3-9　T

　I kept my diary in America. 　I'll tell it to you as a digest ! !


* I drunk "Moca" five times in America!!
I tried a cold one a hot one in the "Star Black Coffee Shop" and in other shops.　 To hear the contents, you might say "Weird ! !" It includes coffee, a lot of milk, and chocolate ! !　 Though I don't like coffee, I love "Moca" very much! !


* Life in America is more healthy than that in Japan.
I could eat a lot of fresh fruits and salad. 　 There is a "salad bar" in the school cafeteria, it's wonderful! !　 I'll be slim when I go back to Japan.(Ha ha ha! !)


* We went to a church on Sunday.
It's so interesting because we could sing a lot of fun songs there.　 I think that's one of the reasons why Americans are good at "karaoke"! !


* Today's my first day in Kentlake!!
School begins at 7:35.　 It's earlier than the summer time in Kitano!!　 It finishes at 2:30.　 Boys here are more talkative than Japanese ones.　 They do "ladies first" naturally.　 They keep doors open for girls, they usually let girls go first at most things.　 Hey, American boys, please teach Japanese boys your manners ! !



* Teachers are more friendly here, and students are also more relaxed than in Japan.
We can have a chat with teachers about difficult issues in classes.　 It's wonderful!!　 Alyssa said, "American children aren't interested in just listening to lectures from teachers, but like doing something that interests them."　 I think Japanese students also feel the same many people fall asleep in classes in Japan.　 Teachers had better listen to student's voice in classes.


* Today I went to Laura's house.
She is one of the students who came to Kitano last year as an exchange student.

　　Her mother asked me, "Did you understand Japanese class today?"

　I answered, "Yeah, I could understand a hundred percent!!"

Her father laughed a lot! !
Kocho-sensei, isn't this a "Japanese joke"!?　 (He suggested before we left Japan that we say a Japanese joke when in America.)


* In the Kentlake Cherry blossom festival, I taught some students how to fold "origami".
It was so fun!! If you have a chance to go to Kentlake or Kentwood, I recommend you to teach "origami".　 You don't need diagrams, just teach by actually showing how to make it.　 It's a lot of fun and interesting ! !



* Today, I made "okonomiyaki" for my host family.
They liked it very much, so I was glad.　 At first, Dad said, "It's different."　 I was nervous because he doesn't eat Asian food so much.　 But after eating them up he said, "It's very good! !"　　I was very happy.


* I had a chance to ride in a "sports car"!!
It was so cool!!　 It's Lindsay's (my host for the second week) brother's.　　Inside the car the space was so wide and lo---ng ! !　 My leg couldn't reach to the front.　 I might find a guy who drives a sports car in Japan as my boyfriend! !


* American parents always praise their children instead of scolding.
That's a good way to educate because children will be happy if they are praised and it makes them try harder.


* In Kentlake, students are allowed most of things like eating, drinking, and walking.
As a result, students are relaxed, open, and active.　 They don't sleep during classes because classes are a lot of fun for them.　 They try to do everything by themselves.　 They are more independent than Japanese students, and they really enjoy their study.　 That's the real aim of learning!!　 This is the good thing about the American way of schooling. 　 The speed might be slow, but students actually get skills.　　Japanese students study just the surface of things, and they try to memorize only the surface.　 It's not real study.


* I don't miss my family because my host families treat me as a real daughter.
I wash my clothes and put the dishes into a washing machine by myself at Alyssa's home.　　It's a good habit because I don't have to worry about my host family or take their feelings into consideration.　 I enjoyed my life because I could live as I like in America in my own way.　 So we were relaxed and became friendly towards each other so soon.


* In the airplane from America to Japan, I cried a lot and I felt like I was at the lowest point of my life.
The moment Ms Odagiri said, "You can come back to America.　 If you enter a university, you can go to America in the first summer vacation! !"　　I thought she was an angel.　 I could see a very thin light coming toward me.　　Yes, I must study hard & hard & hard and I'm sure I'll pass my exams.　　Then I can see my wonderful friends again ! !　　Before I went there, I used to think that going to America would make it difficult to pass the exam.　　But now I believe that the feeling "I wanna go back to America! ! " made me cheer up and gave me more fight against the exam. So now I believe I was right.