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Just a quick note -- from now on, I'm going to keep my writing simpler, because my host families are going to be reading this too, and I'd like it to be relatively easy to understand/translate. :)



Tonight, I feel the best kind of loneliness. It's the kind of loneliness you feel after you say goodbye to people you truly connected with.

As part of our program in Japan, we gaijin were matched with volunteer Japanese host families. Two host families, two weeks each. For the most part, we've all enjoyed the experiences we've had.

My first host family was a family of four -- mother, father, two boys (4 and 5, respectively). Ruriko-san, the mother, is an opera singer. She's beautiful and friendly and supremely talented. We watched a recording of one of her performances together -- her range is incredible. During the day, she gives singing and piano lessons to kids. She's also a fantastic cook. She made some of the best food I've ever eaten. Nearly every night, we stayed up until late talking. My Japanese is still rough, and even though Ruriko's English was very good, we often ran into spots where we couldn't understand each other -- and that's where the electronic dictionary would come in. She said to me once that my Japanese was getting better every day -- I hope she's right. I really, really want to know this language fluently.

The father, Takeshi-san, is a high school biology teacher. There were a few days we met along the way home and we talked during the commute. He helped me with my kanji homework and he explained several things about Japanese culture.

And their kids are so much fun. Kouta is five and Kousei is four, and they're so cute. Kouta is very calm and rational and I'm always amazed at his age because he acts so much older. Kousei is a little whirlwind. His interests include mischief and talking. When I was with Ruriko's family, I played with them every day. I took so many pictures one day of them playing Kame (turtle) and Sushi (...sushi) with the futon. Kame is fun -- Kouta squeezes into the middle of the folded futon and Kousei climbs on top and Kouta drags the futon around the room using his arms. Turtle ride. They're so, so cute.

They call me Kira-oneechan. Oneechan is Japanese for older sister.

Speaking of pictures, this is my Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28850422@N04

It currently has seven hundred and something of the pictures I've taken, but since I last updated, I've taken another four hundred.

I like this country a lot.

My current host family is so much fun. Miwa-san loves traveling, so we're kindred spirits. She has photo albums full of pictures of the places she's been. Two weeks ago, I met her friends Yuko and Etsuko, friends she's had since she was a kid. Together, we've visited Kyoto several times. We went to a place in the mountains where the restaurants are on platforms suspended over a river, and we went to a beautiful shrine nearby, and a famous market. Then with the whole family, I've been to Arima and Kyoto. Tomorrow, Miwa-san and I are going somewhere else, but we haven't decided where.

She's so much fun. Every night, we convene in the dining room and talk about where we've traveled and watch dramas out of the corner of our eyes. I feel very comfortable around her. :)

Her husband Susumu-san teaches me Kansaiben (Kansai dialect). He's really funny and kind. Their kids are two-year-old twins -- Yuusuke and Kousuke. They call me "Kida" and they love chasing after me around the apartment. They're really, really adorable. When I stick my tongue out at Kousuke, he beams and wiggles his tongue back like a dog. It's so cute.

I'm so happy I did home stay.

I've mentioned this already, but I love Japan. I especially love Kansai, and the people who live here. They're so friendly and warm. Every day I feel more and more at home in Kobe. When I move here next year, I want to find work in Kobe. Or Osaka.

I've visited Osaka six or seven times while I've been in Japan. It's remarkably close -- only twenty minutes away, and it's only six hundred and ninety yen (about seven dollars) to get there. When you consider that the shinkansen from here to Tokyo is fourteen thousand yen (one hundred and forty dollars), that's a good price.

Osaka is too amazing for a brief mention. I'll make a longer post later with pictures.

I wouldn't have even known about Osaka if it weren't for Kanjani8, a Japanese music group from Kansai. For the past year, I've been totally in love with them. I've seen them in concert four times while I've been here. I could help myself, but I'm too crazy for that. I had so, so much fun at them all! Members of the group saw me and smiled or waved or made grabby hands -- that last one made me into a giggling mess for about three hours -- and I couldn't stop grinning from start to finish. My friends were wonderful and offered me tickets -- otherwise, I wouldn't have had the amazing seats I had or the great company. :D

Interestingly, now I feel the obsession with Kanjani8 dying down. Not going away, that's for sure, but something about seeing them up close made the total idol-worship diminish. In a way, my love for them is stronger now. It's difficult to explain, but for a long time, even their faults somehow seemed better than a normal person's. But now I think of them as people with faults just like mine. I'm less in awe of them now. I guess I let the lens widen a little.

The amazing thing about being in Japan is seeing how much more there is to it. When I was in New York, I visited a Japanese bookstore called Kinokuniya every week. Even when I didn't buy anything, I'd read the books in there and look through the photo books at scenes from Tokyo and the countryside and I'd want so, so badly to be here. And now that I am, I'm astonished by how much Americans don't see.

Japan feels different than I expected. It feels small and personal. Like it's only me and the people I'm close to who live here. It's a difficult thought to communicate. But I smile at people here and they smile back, and when I bow my head slightly to strangers, they do the same back. When I speak Japanese to a native, they say, "Jouzu!" (skillful) and it makes me feel happy to hear the praise from a total stranger. :)

Which brings me to tonight.

Tonight, I met my friend James' host family. There are four kids -- Reio (22), Rui (20), Ramu (18) and Ryo (12). The parents are so, so funny. And Ryo is definitely a natural comedian.

At the farewell party, when I gave my short speech thanking everyone for my experience, I used Kansaiben and made the whole room laugh. Afterwards, when I was wrestling on the floor with Kousei (I'm ten, what can I tell you) James's host mother walked over and started talking to me.

[in Japanese]

AWESOME-SAN: When you spoke Kansaiben, you surprised me!

CIARA: I really love Kansaiben.

We talked about New York and my major for a while, and then her two oldest kids, Reio and Rui, came over next to us and sat on the chairs lined up against the wall. They didn't say anything for a while, just talked to each other, but after a while, James's host mother and I got to talking about names and Reio jumped in to tell me that his and his siblings' names are weird (hen) in Japan.

So I told him that mine is weird in America, too. In Ireland, very popular. But in America, not so much.

James wanted to take his host family out for dinner, and I had already planned on going out to eat with him and our friend Crysta, but Crysta had to go back to the hotel to pack, so I ended up going out with James and his host family.

We laughed a lot tonight. :)

Throughout the evening, James and I proudly admitted to our weirdness. We're not the typical "image" the Japanese have of Americans. I play soccer, and I love almost all Japanese food, and there are other things, but I'm getting sleepy and I'm forgetting a lot.

It's a silly thing to say, I know, but I feel like I was destined to meet these people. It was such a chance encounter -- meeting this family. They're such wonderful people, I was elated to have the opportunity to spend time with them.

Reio is studying Swedish and Ryo is a natural comedian and Rui is studying to be an engineer and Ramu is a sweetheart. All the kids are musically-inclined -- Ryo and Ramu both play the piano and Ryo also plays the cello. Their father is funny and easy to talk to and their mother is outgoing and friendly.

When dinner was finished, I really didn't want to part ways with them. James didn't, either. I could tell they'd developed a strong bond over the two weeks they spent together. James offered to walk me to the train station, so we walked with the family to their car.

We waved as they drove out of the parking lot and around the corner and while they were paused at the stoplight and as they drove down the street out of sight.

Next, I said goodbye to James. We've bonded over several things while we've been here, not the least of which is a common adoration and respect for Japan. We're both determined to come back. He's been a good friend, and one I hope to keep in touch with. He'll probably read this at some point, too. Hey, dude! :D

Earlier, I was really upset about all the people leaving tomorrow and Sunday that I won't have the chance to say goodbye to. I didn't prepare myself to say goodbye, partly because I forgot that they weren't staying as long as I am, so I just assumed they would be here.

Now I'm a little clearer-headed. I've written this out and I'm coming back to level ground. I'm glad I've made so many new friends.

At one point during dinner, James's host mother said to us something to the effect of, "You're very bright people -- wherever you go, you'll be influential."

I hope she's right. What I love more than anything is making someone smile or laugh.

And now it's officially shower/bed time. My eyelids are really heavy.

<3 Until next time, my pretties!