Okaa-san (mother in Japanese) had a day off and took me and Miyu to discover Sapporo. She asks me all time where I want to go since she knows Sapporo as well as I do, not though. After we brought Yuna to kindergarden we went to a shopping center and from there with a taxi to Sapporo center. Sapporo center is extremely busy parking is very expensive, therefore we went by taxi. I had to select the taxi driver and one with a “good face”. The taxi driver was very friendly and Okaa-san asked which places in Sapporo are nice and beautiful. De taxi driver said he wanted to show us the nicest place in Sapporo. He drove us from the city to the mountains just outside Sapporo. From there you could see all over Sapporo. It was really VERY beautiful as you can see on the pictures.
From there we went to an apparently well known river where we saw Koi fish. They were really big but not very good visible on the pictures.
The end point was Sapporo Eki (Sapporo main station) where we went for window shopping. Another AFS student told me that it was very nice there so I asked Okaa-san if we could go there.
Sapporo Eki is huge. I estimate it is seven levels of stores and restaurants, really great!
The shops here a so cute. Okaa-san also showed me the cheaper stores where I can go after school for shopping. I have to travel via Sapporo Eki to school. I can’t wait to go shopping after school 😀
Okaa-san bought me a very nice hair clip with bows on both sides!
Than we had a very nice lunch. A sort of huge toast with honey, whipped cream, ice, chocolate and strawberries. In Japanese restaurants you often have a sort of display where they show sealed examples of the food they sell. That’s nice when you have to select. What you see is what you get!
I felt like a foreigner in Sapporo station. I did not see any other foreigner. People looked and stared at me and even pointed to me. I didn’t feel comfortable but Okaa-san explained that they think I am an actrice and that they are jalousie about my face hair and eyes, everything. I think they will stare even more when I am in my school uniform. I will already prepare myself for that moment. 😛
At the end of the afternoon I tried my RABO world bankcard since it didn’t work at my round trip in Japan in 2010. And yes, it didn’t work again! Then we went to the post office where it did work either. So I will get a Japanese bank account by Wednesday.
We also went to see the swimming lessons of Miyu and Yuna. Not many children in Japan learn to swim, although Japan is surrounded by water. Okaa-san thinks it is very important and because Yuna and Miyu have too much energy they become tired and sleepy :P!
At the sport center I saw Tiiger and Simba (my cats in Holland) on an advertisement display.
In the evening we watched a movie. Okaa-san likes (American) movies. But it was rather creepy, a thriller. I do not like thrillers that much since I often get unpleasant dreams about it. And that appeared to have happened as Okaa-san asked me why I was talking yelling late at night. I didn’t notice it but Okaa-san thought I was maybe ill 😛
I thought Japanese parents did not show their authority to their children but when I told Miyu had sneaked into my room to open my door such that I could better hear both children screaming (I did like I was still sleeping) Okaa-san was very angry and told them to be more quiet in the morning and Miyu promised not to do it again. I hope she keeps her promise 😛
April 1 I go to school to meet my mentor and my AFS contact to talk about if everything is going well.
