinner, we talked, ate a ton of snacks, and played cards. Nariho really likes the card game Speed, and no one else wanted to face her because she`s really good, so I played with her for a while. I actually didn`t know how to play it at first, so she was obviously much better than me. But! My competitive nature kicked in, and I managed to win one time :D We may have played around 15 times, but 1/15 against someone who`s played Speed for hours is pretty good, right?!

We also danced and messed around with balloons. Overall really frickin fun!!!

Stayed up until 2 talking, and then we made pancakes in the morning! 

It was an incredible time, and I`m super happy I got to hang out with this group right before I left :)

Less Than Two Weeks Left!

The exchange is almost over. Dannggggggggggggggg!

I feel like when it comes to starting and ending an exchange, emotions tend to contradict. On one hand, I am incredibly excited to see my mom/family/friends and go to American school again. No more 9 hour school days and getting home at eight everyday! Plus I`ll be able to choose what I eat for breakfast and lunch and make healthy choices. And English. I`m so pumped to be able to understand 100 percent of what is said to me.

But on the other hand, I`m leaving behind an entire life here. Everything I`ve done here will start to feel like a dream. It already feels unreal and I haven`t even left yet. I will no longer be able to casually meet the Japanese friends that I love. No more Japanese kindness, or being in awe of how much I love Japanese girls` personalities. No more using casual Japanese, even when it`s sometimes much shorter than the English phrase. When I get back to America, I probably won`t have as much freedom as I did in Japan (depending on my mom, of course ;) ) And Japanese food. I can guarantee I`ll crave it, SUPER hard.

So there`s a ton of emotional difficulty that comes with the end of an exchange. Feels so surreal.

As for the technical/physical aspects, I spent a whole day cleaning my room and packing boxes to send back home. And I`m still nowhere close to ending. Why did I let my room get so dirty!? I`m also starting on some work for my American classes since I`ve missed the first 3 weeks or so of the semester. The schedule I want to do when I get back makes it really clear I like languages/foreign places. Two English classes, International Relations, World Religions, online Japanese and Arabic, and a Japanese Teacher Assistant. Ahah!

Cheers,
Camilla Pernell

My Birthday in Japan!

January 13, 2018. My 17th birthday!

My birthday was on a Saturday, so at first I was a little bit disappointed because I wouldn`t be able to see my all my friends. But then I realized; a whole day to relax and play!! My best friends from school had club, so I could only meet them for dinner. At first I was bummed out about that too, until I realized I can see some of my closest friends that don`t go to my school :) Everything happened for a reason ahah!

I met up with another exchange student, Maggie, and our mutual Japanese friend Zento at the station around 2. 

We were off to a really good mood from the start, and it was one of those times where everything seems funny and you just want to jump up and dance. We ate ice cream, drank Starbucks, and then went around the back alleys of Miyazaki and found really good photo spots. Super fun!

At around 5 I had to go back to the station to meet up with Tamaki. My other friend, Mizuki, was still at club. She`s in soccer club so the hours are crazy long. We went to a cafe they reserved and we took some pics and waited for Mizuki. 

Mizuki finally came, and we started eating the delicious food. It was a bit overpriced, but as soon as I bit into my sandwich I didn`t mind anymore. 

And then it came. Dessert time!!! Tamaki and Mizuki called the cafe ahead of time, and when they brought out pancakes we ordered they had `Happy birthday Camilla!` written on them.

They paid for the pancakes and a milkshake we all shared <3 Overall it was a great day; I got to see the people I love most in Japan. Of course I still wanted to see my real mom and family back home, but it was still super fun :) So great!

My Trip to Kyoto and Osaka!

I stepped onto the ferry and got to the room where I`d be staying with my friend Mizuki and four strangers for the night. First time on boat for 11 hours straight; I prayed I woudln`t be sick. But even being sick couldn`t put a damper on my mood, I was going to Kyoto! AND Osaka!

After a night of restless sleep, we arrived in Kobe, where we took a train to Osaka. After cramming our luggage into a tiny locker, we had the entire day to ourselves. And only one place we really wanted to go. America-Mura! It seems a bit ironic to go to an American-themed place when I finally got the chance to go to Osaka, and to be honest I was a bit skeptical at first too. But once we got there, all doubt faded away.

Us with our shopping bags

America-Mura is basically a shopping neighborhood for people who are into `American` fashion, which means tons of Adidas, oversized hoodies, and bright colors. For Mizuki and me it was heaven. As soon as we started shopping I knew coming with Mizuki was the right choice, because we share a similar, slightly crazy sense of fashion. And America-Mura is perfect for anyone who wants to be different from the norm. Every store person was incredibly kind, and we got clothes discounted several times just from being friendly. It was truly the best way we could have spent the day!

Also got to try famous Osaka takoyaki, which kind of tastes the same as every other place ahah. This could be because Miyazaki, the place I`m living now, is said to have the most delicious meat and fish in Japan. So even when I eat out at restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka, I find myself craving Miyazaki food.

Osaka`s takoyaki

After getting home late, we were up early once again to spend the day in Kyoto. This time, our day was carefully planned out. First, we went to a Kimono rental store. I chose a blue kimono to help bring out the color of my eyes, and Mizuki chose a black kimono because it gives off a cool image.

Every minute I was feeling closer to Mizuki, and even though it was my first time meeting her, I loved Mizuki`s cousin Tamami too.

The first shrine we went to was the famous gold shrine, which is either painted gold or made out of gold. It was absolutely beautiful. As expected, there were TONS of tourists rushing to take pictures, and we took plenty as well. Also ate matcha icecream with gold flakes on top!

Delicious!

After the gold shrine, we went to another shrine that I can`t really explain with words so I`ll just show a picture.

The time at this shrine was really fun! It was a lot of walking, but they also had really delicious food and we met a kind stranger. He was taking a selfie and I jokingly posed in the corner of the photo, and he laughed and had us all take a selfie together. We saw him later and he sent me the photos!

Such a nice dude!

Also, since we were in kimonos, people took our pictures without asking. That was something I did not expect. Whenever I noticed people taking our picture I`d always pose, which usually made them laugh and take more. One Chinese couple swept up behind us and very forcefully took a picture, but that was also a fun experience.

After that shrine we went around and ate a ton of matcha flavored things, like cake, yogurt, etc. After all, Kyoto is famous for matcha!

We spent the final day shopping for souvenirs and shopping in Kyoto, too worn out from the past two fun-filled days to really do much. And then we were on a plane and back to our life in Miyazaki!

The JLPT: N2

I went to the test site with my Taiwanese friend from school, and we agreed to go eat out afterwards as well. The thought of eating some tonkatsu was what I considered a reward for taking the test.

Tonkatsu

Hong Yi and I met at the station, and we could immediately tell what bus to ride. The bus stop was surrounded by foreigners. Since I`m in rural Japan, it shocked me to see so many foreigners at once. Surprisingly, there were almost no white or black people. Everyone was from places like Malaysia and Indonesia. And a LOT of Vietnamese people. Everyone crowded into the small bus and I began to feel a tad nervous.

Once arriving, we studied a little before going to the test site. I think N2 was the most crowded; there had to be well over 150 people. There was also no clock, practically a death sentence to some people there.

During the break time between the reading and listening sections, an American woman I met gave me cookies! So nice! In fact, all the Americans were nice.

The test itself was harder than I thought it`d be, particularly the listening section. I felt the most prepared in listening, yet I think that`s the section I did worst on. I`m hoping that my reading score will make up for the listening. I find out the results in the end of January, so here`s to hoping they were good!

Taking the JLPT This Weekend!

I`m now in a mad rush to study Japanese for my Japanese Language Proficiency Test this Sunday. Of course, I`ve been studying Japanese the whole time I was here, but started studying specifically for this test for around two months ago.

There are 5 levels, N5 being the lowest and N1 the highest. I`ll be grappling with N2, without having previously taken the JLPT before. May be in over my head, but I will try my hardest!

I prepared for the test by first studying Kanji, then vocabulary, and then doing 3 mock exams to get a grasp of what grammar I need to know. Judging from the mock exams, I actually have a chance of passing! My weakest point is definitely vocabulary, strongest is kanji, and as for listening and reading comprehension it`s a mix. Still gotta work hard and study as much as I can these next two days.

Something unexpected was that I found someone who is also taking the test near me! He`s Taiwanese and goes to my school, but since he`s been living in Japan a while he`s taking N1. So we`re planning on riding the same bus to the test site and then going out to eat dinner afterwards! I`m excited to get a chance to talk to someone from another country and learn about his hometown. He also seems like a pretty funny person.

Overall, I`m a little nervous but determined to give it my all. Even if I fail, I`ll just study more and take it again once I`m in America.

Coincidentally, next week is finals week for everyone at my Japanese school, so everyone else is just as stressed about studying as me ahah. But since I don`t take the finals next week, I`ll have time to wind down, explore Miyazaki, read some books, and study Japanese at an easier pace.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Camilla

Japanese High Schooler's Halloween

Although this halloween may have been the least dramatic halloween I've ever had, it was still fun in a sweet way!

There was absolutely NO way that we were going to be able to wear halloween costumes. Not even halloween makeup. However, that's to be expected, considering my school dress code doesn't even allow hair bands that aren't black or brown. Strict to the max! So on the surface, it seemed like a normal school day. But just entering the classroom, I could see that everyone was happy, cheerful, and in proper halloween spirit. Despite everyone never having trick-or-treated, I was shocked to hear my Japanese classmates saying things like "trick or treat!" and "happy halloween!"

In fact, most people (including me!) bought little snacks to hand out to our classmates. And sometimes, like people in America, they wouldn't give the candy out until the receiver said "trick or treat!" It was so cute! I was so glad I stopped by the convenience store on the way to school so I could also participate. Everyone was so energetic, even if they didn't understand the meaning of halloween. Wait wait, is there even a meaning?

I did miss trick or treating a little (this year is actually my first year not doing it!), but school turned out so pleasant that I didn't really miss it that much. At the end of the school day, one of the upper classmen even bought candy specially for me <3 and SOO many snacks at club, because the retired upperclassmen gave a lot to us. Yeessss!

I would also recommend everyone slowly eats their halloween candy. I ate mine all at once, and stayed up until 12 with stomach aches/problems. Pretty embarrassing to spend an hour on the toilet ahah!

As for costumes and make up, Japanese teenage girls get dressed up on the weekend before/after halloween, or for halloween themed events, and then take pictures in the Japanese photo booths. While walking downtown, I happened to see a lot of 'bloody' faces, maid costumes, etc. these past few weekends. It's been entertaining!



Hope everyone had a spooky halloween!
Cheers!

Going to a Japanese Birthday Party!

My slice of cake :)

Today I went to my first Japanese birthday "party!" I say party but it was more of a small gathering c:

It's interesting to see the differences between American birthdays and Japanese ones. I'd say it's a bigger deal in America, like "this day is all about me me me!" For example, I know Americans who will start telling everyone around them that their birthday is in two days, tomorrow, etc., while Japanese people will not say anything and the only way you find out is through their friends or looking at social media.

Today was a normal school day, so after getting out of school at around 5:30, I biked home, grabbed my present, and rushed to my friend's house.

The birthday gal and our other friend had already arrived, and we ushered the birthday gal into a separate room while we blew up balloons and prepared our presents. I made a scrapbook with pictures and captions about our memories together. My other friend prepared a HUGE box of snacks. Finally the preparations were perfect!

We placed party crackers in our hand and called out the b-day gal. Surprise!!!

Getting to enjoy a scrumptious birthday dinner really made me think about how much I love Japan. We ate teriyaki chicken pizza (SO GOOD), fried chicken, and a bunch of vegetable based dishes to balance out how much cake we were going to eat.

And that cake.

Ooh my goodness. Japanese cake is a gift from heaven. American cake is far too sweet; frosting tastes like a$$. However, Japanese cake manages to be the perfect amount of sweetness.

My friend loves T-Swift, so the cake has her face on it :O

Laughter rang through the apartment the whole time. Nothing can beat being with close friends and eating good food!

After dinner, we started taking Polaroid pictures with my camera. I'm so glad I brought it! The birthday girl got 6 pictures, while my other friend and I kept 4. Needless to say, I'll always love those pics.

Cooking in Japanese School!

This past Tuesday, I made food at school for the first time ever!

At my school, everyone is required to take Home Ec, and we  have it for two class periods in a row once a week. This gives us time to sew and cook, although we usually just read from a textbook. My teacher is really nice and has a soothing voice, so I'd say about half the class sleeps when we read. 

Before we could do any cooking classes, we had to sew our own aprons. When we did that, I used a sewing machine for the first time ever, and called the teacher over for help about 15 times ahaha. I was the only person who had never used a sewing machine before, which shows how thorough  Japanese school systems are with their Home Ec. I felt pretty proud when I finished my apron through all the sewing machine struggles. 

Everyone in their aprons preparing the dishes

So when we finally got to use our aprons for the first time this Tuesday, I was really excited! My only experience with cooking was grilled cheese and the occasional batch of pancakes, so I was enthusiastic about learning how to make a traditional Japanese dish. We made a dish called "Oyako-don," which means "parent and child rice dish." It's called parent and child dish because it contains chicken (parent)  and eggs (child). Cute, right?!? Speaking of cute Japanese names, they call the ends of bread the bread's "ears." So cute! 

We started with chopping onions and other japanese vegetables. My eyes have always been really weak to onions; they would burn from someone cutting onions in a whole other room. So of course, guess who decides to volunteer to cut the onions. I almost got through the whole onion. Then my eyes burned like hell's fires, tears were streaming down my face, and I couldn't see clearly. Not only was I the only one who cried from my class, but the stinging  came back several times so I ended up crying next to the teacher when she was demonstrating something to the class. It was pretty entertaing!

After making the food and washing the dishes, we sat down to eat. At first I was worried I wasn't going to be filled up, but it turned out to be far too much ahah. It was  delicious! But  I wished I had some salt and pepper or some kimchi to add some spice.

Oyako-don and some soup

Overall, I became closer to the people in my group and I also know an easy Japanese recipe now! I can't wait until our next cooking class :)

My Group!

A Little Homesick

I thought it wouldn't really hit me, but with the start of school again I've become homesick. It's nothing drastic, and definitely not to the point of crying, but it's still an aching feeling in my chest.

To describe it, I want to eat American food a lot right now. Don't get me wrong, Japanese food is delicious and I love it, but I could really use some chili or a Chipotle Burrito. I also think about my American friends a lot, as well as my school. What doesn't help is that this week is Spirit Week for my school back home. I see tons of fun pictures and end up missing my school more.

Another feeling I get when I'm homesick is a little bit hard to describe. When I remember places, it gives off a sort of feeling in my chest, like an aura. Rather than remember certain words or sights, I'll remember the feelings I had during that time. Now that I'm homesick, I keep recalling the auras of my past home, a Coloradan sunset, my high school, and sweet memories with my friends. And of course my wonderful mother, who I miss most of all!

Overall, this is a difficult stage of my exchange. I'm ready to have fun and get over these complicated feelings! I would say that when I'm laughing and messing around with my friends, that's when the homesickness goes away. It's moments when I'm alone or have time to think that it hits hardest, just like any sad thing ahah.

Hopefully by my next post these feelings will have gone away a bit!

First Week of the Second Semester!

This week was the first week of my second semester. Whooo time goes by fast!

The first day was absolutely crazy fun! I brought Tootsie Rolls and Hot Tamales that my mom sent me to give out to my friends, and boy that was a LOT of entertainment. It may seem like it would be a simple interaction when giving American candy to Japanese people, a simple little "Oh thank you!" And normally that's the way it is.

Not with Hot Tamales.

Japanese people cannot eat them. They absolutely despise them. I had a whole box, and I gave a bunch of people one hot tamale each. How many people ended up like them? TWO. 2. When I started giving them out in my class, people would chew off a tiny bit, chew silently with a face full of dread, and then start yelling out "Spicy!!! Spicy!!!!!" I managed to trick a few of my friends and say, "Oh no, it's not spicy at all! It's just cinnamon flavor!" Once that hotness hit them, they died.

My class/department is full of girls and few boys, so there weren't any super drastic overreactions. I still had a lot of tamales left over, so I decided to head down to the sports department, which has a ton of boys. The reactions there had my doubling over in laughter. One of my friends ate it and then ran into the bathroom, and another ran to the sinks in the hallway. And it was not a leisurely jog, oh no, they sprinted. One kid threw up a little bit into an old newspaper.

I wanna try giving them out again!

The other days were not quite as fun as the first, but they were still nice. I got to see all my school friends after summer, and it was just as great as I thought it would be. It helped me realize how much I grew even in the six weeks of summer; the way I treat people and handle situations definitely changed, as well as some goals.

It was a bit tough getting used to arriving home at 8 pm everyday again. Showering, eating, and sleeping is all I can do.

Now that I'm in the second half of my exchange, I'm really trying to make every day count. Here's to more happy weeks!

Participating in a Japanese Archery Tournament!

This past Sunday was my first Japanese archery tournament!

My school club is kyudou, otherwise known as Japanese archery, and due to that I got to compete in a tournament! I'm not actually sure if it's legal for exchange students to participate, so shhh don't tell the Japanese government.

The day started out with me waking up at 5:20 so I could catch the 6:50 train, even though the tournament didn't start until 8. The reason I had to take a 6:50 train is because Miyazaki is very rural, so the trains only run about once every hour in certain directions.

While biking to the train station, I realized I forgot my lunch box at home. Whoops! I caught the train right on time, and knew I had to get off after about 3 stops. 3 stops later, I looked up and didn't recognize the name of the station. At that point I was nervous and fidgety. By the time the train stops at the next stop, I knew that I took the wrong train. I mean, where the hell is Tano!?

The station sign that made me lose all hope

I needed to get to Kibana station!! I also needed a taxi. I guess the one lucky thing was that an empty taxi with a nice driver was stopped at the train station. I asked him how much it would cost to get to the kyudou dojo, and he told me I would need around $50. At this point my heart sank because I didn't have enough cash on me. However, the taxi driver kindly stopped at a 7/11 for me to withdraw cash. The whole ride ended up "only" being about $40, but I still was not happy when I got to the tournament.

However, the tournament itself went well! Each time someone participates, they get 4 arrows. The first time I went up, I didn't hit any. The second time I went up I hit 2, which made me really happy!

During tournaments or formal practices, you have to wear special clothes called hakama. Everything from entering the target area to collecting the arrows is done in a very precise, specialized way. It's quite efficient, and we were able to go home at around 3.

Everyone lined up (I'm second furthest down!)

Overall, despite the mishaps, it was fun and I'm glad I participated!

(I do not recommend biking with a big ass bow in Japan's narrow streets)

Halfway Through My Exchange

August 28, 2017 is exactly halfway through my exchange.

Wowowow. It just feels so surreal. It feels as if I've come so far and changed so much, yet I'm still only halfway there. How much more will I change?

If someone asked me to say the ways I've changed, I would say the tenseness I had from America is almost gone. I just want to have fun with people I love! I want to learn, and challenge myself, and create. I want to do everything! I wanna live forever!

Anything that could be considered shyness is practically gone. I still have my moments, but considering all the embarrassing and awkward things that have happened, it's pretty hard for me to feel shy.

For example, there was a period of time here where I was getting diarrhea constantly, like every day ahaha (TMI) My body showed me no mercy even when hanging out with friends. So I was on a road trip with my friend's family. We had just stopped at a road stop, where I didn't feel a hint of anything that was to come. As soon as we pulled out I felt a little rumbling in my stomach, but I thought it would quiet down. Nope! Not even 15 minutes later I whisper to my friend, "Uhhh, I gotta go to the bathroom. Badly." I was the only one that got out to use the bathroom, and left them all waiting there for like 8 minutes. The finishing blow was when the concerned parents kept asking "Are you okay now?" throughout the trip. Ahah!



I don't want to go back home, but at the same time I'm excited for my future back in America. I want to see all my friends back in America, but I don't want to leave my Japanese ones. My Japanese friends are some of the kindest people I've ever met, I cannot stress enough how much I love Japanese girls! They are so sweet, interesting, expressive, and sometimes even a little sassy.

As for my Japanese, I feel pretty happy with how far it's gotten! Today I went to a cafe with a Japanese friend and it didn't end up feeling awkward at all, even though we were just talking for 2 1/2 hours. That's a pretty good indicator of my Japanese level! However, I still have plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to vocabulary. Hopefully I'll be able to easily read manga and easy novels when I come back.

I still definitely want to keep posting more stories on here and more YouTube videos, but now that school is starting up again I'm going to lose a lot of my free time. I'll try the best I can!

Thank you to everyone that is cheering me on from back home. I love you all!

Japanese Summer Festivals!

To put it simply, Japanese festivals are great, and a must if you go to Japan!

The smell of sizzling meat, sweat trickling down my back, and laughing with friends. Could a summer day get any better?

 As a HUGE foodie, one of the biggest attractions about festivals is the stalls that offer foods from ice cream to chicken to even fried squid! Some of the foods that I always get when I go to festivals are takoyaki (fried balls with octopus in them), hashimaki, shaved ice, and sometimes tornado potatoes.

Hashimaki

Tornado Potato

All this delicious food is the reason why I gained 7 kilos since coming to Japan!!! :,(

Another charm of festivals is wearing traditional Japanese "Yukata" or "Jinpei." My friend Natsuko actually gave me a yukata, which I'm super thankful for :) I'd recommend buying flipflops to wear with the yukata, because the traditional Japanese shoes that go with yukatas are not comfortable

Other than the food stalls, there is always some sort of event going on at festivals. Usually, there is a stage featuring dances, acts, etc. Sometimes, festivals are based entirely around fireworks, like a giant Fourth of July party! The recent festival I went to, which is one of the biggest in my city, had around 7 stages as well as big marches.

A lot of people use festivals as a chance to meet up with friends as well as take pictures with any acquaintances they happen to meet. It's always a festive environment, and fun to yell/squeal if you see a friend!

If you ever come to Japan, please try going to a festival at least once! And you can also buy yukatas for fairly low prices ;)

Appearing on Japanese Television!

Last Saturday, I was on Japanese television! The segment I was on was in the news for about a minute and a half, not long at all, but I had a mini-interview within that time.

So, why was I on the news?

My LP coordinator, Rika Kubota, invited everyone in my chapter (Miyazaki prefecture) to Miyazaki's agricultural high school. This meant my friend Maggie and I were waking up at seven on a Saturday, and our friend Nina was catching a train to get to Miyazaki city at about the same time.

But, contrary to being sleepy, everyone was excited. The only thing we knew was that we would be taking an emergency course for what foods to cook if an earthquake occurs. We were looking forward to talking to the students who would be helping out with the course and making new friends! I set a goal for myself to be energetic, positive, and fun.

We arrive, and after a few shorts icebreakers and a slideshow, I finally notice a cameraman. I turn to a girl I had gotten close to, Ayaka, and whisper, "Whoa...is this going on the news?"

"Yup! I think so!"

I then ask my LP, and she tells me that she thinks it's advertisement for the school.

So, we proceeded to be filmed throughout picking vegetables from the school garden and preparing dishes.

 I was getting to be friendly with the cameraman, as well as someone that I think was a news reporter. So who knows, maybe I'll be in some newspaper as well!

Overall, the whole experience was super fun and I'm really glad that Rika organized for us to go. Other than the three AFS high school students, there were 3 college exchange students and a grown woman from the United States. Everyone was super friendly! I'd say that the foods we made were definitely more about Japanese culture than "survival" foods, because all of them required some type of heat ahah. 10/10 experience!

Mochi

Miso Soup

My table of dishes