Where to begin? This past month has given me a run for my money. I`ve  hardly had anytime to relax! The things that have transpired this month  range from monstrously horrible to down right Great. Yep, it`s safe to say  my life here in the town of Monbetsu has been an Intresting Rollercoster. It all started hectic, the first week in October we had Mid-terms in all  the classes. Due to that all clubs were cancelled for that week. While all  the other students had three days of exams, I only had two exams(Japanese  and Math). I was surprised at how much Japanese I had learned, since coming  here. So after the Mid- erms things were getting back to daily routine, They  don`t have an interact club in my school, but I am a member of the Kyudo  club (Japanese Archery).

About two or three days after Mid-terms I was walking home from school  when due to the cobination of overconfidence and brashness, I fell,  twisting my left ankle something bad. I went to the hospital the doctor said  I couldn`t walk for several days and I might not be able to go on the school  trip that was going to be held in 10 days. Luckily my foot( that now had a  stomach churning color of purple, black, and a little blue and was a size  bigger than my shoe) healed just enough that the Doc Told me the school trip  was ok.

As for the school trip, I had a blast! There were so many places I went and  so many things I saw. This trip consisted of all of the second year  students, and I traveled with a group. When we had free time in certain  cities we goofed around just like in America. In most of the hotels we had  about six to ten of us in a room, so let just say between the ten or so of us  in a room we were craking jokes and stories until the late hours of the  night. We even watch the Japanese version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,  It was great! The host looks and acts just like Regis Philbin except he`s  japanese, the resemblence is uncanny. Anyway the next place we went was Nara  where I crawled through a hole the size of a giant budda statue`s nostril,  apprently it means now I`ll have good fortune and success in my career, so  Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony...WATCH OUT!!! Next it was off to Kyoto, where  I saw such sites as a temple made of gold and a few of Japan`s National  Treasures. The last place we visit was the Icing on the cake...Tokyo! I  love that city, but by far the best place in it is Akihabara. Let`s just say  the nickname describes why I like it so much, the electric town. Electronics  as far as the eye can see! Buildings upon buildings with items ranging from  Video Games to Toasters, I thought I died and went to heaven. Unfortunately  I only stayed there for about a hour and a half, but my Host Rotary club said  they`d let me go back in Spring. I ended the Trip with a day in Tokyo  Disney, but being a Floridian I was and am use to Disney. So I sat back and
let my group enjoy the whole experience. Now you would THINK after all the excitement I would have time to  rest!?!? Nope! Not a chance three days ago I switched host Families. I now  live with the Kitagawa Family,their daughter is currently in Florida now.  I`ll tell you more about them after I get a chance to know them better,  until then BAI BAI!!!

Your man in Japan- ROBAATO JYAN SHIRAFUKI SANBAN.

P.S. Pooh-San is the man. Have pictures, will mail.