Today was my (third) second real school day. Today I have to speech for the entire school. Strange enough I wasn’t very nervous, perhaps because I thought I had to speech last Monday for the entire school. Then I was really nervous!

I have to get used to traveling by train because at 7:15 it already very busy, but I was lucky to have a seat. At the next stop a creepy guy (about 30 years old) entered the train at was standing in front of me and later sat down next to me. He looked very ugly and his hand was a little too close to my legs and he kept staring at me. On the other side was a student from another high school. I finally went a little closer to the high school student. At my step over the man followed me. I looked at him with my deadliest look and ran away.

Today I started with gymnastics, two hours in a row. People at my school in Holland know how much I hate gymnastics. Rachel and me are having gymnastics together with two third year classes and on Thursday with two classes of the second year but not with  my own class. Boys and girls don’t have gym together, just because the boys are much better.

We had to line up in ascending length. We had to stand straight up and when the teacher yelled something you had to stand different. I seemed to me more like a military training. Next we had to stretch two by two. One helped the other to stretch as much as possible. I am really NOT GOOD AT stretching and was glad the other girl was very precautious. The second hour we went outside and had to wear our outside shoes. Most of them wear sports shoes and some wear loafers, those are these ugly shoes you wear with your uniform when you are outside. I just had these loafers and because they are brand new they hurt a lot. They then borrowed me shoes that I can keep for outside sports.
I thought we were going to run outside or some other intensive thing but we only walked around the golf court. We probably go out playing golf with school. The golf court is funny. The practice tee is four stories high and a huge net stops the balls. I wondered why it was four stories high but that has to do with space. I will make pictures some day.

The third hour I had modern Japanese. The teacher is very… strict. She got very angry at me and started to shout in Japanese. Later I understood that is was for my skirt being too short. (It goes until my knees). Fortunately my fellow students told her that I don’t understand Japanese (yet). The rest of the lesson she ignored me.

The fourth hour I had private lessons again with Yamazaki sensei. The fifth and sixth hour we went to the gym again for speeches, including mine…

Dunun, the boy from Kenia, and I had to sit along the side line along with other Yamanote students and the principal. This time it was including the first year students that makes about 1000 people.
The brass band started by playing a song followed by speeches by students and the principal. Later we had to go onto the podium. We were introduced and had to do our speech. I brought a little paper with notes but it went perfect. I week ago I rather be found dead than doing my speech, but now I am very glad I did it! Because when I now walk in school everyone says ‘Micheru!!’ of they ask me something. On my way home everyone is very enthusiast and talk to me.

Today was also club introduction. For those unfamiliar with Japanese schools, all sport clubs and cultural clubs are on school.
Everyone asked me to join their club, the rugby coach of the girls team asked me to join their team! And EVEN de baseball club asked me to join despite its for boys only! I have not decided yet. I am think I will choose between girls rugby, yes really, because their you learn to know a lot of people. Or badminton or track and field, running. Honda sensei (my counselor) said chorus would be nice. But I can’t sing at all so that’s not going to happen. I first of all wanted to play tennis, but only boys play tennis, and it is not real tennis but in between tennis and squash.

I came home at 17:30 went we immediately left for a welcome party at the Hokkaido university for exchange students. Sato-san organized the welcome party and asked us to come along. I was still wearing my school uniform because we had to leave immediately. They were more surprised about me in my school uniform than the other 20 exchange students. There were many Chinese and people from Russia, America, England, Korea and other countries. I had a short talk with each of them, They had to speech too but I think my speech went better! And then you have to known that they already studied Japanese for at least two years.

I also talked with some host families and they praised my guts to come to Japan, even more because I am only 17 years old. That I am from the tiny Netherlands surprised them.

We came home at 11 O’clock. That is pretty late if you have to take a shower before you go to bed and have to go up at 6 O’clock.

Honda sensei took some pictures of Dugun and me when we had our speech. She will send me these next Monday so you have wait for them!

Today was my first real day at school and it was TOP! I woke up at 6 O’clock and prepared for school. Okaa-san had finished my Obento (lunch) 1 minute before I left because our rice cooker is a little broken. Therefore we didn’t know exactly how long it took to be ready. I got my train just in time!

On my way to school I met a lot of other students from my school. I never expected them to be so friendly but they all said hello or waved at me! They are so friendly.

My classroom is about the last one on the fourth floor. On my way there I met Rachel and we walked together to the classroom. All class mates stared at me and yelled “Kawaii”, (cute).

Class started at 8:40. The first 15 and the last 5 minutes of every day are always with the homeroom teacher. She then encourages everyone to do your best and she checks the home work.

In the morning we all had to go to the gym again and had to stand lined up class by class, boys separate from the girls. It started as one big chaos but in about 10 minutes we were exactly in lines. It was really boring, they spoke about doing your best and such (I understood that later). I couldn’t understand it.

There was a boy from another class, very brave, that introduced himself to me and is waving to me every time I see him in school. In the gym all the boys have to line up next to the girls, one line per class. On the left side was ,I call him nice guy, because he looks very friendly, the one that introduces himself. On the other side was a boy from my class that waves to me all the time and tries to speak English to me each time. I think they started to quarrel about who was allowed to talk to me, and then they started calling each other GAY, GAY, GAY. Really stupid! But funny though. My school is about 2/3 boys and usually they are very shy. But because our school is ‘cool’ they talk to girls!

Back to class Rachel and I went to the first floor where we have private lessons from Tamazaki sensei. We are with some other exchange students. Tui and Jordyn have a scholarship for sports and they will stay here for three years. My school is one of the best in sports of Hokkaido, They have won many cups and even became country champion!

Tui and Jordyn play rugby. Dugun is the other guy with a scholarship. He is from Kenia and is long distance runner. Rachel and Celeste (who is on holiday this week) are exchange students like me. Dugun and I arrived last month and Rachel and Celeste will be here for only a few weeks/month.

After one hour Yamazaki sensei arrived for an hour of private lessons Japanese. She started with simple greetings that I already knew. I do already know the two simple Japanese writings, Hiragana and Katakana. Yamazaki sensei had not expected that so there was actually not much that I could start with. Yamazaki sensei is very friendly and she speaks English very well!

After Japanese class we went back to class 2f to have lunch and to have English from my mentor. We had to tell them our name and hobbies. I was first! Then they all started to talk to me instead of to the rest of the class. Some of them I could not understand because their English is horrible. Others were very outrageous and assured me I had to remember their names or otherwise…. The students in my class are VERY nice. The talk to me and are waving! Very nice, even more because Rachel told they would ignore me the first time. I am very happy and they are so kind!

After class I went with Rachel to the tea ceremony club (sadobu). In Japan many students attend clubs after school. In the clubs the first, second and third year students are mixed that makes you get to know a lot of people. There are many clubs. I do not know yet what to choose, therefore I attended the tea ceremony today.

The tea ceremony was in a special room with tatami mats were you don’t wear shoes. The teacher was a very friendly women wearing a Kimono. She is a professional tea ceremony sensei. I do not know the official name.

I looked carefully what they were doing. We had to sit down lined up. Rachel and another girl prepared the tea. We also had two cookies and looked how they made our green tea. The tea was very hot, and everything I did was wrong, but that was ok since this was my first time. They all took time to explain everything. The club started at 4 O’clock and is finished at 7 O’clock, but I left at 17:30 for home since I have to travel a long distance.

I also made a picture with the tea sensei. She is the principals wife! So now I have a picture with the principal and with the principals wife! How great!

At the station there were quite some Yamanote students and they all said hello or waved. Two boys from my school took the same train I did. Because my Japanese is not that good yet I could only ask their year and say hello. There is also a boy that lives in Ainosato!

I like it very much on school and it is nice to meet people of my age.

Tomorrow I have to speech for the entire school. I am not that nervous like last Monday, I thought my speech on Monday was for the entire schools but then it was only for the teachers, and they all said my speech was very good. That makes me more confident.