Calligraphy Class

July 13, 2011

Typically calligraphy class is for first years, but since Spencer and I are exchange students each week we get to skip a class and take calligraphy with the first years.

They look like they are having so much fun.

They are all so sweet and so cute!!!

But anyway, today was extra special in calligraphy class because Spencer and I got to make our own stamps! We literally carved our names in Japanese into stone. Except mine was being annoying and one part of it wouldn't let me carve it so I had to pick it up later from the teacher.

Carve...

The paste for the stamp...

And voila! We have our own stamps!

I still have mine!

☆

Careful!

July 12, 2011

Today was so much fun hanging out with everyone! The JET came and joined us for lunch, so we all had fun playing with his iPhone and making everyone look old. My guy friends were messing with the other exchange student, making him say things in Japanese that neither he nor I understand. They were supposed to be puns or something, nothing I understood.

They're always too embarrassed to look at camera!

After lunch we were waiting outside the classroom for the teacher, when someone's notebook got pushed out the window! There's a cement ledge under the window, so my friend jumped out and grabbed it. Pretty darn cool, I must say.

At the end of the day my friend, host sister and I decided to pop on over to McDonald's. I didn't get anything, but I must say Japanese McDonald's look much healthier than American. Granted I've only been to an American one once in my life...

ANYWAY we were just hanging out there when a couple of our classmates came in too! My host sister and I got scolded when we got home for being out so late.

It was so fun though!

Here Comes the Rainbow

July 11, 2011

Today a student returned from studying abroad in the Netherlands for a year! She is super sweet and nice, and we became friends immediately! My guy friend also borrowed my camera and took a bunch of extremely blurry pictures..with a few gems in there.

Me and my gal friends :)

After school I met a JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) teacher who works at my school, and he and I had a nice long talk in English. But I guess because of my Japanese-esque appearance whenever students who didn't know me walked by they all had such a confused look on their face. Sometimes it feels good to be a native English speaker!

Anyway on the way home my friends and I decided to stop my a shaved ice cart, where a couple of them bought ぜんざい (zenzai, an Okinawan shaved ice treat with azuki beans and sometimes milky cream!), another friend who studied abroad in Thailand got "Thai curry," and I got strawberry milk shaved ice!

We were all eating and enjoying ourselves when lo and behold a rainbow appeared!

Think it's a magical sign for how much I love this place? ♡

Churaumi Aquarium

July 10, 2011

Today was so long...my legs hurt. But it was amazing, I got to visit Okinawa's famous Churaumi Aquarium! 

We got to see the typical dolphin show, hundreds of different exhibits of fish, turtles, manatees, and others, and even the carcass of a Giant Squid!!

The exhibits were incredible! And I knew the main exhibit was supposed to be big but it was absolutely huge. Pictures do not give it any justice.

The thing about Churaumi is that it is one not only of the world's most incredible aquariums (yes I'm biased), but it is on one of the world's most beautiful islands. Okinawa is absolutely gorgeous. So not only is the inside of the aquarium breathtaking, but just walking around the outside is amazing too!

People, if you go to Okinawa, Churaumi is a must-go!!