A wild host sister has appeared~!

Hey guys!

So I got home from work this morning, opened my computer and checked my e-mail to find one entitled "hello ashley. i am your host sister"
I swear I heard bells.

We've only e-mailed a few times, but her name is Moe and we go to the same school. I found out that unfortunately they don't have their own uniform so I would have to go out and buy my own (probably from eastboy, and that's really expensive... ;; We'll see what I have when I leave.)

I have a host father, Fumio (50), a host mother, Mitsuyo(47), an older sister, Rina(21), Moe is 18(close to my age!), and a younger brother,  Shinsei(15).

Edited in: This is my host family! :)

I'm super happy right now! I'll keep talking to my host sister and hopefully the rest of the family. x3
It's a big family! Going to be weird.. I'm so used to it just being my mom and me, and sometimes my brother when he's home....

I'm so excited! x.x <3 ^^ o.o

Thanks for reading!
Ashley

Less than a month.

Hey guys!

So, after tons of fighting with this blog's look I think I've got it.. I liked the dolls one I had, but no one could comment...

I also made the banner with my non-existent skill of Photoshop. I hate Photoshop. ;; And I wrote /some/ CSS code....

Anyways!

Less than a month until my arrival!! I know that I'm leaving Brandon on the 19th of March (after saying my good-byes ;; ), and then leave to LA on the 20th (we were looking at a departure time of around 7A.M.). I already posted my LA->NRT itinerary in another post. So it's an 8 hourish journey to LA, then an 11 hour flight from LA to Japan. x.x I'm going to be so bored...

Regarding a visa... I haven't been able to send my application in yet.. I need my host family information and a guarantor information I think.. I'm going to call the consulate-general of Japan tomorrow.

I have my school, which is in Kyoto, but I don't have any host family information yet. I did, however, get an e-mail entitled "Host Family in Japan" from my area co-coordinator. It said that a potential host family has been found, but they had a concern, because shortly after my arrival, they're traveling to Tokyo to visit the host father, who is working on business there. (On March 31~April 3). They will be going to Tokyo DISNEYLAND♥. They said that they would gladly take me, however it'll cost me 30,000~40,000JPY. I am completely OK with this. So, I'm not sure what they're doing now - I already confirmed that I was OK with that on Sunday (then Monday was a holiday so I'm not sure if anything was done about it then from the Quebec office), and it is now Thursday night. I hope I get their information soon~ Gotta work a little more hours to help cover the small setback.. but it's worth it! Tokyo & Tokyo Disneyland was the place I really wanted to go, but wasn't sure on how I was going to get there and do it.. and now I do! xD ...If this is my host family ;; Still only potential.

I'm really scared, and nervous to go.. but I'm really excited. I'm having a going away party on March 10th and trying to fill up my time either working, sleeping, studying, or spending time with friends before I leave.... hey, at least I'll have 19 hours available to study on the plane! I hope I sleep most of it, but... yeah. x3

I'll make another post when I know who my family is!!! 

Thanks for reading!

Ashley

KYOTO! School information!!

 Hello!

I received some information from ASSE in the mail today!

I'm still waiting for my host family information, but I got my school information today!

I'll be going to MURASAKINO! In Kyoto! 

I wanted to go to Tokyo, because I have a lot of friends there, but in Kyoto I can practice kansaiben... >;3

This is the cover of the booklet I got of Murasakino.

It's located in school. THERE'S A FRIGGIN CHEERLEADER CLUB! Starting today, I'm going to run everyday, and get flexible. Maybe I can join... ;D

Or if not, there's more traditional clubs.. I can't read /all/ of them, but there's various sports clubs, too...

But there's one thing... NO UNIFORM D:

But there's some girls on the cover wearing uniforms, so I think they're just optional. I hope so. I shall wear that uniform proud, man.

I can't wait til I receive information about my host family... only a month and a half now until I arrive... I'm so nervous.

Also, I went to the bank on Monday and ordered some Japanese yen （２万） so they said it should be in on Monday! ^^;

Thanks for reading!!

Intinerary... x3

Hey guys!

I have my flight itinerary now! For when I leave and for when I get back!

Departs: LA - LOS ANGELES INTL 3:15PM March 21, 2012

Arrives: NRT - NARITA - JAPAN 7:05PM March 22, 2012

Departs: NRT - NARITA - JAPAN 6:50PM January 12, 2013

Arrives: LA - LOS ANGELES INTL 11:50AM January ??, 2013

I think maybe it'll still be the 12th. Time travel FTW!

Now I just need to book my plane to LA and I'll have all my travel dates set! :)

I still don't know who my host family is, though. ;~; Soon as I know that, I need to start getting my visa~!

But I received my travel bag and tags from ASSE!

I wonder what to pack..? When should I start packing? I kind of have a list started... I should go into more detail with that, maybe. x3 I can't buy gifts until later.. I know I'm going to get candy, but other than that, until I know my host family I can't buy specific gifts... and I want to clean up my room before I buy other random gifts, lol. I still don't know what to buy. ;~;

I've been speaking in & practicing Japanese like, every night.. but I should probably start studying grammar again now that school's out and I have more time. Well, kind of more time... I'll probably be working a lot, and my teacher wants me to go help them out whenever I can at school... and maybe I'll have one more bake sale.. if my friends will help, anyways... doing the last one alone kind of failed. ><;; Lots to do, not a lot of time to do it!

I added a countdown to the blog as well, under the ticker. It's to the exact time I should be arriving in Narita. (7:05PM in Japan, or 4:05AM central time.) I'm getting super pumped!