Coming of Age Day

In general, Coming of Age Day is January 14th this year. In my home town, Coming of Age ceremony was held in January 13th.
Today, I wore red Furisode which is one of Kimono having long sleeve. I made up my face a little thicker than usual. My mother and younger sister said to me " who are you? You are like another person!" what did it mean...? It was rare opportunity to were Furisode. My grandfather whose hobby is taking pictures took a lot of my pictures. I felt I were a fashion model.
At the ceremony, I met many friends who went to same junior high school. Girls became beautiful women. I couldn't define who he or she was because I met them since we graduated from junior high.
After the ceremony, we had a drinking party with junior high school members. The girl on the right side of right picture planned the party. About 100 people joined it. I was surprised that some of friends had already worked in social, one boy had his child, one girl was a lover of one boy and so on.
Although we became adults and we are in several situation, we have been friends. I really want to get along with them and remember in youth (u_u*)

Over the final a month

I noticed that I would be in an air plane this time next month. Thinking that makes me count down many things unconsciously. For example, meeting someone in _ times, being somewhere in _times, and so on. Today, I informed friends studying abroad on "mixi".

"Mixi" is like a blog only in Japanese. Almost all of my friends have several account. We can know others recent situation from them. I'm not a ready writer, I post new one once in a while. Someday I will introduce this blog to my Japanese friends. If I write something about Australia, I will post this blog first to train English skills. Then, I plan to write both in English and Japanese for readers.

A Happy New Year!

I feel that the time flies very fast. 2008 comes! This year must be different from usual.

Today, I went to Kanazakura shrine where I have been since last year. Naturally, I prayed for God that... It's secret. It is better not to tell a wish to others to come true. After prayer, I tried to draw a fortune slip. But there is no box of it. It was too late to go there.
I tend to believe fortunetelling. So I really mind about fortune. However, I decided not to go to the shrine again or other shrines to draw a fortune slip. I reconsider that it may be good for me not to think fortune. Sometimes, I'm apt to be influences by other's opinions. What I could think like that may be a lesson from God!

Yes, one of what I would like to achieve this year is to have positive thinking!

Ski

The wind orchestra club which I belong to have a skiing camp every spring vacation. But I can't join the camp this year. So, my seniors took me skiing with some members of the club.

I tried funski which is a kind of skiing using short boards and no stocks. We can turn easier. Other people are very nice skier. They said to me that "the best way to improve skiing skill is to keep up with good skiers." I glided as hard as I can. But by the time I got back to home, I could get better if I do say so myself.
On the way home, we took a hot spring bath. We gave massage not to have mustles ache. After our bodies became warm, we had a full stomach with chinese noodles.

In Australia, I would not see snow. I don't have a plan to go skiing right now, this time may a last looking of snow. Instead of skiing, I want to try to enjoy marine sports!

Drinking party

A drinking party was held yesterday. Some Japanese students who are interested in foreigner, international students (Englishman, German, Australian, Italian) and one of my English teacher who is from Scotland) took part in the party. Which seat can we sit were decided by lot to communicate with foreigners. I sat in front of and next to Englishmen. We talked about many things drinking and eating Nabe. Sometimes, I talked to them in English. Then, they answered in Japanese. It seemed that Japanese beer is weak than British beer. They drunk so much that I couldn't keep drinking pace with them.

What I felt the most was that they are very aggressive to study. When we choose a drink, a Englishman challenged Calpiswari which is a kind of Shotyu diluted by Calpis that he hadn't drunk and is popular in Japan. If I said the word that they didn't know, they took a memo or asked me the meaning. If they couldn't make a phrase in Japanese, they asked me how to use a phrase naturally. One of them who has been to Australia taught me some good places in Australia. The other one who has a girl friends advised me something about long-distance love. I also made efforts to talk about their interests of Japanese.

Thank them very much for having nice time! I want to talk with them more next time without getting drink power.

Realization and Imagination

Today, I got an airplane ticket with my friend who will go to Australia with me. We investigated many plans and chose the flight which is fit our schedule and finance. What we could learn is that prices of airplane tickets are different according to seasons and airplane companies. It took much times to choose one.

We got round- trip ticket. The leaving date has been set in February 7th. When I saw the date, I finally began to realize that I leave Japan for a while. I should be in Australia within two months!

Also, I wrote the application form of homestay. I can fill in my hope for host family. For example, do I prefer a family with children, am I willing to live with a family that has pets, and so on. I wish I could live with family who have children and no pets. (I want second brothers or sisters. I'm not natural with animals.) It gives me a lot of fun just to imagine lives with host family. I have had a homestay in Australia for only two weeks. Then, the host family treated me as a member of the family. But this time, I will stay with them for 10 months! So, I can't help imaging!

The last club activity

I belong to the wind orchestra club in this university. Yesterday, we held a Christmas Concert for lunch time in front of Seikyo. It is one annual events of our activities. We performed Christmas songs to make audience feel the coming of Christmas. After the concert, we take a winter vacation.

So, the concert is the last activity in this year for all members. At the same time, it is the last activity for me before leaving Japan. Because I have to prepare to go to Australia. Other members will practice in January. But I decided to suspend the activities of the club until I come back to Japan. I have practiced musical instruments since I was a junior high school student. It is the first time for me to live with no practice. I must miss not being able to perform with members...

If there is a wind orchestra club in the university which I will go, I want to belong to it. No matter where I am, I will always be close emotionally!