Seiritsu International Education

Me, in a kimono at a festival my home stay family took me to.

Even though I'm having a great time in Japan, at the end of September I felt a little homesick. At that time, I kept thinking how much I wanted to go home, even though I really like where I am now. I was thinking about my friends and family and started to miss them a little.

However, I really love being able to live in Japan and I am having lots of fun learning and using Japanese. After a couple of days, I started to remember all of the good things. From there I started to feel much better. I know homesickness happens to everyone and now that it happened to me I feel good that I beat it. I feel that everyone, including myself has grown up a bit though living abroad. So for the next ten months, I am excited to try to enjoy my time here as much as possible (and of course learn some Japanese along the way).

writer: staff  date: 12:36 PM | Life at Seiritsu

Me enjoying a delicious Canada dry ginger ale (of course!)

This month has been quite busy. First I had to change host families and moving all my stuff took way more time than I expected. I am sad to leave my old host family but their son is returning from college so I had to make room! Luckily before I moved out from the last host family, they took me on a cruise around Tokyo bay, which was very fun. During our last week together we had lots of fun and it was a great way to say goodbye.

My new host family is very nice, they have 1 son who is the same age as me named “Kazuki.” He always plays around with me, and is very friendly. It was not so hard to adjust to this new place I called “Home”

-Richie

writer: staff  date: 12:29 PM | Life at Seiritsu

The time at Seiritz is continuing as normal, classes are continuing as normal, however, exams are coming up and I'm starting to get nervous!!

Over the last few days, I went on a trip with my host family to Awamata. The place is halfway up a mountain, and has beautiful scenery. And the main event was the Taki(Waterfall). There are actually three waterfalls, and there is a path between all of them, due to the many sightseers, and couples who go there. I was told that the water was very cold, since it is mountain-water, and that I should bring a sweater because it was cold there. This turned out to be not true at all!

As I am a descendant of the great Vikings of the North, I had to test the water, and ended up walking from waterfall to waterfall in the shallow and comfortably cool water beside the path of which my host family was walking. Maybe it was freezing for them but it was heaven for me. My sweater was also never found its way out of the car. All in all, a great experience. I can't wait for more!

My feet, enjoying some refreshing mountain water.

-Eskild

writer: staff  date: 12:25 PM | Life at Seiritsu

A picture I took on one of the day trips with my host family.

I can't believe how fast time flies by. Six months have gone past and only four more to go, yet it feels as if I've been here only for a month or so. I became eighteen years old last month and came to a realization; I'm becoming and adult. No wonder time flows so fast.

On a brighter note, it has been interesting. The Seiritsu festival was fun, if a bit busy, but it was worth the effort. My host family is always going somewhere and I tag along so I'm never really bored. Also, as the weather is getting gradually cooler, I am feeling more and more comfortable after the frying pan of a summer. Until next month.

writer: staff  date: 12:23 PM | Life at Seiritsu