Host Family Part II

I got a request from bff Stephanie to talk more about my host family. While I would've liked to include pictures on this post, it's a bit awkward maybe to walk up to them and be like "can I take a picture to show like 50 people back home what you look like?" But I can still show a few pictures and at least tell you things about them and what it's like to live with them. :0

Host Mom: Tomoko

Yeah I've used this picture before. Sorry for looking gross in it.

Firstly, she is an awesome cook!  And in her free time she teaches a cooking class and also is a Japanese teacher (gets called in every once in a while. I guess a sub?) The family has lived in Tokyo their whole life but really hasn't traveled around Japan very much, which I was surprised about. BUT they have traveled around the world extensively and even lived in Germany for a bit (she studies German too in her free time). I think because of this, they are more of a western influenced family than a really traditional Japanese family like some of the other Oregon students got...but it's nice I think- I'm really glad I got this family because they are so open to different cultures and understanding of things. Also relaxed (I don't have to use polite form with her)  She's really funny too because she tells me all about her trips to Egypt and, like I said before, she always talks really fast so I don't quite get what she is saying sometimes but- I'm getting a lot better at Japanese I feel like because now I am understanding her more. She's kinda sassy too, like telling me about her opinions on a lot of things or people and it makes me laugh (when I can understand that is...). Usually for breakfast I have a western style meal haha (quite the contrast to my last host family where I ate rice and fish for breakfast). This time I have toast (with nutella or jelly), a banana, yogurt, sometimes really nice cheese, sometimes an egg and sausage,  sometimes pancakes! - but everyday I also eat veggies too for breakfast. This could be anything from a green salad to pieces of broccoli and asparagus (why the Japanese enjoy salads for breakfast I have no idea!). For lunch I'm on my own. And then come home after school and have dinner! It can be a number of things....Usually a bunch of little courses. So for example last night we had Nabe (tofu, fish, cabbage, sprouts  all boiled in water then you put it in a bowl with sauce), and a  bowl of soup (which had mushrooms and potatoes and carrots and other veggies), a cup of rice, and some other vegetable on the side. Dessert is usually an asian pear, persimmon, apple, or a small cup of pudding. Sometimes, like last night, she has "wagashi"...Japanese sweets from the grocery store (usually involves anko beans and smashed rice called mochi), and sometimes she makes special desserts like her chocolate cake she made last night.

Host Sister: Hanako (18)

This is Hanako (right) and her best friend since like forever, Shun (left)...(I have english conversation time with him sometimes because he wants to get better at speaking! )
Hanako loooves to sing and is missing Karaoke right now because she's studying so much. In Japan, you have to study hard and take a placement test in the spring to try and get into certain colleges. Hanako wants to go to the hardest school in Japan so she's studying her butt off (she's so amazing!) around the clock. I could not do what she does. Anyway, she's hilarious though- I don't get to spend a lot of time with her but the time I do get to spend at dinner makes me laugh. She likes to watch movies, and Desperate Housewives is one of her favorite shows (lol). She's super smart and I read her english homework sometimes and am amazed. However, that doesn't mean she can speak english...most Japanese can read or write english but can't speak it because they don't focus on that in school! Interesting right? (that's where this thing called the JET program comes in. They bring in native english speakers into japanese high schools and practice the speaking element they miss. I've thought about doing the JET program in the future but we'll see what happens )

Mikio: Host Dad
Sorry, don't have a picture or much information for him. I usually only see him at dinner but he laughs a lot at Hanako and Tomoko's witty banter, and he likes to read the newspaper, and goes swimming every day---  every week he goes to see a classical music concert! He's a businessman but I'm not sure exactly what his job is. ..

Rikako: 16

Rikako is on the left

Never met her. She's studying abroad in Canada this year. But I hear a lot about her. It was really funny because my host mom was talking to her on skype the other day and I guess she wanted to buy this $600 dress for prom! My host mom was asking me like "is this normal for prom in america?" HAHA nooooo. I told her all about prom after that, and how my sister and I treat prom a bit differently ($40 dresses vs $200 dresses haha)...and how she has to keep in mind she will also be buying shoes probably and maybe makeup and/or hair as well. She finally found a  dress though for $100 so that's good!


That's all for now. Of course I will post more stories about them if they arise...Let me know if you have questions about them? or about living at my host families house?