Yesterday, I met my first terribly good looking Japanese boy. He is 22 and well groomed. A bit preppy, but still.. My Host Mum worked in the morning. That afternoon, she took me for a short walk to visit her friend and her friend's two children. The daughter, Makichan, is so cute! She studies English at Himeji Dokkyo (same university as me). She is the same age as me (19), and wears such gorgeous clothes. I can't describe the fashion, so I have taken a photo to demonstrate (not on the computer yet!). Both she and her (cute) brother has been to Australia. It seems that my Host Family only knows people who have traveled to English-speaking countries. Maybe it's a secret club that we don't know about. Anyway, this cute guy (Yusuke) drove me around Himeji, and most importantly, showed me the university (Himeji Dokkyo). I thought to myself, I will never ever be able to find my own way there (more about that later).

The Mummy (starring Brendan Fraser) is on TV at the moment. Last night it was Sugar and Spice. Movies here are shown on the Movie Channel, and most Western ones are in English with Japanese subtitles. When I watch Japanese TV it is impossible not to be distracted by the subtitles. My reading is getting better, as the words are on the screen for a very short time. The best things to watch are kids' shows and CD TV (like rage, but weirder). They have same-language subtitles, and use simple language. The TV commercials are of great interest to me as a media student. Last night I saw Charlize Theron advertising body wash and Penelope Cruz promoting 
I-have-no-idea-what. Can't wait to work with such celebrities when I get into the business. Japanese commercials are usually different from Australian and American ones in that they have strange sound effects and sometimes strange concepts. For example, the slogan for Coca-Cola here is "No Reason". What the #$%&? But I was surprised to find that some follow similar formats to the ones that we know and love. One thing though, Japanese advertising budgets are very large. Local products don't have horribly cheap and nasty commercials like we have in Perth.

I won't harp on about vending machines, as you have probably heard it all. All I will say is that I haven't yet used one. They are on just about every street corner, however they are so technologically advanced I feel as if I would need a PhD to operate one. Maybe I just have a wacky vending machine phobia. Or are there others out there who feel the same way?

Last night I had the privilege of meeting my Host Father for the first time. He works five days a week and usually gets home at around 9 PM each night. As I was less tired than the previous night, I stayed up to meet him. Even from my position sitting on the floor, I could tell that he was a short man. His face is very kind. When I spoke to him in Japanese, I worried that I was too casual, as in Japan politeness is important. However, he seemed fine with it, so I relaxed. My impression of Japanese fathers is that they are strict and quiet, but this man totally changed my view. From the moment I met him, I felt welcomed into his home, and not in a sterile, rigid way. He went out of his way to show me a map of Himeji (which I desperately wanted to see) and made sure I understood my Japanese instructions from the University about the next few days' activities.

Related article:  Trip to the university