Bet cha can't guess where I am. Come on. Try! Give it your best shot!
On the computer? Very funny, smartass. Of course I'm on the computer. Try again!
Sitting on the couch? In the living room? Well..yes..but that's not what I meant! Guess what country I'm in!
No....No.
No. You're still wrong..come on, guys! FINE! You know what?! I'll just tell you myse-YES!!!
YOU! ARE! RIGHT!
I AM in Japan! You were right dear sir-oh...sorry...ma'am....I couldn't tell with the whole beard and...all...Sorry!! I didn't know you work in a circus! How on Earth was I suppose to know that?! OH! You're famous?? Well not in Japan, so sit down, and let me finish this darned post, woman!!!
...Thank you.
Anyways! As I was SAYING.
I'M IN JAPAN!
Well, at least for the next five hours.
Which makes things very interesting because my entire web page is in Japanese....Yeah...let's see how well this goes...
Well, I've been here since June 17th! I've been visiting my dad, my evil-step-mommy-dearest, and my bubba! Since I've been here I've been to the beach four times! Two times by myself! I've done a lot of other super cool, epic, once-in-a-lifetime things too, but I'm honestly just a little too lazy to write all of them down. So far, I think my favorite thing has been interacting with the people. Language barrier you say? Language barrier my BUTT I say back! I've discovered not only that a surprising amount of Japanese people know a bit of English, but also that you can get very far knowing a few phrases and a WHOLE lot of gestures.
One of my favorite moments was I was sitting on the train headed to workout on the military base, and the dude next to me (about my age) has his music playing so loud that I can hear it, and it's American music! Blink 182 and Bowling for Soup type music, my kind of thing. ya know? SO anyways! I start absentmindedly drumming on my thighs, and the guy look at my hands for a while, then at my face, then back at my hands. He removes one of his ear buds and offers it to me. I tried to say "No thank you" and such, but he persistently held it out to me. So I took it and listened to it. We ended up head bopping and slightly rocking out together all the way to Yokohama. (About a fifteen minute train ride from Oppama) Turns out we were getting off on the same stop so we walked through the station together, head bopping and what not, when it came time to part ways we shook hands, smiled really creepily, and headed in our different directions. Not gonna lie, it kind of made my day.
Another awesome moment came during the Oppama festival (which basically looked like Carnival in Rio...it was crazy and there were scantily clad chicks everywhere. Needless to say, my brother was as red as a cherry and in a very, very bad mood as we teased the crap out of him, OF COURSE!) I had been snapping pics of things and people the whole day. You know how there are those cultures that don't like people taking their pictures? The Japanese people do NOT believe in these cultures. They're not even apathetic to it! They LOVE it when people take pictures of them! The first time I got caught taking a picture of someone I had a slight panic attack as they looked at me, instead of yelling at me in Japanese (like I expected) she struck a pose, and smiled! So my day is going great, I'm doing my whole "No language barrier will embarrass me and no awkward looks will deter me!" thing and as we start heading home we pass this large garage with a bunch of shrine carriers taking a break and eating lunch, with the shrine sitting on a table right in the middle of the garage! SO we pass by and I'm kind of like "...I want to...but...but...", Dad turns around and goes "You know you want to" so I go "OF COURSE! Hold my bags!" dump my bags off on the poor, unsuspecting father and trek the short distance back. I stop in front of the open garage and take a huge breath in "KANCHIWA!" I shout above the mingling crowd in my American accent. As an assortment of amused voices greet me back as I hold up my Dad's Nikon that I've been using and shout "KUDASAI" (Please). Not only does the group understand my poorly communicated request, they jump to the occasion. Peace signs are thrown up all around the room, and smiles adorn the faces of the tired workers. After I snap the pic I bow low and shout thank you! (In Japanese of course, I'm just too lazy to attempt to spell it) Laughter fills the room and as I run off to catch up to my family the echoes of it and their "Konbawas" (Good evening) follow me through the warm, summer air. (Can you tell I've been writing again lately?) As I catch up to my family they laugh and listen attentively to me as I retell my story to them and feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. They relay to me that the little obasan (middle age woman) walking in front of them had turned around and began chuckling when she heard my "Kanichiwa"
It's hard to explain why I came to the conclusion that I love this country so much. If I had to sum it up, I would say that it's because they accept me. The people here love me! Not to sound arrogant or anything, but the people out here find me truly amusing, and not in the bad "Haha let's make fun of her amusing" but the "Haha let's all laugh together because you did something unusual" Not to mention how much safer it is here than in America! Not saying that it doesn't have it's bad spots, most countries do. (I wonder what it's like it Switzerland....) They're just so much rarer. You see five year olds getting on trains to visit friends three train stops away. It's amazing.
Well, to move on past the whole "Japan" thing I head home in a few hours. Two days I after get back I have to help ma move us, again. Day after that I go to the beach with a group of friends, few days after that my last high school marching season begins. (God bless my soul).
SO why did I choose today to randomly get back on here? (Please forgive me for not updating...I totally forgot...School got crazy) Ms. Marauder CAME BACK. And it reminded me about le blog.
Also! My phone randomly opened Gmail when I clicked on Yahoo today, in which case I noticed an email from blog spot telling me we had a comment on one of our posts! It was from Tim! Saying we should restart this! He wrote that in April! Ha! Does that tell you how often I check my GMail? Yeah. I know. I'm terrible. Shut up. -__-
I've finished packing (Well I'll be completely finished after I shower and pack all of that stuff) and I want to stay up until we have to leave for the airport (4 am, in case you're wondering) so I can just sleep through most of the TWELVE HOUR FLIGHT. Then all I have to deal with is the second two hour flight.
I'm not looking forward to this, can you tell?
I hope Nutters can visit me before school starts. It's our senior year, just in case you're wondering. I'm nervous...but excited.
Please, please forgive me if there are any typos or what not here, it's late and I'm tired. Plus my contacts are stupid. That is all.
-Torchie
P.S WE'RE BACK. (Tim) (Just so you know) (Just in case you couldn't tell by me posting) (Okay, I'll leave now.) (Yeah. Uh) (Bye!)
