八峰町#1!
19th-20th of October was for the first Happo-cho program! Happo-cho is a series of trips to different places & communities around Happo-cho city. We help teach in English classes, interact with locals, and even stay with a host family for a night. For this month's trip, we went to a junior high school, a preschool, and an old folks home.
We introduced ourselves with our handmade photobooks exactly 12 times, talking for a total of 72 minutes. I was kinda getting sick of myself there. (;´・`)> But it was a really small student body (3 levels of 1 section each, ~35 people per section), relative to such a big school (full sized gym!). It was a relatively relaxed time.
Danie, Tekle and I were picked up by Kazu-san, the son of the vice mayor of Happo-cho, with whose family we'll be spending the night. This was, by far, the best part of the trip. When Carlos-sensei said that host families would bend over backwards to make us feel comfortable, it was beyond true. It was the first time I found myself speechless in sheer gratitude. o(╥﹏╥)o I really considered calling the host mom お母さん but wondered if it was being too familiar. 笑
We were fed daigakuimo and grapes the moment we came, were shown wedding photos of their children (after which I thought that this was a family of ridiculously beautiful women! Akita Bijin indeed.), before making part of dinner. Kiritanpo Nabe! They showed us how to roll and cut the rice into kiritanpo. Akita rice is the tastiest. (＾▽＾)
But we ended up having so. much. food. Half of the kiritanpo wasn't even touched. There was sushi, various kinds of sashimi, saury, tonkatsu, karaage, oden, gratin, and even spare ribs. I couldn't say no at first so I ended up eating so much that I was uncomfortable. (;TωT) Pair that with three cans of beer and a glass of wine, I was ready to lie down! But it was very fun, and all very tasty. We ate with Ito-san (the vice mayor), his wife, their mothers, their son (1 out of 3), his wife and child (the prettiest girl ever!), Ito-san's nephew, then his wife and child (whose 1st birthday is on Friday. THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE BOY (>▽<)/). It was a big, happy dinner.
After a long talk 'til midnight, the most comfortable bath and sleeping on the most comfortable bedding I've had since coming to Japan, we had a good (and huge) breakfast. After that, we gave our host mother some gifts that paled in every sense of the word, to how much they've done for us. It was almost embarrassing. But I hope she felt our gratitude nonetheless.
Since there was some time before we needed to go to the preschool, host mom drove us to a nearby temple. I didn't understand most of the explanation but we did see elaborate walls of what' would be the Japanese equivalent of a crypt (or the wall of graves), but without the actual remains, and an old-timey scroll with how they believe Hell to look like. That one was particularly interesting. You're judged depending on your sin. Liars' tongues are stretched and nailed, and stung by insects. For lustful people, a beautiful woman sits in a spiked tree which you'll have to climb over and over.
After that, we went home and said goodbye to each other. They invited us again whenever we wanted to go privately, rather than for Happo-cho. Surely, to repay their kindess, we will someday!
We spent the morning in a preschool. The kids were so nice and adorable! One kept latching onto me and pulling me to run around before story time. What I like about kids is that they don't really care if you understand them or not, they'll just keep talking fast as if you do. Though I guess it's hard because I'm always worrying if they're asking me a question. But anyway, it was fun.
Then, an old folks home! We were told we'd perform a few English song so we had In The Jungle, Old Mcdonald, and Somewhere Over The Rainbow. I thought it'd be a small home with 20 people at most, and we'd sing in a small room, but lo and behold, there were over 100 people there, in a big auditorium with a stage. Errrrrrr. But I hope we brightened their day a bit!
Finally, we went to a black sand beach. It's my first time ever seeing something like that!! Black sand comes from volcanic eruptions, apparently. I brought some home. I need a pretty bottle to put it in. Fun fun. (☆^O^☆)
Overall, it was an amazing weekend with very memorable experiences. I look forward to the next trips!!
先週の金曜日と土曜日に、秋田にある八峰町に行きました。その遠足でたくさんの思い出を作ることができました。
金曜日は地元の中学校に行って、自分の出身国と英語の勉強について生徒達に話しました。その後、ホストファミリーの伊藤さんに会いました。伊藤さんは八峰町の副町長です！
伊藤さんの家に着いた後、夕食を食べました。その中には寿司や刺身やサンマやスペアリブやグラタンやおでんやきりたんぽなべがありました。それは私が日本に来てから一番おいしい食事だったので、本当に食べ過ぎました。ホストファミリーと何時間も話したし、伊藤さんの孫とも遊びました。みんなはとても親切だったので、びっくりしました。
お母さんの名前を覚えていませんが、彼女は一番親切でした。彼女を「お母さん」と呼びたかったけど、恥ずかしくて呼べませんでした。それでも、彼女のおかげで、非常に快適に過ごすことができました。
土曜日に、私たちは幼稚園と老人施設に行ってきました。それらの施設の側には、黒い砂の海があって、びっくりしました！珍しかったので、お土産として砂を持って帰りました。
We introduced ourselves with our handmade photobooks exactly 12 times, talking for a total of 72 minutes. I was kinda getting sick of myself there. (;´・`)> But it was a really small student body (3 levels of 1 section each, ~35 people per section), relative to such a big school (full sized gym!). It was a relatively relaxed time.
Danie, Tekle and I were picked up by Kazu-san, the son of the vice mayor of Happo-cho, with whose family we'll be spending the night. This was, by far, the best part of the trip. When Carlos-sensei said that host families would bend over backwards to make us feel comfortable, it was beyond true. It was the first time I found myself speechless in sheer gratitude. o(╥﹏╥)o I really considered calling the host mom お母さん but wondered if it was being too familiar. 笑
We were fed daigakuimo and grapes the moment we came, were shown wedding photos of their children (after which I thought that this was a family of ridiculously beautiful women! Akita Bijin indeed.), before making part of dinner. Kiritanpo Nabe! They showed us how to roll and cut the rice into kiritanpo. Akita rice is the tastiest. (＾▽＾)
But we ended up having so. much. food. Half of the kiritanpo wasn't even touched. There was sushi, various kinds of sashimi, saury, tonkatsu, karaage, oden, gratin, and even spare ribs. I couldn't say no at first so I ended up eating so much that I was uncomfortable. (;TωT) Pair that with three cans of beer and a glass of wine, I was ready to lie down! But it was very fun, and all very tasty. We ate with Ito-san (the vice mayor), his wife, their mothers, their son (1 out of 3), his wife and child (the prettiest girl ever!), Ito-san's nephew, then his wife and child (whose 1st birthday is on Friday. THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE BOY (>▽<)/). It was a big, happy dinner.
After a long talk 'til midnight, the most comfortable bath and sleeping on the most comfortable bedding I've had since coming to Japan, we had a good (and huge) breakfast. After that, we gave our host mother some gifts that paled in every sense of the word, to how much they've done for us. It was almost embarrassing. But I hope she felt our gratitude nonetheless.
Since there was some time before we needed to go to the preschool, host mom drove us to a nearby temple. I didn't understand most of the explanation but we did see elaborate walls of what' would be the Japanese equivalent of a crypt (or the wall of graves), but without the actual remains, and an old-timey scroll with how they believe Hell to look like. That one was particularly interesting. You're judged depending on your sin. Liars' tongues are stretched and nailed, and stung by insects. For lustful people, a beautiful woman sits in a spiked tree which you'll have to climb over and over.
After that, we went home and said goodbye to each other. They invited us again whenever we wanted to go privately, rather than for Happo-cho. Surely, to repay their kindess, we will someday!
We spent the morning in a preschool. The kids were so nice and adorable! One kept latching onto me and pulling me to run around before story time. What I like about kids is that they don't really care if you understand them or not, they'll just keep talking fast as if you do. Though I guess it's hard because I'm always worrying if they're asking me a question. But anyway, it was fun.
Then, an old folks home! We were told we'd perform a few English song so we had In The Jungle, Old Mcdonald, and Somewhere Over The Rainbow. I thought it'd be a small home with 20 people at most, and we'd sing in a small room, but lo and behold, there were over 100 people there, in a big auditorium with a stage. Errrrrrr. But I hope we brightened their day a bit!
Finally, we went to a black sand beach. It's my first time ever seeing something like that!! Black sand comes from volcanic eruptions, apparently. I brought some home. I need a pretty bottle to put it in. Fun fun. (☆^O^☆)
Overall, it was an amazing weekend with very memorable experiences. I look forward to the next trips!!
先週の金曜日と土曜日に、秋田にある八峰町に行きました。その遠足でたくさんの思い出を作ることができました。
金曜日は地元の中学校に行って、自分の出身国と英語の勉強について生徒達に話しました。その後、ホストファミリーの伊藤さんに会いました。伊藤さんは八峰町の副町長です！
伊藤さんの家に着いた後、夕食を食べました。その中には寿司や刺身やサンマやスペアリブやグラタンやおでんやきりたんぽなべがありました。それは私が日本に来てから一番おいしい食事だったので、本当に食べ過ぎました。ホストファミリーと何時間も話したし、伊藤さんの孫とも遊びました。みんなはとても親切だったので、びっくりしました。
お母さんの名前を覚えていませんが、彼女は一番親切でした。彼女を「お母さん」と呼びたかったけど、恥ずかしくて呼べませんでした。それでも、彼女のおかげで、非常に快適に過ごすことができました。
土曜日に、私たちは幼稚園と老人施設に行ってきました。それらの施設の側には、黒い砂の海があって、びっくりしました！珍しかったので、お土産として砂を持って帰りました。