A lil' frustrated.

[kasumi_ishida]

I'm a lil' frustrated right now. Today I have been experiencing horrible cramps, and I could NOT get it through to my host mother even with the dictionary. She totally doesn't get it and older host sister still isn't home yet. So I did absolutely nothing today except sit around and watch Kodocha and Harry Potter. My host mom said that we would go

Comments

[yoshimmy]

Umm hello! You’re actually being incredibly normal. In 2002-2003 I was an exchange student in Tokyo. My situation was a little different then yours because I am in college and lived in a dormitory but all the ups and downs you are going through are completely normal. It’s difficult to live with your own family let alone a group of foreign strangers! You’re not whinny at all. I got some flames for bitching about what was going on when I lived in Tokyo but you know what those people have no idea what you are going through and how incredibly difficult it really is. Before I left for Japan someone gave me a book on culture shock and I was like “ yeah right…I’m going to love being in Japan!” Wrong! Everyone goes through some sort of culture shock where you just hate everything and hate everyone else and you want to go home. That does pass! It sounds like you are getting through that first rough culture shock part. Hang in there. It’s a roller coaster but it’s well worth the suffering! Do you have a normal journal besides your

[kasumi_ishida]

Thanks! ^^ Yeah, it has been pretty tough. In fact, because my first bit of culture shock was so difficult the exchange organization is considering sending me home =/ They better not, though, because I am feeling better now (yes, my last entry is MUCH better than before =P)

Thanks again ^_^

[funkfaerie]

Hey hey, be thankful that you even have aircon. Where I live it gets to 40 degrees celcius and I can't even dream of affording aircon. If your host family don't buy soap and toilet paper very frequently, why not have your own little stash somewhere that's just for you. Then when they run out, you won't have to suffer, but they will. heh.

[kasumi_ishida]

No AC?! :( *huggles* You poor thing ;_; Although... See, I am used to tempatures that usually don't get above 30 degrees C in the summer (usually much much less) and having the air conditioner on all the time in the summer, so being here is a really big shock for me right now because I'm not used to it (although slowly I am) ^^*

And I did do that with conditioner, actually =P I have my own bottle of (cheap) conditioner so when they run out I can still brush my hair. Without conditioner, I can't untangle my hair, it gets that bad! @_@

[algeh]

It's possible that your host family may not have very much money, which would explain them stalling on things like turning on the air conditioning and buying soap. They may be waiting for the next paycheck. I'm not saying that this is that case, or that it would be fair to you (since I assume that they're being compensated by YFU for taking you in) if it were, but it's an angle you should be aware of.

It could be a lot worse. I remember some friends of mine talking about a Mexican homestay they did, and the house they stayed in had such bad plumbing that you couldn't throw toilet paper in the toilet, but had to put it in the trash can instead.

[kasumi_ishida]

No, I really don't think it's that. The stalling on the AC is just a Japanese thing. They wait until it's absolutely unbearable so that they get used to the heat. It does kinda work. The waiting to buy things is because they are all so busy, especially host mother, that they don't always have time to go shopping, and I think about the soap thing, they just forgot. I don't think YFU gives them any money for things like food and whatnot. Just for my transportation to school, school uniform, and a few other expenses like that.

Eeep. That's um, not good... Why Mexico? ^^* I would have gone to Spain, but that's just me and my wanting to go to Europe.

[algeh]

Hmm.....maybe if you offered to do some of the shopping, then? Say that you think it would help your Japanese get better if they gave you a list and sent you to the store to pick things up. I don't really know as much about Japanese culture as I should, given how much time my family spends dealing with them due to business, but it seems like that might be a way that you could be a real help to your host family, get the bathroom restocked more frequently, and have them feel that they're helping you (and it probably would be good practice to go shopping, although you seem to be doing pretty well at that when you buy yourself stuff already). Dunno

[kasumi_ishida]

Yeah, that is true, Mexico would be a lil' cheaper ^^* Eeep, tacky tourist clothes!! :O That's awful! Poor guy :( Yeah, does sound crazy but I'm sure it was interesting :)