| | update...
so it's Christmas eve, and it feels weird that I'm just sitting around eating ice cream. although I guess that fact that I have had nothing to build up to this night (decorating, shopping, etc.) makes it feel like it's not really Christmas. but that fact that I know it is and I'm missing is kind of a downer.
tomarrow though I'm having lunch with this Irish guy named Damien who comes to my school on Fridays to teach English. he said I deserved a break from the Japanese for Christmas and invited me to his apartment along with two other American teachers living in the area for a Christmas meal. after that, my host family is having some people over for dinner, which is really nice of them because I know they are just having a "Christmas party" to try and make me feel at home. Christmas isn't really celebrated here, and only really gets recognition because it is western, which automatically equals cool. it more or less it just a big marketing ploy. although I guess you could make the same complaint about Christmas in America, there is at least some element of a "holiday spirit" there. there are people here that believe by putting up their lights, pre-ordering KFC dinners weeks in advance (which for some reason the Japanese think is traditional Christmas dinner), and eating "Christmas cake" they are getting at the real meaning of Christmas, but it usually falls a little short. but (although it sounds kind of lame), I think my host family, by doing all that they have for me, unknowingly are embodying the holiday spirit perfectly. I really can't thank them enough.
yesterday there was an AFS Christmas party down in this town named Obu. I thought it would be just a couple of the kids in the Toyota area, but it was actually well over 100 people (including consolers and Japanese kids who have been AFS exchange students). it turned out to be a really good time, and it was good to see some people that I met back in august, but haven't seen since then. after the party, about 20 exchange students with a couple other Japanese kids went to karaoke, which was also a good time. I am a horrendous singer, but after going a couple times I realized that the only way to look stupider than trying to sing is by just sitting their being self-conscious about yourself. I've grown to like karaoke alot. after that, most people left but myself, Justin (from Pennsylvania), David (Chile), and Howie (Malaysia) went and walked around Nagoya station. I've gotten to know the three of them pretty well because they all live right near me and we all go out once in a while.
going back a little further, I went to Kyoto about a week ago which turned out to be just as amazing as I expected it to be. I've found I sometimes have expectations that are way to high for various things, and often get let down, but luckily that didn't happen with Kyoto. I'll post some pictures soon.
I hope everyone has a great Christmas.
edit: i forgot to mention i got accepted at DePaul. it feels really good to hear that I'm in somewhere. the big one i'm waiting to hear on is U of I at Urbana though, because that would be one of the more difficult places for me to get into. U of I and DePaul are tied at the top of the places I'd like to go. U of I is overall a better school, but DePaul is located right in the middle of the city. i have trouble concieving how amazing that would be to go to school right in the middle of Chicago. |
