July 29

Hey.

I feel bad for writing such a depressing email earlier. Yeah, I'm more than ready to get home, but once I get out, I really enjoy it here, and although I'm lonely, I feel very independent when out.

This morning my host grandmother was gone, and my host dad was here, which I didn't know until about 10:30 when I asked to go out, but there were no bikes, so I just went on a short walk because it was hot, and boring. I wish they had told me he was going to be home, because maybe I could have spent more than one hour out. Oh well. As soon as Natsuko got home at like 12, he left for Tokyo. He goes AT LEAST once a week. If I had known that in the beginning, I would have asked if maybe I could buy a ticket and gone with him and spent a night at Keiko's. Oh well again.

After lunch was over (1:50?) I went upstairs thinking that my host mom would call me down to go to the post office soon. At 2:40 she finally did and we went. She asked about shipping stuff, but it's pretty expensive, so I will just pack everything and hope it doesn't way too much! I have plenty of room I think, I'm just worried about weight. As soon as we got back from the post office, 2:53, I asked to go biking to Umeda and she gave me until 5:00.

Finally, I disovered a REALLY direct EASY 15-20 minute route there and I was so happy! I was literally like, smiling while riding my bike for no reason...not just becasue I got to Umeda (which is a LARGE area) but I got to the exact department store I wanted to go to (I thought there was a gloomy bear store there, but there isn't, or I didn't find it.) I have been to Umeda by bike 3 or 4 or 5 times, each time going a new way that is pretty roundabout. It was very exciting. I shopped around a bit. Then I walked around the area a bit. I wanted to go into the Hilton just for fun becasue it's huge and has a plaza area and really fancy shops, but I didn't because I thought I might look funny wandering the lobby. So I went to the Starbucks right by it and bought a highly overpriced, itsy bitsy frappacino and sat outside on the big patio with a mix of Japanese/hotel people and drank it and people watched for my last 15 minutes before I needed to head home. Biking back was so

easy which was again really exciting, because last time I got there okay, but on the way back made some really wrong turns. I got home 15 minutes early too.

Dinner was ridiculously early, at 5:40, and it was hard to eat everything. We had beef wrapped around these greenbean things, carrots, and potatoes, but only mine and the grandmas were wrapped all pretty because Natsuko doesn't eat anything green (that's not true, but most things she doesn't like happen to be green) and I guess Yuko doesn't want to go to the trouble to wrap her own stuff. If that makes sense. I like this meal okay, but the green beans have some weird texture and when I bite them, they make a squeaking noise against my teeth like nails on a chalkboard and it bothers me. A LOT. Good to know. We had rice and noodle pasta too. Joan told me she was gonna be online at 7, and I emailed her after my shower (yes, I have eaten dinner, showered, and am in my pajamas by 6:45...Blair would do well here) that I would be online as well. But after my shower Natsuko was online and I was mad because I was looking forward to talking to Joan, but turns out Joan isn't online and hasn't been. Probably off doing something cool with her family. So here I am. I have run out of things to do, but I figure, I only have to find something for tomorrow (maybe back to America Town?) because then it's the weekend and everyone is home, and even if we aren't doing something, it's awkward to go out alone. Then I just have Monday and Tuesday, Monday the mom doesn't work, and Tuesday I'll pack and stuff. I can't wait to hear everyone's stories and see the few kids I've been emailing with (all of whom are so sad to leave...but for various reasons, Phil for example starts school the day he gets back, but he had an awesome YFU CAMP for 2 nights and a big party thing.) And you're right Blair, I realize I really will miss certain things about Japan alot, I just don't realize it when I'm sitting on the computer, but as soon as I get out, I really enjoy Osaka...even though it's still a rather hideous city.
Steph
Take that Geoffrey.


July 30

Okay. THE MOST AMAZING THING JUST HAPPENED.
PART I: So Signal Mountain is pretty much the middle of nowhere right...kind of...well even more so is Raccoon Mountain right? And that slide place that I was scared of, maybe like, 10 people went there a year right, when it was open, that is. Okay, so their tourist shop probably wasn't the most booming place in the world, right? No. I don't think so. So let's say they were to make some shirts, they probably wouldn't make that many, and even if they did, not many people would buy them right? Right.
PART II: So Japan is really big. Kind of. And there are 100 YFU kids here, but I'm in Osaka. And America Mura (town/village) is really big. And it spans blocks and blocks of the middle of Osaka. And it has HUNDREDS of shops, and half of those, at least, are really awesome vintage shops. So I choose to go in one. The first one. And I'm browsing among really awesome shirts in different languages, and concert shirts, and college shirts etc. So then, I decide to look at this stack. And for some reason I decide to look all the way at the bottom. That's when I find a shirt that says: CHATTANOOGA'S RACCOON MOUNTAIN with a smiley little raccoon. But I didn't buy it, because like I said, they aren't cool. And it was overpriced. I did get a shirt that said, I think, Kiss Me I'm German (in German) and has this funny little guy on it. Yeah, I'm not German, but who cares, THAT WAS AMAZING!
So today in the morning I couldn't go out because no one was home. I talked to Joan online who was gonna come to Osaka with Savanna but said no. Then Savanna was a bitch about the whole situation and decided to come anyway but got all pissy at me and my host mom for wanting to meet her. Long story, not really, but kind of. Joan invited me to spend Sat. and Sun. night there and go to Hiroshima, which would be so cool, but it probably won't happen, and I'm not sure if I even want to go because I don't want my family to think I hate them. Even though I'm not sure we have ANY plans. So this afternoon I kind of waited around just in case the three members of the house that sit on their butts all day watching TV and don't even acknowledge my presence when they get home invited me out. But at 2:15 I realized this wasn't happening, so I asked to go to Namba (yeah my host mom is still unaware that I change trains, go to the next station, and go to AmeriMura) and of course, I got a shocked look, like why do you want to go there again..but I just hustled out of the house. She told me to be back by 4:30 which is fine, but stupid since dinner is at 6:00. I think she wanted me back at 4:30 because the event of the day was eating this Japanese sweet thing, and yes, it was good, but it took all of 7 minutes to serve and eat it, so it wouldn't have been much of a day if I hadn't gone out. America Mura is so cool and I'll really miss it because there is really nothing else like it (I know, that's weird since you'd think AMERICA would be like it, but no not at all. And Blair, you would ADORE it...the vintage shops are AMAZING and reasonable (sometimes) and next time you can'T find ANYTHING in GoodWill or whatnot, just remember, it's all in Osaka. There is this one store called 'About 3 Dollars' where everything is 380 Yen and it's so random, and that is about 4 dollars really, if you want to get technical.) So yeah, I had a good time and I heard 'Faith' (a
weird version and that song from My Best Friends Wedding. And I think Ben Harper. I got hit on by some guy (English speaking...there are LOADS and LOADS of African Americans in this area) and he went to shake my hand and almost wouldn't let go and invited me to some club/bar that he works at. It was creepy, but I walked away really fast. And I found a patch that says Kosher Kid and bought it for one of you Cohen kids. Then I got lost and wound up at some weird subway station, but got home with a couple of unecessary transfers. It was a good 2 hours. Ha. I will really miss that area! It's so lively and fun. I wish I had found it earlier. Well not really, I've pretty much seen it all, and if I found it any earlier, Mom and Dad might be broke. So that's about it. I saw some sushi (packaged, store bought) on the kitchen counter...so that's exciting.
Write back!

July 31

Yo. Short update. Well I say short, but it might end up long, as usual.

This is for Laura mainly...lastnight we had those massive black grapes that you peel...they are called piones. I really liked them, but you're right, they were a pain to peel and super messy, and my family kept calling them blueberries and I told them I had a friend at home who came to Japan and loved them. The remind me of a plum/blueberry/grape all in one...kind of like how I was describing to Jennifer the Japanese pear that I ate that I described as what would happen if a watermelon and an apple had sex. Yeah so...last night while eating these I figured out that we were going to the science museum/planetarium today (Saturday) and the festival (something to do with Yukatas, not sure if other people wear them, or I do, I hope I get too!...I'll let you know later) tonight. And Tuesday there are big fireworks near our house (Japan must have heard I was leaving and wanted my trip to end with a bang, no pun intended) and Maiko is coming for that...still wondering if I'll
get to say by to Sachiko, but I guess it's not a big deal, because we were only semi-close because Momoyama High, and that was forever ago.

So today I went to the phone store with Natsuko and her dad to get a new phone (I'm not sure what was wrong with the old one, but I think it was free to switch...) then we went to the Science museum, which was decent, but it was all in Japanese...soooo, but I did recognize some stuff from Physics like a loser. Then after that we went back to the phone store to pick up the phone (they had to transfer her info I guess) and home for lunch (something like curry rice, but not, and salad.) Then we went back to the museum for the planetarium show (it was at 2, because the noon one was sold out.) It was pretty boring, and not exactly a typical planetarium, more like an iMAX and again, all in Japanese. For the first 20 minutes it was like a science class with a live guy narrating and HORRIBLE elevator music in the background, but unlike the one with the Jews it was pitch black for a good 20 minutes rather than 3 seconds(If you know what I mean, G. Hehe.) But then, I thought i

t was over, but then it was just starting. It was the same exact film as the one we saw in NYC in Feb. at the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of History, only they replaced Tom Hank's narration with some Japanese dude. So that was fun...relaxing. Then for some reason we went throught the museum again (but quickly) this time with Natsuko's mom while the dad waited. Then Natsuko's mom (who I liked a lot in the beginning, and still do, but she's soooooooo ditzy, shopped around for like, little figurines of animation character, which I thought was weird...I tried to imagine Mom interested in HelloKitty and Monchichi, but it didn't work.) So then we left and went grocery shopping where they had LOX to SAMPLE. Yum. Looks like we're (or they're) MAKING sushi tonight. And now I'm home.

Steph

Amy- thanks for the email! Of course I'm looking forward to seeing y'all, and I definitely want to have a Cohen/Abelson/Hays dinner where I can cook all the cool Japanese food I've eaten this past 6 weeks! Hm. Maybe there should be a backup plan, haha.

Amelia- that's awesome about the Amnesty tables! What date is it? I totally need to be doing my Amnesty homework becasue I haven't kept up with the website and actions and stuff since school ended.

Taylor- I'm sorry I didn't get to this sooner, but I'm really sorry about your grandmother and I hope things are doing well.

Kim- HAVE FUN AT SCHOOL! HAHA.

July 31, again

just got back from the festival. well not really, i got back about 45 minutes ago. it was cool. i got to wear my yukata, and so did natsuko. then we went to her elementary school where in the courtyard there were strings of lanterns and a drummer on a stage (little) in the middle. everyone was dancing in a circle around it to japanese music (duh) but it reminded me of indian music sort of, and some of the dancing reminded me of that as well. most people were old, and it was mostly all female, but the little girls were adorable (some told me hello after giggling and whispering.) i love that. haha. at one point, they made me dance, which was really uncomfortable (figuratively, and literally) but hey, when will i get to dance in a japanese festival again, right? it's called bonordori, but i could be spelling that completely wrong. we stayed for about an hour then came home. then we had peaches (after getting out of the yukata...ah, not so comfortable!! i couldn't breathe!) and

then i showered. and that's that. i haven't heard a word about plans tomorrow, but whatever, sometimes my host dad (who i adore by the way...he's the best) randomly says, hey let's go here...so maybe that'll happen. although my host mom mentioned getting my suitcase down from the attic tomorrow, so i hope all day isn't devoted to packing...but whatever! i was really tired today for some reason, so i won't mind not doing much the next few days. all i NEED to do is go to the bookstore one last time. dad...that would be cool if you were on the same plane as me from memphis! i bet mom would be jealous. gtg...drink time

steph
i forgot to mention how cool dinner was. all that sashimi we bought was lined up with tamago and cucumber and some other stuff along with bowls of rice and small squares of seaweed and we made handrolls...only not like here, they were just like small squares of seaweed and you put like, one piece of sashimi on it and some rice and rolled it up. it was really good. we had real crab too. i like 'salada maki' a lot. which, at least in my host family, consists of crab, tuna (from a can), mayonaise, and cucumbers. and i ate a bunch of fish that i didn't recognize but it was good. yum. best dinner yet. well maybe. i love everything here. we had chicken wings too. that was odd.

(sorry dad...couldn't resist talking about the food, although i don't know why you care because you're pretty fond of eating yourself.) (uh for the rest of you, dad emailed me and g and asked us if we could write just one email without talking about food.) (oh and dad, asking if the fireworks go 'BANG' in japanese was the dumbest joke ever.)

steph

august 1

I don't give my host family enough credit. Today we all went to Nara (45 minutes by car) and it was very cool. The coolest part is that there are about (about) 3834645475895723626276834945 deer roaming around and they WALK UP TO YOU and aren't scared at all. It's incredible. We went to a museum where this lady who spoke English came with us (a volunteer) and then had ramen for lunch (because the artifacts in the museum were mostly Chinese, and so is ramen and everything else that was on the menu there) and then we went to the other exhibit of the musem which was co-sponsored by some Korean museum and it was a bunch of jewlery stuff. Everything was so old! It was cool, but overwhelming, and after awhile boring since all I could read were the names. After that went to a ton of temples and saw a GIANT buddha. Walter was right when he was telling me about it, you think you understand how big it is from pictures and stuff...but you just don't. It was massive. Then we walked some more around the park. We walked a ton and I'm exhausted (which is good.) So that's that. Now I'm home waiting for dinner...I thought we might go out since usually at this time my host mom is cooking, but I think she just went to the store. Today was fun. Tomorrow I'm assuming I don't have plans, but I was wrong last time, so we'll see, but I do need to pack and go to the bookstore at some point. I'm very excited about coming home and about seeing all the YFUers on the way!

Steph

(Yeah, I lose that time, G, but I've been sending emails AND keeping a journal for myself on my laptop for 43 days now (averaging like 800 words an entry! I'm insane) and it's getting really old, for me, and I'm sure for you as well.)