Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Sarah on Location, where all the action happens

I should probably explain why I havent updated as often as some of you would like. In Japan I am BUSY.

I have school monday-friday and i got out of having to go once a month on a saturday. Thats a nice break. But what keeps me busiest is Kendo. Here everything is taking seriously and there is a deep loyalty to ones club and much dedication to school work. I have no idea how these people do it. Its crazy. I begin my mornings with a 20 minute bike ride to Tochigi Girls. School starts at 8.30 and all i get is about 45 minutes for lunch time. No morning tea. No afternoon tea. At 3.30 school finishes and everyone cleans until 3.45. then at 4.00 kendo begins and I dont leave until 7.00. Kendo practice is everyday. Right now its supposed to be golden week holidays but not for the kendo team. I got two days (now 3 because im sick) of holidays, the rest i spent watching kendo games for 8 hours straight. If you havent got the point, the japanese way of life is busy and there is always something going on. This kind of makes me think how lazy I was in NZ, I would go home, watch tv go on the computer and thats just how i did things. Here everyone has something to do, all the time. My Host mum has work, dance practices and looking after the family. My host dad has work and some sword swinging sport. My host sister is crazy busy and i can go a few days without seeing here and my host brother still doesnt talk to me.


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Coquimbo/La Serena

On Thursday morning we all piled into the jeep and headed south for five hours to the cities of La Serena and Coquimbo, which are two cities about 15 minutes away from each other (except they're practically joined).... Day 1: We arrived in Coquimbo at about 2pm, just in time for lunch! We stayed with my host grandparents, the parents of my host dad. With them lived my host uncle, and my host aunt. My younger host sister told me that every time they come to Coquimbo, there are always home made empanadas waiting, and she was right! So we had lunch. Their apartment was on top of a hairdressing studio, and it was a big apartment. There was even a rooftop terrace!



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