Skip to main content

Danielle- Christmas

Christmas


Merry Christmas, everyone!! It's been kinda hard to get the whole "Christmas spirit" feel this year, just because not many people seem to celebrate it like they do in the States. Because Christmas in America (let alone, in my household of eight) and Christmas in Japan are really quite different.

Here are a couple quick things I noticed:

1. People still work/go to school on 12/25. :o

2. It's mostly a time for young kids and is less celebrated when you get older.

3. 12/24 may be bigger than 12/25, and that's when my host family did their gift exchange (and I got my pajamas that I never want to change out of, because they are soooo comfy, thank you host mama!!)


4. It's not as family-oriented as their New Years celebration is. Christmas Day is more a time for friends to get together and chill. Whereas, New Years is when people travel to get together with their families and chill. Lots of chillin' going on in the winter time.

5. There aren't too many decorations around; mostly just when I go shopping do I hear the music and see the lights (Christmas cakes are definitely a thing out here, though).


This year, holidays are very different for me, since my family and I have always been very close. This is actually my first Christmas I've ever been away from home. Though I'm not able to spend it with my family, I do feel very lucky that I was able to celebrate the holidays with my favorite people that I met out here in Japan. I'm super grateful for them, why are you all so nice to me?! :D Thanks, buddies!


Also, looking forward to celebrating my first Japanese New Years! Can't wait to try some osechi (New Years feast)!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Maddie- The First of Many New Experiences

The First of Many New Experiences So, what have my first weeks been like in Japan? ABSOLUTELY BUSY! But, also...AMAZING! Truly, it has been a busy couple of weeks here, but not overwhelmingly so. Furthermore, I`d prefer to be kept busy! Too much free time = too much thinking = homesickness. By keeping a full, fun schedule, with some relaxing and downtime, I can keep engaged with my surroundings, make new friends, and stay sane. To prevent a wall of text, let me break down for you some of my recent activities. So far, I have: Presented about my life in Wisconsin to classes of middle school and elementary school students. Eaten kaiten-zushi, or conveyor belt sushi.  Been interviewed about my biggest surprise when I came to Japan (it`s bluntness in regards to appearance, people won`t hesitate to call someone fat, or tell you that you`ve gotten skinny since they last saw you. As I`ve seen it, it`s never been malicious, just matter-of-fact).  Post filming. To my ...

Daniel- I have Guests!

I Have Guests! [訪れていた] (Daniel) After a trip to the Middle East, my sister and her husband decided to return to the US flying over Asia instead of Europe, so that they could stop by in Japan and say "Hi". Y-A-A-A-A-Y. It felt really good to see some family after seven months away. Unfortunately, the two of them could only stay for 3 days, so we were quite busy during that time. The three of us visited obvious famous places like Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, and Akihabara. But I personally enjoyed going to a park where we did the tea ceremony in a tea house on the park's pond. The two of them found it strange that there were no chairs and the process to drink some tea was so formal. I guess I didn't really think about it, I have become so used to traditional tea ceremonies that they don't seem strange to me anymore. I guess I'm becoming a local  I also really enjoyed introducing my sister and brother-in-law to my co-work...

Daniel- Okutama

Okutama (Daniel) This past week, my eyes were opened to the fact that Japan is much more than a concrete jungle of lights and high-rise buildings. For the first time, I was able to head west to Okutama, a mountainous region on the west side of Tokyo Prefecture. Unlike the city, Okutma is covered with forest and greenery. The abundance of nature makes it a beautiful place to visit in the fall. Not too far from Okutama is Heirinji Zen Temple in Saitama, where I was blown away by the beauty of autumn in Japan. The purpose for my being in that area was to visit a kindergarten and to give a HIPPO presentation along with other HIPPO members. Among them was a younger gentleman nicknamed Tango, whom I hadn't met before. Tango and I got along very well, and he invited me on a hike, along with his friend, the next day. Tango's family owns a very quaint Soba restaurant in Okutama. The surrounding mountains and nature really give it a traditional Japanese feel. The three of u...