April 16, 2003 - page 3



Centre’s other abroad programs, in that I have no Centre friends to hang out with or talk with here. It is just me and the YPU students. It is tough being the only foreign kid at school, similar to being a freshmen and feeling like you don’t know anyone or what to do, only multiplied tenfold.

Speaking of foreign, I think I failed to mention that I am actually not so foreign – I am a quarter Japanese. My great grandmother and grandmother are both Japanese and my mother is half Japanese. My heritage was one of the main reasons I wanted to come on this trip, and maybe it will prove to be a future lunch conversation topic.

At the end of the day I hop back on my bike and travel down the mountains to my host family’s home. I usually arrive home at 8:00 PM and I have supper. I had tried various Japanese foods in America over the years and had liked most of it, but I was still nervous about how I would enjoy real Japanese cuisine. So far the food has been amazing; I’ve tried several famous dishes and have enjoyed several of them. My favorite dish so far has been yaki niku, a grilled beef dish. Interestingly enough, the raw fish in sushi and sashimi tastes less like fish than cooked fish.

In other news, this week is election week for the local government here in Yamaguchi City. I was quite intrigued by the election process and inquired about it further. Several large billboards are placed around the city and in neighborhoods that have a flyer for each candidate. These serve as public notices to “get the word out” as to who the candidates are. As far as campaigning goes, the Japanese candidates take a bit different approach than do Americans. You don’t see television or radio campaign ads; nor do they hold benefit rallies with speeches like those in America. Instead, candidates campaign from a single “campaign mobile.” The candidates are chauffeured around by their staff