Moving in with my Homestay Family!

{ 01/02/2010 @ 11:03 am } · { Uncategorized }

So today was the day I moved in with my homestay family. I was so nervous this morning, wondering about so many things – finishing packing, whether I’d have internet or not and be able to speak to Kim, whether they’d even like me – it was pretty nerve wracking. I finished packing my stuff (I need a new large suitcase -  I haven’t got that much more stuff, just needed to spread it between about 6 small bags instead of one big ‘un), finished talking to Kim and dragged all my stuff to the ground floor, with the aim of walking up to uni with it all with India’s (begrudging :p) help, before leaving it in the lobby to meet my family. Slight problem. It started raining, pretty hard – me with two suitcases, god knows how many shoulder bags, a box and a guitar. So I ordered a taxi. Which then sat outside the wrong sem house for 10 minutes.

Long story short, despite my best intentions, we were running late.

So we go a huge way around uni to the bus depot, crank it into uni and run upstairs. The first question I recieved: “why do you have all your bags?” Turns out that when they said put them in the lobby, they meant of Seminar House precisely so you didn’t have to drag them to uni. And no one thought to tell me when I was lugging all this shit out of sem xD So I then run downstairs, dump all the stuff in the main office, say goodbye to long-suffering India and run back upstairs, scribble on my forms and come outside to meet my homestay family.

I couldn’t stop smiling the moment I saw them. Obviously we are gonna have our ups and downs, but they just looked the nicest people. Also, my first thought was that one of them looked like family friends of my family’s back home (it later turned out they are IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY TO THAT FAMILY except japanese). Okasan was wearing a black jacket with leopard print insides and a purple sweater. HOW BAMF IS THIS WOMAN. Then it turned out everyone knew them (maybe because I’m their 22nd homestay student) and everyone kept saying how much fun I was going to have with them. Then I had the meeting with them and it turns out I have internet, the family all live within two doors of the house, so there is regularly huge amounts of things going on covering 4 generations, I am being lent a bike, I have no real curfew, although I have to let okasan know what’s going on (fair enough), okasan will do all my laundry, etc etc. I was like at everything.

Then we left to go home, and we loaded my many bags (and box and guitar) into the car and headed home, me following the route back to uni carefully, knowing i’d have to cycle it the next day. Got in, met the dog (who is SUCH A CUTIE) and lugged all my stuff upstairs, and sat chatting with okasan and obaachan for a bit infront of the 405 foot wide TV, before the family arrived.

And boy did they arrive.

It ended up as Me, okasan, otousan, obaachan, two adult children and their spouses, and their 5 children. Thirteen of us  in the front room eating. it was mad. It was little Kaito’s birthday (he turned 3) so I gave him some of my english pencils as a birthday gift. for food we had sukiyaki which I freaking love (raw egg in the bottom of a bowl, hot pot of meat and  veg in juices that you just help yourself too aspkfaslx so delicious) and birthday cake to finish. We then chatted and I taught some guitar as we watched TV and let dinner go down, before people started using the bath. A little while later it was my turn to use the bath.

So in Japan, this is what you do. You shower before the bath, making sure you’re extra clean, then get in the bath (which is hot – this was 43 degrees) and soak away your troubles, and then get out feeling relaxed and refreshed – which was oh man, exactly what happened. Baths, I’ve missed you so.

So then after everyone went (and we watched a great j-drama called Tokujo Kabachi), I went back to my room, which is  where i am now. Let me just describe the awesomeness. There are books everywhere, including the complete Encyclopaedia Britanica in Japanese, Ningyo (shudder) and pictures everywhere, including, in pride of place above the desk, a where’s wally jigsaw picture. And just incase I needed any more signs to how perfect it is, the shouji (sliding doors) have snoopy on them. <3

Then the following conversation happened – excuse the language.

[00:34:56] Ella May Blake: What’s your room like at your house?

[00:35:01] Wiggles: lovellyyy

[00:35:11] … dolls a- HO SHIT IS THAT A PIANO UNDER THAT COVER

[00:35:14] … IT LOOKS PIANO SHAPED

[00:35:16] … BRB

[00:35:44] …THERE’S A MOTHERFUCKING PIANO

[00:35:46] … IN MY ROOM
Turns out there is a piano  in the room too, under a giant blanket. I love this family.

Right, so now off to bed. 6 and a bit hours sleep then cycling  to school. Most likely in the rain. Fun start to the year!