Tachibana High School

I love it. Thats about all i can say! I was so nervous on my first day. (I have lost train of thought... my little host brother just came on and turned the lights on for me, how sweet). Anyway, erm, yes on my first day i was so nervous and i felt so stupid in my Japanese uniform but i bit the bullet and wore it all, including my pink little neck-tie. We left for school really early because my host sister Marina had club so i just sat in the class room waiting while people who were brave enough to approach the random Australian girl came up and said hi. I think they were more nervous than me! We all were in class and i sit at the back near a window, the view is awesome, cherry blossoms, snowy mountains and high rise buildings. We went into the massive hall for an assembly in which everyone was seated, there were so many people and everything was very formal. I was so nervous and help my speech so tightly in my hands i am surprised i didn`t rip it. Yumi Sensei guided me to the stage and we were seated while all the students bowed, it is an amazing thing to see so many people in perfect unison bow the way the Japanese do! I was about to die when i reached the microphone but i delivered my speech the best i have ever said it! I was so happy and the reaction i got when i mentioned the fact that my family has two horses was crazy, they all just went, ooh.

Well i went home pretty early after that because we didn`t have any lessons but then the next day wich was Tuesday, we had our first day of lessons. In the morning we had to write our new school years resolution, the Japanese school year has just begun. I wrote: 私はもっと多くの日本語を習いたいです。　Yumi Senei came to check that i knew what to do and then she saw i had already finished and she was so lovely, going `oh my goodness, look at this, kanji and everything!`

English lesson was pretty fun although i felt stupid repeating after the teacher english words haha. They learnt the phrase: `It`s all Greek to me!`

Today we had massive tests on the work they had been doing over the holidays, yes the Japanese don`t ever stop working. I just got to stay in the English teachers room and talked with David. After the test we went to a pretty park and had more school photos! Also, after schoool today i went and watched my host sister`s chorus club mini concert, it was so amazing! They sang, I Will Follow Him, which was so cute in their japanese accents. In Japan, you show the people in the year level above you so much respect. These two girls beside me asked me if i was a senpai, which is a senior, and when i said yes, they wouldn`t look me in the eye and they kept bowing to me and it was crazy.

I will stop here, i don`t want to make this too boring and long! I hope you are all well and if you get a chance, please comment!

Love Mel xxx