Konbanwa, Good evening.

Sorry it has been so long between posts but all the preparation for this trip is time consuming. OK, here is what I have done since the last post. The first thing that happened was the meeting that I had set up. I was talking to someone on the island about a fund that the island has set up to help the island community or people in need on the island. I do have to admit that I was a little intimidated to go to the meeting. It is not that the person that was conducting is a harsh or mean person, it was the fact that it was the first time I had ever been interviewed about something that I really have a strong desire to achieve. I did, however leave the meeting with a good feeling. I think that I might have received help from them.


After that things were a little quiet with the fund raising aspect of it. I still am taking lessons. The latest lesson was August 15th and I have begun one of the harder aspects of learning a language, verbs and how to conjugate them correctly. I have to be ready for my next lesson on the 20th. I have a total of 47 different things that I have to try to learn by then (well I don't have to learn all of them according to my teacher. She says I have to learn as many as I can before then. I said I have to learn them all.). Those 47 things are a combination of helpful phrases, words and the start of the verb conjugations.

I am still in contact with AFS and I have started on the final application. I am going to have a meeting with an AFS representative soon so I can ask any questions I have and so they can ask their required questions. The final application is a long one. I have to get consent form my doctor ( I just have to get any required vaccinations and pass a physical examination. The doctor also has to full out a brief medical history). I have to introduce myself to my host family in a letter that has to be at least two pages long. It also requires a lot of other things I just can't think of what they are right now.

To learn Japanese on my own outside of the lessons I have been listening more intently to my Japanese music ( of the 1020 songs on my Ipod a good 95% of them are Japanese) to try to understand what I am listening to (currently, I really enjoy the musician Kanon Wakeshima. Here is a video of one of her songs, just ignore the speech bubbles that come up:



If you really like it you can find her on Itunes). I am also watching anime, Japanese animation (which I have been doing since I was a baby) in Japanese and without subtitles.

I am going to add a new part to my blog. I will be teaching everyone a phrase or word in Japanese at the end of every post. This post has the phrase "Where is the bathroom?" It is the most important phrase to know in my opinion. Here it is:

Otearai wa doko desu ka?

I hope to update my computer so I can write with the Japanese characters, that way you really will get a look at what I am learning.

Well I have to leave you all for now, I have work in the morning,

Oyasuminasai, Good Night (I guess you got a couple of bonus phrases now that I look at this.)