My Birthday ("Sweet" 16)!

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Tuesday, June 25, 2008 (２００８年６月２５日[火])
School today was awesome. My best friends and some of my teachers remembered my birthday and said "Happy Birthday" to me (including お誕生日おめでとう Otanjyobi Omedetou--Happy B-day in Japanese).


People walking to school, picture taken from the 2nd balcony



I had quite some fun with Microsoft Powerpoint in 'Information C' class (about computers).


Chemistry! -- In Japanese (this was an assignment)


They love my English assignments. :)



Messing with Haruna's hair. Notice my Spongebob-like laugh at the end.


The girls continue to write stuff about Haruna on her desk. (Title: Haruna's Song) You can ask me personally for a translation if you like.


Keichi doesn't know I'm recording him until I move in. He tells me to stop :)
(Aside: He's calling for Naoya)

At the end of the day, I return home from school today and enter the house accompanied with some small exploding bangs. Confetti falls on my head and I brush it off, Kana sits at the stairs and snaps a picture of me while I'm standing in the 玄関 Genkan (the place where the Japanese take off their shoes and put them). I'm sweating, hot from the walk home and though suprised, I'm not as excited as they think I was despite the ありがとう Arigatou (Thank you) I said for the surprise. I head straight to the shower (lol). Upon finishing, I help out a bit with the arranging and wait for guests to arrive--friends of Yuki-san from Tokyo.

6 (PM) o'clock and they finally come while I'm watching a hilarious Japanese TV show. You have GOT to see this amazing bear (sorry it's 3 parts):


Part 1



Part 2


Part 3



After, they showed the longest ramen name. See that black text? That's the NAME of the ramen. In the restaurant, since it's so long, they post the name on the ceiling, and the name goes from one wall to the wall on the other side. (I was supposed to record but the camera instead took a picture)


Another skit. It's still funny though.


They talk and we don't begin to celebrate until 7:15pm, where I blew out the flames on the melting candles on the chocolate cake. (Aside: Yuki-san said she didn't know what I liked so she chose her favorite). They give me a present, something wrapped in wrapping paper (duh.) and I put it aside. They ask me why won't I open it now, and I reply that isn't it rude to do so? They seem baffled at who told me this, and I *ahem* said YFU USA said so. They said it's not rude, and explain to me that opening only presents with money inside is considered rude. I open it and it's something I wished for a long time--a Yukata (= summer kimono) :) We feast and talk until 1 AM in the morning. Man I loved Karitomo's laugh--it's high pitched and is extremely contagious. Yuki-san gets drunk (I tell her not to and make jokes at her) from the beer and I'm craving to get to bed and close my eyes.


Blowing the candles


Picture with host family


With everyone else--Yukichi's taking the picture


My cake :) (おたんじょうびおめでとう = Happy Birthday)



My tray of food. The best meal ever. (Notice the Vietnamese spring rolls)


All the food. Chicken's included too!


My Yukata :)

This was my 3rd party for my 16th birthday (1 in America with my real family before I left for Japan, 1 in my homeroom class with my classmates near the end of the school day). I'll be having a 4th one (for my oncoming to Japan) at Maehama beach on Saturday.