Host Family Day

Wow, wow, wow! I have been successful in finding both a spare moment and spare computer two days in a row! (so proud)
Yesterday, after the lectures and lunch, my host mom came to pick up my friend Julia and me. We ate dinner and then headed to the "Hippo Family Crowd" meeting. Hippo Family Crowd is a program that has centers in different countries around the world, but it was started in Japan. It is a "natural learning" program for languages. In short, when you sign up for the program, you are given about a gazillion CDs. Each one has different stories, songs and conversations in a specific language. The program covers 16 languages. The idea is that you keep these CDs playing at all times and in all places and the language washes over you and you learn it like a baby learns language. Groups of people who are all a part of this program meet at least once a week to play games, share stories, and discuss things in the different languages to reinforce anything that they've been able to pick up. I was the main attraction last night. They all wanted to speak to me to practice their English or to learn about America, my stay, and what I have been studying. It was enjoyable. There were a lot of young children there and many of the people spoke English quite well. It was one of the first times I have felt like I've really been able to express myself and my thoughts to someone not from my group.
When that was over, Aoi (the 14 year old daughter in my homestay family) gave me lessons in calligraphy. Apparently I did a pretty good job. Her father teaches at the local middle school and he is Aoi's teacher in calligraphy. She wanted me to show it to him, so I did, while nervously saying that it was just my first time. He replied that it was "very good even for a NOT first time". It was very nice praise. I learned how to write my name. Here, the phonetics of my name essentially mean flower love. Lo is a botanical and Ren is the word for like/love. Hmm... I guess I DO like flowers quite a bit.
Last night, their mini daschund named Hana dug through my backpack and ate an entire package of orbitz gum. This morning it wouldn't eat or move. I was very worried. I would hate to be the reason for its demise (although I was also very annoyed that it thought it could just rummage through my things constantly the way it did). Luckily, when we came home today, Hana is up and running all over creation again. I will keep my backpack on a shelf and my suitcase zipped at all times once again.
Today is my day with the family. This morning, we had "American Breakfast" which consisted of hard-boiled eggs, a thick and spongy toast that might have been made of rice with ham, cheese, tomato slices, sprouts and mayonaise, rice flake cereal and soymilk, and green tea. When I was offered a second piece of toast, I accepted, opening the tiny peanut butter and jelly jars on the table. They all laughed at me when I put peanut butter and then jam on. Apparently here you use one or the other. I explained that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a common treat (especially for children) in the United States. I am not sure they believed me.
After breakfast, we went to a big shopping mall. The shops are on either side of a sidewalk that has a ceiling over it, but both ends are open to the air. Streets cross through the mall at the regular intersections. There was even a temple inside that the mall was built around. The temple was built in the 1600s. It was a very interesting combination of traditional and young culture. We looked at all of the latest fashions (meaning skirts too short for me, heels too tall for me, and long-sleeves too short for my arm). It would be fun to look as dolled up as most of the young ladies around here, but I don't think I could function with the lack of sleep that would be necessary for the process of getting ready! Also, I am not so sure I could pull off functioning with all of the lacing, pompoms, gathers, heels, beads, rings, and cellphone charms dangling everywhere. It's great on them, but I think I will stick to looking like a tourist this time.
After that, we went to a 100yen sushi restraunt where the sushi is made and then placed on a lovely little conveyor belt that runs around all the seating in the shop. When you see something you want sliding past, you grab it and eat it, stacking the plates up as you go. When you have finished, someone comes around and looks at the plates (which are color-coded according to price) and you check out. My favorite detail was that there was a little spigot that pours hot water so you make your own tea at the table. It sure beats having to find a waiter every time you want another glass!
Right now, Aoi and Rei (her mother) are at the orthodontist getting her braces tightened. She wasn't too thrilled about it. When they get back, hostmom, hostsister, and I will be going to an onsen (a public bath house). Don't worry, there is a women's onsen and a men's onsen and we will only be visiting the area we belong in! When that is done, I think we will come back here for dinner. Aoi promised to pick out a movie to rent and watch this evening with me and we will eat popcorn (very excited). We might even drink the Coca Cola they bought for me the other day. It hasn't seemed like the thing to accompany sushi, boiled vegetables, rice balls, and the scariest thing I think I have ever eaten: a semi-fermented bean covered in a mucus-like substance that makes them all stick together in webs with raw egg poured over top and mixed into a sticky, slimy, frothy glob. I am pretty tolerant of food, but that was a really hard one for me to get down! Luckily, I didn't get sick from the egg or the experience.
Tonight is our last night with the host family and then we will head off to another monastary to study Shinto religion for a brief time. Hopefully I will be able to wite soon after that to share more experiences. If you have any questions/comments for me or if there are things you would like me to talk about, feel free to write in the comments.