Meet the Fam

So I've since moved in to live with my host family and I still am marvelling over my luck because they're kind of super awesome.

My host dad sort of reminds me of my own dad because he's super goofy and always joking around. (I can see where my host brother, who's 4, takes after him because he's definitely a comedian in the making.) When he isn't staying late at work, he always makes the evenings fun. He also taught me how to play Wii bowling. Haha.

My host mom is really great. She's very caring and makes homemade bread a couple times a week so I get warm homemade bread for breakfast most mornings which is fantabulous. She's always bustling around and I marvel at how much stuff she can get done in the span of one day. She's also studying English and jokes that she and I can study together me teaching her English and her teaching me Japanese. She's also a huge Disney fan so the house is plastered with Disney stuff - I can get behind that!

My host sister is incredibly smart for a seven year old. Her English skills are very good and I think she gets frustrated with me sometimes when I can't keep up with her Japanese. There have been a couple of evenings where she's sat me down and given me a Japanese lesson. (Which is fine by me because I need all the help I can get!) She likes dancing so sometimes she'll randomly start doing hip hop moves around the living room. It's pretty great.

My host brother is super ridiculous. He's always making faces and acting silly. He makes dinners with the fam *very* entertaining. There will also be moments where he reminds me of my own little brother - especially last night when he was cramming hot rice into his mouth and having to spit it back out again because it was too hot! (Something my brother does way too often - shoving hot food in his mouth before testing how hot it is.)



And finally, Rina the cat. My host mom says she doesn't like people much - she's usually hiding. But when the sibs are having their bath or taking a nap she usually comes out and sleeps in my lap while I pet her. She also has a strangely crooked, Pikachu-like tail. My host mom says that's a common Japanese cat trait apparently? Rina also is the loudest cat I've ever met because she'll meow/yowl nonstop until she gets dinner.

There are only two things I wish I could change in regards to my host family: my Japanese skills because I want to communicate with them better but can't and their sub par internet. They get good internet on their home computer, but it's kind of super tricky getting it on my laptop. I've tried stealing some wireless from the neighbors, but I don't get very good reception.

Well, I could go on and on about my host family, but I think that'll do for now. Matta ne~!