I woke up this morning and the first thing that went through my mind was: omg, I am 21! I was really excited in my mind, but as usual my body was all tired. I took a long quick shower (I likez tha shower) and ate breakfast. Everyone was awake, except for otousan, who worked yesterday all night. And there were two friends of Naoki-kun who were coming to todays event with us. Today planning was cultural exchange with the host families.
So, we got all in the car and drove to the Communication Center of Mitoshi. The first person who congratulated me with my birthday was okaasan in the car. Hehe. My mouth took the shape of a smile. And that smile was on my face for the whole day. I putted on my sunglasses, grabbed my PSP, listened to some birthday songs I usually hear on my birthday (Wittie Visie, Sopa de Caracol, Bhaitak Ghana, and such) and looked out the window to the beautiful weather.
When we arrived at the CC, my family and I splitted up. I went to the WCI morning briefing. Some of my friends hugged me and congratulated me, but no one from the staff. At that time I thought: Ow, we are one group again. So focus on todays activities, Ash.
So I did. I was in the cooking group. There were 4 groups who made cultural dishes for the host family, in order to taste the culinair variety of the world. First we all were being interviewed by the local radio station about what we were cooking today for everyone.
Me being on air in Japan!
Zuxin (China) and Maria (Denmark) made chicken in cola sauce (with real cola added to the dish! It is so yummy in my tummy!), Raymon (USA) and Desiree (Hong Kong) who made noodles, Berthalina (Mexico) made really tasty true guacemole and Meghan (USA) and I made my one and only pasta penne with creamy mushroom sauce! It was hard to make the sauce, because I did not have my instant Honig sauce pack this time. So I tried to make the sauce tasty by adding spinach, white wine, lemon and chicken with dill. It was good, but it did not taste as it should be. To bad. But overal, all the food was delicious! The host families and the WCI really enjoyed all the food.
We have been cooking for 2 hours. Which is exhausting in the early morning; we had to prepare lunch. But it was all worth it!
Me making some food!
So, we got all in the car and drove to the Communication Center of Mitoshi. The first person who congratulated me with my birthday was okaasan in the car. Hehe. My mouth took the shape of a smile. And that smile was on my face for the whole day. I putted on my sunglasses, grabbed my PSP, listened to some birthday songs I usually hear on my birthday (Wittie Visie, Sopa de Caracol, Bhaitak Ghana, and such) and looked out the window to the beautiful weather.
When we arrived at the CC, my family and I splitted up. I went to the WCI morning briefing. Some of my friends hugged me and congratulated me, but no one from the staff. At that time I thought: Ow, we are one group again. So focus on todays activities, Ash.
So I did. I was in the cooking group. There were 4 groups who made cultural dishes for the host family, in order to taste the culinair variety of the world. First we all were being interviewed by the local radio station about what we were cooking today for everyone.
Me being on air in Japan!
Zuxin (China) and Maria (Denmark) made chicken in cola sauce (with real cola added to the dish! It is so yummy in my tummy!), Raymon (USA) and Desiree (Hong Kong) who made noodles, Berthalina (Mexico) made really tasty true guacemole and Meghan (USA) and I made my one and only pasta penne with creamy mushroom sauce! It was hard to make the sauce, because I did not have my instant Honig sauce pack this time. So I tried to make the sauce tasty by adding spinach, white wine, lemon and chicken with dill. It was good, but it did not taste as it should be. To bad. But overal, all the food was delicious! The host families and the WCI really enjoyed all the food.
We have been cooking for 2 hours. Which is exhausting in the early morning; we had to prepare lunch. But it was all worth it!
Me making some food!
Hideto-san (the bald guy, you can actually see women in the reflection on his head. The more women, the happier Hideto-san is) is hunting for food
The cultural dishes. It was all gone in seconds
When everyone was finished, the LOC head (the head of the Mito programme) Takahashi Akiko-san called me to step up. So I stood in front of everyone. I was like: you need some help? Then she said: we have a surprise for you. WOW! I loooooooove surprises! Bring it on! So we waited for awkward 2 minutes, then the lights were dimmed and they came up with a birthay cake with candles and everything! Everybody in the room sang happy birthday for me. I was surprised and touched. I blew out the candles and then all the WCI said happy birthday to me in their own language. So they said happy birthday to me in 10 different languages! My birthday became an international event!
After that Chong and Zuxin came to me with birtday presents (see pictures below)! Chong gave me the whole set of the Death Note manga and a beautiful little statue of Buddha, handcrafted by his mother! Zuxin gave me, yeah what is it, two pages of a sort of awesome comic about me. Which she made all by herself, awesome!
My presents!
Page one of the comic made by Zuxin!
Page two!
Then Berthalina told me to take a bite of the cake. She took off all the candles and placed the cake in front of me. When I took a bite of the wipped cream, she pushed the cake in my face! I could have know that was going to happen... Had a great time and I really appreciated that everyone did this for me. It made me so happy!
After that we thanked our host families, the LOC and the students of Hibaraki University one more time because this was the last day we would all be together (tomorrow is host family day, monday is the last day in Mito). We handed over the WCI signed pictures to everyone and we all recieved a beautiful thank you card (see pictures). I also recieved origami from my host brothers, sister and friends. So a lot of gifts in one day! I like!
Thank you card from the Hanawa family!
After that we had a short workshop about prejudices and stereotypes of every country. There were pieces of paper with on each a country of the WCI members. We all had to write down our prejudices and thoughts on the country on the paper. Then China, Canada and Mexico presented the prejudices they have got. A lot of lies and some unexpected truths came up. Like burping in China is a no no (some believe that burping in China after a meal means apriciation for the food), Canadas number one sport IS NOT ICEHOCKY (!) and Mexico is not only desert, but is half forest and green. To bad we did not have enough time to cover all countries. It was really interesting. On the Holland paper I saw a lot of weed, cows and windmills.
At the moment the workshop ended, my REAL family called me from Holland! I really needed that call, because I actually miss them. A lot. But with that phonecall, my birthday felt like my birthday again. YEAH! My day could not get better than this!
At least, that was what I thought. I went home with my family, ate an egg on 7.50 pm and played some piano untill dinner. Otousan and okaasan were really busy in the kitchen. What were they making? An hour later, the next surprise was waiting for me; my family made me some home made sushi! They really putted a lot of effort into it and I really really really appreciate that! It was soooooo delicious!
The family with the beautiful food they made!
I just could not stop staring at the food!
Untill okaasan gave me some beer :P
After the meal, my host family offered me their birthday cake! That was delicious as well! Do not ask me why and how, but the cake tasted like chocolate icecream. Yep, everything is possible in Japan.
Tadaa!
All the candles went out in one time, so I hope my wish will come true!
Could not stop staring at the cake.
The fudge cake was actually to beautiful to eat. So I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cake!
The day ended with a nice conversation with otousan and okaasan about, Japanese, Dutch, school, horror movies, haunted houses, Japanese way of naming other countries, sexual harassment and drugs. Again, do not ask me why, but at that time on that place, all these subjects were part of one fluid conversation. :D
I loved today. It was not like my other birthday. And in some aspects I missed my oldskool birthday with party, nasi and family. But the experience of having a birthday in frigging Japan, with my friends and host family was wonderful and lots of fun. Everyone gave me a lot of hugs, presents, surprises and laughs. It was one of the most unforgetable birthdays I have ever had!
（⌒▽⌒）
Yoshinori-kun read 6 of the 12 manga this day after I got it! He is still walking in and out of my room to get himself the next episode of Death Note.
Later!
Some pictures okaasan made during the Arigatou Evento from yesterday!
My presents!
Page one of the comic made by Zuxin!
Page two!
Then Berthalina told me to take a bite of the cake. She took off all the candles and placed the cake in front of me. When I took a bite of the wipped cream, she pushed the cake in my face! I could have know that was going to happen... Had a great time and I really appreciated that everyone did this for me. It made me so happy!
After that we thanked our host families, the LOC and the students of Hibaraki University one more time because this was the last day we would all be together (tomorrow is host family day, monday is the last day in Mito). We handed over the WCI signed pictures to everyone and we all recieved a beautiful thank you card (see pictures). I also recieved origami from my host brothers, sister and friends. So a lot of gifts in one day! I like!
Thank you card from the Hanawa family!
After that we had a short workshop about prejudices and stereotypes of every country. There were pieces of paper with on each a country of the WCI members. We all had to write down our prejudices and thoughts on the country on the paper. Then China, Canada and Mexico presented the prejudices they have got. A lot of lies and some unexpected truths came up. Like burping in China is a no no (some believe that burping in China after a meal means apriciation for the food), Canadas number one sport IS NOT ICEHOCKY (!) and Mexico is not only desert, but is half forest and green. To bad we did not have enough time to cover all countries. It was really interesting. On the Holland paper I saw a lot of weed, cows and windmills.
At the moment the workshop ended, my REAL family called me from Holland! I really needed that call, because I actually miss them. A lot. But with that phonecall, my birthday felt like my birthday again. YEAH! My day could not get better than this!
At least, that was what I thought. I went home with my family, ate an egg on 7.50 pm and played some piano untill dinner. Otousan and okaasan were really busy in the kitchen. What were they making? An hour later, the next surprise was waiting for me; my family made me some home made sushi! They really putted a lot of effort into it and I really really really appreciate that! It was soooooo delicious!
The family with the beautiful food they made!
I just could not stop staring at the food!
Untill okaasan gave me some beer :P
After the meal, my host family offered me their birthday cake! That was delicious as well! Do not ask me why and how, but the cake tasted like chocolate icecream. Yep, everything is possible in Japan.
Tadaa!
All the candles went out in one time, so I hope my wish will come true!
Could not stop staring at the cake.
The fudge cake was actually to beautiful to eat. So I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cake!
The day ended with a nice conversation with otousan and okaasan about, Japanese, Dutch, school, horror movies, haunted houses, Japanese way of naming other countries, sexual harassment and drugs. Again, do not ask me why, but at that time on that place, all these subjects were part of one fluid conversation. :D
I loved today. It was not like my other birthday. And in some aspects I missed my oldskool birthday with party, nasi and family. But the experience of having a birthday in frigging Japan, with my friends and host family was wonderful and lots of fun. Everyone gave me a lot of hugs, presents, surprises and laughs. It was one of the most unforgetable birthdays I have ever had!
（⌒▽⌒）
Yoshinori-kun read 6 of the 12 manga this day after I got it! He is still walking in and out of my room to get himself the next episode of Death Note.
Later!
Some pictures okaasan made during the Arigatou Evento from yesterday!
During One World
Our cultural presentation was Chong rapping in Chinese, Zuxin singing background vocals, Takashi on his shamisen and me beatboxing.
And it rocked!
During Ganbare Nippon
During the interaction with the audience after the Arigatou Evento
Maria (Denmark) and I did a nice men versus women game with the audience
We are better than the girls, boys! All men say YEAH!
oi! Ash,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt's me again.Ik heb gemerkt dat mijn engels toch niet zooo bad is.Leuke verjaardag heb je gehad of heb je nog? weet echt niet hoe laat het is bij jou.Enfin, heb een kaarsje aangemaakt voor jou en je gelooft het niet....heb NASI gemaakt! Aangebrand en veel te veel SALZ,maakt niet uit zegt "oji" moet je spoelen met bier.
Bleib so wie Du bist! und das all Deine Wünsche in Erfüllung gehen!
Heeeel veeel kusjes en knuffels!
Dein "oba" und "oji" uit Hamburg.