Crazy Month Ahead to Finish it Off

So I don't believe that we are in our last few weeks here in Tottori. In approximately 3 weeks, the 5 of us will be heading off on vacation, each to different locations of the world. Then our four months in Tottori will come to a close.

This past week has been extremely busy. I have been chosen to represent Canada at a conference titled "Goodwill International Assembly for Green Building and Living" (Website: http://www.jgbc.com/English/IntlernationalAssembly.pdf) which is being held at the World Expo in Nagoya (Aichi prefecture) from July 14th - 16th. I was the only one out of the five of us Canadians who applied cause they didnt want to do all the work that goes along with it. But considering my future career interests and being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I couldn't let it pass me by. So Ive been a busy-bee making a PowerPoint presentation about "Canada's Environment" and translating it into Japanese. I think its going to be an excellent challenge for myself to go beyond what I have ever done before: represent my country and do a presentation in a foreign langage (AT THE WORLD EXPO!!!!). Its a lot of work, but I think its worth it.

And on top of that, this week, we have a group design project to work on and a whole bunch of exams to study for before we leave. So its going to be really hectic and craaaazeeee I tell ya.

So its official. I'm going to be working in Tokyo for Japan's Number #1 Engineering consulting firm named "Nippon Koei Co. Ltd." (Website:http://www.n-koei.co.jp/english/) for my co-op term starting in September. I was thinking to myself how different life is going to be in Tokyo compared to Tottori. From small/rural town Japan to the largest city in the world with approximately 10 million people. Its insane. I guess we get to see the best of both worlds while we're here.

And on another goodnote, I got accepted to again represent Canada at an international students conference called "Japan Tent" (Website: http://www.japantent.com/japantent_e/index_e.html) which will take place in Kanazawa (in Ishikawa prefecture) from July 29th to August 5th. According to the website, "Japan Tent is a gathering of foreign students from all over the world under "a friendship tent" where heart to heart exchange can take place overcoming nationality and language barriers." Again I was the only one out of the five us Canadians that applied. I guess whenever I travel, I try to take the most out of the culture as I can. This conference is a week filled with Japanese culture activities and an amazing chance to meet people from around the world. Furthermore I'll be able to stay with a host family so I'll be living with with an actual Japanese family for the week. Transportation, food, accodation, allll free. So I'm super excited for this. Anastoria, my friend from Jamaica, also got accepted to represent her country. So that makes it that much more exciting.

So I signed up to meet with a host family in Tottori through the Tottori International Exchange Centre to experience Japanese culture. Considering that I'm super busy with school and other things, I only had the chance to have dinner with them. So on Friday, July 2nd, last week, I went to dinner at the Sakaguchi family household.
The family is EXTREMELY involved in Intenrational student events in Tottori and they were super friendly and kind. The mother named Yumi, is always at the international student events and was soooooo happy that I was coming over for dinner. Her son, Yuki, is a 17 year old high school student in Tottori aspiring to become a lawyer. His younger sister, named Mai, is a 14 year old student in her last year at a junior high school. The father, Shigeo, a prosecutor assistant, comes home to be with the family every weekend from working in Okayama prefecture. Also at the dinner that night was Yumi's sister, Mika, her son Susumu (14 years old), and daugher Eiko (12 years old).

Host-mom Yuki (right) and Host-sister Mai (left) preparing dinner

Dinner at the Sakaguchi family household

Me and the Sakaguchi family (from left to right): Shigeo (host-father), Yuki (host-brother), myself, Yumi (host mom) and Mai (host-sister)

The dinner was amazing and when I told my host-mom Yumi that her food was very delicious she was very happy. Yuki, a very well rounded young man with a lot of aspirations, serenaded all of us with his guitar during dinner. It was great. Shigeo, the father, is soooooo great to talk with. He definetely livens up a room. Then I find out that Mai, is the badminton champion of Tottori. It was such a positive family environment. Considering I haven't seen mine for almost 3 months, it was very pleasent to be back in such an environment. From 5 pm to midnight I was chatting with EVERYONE in the family. Other than when they asked me questions about how to say something in English, to my surprise, I didn't speak a word of English. I was sooooo shocked at how much my Japanese has improved. The family was also shocked at the level that I'm at considering I've only been here for three months. They told me that I am welcome to visit them anytime I want to. Before I leave Tottori, and when I come back during the last week of December, I will defintely visit them again. The whole family was extremely kind, energetic, and welcoming.

So yesterday, the Tottori International Exchange Centre put on a culture event for a national Japanese festival called "Tanabata". Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet. One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper, and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.
And not surprisingly, Yumi and Mai were there helping out. They were sooo happy to see me again. So we went to do some origami and write wishes on a pieces of paper to hang on the bamboo trees. I wrote "I wish everyone in my family back in Canada the best of health" or in Japanese "家ぞくみな元気".

Mai, Yumi, and myself at the Tanabata festival

Mai (Sakaguchi family host sister) and myself hanging origami on a bamboo tree for the Japanese "Tanabata" festival

Me holding up the piece of paper wishing everyone in my family back in Canada the best of health

The piece of paper wishing everyone in my family back in Canada the best of health."家ぞくみな元気"

So that was the crazy first week. More to come in the next couple of even more crazier weeks.