Magnificent

Orientation

2008-02-06T21:33:00.000+10:30

Orientation Day. Today.

I just attended the orientation day for this years outbound students. I've been through so much since i sat in the seats they were sitting, since i heard the things they heard.

I miss Japan so much these days. So much i want to talk about with so many people to listen!

I miss blogging.

I'm doing year 12.

I'm going back to Japan in July!

Schooling Comparison

2007-09-25T21:32:00.000+09:30

Well it’s been such a long time since I’ve posted because I’ve simply run out of things to talk about but I am aiming for a revamp sooner rather than later. So, to kick-start this revamp, (motivated by the fact that this is a summative assignment for Japanese) the first instalment is an educational and insightful post into the differences and similarities between schooling in Japan and Australia.

The Australian schooling system, based on my own experiences as this can vary, has a primary school which ranges from the ages of 5 in Reception all the way through to Year 7 at about the age of 12. However, before the age of 5, children attend kindergarten which is a mere introduction to the official schooling system.

During Primary School, students work to establish the foundations for the future of their education. High Schools can be selected depending on how heavy a fee the parents want to pay or simply for reasons such as location and popularity. Students then remain in High School for 5 years which is the end of their schooling until University.

Primary Schools in Japan work on a similar basis with a kindergarten at about the age of 4 that is followed by the start of Elementary School. Students spend 6 years in Elementary School (主学校(しゅがっこう)) and then move into a Junior High School (中学校(ちゅがっこう)) where they will spend three years until they then reach high school (高校(こうこう)). There are then difficult entry exams for students to enter universities.

Now you know the basic structures I have provided you with something more interesting and informative as below is a recount of my experience in a Japanese High School during an exchange at year 2 which is an equivalent to year 11 in an Australian High School:

‘During my stay in Japan I had the fortune of attending a competitive high school called Tachibana. The first thing I noticed about the schooling system was that it was a lot more regimented than my school back home and most of the students that attended this high school were quite lucky as it’s a difficult school to get into, due to the difficulty of the application exam. Japan has the highest attendance rate in the world when it comes to non-compulsory education. Every morning I would see thousands of other students going to many different schools within one area.
Students would arrive at school as early as 7.00am in Japan. This is in stark contrast to the Australian mind-set in regards to sleeping in and getting to school! Students in Japan do this in order to increase the amount of time available to practice their favourite sports. They do this through clubs and this is something that Australians don’t do to such a large extent. These clubs are serious and are all student driven.

I personally would arrive at school at 7.45am and talk with my friends who were studying before the day starts. Like Australian schools, we had a home class lesson in the morning before lessons. However, once lessons commenced, teachers would move around the school to the home classes, instead of the way it is done in Australia, with the students moving from room to room.

Teaching methods and styles also vary between the two cultures. I found it tiresome as the teachers teach in a lecture-style manner, without any interaction between teacher and student and no chance for open discussion. Students had work books and had to fill-in the blanks however there were never any assignments, videos, essays and rarely any practicals for subjects such as Biology.

One of my most shocking discoveries was the number of class mates who would fall asleep during lessons. At times, I could potentially count 8 or so students who would be slumped upon their desks, out like a light! This is because, although there are no assignments or essays, Japanese students are loaded with work for night time as they don’t get to do it in class. Classes are like lectures and most often the homework involves filling in books about the topics recently covered.

Furthermore, Japanese students don’t have recess. Instead, we work with ten minute breaks between subjects and then an hour long break for lunch between lesson four and five. Lunch is often eaten inside and comprises of an obentō or canteen food.

When school is finished in Australia, at generally 3.20pm, students have vacated the area within thirty seconds. In Japan however, the end of the day, which can be as late as 4.30pm, is followed by a session of cleaning. Each home class is rostered on for a certain section of the school and then that home class is divided into sections for specific jobs. A roll call is checked off to make sure everyone chips in and jobs range from cleaning carpets, sweeping to cleaning toilets and windows. Once cleaning is finished, at no official time, students then either remain at school for reasons still unbeknown to myself or attend club.

A degree of ‘study’ is undertaken during these long hours after school however, as hard working as the Japanese culture may be, a great lot of socialising goes on during this timeframe. Students can arrive home as late as 8.00pm from school and will stay up into the early hours of the morning completing homework or using their ‘keitai’ between consciousness and dreams as they lay on their beds or slumped at their desks.'

I hope my personal experiences give you a more realistic insight into the life of a Japanese student in comparison to Australia. If I was made to choose, I still don’t know what I’d choose, there’s something enjoyable about the way Japanese people become so addicted to their club and passionate about doing well but I definitely missed the relaxed Aussie lifestyle!

Melissa Ryan

Hisashiburi

2007-08-19T09:56:00.000+09:30

Almond Blossom Ball

Me and Luke Almond Blossom Ball

Mattea Mel and Rach on Japanese Excursion

Steph and I at Jen's and Kip's 17th

Long time no post. ごめんね。What have I been up to in the land of Aus? Well, homework and a few awesome events of which I shall post some pictures!

Holidays

2007-07-22T11:05:00.000+09:30

Holidays. Filled with guilt at the pile of homework sitting on the floor to my left. I've done it, but of course I could always have done more.

I had better things to do now that I am back in the land of Aus. I wanted to make a beautiful album of my Japan time but I still haven't gotten around to that, it is so frustrating and now with my 24/7 date with Harry Potter number Seven I have no hopes.

Working a lot. It's frustrating and I feel like the smell of deep fried chips, pies and pasties is continually following me like it's been etched into my nose.

I did get to get away for a few days with friends which was great fun, saw two whales and took some beautiful pictures of a beautiful rainbow.

I have to laugh at myself because this blog is bringing my dreaded reality to the surface. The reality is Mel that it's not going to be in one morning when you wake up that your whole life is organised and your little list of 'things to do or else' is not going to be fully completed overnight and whilst I complete this list more things will attach themselves to the bottom.

Don't despair. Everything on that list is worth this moment below:

I Want

2007-07-10T14:26:00.000+09:30

橘高校に行きたい。

早起きたい。

おはしでご飯を食べたい。

福島駅に行きたい。

新幹線を乗りたい。

日本の音楽を聞きたい。

学校でたいくつになりたい。

学校でおなかすいたにはりたい。

眠いになりたい。

放課後にそうじをしたい。

放課後にはるかとカラオケをしたい。

しょどうをしたい。

もえ、はるか、ゆか、まり、まりな、みき、さゆみ、くつした、まみ、なな、きなこ、あき、はるか、あずさ、わたなべ家族、はんざわ家族、よこうち家族、由美先生、とじ先生、ゆうた、みれい　と　みなさん　を

あいたい。

私は本当にかなしいですから日本帰りたいです。　

みなさん、軍馬ってください。

Some things nudge the path of our lives, other leave it untouched but some things simply knock it off course. These are never bad things, just bring with them a lot of time for a strong heart and a willing mind. It hurts, I want to return but one thing I know is that I never realised how important the people in our lives really are. Don't take things for granted, love your loved ones and live like you've never seen the sky before.

じゃね。

And I'm Home

2007-06-26T11:39:00.000+09:30

Words won't express the way it felt to say goodbye at Fukushima station. The words sad, the words painful don't do it. Perhaps horrific captures the way it felt to watch their crying, screaming faces as the doors of the train came to a life-ending close. The horror, the tears, the pain.

Words won't express the way it felt to fly from Japan. The words sick, the words surreal don't do it. Perhaps unbelievable captures the way it felt to watch the bright lights fade as I flew away from the life I'd been living. The sadness, the tears, the pain.

Words won't express the way it felt to land alone in Sydney. The words confusing, the words complicated don't do it. Perhaps insane captures the way it felt to search for a so called domestic terminal and a plane all alone. The hurt from the day before, the tears, the nervousness.

Words won't express the way it felt to walk through the gate in Adelaide. The words lifting, the words amazing don't do it. Perhaps magical captures the way it felt to be back in the arms of my mum, her smell, the same feeling, to be back in the arms of my dad, his neck breaking embrace, the same feeling, to be back in the arms of my sister, her lanky frame and boney shoulders, the same feeling and to be back in the arms of my boy, the strength and warmth, the same feeling.

Now I am torn. It really hurts to be home. Realised how much the little things make our lives, how much I love everyone, and how much Japan will always be a part of me. Will never forget the station, the minute at 2.47pm at Fukushima, the moment where I think I heard my glass heart break.

English Lesson

2007-06-20T20:15:00.000+09:30

After demonstrating the word `Immediately` to Mari for the hundedth time, Toji Sensei, my english teacher, apporached me with a grin on his face and a camera dangling around his neck. `I have two favours to ask you,` he said in his thick American English accent. `May I take photos of you and the class to commemorate your last english writing lesson? Also, can you give us a 15 minute speech at the end of the lesson about your time here in Tachibana?` Taken a little aback but quite accustomed to being put on the spot, I nodded and told him I`d be more than happy to help. Phrases like that come out of me these days like I`m a robot. After he walked away, Mari instantly demanded of me a Japanese translation of the entire conversation.

Soon enough my 15 minutes of fame were knocking at the door and the girls clapped as I walked to the front of the class. I listened to my all-female class `Ohh` and `Ahh` as I wrote my own name on the board, then Toji Sensei started some of the questions, to get the 15 minutes moving along. He asked me when I am leaving and I answered his questions, then he fired a big one, `What are you going to miss about Tachibana High School?`

What am I going to miss about Tachibana High School.

Catching me off guard, the feelings start rising up inside of me, all their faces, all the memories rising like boiling water, accomanied with the first tear drop to roll down my cheek as I stand, head bowed. Like they could read my mind, they just sit there. Sitting silently at their desks watching my memories come flooding through, no language is needed to be spoken, this was universal.

I don`t know how and I don`t know why, but in silent situations such as this, there is always a precise moment where the time for silence is through. So, at that precise moment, I decide I had better speak. Taking a deep breath, gaining composure, I look up at the class but all that I can muster are the words `I`m Sorry` as I start to drown again in the memories. All of this was simply because of what I saw when I looked up.

I wasn`t feeling the hurt alone.

Whoever wasn`t silently crying was handing out tissues and at that point it became obvious that we`d gone beyond the 'carrying on and ignoring the fact we are crying` stage. Their teary smiles allowed me to also break out in a smile and carry on, until I noticed Mari. Sitting beside my vacant chair, she hid her face as her head hung down low, the odd tear splashing onto her text book.

When my 15 minutes of fame were over, we all tried to compose ourselves, acting like we were fine. I noticed Mari and a few others had dissappeared for a while during which I composed myself with the help of Marina and Auka, tissue-giver-outer-ers.

Theres something so cliche about the way the train is going to whisk me away from these people on Saturday. It`s not going to be nice.

Tokyo

2007-06-19T19:13:00.000+09:30

Well, I did it. I saw what I wanted to see. I can come home now!

I got up at about 5.45am and did the usual which generally involves getting dressed etc. (would be tragic if I missed that crucial step now wouldn`t it!) Anyway, going down stairs my host mum is laughing because she forgot to turn on the rice warmer thing. Not too sure why it was that hilarious but she gets so worked up laughing that she has to stop what she is doing and it is so infectious so I was laughing too, she is gorgeous. So because we had no warm rice she made me a sandwich for the trip, it was cute. Finally arrive at Fukushima station and mum and I wait for the Shinkansen. It pulls up and on I hop, waving as the train takes me away. It was not a good feeling because I am dreading doing the same thing again this week, but this week it is goodbye forever.

Scoffing down my sandwich as I was quite hungry, I hear that we are soon arriving in Koriyama, this means Celvie and Shaun! So at Koriyama Celvie and Shaun also hop on the shinkansen and we were so lucky to have been seated right near each other! Hugs and stories are exchanged as we spend the two hours travelling to Tokyo station. Getting off at Tokyo we were lost at first as to what to do or who to look for. Hence, when all else fails, you take pictures! So I got some awesome pictures of me with a Shinkansen and big Tokyo buildings in the background! Then the three of us head down the flight of stairs which leads to the very enormous and complicated underground station of Tokyo. Walking towards the ticket gates I get out my tickets, surprise surprise, and go through the gate where we see Arissa! She had kindly come to meet us at Tokyo station. Arissa is from orientation in Chiba, a Japanese person who spent a lot of time in an American University. The four of us then meet up with her friend and go and have coffee. Shaun who was being a darling and trying his hardest to order a drink in the noisy cafe takes his time to read the Japanese out on the board until the impatient looking waitress cuts him off with the classic, `Anything else?` Although trying to disguise my laughter, I thought it was a little rude!

An observation I made was the fact that no one was staring me up and down like they`d never seen a foreigner before! Also, I was staring at the foreigners as if I had in fact never seen THEM before. It was clear I was no longer in Fukushima city and also that I have turned half Japanese.

We boarded the train bound for Kasai-Rinkai Park, the park situated next door to Tokyo Disney Land and also the proud host to Japan`s largest Ferris Wheel. Once we arrived, walking down the stairs I saw the other exchange students! Some had changed, some exactly the same but nonetheless I was so amazingly thrilled to see them all! I had seen Naomi and Nicole only the week before at British Hills however the others I hadn`t seen in three months. Once all together we headed towards our area in the huge park.

Our picnic was great fun. There were about 40 people, a mixture of us exchange students and Japanese hosts of the day. We first of all were split into teams, I was yellow and Darren was the only other foreigner in my team. In the team we had to play a game which my relatives from christmas times know quite well in english! It is a trillion times harder in Japanese and a bit different. The first person names a thing they like and their name, the second person names the same thing plus the person before and it goes on until you have trillions of things to remember!

Anyway, when Will turned up he informed us that he in fact had been sleeping in one of those capsual hotels, I won`t steal his thunder, no doubt on his blog he will be explaining all, won`t you Will?

Anyway, as I am leaving in a week and hadn`t yet seen Shibuya, a place in Tokyo I was desperate to see, Shaun, Celvie and I attempted to graciously `slip away` with Ayako from JFIE to do the little bit of exploring. I was so grateful for Ayako`s help because, even though I had been up for getting lost and working things out myself, we only had two hours to do so many things so wasting time was not a priority. We boarded the JR Line towards Tokyo and then changed trains for Harajuku. I was so excited to walk down Harajuku street, the place I hear in that Gwen Stefani song and the place so famous, it was awesome! The things you see are certainly crazy and there were millions of people packing the street.

Walking along the streets between Harajuku and Shibuya, we took many pictures of everything we saw and I was lost for words, I simply walked along with a ridiculous grin on my face not knowing what to say to anyone because I was too happy. Then we reached Shibuya! We went into Shibuya 109 a super tall building and raced through it, making Celvie buy the things she wanted to super quickly! It was so great to see everything, once out of the building it was time for the moment I had been waiting for, get ready for a let down...

We crossed the road. Yes, for those of you thinking I am an absolute idiot, it was not just a crossing of a road. I am not joking when I say there would have been about 1500 people waiting to cross this road all facing in different directions. Thinking that war was about to break out, I step onto the road as everyone else does, weaving my way through the crowds on the road I had so desperately wanted to cross (maybe if you have seen fast and furious 3, there is a scene with this road in it, looking down on all the business people at night like ants...).

We then make it to Hachiko. Hachiko is a statue of a dog which is a famous meeting place for Japanese people. We of course took a picture and then raced into Shibuya station. Quickly buying a 190￥ ticket we then board the train to discuss Shaun`s return Shinkansen ticket. Turns out he has paid about 10 australian dollar more than me and Celvie and still doesn`t have the right tickets to get home. The sad look on his face was actually quite funny, even though my heart went out to him.

Racing against the clock we line up to get Shaun`s extra tickets which cost him another small fortune and then we made it running wildly to the Shinkansen platform. Shaun is in unreserved, Celvie and I are in reserved, so with a quick bow and thankyou to Ayako Celvie and I race along the crowds of people to find out entrance into the Shinkansen, with an uncanny resemblance to that of Jack when he almost misses boarding the Titanic!

We have to get on a few doors down from our carriage but then spend a lot of time finding a row of three seats in unreserved so we can sit with Shaun however the conductor helps us and brings Shaun to the reserved area but won`t let him in unless he pays another 500￥ It was tragically hilarious the way the Shinkansen robbed Shaun of his money that day!

Making it home and waving goodbye to Celvie and Shaun for I don`t know how long, I then met my host family at Fukushima station to take Purikura with my host sisters. Once at home I stumbled up to my bedroom and have been suffering ever since.

Extremely tired, a lot of organising, a lot of lose ends to tie up and on top of that, Today`s english listening test that the whole school does at the end of lunch times on Tuesday was an interview all about me. Yes the whole school was listening to me over a loud speaker talk all about myself and Amelia, if you are reading this, I had to say that you like Totoro. Anyway, ask questions if you want when you see me in 5 nights sleep at the airport on Sunday at noon!

Hopefully fit in another post but this is getting long for now!

Tickets

2007-06-16T13:46:00.000+09:30

Finally when school had finished on Thursday, Haruka, Yuka, Moe and myself got ready to head to the station. This `getting ready` consisted of straightening Haruka`s hair and then putting it in pig tails with bright red bobbles to make her look Japanese and cutesy.

I left half my stuff at school because I didn`t want to cart around my lunch box and books around Fukushima station so I got to my bike, unlocked it and got out my umbrella although rather reluctantly. I had hoped we`d be walking because it was raining and I wanted to use my umbrella. But anyone who knows anything about Japanese people knows that Japanese people are physically able to do the following things, all at once, while dodging the dodgy traffic; get iPod out of a bag, untangle an iPod cord, send a text message, hold an umbrella, eat an icecream, do their hair, check their reflection in a mirror, make a phone call and the list just goes on. However, being the single-tasking exchange student that I am who`s single task is to avoid being killed is not all that flash when it comes to riding with an umbrella.

However falling into peer pressure (because that is the weak kind of person i am...) I got out my umbrella and took off with the girls towards the station. After launching myself off a few curbs and smashing into a few bushes I managed to make it to Fukushima station probably just as wet as if I hadn`t bothered with the stupid umbrella in the first place. We parked our bikes in a bike parking lot, there were many bikes, and we walked safely inside.

Purikura was as it always is, good fun and intense because of the ridiculous time limits. Afterwards we went to a cafe and had massive icecreams while taking pictures and listening to Yuka tell us that her favourite person, the guy she likes, in fact has a girlfriend who `isn`t cute`. Also we were complaining at the fact that I go home in one week. Afterwards it was action time, time to buy my tickets for Tokyo. Rather, time for Moe to buy them for me.

So we get to the ticket place and I am listening to the Japanese conversation and it sounds like all is going well. I hear the word Saturday though and think, that`s odd. So I mention to Moe in Japanese that it is Sunday not Saturday and she goes, oh ok. So the lady hands over the complicated looking tickets and we are all smiling and walk out of the ticket office with grins on our faces.

Haruka and Yuka have to go somewhere else and so Moe and I get our bikes and begin to ride back to school to get my books. We are stopped at the lights and in general conversation, Moe asks me (in english even) `Are you staying at a Hotel in Tokyo?` and I am like, `Well no, I am only there for one day so no.`

The look on both our faces indicated that we had just obviously made a terrible mistake. In absolutely perfect english Moe then remarks, `Well, back we go`. Laughing the whole way as we ride up hills, around corners, through puddles etc, we finally make it back to the ticket office. The lady looks like she has experienced the most realistic spout of Deja Vu and we explain what had happened.

For the second time we leave the ticket office smiling. It didn`t end there. Due to the hold up of having to go to the ticket office late, we then were back at school late. That meant my books and my lunch box, that I didn`t really need, were inside the school building and everyone was outside. Moe seemed to think it was important that I got my books and took my `Oh, never mind, don`t worry about it` to be polite and ignored the fact that I really didn`t care. So we approach the teachers waiting outside the school and ask if we can go in. They smile and say we sure as hell can go in as if we are taking our lives in our hands if we bother. So we take off our shoes (no shoes inside in Japan) and drop the things we actually did have and enter into the pitch black building. Exhausted from peddling so fast and worrying etc we run breathlessly up the trillions of stairs until we are on the third floor. Moe says it is the first time she has been inside the school in the dark and I told her me too, obviously.

Then the torchlight freezes us in our running poses like kangaroos about to be hit by a car.

I like to think that what he said was nice but I think having two wide-eyed girls, one a foreigner, running through the school with wild, tangled hair and shocked looks on their faces was the most action this ancient security guard had had in years.

I let Moe do the talking and after saying excuse me about 1000 times we eventually entered my classroom, grabbed my stupid books and ran back down the trillions of stairs.

So then Moe and I finally parted and I rode home alone in the dark and rain without an umbrella. It was good fun except I had `Raindrops keep falling on my head` stuck in my head the whole way home.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that I am going to Tokyo and I hope I can have a nice time but I have a feeling a lot of people are worried that we won`t make it there alive and we won`t work out the way to use the stations etc which is a bit dissappointing as I was up for learning and living instead of being stalked by worrying people. But of course will do as I am told, would have been nice to make a mistake though.

Talk when I make it home after Sunday!

Hug School

2007-06-11T18:39:00.000+09:30

After waiting around for hours, sitting on my bed all packed and ready, the clock finally struck a quater to ten so Sayumi and I walked down the dangerously narrow stairs and to the entrance hall of our house. I didn`t say goodbye to Papa as I walked out the door because I thought he was driving us but no, we were walking. Sayumi and I walked to Minami Fukushima station which is only minutes from my house. We stopped in at a convenience store to buy my lunch, I bought cream bread, onigiri (rice wrapped in seaweed) and juice. Once all set regards to food we sat in the waiting office of the station. Eventually my train turned up and on I hopped, waving at Sayumi as she turned into a blur by the movement of the train.

Across from me was a strange looking guy, wearing cool kind of clothes, reading a book and listening to his iPod, we made no eye contact, merely a grunt to say I could sit across from him. On the other side of the aisle however was a guy who was retarded. He had a laptop and was playing a computer came, sweating something chronic and completely fascinated at the foreigner, the foreigner being me. It makes me feel awkward because I had no idea where to look, it happens often but it was such a silent carriage that most people were watching him watch me or watching me try not to watch him or them for a matter of fact.

Finally he got off a stop before I had to. On came these really nice girls who sat with me. I asked if they were heading to Shinshirakawa but they were not going any further than Koriyama. I wished they had of been because my plan was just to get onto the same train as them but it was not looking good. A little worried as to how you are supposed to find the train going to Shinshirakawa, I get up and along with most other people, get off at Koriyama. I start to look around and then I hear my name being called. I admit I felt like I was in a movie, secret meetings and messages from a person I had never met in the middle of a busy platform but was relieved to see my counsellor smiling broadly. She ushered me to my next train and told me to save a seat for Celvie. Celvie is an American girl from Seattle who is on the same exchange program as me, we were both heading for the same place and had to catch the same train. We met in Chiba at orientation and hadn`t see each other since then. I was so excited to see her when she came on the train and we just didn`t know what to say and what is worse, we still sometimes spoke Japanese!

Riding along we tried to catch up on as many things as possible but only got to cover a few of the trillion aspects of being an exchange student. The train came to a stop at Shirakawa and Celvie wanted to get off. However, we were at Shirakawa not SHINshirakawa. Trying to convince Celvie these were two seperate places we nervously watched people get off. However, I was right and we arrived safely at Shinshirakawa. We got through the ticket gate and I heard two Australians say Hello. This is the first time in three months I have heard an Australian accent (besides the green peace man who had a rant about scientific whaling on TV about a month ago) Let me say that it is so so strong and I couldn`t believe that I too sound like that!

It was Naomi and Nicole who were also heading to the same place as Celvie and I. They were waiting with a lady called Nariko, JFIE staff who was assisting us on out weekend trip. The five of us headed out the station to the British Hills bus. Piling on our stuff we started the winding and slightly sickening journey through the hills. I had never wanted to talk about so many things in my life and was so grateful to hear their experiences. Nariko spent her whole time listening and smiling as we talked about our similar experiences, we must have sounded so excited!

The fog was making it hard to see out the windows when suddenly in the distance I could see a British flag flapping at the top of a castle. We had arrived at British Hills. Super excited, we peered out the windows as the bus swung around the circular coldersack (is that the word for the circle in the middle of a courtyard like in castles for cars to pull up). We piled out and walked up the castle stairs and opened the doors to a place and I am sorry to mention this yet again but we opened the doors to a place resembling a mixture of Harry Potter and upper-class Titanic (I just can not get enough of Titanic).

We waited until we had to go to the Ambassadors Hall, a meeting room that looked like an old fashioned British Parliament and we met Yokohama Girls Junior High School. There were 30 students and we had to introduce ourselves in both Japanese and English, hence my last post and then we split up into six grounds and us exchange students, Celvie, Nicole, Naomi, myself and also Stacey and Tracey who came from another side of Japan, were rotated around the groups to hear their little speeches in english and see their photos.

With stomachs growling, we sat through the orientation on how to eat Western style. It was good for a refresher. The staff at British Hills were all English and Australian and only ever spoke to the Japanse girls in English so the girls were guessing half the time and not once did I feel sorry for them, more like `Yeah, see how you like spending three months following everyone else and having no idea what the hell is going on, how does it make you feel, huh?`

Anyway, growing up from that immature outburst, we made our way to `Bikingu` which sounds like Viking and is the Japanese word for Buffet. I am still trying to draw the connection on that one. The hall was true Harry Potter style, not Titanic unfortunately and us exchange students split up in twos along the table so that we still had at least someone to still chat to about the other billion experiences we still hadn`t shared with each other. I was the first to be served and led the way to Bikingu. I ate rice. Will you believe it, I have been conditioned! But all in all the food was awesome and the weight of a knife and fork in my hands never felt so good. Celvie and I sat together and we got to take as long as we wanted to eat which is a rarity because in Japan every meal I eat is super quick, going off topic for a second, I counted once by the clock at breakfast in the Hanzawa`s house that we served ate and also cleaned up breakfast in 7 minutes.

After tea and after my long cup of English tea with REAL milk and sugar rather than sweet syrup and an actual tea spoon to stir it all with, we had free time so we checked into our room. The British Hills is set up like an english village. It has a main castle then side wings of gyms and all, it has tennis courts, shops, rivers and the accomodation is all strung out along street lamp lit paths or rather, roads like an old medieval village so the accomodation was beautiful! We checked in, I was sleeping with Celvie and Stacey. Afterwards Celvie and I hit the shops. Many British things and the best of all, Cadbury chocolate, I only bought a little bit.

At about 8.00pm we hit the pub. Of course not for the wrong reasons, just because we thought that is where everyone was. Students had to clear the pub by 8.30 but Naomi, Nicole and I didn`t end up leaving until about 10.30pm. This was because our non-alcoholic (even though Naomi and Nicole are 18, the drinking age here in Japan is 20 and also our exchange program is not promoting drunken Australians and we are good girls) drinks were quite good juice and the bar staff were Australian. South Australian in fact. I met a guy called Richard who went to Reynella High School, it was so amazing to talk to someone who knew McLaren Flat and we all had a heaps good time. He was quitting his job from British Hills and next week is heading to England but he doesn`t know what he will do, just travel. As you can tell I am in awe of this guy, who is only 19`s lifestyle and completely envious!

Well Naomi and Nicole and I headed to our accomodation area and then all of us exchange students sat in our building common room in high backed lounge chairs and pretty tables and had more tea! We talked until the grounds keeper came to lock up and then went to our respective bedrooms. I didn`t get to sleep until about 2am. We had a lot to talk about. Anyway, true Japanese style, as I say I have been conditioned, I got up at 5am because I really wanted to have a bath without worrying about taking too long. It was awesome in an english tub with lion clawed legs and British soaps and all. I relaxed like never before and made such a ceremony out of getting ready. At 7.20am we left our rooms to go to breakfast. Breakfast was at 7.30 and again Celvie and I took our time however we paid for it later when we had to rush checking out and running to the gym to start the days activities.

The Yokohama Girls High School had split again into six groups, Japanese Anime group, Games group, Origami, String group, Tea Ceremony group and Kimono group. Us exchange students were rotated around every half and hour or less to listen to their presentations and participate in their games in english. It was great fun and they were such sweet girls. I would explain all their groups but you can ask me later if you want to learn more about it!

When we were finished it was our turn to show them some western culture. Their teacher wanted to go the Western style `Aisatsu` which is Japanese (just in case you thought it was French of Spanish, you know) for Greetings. We taught them the proper handshake and they got really into the firm grip aspect, a bit too much so. Secondly they learnt how to hug. Now I know I am pretty weak and feminine when it comes to some things and so after one or two hugs I cried. They were so good and the all had to line up and on the count of three they came running at us pretending we were someone they hadn`t seen in ages and they were evening saying english phrases like, `My goodness, how ARE you!` It was so sweet. Then we played `What`s the time Mr. Wolf` and it was a hit. Then we had to sing `If you`re happy and you know it clap your hands` so slow that it was almost backwards and I had trouble not laughing (I was still high from my hugs) when I was saying it so slowly I would forget the next syllable to come from my mouth.

We had group photos and then back to the pub for lunch of fish and chips drowned in tomato sauce. Met more adelaide staff and was lapping up the conversation about things that were so close to home until our meals were finally finished. It was then time to say goodbye to Yokohama Girls Junior High School and lots and lots of pictures were taken. We had free time then as exchange students so back to the shop to stock up on Cadbury Chocolate and then Naomi, Nicole and I headed to the upstairs floor of the castle to get some pictures of the library. They were awesome pictures except for one minor set back, I have lost my camera.

My camera case! Sorry about that Dad, had to scare you with it because I know it most likely crosses your mind every day and I am trying to make the fact that I lost my camera case seem not so bad compared to what could have happened. I am sure it is sitting happily in the most beautiful library I have ever seen but if that is all I loose this trip then I am not too sad. Sorry Dad.

Running for the bus, we were almost late hence I didn`t get to scan for my camera case and being late in Japan is just not on, so we went to the bus and of course we headed on home. We soaked up the last bit of information from each other and discussed the idea of attending a picnic in Tokyo next weekend, I think it might be a go ahead. Anyway, we got to Shinshirakawa station and sat around waiting for our train. Celvie and I then hugged the others goodbye before boarding the Japan Rail for Minami Fukushima. Speaking as much English as possible with random Japanese words that are useful in daily conversation, we eventually stopped at Koriyama where Celvie had to get off. She waited to watch me go, the second time I have had her fade away as the train moved off during my time in Japan. I was then alone, well accompanied by a grandmother and a particularly cute but noisy child. It was dreary and dark when I made it to Minami Fukushima. I went up the stairs to the bridge over the rail line and then back down stairs to the platform to meet Sayumi.

Like we had done the day before we walked home and we all had a nice tea together. My little host sister had won a competition for her piano and I gave them little gifts from British Hills to thank them along with a packet of shortbread for the family. Remembering that family includes myself of course! Then I woke up at 6.30am this morning with Mayu, my host sister staring me in the face like she does every morning to watch my ungraceful waking up expressions before saying `Ohaio` which is `Morning!` and making me feel really disorientated and embarrassed and shocked at having a 12 year old Japanese girls face as the first thing I see in the morning. Got dressed with a thudding headache and a stomach ache and made it down the stairs. For the first time I wasn`t too impressed to see we had Mr. Donut for breakfast. Yes, donuts for breakfast. Well they were ok but I only ate one but that wasn`t good enough according to Mama so I was made to eat another one and I am not being sarcastic, I was not feeling well. Made it to school by bike but was outraged by the time I got there because, for an example of daily driving and riding in Japan, I was riding in the bike lane, the lane bikes ride in when a Taxi pulls over right in front of me, no indicator or anything and just stops. While I busy myself trying not to smash my face into the back of his stupid ugly taxi he goes about life like he hasn`t just almost broke my neck.

Anyway at school I had heaps of trouble staying awake after my awesome weekend but school was fun, it always is. We had Badmington and I was really good due to my dilerious state. We won every game! Also had english and we are learning about Deja Vu. I also spent time in the english office attempting to learn.

After school I grabbed my bags, put them outside and headed for the calligraphy room. That is now where I do my cleaning. I swept the floor which didn`t need sweeping but of course in Japan you `go through the motions`. I was looking over the balcony with Harukaand I could hear these third year boys calling my name and I had no idea where they were but decided to stop looking because I felt stupid, Haruka wouldn`t drop it though.

After cleaning I headed for my bike and when I was changing my shoes I could see the boys that had been calling my name but they saw me see them. Hence they wanted to talk again and also the guy who is in the shoe locker next to me was trying to talk to me at my shoe locker but I forget his name because his friend talks to me often too but they look so similar so I am scared to say anything in case I get the wrong one.

Riding home was uneventful. I went into the post office though and send Emelie a letter so Emelie expect a letter! Also some sleezy worker man was resting against his truck trying to pull some english on me. I responded in Japanese that I didn`t understand english and left him looking really confused but with a sleezy smile on his face.

Now here I am ready for dinner and feeling good but dead tired! If you are still reading then thank you so very much and really would love to hear from you comment wise!

Thirteen Days, too sad. x

Japanese

2007-06-07T19:35:00.000+09:30

Here is my speech that I prepared for my weekend at the British Hills.

みなさん　こんにちは、

私はメリッサで１７才でオーストラリアから来ました。オーストラリアで　ＭｃＬａｒｅｎＦｌａｔ　というところに住んでいます。でも、今、
福島市に住んで橘高校に行っています。私の家族は四人でお母さんとお父さんと妹と私です。妹の名前はアメリアで十三才です。アメリアのしゅみはじょうばですから、うまを二ひきかっています。私のしゅみはネトボールとしゃこうダンスです。オーストラリアでは、放課後に海に行くことやスポーツをすることが好きですが、日本ではプリクラをとることやカラオケに行くことが大好きです！

あなたたちと友達になれるのを楽しみにしています！つぎに、英語でオーストラリアと私について話します。

Ms Wright feel free to step in and hound me with constructive critisism seeing that it would be good to have that because I will be saying this in front of 37 Japanese students.

School has been good recently, even though of course a little boring. My host family are very lovely and this weekend I am heading to a place called the British Hills, pretty sure I have mentioned it before but basically it is an English Learning Facility in the heart of Japan which means we will be doing things like eating English meals, playing cricket, speaking only english except for my above speech and probably will end up speaking Japanese with the students. I am going because I can speak english, believe it or not!

Great thunder storms here, Japanese people freak out when I say I like 雷 which is of course, thunder. Anway, now is dinner, will post again later.

Melissa x

にもつ

2007-06-04T19:08:00.000+09:30

If I hear this word again I will cry. The reason being that it means baggage and I have so much of it (not as in fat but items I need to bring home, just clearing that up from the start!) that I am a little worried as to how it is all going to make it home. I have adopted a Titanic approach to the situation, my items being the victims awaiting their icy cold death. The ship is sinking and there are only so many life boats (life boats being symbolic of my bag).　There is first class (my suitcase) second class (my box in which i will airmail) and then the scum which is going to have to drown. (that is the things i will leave behind and i know that they aren`t scum of course because Jack is the last thing from scum, it was just an expression). So tonight i spent my evening playing Titanic with my belongings, sorting out what their fate will be.

Anyway, on to more realistic things. Loving life here and do not want to come home except for the obvious fact that a) i miss people more than i thought i ever would and b) i am living out of a suitcase here. I went out with my friend on Friday night to the station, strange to go to school in a city and you can just walk to somewhere fun as aposed to getting lost amongst vineyards at home. We ate mr. Donuts and the woman gave me a members card, not that i am there THAT often.

On the weekend my activities ranged from shopping and going to a supermarket where we bought heaps of toilet paper, the reason why i will never know but there is a restriction to two bags of toilet paper per person at this supermarket. We also bought a pineapple. So yes, activities range from shopping to visiting an open day at my host sister`s junior school and watching a lesson of her cousin who is autistic. It wasn`t a pleasant experience and it really opens your eyes to things and also it did make me realise that every country, despite religion, weather, race and culture has the same fundamental (if that is a proper word) foundations...

Also I spent time watching my other host sisters music concert in which a kid fainted. I was almost glad he did because i had been so tired that i was doing the noddy thing and when he fainted the thud made me alert and suddenly i wasn`t tired so a shout out to my little fainting friend who was singing his lungs out so much he passed out with a massive crash, cheers buddy.

Well best be off, i only have 19 days left as of today, 18 tomorrow. The weather here is good at the moment but going into rainy season which means i am going to school by car often. Just thought i would throw that in...

Love Mel xx

New Home

2007-05-30T18:34:00.000+09:30

For the last time i moved families on Sunday. I was again filled with sadness in regards to leaving but full of exciting anticipation at what lay ahead. This family is lovely! I share a room with my host sister, sayumi and it is a really pink room filled with disney characters and hello kitty. I have two younger sisters who i talk to more than anyone else and my mum is so caring! My grandparents are great and my host dad is really nice and also has a good taste in english music which i discovered when we were driving on my first day when we were listening to `footloose` and `eye of the tiger`.

I ride a bike to and from school again, this ride is 5km each way and it goes through the busiest parts of the city so the ride is really interesting but i admit i almost got hit by a car today. I am grateful i had so many driving lessons before i left to come here because it really does help and i think it has saved my life!

Today we had a dancing test which was actually so great. I had no idea we were doing a test but turns out we were so we all had to get up in our groups of about 5 and perform this one disco kind of dance to the class. I was so embarrassed at first seeing that i don`t understand instructions and hence i only know how to do it by copying so i am not very good at all but i love my class so much and me and aki were stuffing up a lot but the girls watching just kept clapping for us and everyone had an awesome time.

My english has become terrible. I talk so stupidly and yesterday we were eating tea when on the news we all heard an english voice. The thickness of the Australia accent hit me and i was like, `How Australian does he sound!`. It was kind of awkward though because he was having a massive go at the Japanese `scientific` whalers and what he had to say wasn`t so friendly and i was wishing so bad that there weren`t Japanese subtitles translating every word he said, but of course, there were. They then went on to ask me if we ate whales and i said no because the whales are our friends. (That was the only way my Japanese could explain it!) But they were quite... i forget the word, oblivious to Australia`s outrage and told me that they eat whale often except it is unfortunately a bit expensive....

On Friday I am going Kareoke-ing with my friend from school and doing Purikura, it should be great but means i have to find my way home which again could be interesting. I have also been given my shinkansen tickets for getting to the airport! How terribly sad, it is only perhaps 23 days until i am home! Looks like i will be getting in at Adelaide on Sunday morning and am spending the wee hours of the morning in Sydney airport for a while, on my own which should be exciting, I will be buying anything but oolong tea and talking with the staff and enjoy the fact that no body will be watching my every move because I will blend in for the first time in 3 months!

Best be off, going to watch my little sisters dancing lesson tonight. Love Mel x

Moving

2007-05-26T13:38:00.000+09:30

Well today is my last day at the Hanzawa`s house. I have had a good week and on Thursday the exams finished so me, Miki and Azusa went out to lunch which was spaghetti! After that we walked down to the station and went shopping. I bought manga, Moriyama Naodaro`s CD and a DVD and lots of pens! Then we went for a massive walk and stopped for some food in a place next door to Mr. Donuts, to my horror, so I sat sipping some oolong tea while staring through the glass at the people eating the best donuts in the world and drinking coffee. I was a little envious to say the least. We caught the bus home which is a novelty for me and then had a massive tea which filled me up too much, so much food here. On Friday i did the usual school thing and after school like I do sometimes, I went to the library to read the paper in english. I walked in and sat down and then one of the teachers came up to me and just did a massive X shape with his hands and then walked off and there were two guys there who were like, `何...` (What the...) and I was saying the same. The teacher said to them really shortly, `explain..` and then walked off.

Now I know my Japanese isn`t fluent but believe me if he had simply been nice and explained that today was special and the library shuts at 4pm today I would clearly of understood. So the guys explained, in japanese and I was like, `thankyou for that` and yes, I was a bit taken aback at that but oh well! (And by the way it was only 3.30pm so i still read the paper and all was good)

Then after the paper I went to wait for my host mum at her work and came home etc etc. Today we went out to return some CDs of Miki`s and then bought cakes and now we have just had lunch. I am excited about Sayumi`s house but of course sad to be leaving here. I am sharing a room with Sayumi and she has two little sisters who I am looking foward to spending time with. I don`t know when my next post will be so I am sorry and also sorry for being slack lately, I just haven`t had time!

Melissa x

Home Early

2007-05-21T15:39:00.000+09:30

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!

Free Time

2007-05-19T10:30:00.000+09:30

Free Time. It appears that the next week will simply be full of free time for me and David the assistant language teacher at Tachibana. We are saving up all the work we can think of for next week because next week, Tachibana students, excluding myself, have 9 exams in three days. Hence I will be doing my own study in the english office which will become just a little boring. Today there is optional school and believe it or not I genuinely concidered going but then realised that my friends who actually do go will be studying anyway and I do admit that the biggest reason that I like school is the social life. Anyway, the other day after school at about 7pm I was walking with Miki to the station and there was a man handing out fliers like they do a lot here in Japan and so I thought I would be nice and take one from him, make him feel like he was making a difference, which I am sure he was. Anyway, I got close enough to see he was a westerner and I took the brochure and he was laughing heaps as we said `hello` and he told me, `Learn English, it`s fun!`. He was handing out english school brochures! We thought it was a pretty good coincidence seeing that a westerner in Fukushima is as rare as me not eating rice with breakfast, lunch and tea. Must go, my studying is calling me and it isn`t sounding too friendly either! Love Mel xx

Love

2007-05-16T19:14:00.000+09:30

I really must say, apart from the raw horse meat, that I am quite in love with being here. I am really enjoying school now and my Japanese is now good enough for me to understand and talk a lot more than what I could before. I am especially enjoying lunch times and talking with the people in my class, they are all so friendly. I am studying a lot more now because I have finally found a rhythm and gotten into what I should be studying, self studying is so hard when you start it for the first time! I apologise but this will have to be short because the firewall and I are still not friends and big blogs don`t go down too well but wanted to tell you all I am alive, if not more than just alive, and soaking up every day! Love Melissa xx

(The picture is of me and Shyu and Fukushima Spring Festival. I was watching the Taiko drumming with my host mum only to discover that it was a friend of mine playing on the stage so he came down to say hello afterwards! Note the cool Japanese uniform!)

Raw Meat

2007-05-13T19:07:00.000+09:30

First of all I send apologies to anyone who is insulted by the amount of time which has passed since I last posted. This is simply that I am really in quite a rhythm now and settled into life here that getting on the computer can be a little tricky.

However, this moment needs to be recorded in my life history.

Today brought with it a new meaning to the phrase, `I am so hungry I could eat a horse`. Sitting in a traditional Soba restaurant my host father leans over to me and points to the table opposite. He goes on to say in Japanese that those five people are eating a raw horse. I simply think that my Japanese is so terrible and it is yet another misunderstanding.

I was wrong. Quite literally those five people, who happened to be school students were eating a horse. Only small portions of course and Dad stop laughing and Amelia, I am so sorry to tell you this and yes I too was disgusted but kind of just in shock. Can`t say my food tasted all that great afterwards.

That is my story for today. I shall post with something a bit more constructive at a later date.

Love Melissa xx

Niigata

2007-05-08T19:01:00.000+09:30

Well hello,

It has been a while, I have just been busy with bits and pieces. Last week was Golden Week here in Japan. It`s a string of public holidays and little festivals which meant no school. During my Golden Week I got the chance to go to Niigata which is on the other side of Japan! It was a great drive with many tunnels that take you underneath the lush green mountains and There was beautiful scenery! Once we had arrived in Niigata, I had the chance to see 日本海！(The Sea Of Japan). It was, dirty. Didn`t quite have the same smell or white sand that we have in Australia, instead a gravel carpark and many cement barriers and an aquarium situated about two hundred meters from the shore.

We went to the aquarium and had lunch, I ate ramen and my host family asked for a fork for me. They do this often but I always use the chopsticks and just say thankyou but I want to learn! I think they are afraid I will starve to death if I use chopsticks but I personally think I am quite talented at it now! After lunch we watched the dolphin show and it was quite amazing but I was on an animal rights protest that day and couldn`t fully enjoy the aquarium because of the fact that the poor animals were locked behind bars, well, glass...

Anyway, it was a great bonding experience and I enjoyed it a lot. We also had rice planting day and also had the chance to visit many temples during my Golden Week. Now I am back at school and for this week I am on the shoe room cleaning committee. I forget the word in Japanese, perhaps Genkai, no, anyway, this means that we clean the carpet mat. Of course we don`t use a vacuum cleaner, that would just be practical, instead we use bits of sticky tape wound around our hands and pat the carpet to remove the minute particles of dirt that have settled since the day before. As bad as I make this sound, it is actually quite fun because the teacher always wants to learn more english and was today was asking me to demonstrate the intonation within the word `Ketchup`.

I will leave you now, I don`t know what my plans are for the rest of the week, I just know that we don`t have school on Thursday which is cool. I will leave you now with a pictures rom my trip to the Sea of Japan. (That reminds me of channel nine news and tea back home!)

Grandparents

2007-05-04T13:34:00.000+09:30

`ごはんですよ!` I quickly shut the dictionary and head into the kitchen. Grandma is standing at the sink, her stained floral apron tied tightly around her waist. She is grinning and I grin back ten times brighter. I check out the table, a usual ritual, to see what I`ll be putting in my mouth this particular lunch time. It seems I will live to see another day as the food doesn`t look too scary. Grandad has already started lunch, slurping his Soba like it`s about to dissappear before his very eyes. I reach for the chopsticks pot and pull out mine, they are new because the ones I had previously been using weren`t exactly the same colour, indicating that they perhaps weren`t the original match. Of course, that is not acceptable in any way, shape or form. So two nights ago, Grandad spent about ten minutes selecting just the right pair of chopsticks for me before tea while I sat there starving hungry, staring into my miso soup as it grew colder and colder...

Today`s lunch is traditionally packet food. Sorry to hurt any Japanese cuisine recipe seekers, but that`s the way it is. I pull back the plastic, cursing the difficult Kanji that explains just exactly what I`m about to eat. I say my prayers with my Grandma who has also sat down beside me, her legs folded underneath her in the most painful looking position.

The food is tasting quite nice until I come across my best friend, えび. In english this is the equivilant of shrimp or prawns, I am not a seafood girl... Now anyone who was at Steph`s house that fateful night knows how well えび　and I get along. We simply don`t. However, how times have changed. I eat this stupid えび　and don`t even pull that pained expression I usually get when I clash with my meals. I won`t say I like it, but the tolerance levels are slowly rising each day and in more ways than just food.

Grandad has things to do, hence he leaves after saying thankyou for the meal. Now it is just Grandma and I. Old Japanese people are my worst nightmare when it comes to my Japanese. I swear they don`t really speak Japanese but a strange dialect of some ancient language. I act super interested in my food, which is beginning to get hard because I am so full, however, Grandma feels chatty so I act like I am too. Smiling with a mouthful of rice I nod and pull the usual　`ah` and `mm`. Then she starts shooting the questions. I manage to chat about my family, saying what they do and how old they are etc. She then tells me about a wedding function recently, one of her relatives... not quite sure what else but she has something, what she has I will never know...

Whipping out the green tea, Grandma pours me a cup as I struggle to finish the rest of the meal. I try a technique I heard about on TV once and try and put a lot of it in my mouth at once, but then I am so full I can`t swollow. Grandma is offering me little bits and pieces and she is just so hard to refuse, very insistant. I survive and after slamming down the rest of my green tea and half dying on the little leaves that produce the strongest of flavours, I finally can say `ごちそうさまでした`. Grandma asks if I am finished and I say, yes, I am definately 100 percent finished.

I try and help clean up but she insists that I am on holidays, hence I should go to my room. So, now here I am. I have been doing a lot lately, the other day after school I went playing Kareoke. Just think a not so gorgeous version Cameron Diaz in `My Best Friend`s Wedding`. I hadn`t spoken english for so long but I sang english songs and at the start I had the scariest Japanese twist to all the words I was saying! I began to pronounce my L`s properly in a matter of seconds and finally I was ok! Also, I have recently had the chance to visit many temples which has been great and for those of you wondering why I`m not at school, this week is Golden Week in Japan, no school. I go back on Monday but on the Sunday, I think we are planting rice... Also, we have another holiday on the Thursday which happens to be my birthday, and Ayaka`s birthday, a girl in my class!

Well, going to study as much Japanese as I can without my text book which i smartly left at school! Hope the pictures are ok and I will post them more often now!

Love Melissa xx

Recent Pictures

2007-05-03T10:37:00.000+09:30

Takumi and I in the snow! We are at the top of Mt Azuma.
Auka and myself and then in purple is my old host sister, Marina. We are at the park near school having pictures after a huge test they had.
I won`t name everyone! But we were working on the decorations for the first year`s kangenkai, Welcome Party.
That is Marina and I acting as Samurai out the front of a traditional Samurai`s house!
This is me eating Ramen. I am actually in a restaurant even though it doesn`t look like it. I love Ramen!

There are more pictures to come i promise! But for now this will have to do. My change back to this family, The Hanzawa`s went well and i feel like I am back home but i was really attatched to my last family so it was difficult to say goodbye! I hope you are all well and please comment when you get the chance!

Busy Girl

2007-04-30T13:23:00.000+09:30

On Saturday i woke up and laughed at the stupidity of the fact that i was going to school. However, it turned out to be such a fun day. We had lessons in the morning which, ok, was not so fun but before lunch we cleaned the school and the ate our obentoo (and Australian mums, my goodness i am so sorry haha, didn`t think you would take the pedantic efforts of Japanese mothers in regards to their child`s health so seriously, i have nothing against Australian lunch boxes, just a note of cultural difference!) We then had the parents come in to watch a lesson and there were trillions of them. I unfortunately sit in the back row so i had them staring over my shoulder. My host mum came to the school and i felt so loved that i actually had a mum to turn around and grin at and talk to, it was beautiful.

I had to wait about two hours for Marina`s club to finish so i was entertained by some third year student who also loves Elvis, it was a good click. Do you know when it`s so hard to hold a conversation with someone that you meet and you are both asking how each other is and you find out that you are both `good thankyou` and then that`s about all. Well try doing that in another language, i find it fascinating that we are lost for words when we both speak the same language. It is one billion times harder when you don`t even know how to say something. But it was good fun and not stupidly awkward like some conversations can be!

After school we took a family trip out to see models of traditional types of housing in Japanese history. It was fascinating to see the way the houses differ according to the occupation of the owner and i was particularly interested in the Samuri`s house! We had great fun and on the way home we stopped in at many shops and odd places for me to see things, it was great fun.

The next day, which was yesterday. We went out and my host grandmother bought me a gift. She was so insisting and we were both almost in tears because we were so happy but i didn`t know how to thank her, all i know is that she is quite happy. We had the chance to then go and eat 31 icecream, it is so delicious and i had the chocoholic icecream, it suits me.

Today my host family and i went shopping again and printed off some photos as well as taking some purikura which was great fun. Then we returned home for lunch which was soba! Now here i am writing this rushed and terrible post, i am sorry but you must suffer from this.

In about an hour we are going to the Fukushima Festival. Marina is singing there and beforehand we are watching the Taiko drumming! I am really excited but slightly sad because once the Fukushima Festival is over, i have to go to a new host family. I am excited to go back to the Hanzawa`s house however i am sad to be leaving the Yokouchi`s house.

It is the first month officially over in Japan and I love it. I really am so glad to be here for three months, it is long enough to push myself, to make sure i learn but it is also a time in which i can enjoy every minute. I can`t believe i now have under two months to go. I very much miss my family and friends but in a way that makes me smile when i think of you all, rather than burst into tears. So, thankyou for all your comments, with a month down i can officially say that i do love you all so very much!

Melissa xx

ps. the next month may be low on the number of posts, the firewall and I at the Hanzawa`s house aren`t the best of friends! xx

Better Trip

2007-04-27T17:01:00.000+09:30

At three o`clock the bell sounded, bringing with it my liberty. Once cleaning time was over, yes, Japanese students clean their own school, toilets and all, I finally found my keys and rather ungracefully mounted my bike and away I went.

The gusty winds provided me with a golden opportunity to introduce Fukushima City with the concept of black bonds underwear. Rather shocked at this, I spent most of my time trying to slap my hand on my lap in an attempt to keep down my somewhat flirtatious skirt.

It was one of those days where people are out walking their dogs, the lawn mowers are running (This is just setting the scene, there wasn`t a lawn mower in sight, let alone a patch of grass big enough to need a lawn mower. In Japan I'm pretty sure scissors suffice.) and children are running down the road holding hands, blah blah blah. You get the picture, basically: it was a nice day.

An old man in front of me seemed to be heading in the same direction as I. It was slightly awkward though because he could tell I was behind him but he kept looking and I don`t think he could see me. I had fun trying to sychronize my peddling with his but I got so carried away at doing this that I didn`t notice the turn off that I had to make, it was a miraculous stunt and I admit my heart was racing after i had swung my bike around in an area in which bikes shouldn`t be swung around in.

Gale force winds continued and once I was on the last leg, I was completely against the wind. All i could think of is the scene from The Wizard Of Oz, when the tornado comes, it was pretty bad. (Perhaps not that bad though!)

Anyway, I made it home safely and parked next to Grandad`s motorbike. I locked up my bike and then walked in a day dream to the front door. I suddenly realised I was trying to open the front door with my bike key, slightly embarrassing but hilarious to me nonetheless.

Tomorrow I have school on the Saturday. It should be fun, for school of course. On Monday I change host family, back to the Hanzawa`s house. It will feel like I am back home! Then, in one week and five days it is my birthday! What a none event that shall be but never mind, I would give up all my birthdays to be where I am today, I love Japan.

Sorry about the bike-riding talk, it is just that that was my last bike ride home from school at this house! (not including school tomorrow!)

Love Mel xx

Well Again

2007-04-26T19:52:00.000+09:30

Australians hello,

How are we all? I hope you are enjoying life, i know i surely am. This week has had some hurdles to overcome and some down times regarding some aspects of life back home, however i will put them aside for this evening and enlighten you all with some lovely tales of Japanese adventures.

Well, i suppose the first lesson you can be taught is that, from my experiences, Japanese weather is crazy. Today when i woke up, the sun was shining, the ground was warm, i even became hot riding to school. Later on we experienced sunny but raining and then cloudy and warm, then cloudy and raining. We had one random rumble of thunder and then it was back to clear again. It was clear when i got on my bike and left school. However, by the time i was home, i was again saturated and looked as if i had just been running around playing chasey with a tornado.

I am starting to not get stared at so much at school. I am making such good friends here in Tachibana. Trying to remember everyone`s name is hard, they always ask me! I have three lessons of calligraphy a week which i love! The teacher knows a word or two of english but one of those is `freeze`. It is such a harsh word and i ran the brush right over my page when she jut randomly said `freeze`! Yumi Sensei had obviously been speaking with her and she said she didn`t know why i got so scared when she spoke english but it was funny when she finally realised what she was saying meant.

If someone asks me how tall i am, my friends always jump in and answer as fast as they can, before i get the chance, i think they are proud to be friends with someone who is 177cms tall!

This weekend i have to go to school on the Saturday. We have an open day (this is from what i can gather, often i think i am on the right track and then something completely random will happen!) We have heaps of Biology lessons and in the afternoon parents are coming in to watch us learn, they will think i am so strange, i don`t know what to do but pretend to look as Japanese as possible, it could be tricky.

Australian mothers, you are 100% outdone when it comes to packing lunch boxes. I am sorry to say, but it is a fine art over here and every one has such gorgeous lunches, i will take many pictures. The only issue i have had so far is the way my host mum slips grapefruit into mine. I can`t help the face that i get when grapefruit enters my mouth, it is so disgusting, i hate the way they look a little like mandarins!

As well as school this weekend, I know that my family and i, of course, are going to either a temple or some other place which i am not sure what it is, but it is our plans. I will tell you all about it!

I will leave it at this, i love hearing from you, your comments always make me smile!

Love Melissa xxx

Weekend

2007-04-23T17:25:00.000+09:30

Well, this is going to be in dot-point form to make the most of my time:

Thursday

-Mel posts blog.
-Stays in bed all day, feels better and better.
-Runny nose, all the rest but still, maybe she can go to school on Friday?

Friday

-True Melissa style she doesn`t want to miss school, so pushes on and attends.
-Feels homesick, feels stomach sick, feels coldsick and most of all, has a headache.
-After lunch, headache is pushed to the limits, lip starts to quiver, finds Yumi Sensei.
-Yumi Sensei sends her to the hospital room, in bed, cream hospital curtains, Mel sleeps.
-Apparently has a fever, so she isn`t allowed to ride home on bike.
-Host mum picks up Melissa and gets her home.
-Melissa makes it up the stairs and then collapses on her bed crying.

Friday Night

-Host mum decides she wants Melissa better, fast.
-Takes Melissa to `The Hospital` which is in actual fact more of doctor`s place.
-Doctor speaks English, bless the doctor.
-Collects numerous amounts of pills, doctor`s certificates etc.
-Mel gets to experience Japan`s health system ( I said i wanted to really experience Japan...)

Saturday

- Pills are taking their toll, now she can smile and doesn`t even have a headache.
- Has nice day at home with family.
- Gets to go to a concert which was absolutely amazing.
- Comes home with headache but nevermind, it was worth it.

Sunday

- Continues taking the pills (sounds like I`m a drug addict haha)
- Finally finds an ATM that takes her card.
-Cleans up room and does homework, get`s all organized.
- Once organises, feels good.

Monday

- Goes to school.
- Weather is a little warmer.
- Comes home in good condition.
- Finally i am better, officially.

Well there you go a run down of the random things i have been doing lately, of course so much more to it but time is precious ladies and gentlemen! Love your comments, thankyou so much xx

General Update

2007-04-19T14:33:00.000+09:30

This is my second post for today, so if you have just started reading, you`d better scroll down and read `The Bike Ride` and then come up to this little update, that would be appreciated! Or just read at your own free will, you know... i don`t mind!

Well, after 16 hours of basketball training in four days, i came to what is known as `breaking point`. I started to realise that basketball was invading me and before i knew it i would be wearing guy`s t-shirts, get my hair cut short and walk like a rapper. So, i thought, enough is enough, i didn`t come here for basketball, i think it is time to stop. So stop i did. I felt terrible for `messing them around` i felt that i was being annoying by changing my mind, i know dad thinks its really annoying when i change my mind, sorry dad but it`s true, you know it, and so i spoke to Yumi Sensei but apparently it was no big deal at all. She explained that many people change their minds after a few days because it`s only the start of the year and so they don`t expect everyone to stick with their first choice and she could see the dark lines under my eyes and my quivering lip and told me that it`s all ok. Quite literally my heart felt lighter.

Shame the stress of basketball has lingered on. I quit on the Tuesday and i woke on Wednesday with a killer sore throat. I kind of just pretended it was all good and i went to school on Wednesay but it was really difficult to think because i had a terrible headache and when you read `The Bike Ride` (Don`t get too excited haha it sounds pretty exciting, `THE Bike Ride`... haha but it isn`t) you will understand what kind of a day i got off to. However, there was a good aspect of the day, of course, and that was that i made a friend called Saki who had spent all day writing english sentences so i would understand her and she said she has been wanting to speak with me since she saw me and she thinks i am beautiful (which was terrible as i looked pretty disgusting on Wednesday) and she hopes we can be friends. It was gorgeous.

I hadn`t told my host mum i was sick, i was kind of hoping it was just a sore throat but i have a flu kind of thing. The whole achey body, shivering hot and cold thing happening which isn`t good and of course my host sister who is in my class worked it out and she told my mum last night who was super concerned and the whole family whipped into action last night. Marina and my little brother and my host mum grabbed four extra blankets for my bed, my little brother went around and made sure my curtains were shut and windows etc and Marina turned on the heater and gave me medicine and it was so lovely.

So i slept from 8pm till 7am. I had breakfast at 7am and then went back to sleep until 1pm. Now here i am writing this blog, i am feeling a lot better, still the nose and throat but not as shivery or anything, it has been good. This weekend i am going to Sayumi`s friend`s concert, apparently she dances. That is great and i am so excited.

Well this is becoming long and there`s nothing worse than a long blog, i really really DO love your comments, and please tell me what you`ve been up to in them, it`s great to hear from you!

The Bike Ride

2007-04-19T14:13:00.000+09:30

All the little details regarding Mel`s bike ride to school on April the 17th, Wednesday.

Carrying my heavy bag down the stairs i called out that i was leaving as i slipped on my black school shoes. Grandma poked her head around the corner as per usual and said goodbye and made me double check that i had everything. Tipping the contents of my bag on the floor i showed her my umbrella, which she is concerned about everyday, and then my obentoo (lunchbox). Once I had satisfied her, i left the house and closed the sliding front door. Shivering and sniffing, i dodge the garden hose which i usually trip over and then spent five minutes trying to find the key for my bike in the jumbled contents of my bag. I unlock my bike, fasten my bag into the little basket on the front and walk it out onto the road before getting on and starting to peddle.

I make it over the train tracks just in time but in an effort to avoid using my breaks, (because they squeek so loud it`s embarrassing) i run into a green pole due to a man, who must be deaf and blind, who was standing right in the middle of the walk way. Gathering back any scrap of pride i continue on through the smoggy city, sniffing and sneezing the whole way.

I have another accident as i try and pull my jumper`s sleeves down over my hands with my teeth. A sudden sneeze takes over me and i hit my nose on my hand and my bike wheel goes into a little ditch between two slabs of concrete. It`s not the best bike ride I`ve ever experienced.

As per usual i turn at the Coca-Cola sign, then head on past the museum and library and at the same time i am overtaken by two men who look about 100 years old, it`s embarrassing but i was not in a rush. I stopped for yet another train and it went for ages, i was amazed at how long it was and kept saying in my head `aaaaand it will stop... noooowwwwww...` but it never did and when it did stop it was out of whack with my sentence in my head, i felt stupid. I was stared at by a woman sweeping the paths which reminded me that i am in actual fact, Australian. Then i think, `...but who sweeps the road anyway...`. I come around a sharp corner and accidently cause a man the wobbles... i should really fix my squeeky breaks(If you are reading and understanding my english, i am really sorry, but you were on the wrong side of the path my friend...). I get to school and realise how pesimistic my mind is and that starts to make me feel bad so in order to break the negativity i give a massive grin to a first year girl who smiles back and says good morning, but i just reply with a massive sneeze and a sniff.

Usually i love riding my bike to school, and i garuntee i will post about a usual bike ride, but i thought an insight to some of the minor details of Japan would be maybe a little more interesting than my massive chunks of information that give the bare minium. Thankyou, i love Japan, i really do but i am quite sick right now and it`s making it a little tricky, but before i know it i will be fighting fit again!

Basketball Club

2007-04-15T15:59:00.000+09:30

Well it has been an eventful last few days in a rather uneventful kind of way. On Friday morning i had a change of heart against Kendo. I know it seemed like a great idea to embrace the culture, do something new but seeing the Kendo when i went swimming with my family really put me off, yes, i am afraid of being whacked with a stick. The uniforms seemed so heavy and it really just wasn`t taking my fancy at all. I thought i had better get in quick and say so because i don`t want to miss an opportunity and end up doing something i don`t want to do, therefore, i wrote down to join the basketball club. Perhaps a rash decision as i don`t particularly like basketball all that much but i need to live with my decisions and this is taking it to the extreme. So on Friday after school, i started basketball. Here is Mel thinking, `Oh how sweet to have cute little clubs that everyone joins to have fun together, this is so cute i am going to have lots of fun in my club out on the court. Playing scrap matches and all will be good fun.`

I WAS SO WRONG! Club is perhaps the most serious thing i have ever got myself into! We have a change room and a club room with shrines and white boards covered in statistics and uniform racks and you name it, we have it. There are about five senpai in my club, then myself and three other year twos and then a whole heap of new first graders who i spend most of my time with because i am new and they are new, yeah. If you walk past a senpai, you have to walk bent over double like you have a stomach ache and same goes if you go near a teacher. We learnt all the ropes, like what to say when the senpai do certain things and we got out onto the court and we have this massive warm up training and special little chants and it is so so serious.

They are good. Very very good. Luckily two of the first graders are new to basketball aswell so we suffer together. We do our own little thing which is still hard enough. We train every day for two hours after school, so from 4.30 until 6.30 and on the weekends we get to the courts which are at school at 7.15am and we start training officially at 9am but we have to set up and lay out things for the senpai and clean up the courts and all crazy formal things like that. So yes, start at 9am and no joke, we don`t stop until 1pm. We did get a three minute break but we weren`t allowed to sit down during it.

I am sore, yes, actually very sore. But i need to pull through with this, its a challenge and i just need to take each day at a time. There is no one to prove anything to except to prove to myself that i can make it through. There is no pressure on me to get good or win or look good because when it is all over, that i quite irrelevant and extra pressure such as that is unneccessary, i came to Japan for Japan, not to be on the world`s greatest basketball team, that was just an added extra.

Right now i am taking advantage of free time which is quite nice. My family life is going great, they are all so lovely and talking in Japanese around the house is actually getting good, i can hold good conversations now, about things regarding home life of course! Also, my time-table is being changed so it isn`t so boring. We had a little altercation with school, i have been sitting through lessons and not understanding a word of what is being said and i got pushed a bit too far by one of the teachers but because of it i got to speak to Yumi Sensei and now we are going to take out some of the lecture style lessons and fill them with art, traditional Japanese calligraphy and P.E which should be great fun.

Well, i will post again if i survive this week`s basketball training, i think i heard something about a day off soon! But of course, that could just be my imagination talking...

Thankyou for your comments, again, i absolutely love reading them and in two weeks time i will post pictures!

Tachibana High School

2007-04-11T18:45:00.000+09:30

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

Snowy Mountains

2007-04-08T17:29:00.000+09:30

Well my goodness,

today was the biggest day of achievements since i actually stepped foot onto that plane in Adelaide airport.

I woke at 7am and had breakfast, the usual etc. Then my host dad, host mum and younger host brother and i got into the car about 10am to set off into the mountains. We have a massive car, which i have a picture of, of course, and i will show you all one day but for now, just imagine...

Well i could see no snow for a long time but we were headed for the highest mountain in Fukushima, Azuma i believe it is called. Suddenly my host mum cried out `Yuki` which is snow and i whipped my head around to find a whole pile of white bags haha it wasn`t snow but we kept driving and eventually we were surrounded by such beautiful snow! It was a first for me and i loved touching it and leaving my foot prints and hand prints! Also remind me never ever to wear dunlop volleys in the snow. I think i came very close to frost bite. Well, we ventured further and further, stopping often and in the car we listened to Disney Spectacular which just made the snow that much more pretty!

We stopped for lunch which was とてもおいしいい！Very yummy, and then went looking at the little tourist hut at the top of the mountain where i bought a few bits and pieces. We drove back down the mountain, stopping often to look at certains amazing first time scenarios for an Aussie girl such as myself. Eventually we arrived at the onsen.

Onsen, marked with the famous ゆand i think it is the bravest thing i have ever done. Onsen, sorry if i am insulting by explaining this but it is the communual hot springs or baths rather....

I won`t go into detail, wouldn`t want to scare you all haha. It was awesome and such a culture shock to say the least but there were two baths, one was outside and there was a beautiful view of the mountains but, believe it or not, i didn`t take my camera with me, i quite literally took nothing but me ...

Gender seperated by a wooden wall and then back inside there were little showers which were Japanese style, so they had little stools, little bowls for water and hand held shower hoses etc but i couldn`t read which one was the body scrub and which one was the hair shampoo so i felt like a bit of a perve trying to watch everyone else and at the same time act as if i was minding my own business... yes very awkward but eventually figured it out!

After this amazing ordeal we went to visit my host mum`s grandparents who were lovely and gave me hand made chopstick holders, or as the grandfather insisted, you can also use these chopstick holders as book marks... very versatile.

I met another Australian named Ganto, a dog who was a border collie and he was gorgeous, of course i have a picture but i can`t show it right now.

Well it was amazing and i couldn`t say thankyou enough! Tomorrow i have school which is scary and i will post again when i can!

Love always, Mel xx

Easter

2007-04-05T11:15:00.000+09:30

Happy Easter everyone! For me it will be rather lonely, the word easter has not even been mentioned here in lovely Japan.

Well, the last few days have been awesome. Two days ago i was driven to Tachibana by my host mum where i met up with Sayumi and Marina. They took me to where the Tachibana students who have recenty been at Tatachilla were. When i was in Australia and met these students they were so lovely to me and Yumi Sensei (Ms. Yumi) was a great person to meet. So when Sayumi and Marina brought me to the classroom they were in, i looked through the glass pane and Yumi Sensei saw me. She ran through the rows of desks with her arms flying around doing a kind of little dance and gave me the biggest hug and i couldn`t help but cry i was so happy! The Japanese don`t hug so it was my first hug in a long time, since i hugged Bek and Darren goodbye at Tokyo station i think. Hearing her speak english was great as well and i felt like i had known her forever. She tells me she is my mum in Japan and i am so so grateful to have her. She also had my trackies that i had left in Australia and she gave me a packet of Timtams.

School hasn`t actually started yet, it starts on the 9th. Students still go to school in the holidays for club and other activities. I will be joining the Kendo club, so watch out when i return, you can`t mess with me anymore! So, when time came to go home from school, i got out my map and put my bags into the little basket on the front of the bike and prayed for the best! I had to ride home on my own using the school hire bike. I did it! Mel actually read a map, believe it or not! I took a photo when i got home of myself near my bike.. i was that proud haha.

Yesterday i studied and yes Ms. Wright i am working hard on my Japanese! Then when Marina returned home we went out to get a few bits and peices for my school uniform. It is so cool and i don`t have to wear it, but everyone does and the girls are pretty excited for me to wear it, so i will just embrace the culture i am thinking. The girls in Tachibana are pretty funny. They look at me as if i am some ... i don`t know, they peep around doors, giggle, get all shy and are so happy if i wave back haha. It is strange. Also, my class will be an all girls class!

After getting things for my uniform Marina and i made purikura! It was awesome, you know the little tiny pictures with all the cool writing... i can`t wait to get more! Then we went to, are you ready for this.... MR DONUTS! Yes, we did and this morning i ate a chocolate pie and a coconut donut for breakfast!

Japan has so much random stuff. Excuse my english, it is turning worse with each day but the up side is that my Japanese is getting better and better. When i was at school with Yumi Sensei and David the American student teacher, my english was all broken and i kept pausing because i forget that i can actually speak normally... also Hai keeps coming out and i am a professional bower now, everything you do people bow.

I love this place and oh one more thing. While riding my bike home two strange things happened. One was that i saw a car exactly like Mum`s red one and i almost ran into a pole because for a second i thought it was her and i actually went to say something, then realised i was all alone and no one would understand me anyway! Secondly, i was crossing under a bridge when the Bullet Train decided to go over the bridge, ( I was under the bridge.. not in the path of the bullet train!) and oh my god. They are crazy, it was almost blurred! Oh and the fact that i sat for five minutes at a footpath crossing thing waiting for it to turn green for me to cross, when i realised, you have to push a button, very embarrassing.

Well everything i see i wish i could tell you about instantly but by the time i sit down here, it is to hard to tell you all the tiny little details but i reassure you that you will all be tied down and told every awesome thing about this awesome country!

Well, till next time, i start school on the 9th and have to give my speech in Japanese to the 1000 staff and students of Tachibana, spare a thought please haha.

Happy Easter xx

Cultures

2007-04-02T14:06:00.000+09:30

Well the other night i was sitting at my new desk in my new host family`s house and the whole room started to shake. I though, ok this is not good, and it kept going! I was paranoid and just sat there holding onto the desk.. it wasn`t that bad though haha and when it stopped i opened my bedroom door and my whole host family cracked up laughing at my apparently startled face!

They are so lovely and live a bit further into the heart of Fukushima. I have a younger sister and a younger brother and Marina who is my age. Yesterday they took me shopping and to see Maiko! Maiko are Geisha, the dancing kind and i got to have my photo taken with them. They came from Kyoto and after the photo time they performed a traditional Japanese dance and it was so beautiful, the way they do their head and eye thing is amazing!

Today i got handed a map of how to get to school. That should be interesting seeing that i get lost walking around Marion. Marina goes to school super early because of her club so i have to get there by myself. I will just look for the oter tachibana students and follow them if they are heading in the same direction as my map states. After my host mum gave me the map though we went for a practice. It was good, it is a long way though. We also stopped in at this official place so i could register as an alien...

My knees and back are pretty bad after a week and a bit of sitting at these low Japanese tables, it is really painful. I feel so awkward and like the biggest yetti ever but yesterday i saw another foreigner! There was about a trillion people in the elevator and this guy came in and when the doors shut it was silent as we went up and all i could see was a sea of black hair and then me and this guy poking out the top like giants haha.

Food is getting hard to cope with, it certainly is a very different culture! It is good to slurp and burp and make eating sounds which, according to sayumi are `Shaki Shaki` sounds. I get angry at home at my sister if she makes just the slightest noise when we eat but oh my goodness, this place is crazy and i just had to keep looking around at things that wouldn`t make me feel sick and i hate myself for having such a delicate nature haha.

But i do love the awkwardness, i always try to fight the grin that comes onto my face when i am in the most awkward of situations! I smile even though it isn`t funny at all haha.

Well there is a little comparison between Japan and Australia. Thanks a trillion for your comments i absolutely love reading them!

Melissa xx

Pictures

2007-03-29T10:52:00.000+09:30

Finally i have uploaded photos, i hope you enjoy them, please comment! Well here we have one of the rooms in the house. A whole heap of relatives came over the other day and it was really interesting to see the kind of ceremony thing they did. This room smells so good, of inscence so it is really nice!
Sorry this is sideways, not sure how to fix it as of yet but tilt your head! This is the bathroom. You have a shower out of the bath, and get perfectly clean and then once you have no soap or anything on you, you can get into the bath. The bath is red hot but awesome once you are in it. It is really deep too! There is a little stool to sit on while you have a shower but... i tend to just stand haha.
Grandad`s favourite food. I was so shocked and i am lost for words, i will leave it up to you. Slurping and burping here is polite which i am finding hard to overcome for those of you who know me even just a little.. you would understand how hard it is for me to keep a straight face sometimes haha.
Here is the view from my hotel room in Chiba. You have to wait for the chance to see in my room but how awesome is that view, don`t you agree! I was pretty high up, room 1204 to be exact!
Dinner. This is classically what i eat each night, the main meal just changes. This was at the Chiba OVTA Hotel and don`t ask what is in the big bowl, i am merely the consumer. Then there is lot`s of rice, miso soup and little pastry dumpling things filled with cream.

Ok, the picture above is of from the left, Michelle, Helen, Me and Rebekkah. It was taken at the Chiba OVTA Hotel and they are all from Australia and are all here for 10 months.
This picture is my house! The Hanzawa`s house! That is the front door and the house is actually really big but it is like a little maze.
This is my room and Maddie and Rach, see your lovely bag in the corner. My bed is really warm and you can see my blessed heater! I always have to turn off the heater when i leave the room and the lights, things like that are apparently expensive here.
Okonomiyaki! It was so so yummy and really filling. That is Miki and I, she is lovely and Mr. Hanzawa took the picture for me.

Well there you go, there is so much more to show and tell but for now this will have to suffice! I hope you are all well and i will talk again soon, also sorry for posting everyday but it is school holidays at the moment, i have a feeling that when i start school these posts will become less and less but yeah, thankyou very much for looking and commenting, it means a lot to me xxx

Sunshine

2007-03-28T13:21:00.000+09:30

I woke up today at 7am which is rather lucky and i only got to do so because we have no plans today, these japanese people are very good with their time management haha. I got dressed, a fair few layers yet again and then made sure my room was clean etc. I opened my paper sliding door and said good morning to the whole family but mum and dad left a few minutes later to go to work. So Miki, myself and Grandad had breakfast. Rice, a salad with cold chips, eggplant, lettuce and what looked like cucumber but did not taste like it. There was also miso soup and a very pink fish thing that was really salty but i actually enjoyed. I washed all this down with a cup of coffee which they dont use teaspoons to make which really does not figure in my mind. Then, we sat down and watched this show where there is a guy who is dying and his wife is a writer and it is quite sad, even though it is in Japanese, it is still very sad, just ask Callum R what i am like when it comes to sad Japanese shows haha. Grandad went out so Miki and I took the dogs for a massive walk. It is super cool out there in Fukushima, i am in love. We went into Mikis primary school and it was super cool and i even cried, because i read this really sad book which was again in Japanese but i definately will hunt it down in a book shop because it is the saddest book i have ever read in my entire life. (It was a childrens book with pictures). Anyway, the cherry blossoms have started to bloom and have come out of no where so i got great pictures. We got home about twenty minutes ago and had lunch which was sandwiches, how japanese...
Now i am writing this and yeah, have no massive plans, just relaxing while you are all at school and work...

The language barrier is so difficult, my japanese is for sure improving but they dont talk the way we are taught it, Ms Wright, i thank you a trillion times over for introducing me to the plain form, i would be dead by now if i did not know it.

Anyway, it has only been a week and what a busy week it has been but i already feel pretty good in this home but i change on the 31st to Marina Yokouchi`s house so it is kind of exciting.

Until later, Melissa xxx

Japan

2007-03-27T13:34:00.001+09:30

I love this place! Yesterday i went to school for an orientation. I did not wear my uniform as it was just orientation and we left home after breakfast at about seven thirty and dad drove us right to the school. Then, at school i had to take off me shoes and i got a shoe locker and wore my uwabaki. I was shunned to the library while they had a ceremony for the graduating students but while i was there, checking out the super-cool Harry Potter in Japanese, i heard an american fluent voice and that was when i first laid eyes on david, more like Jesus in my case. He is american and is an assistant language teacher and we talked for ages and he totally understands me and i ws so relieved to speak english fluently for a while but yes in japanese kept spilling out accidently. He kept laughing and understood and his japanese is limited too so it was nice, he knows exactly what i am on about.

Anyway, doubt this will work, it is the one hundreth one i have written and they do not work argh. Wish me luck xx

Report From Japan

2007-03-25T16:16:00.000+09:30

Well, i wish i could say this post was full of damn information, i wrote about four pages and then lost it because the buttons are in Japanese!

Basically, damn it, i am soo angry! Ok, sorry about the wait this is the first computer i have had access to!

I was so sad to say goodbye at Adelaide, i tried to just keep walking but it was very very hard. I could see luke and my family through the glass as i boarded the plane, so i waved, but they could not see me wave which was really hard. Brisbane was, crappy! I was really sick but once i woke up at 4.45am to leave for Japan, my stomach ache was better.

I spent two nights in Chiba and i loved every minute of it. Orientation was great and i made good friends with the other AIIU students. On the first day i got to use the atm and thank goodness, it works! There are heaps of vending machines here and all the cars are perfectly square. It looks like a fake village because of how clean it is. I had my own hotel room in Chiba, where we stayed for orientation, the view of the city at night was amazing.

Yesterday we caught a bus into Tokyo. Tokyo was like i have never seen before, so amazingly big. We were at Tokyo station for a long time but the time came when Sean from Adelaide, Celvie from Seattle and myself had to catch the shinkansen to Fukushima. Celvie and Sean got off at Kuriyama, so i was on my own until Fukushima city.

When i got off, there were so many people waiting for me that i looked behind me thinking they were all waiting for someone else... they all laughed at me. The car ride home was awkward, it was me, Miki and her dad and then Marina and Sayoko who are my host sisters from other families. The language barrier is hard to overcome. We got to where they live and it is amazing. Their house is so japanese, it has sliding paper doors, tatami mats, low tables, massive shrines with inscence, heaps of calanders, toilet slippers, kitchen slippers, heaps of slippers! I have my own room which is nice and the house itself is kind of in the country. There are tombstones everywhere along the road, where the people have offered food to the gods, foods like coffee from vending machines and random modern things like that. The background is mountains that are covered in snow, it is beautiful.

I have been eating rice with every meal and luke if you read this, we went through the concept of wabaki at orientation! I just eat what i am given and say it is good, even if it isn`t. I had a traditional Japanese bath last night, the shower is actually a room and then you get in the bath once you have had your shower. Grandad goes first, then Miki then me then Mr. Hanzawa then mum. The damn tap, even though i would turn it to hot, it would be freezing cold and i could not work it out and i froze until i got to get in the bath!

I slept like a log last night, very comfortable. This morning i had to sweep the hallways, i was glad to have a job, makes me feel more at home. Today Miki and i went shopping and i bought a skirt and a neck-tie thing, the ribbon ones. I love everything about this place, so far, it is amazing and i am so glad i am here. The other orientation students who have been before for three months said you have to make the most of each day because time really does fly.

Well, hopefully i do not loose the whole lot of this AGAIN! Sorry it is rushed, i do not want to be on the computer too much. I love you all and you are in my thoughts but i am having a brilliant time.

Sorry for making you wait, i could not get to a computer. xxx

This Is It

2007-03-21T06:50:00.000+10:30

Never ever thought i'd be writing this post. It's still dark, i am drinking a cup of milo from my elvis mug, wearing my warm morning socks, and feel like i'm on another planet. I can't believe that today i step onto a plane, and ok, i am not quite flying to Tokyo today, but Brisbane. That is scary enough, this is the last post from my house.

Well, i wish i had some amazing feeling of excitement, anticipation, which i do.. but it's not that strong, i feel more.. detatched from what i am actually doing.

So, thankyou, i will talk to you again somewhere around the world, whenever i find a computer, wherever that may be...

Now is the biggest chapter of my adventure.

The First Challenge

2007-03-19T09:32:00.000+10:30

Perhaps something that has been on my mind worse than Japan.. my driver's liscence. I got it! Finally, i am so relieved. It seems a bit pathetic that it worried me so much, but a final drive you fail or pass where as Japan, there is no failing option.

It is a great relief and has set me up now so that all i need to focus on is having the time of my life when i'm away. Here is a picture of Rach and I on Friday night before we went out to 'the last supper' (for twelve weeks). I thought visual aids might soften the website up a bit!

I'll write again soon when i get the chance. xx

One Week

2007-03-14T20:38:00.000+10:30

So long since i've written, it's just that i've been really busy but now it is only a week! I have started packing, it is so surreal, i can't believe i am going!

School work is maybe at it's peak, but i am getting through, i just need to not get wrapped up in it.

Today i spoke to some of the Tachibana students and teachers, they are at my school on exchange for a few weeks so i am really lucky to meet them before i go, it's good for them to see where i come from i reckon, so they can understand my background a bit better.

My sensei is so lovely, i am lucky she is here. She gave me a little teddy keyring which is made of Japanese silk, i love it so much and it is one of those things that just make you smile :) She is so lovely and i really can not wait!

Only a little stressed over the things i need to get done before i go but besides that i have no regrets or ... things i am doubting, i just can't wait. Tomorrow and then Friday will be my last days at school. Friday afternoon is the twilight food affair then on Saturday night going out with the girls to say proper goodbye, which will be sad but great fun! Then just homework, homework.. which i should be doing now!

Anyway, just a rambling blog to get you up to date, i will write before i leave for the airport, then, the next post will be from Japan! Goodness me!

Suddenly i see, why the hell it means so much to me...

The Drought

2007-02-25T20:53:00.000+10:30

Now it is illegal to have a green lawn. Quite literally, water restrictions are that tight now that no one's lawn is green and if it is, then CLEARLY they've been doing the wrong thing. I was shocked the other day when we drove past a paddock and i went 'Wow, the grass is green'. It had been that long since i'd seen proper green grass and it stood out so much, just htis patch of green amongst yellow and brown.

Just thought i'd share that little thought with you all, how thrilling it must be for you!

Melissa xx

Orientation Day

2007-02-20T07:39:00.000+10:30

Yesterday mum and i went to orentation in town for the day. There were four other people, all from St Francis so i was the only one that didn't know anyone. The conference went for the whole day and i am so much more excited about it now.

I was the only one going for three months, the rest are going for 10 and it has made my time in Japan sound so small compared to them, it has made me feel a bit better and now i won't worry as much about being homesick because they are gone for more than triple my time!

I leave on the 22nd of March 2007 and return on the 23rd of June 2007. Not long, only 12 weeks.

Anyway, i am so excited but the only thing i worry about now is that my school work here is not going to get done properly. Oh well i say, it doesn't matter...

'It's just an adventure i guess...'

Love

2007-02-15T16:48:00.000+10:30

I suppose if you fall for someone that is worth falling for, you fall hard. No matter what anyone says, you can't help it. They've caught your heart on non-refundable terms.

I fell.

6 months ago i fell so hard that i went against every scrap of advice given to me.

I had a plan.

We stayed on the low, pretending like nothing had happened or was happening. But now, with only 40 days until i leave, it is no more a secret. No more pretending we are just friends. No more lying to people.

Now it is all ok and nothing will stop me going to Japan, things are all ok.

You've gotta be strong...

When I Am Tired

2007-02-10T17:55:00.000+10:30

Scene: Mel and Hannah have almost cleaned up all the kitchen in the deli when a hungry customer comes in, asking for a sandwhich that we didn't have proper ingredents for because we'd only cut enough lettuce for the next day.

Hannah: 'Hi how can i help you?'

Lady: 'I was just wondering if i could have a sandwhich please with ham tomato and lettuce?'

Hannah: 'Yeah sure but we don't have any lettuce sorry.'

Mel: 'Oh yeah Han, we do, it's right there'

*Hannah ignores Mel*

Mel: 'Hannah, see, right there in that green tub!'

Hannah: 'Oh would you look at that, i must be going blind!'

Yes, i did screw it up and put us behind but the look on Hannah's face when the lady left was worth it!

Cheat

2007-02-08T07:58:00.000+10:30

Ok yes, i did cheat a little with my last post. I started writing it in Japanese but i couldn't be bothered finding my furigana dictionary and then i had a bright idea!

'Mel, you wrote an assignment on your feelings about Japan a few weeks ago...'

I'm sure you understand. Well, the weather has been getting colder at night, i don't know why that is and at the moment, i am a little stressed in a relaxed kind of a way about my schoolwork. It isn't looking good at all and i see the only solution to be to drop a lesson.

Hmm, it is so hard to pick which one as they are all so beneficial to my cause... not. I really don't think my life would be that much different if i were to miss a few lessons of religion. In fact, it would be different, it would be better because i would have more time to do the impossible.

Anyway, i must go and today is the fateful day that i lose the battle to get my P's before luke. What a brilliant day. (Which reminds me i need to book more driving lessons argh).

Melissa Marseille Ryan (p.s. my picture is in the sand dunes at Robe)

About My Japan

2007-02-05T16:28:00.000+10:30

１月１４日　日曜日　　はれ　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

今日たちばなの校長先生から手紙をもらった。私はたちばなに行って、とてもうれしい。三月に日本に行く。私はうれしいけど、しんぱいしている。日本でたちばな高校に行く。たちばな高校はふくしまにある。たちばな高校行きたくて、日本語をべんきょうしたい。今、私は日本語をれんしゅうして、日本のぶんかをならっている。

日本でともだちにあいたい。そして、寺に行きたい。日本でしんせつなかぞくがほしい。日本で私はオーストラリアのぶんかをおしえる。

今、この日記には疲れちゃった、それで、明日にわたしは書く。明日には寒いと風の強いでしょう。

明日まで、メリサ。

Not Long Now

2007-01-25T09:22:00.000+10:30

Well, it has been so long since i have used this blog to talk all about Japan. So here we go!

Well, at the moment i am sitting here and should be doing chemistry homework as i only have a few days to get it done, however, this blog takes priority for the moment. Tomorrow i am going away to Robe with my family and my cousins! I can't wait, we're going to have so much fun! We get back on the sunday night and then the next day, Erika, our exchange student arrives! I didn't think this moment would come either, when my teacher came up to me so long ago and asked us if we would host a student and we said yes, i for some reason didn't think it would happen, but here it is, time is really flying.

So, when Erika arrives we have a few days left of holidays, and then it's back to school. I am sleeping in the campervan and Erika will have my room, that is a great act of kindness i believe! Nah, i don't mind, i will enjoy spending time in the campervan.

Between all this, i will be sleeping and working, and going online!

Blues

2007-01-06T20:16:00.000+10:30

Your mind is a mess.

Questions, interrogations from the ones you can't bear to look at. You smile politely, that is the polite thing to do.

On the inside the storm rages, sending your life plummeting into the depths of a ferocious, murky ocean.

Strength. It holds out until you see the one. Those simple words, the ones that you try and deny bring you undone faster than you were done up.

Are you OK?

The storm spills out from the inside, soaking reality in the tears and sadness of the treacherous seas within. Constricting your throat with it's movements, it crashes out, pulling you down with the truth.

It hurts.

New Year

2007-01-02T10:19:00.000+10:30

Ok, here i go and am going to say it, well rather, write it.

THIS year i am going to Japan!

How exciting and closer does that sound? I know, it is crazy! I am so excited but i have so much work to catch up on that it isn't that funny. Also, i have the chance to get my Driver's Licence on the 25th of January but i have to drive more hours.. a lot more hours and i have to have my lessons. I have to get it before Japan, that is my aim.

I just got back from the river yesterday which was great fun. I polished up on my skiing skills and learnt to wakeskate aswell as going for a few wakeboards, double skis, kneeboards and a biscuit with Rachael that i'll never forget.

This year will be the biggest year of my life i reckon. It is amazing that I am actually going to Japan. I hear so many older people who are married, with kids, have their own house etc and they always say 'oh i wish i'd done that, oh i wish i'd gone there'. That won't be me. I don't want that to be me and i aim to never miss an opportunity. Obviously you can't take part in every event that occurs but we need to learn how to sort out those events into priorities so the things that really matter get done.

Happy New Year everyone, i hope you have a beautiful year.

Sometimes

2006-12-15T20:30:00.000+10:30

Sometimes i let myself believe it.
Sometimes i let my mind wander, is it dangerous for me to have dreams?
These dreams... they lead to happiness, or heartbreak?
And when it is all over, will it have been worth it?
When it is all over, will i wish it would happen all again?
Sometimes i wonder, when is 'all over'?

Is it all over on the balcony, when the sand is between my toes, when i place down the first pot plant or when i step foot into my wildest dreams ... or lose sight of them all together.

Will i feel as complete as my dreams lead me to believe?
Sometimes i wonder if this happiness will fade?

Sometimes i wonder,

Is it going to hurt, that last moment?
Is it going to be electric, that first moment?

Sometimes i just want to dream, because at the moment, these dreams are reality, i am slipping between the two, not knowing what is living, what is a dream, an illusion or reality.

Sometimes...

Too Fast

2006-12-08T16:07:00.000+10:30

My gosh, my life is going so fast and i am so afraid. I am sitting here, it is a 40 degree day, i sit in my business atire, business week is over, year 10 is over, christmas is in a few days, holidays have started, only 10 more school weeks until japan and then i am away for three whole months. This is going so damn fast and i am so scared!

Life is beautiful but why is it passing me by! I just have so many moments to absorb and i feel like i can't, i don't want things to go this fast, i love life too much at the moment. I get a lump in my throat when i think of this, this post means so much to me, i just want to cry.

Emelie, your email made me realise all of this and i thank you for the things you said, i love you.

I love so many things and such important things, i am so confused but so happy! Just slow down please.

play hard, ruthlessly with grace...

Prison Of Numbers

2006-11-28T21:10:00.000+10:30

'I don't think I can make it,' she moaned as they pushed on. Each step tightened the chains that were constricting her chest. Breathing heavily, sickness crept through her stomach. When would they be let go? How much longer did they have to endure this pain?

Laura and Mel could not cope. For over 10 years they had endured sessions of this complete horror. The heat intensified and a trickle of sweat down Laura's pale cheek.

Mel adjusted her skirt. Lead rubbed onto the cream fabric, staining the sack-like dress for the millionth time.

'Twelve more, don't stop, doesn't this mean anything to you!' His deep voice growled, employing fear into their souls. They grasped desperately ahead, dizzy from the concentration.

The insanity set it. A malicious grin swepted across Mel's face, her white teeth gleaming in the sunlight through the grimy window. Laura joined her. It didn't seem to matter, they were distraught. They weren't going to survive, it was never going to end.

Hysterical laughter filled the sullen room. He errupted in anger, his bloodshot eyes piercing into their hearts. Suppressed by his anger, they composed their aching, longing bodies and focussed as hard as possible.

Suddenly the moment came. The sound of the school bell elated their hearts and they slammed shut their maths books with glee. The lead on Mel's dress was now the only remaining evidence that she had held that pencil in pure boredom, gazing at the steps on the blackboard.

Their aching bodies stretched out and a beautiful breeze cooled their faces as they stepped into the freedom of lunchtime.

Bird Watch

2006-11-25T10:37:00.000+10:30

For some reason, from the moment i awoke this morning, myself, matt, steph and emelie had an unusually high number of encounters with situations involving birds. Here is our birdwatch timeline:

7am - Matt awakes and goes outside, to find a kookaburra and a koala in the tree out the front.
(We know koala's aren't birds but it is kind of cool so i had to add it in).

7.30am - Mel talks to Emelie, who has a picture of heaps of birds in her display picture.

7.30am - Steph reads a fact that states, 'Emu's are the only birds that can't walk backwards'.

7.35am - Mel is explaining to Emelie how people shoot some kinds of birds to protect vines.

7.36am - The type of bird people shoot is on Mel's front lawn and her dog barks it away.

7.40am - Emelie starts her essay on birds.

8.00am - There is bird poo on Stephanie's mum's car.

8.25am - Mel walks past two girls at school who are talking about their pet bird.

10.30am - Steph sings Daydream Believer, 'Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings'.

10.35am - Mel tells her friends how horrified emelie was that people kill birds.

12.05pm - A bird sits on the window of the second story at school, Mel says hello to it.

12.10pm - Matt, Steph and Mel realise they are in the room where the birds nest is, in the roof.

12.15pm - This reminds Steph that she ate a bird for dinner last night.

12.30pm - Matt and Steph are watching the cricket and they see the 'kookaburra' sign.

3.00pm - Ms Lind attempts to save a dying bird.

10.20pm - A bird lands outside Mel's bedroom window as she is trying to sleep, it makes a loud noise.

That is the end of our day but we believe that was a particularly unusual day, perhaps a conspiracy?

Butterfly

2006-11-23T21:17:00.000+10:30

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me,
we truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly.

Take your passion and make it happen.

The only way to know the limits of possibilities is
to go beyond them into the impossible.

I want to run free and I need you to be there
I'm going to take some chances I never took before
I've got to live my life and I'm going to risk it all
I look to the sky and suddenly I know
I've made up my mind, I'm never letting go
It's the power I want, it's the power I need
To make me run, to make me see for real

Agony

2006-11-20T17:20:00.000+10:30

The only thing i hate about this weather is what my mum just did to me. To cool me off, mum decided to spray me with a pretty tea-tree oil, how sweet you might think. However, without warning, i find myself drowning in a sea of mist and my eyes have not stopped watering for the last five minutes.

Thanks mum, i love you xx

Japanese News

2006-11-15T21:30:00.000+10:30

Today in chapel it was announced to the school that i would be going to Japan. Also, it was announced that a girl called Erika is coming to stay in Australia at Tatachilla (my school) for a year. I am hosting Erika (from Japan) for the duration of Term One. This is great news because it means i have a chance to make friends and learn even more about the way of Japanese life. I don't have details and i am yet to confirm it with the co-ordinator, my teacher, Ms Wright.

In other news, only two weeks until exams. I have started to study hard for them. The year 11 work is going well, it is a bit difficult but i am getting good marks so far. I suppose i will just have to take it a day at a time and make sure i don't over look each day. I want to live and love every second, breath every moment and smell the excitement and glory of life.

This weekends plans:

- Relaxing Friday night, play a game of tag rugby.
- Working hard on Saturday morning from 8am till 12 noon.
- Take a nice walk around the flat on Saturday after work.
- Rachael and Gabriella's birthday party at 4pm.
- Pack Cambodian birthing kits for my Auntie's university work.
- Sunday afternoon, study for exams.

I suppose that was all a bit random but lists help keep my sanity.

Love Melissa xx ps. make sure you do something beneficial every day.

Random Events

2006-11-11T09:21:00.000+10:30

Hello there,

It has been such a long time since i have written and just talked about me in general, instead of pretending to be my dog etc.

So here it is, just little things i have been up to. Well i took the day off of school yesterday, i just didn't want to go, i was a bit run down and my sister's school had a day off so i looked after her. I got a great deal done in terms of homework in comparison to what i would have done if i was at school! The weather is warmer now, and i felt it last night at tag rugby. I played my old team and they beat me! It was good fun though!

Dad has a new motor bike. The boys are going to take him down on their dirt tracks often, i hope they are ok! I am not a fan of motor bikes. I am working all day today, well, 11 until 5 which i think warrents all day. I am taking advantage of the fact that i can sit around in the morning and do nothing! My house is dead silent right now. Amelia is asleep in bed, there is a magpie outside the window that is making a lot of noise though.

Well, that is all that's happening at the moment. Bit sad really! I don't have any important gossip or worldly event that is going to shape the nation, so i'll head off!

Love melissa xx

The Horror of War

2006-11-11T09:00:00.000+10:30

This is a new english assignment, i personally like it so i hope that i get an ok mark for it!

The gunshot pierced the still, silent atmosphere. Birds scattered, and a gentle wind swept through the trees, carrying the sound’s echo in its arms. Within seconds it was over and I was left alone with my heart beating heavier, my head spinning faster. Terror flowed swiftly through my veins, causing fright in every part of my body. The dense forest stretched for miles; giving me the feeling I was the only man in the world. I knew I wasn’t. I could hear him, crawling through the land, watching my every move. He was savaged by the war and trained to kill. I knew he wouldn’t give up, the Japanese never do.

I placed one aching foot before the other, moving as fast as I could bear. If I slowed down then he would creep closer, bringing my death with him. As I stumbled over the lonely, dense land, my thoughts flashed before my eyes, as clear as words on a screen. On the screen of my imagination, the Australian flag blew in the gentle wind, my girlfriend waved goodbye and the cries of fellow soldiers haunted me.

A twig snapped. A shiver crept up my back like a hundred tiny spiders marching along my spine. Stiff with fright, I convinced myself to turn quickly and face the noise. Knowing that hesitation would be fatal, I reached for my rifle, pulling roughly at the khaki strap.

It didn’t seem real. I felt as if the man standing in front of me was a painting, one I could gaze at for hours at a time. Breaking my thoughts, he hurried forward. In a rush of emotion, he surged towards me, screaming out in his native tongue. The sound was shocking after the hours of haunting silence. The muscles in his fingers tensed as they squeezed the trigger. Overwhelmed at the situation, I stood motionless. Our eyes connected as we gazed in awe. The dull click of his rifle had brought a miracle down upon me.

The longer I waited, the more I noticed. The flawless skin of his face was young and determined. It had life within it, a life I knew nothing about. I needed to do it. No doubt he knew where he was, he was not lost like me because he hadn’t fled the ambush, instead he’d followed and stalked. Staring at the helpless man, I raised my rifle with shaking hands. He had tried to kill me. I told myself this over and over, drowning out the look of helplessness in his eyes. He didn’t scream out, he didn’t spit or curse. He prayed, down on his knees he spoke to his God. Gently he reached into the pocket of his beige pants. Panicking, I fired.

Without hesitation I rushed forward, kneeling down at his side. I took his hand, the hand that had reached for the pocket. Spilt from that pocket was a faded picture. His family surrounded him. His father stood straight as his chest swelled with pride while an elderly woman’s face beamed at her son. An elegant wife placed her loving hands upon his shoulder while his daughter, lovingly curled up in his lap, stared at her father with admiration.

I gripped his hand tighter; his eyes peered at me desperately. He had no hatred, he was simply frightened. Slowly his breaths grew shorter and my tears splashed down upon his wounded chest. His life ebbed away before me and I watched as he drew his final breath. I knew that somewhere, at that very moment, his wife longed for him, anxiously waiting the moment she could fall once more into his arms.

Rachael And Me

2006-11-06T19:04:00.000+10:30

1. When i first met Rachael, she had a wardrobe with mirrors on the front, her dolls were kept in a big box up on the top shelf.

2. We played cats often and slid down the slippery dip on all fours.

3. Rachael and I created a collection of gum nuts, getting them from the roof of our shed. I swear Rach almost died that day, the day she bravely jumped to grab hold of the roof and didn't quite make it.

4. We played cars with Josh. Rachael always managed to get a truck from Josh... i only managed cars.

5. On Tuesdays after school we would sit in Rachael's room and play Uno and eat pringles.

6. Ballet classes on Saturday morning started with a game of chasey, the bars on the wall were the safe area.

7. Lining up for the Mobile Library was entertaining because we would fold our cards and put them in our mouths, pretending we were ducks.

8. The famous lion king performance. I was Simba and Rachael was Zazzoo, we sung, "Oh I Just Can't Wait To Be King". The next year i convinced myself i was dying from stage fright and Rachael saved me, performing solo.

9. Swan Lake ballet with mum and Louise (Rachael's mum) was awesome. We laughed as Mum and Louise made comments about men in tights.

10. We wore matching outfits to Disney on ice. A black top and pants with a fury white spotted collar.

11. We made a house from books for Rachael's cat. We spilt milk on the floor and tried to disguise the smell with perfume.

12. Netball was our (and is still) favourite sport. Through all the rainy days, hail storms, heat waves, we have almost always been on the court together.

13. We chased Ben up and down our street trying to catch him in the darkness.

14. We went motorbike riding through the vineyards and almost drowned in the puddle of mud that seemed so small to start with...

15. Swimming in the rain. The warm water of the pool contrasting with the cold rain drops. The air is thick and the skies are black.

16. Casual clothes days are a routine where i call Rach or vice versa so we can work out what is the cool or normal thing to be wearing.

17. Eating icecream by the river on camp.

18. Hawaiian Party night where Rachael kept 'spilling' her cocktails. We had so much fun dressed up and dancing.

Thousands upon thousands of more memories are in my mind however it would takes years to write them here. That was just a small sample into the life of Rachael and Me.

Rosie Ryan

2006-10-29T13:55:00.000+10:30

My name is Rosie. I am a maltese shitzu female at age 4. I have lived my whole life with the Ryan family. I remember my first night with them, it was so much fun, i chased Amelia around the polished black tiles, trying to catch onto the ribbon she was dangling behind her as she ran. I was only little then, i could fit into the palm of a humans hand. I had dark black fur and when i ate my food, my back legs would rise up off the ground because my head was heavier than the rest of my body.

Over the years i have grown to love and live with my family. I have a little red box as my bed where i keep my special biscuits hidden under my tiger rug. I only sleep in this bed at night time, for the rest of the day i lay on the window sill, watching people drive past. I get angry at them sometimes, when they don't keep moving, i bark until they get the message that they aren't welcome on my street. The leaves especially tend to linger on my land. I bark out loud if they move or fall from the trees. How dare they...

When i am not sleeping, eating or keeping peace in my neighbourhood, i like to play. My basket of toys sits at the foot of the bookshelf and i pull them all out until i find my Sulley doll or my Froggy, who lost his ribbet after a particularly fast paced game... i didn't mean to hurt him.

I love my life, and my life loves me because as they say, it's a dogs life...

Beautiful Plan

2006-10-27T22:17:00.000+09:30

8.45am - Awaking to the sound of the birds and opening my eyes wide.

9.00am - Running through the morning. The cold air on my face, my legs powering me along as i breathe in the fresh morning air.

9.45am - Showering under the cold water to wake me and pulling on my black trackies and cute singlet top.

10.00am - Eating a piece of toast with golden butter melted over the top. Drinking mango juice.

10.15am - Brushing my teeth before i start disc one of Elvis Hitstory. My window open, curtains closed, lamp on, bed made, feeling fresh and organised.

11.00am - Starting my beautiful World War Two timeline and organising my folders. Elvis Hitstory continues playing.

12.30pm - Making a beautiful lunch that i eat at the set table, with my hair fastened back off my face with my white headband.

1.00pm - Slipping on proper shoes and brushing my teeth (again i know) as Dad and i go driving through the country side. The sun shines down upon the world.

2.30pm - Returning home to a house that is warmed by the afternoon sun. Lay on my back lawn as i read Harry Potter over and over again.

3.15pm - Coming inside and talking online to my friends and listen to the last of Elvis Hitstory.

4.00pm - Cleaning up my desk and revise a bit of Japanese as i get ready for Babysitting.

5.30pm - Going next door to babysit. Playing horses and spy games until story time.

8.30pm - Reading Saddle Club to Georgie as she drifts off to a peaceful sleep.

9.00pm - Snuggling up on the couch as i complete my balancing equations homework. Flicking through the late night T.V shows.

1.00am - Brushing my teeth, crawling into bed after a long day, relief.

The Shop Door

2006-10-25T20:03:00.000+09:30

In strolls this man, he is on a mission. His light blue denim jeans are snug around his bulging waist, fastened with a brown leather belt, buckles shining. His faded black T-shirt sports a creative pattern of white paint, splattered in a random fashion. Glowing from the inside, the room elates as he walks across the green lino floor. He chats away as if we have been friends for ages, talking about every happy situation under the sun. Optimisim shines down upon him like a golden light and the feeling remains as a satisfied man walks through the shop door, with his bacon, cheese and tomato foccacia.

Miss city girl walks in or rather, strides in, as she too is on a mission. This mission lacks the passion of my last customer. This woman doesn't warm up the room, rather, turns it cold. She wears a bright yellow knitted cardigan, and her blonde hair is flipped over her shoulder as she surveys the room. Her eyes are narrow, the Dior sunglasses on her head hold the whispy parts of her hair off of her face. The essentials: water, gum and a paper. That's all a girl from the city needs when she finds herself in a place like this. Fine by me i think as she takes her items and leaves, not a smile, only a quick 'see ya'.

The bowling duck walks in, shuffling her white shoes across the floor as her walking stick taps along. She has her visor on and her big black sunnies that cover half her face. She smiles as she grabs the paper, taking forever to bend down and up again. She refuses help because an old duck such as herself is still fighting fit, for an old duck of course. Her wrinkled and speckled skin covers her body, as she reaches a shaking hand into her black leather purse. The correct change spills out onto the counter. Smiling broadly, she waddles out the door, laughing at life as it laughs back at her...

School Day

2006-10-20T17:30:00.000+09:30

I was awoken abruptly to the ringing of my phone and as i opened my eyes the first thought that ran through my mind was, "Gosh the mornings are getting brighter and brighter".

Unlike my usual routine, i ate breakfast, a cup of milo, before i made my bed, so that was risking my day before it had even really started. I battled on however and Mum and i got into the car. We drove around to Monique and Fuzzy and i let Fuzzy into Monique's paddock to finish her left over hay. I snuck in a carrot for each of them, as a gift from me. I think that made them feel somewhat special.

Stepping over the dusty patches between the grass, i climbed back over the fence, in my school dress i might add, and got back into the car. Mum and i drove along the winding roads to school. I left Mum and the last thing she said to me was, "I'd wish you good luck, but you don't need it".

Walking up to my locker room, the school bell sounded and i cringed as i thought about how late i actually was. I left my bag in my locker and went with Steph to homeclass. We had to go to our house for a meeting. During the meeting we talked about the upcoming Chess Tournament. I unfortunately am not skilled in the game so i have left the game in the hands of my peers, i hope we can win the Bruss Sheild this year, i have faith in my Emerald house!

I walked in late to chemistry and politely asked my teacher to let me through as she was blocking the way to my seat. She didn't hear me and the boys laughed as i stood for ages, waiting for her to move while she read her role. Finally seated i spent the morning learning of ionic bonds and compounds etc.

Liberation was at hand when the bell sounded out loudly across the school. Sitting with the girls under the pretty green trees we talked and nibbled on our recess. However, all good things come to an end and i had to move off to history. Maddie and I sat at the front of the class, as per usual, so we can see of course! We are watching Schindler's List at the moment and it is rather moving. I highly recommend this to any budding historians. I let the tears flow down my cheeks as i watched on in horror at the screen. It didn't feel like a screen, i felt as if i had to reach out and stop the death, stop the war...

Australian studies followed my history lesson. We are writting essays on the crime and justice systems in Australia however Steph and i used this as a chance to chat and write pretty signatures all over my notebook. We were so disheartened after watching part of the movie that essay writing seemed a petty activity compared to the diasters and tragedies that happen in this world.

Lunch proved to be highly entertaining from the first minute as Beirmann showed me his food all mushed up in his mouth, so childish, but so funny! We then dared Daniela to hug each teacher that walked past as today is "National Cuddle Day'. Tears rolled down my face again however, these were tears from laughter. Then Daniela and i made a team effort to walk across the lawn in a hug, we shuffled our feet along, taking ages to make it.

My last lesson for the day was Japanese. I walked along the path, looking at the red bricks and the blue ones as my black shoes clopped along. I took off those black shoes as i entered the Japanese room. Taken by surprise, my teacher started me on my year 11 course. This is so i can fit in year 11 while i am away in Japan. It all went so well, i even had a formative test and i got 90%!

We were let out five minutes early, so we could make it back to our lockers. I talked to Rachael over and over again about the awaiting phone interview, and she promised me that everything would be ok. How right she was. I drove home in the car with Luke and he told me all about his CAD project, he has to start all again. Also, his Ruben and Leo escaped last night, they went for a wonder down to the wetlands and came home covered in mud and looking very guilty!

Wishing me luck, Luke and Denise said goodbye as we pulled up my drive way. I raced inside, setting out my desk, awaiting the phonecall. I ate a green jellybean and then before i knew it i was on the phone, half way through my interview. All of a sudden it was over and the feeling swept over me, the most amazing feeling. I am going to do it, away i will fly and i will live the life of a Japanese student for three whole months.

That was the day of Melissa Marseille Ryan on the 20th of October 2006.

This Is Reality

2006-10-20T16:51:00.000+09:30

I am sorry to have left you in suspense, i never posted that on the Monday morning, mum actually did ring the company and we actually did book an appointment for 30 minutes ago.

I can feel it running through my body, the feeling, my arms are weak at the thought but here I am, writing as the girl who is officially going to Japan! That's right, I am in! She called me at 4.21pm and the interview lasted about 10 minutes.

Empty my heart, i've got to make room for this feeling...

Slack

2006-10-15T19:10:00.000+09:30

Ok, time for confession. I have not booked my second interview! Is this really as bad as i think? I don't know! I won't know until i ring and book it, and even that i am trying to palm off to mum!

The Issue

Melissa gets a letter from her exchange company, saying, congratulations, you have been accepted! She sighs a great sigh of relief until, along comes a nasty looking letter that says:

"We would like to have a second interview with you to briefly retest your japanese skills, please book this asap for any date between Monday the 16th - Friday the 20th."

So Melissa, starts practicing for this, but doesn't ring them. Nervous, yes...
But, by being so nervous, she makes herself not only nervous, but paranoid because now she hasn't acted promptly like she usually does and is sitting here typing a blog on Sunday night, without having a phone interview date.

The Plan

Mel has decided that on Monday morning she is going to call them and just hope that they don't answer. If they do, she doesn't say anything about the fact that it is monday morning and simply says that she would like to book an interview date. If for some reason, Kim, the coordinator, is extremely upset at her, she will simply try and hold back the tears and apologise the best she can. If they don't answer, Mel goes to school and her mum will call them after 9am because 9am is office hours.

This is so stressful, you have no idea, the knot in my chest is getting so tight that i feel like crying. I really shouldn't worry about it but my gosh, this is so horrible. I am so sorry i left it so late, honestly, i am. I don't even know right now who i am apologising to because i have been so bad.

I need to stop this negative thinking. The good things are that, i have finished my independant reading journal and i am going back to school which will be nice and they have actually already sent you a 'congratulations' letter so, perhaps you are in after all? Who knows, all i know is that there should be a law against letting me think, i scare myself.

Music

2006-10-09T18:33:00.000+09:30

I have just suffered a wave of frustration after reading a blog a few minutes ago. So here is what i need to share with you all. It frustrates me to death to hear people say that anyone who likes something popular, is not being individual. That is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard and if you aren't strong enough to go with the flow as well as against it then you have no right to deem the number one hit of the week or the cute new ballet flats that people like as stupid and unorigional. This goes in various categories, but the most prominent is music.

Yes there are songs that every girl loves each week, there are fads and crazes all the time. So why should that frustrate you? People are so insecure about who they are that they feel the need to go against what everyone else does just to maintain an image. If you like it, love it and embrace it. Don't ignore it simply because it is popular. And don't you dare put others down for liking it. It is rude and very,very insensitive. You claim to only enjoy the 80's or you only like punk music then so be it, but don't strip the hip-hop or pop singers of their talents because everyone has talent, no matter in what way, shape or form. You are not superior to the girl that loves the latest hit, so don't look down upon her.

Open your eyes. Ofcourse we are all naturally going to swing to one side or the other, but at least accept and appreciate other people's interests. We are all guilty of it and all i want is to make you aware of it, and if you do it, then perhaps today is the day that you can change. Become more accepting, realise that different genres are simply different ways of expressing yourself, neither is more superior, it is simply that you enjoy one more than the other.

Fairy Tale

2006-10-06T12:25:00.000+09:30

The morning sun shone down upon her golden skin as she walked gracefully down the quiet country rode, her red, cotton dress blowing in the gentle breeze. Breathing in the fresh air she watched the horses run wild in the paddocks and the cockatoos sweep across the beautiful, clear sky. Today was perfect, already.

She crossed the gurgling creek, letting the cool water slither over her pretty painted toes. Sweeping her silky brown hair from her face, she looked up and there he was. Standing gallantly in the distance. The flutter of one million butterflies filled her heart, soul and mind. Every part of her flew away with the breeze. As light as a feather, she hopped over the moist rocks and through the dry paddock to the lush vineyard. Choosing one of the thousands of rows, she ran, as fast as her legs could take her, towards him. The large green leaves brushed against her skin, tickling her arms as she flew towards his arms.

The moment of connection, when her hands touched his neck, and his hands touched her hips, was a feeling like no other. More than one million butterflies, more than one million tears of happiness filled her body. His sea blue eyes looked beyond her face, into her mind as he smiled with relief at the sight of her. His heart, like hers, was at the point of exploding. She completed him, like no other. The connection of their minds was surreal.

Her delicate hand was held gently in his as he guided her through the paddocks and vines. The sun shone down on their backs and they ventured towards his land. Walking through the iron gates, talking with joy and happiness, the pair nestled themselves on the balcony. Sitting at their chairs, letting velvet wine slide through their lips they embraced the moment.

There he was, with the woman of his dreams, and there she was with the man of hers on the most beautiful day of the year. Where every single flower, every single butterfly, horse and leaf seemed to have meaning and a purpose. The wind blew a sweet melody through them and they danced together under the shade of the near gum tree, letting time continue on without them.

They were meant to fly this way.

Goodbye

2006-09-30T18:06:00.000+09:30

On Monday morning of last week i had to say goodbye to my family. I went on camp and spent a week with my friends. We rock climbed, mountain biked and thousands of other interesting and satisfying activities. I had such a good time and i would go back tomorrow.

Saying goodbye to my family was not terribly difficult to be honest. I didn't really miss them as i knew i would see them again on the friday afternoon. But i suppose you could look at it in a sense that in order to have a good time and achieve something, you must make sacrifices.

The next big, official sacrifice i must make will be in March when i depart for Japan. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have been fully accepted into the exchange program! Minasan Sayonara! I am so excited and i know that there are sacrifices i will have to make and things i have to delay and put back, but over all i am doing it for myself. This is the most important thing and i know i will be fine and love the experience. The only difference is that i am leaving my friends as well as my family and i am also gone for just a bit longer. But i am excited! I can not wait to go and i can not wait to return. I just want to do it now!

Two Down

2006-09-22T19:23:00.000+09:30

Two down, many to go. Things have started moving at a rather rapid pace and i am realising that it isn't all that hard. Looking at my list, i realise that some of the things i have down are really very simple and are going to happen without any effort. Life is so good, i hope everyone has times where they can understand this. I am so grateful for what i have at the moment. Especially the trust of certain people, and the reassurance that everything will be ok. I like hearing that.

Well, off to camp next week, could be interesting. I am so glad, i can not wait to sit on that bus and let it take me, i don't care where, i don't care how far away, just take me. I won't complain, in fact i will smile, because i won't have to control what it is i'm doing.

note:

That is all i need. To know that when I return, you are there, waiting and welcoming me. And this, I can't help believing...

Relief

2006-09-20T07:21:00.000+09:30

I had my interview...

Finally i don't have to worry about it any more. It went fine, i am glad to say. Every single bit was awesome and i am 98% sure i will be accepted. Only issue was the communication in Japanese. The questions were rather different to what i had been studying so i simply need to polish up on those and she will give me a phone call just to check that all is ok.

I am heading off to work experience today, and i am afraid to say that today will perhaps be one of the most boring days of my life. The silent office, my squeaky chair, the flickering computer screen, the sound of phones ringing...

I love the office environment but i must say, i would love to actually have something to do while i sit there. Never mind, I'll stop complaining. The most important thing is the interview and that is fine.

Life List

2006-09-15T16:13:00.000+09:30

During an extremely boring Australian Studies i produced a list of major events that are coming up in my life within the next 10 months. By writing down this list i can stop stressing about what i am doing and relax and tick off each one as they come and savour the feelings of each. Without it, i have been looking ahead and wishing away my life, which is not good.

Melissa's Life List that commenced on Friday 15th 12.04 and 10 seconds in Australian Studies:

1. Work Experience
2. Interview
3. Camp
4. School Holidays
- Reading Journal
- History
5. Find out if you are accepted for Japan
6. Exams
7. River
8. Christmas and New Years
9. Get my P's
10. Start Year 11
11. Leave for Japan (If accepted)
12. Return
13. Establish certain relationships...
14. Continue with school
15. Exams

Free at last...

Afraid

2006-09-13T20:18:00.000+09:30

Yes, strong and mentally sound mel is scared. I am not scared about going to Japan. I am scared about not going! I don't want to not be accepted. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and i don't want to be deprived of this. Getting it on, well, not quite paper, but out in the open is what im doing right here, as this is my journal for my Japan adventure. 5 days until my interview. I feel nervous and i hope they see the real me.

Time

2006-09-11T17:36:00.000+09:30

I have been thinking all day today that it feels like Friday, and yet it is Monday. This makes me laugh and also wonder, how can a certain time 'feel' like another? How can we 'feel' like it is a different day, besides the obvious lesson schedules and TV guides, it is bizarre.

Also, how do we feel like time is going slow or time is going fast? Time never changes in the world in which we live and yet we have moments where we feel like a second goes for a minute and sometimes where minutes feel like seconds.

This is a crazy thought and it was on my mind all day today...

World War One

2006-09-08T20:00:00.000+09:30

Dearest Amelia

It pains me to acknowledge the fact that it has been over a year since I saw your beautiful face. Instead of your affectionate company, I am sitting here with the rats, one on my foot, the other standing on a sandbag above my head. These trenches are hell and I don’t know how much longer I can take this life. Amelia, darling, I miss you.

This morning I awoke to the aching throb of my thigh. I have developed a painful rash and each time I look at it, it seems to have doubled in size. Mud is constantly filling the trenches and each night the flies cover my eyes and wounds. Sometimes they even creep into my mouth if it is slightly open as I sleep. The lice can be found everywhere, in my socks, hair and even the hem of my uniform. There has been heavy firing all through this dreary morning and I don’t want to know how many men have lost their lives within the last two hours, let alone throughout this whole war.

Death is unavoidable in these trenches. It is in every deceased and living man’s eyes. It has seeped into every one of our souls, like a terminal disease flowing through our veins. It is as if we are a different group of men, who once had an adventurous heart full of spirit and laughter and who now have nothing but fear, panic and a sheer desperation to maintain sanity.

Sanity is proving to be difficult to find, let alone maintain. There is no one to turn to anymore. We cannot talk about fears with each other, that time passed long ago. Now, we just understand. I look at Jim and he looks straight back. Without a smile, without even a word, we communicate in a way I have never done so before. He sees the death in my eyes and I see the death in his. The look we exchange reassures us that we are not alone.

Months ago, sleep was the only escape from reality, but now the illness of death is not only flowing through my veins, but through my mind and heart. I close my eyes and I see my friends, the men who stood beside me at the hardest of times, dead or dying as bullets tear through their flesh. They look at me in desperation and with the last few seconds of their lives they whisper to me, ‘Matthew, I don’t want to die.’ Away they fade and amidst the raging battle, I stand there helplessly, praying that I will make it home to you.

Amelia, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to leave you. You remain in my heart through every second, of every minute, of every day in my life. The day I can reach out and touch your beautiful skin will be the day that makes me the most grateful man in the world. I would give anything to be with you at this very moment.
Look after yourself Amelia, I love you.

With all my heart
Matthew

Summer

2006-09-06T07:32:00.000+09:30

Right now i sit in a cold dark morning. And it is at moments like this that i wish the summer wind would come in from across the sea. I love summer a lot more than winter for numerous reasons.

I love the feeling of waking up with your window open and feeling the warm air on your face. Sleeping on top of your bed without getting cold and wearing tank tops and shorts all day every day. I love going to the beach and swimming in the ocean. I Love running across the hot burning sand and feeling the relief of cool water that calms your skin. I love late nights in summer when you can have dinner outside after a long day at the beach. Skiing, i love skiing so much and i love spending time up the river. Lying under a cool shade reading my favourite book while i can here the commotion of boats and skiiers in the background. I love the cold icecreams and the smell of coconut sunscreen.

I love school in summer time because we are allowed to wear our summer uniform. At school, we sit under a cool tree and lie on the grass. Summer is great for fresh fruit and healthy eating and you have so much more energy and life within you in summer time. I love the summer holidays! Running under sprinklers, swimming in the pool, no homework! Christmas, for me here in Australia, is in the summer time. I love it so much as you get to spend time with your family, have great fun and eat the most yummiest foods! You can wear pretty clothes because the weather is warm! Bring on the summertime...

The Journey Begins

2006-09-03T19:17:00.000+09:30

After my obsessive lists i thought i should actually complete a blog that contains words in a sentence rather than simple statements. So here it is, ladies and gentlemen, words by melissa.

At the moment in my life i am at a very busy stage. It is odd, i am so busy yet i find myself with copious amounts of spare time in which i simply sit and stare at the full pages of my diary, attempting to learn by heart every meeting date, assignment deadline and working shift.

Certainly the most prominent date that stands out amongst the scribblings in my diary is the meeting i am attending on September the 19th... an interview for my Japanese exchange program. I am praying that i make it as this exchange will be a defining moment in my life. It is part of my journey that i feel compelled to live.

I have decided that this blog shall be my memory and diary in which i will communicate to home, from my life in Japan, that is if i am accepted! For now, i shall post whatever is on my heart. This blog is the beginning of my journey to Japan. I feel as if posting this is the start of it all, even though i have spent such a long time on application papers, this is where i have first shared my feelings with the world. It feels good...

Melissa

Melissa

2006-08-30T20:23:00.000+09:30

I Like...

1. Feeling refreshed
2. Eating chocolate
3. Seeing people smile
4. Smelling flowers
5. Hearing laughter
6. Reaching goals
7. Waiting for good news
8. Laughing with friends
9. Observing others
10. Lying on the grass
11. Sleeping in on Sundays
12. Skiing on glasslike water
13. Crying in happiness
14. Playing netball
15. Hugging loved ones

... I Like Life

Introduction

2006-08-27T21:18:00.000+09:30

20 Things About Me

1. I love life.
2. I find that secrets are exciting and keeping them is a true sense of one's character.
3. I have never coloured my hair.
4. Milo is my favourite thing to drink when i get home from school.
5. Homework is not all that bad.
6. Someone can be your best friend without having to have ever met them in your life before.
7. My favourite day of the week is Wednesday and it has been that way since i was about five.
8. Memories are so awesome, they make me smile.
9. I dislike people who are disrespectful to their parents.
10. Only my cousins and Georgina call me 'Lissy'.
11. I visited Bali and i wished to never ever return, it is that beautiful.
12. I can not stand mathematics but i believe the concept of it is amazing.
13. 'No News is Good News' is the most ridiculous saying i have ever come across.
14. I love the smell of hot boiling water outside.
15. Elvis is my idol.
16. I don't like putting the numbers 5 or 0 into the microwave when i cook something.
17. My favourite place to go away is up the river skiing.
18. I love most quotes by Voltaire.
19. There is something beautiful about walking early in the morning or on a hot evening.
20. I like questions that have no answers.