A quick note on the host family experience…
As an only child, I have never and probably will never completely understand what it is like to have a sibling. It is one of the reasons I requested a host family with kids. And boy did I luck out; I got two! A 16 year old sister and a 10 year old brother. Here is what I have discovered:
- 1. 10 year old boys can be very, very loud
- 2. Older siblings always win
- 3. “Urusai” (ã†ã‚‹ã•ã„) is a great word. When said with just the right intonation and emphasis on the ssss part, the sound of the word totally matches one of its implications (shut up)
- 4. Lastly, having siblings abroad gives you great opportunities to explore where you are living.For example, over winter break we walked to the sports park by Momoyama Castle, where they had this intense rock wall like thing that led to a rope net you had to climb over and then a huge, steep, cement slide to get down from it all (with stairs alongside it). Obstacle course! We raced maybe three or four times up it. I would have done more, but he was looking tired. 😉
