The Month of November

Long time no talk! It's been well over a month since my last post, which is shameful, I know. But I think I have a pretty good reason. So as you might know, I changed host families. This host family, is awesome, but the internet situation is unstable at best. I have a router/pocket wifi thing, but I accidentally used all of my data on Netflix. So I've basically been searching frantically for a place with wifi so I could post something. If there's a will there's a way! 

To be honest, the last month+ has been a roller coaster of emotions for a number of reasons. Mostly because the novelty of being here started to wear off, and the reality of being an exchange student started sinking in. I realized this isn't just a year long vacation in a different country.

I became quite homesick in this time, which I wasn't really expecting. According to the exchange students that have been here for a while, the three month mark is usually the toughest part of exchange. They assured me as long as you keep trying your best and stay positive, things will get much better.  Being an exchange student isn't a walk in the park, but that's what makes it so rewarding. If everything was easy we would never grow, right? Thanks to my host family, Rotary club, teachers at school, fellow exchange students, and friends and family at home, I've been able to make it through this rough spot.  I'm ready to make the next seven months in Japan the best ever!

Read on to see what cool stuff I've been up to this past month.

These pictures where taken November 3rd, when my host family brought me to their cabin. We we're only there to clean up a dead snake and check to see if everything was as it should be. They told me they, always throw summer parties/barbecues here, and that they'd throw one for me in the summer time. This was when the fall leaves were at their brightest, but my pictures really don't do it justice.

One of the questions I get asked the most here is wether or not Norway has four distinct seasons, to which I would always answers yes. But now that I've experienced two and a half seasons in Japan, I must admit that they're a hundred times more extreme, distinct, and beautiful in Japan.

I swear I've never seen leaves as red as this before.

Host Mom Keiko and Host Dad Hiroyoshi.

After the cabin excursion we went out for conveyor belt sushi. When we were finished eating, host dad suggested that we take picture of me with everyone's plates so it would look like I ate everything by myself. They always tease me cause I eat a lot haha.

The same week my school had career education week, in which all the first years got to try their hand at working at a chosen workplace. Three of my classmates and I ended up at the Takayama Jinya, which is an old government building from the Edo period. It´s the only building of it´s kind left in Japan, so it´s a pretty big tourist attraction. 

My friends and I got to try out lots of different jobs, for example selling tickets (much harder than it looks by the way, Japanese clerks make things look so easy), cleaning, doing paperwork, and guiding tourists around. Being a tour guide was really cool, and I learned so much about Takayama´s history from doing it. It was overall a great experience, and I´m definitely giving my family a tour when they come this summer!

We also visited two universities in Nagoya during career week. I didn´t take any pictures, but I´m seriously considering doing another exchange in Japan during uni. The university in Norway that I want to go to has an exchange program with Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, which fits pretty much perfectly.

I met up with Haruka again! It was raining, so we decided to seek refuge at karaoke. We also did some singing. Good times.

Concentrating on keeping myself on key.

Then we went to a cafe for some matcha treats.

Headed towards the shopping area, only to be found we we´re being watched by a teddy bear.  The next day of school there was actually a bear spotted not too far from our campus, so looking back this was kinda a bad omen.

We went shopping and tried on some hats, which I guess is our tradition now.

At school on the 11th of November, it was apparently International Pocky Day, so my friends brought lots of  Pocky and we had a picnic on the floor again. I didn´t know Pocky Day was a thing, so once again, I forgot to bring something and felt a little guilty about it. 

They were still happy to share.

Next weekend my host moms took me to Nagoya to do some shopping. They let me choose a Christmas present. I have to wait til Christmas to open it though. This is a display at the department store at the Nagoya Station.

The leaves of the big tree at the Kokubunji temple turned bright yellow. Once leaves fall, they say it´s officially winter. A few days after I took this picture, all the leaves were gone. It started hailing a little bit around that time.

On the 20th of November, it marked my third whole month in Japan. We went to eat yakiniku to celebrate. I ate so much my stomach almost exploded.

Host nephew told me that he liked my sweater. He also said "Victoria, your blue eyes are cute". Everyone started joking about how he´s going to be quite the charmer when he´s older haha.

The next day I spent the night at the chairman´s house in Gero, since we would be traveling to Mie-ken the next morning. We went out for yakiniku, and I overate (again). It probably took a whole week for my stomach to go back to it´s normal size haha.

We went to Mie prefecture to do some pottery. This is me and Nobu, one of the outbound exchange students, ready to make some teacups. 

Emma took a picture of me through the window of the pottery studio. Georgia´s reflection in this photo makes her look like my twin or something haha. This effect is so crazy it scared me a little bit.

Doing tea ceremony. I might look really deep in thought here, but actually I´m trying to endure the pain of sitting in seiza. I had already lost the feeling of my feet at this point, and there was still over half of the ceremony left. I don´t know how my legs survived.

Me and the outbounds, on our way to lunch.

Lunch. They had melon soda!

Post-lunch shenanigans with Emma.

We started a trend haha

After lunch we went back to the pottery studio to decorate our teacups. Everyone ended up signing each others cups,  I´d show you when they´re finished. This is one of those group photos where you can´t be too sure about what´s going on haha.

The exchange student crew <3

The Rotary family <3

After dinner we went to see the winter lights at Nabana no Sato. It was absolutely stunning! I´ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Shoutout to Logan for taking this pretty picture of me <3

This part was modelled after Niagara Falls. It was magical. We soon returned to the hotel.

Shenanigans ensued

The next day we went to this theme park called Nagashima Spa Land. The rides were not spa themed to my disappointment. They were however very fun. I actually got a little bit motion sick on some of them, which has never happened to me before. These rides were a bit bigger and more intense than Disneyland, so that may be why.

Ferris wheel selfie!

It was an awesome trip! I was so exhausted by the end of it, cause we stayed up really late the night before, in addition to all the laughing and screaming at the theme park. I fell asleep and stayed asleep during the whole four hour drive home.

Flash forward two weeks and it starts snowing in Takayama. This is the kendo doujo right outside of school, I took this during test week. While everyone at school where having tests, I spent my time studying in the library and having meetings with my teachers. Alone. Using only Japanese. It went much better than expected haha.

Host mom and I ate dinner at this fancy hotel in Nagoya before meeting up with host dad in this smaller city called Kuwana. It was very Christmas-y

This is me and a Christmas tree.

This is a teddy bear and some Christmas stockings. I don´t really understand Japan´s deal with Christmas, but they sure know how to decorate for it.

We went back to the pottery place for some party the pottery dude (Past Governor of Rotary) was throwing. We did tea ceremony again, and I lost feeling in my feet. We also took this group photo after lunch. I suggested that we all put on the funny hats and wigs that were on display by the photography are, but my idea was shot down. Sad face.

I ended up taking a santa hat selfie.

 So that´s what I´ve been up to! I´ll try to have a post up before Christmas!