I am writing this a few days later than I had planned because every time I sat down to write it I just couldn't bring myself to. Writing this, my last post, means my adventure is over and I just can't stand that thought. But seeing as I packed up almost all my things today I figured it was time.
Lets start with the happy stuff.
Last week started out with our last Popular Culture class which finished with a bang as we watched one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. On Tuesday, Sasaki-sensei took us to the Toyota car factory in the city of Toyota (the name came from the car company not vice-versa). We took a tour of the factories and saw a robot play a trumpet, the Toyota assembly line complete with robotic arms welding things and such and saw the 'car of the future' (looks more like a futuristic wheelchair/lazyboy). It was actually pretty interesting to see all the steps that it takes to build a car and how precise Toyota is with their building process. Afterward Sasaki-sensei took us for lunch at a rather nice restaurant near school and I ate probably the most beautiful meal I have ever seen. It was like a work of art. I also ate blowfish: the fish that is infamous for being deadly if prepared the wrong way. Apparently, if you are served the wrong part of the fish, you die in 24 hours (seeing as I am writing this, mine was luckily prepared correctly). It was a cool experience. Kind of like extreme eating. Also, it was delicious. It you don't mind gambling with your life, I recommend it. And after all that excitement, I had to go to school to write my final Japanese language exam which I horribly failed. In my defense, everyone thought it was impossible, not just me. I feel like I did learn a lot of useful everyday Japanese even if all the grammar and new vocabulary didn't stick.
Thursday was a little graduation ceremony for the three of us. All of our teachers, the president of the university, the secretaries and some of our friends came. We gave speeches to thank them for hosting us and they gave us some gifts followed by some little snacks and a few goodbyes. Later that night we had a farewell party with some of our closer friends which involved making nabe (Japanese hotpot) and video games (this is Japan after all). Leave it to the Canadians to bring the drinks. ;) It was also a bit of a send off for each other as it was the last day we would spend together in Japan.
I spent Saturday with my host mother because her priest friend who brought us to Koya-san invited us to attend the Goma Fire Ceremony at a small temple in Nagoya. It is a ceremony that is exclusive to one sect of Buddhism (the same sect that resides on Mt. Koya). I was able to take part in the ceremony and was taught to chant in Japanese which was very hard as the musical notation was completely foreign to me. Afterwards, I was invited to take a closer look at the room in which the ceremony was performed and the monks let me try out some of the things that they did during the ceremony which included playing with one of the 600 texts that Kobo Daishi (the founder of the Shingon sect) wrote. During the ceremony the monks open the texts (all 600!) and, because the pages are all linked together like a fan, let them fall while they chanted “Yoooooooooo.” It was very funny and they let me try. I was awful at it. (see photo) Sometimes it really pays to be the foreigner.
I paid my last visit to Nagoya on Monday and the city thanked me by getting me completely lost in the maze of underground malls for a few hours. I may be a bit of an expert on ground-level downtown Nagoya but underground is a completely different story. Seeing as it was snowing outside, I was thankful that I was lost somewhere warm (and I found some really cool shops).
And now I am packing up (and nearly having a panic attack about how heavy my bags are!! Immense excess baggage charges, here I come). I am literally just trying to memorize everything around me in an effort to cement Japan into my mind forever. I savour every sound, every smell, every bite of authentic Japanese cooking and every minute with my host family. I even caught myself trying to memorize what the floor of the trains look like. But then I stopped because I realized that I don't really care about the floor of a train...
This really is just the most interesting and unique country in the world. Even after four months here I feel as though I haven't learned enough and haven't experienced enough and it just kills me that I don't know if I will ever be back. This country has been so friendly and hospitable to me, everyone has really gone out of their way to make sure the three of us have had an amazing time and I just don't even think I can put into words how eternally grateful I am for this experience. I have experienced a side of Japan that foreigners don't often see and I will never forget any of it. The beautiful cities, the amazing people, the delicious and sometimes strange foods, the interesting festivals and holidays, the fantastic shopping, the raucous nightlife, the peaceful religion: I have experienced it all. Japan is a country with a culture so shocking that culture shock doesn't even begin to describe the feeling you get here. It so immaculately blends its perfectly preserved history and traditions with its modern ambitions that are so far ahead of the rest of the world that it is indescribable by the English language. It is Japan: outgoing, reserved, modern, traditional, strange, simple, confusing, convenient, unique, westernized, delicious, disgusting, quiet, loud, hot, cold, friendly, funny, beautiful!
Leaving my host family is the hardest part. I have bought them all gifts and written them a card (and a separate card just for my host mother) but I don't think it's enough to truly thank them for how unbelievably kind they have been to me. My host mother asked me to give her a list of suggestions for things to change before their next host student and I thought long and hard about it and couldn't come up with a single thing! They are the most fantastic host family that an exchange student could hope for and I will miss them so much. My host mother gave me going away presents tonight and they were so thoughtful that I got a little teary-eyed when she gave them to me (I am a cry-baby). I don't think there is any way that I can possibly express my gratitude to them enough. I dread tomorrow when I give them their gifts and especially Thursday when I say my final goodbyes. I really hope they will be comfortable with my crying because I don't think I'll be able to help it. (Now if only I could say all of that in Japanese...)
Final thank yous to everyone who made this possible and helped me along the way: Capilano Exchange Committee, Dorinda Neave, Nick Collins, Yvonne Leung, Lindsay Stoker, Nishio-sensei, Aoyoama-sensei, Sasaki-sensei, Yamaguchi-sensei, Mito-sensei, Mom, Dad, Towser Jones, Ann Mitchell, Jennifer Lee, Sean, John, Mae Nakano, all the friends I made in Japan, my friends at home for listening to me whine, and my Japanese host family! (It's kind of like an Oscar speech because probably no one is reading this part. Most of these people don't even read this blog anyway...)
All my love to Japan and all my love to everyone here and back at home!
Now it's off to the snow festival in Sapporo and Chinese New Year in Hong Kong! (Oh yeah..travels aren't officially over yet.)
See you soon!!
Britt♥♥
I miss my cats.
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