--- ENTRY STILL IN PROGRESS ---

October 13th, 2018

So this week was pretty ... I don't even know. It was not boring! I took 2 of the mid-term exams (=Shiken) and on Friday we could finally celebrate that test week is over! You should definitely read to the end if you want to know how I ended up in the United States for a day (or two? (No, it was just a few sweet hours, but adding the words "or two?" makes it sound more dramatic, right :P?).

Monday (October 8th, 2018):

• Day of Sports in Japan, a holiday. I can't recall what I did, but probably not much (except for studying or talking with the hostfam or something)

Tuesday (9th):

• The night before and actually on the exact same day at about 2 am I had studied vocabulary for the maths exam I would be taking. I looked at the tasks and found out about lines, intersections, distance and so on and so forth. Probably forgot about 1/3 (or as they say in Japan san bun no ni!). The Test seemed doable, but like my problem was that I didn't know all kanji (Chinese characters) and sometimes my brain was just like: AH - HOW DO I CALCULATE THIS AGAIN, I CAN'T REMEMBERRRRRR GRRRRR. But I just skipped some tasks and did the easy stuff first and going back to other tasks later helped a little :D 
  It really was fun, because I felt like, I understood all the maths (except for like 2 tasks) and probably have some answers right ^^ I like maths (UNLIKE MOST (JAPANESE, FEMALE, HIGH SCHOOL) STUDENTS I KNOW).
• One thing you have to know about the test is that most tasks were multiple choice (I never guessed, which a real student would've, but rather just answered things I thought I knew). You just have to mark the number you think is correct on a different sheet. Just hope you don't accidently read the wrong line.
• Went home real early because maths was the only thing I took on that day.

Wednesday (10th):

• Studied in a classroom next to the library, because the latter was closed ^^. Really enjoy studying on my own.

Thursday (11th):

• Had English exam. Oh, boy. It was not that hard, but at some tasks I didn't know if they wanted me to tick the boxes with the correct answers or with the wrong ones. So maybe I've confused it a little. Didn't prepare any kanji (because it's not like maths were the tasks have a certain pattern), only vocabulary. And there was a translation part, which confused me and a text-production part I couldn't finish! Ha!
• Studied at the library. I'm now almost finish with summarizing the grammar taught in "Japanisch Schritt für Schritt - Band 2" (see Learning Japanese)!
• Discovered for myself that the Japanese band ONE OK ROCK is not popular for nothing. I now like them :( - Hello, main stream.

Friday (12th):

• Talked to a 10th grader at the last meters of my way to school because my usual companion went earlier during the test week. It was nice! And I feel like I've gained a little more confidence. And it's maybe easier for me to talk people younger than me or people I don't know, because then I still can ask the basic questions like "Are you in a club?", "How are the tests?", "What's your favorite....?". After those questions I often don't know what to say next. Making friends is a struggle (at least for me right now ^^).
• Studied at the library (no tests). Finished summarizing the AFS grammar book, my hostfamily borrowed to me, yay!

You've been patient, guys. Now here's the story of how I took a short time trip to the U.S.:

"Short time trip to the United States? - Are you serious -.-?"

"Yeah, sure! I mean - it was not actually on the North American continent but in Japan. And the area probably belongs to the Japanese State. And not only Americans live there. But like... America.... yaaaaay?"

Yes, guys, it's true. I've been to the United States of America. Or at least that was what it felt like when I entered Camp Zama, an American military base in Zama, Japan. And it's actually so close to my (Japanese) home!

Two teachers, the principal (he looks so friendly!!) and the students who were interested in going to the Camp to be part of the Zama High School Homecoming Parade after the mid-term exam week was finally over met at a station and entered the seperated area. We had to show our student cards! (And we non-Japanese students tell our passport number ^^). The whole area, I can't even comprehend how vast it is, is clean, beautiful and yeah, looks different than the rest of the (Japanese) city. It was astonishing. Seriously.

• It was funny, but like when we students entered the court (A REAL AMERICAN AMERICAN FOOTBALL COURT, DAMN HUGE) some American Zama High students waved and were like "Konnichi wa" and the Japanese Yamato Nishi High students were like "Hello". Had to smile.
• Some of the YNS (Yamato Nishi students) were all like "kawaii" (cute, pretty) when they saw some (female ^^) American students.

I want to wrap this up now, so less words, more content

• Parade: 3 girls of the YN English club (ESS), the Italian exchange student and I got some dope ass Japanese "cardigan-jacket-kimono thing" and we had to hold a sign for the parade. Some boys also had flags. There were American military people in the typical uniform and a military band, cheerleaders, cars. We marched through the streets of the Camp and some soldiers threw candy like at a carneval parade - real cool, but I also wanted some ^^. Waved at Americans and Japanese. Being filmed and pictures taken off. 
• After Parade: They had food stands, games, and stuff. Fun. I bought nachos, talked to the girls, I met at the Kamakura trip (one of the blog entries before). It was the 3 YN ESS girls, Italian exchange girl and me (we've also planned to go out at another occasion). Won a damn delicious cupcake, that I didn't know how to properly eat. Played the volleyball-circle "game" were people just stand in a circle and try to keep a volleyball in the air. Talked to the Homecoming King and other ZH (Zama High) students. One of them also from the Kamakura trip. Watched people play Sumo wrestlers in costumes like in the music video of Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You". Amusing to watch, but I was too embarrassed to try it myself (a lost opportunity...). Played cornhole (throwing filled bags, aiming at 2 holes). Took many pictures. And I guess that's pretty much it.

It was just a different feeling. We were entering the USA for one day. And both, the Italian girl and I felt like: "Ah, I wish I could make another exchange to the US." Just overwhelming. Of course we appreciate the time in Japan, but just experiencing what we've always seen in movies is just ...

So here the pictures you all waited for :P

October 20th, 2018

Weekend (13th, 14th October):

Saturday:

• Updated my blog ;)
• My hostmum invited me to helping her prepare for a so-called Play-Park for kids. We made the "Makkuro Kurosuke" from the movie "My Neighbor Totoro". There were many others helping and it was fun. At the end I played throwing the Makkuro, which we made out of black plastic bags, old newspapers and eye thingies, at a boy. It was a mess, but a fun mess ;P

Sunday:

• I studied Japanese
• Hostmother, -brother and I went to the Play-Park (of course to play this time). My hostbrother and I also went to a bakery - just the two of us! - and bought croissant and other baked goods. There was French music playing in the backround, awesome!
• At the Play-Park, my hostmother had already kind of made friends with a Japanese woman and her American husband and I joined the conversation and asked about things to do in Japan and how to learn Japanese. Their child was so beautiful and cute and confused me with a friend, but so cute!