こんばんは！
Good evening everyone! I can’t believe I am actually here. I have finally shaken off my jet lag although I still feel a little tired from all the traveling. I’ve noticed that constantly using my brain by speaking Japanese is very tiring so I am making sure to get quality sleep every night. The flight from Seattle to Osaka took over 11 hours but it went by very quickly. On the plane ride I began to get nervous about meeting my host family. When the flight attendants on the plane spoke in Japanese I realized how little Japanese I can actually understand. However this fear quickly went away once I arrived and met Nanase for the first time. Her English is so good it's crazy. I told her she must study very hard. Her mother, Mayumi san, is very sweet and is similar to my own mother back in America. She is also a very good cook and all her food is delicious. My younger host brother Sho is a little shy but he is also kind and when I gave him my Omiyage (souvenirs) he was very thankful. I have not met my host father yet because he is currently in India for a business trip, however, Nanase says his English is very good because he used to live in New York when he was a little kid. I’m so happy I am living with this family that makes me feel so welcome and are always so cheerful.
When driving from Osaka to Nishinomiya I got to see so much of the city. I didn’t realize how big Nishinomiya is. I had thought it would be similar to Spokane but it is much much bigger. Spokane has a population of roughly 217,000 where as Nishinomiya has a population of over 488,000. The view from my house is breathtaking. We live on the top of a very steep hill which give us a very good vantage point. From our roof you can even see the Osaka Bay.
Later that first night, we drove into town to eat at a hotel's buffet with Jonah, Sarah, and their host families. The other host families seem just as nice as mine and all 6 of us seem to get along very well. Sarah’s host sister, Shiho, goes to the same school as Nanase so now I will at least know 2 people at our school. We will begin going to school on Tuesday because Nanase has a big test on Monday. On Saturday Nanase and I mostly sat in her living room and talked. We also went to the local grocery store which was so fun to see because there was so many similarities yet so different from an american store.
I am just absolutely loving every part of Japan! The people are all so respectful and there is so much order. Nanase was telling me about all the rules their school has and although it seems strict I think I am going to love it. The food is another part that I am already growing very fond of. We have had soba, miso soup, and okonomiyaki (I will attach some photos below). The weather has been rainy and windy and I think I should have packed some warmer clothes but I am just happy that I didn’t forget anything vital. I’m looking forward to the upcoming weeks and I am so grateful to be able to experience this wonderful opportunity.
-Hana Hill
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