Quike in Kyoto: Day 3 -Fri Jan 9

Had a language interview test thing on this day and also went wandering at one of the random 100 yen shops ($1 store). The Japanese like to put English on everything...even when it isnt necessary. Its kind of the equivalent of people who buy shirts or random things b/c they have Asian characters that look cool even though they dont know what it means.

So yeah, this leads to some pretty interesting merchandise.

This bag, it carries!

I am what I am...a bag with random English thrown in.

I also got to meet my host family on this day. They matched me perfectly interest wise...half the family is an architect (host dad, host brother, host brother's wife and his friend), my mom is a piano teacher and she's learning the koto. Also, the mom is really nice and took me to all the places I had to go (alien registration, etc.). Not only that but my host mom has all the connections. She got me free koto lessons from her sensei (it usually costs $300 per lesson...all I had to pay for were the nails :D). She also knows like half the other families doing hosting from both KCJS and AKP (Doshisha) so a lot of the times students will already know who I am since she talks to all the other hosts moms about me. So yeah...Ive been told she;s super sweet and amazing but a friend warned me not to get on her bad side. Apparently the girl living here last semester pissed her off a little bit towards the end and had cold meals for a week....so yeah...Ive been trying to be on my best behavior and not be out too late at night. I like warm food.

Host fam: Dad (name I keep forgetting) host mom (Noriko Kawasaki), host brother (Kenta).
I also have a host sister with two kids: Riko-chan (she's in kindergarten) and Mako-chan (currently at Doshisha elementary) and an older host brother who I've yet to meet since he's off being an architect on his own somewhere.

My family loves the Zumbyes (an acappella group at my school). Apparently Mako-chan met them when they came to Doshisha to do a show...she met Chris Gilliyard and Pat Savage and little Mako-chan is going to visit Amherst next year on a class trip in June...but yeah, it was a little surreal being in Japan and listening to the Zumbyes album during my first dinner with my entire host family...haha. :D

But yeah, host fam is awesome!