A Bit of Home In My Bit of Not-So-Home

Yesterday all the people from my school in America who went on the Japan trip came to Osaka!! about 3 weeks ago I had been struck by a marvelous idea and since then I had been planning together with a teacher from my school(Carl) and my Japanese teacher (Mrs. Fullmer) to arrange something where my class could come visit my school and see a real Japanese high school. I could not have been more pleased at how it turned out!

Me, Carl, and the two other exchange students met Mrs. Fullmer and her possy at the train station right on time for 7th period. Then we all joined my homeroom class in the Japanese culture lesson for a special activity. Rather than going to Oral Communications, (which is what my class would normally do) they got to dress up some foreigners in Yukatas!! there were approximately 2 Japanese students to every American one and I think everyone had a blast all around. After that some of the girls showed how to do Japanese Tea ceremony and taught my classmates a little about it as well.
Afterward there was about 10 minutes free talking time between the American and Japanese students. The Japanese girls got to practice their English and the American girls got to practice their Japanese and everyone was happy.

We didn't end until well after school got out but no one seemed to really mind. Mrs. Fullmer and her group headed back to their hotel to drop off their stuff, Miyuu and I tagged along for we had all planned on going to Karaoke together afterward. However, because everything took longer than expected and Miyuu had to get home early, we ended up going to dinner with her instead. We went out for Okonomiyaki which none of the girls had tried before and it was super delicious!!!!!! Then we had to part with Miyuu and part of the group (who were saying they wanted to go back to the Hotel). Everyone shed a few tears over leaving this new friend they had made and then they said goodbye.

The girls who had stayed with me and Mrs. Fullmer(Lauren, Emily, and Holly) came to Karaoke with us!!!! It was sooooo fun! It is one thing to go to karaoke with your friends, it is quite another to go with your teacher, and ten times more fun too!
Since we are all Americans it was even more fun than before because we all knew almost all of the songs that everyone sang so we all sang them together! I had so much fun and it was so great to see people from home! I can't wait to see the rest of you when I return!

Mrs. Fullmer and Emily get dressed up by their new friends


Everyone posed for a picture together after the American's were Yukata-ified


A Japanese student shows everyone how to do Japanese Tea Ceremony


Everyone had a great time when they got to talk together for 10 minutes after "school" got out.


Breanna talks with her group of new Japanese friends!


Lauren was really thirsty after walking to the restaurant. She consumed not only her own water, but bits of mine and holly's as well. ^^


Holly and Richard on a busy Osaka street as we waited for everyone to finish purchasing their takoyaki.


Lauren and I rocked out together at Karaoke! It was fun to do this with Americans because we all knew the same songs so we could all sing together!