Family introduces me to Japan

(sorry kara - pictures will come soon).

My family has come and gone. What a great time we had. I think it was best put by Alex the Lion in Madagascar 2 who said, "It gets funner the farther away we get". Fact. We had our ups and downs but all that said and done, it was quality family time. WE ROCKED JAPAN for heavens sake! I think the most important part for me was being able to see how we've changed (and how we haven't). I have been waiting for a glimpse of home since I got here and having my mom and Katie here has helped me to see myself. I remembered how much I love to dress up (aka - makeup) I practically stopped wearing (as much of) it since I arrived. I loved having Katie to dress up for. I realized how much Japanese I have actually learned and how beautiful this country is that I live in.

I also learned a hard (but good) lesson. I am a very prideful person. Of course this is something that prideful people don't like to admit, but there it is. It has been a tid difficult adjusting to living in a foreign country on my own, having to struggle to survive and really put myself out of my comfort zone. Because of this, I have learned to puff up quite a bit around people who are English speakers (my friends here and my visitors from the states) because I expect them to share common ground. However, they are not mind readers, they are just people like everyone else. I just have a larger vocabulary to express myself with them and those are choices I am going to have to reintroduce myself to. It feels invigorating to have discovered this about myself.

After having them for only a week I feel completely refreshed. I feel like I have been injected with a dose of Kyla and can now rock the socks off of Japan for the remaining 4 months.

Now, to talk about something other than myself....yes, its possible. A quick list of the things we ventured in J-pan.

1. Friday night , they arrive. I make them Takoyaki and they sleep.

2. Saturday - slept (all day) went to the conbini, Acoop and Comiri then dinner at my favorite restaurant Nishian, with Mary and Talon.

3. Sunday - slept all day.

4. Monday - went to Kyoto. We saw the golden palace (Kinkakuji) and then toured through Arashiyama to see the monkey park. After quite a hike we made it to the top and played with the monkeys. We even ran into my friend Tina and her 2 visitors. Arashiyama was gorgeous, it was the perfect day to site see. We finished it off with a trip to Sanjo. We took an hour break to grab coffee at Starbucks and relax and then we hit the Sanjo market by storm. Mom bought us our keitai dangles (cell phone charms) our change purses etc. and I bought black knee highs and the hottest heels I've bought to date! We took fashion shots and then headed home at 9:00. A long but fierce day!

5. Tuesday - sleep in the morning...visit my school to see the teachers off. School tour then dinner at Satokos! We met Garrett, Ryan's friend from New York, ate and drank until midnight and then went home before we turned into pumpkins.

6. Wednesday - this day was a bum rush! We went to the Heiwado after a sinful lunch at McDonald's. At the Heiwado we took the dollar store by storm and I challenged mom to a Taiko drum off (video game) in the arcade. Then we got our pics taken in the photo booths which were crazy but adorable. It was a 15 minute walk to the station in the rain! eeks. We rushed to the station and then to Shinasahi to meet my friends at Chama only to find it was closed! I also got into a fight with mom because...she kept asking the same question over and over and over and over again. I wasn't the nicest about resolving it, though I said the right words my tone was a mess (deliberately - not very nice). I hurt her feelings, she hurt mine by ignoring me it was a beautifully choreographed mess! Which drug into our visiting my Japanese friends Iho and Asami. woops...but it was nice. I also made the unfortunate mistake and planning a friendly card game with all my ALT friends that night and so we rushed through our coffee and cake to go home and clean. Only Kenji showed up and mom sulked until he left. Then we exposed our feelings about our situation earlier and made amends. I am too stubborn though and as soon as I was breaking down, I walled back up. I have some issues. But we worked it out and chilled out for the rest of the night. I think Mary Poppins was in the Que.

7. Thursday - We went to Gion to see the Geisha (Maiko) dance! It was amazing. We met up with Garrett and Ryan and hit up Mister Donuts and Starbucks on our way out. The show was amazing. Quintessential Japan right before my very eyes shared with my mom and my sister and my hip which had fallen asleep from sitting on the floor the whole time. Quintessential! Then we were suppose to hit up Kiyomizudera but were having such an enjoyable time with the guys we kept on with them up to see the Silver palace. We didn't quite make it in time but the weather was nice and we walked down the philosophers path until we could walk no more. Mom's knee was killing her and my foot was starting to do the same. We grabbed a bus over to Kiyomizudera to see it lit up at night and it was quite spectacular! After a days worth of walking (in flip flops) we grabbed the train home...A 40 oz. Asahi and waffles in hand. Katie, Mom and I lip synced and danced the whole way home. Scandalous! We all slept very well.

8. Friday. Katie and I got into a fight about deodorant. A big fight. But it was all resolved in a hallmark fashion and then we made our way to Chama for lunch. Chama was great. Katie and I had the lunch (grilled chicken w/salad and waffles) and mom had the caramel banana waffles! We talked and talked about life and everything in between. It was great. We strolled through the Chama clothing store on our way out. That evening we cleaned up. Mom and Katie packed while I watched America's Next Top Model. Then we got gussied up and made our way to Imazu for some good ole fashion Karaoke fun! A night full of singing was the perfect end to our trip. Kenji, Mary, Talon, Fionna, Ryan, Garrett, Katie, Mom and I were all in attendance and our songs were some of the best set list I've heard. We arrived at 8:30 and left at 10:35pm, another early night for car-less people. We made a break for the train station but JUST missed it. A first for me. So Kenji, Fionna and our group crammed into a taxi and taxi'd home. At that point we had pretty much used every mode of transportation (minus my bike). Bus, train, taxi, car, walk, ran. It was the full gambet.

9. Saturday : Clean, cram and go! I woke up feeling like shit. My throat was disgustingly cloggy and scratchy but I had to get my family to the airport. There were 6 bags - for 2 people. Thank goodness I was there to help carry the load. We dredged our way to the train station and pulled the bags ourselves up the stairs. I had a nice man help with the largest one. I understood when he asked in Japanese, "what's in here?!?" I told him a body. He laughed and said, "boyfriend?" I said, "old boyfriend!". It was great. At this point we were all broke as a joke. Which is how it should be. I didn't have money to go to the airport ($80 just to go there and back - I don't think so) so I rode the train to Kyoto and dropped them off at their transfer train. It felt like the week had just flown by. We embraced as long as we could. Katie's last words, "come to my house first! I have grass!" and then the doors shut. We waved until the train took off and then I was alone again.

I suppose its just because they were family but I could have had them stay for much longer. It was extremely nice to have other people living in my home and having Katie to fall asleep next to every night (even though she hogged the blankets and breathed on me most of the time) I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I know I can get through these next 4 months. They are baby months that will fly by and then I will be home. eeekkkk. What to do?!? Adventure! It might not be a year in Japan but whatever comes next I know I will have my family close at hand, to always remind me who I am. (rhyme?)