Photograph

No Japanese song to translate this time, but I listened to the song Photograph while typing this entry so I think listening to this song while you read it may let you feel it more or something like that. So here you go:

I just got home from my very last Japanese lesson before leaving. Though getting home from it isn’t what made me want to write this entry. About 15 minutes before the lesson I realised that, holy crap, it is my last Japanese lesson before leaving. My Japanese teacher has dealt with me every Sunday for the past 3.5 years, so I felt like I really had to thank her.

In those 15 minutes I grabbed a piece of printer paper, a mechanical pencil, and wrote up a ‘Thank You’ letter as quickly as I possibly could without it sounding fake. And then on the car ride to her house for my lesson the fact that since it’s my last lesson that means I won’t be here next Sunday for another lesson. Although I’ve been counting down the days until my departure for the past six months it didn’t really sink in until just then. I’m leaving in less than two days.

Then my actual lesson was more of us talking about Japan than actually learning. We went over a few kanji, and a few terms that don’t make sense directly translated into English. (Like how ‘kokorobosoi‘, literally ‘narrow heart’, means lonely.) She asked about my host family, my school, and things like that. She also told me about things to expect in Japan (about the trains, and the overabundance of stairways.)

At the very end of the lesson she said “I have full confidence that you’ll do amazing in Japan.” If I were the sort of person to cry easily, I’m sure I would’ve been tearing up. Though then she continued with “I’ll see you in a year, though if you end up liking it a lot try and stay there!” If I do end up really liking it… I do want to. Even though one of my biggest dreams is coming true by just getting to go to Japan, when one dream is gone it tends to get replaced rather quickly, right? I’d give anything to be able to stay in Japan to finish high school, and then take a college entrance exam like all other Japanese students, and go to college there. Being able to stay at the school would be difficult, though, and finding a place to stay in Japan (if my host family wouldn’t be awesome and let me stay) would be more difficult. The school has dorms, but they cost an arm and a leg.

As a parting gift she gave me a take out box filled with gyouza (chinese dumplings) and onigiri (rice balls), a big bag a candy she normally only gave me one of each week, and a whole bunch of LifeSavers mints (which I’ve always had a few of through my lessons). I’ve never had gyouza before, or onigiri with all the seasonings and seaweed, but I had eaten McDonalds on the way to the lessons (like always) so I wasn’t hungry at the time. I thanked her again (the note was hidden in my book) and smiled and waved. Sayonara.

On the way home curiosity got the better of me and I ate one of the gyouza. It was different, but it was delicious. I really wished I had tried one with her there. I’ve yet to try the onigiri, but I will either tonight or tomorrow. Kent and I also stopped at the old house (because we’ve moved to a 2-bedroom place since I won’t be here soon) to pick up an extra suitcase. My grandma was there, fixing up the house to sell, and I arranged to go to either lunch or dinner with her, my grandpa, my uncle, aunt, and cousin, and possibly  my mom and brother at IHOP tomorrow.

Jumping back in time, earlier today Dani and Alisha showed up at my house for a bit. It involved a lot of talking, and Dani gave me a gift and told me not to open it until I’ve left the state. (Still haven’t opened it, Dani. I feel like you doubt my self control.) There was also a lot of hugging, and I actually hugged back for once. Although it may seem like I couldn’t care less about leaving you all, that’s just because I don’t really express things. I didn’t need a gift, whatever it is, to remember you. I know I won’t get to see either of you again before I leave, and I’ll really miss you, okay?

Same goes for all of my online friends. Leanna (if you still read), Alexis, and many others who’s real life names I don’t know (Rin, Nyanto, Rea, Bre, basically everybody on LJ or the RP I now take part in). I’ll have internet in Japan, though I won’t be on nearly as much as I am here. Make sure to keep track of me with my blog, okay?

All that’s left to do before I leave is finish packing, get my laptop back from Best Buy (I had a faulty hard drive), and get to the airport.

It’s really happening. I’m leaving in a day and 8 hours, I’ll arrive in Japan in two days 3 hours. Wow.

Pre-Departure #1

I actually don’t have a song for this, it’s just going to be a basic update.

Right now my exchange has basically (possibly indirectly) driven a wedge in between my grandma and my mom, which means my little section of our family is isolated from the rest. Well, my grandma still tries coming over here, but my mom is really hating her right now. According to my mom, she had been holding the fact that she was going to help pay for my exchange over us. I’d get into it more, but I don’t feel like explaining it.

So my grandma is no longer going to help pay for my exchange (even though she’s still offering to help, my mom doesn’t want her to.) My mom and Kent, a family friend who’s paid for all of my Japanese lessons and also bought my plane tickets, are going to work together to pay the $3,000 tuition I have to pay for the school year.

We still need to send in the papers to get my student visa, to make it legal for me to stay in Japan for more than 15 days. It’s unknown how long it’ll take to get that sent and returned to me, so I really need to get the paperwork sent off ASAP. But because my mom is anti-grandma right now I’ve lost my main source of ‘Get-that-crap-sent-off’ transportation and help. I am doomed.

Apparently she was going to take me to get it done on last Thursday… Either I forgot or she didn’t tell me. So I went shopping with two friends of mine. What. the. heck?! Please, please, please tell me these things before I decide to go do something! I’d rather get stuff sent off that, if it’s not done in time, could prevent me from going on exchange than go shopping! And now my mom won’t say when we’re next able to do it. Hello~, Mom! Less than one and a half months left! Must get this done now!

Besides the visa paperwork, we still have to get me some form of credit/debit card that will function in Japan’s ATMs. We know the type, but she won’t take me to get it done. On top of that, we have to get me some form of international health insurance, because at the moment I have none whatsoever. Mom, I know you have work, but PLEASE. I’ve been way too persistant in trying to get this all to work to let it be ruined by crap like this.

Aside from major whines and such, oh my gosh less than a month and a half until I leave.

Wait, actually, I don’t think I’ve posted about my official flight date and time. My flight from the Kansas City International Airport leaves at 6:26am on August 18th! I then have a 1 hour-ish layover in Denver, Colorado. Then a flight to Vancouver, Canada, where I have a 3 hour-ish layover. After that is a 10 hour 10 minutes flight before I arive in Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Japan! (It’s actually in Chiba prefecture. xD)

It’s drawing closer and closer, I’m so excited! After I arrive in Japan (it’ll be 3:55pm Japan-time if everything stays on time) on August 19th, I’ll have around two weeks before my first day of school: September 1st!

At the moment I still don’t have a new host family. But… I’m patient. Really. I am. (What I really mean: Oh, jeez. Oh, jeez. Where’s my host family? What if I don’t get one? AHHHHH!) Though the contact that Mrs. Nelson has at Kyoai has said that I shouldn’t worry. So I assume they have a plan even if they don’t find me another host family.

All that’s left (besides what I’ve already mentioned) is to sit around and wait for the day to start packing. (Note to self: Still need suitcases. Tell mom that.) I wish I had more to do to keep myself busy and my mind off of things. Though I guess I can just work on studying Japanese. Kanji flashcards ahoy! At least when I’m bored and going to be awake for a while. Right now it’s almost 1am and I’ll be going to bed at some point soon. Haha.

Until my next rant/post… xD