The wrap up!

3/2/2011

This is going to be my last blog post. I’ve kinda procrastinated with this. I really don’t want to see this end. It has been two months since I got back, and I know things are different. Not only that, but there have been a few things going on in Japan as well. I’ll get to those later.

First off, since I last posted, I have finally toned down the excitement and chaos in my mind about the getting home part of this exchange program. I had been worrying left and right about so many things, and I still am, but now I have control. Or I feel I have control. And part of that control comes from the memories I choose to get out of this exchange.

Now this blog is supposed to help me remember what I experienced throughout my exchange, and I know I got really negative down there, Emily has been trying her hardest to get me to write some positive memories. And I’ve tried. But what stopped me every time, was I couldn’t just pick a couple memories I thought were good, because.. they were all good to me. Even the bad. But now I’ve had a few more weeks thinking about what went on in Japan, and now I’m starting… no not starting, I AM missing Japan. (I can hear my parents groaning now, “not again!”) they don’t need to worry though, I know that I still need to be home, there is a lot I missed here.

Anyway. For the things I miss about Japan…. Everything. I miss the morning walks/bike rides / train rides to school. I miss how clean the air felt to me (no layer of dust like here in Arizona) I miss School, (since I’ve gotten home I haven’t gone back. I have had my credits for a while now, and I found I easier just to move on.) I miss the food. (In Japan I know that Emi did a great job keeping my diet well rounded, I have tried to recreate that here, but it’s not as easy as it seemed in Japan.) And I miss the REALLY nice weather. Yeah it was a little cold, but here in Arizona it is getting HOT quick. I also miss the endless selection of bread they had in the stores. The crowds, no matter how difficult it is to get through them.

But more then all that, I miss The Inoue Family, and my friends. I miss Obaa-chan, and her really REALLY assertive personality. How she practically forces the sunshine on you. I miss Luna and Ryosuke. Both of them were hilarious and Fun to be around, and I have never seen two kids work as much as they did. I miss Emi, watching her do everything and anything at once, how she seemed to be exactly like me when it comes to sitting still. (weather it was voluntary or not I do not know but still very cool.)

And my Ojii-chan. Even though we didn’t get to speak much with my host grandma around, I still loved watching TV with him. And Of course Mr. Inoue. I know I Admitted more than once to a few people, that I really did like him. Yeah we fought now and then, but he’s the only one who would tell me what is going on. If it wasn’t for him, I would have been ten times more paranoid in the end.

Anyway, I miss watching movies with them, playing uno, and Baba nuki. I still remember beating Emi three times in a row at that game.

Then my friends. I miss all of them. Ottilie and Poulo. (Their endless supply of knowledge totally intimidated me! They made me realize how much everyone here in America doesn’t know.) It felt like I knew soo much before I went to Japan, but once I got there I felt like the only exchange student who was lacking knowledge. Everyone else knew at least one other language, and I only knew English. Anyway. Thanks to them and my other classmates It made me want to work harder.)

I miss Natsumi and Kumiko. They were both amazing people, they knew oo much English, and every time I met them they were learning more. Natsumi was so Enthusiastic about everything! There wasn’t a moment I felt sad around her, and Kumiko. She really put a lot of stuff in perspective for me.

Then the gymnastics’ club. Hode seems to be in every conversation I have about Japan. The most athletic guy in School. I don’t want to be mean when I talk about him as the short guy with the really ripped muscles. But I will never forget. He and the other guys in the club seemed so carefree, yet they worked harder then anyone I met. I miss the laughing. Just listening to someone Laugh can really change your entire mood around. And for some reason He knew when I would stress out, because anytime I was upset, or just scared, he’s always make me laugh with his awesome somersault thing. I hope I never for get that one. He would always just be showing off, and it wasn’t special, but how he did it, totally showed he had a lot of power in I arms, and when he landed, he would always shake his head at the end, making him look like a monkey.

I also miss my cooking class, with Seria, Mia, Yuna, and Momoka. They helped me so much in that class. And they didn’t make me feel so odd in my apron and scarf. My teacher was a little right about me being the only guy in the class, it was a little embarrassing. But It was worth it. My friends in that class alone made it worth it.

Then of course there is Heramatsu. He’s probably who I miss the most. I miss him teaching me writing. I miss the jokes he’s make, and his yell. Really dumb I know, but I remember it. I remember how he NEVER sat still. He always had something to say. And I KNOW he’d always be late no mater what. I’d laugh every time he’s zone out because he would get the look on his face that said exactly what he was thinking. I miss the bike rides we’d take to his favorite noodle shop. I miss how he thought my name was amusing enough to say randomly. I thought it was annoying then, but now I kinda expect it. But now when I can’t here his annoying voice, I kinda get sad. There is a lot I’d say about him, but I know it’s better not to type it. Nothing bad of course.  Just know that if I did write it down, I’d wish I hadn’t.

Sometimes you tend to feel closer to the strangers you sit next to in class then the people you grew up with. All I can think about anymore Is this. Everyone I met in Japan were really strangers to me at first… well they sort of still are strangers since I don’t know much about them. But since I’ve been home It feels like I knew them more then I know my really family, and friends here. Six months changes a lot, and a little at the same time. It defiantly feels like I stepped out of a time machine.

Its hard for me right now, getting use to the new, remembering what happened, getting ready for College!! (big one right there.) and catching up on the things I missed while I was gone. I few times I catch myself wishing I hadn’t gone to Japan, NOT because I didn’t like it (I loved it.) but because I wish I could go back in time to the home I know. But I learned a long time ago you can look back for long. It doesn’t work like that. People

try to recreate the homes the use to have, but really its just better to leave the changes as they are and learn about them. As for me, I am in the middle of a long string of changes, so I’ll have to learn as I go. Getting a job is on the top of my list of things to do for now.

I had or Expected many things to be different in Japan. Like I said I Idolized it, and the first two months I got to see it all! It was more then I could of asked for. And well, that’s pretty much what I’d gotten, more then what I asked for. The three months after the first two, I had found a lot of new stuff out about Japan. The lifestyles and pros and cons to a lot of that. I had said I would learn about food there in Japan, and… I did. It was Amazing, and scary at the same time. Before I knew it I felt I had bitten off more then I could chew. I would think that Japan had rationalized my thinking a lot more. They helped me become more cautious, THINK things through, and helped me with my self-motivation. I usually have a hard time with that. Once I get started though I’m unstoppable.

But one thing I think that helped the most is that. Cooking really I something I want to learn more about. Most Japanese food is really easy… well not easy, but… direct. You can usually remember a few recopies easily, but that doesn’t mean they are easy to make. While most people don’t find cooking a physical challenge, Japan has shown me the more difficult side to that. A few recopies I though would tear my arm off! But, even then I find I’m still not read to take on many of their challenges…. Or I would be, but I don’t have the recourses yet. This will be one thing I’ll have to find on my own.

Anyway. A couple weeks ago Japan has had a few disasters Happened. Exactly one month and a week after I leave, they Had a few earthquakes… and they were sorta BIG. Right after that a Tsunami hit right outside of Tokyo, just north of it. Which is a ways from where I stayed, but still close enough for me to go into a huge fit of worrying once I saw the news… Everyone I met is all right, but the train I use to take had been stopped for a while. Many people were lost though. And every day seems to get worse. They also talk about nuclear reactors that are cause a LOT of damage as well. But Japan is doing an Amazing job rebuilding. I got a letter from Mr. Inoue and He told me that Japan is always rising up from Disasters. And he told me something I didn’t understand, but I think he was trying to talk about a Phoenix. Which is understand able.

But this had hit me in a way I didn’t think it could. While everyone else I’d talked to about it seemed calm, I was worrying myself sick (literally). Had I always been this emotional about Japan? I don’t think I was. It was then I knew what an impact Japan made on my life. It’s Indescribable.

I had tried so many times to describe this feeling. But I always seem to be lost for words. I get frustrated and scared sometimes, but I know that the six months I spent in Japan are a huge part of my life right now. (I can see that now considering I spent five years preparing for it.)  but I hope it doesn’t change. I kinda like having this experience to myself. It’s something that I really can’t share with someone who hasn’t done it themselves, and even then its hard to explain.

I hope this blog is a lot better then the there negative ones, but I wrote those down for a reason. Life hits you in all kinds of ways, and you got to take all of it. And I hope you’ll see that for yourselves because It is something that build rather then destroys. And aren’t all awesome things worth fighting over?

That was lame. Oh well. Anyway… how to finish this last entry. I really can’t think of anything. I’d usually end this with ‘laters’ but there won’t be a later…. Will there? Well. Maybe. There are always going to be other laters…. So I guess it has been decided. Thanks for reading. Love Wade.

Laters!!!