Day 11: Hato Bus Tour 6:00am: I woke up, showered, got ready, and ate breakfast (slice of bread with cream cheese, McDonald looking hash brown, 2 sausages, half glass of apple juice) 7:30am: I played with Yuzuki. 8:00am: I left to go to Sophia University. I didn't make any mistakes but there was a lot of people on my first 2 trains. My god! Some people REEK! I was gonna die! I know most Japanese people shower and go in the ofuro at night...so is that why? But not everyone smells... I'm not sure. I also need to use the bathroom [View Full Entry]

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Day 10: The Grave & Grandparents 9:30am: I woke up, took a shower, fixed myself. 10:30am: I ate breakfast (granola cereal). It was the first time the host family ate granola cereal. They like it a lot! 11:30am: We go to the grave, it’s a grave holiday…something like that. 12:00pm: We go back to the house and eat lunch, cup noodle. It’s really good!! The taste is different from America’s. 1:00pm: We go shopping. I buy a camera battery, laptop cord, pencil case, stapler, maps, and Japanese phrasebook. I ate this bread with custard inside… [View Full Entry]

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Day 9: 1st Day with Host Family (cont.) 6:00pm: Ate dinner (miso soup, rice, vinegar beef (tastes like my mom's cooking), chicken, lettuce) It was REALLY good!!!! 7:00pm: I called Ate Reci, Jon, and my house. My parents spoke to the host family and we were laughing a lot. I got to eat cake and I helped by washing the dishes. Manami, Daiki, and I talked a lot. And we also talked about future schedules and some "rules" such as calling at 4pm if not going to dinner. I love how much freedom I have. Daiki told me where 2 ice [View Full Entry]

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Day 8: Meeting Host Family 7:00am: I wake up, take shower, get ready, eat breakfast (small amount of pasta looking thing, very small salad, 1 potato thing, half glass of apple juice) The presentation of the food was much prettier at the Green Palace Hotel but I just don't eat much for breakfast. 8:00am: I go back in my room to pack. 8:30am: I go to the hotel lobby to check out and I see the sign, "Host family students check out at 9:00am." Damn. I was early by 30 minutes...I could have checked my e-mail! The handbook said 8:30am! *sigh* [View Full Entry]

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Day 7: CIEE Orientation Day 1 7:00am: I wake up, take shower, fix myself, packed 7:45am: Ate breakfast with Christie (my roommate). I ate a very small bowl of cereal, half a container of yogurt, and half a glass of apple juice. There was rice, fish, meats, fruits, and a bunch of stuff but I can't eat too much for breakfast. We meet a guy...that I forgot the name of. 8:05am: Christie and I went back to our room and got our stuff and went to the hotel lobby. 8:25am: I meet my group. The people are Lis, Lin, Scott, JT, [View Full Entry]

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Day 6: Meeting CIEE Program 10:00am: I woke up, took shower, fixed self, went online, fixed bed, packed, wrote letter to Ate Reci & Aimi. 12:00pm: I left to go to the train station with my heavy suitcase, bookbag, and a plastic bag of clothes. 12:05pm: The train I took stopped at Minami-Urawa and changed to RAPID to Kamata. I left the train because Ate Reci said that if I'm unsure, leave the train. I went out of the train, back on, back out, walked to one side of the train platform, walked to the other side, looked at the signs, [View Full Entry]

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Day 6: Last Sleepover Party 10:00am: I wake up, fixed the bed, took shower, fixed self, ate breakfast, and talked to Ate Reci. 11:13am: Jon & I talked on the phone. Ate Reci and I talk again, as I upload yesterday videos on YouTube. 1:30pm: Ate Reci & I left to go to Kamonomiya to go to Donki to buy the electric blanket I wanted, $23. I won't be cold in Chicago anymore!! It's won't make fire. I also bought 2 rice triangle food. I ate the fish one and gave the other to Ate Reci. Ate Reci bought me Calpis. [View Full Entry]

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:) At least we all sang!! [View Full Entry]

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Day 5: Okegawa, Hanko, Karaoke 10:00am: Jon wakes me up. I was sleepy but I love knowing he thinks about me. I went back to sleep. 10:30am: I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast (slice of bread with Swiss cheese and hot coco drink) and got ready. Ate Reci and I talked. 1:00pm: We talked for a long time. We left to go to Okegawa. 2:30pm: We reached Okegawa City Hall. It took 5 minutes to walk there and 3 minutes to get the Koseki Fuhyo. It was super easy. 3:00pm: We went to the Okegawa Post Office and Ate [View Full Entry]

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Day 4: Train & Akihabara 9:00am Ate breakfast (toasted slice of bread with cheese and ham, coffee, water), took shower, talked to Ate Reci 11:30am Left house to go to Ate Reci’s old apartment in Haraichi (the suburb…not many stores around like in Warabi, which is Ate Reci’s current apartment) 12:00pm Ate Reci taught me how to buy a ticket at the Warabi station. She also taught me how to navigate around Ueno station. It’s like an airport. Everything is guided by signs (Japanese & English). 12:30pm We ate McDonald’s. I ordered a Big Mac. T [View Full Entry]

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