Danielle- Hiroshima

Hiroshima Family Reunion

My job here is steadily coming to a close... I can't believe it.

July has been another emotional one for me. Many of my exchange student friends and those I've been coaching have gone back home after their year-long exchange in Japan. Said "goodbyes" and "see you again soons" to them at the airport this past Monday. So for the remainder of my time here, I'll be interning alone until next year's intern comes late August (right before I leave). ...Still can't believe I'll be coming home soon...

Anyways! Sentiments aside, I made one last long-anticipated trip to go visit family in Hiroshima!! It was short, but sweet. I went by nightbus this time (was an adventure, to be sure - maybe got 5 hours of sleep on the 14-hour trip) and arrived the next morning at about 8AM.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful family reunion!! Got to meet my little brother and sister, who me and my family hosted waaaay back (like 6 years ago), and I was glad to find that they hadn't changed a bit! They've all gotten so big, and I'm so glad we kept in touch so that I could meet them again during my one year here. I was able to fit into their family just as cozily as they fit into mine - Hiroshima is soooo lovely!

The weather was PERFECT because they live in middle of a mountain area, which kept us all pretty cool for the most part. The mountain scenery was absolutely lovely, by the way~ We did some sightseeing together (like visiting Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima), had lots of really great meals together (like Hiroshima-styled okonomiyake), did lots of shopping and purikura, but favorite thing was watching scary movies with my siblings until 2AM. Felt just like the good old days~

Comments

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- 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...

Stephanie-こんにちは！Konnichiwa! Hello!

こんにちは！Konnichiwa! Hello! My host sister Asuka and I in 小えど, Japan Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie, but in Japan I've already been given the nickname Su-chan　す－ちゃん (su from Stephanie since the Japanese pronunciation is su-teh-fah-nee, and -chan is added to the end of a name when you are speaking to a younger person or a friend), so you can call me Su-chan! I am one of the five Hippo interns working in the LEX headquarters office in Tokyo this year. In addition to me, from Wisconsin, the intern team is made up of Tino from Mexico, Sakun and Ken Ken from China, and Hiu-chan from Korea. It's great to have such an international group! Before coming to Japan I attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a degree in fine art. During that time I also worked for Wisconsin 4-H International Programs, which is how I first learned about Hippo through the 4-H/Hippo summer and yearlong exchanges. Last summer I had the opportun...

Search This Blog