Hello! (Ali)        Hello! Let me introduce myself. My name is Alexandra Melling (but everyone calls me Ali). I am from the small town of Walla Walla, located in the southeastern corner of Washington state. Walla Walla is known for its numerous wineries, sweet onions, annual hot air balloon festival, and its role in the settling of the West.  During high school, my family had the privilege of hosting several Japanese exchange students through 4-H and a local sister city program. In 2006, I had the opportunity to visit one of these students in Hokkaido, Japan, who was a Hippo member. Two years later, I returned for a two month language study and homestay. In May of 2012, I graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelors of Arts in History and Social Studies education. However, having finished my studies, I decided there was one last thing I needed to do before starting the grueling task of finding a teaching position, return to Japan. Lo and behold, the company tha

Kansai: Osaka (Ali) This last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Kansai area and the Hippo families there. It was so cold, but I had a lot of fun. While there I stayed with three different host families, each one in a different part of the kansai area. I also attended many different hippo families and various workshops. If I were to make a brief summary it would be : met amazing people and ate lots of takoyaki! My first host family was in Osaka. Their apartment was next to the river and you could see the city center of Osaka from the top stories. My host family was extremely kind. They have been hosting people from all over the world for   years. My host father is also a world traveler and has been a part of Hippo for twenty years. He still has all the cassette tapes !  My host father and mother actually met though Hippo activities.  It was amazing to see a host father so involved in the Hippo program. My host siblings were also super adorable. My host b