Saturday, June 22, 2019

6/22 Saturday

Hello! This is Balsomico-sensei. Being the weekend, students did not have to go to school, so it’s one of two days that I am not with them the whole day. As a result, I will give a brief introduction to part of the day, and students can provide some samples of what they did. I didn’t want to make them write too much on their day off.

We were together for a couple of hours towards the middle of the day. The Joys International Exchange Association, with whom I worked closely while in Japan, graciously helped us find the host families. In return, they asked me to give a presentation on the importance of international exchange, and after my presentation, community members had the opportunity to interact with our students. Many of the people that attended were my adult students from many years ago, and it was wonderful seeing our students talk with people from all kinds of backgrounds in Japan. I think it was a great opportunity for them. After the meeting, students left were their families and had their own adventures:

Carley
Today my host sister and I wore a yukata and went to Byodoin, a temple in Uji featured on the 10 yen coin. We went to a museum, and had matcha ice cream and dango on the way out. After sensei’s speech, we made shabu shabu and Haruka’s (my host sister) friend joined us and we played games together. Also, before going to Byodoin, a neighbor came over and showed me how to make Shimenawa, ropes found around Japanese shrines.

Amy:
Today with my host mother, we went shopping, then went to an arcade. After the presentation we joined some other kids from Shaler and made okonomiyaki and yakisoba.

Nate
I was able to sleep in this morning, and then with my family had a type of cheese udon for lunch. After sensei’s presentation, I got to talk with a bunch of people. In the evening, Alex, Roman, Amy, and our host families gathered together for dinner.

Alex and Roman:
In the morning we went to a Japanese arcade and played some games, where I won nothing. In the evening we had an okonomiyaki party and took turns trying to figure out how to flip the okonomiyaki.

Meiling
Today was an interesting day. I went shopping with my family at a store strangely called Don Quixote. I bought a lot of food that I had never seen before and thought it would be interesting to try. In the even8ng my family took me to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant.

Some of the pictures from today:
Carley and her family at Byodoin

Okonomiyaki party

More okonomiyaki

Shimenawa

Some of Sensei’s former students with Nate 

Carley’s host mother and sister. Check out the Heinz pickle pin sensei gave her over 15 years ago

More okonomiyaki

Carley and her mother 

Can we flip okonomiyaki? 

Games with the family 



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