Nelson's Japanese Christmas

December 25, 2005

Merry Xmas!!! 
 
Im back for yet another report. This time there isnt much to really tell. Ive been really "Satogokoro" (homesick) lately, due to the then approaching holidays. I am never away from my family during Xmas time but then like they say, theres a first time for everyhting. For the past few weeks I was dieing to move to my knew family, and now here I am!! This is family is not just any of those host familys this family is Miki's (last year inbound from Japan) family. I like this family soo much. They are so funny and easy to be around. Though it is a bit noisy, since its Miki her 16 year old sister and 14 year old brother and me. Then again, my host mom and host dad play around as to fit-in our age group, but they are so chikldish in a good way. They actually aid us in making there home a very noisy place. They are so playful, so easy to talk to I think I am not going to want to change from this family. Thats going to be a bit of a problem . . . but lets see what happens, cause i still got 3 months right?? Well yeah, this "Noche Buena" (Xmas Eve) has been the worst I could ever have remembered. Simply because there was no party, no fun, no whole roast pig in a family members back yard, and no family and friends. Japanese are not the party type, they just smoke and drink and there happy but like i was saying . . .and this Xmas day, was by far the worst, but it still wasnt very bad to be honest. This Xmas involved me getting up early (which I never do), meeting Miki's Family (new host family), moving into there home, and bonding with the family. One thing I thank God right now, for having this family wash the plates with some dish washer detergent or any kind would actually do. When Roy and the rest of the rotarians kept stressing "Culture Shock", i never took it serious enough to have been prepared for what I experienced with my first host family the lady does not use any type of detergent for the dishes, thank God she would use detergent for washing the clothes. But I literally had to settle between using the detergent from  the laundry room and the bottle of dish washing liquid I had to buy. And ironic enough, she would tell me not to wash the plates, but I was like screw you in my mind, and I kept washing only the stuff that I would use. But yea, back to Xmas Day. . . . well like I said, I met the family, began bonding, and went out to eat with them and had a pretty good time. The Japanese dont really do anything for Xmas; they just go to KFC and eat out. But I went to a "Yaki Niku" which is a place where you basically just order the meat, and you have a grill in front of you, and you grill it to your own taste (rare, medium rare, well done). Well its kind of late, so im going to hit the bed and see what I have in store for tomorrow.
 
Ja ! ! Mata Ne ! !
-Nelson E. Notario