Lots and lots of things to write about. I'll try to d it roughly chronologically. Warning: my writing skills have disappeared.
Kaoru was home for a while! [she's my oldest host-sister, and lives in Tokyo]. It's always more fun when she's around. Host-mom and Kaoru and I went to a festival at the Isuzu shrine [5 minute walk from my temple]. I caught little goldfish with an ice cream cone and got to take them home. We let them go. Festival description: little road with lots of booths selling unnecessary flashing plastics things and food. People marching around saying "Oisho! Oisho!" Then there were fireworks. These do not go up high in the sky, they are rain. A jet of sparks flies out from scaffolding from in front of the shrine, and the people saying "Oisho! Oisho!" run underneath it. The sparks bounce off of them. As time passes, the fire-rain gets denser and denser. Soon I can't see the people inside it. So intense. [and I am having trouble keeping my tenses in order, sorry.] A few times the fire came down over the crowd. I don't know if it missed me or if it hit me and just didn't hurt.
I had my second Rotary orientation. It was in Nagano City, which is about 2 hours away. Before the meeting, Kaoru and host-mom and I went to Zenkouji Temple. It was big and beautiful and I went through a completely dark tunnel under the temple to rattle a key that I think gave me good luck. Then Kaoru went away to take the shinkansen to Tokyo and host-mom and I went to the meeting. I met the people who just got back from their years abroad and the people going next year and Annika, who is from Germany and wasn't at the last meeting. We all talked and gave little speeches and ate and stuff.
I'm forgetting everything I wanted to write about.
On Monday I left school half-way through the day to go to a Rotary meeting. This one was the weekly club meeting [middle-aged business people talking about good-world things and eating fish]. I went completely alone -- Masaki Ito, my Rotary counselor who speaks English wasn't there, and my host-parents were busy. I survived! Yay! I also made a speech. It was much better than my last one, but while I was making it I could tell how bad my pronunciation was and I couldn't do anything about it. I think it was still fine though.
After that, I went to the post office and mailed letters alone and was successful, and then went to the stationary store and discovered a vast array of fantastic origami paper. I only had my change from the post office, so I just bought mini gold paper, but soon I will go back and get striped paper and flowery paper and small paper. Then I went home and decided to go for a walk.
I started by just going around central Komagane. I ran into a lot of Rotarians. There wasn't really anything happening there, so I subtly followed people to find new places to explore. I ended up almost getting to my school. Then I decided to go to the mountains. I didn't know how far away they were, or how to get there, but they're big so I just walked in the right direction. I found a road that passed the Isuzu shrine and went straight towards the mountains. I passed through lots and lots of rice fields. People were working in them with tractors. I found pink flowers by the side of the road. I kept going and kept going and kept going and then i started to recognize things. I was at Kozenji! So I walked around the temple and looked at rivers and moss and old stones and graves and found a path up behind it into the mountain woods. I went on the path. There were signs and stuff so it seemed ok. Then there was a sign for bears. I felt at home. Eventually, it led to a little park next to signs of human habitation, such as a parking lot and building and golf course. I lay in the grass. I miss grass a little. Then I realized I would probably be late getting home so I kept going. I was on a different road, so it took a long time to get back because I had made a big loop and ended up farther away than I needed to be. My parents were a little worried, but they were also impressed that I knew how to get to Kozenji, so I think it canceled out. : She goes on long walks and comes back late, but she knows what she's doing and won't get lost. : My frolicking and exploring needs were met. I think the whole thing was about 10 miles. [LATER NOTE: I actually wrote my college essay about this walk!]
There were tests in school all day Wednesday so I got to not go. Instead host-mom and i went up Komagatake, which is a really big mountain nearby. It's 3 times the size of Monadnock. My frolicking and exploring needs arose again, and I wanted to go to the top, but there wasn't enough time. In any case, it was huge and beautiful and great. I saw four monkeys. There were less scary than I expected, but they still mess with my categorization system and I resent them for that. They were cute though. One was a baby riding on its mom's back. One Japan goal completed.
I realized I am completely in love with soba noodles. I crave them
I've been working on college applications and I dislike them. I can't wait for the end of December, when I'll either already have gotten in early decision or be done with all of my other applications. I'll also probably be good at Japanese.
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