Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple)

Kiyomizudera (pure water temple)

Quite possibly the most relaxing place you can go to in Japan. Well, if it weren't under construction and always busy. It's a beautiful place, with that large balcony that overlooks a beautiful forest. It's fairly close to Gion (where I am staying), but I still took the bus because I got the day bus pass and I'm lazy.

There are water purification and cleansing places at all temples, but this is by far the most decorative. With the ladle, you take some water and clean your hands, then you put water in your cupped hand and drink. Although many people skip the drinking part. You spit into the draining area, don't swallow.

There are also incense bowls where you pay maybe 10 yen (10 cents) and you burn incense. The smoke is said to have healing powers so you fan it towards you. (If your shoulder is hurting, wave it towards your shoulder, if you need to focus for an exam, wave it towards your forehead! Etc etc.)

The Japanese know how to have a fun summer. HAO (event planning group) put on a summer festival event.

We first made paper fans and played some games with Kanji. We were put into random groups. I just happened to get an all girls group.

After this, we went outside to smash a watermelon then eat it on the ground like savages. A Japanese summer game is called Suikawari, which literally means watermelon splitting. You spin around with a blindfold, much like with a pinata and you have to smash the watermelon while everyone is shouting directions at you.

Next comes fireworks! Little sparklers. There were so many for us to use! Some were bigger than others, but all of them you can get for cheap at convenience stores or corner stores. Like, 50 of them for 500yen (about $5). They are so much fun to use.

Whoever took this picture had a professional camera.

Overall it was a wonderful event and I can't wait for the next event that HAO puts on!

All Globalinks students EXCEPT Raena
Left: Joseph (Connecticut), Raena (Hawaii).
End: Jennifer (Colorado)
Right: Heather (Utah), Carlos (North Carolina)

Studying. Look at those poor Americans. The boys don't actually study that much, they are lying. By the way the table is floor level and under the table is sunken in. Pretty rad. We don't typically study here because it is loud. All that studying is just for Japanese. JUST FOR JAPANESE CLASS.

We had two make up classes on this past Saturday. The second class was a calligraphy class which turned out to be fun. It's always funny to see a serious professor (my Japanese professor) start laughing and having fun with students. This is a mix of two classes, mine is actually only 20 people or so.

That's me, and that's the kanji for love. I just had to pick a hard kanji. It's hanging on my door now. Japanese class isn't always this fun. No. It's usually never fun. Japanese class is like a cat. I want to pet it and love it and make it my friend but it claws and scratches me and hisses and hates me.


What else have I been doing... 

I joined a club. We do community service events and basically are a bunch of silly people who mess around. Oh, and they only speak Japanese. A friend I met while going to Yufuin (see a few posts back) invited me to come and everyone is very nice. Maybe my Japanese will improve.

Here is proof that I don't just hang around with Americans. I'll be visiting his home prefecture of Nagasaki over summer break!

Selfie with Tsuguhiro (Tsuguuuuuuuu)

This has been the BEST Saturday since coming to school! The Student Activity Group took us to Yufuin. It's a small town, very traditional Japanese. It has a beautiful strip of stores and cafes, then a beautiful shallow lake at the end.

It's hard to describe in words how beautiful this town was, so I will do it with pictures!

Here is the main strip. There are many stores, restaurants and cafes on it. Most have handmade goods such as pottery, clothing, wood and glass. There were many art stores as well. Everything was traditional and cute! There were also touristy stores of course, as well as specialty stores.

We even saw a Studio Ghibli store! From here I bought a jigsaw puzzle that I will later make and frame. I also bought a key chain and a pin for my dad! (That I will send when I am not lazy. <3 )

There was a beautiful garden area with the cutest stores ever, including Kiki's Bakery! The bakery smelled amazing! There were other cute stores such as an Alice in Wonderland themed store, a British store, eco store and even a small petting zoo.

Tempura Soba: Deep fried
lotus root/eggplant/shrimp in
soba noodles! So good!

Next we had lunch at a traditional style restaurant. Meaning, you sit on cushions on the ground. I got tempura soba! That little flower thing is actually a fish cake.

Little Fishes

BIG FISHES

We then got eaten by fish! These little fish eat the dead skin off of your feet and legs and leave them soft and smooth. I think people just go because it's ticklish and fun!!

Lake Kirinko

Click To Enlarge

Click To Enlarge

After the fish, we visited a 神社（じんじゃ）[Jinjya] which is a shrine! Jinjya means shrine. It was at a beautiful shallow lake named Lake Kirinko. We all tried it and took pictures and played a name game to get to know each other better.

Classy

Then, we had free time to walk around before having to go home. There were many themed stores. There were many CAT themed stores that played music of cats meowing and it was just purrfect.

Here are some more photos:

When these umbrellas get wet, they reveal
little sakura blossoms!

Two of my favorite things. Cats and Burgers.
Not mixed.

We got honey soft serve ice cream here! So good!

These cats are cooler than me.

Are quite possibly the best families other than your own.

They help you adjust into a culture. They WANT to help you adjust to a culture. They are NOT teacher, nor are they professionals. They might not speak your language, they don't even know who you are until you arrive. Despite all of that, they WANT to spend time with you and show you their culture.

In a previous post I mentioned how I went to pottery with my host mother! Well, I got a package this morning with the finished product! (The mug and rice bowl had to be fired, which takes a little while.)

They also sent me cookies. (Which I was in dire need of), some pictures of the lots of sake we had and a letter (written in Japanese.)

Japanese class has been hard. But as soon as I opened up that letter, I realized again why I wanted to learn Japanese.

Not only this loving host family, but my host family from Sendai. I want to talk to them in Japanese, I want to write them letters, I want to communicate, to have fun, to cook with them and to enjoy my stay in Japan.

While you are still young, go somewhere, anywhere, and stay with a host family. This is the second time I've stayed with a host family and the experience was the best in the world.
I mean, look at how cute my host mother is!

Stay with a host family!

Do it!

Today we had a day with our home stay families!

First, I went with my host mother (Hiroko) to a pottery class! We made a bowl and a mug each! In a month the fired product will be sent to APU! I love working with clay so I enjoyed myself! My host mother doesn't speak English, but we are good with communicating. I understand what she is saying most of the time, but I am not good with responding.

After that we went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant... which is nothing like in America. The food was delicious! The dessert was my favorite! Very sweet!

We then went to a お寺 (temple). Renkein Okunoin (Link), home to the largest temple bell! There were many sakura (cherry blossom) trees, but only a few were in bloom, like this one! Very very pretty! In a few weeks more will be in bloom!

To end the day, we went to an onsen! No pictures of course since we were not alone. It's a public bath, like a spa. Very very relaxing! There was a small outdoor section too which was beautiful!

For dinner we made curry and gyoza. I am enjoying sake very much! Hot sake is delicious! A friend of Hiroko's came over later with her adorable dog named Fukumaru! Very sweet shiba inu!

Bow With and Without Ribbon

The bow is not nearly as easy as the doll. I got stuck often and cut the wrong things (which is how I found out how to make it without the ribbons.) So don't worry if this is a little tricky! Feel free to put chop sticks, a flower, or other decoration in her hair if the bow is too difficult or if the tutorial is hard to follow!

1). First, flip your paper over so the design is on the back. Fold it horizontal, vertical and on both corners.

2). Next, squish in the corners and fold it into a square. Turn the paper so the open part is on the bottom.

 3). Fold the top down a little bit, again, no exact amount.

4). Unfold all your hard work and there should be square in the middle!
(I apologize in advance for this part. It is tricky and I spent a good ten minutes on it.)

5). Make mountain folds with the center square, meaning, pinch them up so they are creased.

6).Next, push in the sides and push the inner square down. This is also tricky, so keep at it!

 7). Fold the top sides down, like so. Repeat on all each side, front and back (4 folds in total)









8). Open it from the inside, push the center like a button so it flattens and now it is starting to look like a bow!

From this point, it is the same for both the bow with ribbons and the bow without ribbons. The only difference between the two is four easy cuts, which I will explain.

I will start with the bow with ribbons.



9). Cut along the dotted line in the picture to the right. This will make two little wings, as shown on the left.

 10) Fold the sides in, to make the inside of the bow, pointy. Do that on both sides.

11). These folds do not have to be exact. Make an angled fold on the inside, and an angled fold on the outside.

12) Flip it over. Cut the ribbons with scissors any way you'd like, I did points.

13). Fold the ends of the bow in to the center and tuck them under. Now you are all finished!

Without the Bottom Ribbon

The bow without ribbons is simple (if you could make the one with ribbons.) Here is the only difference:

Start from step 8.
Lift up one of the flaps and cut the crease under it, the dotted line I indicated.
Completely cut out that square.
Repeat on the left hand side as well.

To finish, repeat the steps through 13. Disregard the bottom ribbons (since you won't have any!)

Your bow should look like this: