homestay in Sault Ste Marie

We moved from lancing to Sault Ste Marie.It took about 6 hours by car.It is located next to Canada.
It was my first experience to stay with hostfamily's house.I was so excited.

The house is like vacation  house.It is very large and there is a Lake in front of the house.So we were able to see the very nice view from the house anytime!

My hostmother is very powerful and energetic woman. She can speak Japanese very well.I did not have to

worry about language

She cooked very delicous breakfast for us.

There are 2 spaces for guests and hostfamily's.My husband and I were able to use our private bathroom.

My homestay's image is family's house.But we felt as if it was vacation house.How lucky we were!

We stayed for 5 days.

Trip to Michigan

This was my first visit to go to Michigan.In this trip, there were about 50 participants.There were all kinds of
generations.I was so excited.

After our long flight, we went to the Hotel. We had a dinner party. To my surprised, governer KATA also
welcame my group. I could not believe that she was in the same room. It was very impressive to me.

After the ceremony, we enjoyed having dinner.It was so delicous,but very large size.We eat something in  the plane 5 times and before we arrived at the Hotel, we were given some sandwiches and apple,so we were full

all the time.

After the dinner,governer KATA said hello to every one.She is so nice woman.

We moved from the room to our own room.My husband was too exhausted and fell asleep.I was also tired, but I wanted to go somewhere.I decided to explore alone!

There was a pharmacy next to the Hotel. I saw many members were going around and going shopping.

I enjoyed seeing in the pharmacy shop.

My energy suddenly was gone and became so sleepy,so I decided to come back to the Hotel.

It was very short exploration to me.

count down

I will go to Michigan from this Friday for 1 week. Sponser is Shiga Intercultural Association for Globalization.

http://www.s-i-a.or.jp/

Shiga prefecture is located in the center of Japan.Shiga has the largest lake in Japan. So that is why it is said that Shiga has been communicated with Michigan State in a friendly relationship for many years.

Shiga has many cities and towns,and most of them has a sister city in Michigan.
(But depend on the city.Sometimes they don't have a sister city in Michigan)
http://www.pref.shiga.jp/b/kokusai/koryu/shimai/shicho/index.html


My city has been communicated with Marquette city in Michigan.
Actually some Japanese who live in Higashiomi went to Marquette as a small group tour in this summer vacation.At first I had a plan to go there but I gave up because I had to take care of my children especially in Summer vacation and I had many tasks.I really want to visit Marquette someday.

I told my husband that I wanted to go to Michigan this year. Actually people who live in Higashiomi have 2 chances to go to Michigan this year. First chance was go to Marquette in July  and second chance is to go to Michigan  as big group tour in September.
After that he said to me." You can go, and  I am thinking I will go with you if it is possible".

I was very surprised to hear it. He is very quite and shy.And he is very busy business man.I was worried if he was able to take some holidays or not.But after that he started to study English during his commute.He had no confidence to use English at all. I was very happy that he made his effort to study and wanted to go with me. I could not imagine this situation.

In my case, I have been hosted some foreingers as a hostmom over 4 years.
Actually  some JCMU university students from Michigan  came to my house and stayed.
Last year, male student stayed for 3 month. He is very smart student and I enjoyed taking care of him.
I always host a guest,but I have never experience to stay with hostfamily's house in other countries before.
So it will be the 1st experience for me.  I hope that we will have a wonderful in this trip.

By the way, I usually go to an English conversation school in my city. The teacher is an American and
he originally come from Michigan.
http://decc.ca/

Yesterday I went to his class. And he gave a homework to me.
His house  is located in Ithaca ( 40 minites by car from lancing). While I will move from lancing to another city, my homework is to find his house!According to him, his house's  color is brown and go over polk road and we will see his  house  in the right side in the forest.
Can I find his home??? I hope not to become sleep in the car^^;


P.S  At  first  my daughter had a plan to go to Michigan in September.
       But she gave up to paticipate because of some reasons.
       I hope she will  stay in Michigan after she become an university student.

Today is...

Today is my son's birthday.　I had a baby for 14 years ago. I feel a little sad because I can't spend with him.However I am very happy to celebrate for his birthday.

He is the first son. My daughter was 3 years old at that time.I didn't care about my condition and enjoyed
going somewhere with my family too much. When I was in the sixth month pregrancy, I had a serious problem of threatened premature delivery  and I had to stay in a hospital for a while.
I cried every day because I could not see my husband and daughter.

There were many pregnant women who had serious problem. Many of their birth were very dangerous.
And their baby was born as a premature baby.I was very nervous and so disappointed.

Fortunately my son was born and good health.I was relieved.
After 14 years, he is very fine. He enjoys spending time in his school and dorm life.
I love him and want to watch his grorth from now on,too.

valuable flag...

The ancestor remembrance festival is one of the most important annual events  for the Japanese family.It is held over a few days in August.This period often means summer holidays.Many people return to their home towns.In my case, this town is my husband's hometown.So we don't need to return.We usually spend in my house in this period.

We welcomed my parents to my house and had a lunch party all together last Saturday.My husband's big sister's family also came to my house.We enjoyed eating lunch and chatting.
At that time, my father in law was talking about war.He is now 79 years old and he will be 80 next month.
He showed a flag to us.This is very old and valuable  flag.

To tell the truth, he had a plan to go to war as a soldier.He was 15 years old and very young boy.
In his friends and neignborhood  were sure  he would go to war.So they wrote their name to the flag and
they wished he was able to come back home safely.
However he didn't have to go to war because it was the end of war.

As we know,the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6 1945. The second was dropped
on Nagasaki three days later.It is said that the two bombs have caused nearly 400000 death as of September 2007, and many people are still sick today.
My mother in law's big sisiter who had already passed away 's husband never come back home  because
he went to the war as a soldier at that time. Too many people were died because of war.

My father in law said to us.
"I am fine but when I remembered at that time, I feel so sad.I am very sorry that many people are still sick today. Young generation don't know about war very well. I can't forget those days..."

If my father gone to war and never returned home,
my husband and children would not exist right now.

Historical events change our fate.
We must not forget the terrible war.
We should think about how to finish war.

summer vacation

We usually spend summer vacation in this season.  My son came back home from Hakodate on 20th this month.He has only 26 summer holidays.He has to return to his dorm at the middle of next  month.

My daughter has about one month summer vacation.She sometimes has to go to school,but she usually stays

at home. I am very busy to watch their homeworks.

By the way, we went to the new shopping mall with them today.It is very near from our house. It is opened recently.There are many nice shops and many many people were there.

My daugher enjoyed so much going shopping. I bought a nice shirt for her.She loves this shirt!

Suddenly it was raining cats and dogs. We did not bring  any umbrella. We decided to buy new umbrella.

After that it stopped rainning. It was an irony?!

It is a lot of fun to go somewhere with my children.

I also enjoy studying with them in our house.

I had many tasks

I have been very busy. I did many tasks.
At first,an American boy student came to my house and stayed in my house for 1 week.
I did my best to take care of him.But at last I gave up.That was my first  dissappointment experience.
I couldn't imagine that high school student didn't take care of himself.
I think. "It is necessary for him  to know common sense at first before he  come to Japan"...
I hope he will realize his faults and he is able to take care of himself.

After he left to another hostfamily,Canadian junior high school student came to my house.
He is "Sansei" His grand parents are all Japanese and he was born in Canada.
He inherites Japanese genes from them,so he is very modesty and polite.

I enjoyed spending time with him for 1 week.

←My hostson and his friends.
They came to my house and eating nodle(ra-men) in my house.
I cooked cold nodle for them.

I am a hostmom and my city International society member.This was  my third time to host Canadian from Tabor town.This time, most of the hostfamilies were beginners.They didn't know how to host them.
So I was very worried about guests if they were too exhausted.
We learn by mistakes. I advised some hostmoms not to take care of them too much.I asked them that guests  needed some rests.
And also they can't understand and speak English at all. They were very
nervous about communication problem.
In my case, I started learning English after I finished hosted the first Canadian guest from Tabor.Because my English was too bad and I  could not communicate with him.If Japanese families want to host foreigners, they need to learn as much as they can,I advise.


Volunteer is very wonderful but at the same time it is very difficult.Some people enjoy volunteer for their own joy.At first I did and I thought.But after that I realize that it is wrong.Our task is  to give much happiness to them without asking for  rewards .We have to think about thier joy  better than my own pleasure.

I was a MC(master of ceremony) in Japanese.I want to try next time in English.That was very good experience for me.

write a diary in Japanese

超多忙続きでまだもう少し忙しくなりそうな私ですが、今回の日記は日本語にて失礼致します。
6月25日にアメリカミシガン州からの交換留学生として高校生の男の子をあずかりました。元々この話は全くなかったのですが、先月末に急に滋賀県庁教育委員会→娘の高校→我が家と連絡があり、今年の9月から3週間ミシガンに行ける席が2席空いてるので何とか行ってほしいという依頼があって本人の気の進まないまま引き受けてしまいました。日本人はなかなかNO!が言えない国民だと思います。去年このプログラムに申し込んだもののインフルエンザで中止になった事や、今年は高校2年という事で多忙なので無理だと言う事だったのですがそれでも引き受けてしまいました。

県庁からの連絡がなかなかなく、やっとマッチングで生徒さんが決まったのも1週間前。女の子だと最初わかったのですが、娘のクラスメートのお父さんが異性は自信がないので替えてほしいと言われて、　お願いを受けてしまいました。娘としても男の子だと気を遣わなくていいのではと思ったようです。なので我が家は男の子が来る事になりました。

サイズが何と5XLもある男の子、我が家の普通車では狭すぎます。100kgを越えていて相撲取りのような体型です。それでも何とか連れて帰ってきました。文化祭や体育祭前の多忙な時期ですが、ミシガンからの生徒は各学校の生徒の所にホームステイして一緒に学校に通学します。朝5時半起き・・・という日もあり2人を一緒に学校に出すというのは今回初めての経験で大変でした。

17歳の子だと娘より1学年上なので何でも出来ると思ってました。しかし朝寝坊は当たり前、夜もご飯も食べないでバタンキュー、そして夜中に起きて夜ご飯を食べたいと言う、真夜中4時半に起きてテレビを音量大にして聞く、もちろん私達は起きてしまいその後全く寝れず、娘の部屋に何もノックしないで勝手に入ってくる、洗濯物を出すように言っても何日もためて部屋がすごい臭い、いびきが夜中ずっと聞こえてみんなが寝れないなど、大変な日々が続きました。
私は寝室を移動しましたがそれでも二階までいびきは聞こえ、私と娘は1週間で寝れたのはたった1日で寝不足と過労で食事までのどを通らなくなってしまいました。

それより何より娘の学校ではどこ行く時もトイレまでついてきて全く離れないとの事、お友達としゃべってても邪魔をする、朝から晩まで”何でそんな冷たいの、何で1人にするの”とすねる、朝1から君はどうして毎日寂しそうな目をするのと1日に何回も言う、道を渡る時にも車に全く気をつけないで
渡る、注意しても全くきかない、電車の中でも寝てる人の横で大きな声で鼻歌を歌う、などで娘の
ストレスもピークに達してしまいました。それでも引き受けた以上は頑張って私は世話をして、何か
問題があればどうにかなるようにアドバイスをしてきました。でも全然通じないしわかってもらえないのです。

”私達の生活スタイルに合わせて下さい”が1番のお願いだったのですがその趣旨も違う方向にいきます。早く寝るのは結構ですが夜中起きるのは問題です。でも夜中起きてしまうと何かしたいのに我慢してると言うのです。
私に何時に寝ますかと聞かれ12時前後というとその時間まで起きて頑張ると彼は言います。
頑張ってもらっても何の意味もないし朝を寝坊しないできちんと起きてもらえればいいのですが
全然それも出来ません。帰宅後も暇そうだったのでパソコンがしたいと言う彼に貸してあげると
何時間でもアメリカの友人と大騒ぎ。それはまあまだ良いのですがご飯ですよの声かけしても
まだし続けるし、私が用意してても何度も呼んだりパソコンでゲームしたらとかyoucubeの画像をおもしろいから見たらと言います。全く空気すら読めません。

金曜は朝5時半起きの日でした。前の日に毎晩確認してきましたが彼は起きてきませんでした。
たまたま娘が過労で全く立てないほどでその日は学校に行けない状況でした。彼は6時半に普通に起きてきたので私は我慢の限界で彼に言いました。

”昨日私が何時に起きなさいと言ったのを覚えてますか”
”うーん、覚えてない”
”あなたは私の言うことを毎回覚えてないんですか”
”いや、覚えてます”
”じゃあ今日は何故又寝坊しましたか”
”アラームが動かなかったからです、時間がアメリカ時間だったので”
”日本に来てもう1週間たつけどアメリカ時間のままなのですか”
”はい”
”あなたはアメリカで毎日お母さんに起こしてもらってるの？”
”うーん”
”あなたの寝坊のせいでうちの家族が迷惑してるのをわかんないですか”
”ごめんなさい”
”ごめんなさいですべておっけ～と思ってるの”
”はい”
”夜中1度起きたので寝坊しました”
”私は毎日ほとんど寝てないけど毎日朝寝坊しないで起きましたよ。私が毎日寝坊してごめんなさいと言ったらあなたは私の事を許すの”
”はい”
”おかしいやん！子供じゃないんだし朝起きるのは当たり前でしょ”
”ごめんなさい”
”あなた娘に毎日トイレまで追いかけてますね。冷たいとか寂しいとかずっと言ってるけど彼女はあなたのお母さんじゃないんだよ、迷惑なのわからないの”
”彼女をもっと知りたいからです。なのに彼女は私を避けます”
”日本ではね。つきまとってまで知ろうとしないの。彼女はあなたのものじゃないのよ。何故彼女が
しんどいと思ったか考えた事ないの”
”彼女を守ってあげたいし知りたいからいつもずっと一緒にいたいんです”
”もう私はあなたの面倒を見る自信が全くない”
”いえお母さんなら出来ます。絶対出来ます”
（本当はここでI  have no confidence to take care of you any moreと言ったのだけれど　I don't want to
take care of you any moreと言うべきでした。日本人の私は傷つけないようにやんわり言ったので
これが誤解の素でした）

もう限界だと思いました。ホストファミリーは彼で11人目で今は5年目になります。今回はもうギブアップしました。娘の学校の担当の先生にお願いし、県庁の教育委員会の方とアメリカの引率の先生、その他の方が3時間半その日に協議されて英語の先生のおうちにホームステイすると連絡がありました。金曜の7時に先生と彼が来るから荷物を取りにきますとの事でした。
整理に時間かかるかなと荷物もスーツケースに入れていきました。スーツケースの中にはこぼれた
シャンプーかリンスもありべたべた、その辺から小銭もじゃらじゃら落ちてきたし、カメラの大事なメディアもごみの中から出てきたし。。。もう情けなくって半分泣きながら片付けをしました。
彼と先生は7時に来ましたがお世話になりましたとかありがとうの言葉もなく帰っていきました。

金曜の晩に1週間ぶりにご飯もちゃんと食べれよく寝れました。娘も金曜は1日ぶっ倒れてましたが晩には少し食べれるようになり。。。
こんななんだと色々あって我が家は本当に大変な日が続いてました。何事も経験だと言いますが
今回で思ったのは高校生でも自立出来てない子がいると言うことです。朝自分で起きて晩もきちんと寝る、家族の生活に合わせるなんて普通の事だと思ってたのですが現に出来ないお子さんもいるんだなあと実感しました。今回のプログラムで娘は彼の家に滞在の予定だったのですが、こんな事態になったのでもう行けないと思います。ミシガンに縁はなかったのでしょうか。
そして最初からしんどい、きついと愚痴りながら1週間頑張った娘に申し訳なく思います。日本人は
嫌だとか物をはっきり言わない人種です。優しいといえば優しいですがそのせいで異国の人には誤解を招く事もたくさんあります。彼が今回の経験で成長してくれるかはわかりませんが、我が家はこれにこりず又英語学習とホストファミリーは続けていく予定です。

さて次回は頑張って英語で日記書かないと。