Home Early

It is now 3.10pm on a Monday afternoon and I am not at school. `Melissa, why is that so?` I hear you ask. Well hold your horses (or your raw fleshy chunks of horse) and let me explain.

Today i awoke, as I usually do, and got ready for school. It didn`t take long because I had laid out everything I need the night before. As the clock was chiming seven times, to indicate 7am, I was making my way to the kitchen. I managed to make it halfway across the room until Grandad finally heard me upon which I smiled and said goodmorning in a clear voice so his aging ears could hear me. Breakfast was of course rice, miso soup and lettuce and something I just can`t explain. I usually have finished breakfast, washed the dishes, dried the dishes and put the dishes away by 7.20am after which is out the door for Miki, myself and my host mother. Driving to school I look out the window, watching the business men who are dressed up smartly in suit and tie riding pushbikes along the side of the road along with school students and young primary school students in their bright yellow hats and with their bright red school satchels.

Upon arrival I put my shoes in my shoe locker and whipped out my uwabaki (inside slippers). I then climbed the tiring stairs until I came to my classroom which is ２年６組. I had to wait there for a while until class started so I talked with my old host sister, Marina and Auka while they told me how nervous they were about the exams looming before them. I didn`t really have any need to worry as I have no exams! Eventually home class started and after it I went to the english office. One of my english speaking teachers promised that today they would `drop me` and I wondered firstly what I had done wrong and secondly where they had picked up such a gangster-like expression until I figured out that in `dropping me` they would come by the english office and `drop in` for a while.

David and I then successfully entertained ourselves by comparing all sorts of cultural differences between America and Australia and then the two together versing Japan. I also actually got some work done and 12 noon came surprisingly fast. We went to clean, I am still on the carpet-cleaning sticky-tape style cleaning roster which is, I admit, good fun. By about 12.30 I was ready to go home and Miki rang Dad and he came all the way out to pick me up, which he really didn`t have to but he did. We talked a little in the car but again it is very difficult, so much to say with so little words to convey it with. Grandma was surprised but somewhat delighted at having company for lunch and in portraying so, doubled my lunch with extra rice, a bowl of miso, fish and also seaweed. On top of that she gave me yogurt and orange juice along with the obentoo I already had of pasta, rice, chicken, vegetables and a little bit more fish. Once full to the brim, I made my way here and here we are.

Will post something a little more constructive later, for now that will have to do!