Well, first of all, here I am in Kanazawa! We got here on a train called the Thunderbird. The ride was so pleasant and smooth, but stupidly expensive--about 7200 yen for a one-way ticket, so that's around $72. The first night we got here, we stayed overnight in a hotel, and then we met our host families!
I'm living with a mom, a dad, and a 16-year-old daughter. The parents and I have spent some time together, but unfortunately I barely ever see the daughter. I still have high hopes of a relationship with her, but she seems very busy with school and friends. Fortunately the family liked the gifts (おみやげ) I brought them, so we're off to a good start I think!
Here's a picture of the house, the view from the table where we eat together!
Every day we eat breakfast and dinner together. The television sits right on the table, and they keep it on during meals. I've been learning all sorts of interesting things about Japan from those programs, for example, a large percentage of drug use in Japan is among working middle-aged men, as a result of a stressful life with few apparent rewards.
Today was the first full week of classes. Nobody beats the Yale senseis, but the PII senseis are coming in close second. They're charming and energetic and approachable, and spending time both inside and out of the class with them has been wonderful.
We've done so many amazing extracurriculars in this first week alone. We spent an afternoon at the Ishikawa Prefectural Government, where we received おみやげ (souvenirs) and got to go up to the top floor of the building for a beautiful view of Kanazawa:
Then we got to go to Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. It was incredible, I took over two hundred pictures. We also got to attend a tea ceremony in the garden, in a traditional tea house. We drank matcha and talked and had a great time, despite the heat. It was especially hot that day. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:
Then, on Saturday was the Hyakumangoku Matsuri! The dance we practiced was way longer than I anticipated-- danced for almost three whole hours. We all wore coats called 'happi,' (はっぴ) and had sashes that we waved in the air during one dance. There were three dances in total, and many, many groups were doing them with us as we proceeded down the street. It was an oddly calming experience.
Here's Satoh-sensei!
Two senseis and some friends in this one!
The first complete week of classes have started this week, and cultural activities will start soon too. Stay tuned!
