So things have been moving along in Japan, this Friday the regular japanese students come back from their break, and so at that point I feel as though the real week begins. It`s good to get into the groove of things as well.
This past weekend the IES group (30 of American Students) went to Kanazawa, which is a really sweet place. We checked out this temple/house thing that is basically referred to as the Ninja House, not because Ninjas ever used it but because it has all these crazy trap doors and hidden rooms and etc. It looks like 2 floors from the outside but is actually 4 floors. Crazy stuff. Then we went to this area where they make gold leaf, its the location where like 98% of the world`s gold leaf is created. Gold leaf is real gold pounded into thin thin thin sheets, like 1/10,000 of a millimeter, or maybe thinner. I made this cool box thing using REAL GOLD w00t, but it kind of sucked because my design was cool but handling the stuff is obviously difficult due to its thinness.
That night we stayed at the cooooolest Japanese inn yet, it had 3!!! onsen! Onsen = public bathing. I had my first try of it at Inuyama and let me say, Japan has something here. Its basically amazingly scorchingly hot water that you and a bunch of your friends go into naked. Sooooo relaxing. Im basically addicted to now. Its also a pretty good estimate of where my self esteem is now too, seeing that I now have no problem getting naked in front of friends and strangers alike, when it comes to an onsen. Me and my Inn roomies went to all 3, including one that was co-ed. Don`t worry, for that one we wore these like bib-towel things. They actually covered more of the body than say, a bikini.
All in all the trip was a blast. I`m getting sick of talking in english though, now that im in japan, so I`m kind of glad its the last field trip for a while. Class is starting up and gosh darn it, I want to be able to carry out my end of a conversation by the time I go home. Reading, writing, listening all seem to be rather good but then speaking is just blah. Unfortunately the solution for that seems to be…speaking. Even when I sound like an idiot when I try to speak, gotta push on through.
Yesterday I came home rather late, our bus hit some traffic. However, i totally had this awesome moment! My homestay brother, who is 16, was actually floating around the house tonight as opposed to being out and about like he usually is. Hes very typical japanese teenager right now I think. Anyways, because hes never around its kind of obvious that I have a much better relationship with my Okasan, little sis (imoto) and Otosan. Hes also shyer than the rest, and Im kind of shy in these situations, so whereas my okasan initiates conversation and I loosen up, whenever Daiki is around Im just kind of awkward. I want to talk to him, but i never say anything. I get the feeling maybe he is bit shy and awkward about it too.
Anyways, last night we did have the briefest of conversations, lots of nodding and smiles and I gave him more eye contact than usual I guess, because in my awkward moments i totally avert the eyes. Anyways, he went off somewhere and comes back 5 minutes later and is donning the NY Yankees ballcap that i brought for him for an omiyage (souvenior/gift), which is the first time I`ve seen him put it on since I gave out the gifts when I first arrived. Guys this is big in japan speak. He played around with it in the mirror for a while and then took it off and left after only a few minutes, but I was like OMG HE LIKES/ACCEPTS ME interally. Outward of course I just smiled and nodded along with Kiko-chan. But this was like, a bonding moment japan-style. I bet a bunch of people back home are going to be like “you are reading way into this” but my other ryugakusei exchange students can attest to it!
My homestay family is so schweeeet. There was this sort of “youve been gone a day we missed you!” feeling when I got back from the trip. It was nice 
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