the approaching end.

shiretoko.


play some sad yet uplifting ambient music for this one kids.


So I've gotten a lot of stuff out of the way, but theres still a lot to be done.


I had my rotary club going away party and gave a speech about what I thought about things and how grateful I am to the people that were in the room.


All my host families said things about me, they spoke in chronological order, in order of when I lived with them, I have never had people say such nice things about me, and I will never forget that night or any of those people. The man who always took me camping, took us to Kyoto, and taught me so much about whats important in life and where man's standing is in terms of nature and in terms of existence, who showed me Japan for what it is and nothing more, and what he himself is and nothing more, he gave a speech too. he said he worried I didnt understand everything he tried to show me, and I agree, when I went to the tomb of the meiji emperor with him I didn't understand what was special about it, or what that man had done, and I'm still not very knowledgeable, I couldn't see back in time like he could and see all the important people who had passed through all those ancient temples, but I kind of can now. I think I understand now. I'm not Japanese and I never will be, but Japanese people should be proud to have a such a culturally and historically rich background. all of it. the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am so grateful to have experienced it on such a level.



The end approaching makes me more appreciative of everything; food, places, familiar things, using japanese language, friends, everything.

I'm excited to be home but I will miss Japan, and I'll be back.

ok so I didn't write about shiretoko, sorry, I will get to it one of these days. and I wrote this blog a week and a half ago and didnt post it, but its worht posting so I will now.

in response to the nagging

hey guys, I know should update my blog, lots is happening, i have to pack so much into my last month and a half, i dont waste a minute. I went on a three day trip to this really amazing and unique place and there is no time to write about it, i have going away speeches to write and final reports and slideshows and just so much stuff to do. i'll find time to write about it for you, but now is not the time.

housing update

hello again

if you read my last post you know i was a bit stressed about the move, I'm on day two now, My host father is one of the funniest men I've ever met, my host mother is super kind, and my host grandmother is like the cutest 88 year old alive and makes everything funny, she comes from a part of japan that became Russia after the second world war, it really really interesting to hear her talk about it, and having to move over here. older folk have a lot to offer in terms of stories. I showed them a picture book of the Canadian Rocky mountains and they were just like dumbfounded and spent like 15 minutes looking at each individual photo and talking about it. also the futon is the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on in my life, maybe next time i have a chance I'll explore the area, but I'm busy for now tomorrow they're talking me to baseball (they told me they had a ticket for me just before I told them "I hate watching baseball" so it was very good that I hadn't had a chance to say it. then the day after I'm off on another trip! I'm going to Shiretoko, there are two peninsulas at the top of Hokkaido, I went to the most northerly one last time, this time its the other one where all the ainu are living and the territory issues are so great, I'll get into it when I get back and have learned something about it. thanks always for reading.