Today was my first school day! We had to be at school at 8:10. Okaa-san and me took the train of 6:37. I woke up at 5:00 because I was pretty nervous for my speech. Once at school, Yamanote Senior High School, there were only a few people. We arrived already at 7:50 because our trains had a good connection.
Okaa-san and were waiting for Honda sensei in the principal’s office. We thought we had greeted a teacher, but a moment later he took place in the principal’s chair. Okaa-san started stressing and was suddenly very polite!
The principal is very kind. He also speaks some English because my school has quite some international connections. He also told us he visited the Netherlands once.
Okaa-san made a picture of me and the principal because she likes to make pictures of all special moments.
A little later Honda sensei arrived with the Kenyan exchange student. I don’t remember his name because he only mumbled and, I think, was very shy. Honda sensei took us to the teacher room where we were introduced and had to give our speech. The principal had already told everything I wanted to tell in my speech. I had written my speech on paper because I was very nervous. There were about 40 teachers that all stared and smiled at me. Fortunately my speech went well. I thought I had to give my speech for the entire school but that will be on Thursday so I have a little more time to memorize my speech.
Back in the principal’s office I was introduced to the other exchange students. Rachel from the USA is in my class, 2F. There were also a couple of students from Australia and one from Finland, but they were not all here. The first time I met Honda sensei I thought she was very strict but actually she is very cool, but very pro -America.
Rachel is my companion for the next weeks because we are in the same class. We had to go to the upper floor, the fourth. I didn’t get my in school shoes yet and therefore I walked on school slippers, but as the name intends, these where so slippery that they were dangerous, horrible! I could arrange that I am allowed to wear my own shoes until I receive my uniform shoes.
I my class room everyone stared at me, that happens everywhere, all the time, and they all yelled or whispered “Kawaii!!” (cute!!). Rachel said that in the beginning the students probably wouldn’t talk to me, in particular the boys. But… in my class they came to say hello in English or Japanese and even a boy said “Hello!”, YES! A boy! Japanese boys are usually very shy, so they normally won’t speak. Except the boy that do sports, they are very open and not shy. But this time even the boys spoke to me! And everyone wanted to touch my hair (because it is not black :P) or pointed at me. I didn’t know how to react on this so I smiled at them.
My mentor’s name is Suzuki sensei. She teaches English and speaks English pretty good and she is very nice. But she speaks Japanese so fast I didn’t understand a word of it!
After homeroom class (my class) we went to the gym. I think we had to stand there for about half an hour, lined up class by class to listen to a speech of the principal and sing the school song and for a uniform check. The uniform check took a long time. All students were checked on: length of your nails, piercings, length of the skirt, color of the socks and hair paint. In Japan painting your hair in high school is bad-ass, even when you can’t see it. Just the idea that you painted your hair and don’t have black hair is cool. The check was very thorough. I am glad the teachers already know my blond tuft of hair is natural! So I don’t have to explain.
After about one hour the uniform check was finished and we had some more speeches from the principal and the new teachers. The new teachers are so young that they almost look like students.
Before we went back to our class room we had to make a curtsy. We have to do that every morning and when school is finished. Today this was early, we were finished at 12 O’clock!
After school I went with Rachel to the school library. It is SUPER SMALL, but nice. The teacher in the library is very kind! Celeste is an exchange student from Australia. She has a Japanese friend and had to wait two more hours because he was on the sports club. Sport clubs are every day and very intensive. Because we were a little bored we went to a small department store nearby the subway. There Rachel, Celeste and I made our first Purikura! Purikura are small pictures that you can manipulate and edit in a photo booth. It is really cute and funny!
Next we went to Honey’s. A small shop with nice and very cheap cloth! Celeste and I bought a red and white jersey for only 7 euro! (it was a sale)
(The first picture shows my schedule from Monday to Friday! Each day the same schedule 😀
About 17:00 I went back home, it was already busy in the train! Tomorrow I have a day off! That’s because the first year students have their introduction.
