A Sunday spent baking cupcakes

Sunday, April 27

So I went to the 8 am mass today because I Natalia wanted me to come earlier to make the cupcakes I wanted to make for our 300 class party tomorrow.

All the tunes of the songs at Mass are different now that it's after Easter. Argh, just when I'd finally learned to sing them! Oh well, at least the words are still the same, so I'm ganbatte-ing!

I went home and Yuko had left breakfast out for me: salad, jello, and two pieces of bread. As I ate, they all bustled around getting ready. Yuko told me they were heading out because her grandma had broken some bones, so they were going to visit her in the hospital. And after that they were taking Maple to get a shampoo. And then they might meet Yuko's mom, so they weren't sure what time they'd be home, maybe at night.

Yuko asked when I was leaving and what time I was getting home. I had no idea what time I'd get home, so she asked me to text her.

Yuko hadn't put out anything to put on the bread and I hate eating regular bread plain, so I was eating it really slowly, so I'd have a piece left over after they left and then I could put honey on it.

But when they left, I rushed to go put my laundry on so it would be done before I left and then I called my parents. When my laundry was done, it was time to go, so I sort of spread it out on my floor to dry and then rushed out the door, completely forgetting about my bread! I'd left it sitting on the table with my empty glass. Crap!

I found Rainbow House super easily this time because Natalia had sent me good directions. On the way, I passed a park where these middle school girls were running around (I was shocked since it was so hot and their uniforms were long sleeved with long skirts) in a playground and playing the game of played with Miya and Saki chan in Handaa that time, where one person is the oni and they shout a color and everyone else had to touch something of that color. So the girl who was the monster shouted "ao" (blue) and only one girl went to the one blue thing, a bike rack. The other girls went to a green bench! I blame Japanese and it's weird association of "ao" with green things ("aoringo", literally "blue apple", is the word for green apple and the green on a traffic light is called "ao". I don't understand...). So yeah, that was funny to see as I walked past. 

At rainbow house, I had to knock a few times before she answered, but at least she was there this time! It was really hot out and I was tired from the walk up here, so when Natalia offered me a drink, I was so happy because I'd drank all my water. She gave me a peach water! Yes!! I love that stuff! 

She had hurt her leg more this weekend, so was hobbling around on her crutches. But she helped me find the things I needed so I could start making the pancakes. It turned out their oven was this tiny little toaster oven. And I thought she had had a cupcake sheet, but she didn't. Luckily she did have these metal cups that I put the cupcake papers in and used to make cupcakes. She only had three, though, so I could only make three at a time even though I could have got four in the toaster oven.

So it was a long process. But Natalia brought down her textbook so I could study for the kanji test we have tomorrow, while she wrote her papers for her business and politics classes.

Two hours later, I had the nine cupcakes I needed: one each for the seven if us students and one each for Mutsukawa and Kondo sensei. I ended up making three extra and then I wanted to make more with the rest of the cupcake papers I had, but it had taken so long, I just used the rest of the batter to make a heart shaped cake, haha!

(This was from the first batch where I put too much butter in, haha)

(The heart cake!)

Then I put everything in the box I'd brought and cleaned up. In all, it took three hours!! Gosh, baking in Japan is so hard because ovens don't exist! Most people, like my host family don't even have an oven! They just use the microwave. The thing I thought was a little oven, Natalia told me is actually a fish grill. Wtf. It's weird to see how different the priorities are over here.

As I was leaving, I saw Natalia and her roommates had a huge stash of the Asian pear soda I love with little pieces of pear in it. I told them how much I love it and asked if you could buy it at the supermarket near the rainbow house. Natalia and one of her roommates who had come into the kitchen to eat lunch told me I could take a couple because no one really liked them, haha. Awesome!! I took two of them and then Natalia and I headed out. She was walking part of the way with me because she wanted to go to the supermarket.

(Pretty flowers on the way to the station)

These flowers are everywhere! They're the ones I took pictures of by the Nanzan sign. They're all around Nanzan and the dorms, in Ichinomiya, in Sakae, and over by Rainbow House too!

We parted ways at the supermarket. I thanked her for letting me come over to make cupcakes and then I headed to school. There, I dropped the cupcakes and icing off at my locker before heading home.

When I got home, the car wasn't in the driveway, so I figured no one was home and I could go get my bread off the table and eat it before they saw I'd left it there. But when I got inside, Yuko and Miya were already there and my bread was gone. Dangit!

So I went to my room to study for the kanji test until Ken got home and Miya came in to tell me it was dinner time. She made me race her to the kitchen, but when we got there, I was right behind her so she tried to close the door on me and I stuck my hand out to stop it. Ken gave Miya a talking to because that's dangerous and she'd almost shut my hand in the door. 

On the table was the takoyaki maker and Ken had just finished putting in all the stuff to make it. Yay, we were having takoyaki! Yuko sat next to me and Ken and Miya sat on the other side. Everyone talked a lot to me tonight. It was great!!

And I was in a good mood after finishing making the cupcakes, so I talked a lot back. I told everyone how I had a test every day this week and a ton of homework. And Yuko asked about the party tomorrow and who was doing what. And then she asked how many people were in the 300 class and how many other levels there were and which level had the most people. And they asked what level Rana was in too.

I can't believe they don't know this stuff after all the exchange students they've hosted! But I found out the student they previously had, who they're in love with and talk about all the time was in 500. No wonder they loved her. She must have been able to communicate with them pretty well.

After I got full and Ken continued cooking takoyaki for his lunch and leftovers, I brought up the fact that I was staying overnight in Obara over golden week. I should have just finished eating and left and brought it up another time when they were busier, because Yuko took this opportunity to completely grill me about the people I'm staying with and ask me all these questions about my life back home and stuff that I just didn't want to talk to her about. Then she'd talk about it in Japanese with Ken for a bit before asking me another question. She was being super nosy and didn't stop even after I started giving her one word answers only (obvious social cue for I don't want to talk about this). 

Finally, I said "gochisousama deshita" and left the table and retreated to my room. I was really, really, tired but had to wait until after 10 for everyone to finish showering.

Visiting the Rainbow House

This morning everyone was really tired. When I woke up at 6:15, Yuko and Miyabi were still sleeping. So I got dressed. I debated whether I should wake Yuko when at 6:30 she was still sleeping. But I finally heard her moving around at 6:45 and then she called me to breakfast a few minutes later, saying "gomen nasai." But hey, having breakfast that late meant we had cereal! Without salad!! We had Yuko's homemade bread with marmalade and orange slices instead. So I was really happy!

Then I went and got my raisin bread, peanut butter, and jelly mom had sent me to make peanut butter and jelly. Yuko and Miya thought the bread was awesome! I said it was small, but Miya thought it was big. I had too when I was her age. Weird.

So I gave her the end piece to eat and she liked it a lot.

Then I made two sandwiches since the bread is so small! Yuko an Miya thought the peanut butter was so awesome. After I had spread it, I opened the jelly and started spreading it on the other bread slice. Yuko was like "You're using jelly and peanut butter??" Haha I explained this was a common sandwich to make in America, although it's usually more for kids.

She asked if peanut butter was sweet or salty because I was using a lot if jelly. I told her both, but I just really like jelly.

Then I put the two slices together and Yuko and Miya were like "whooaaa!"

Hahahahaha. I guess pb&j isn't a thing in Japan! It's hard to believe that people here find this thing so amazing that is so, so common in America haha.

My lunch is so American today, and I'm loving it! :)

I did my homework on the subway, because I hadn't felt like doing it last night lol. Then at school I went to get my book from my locker. I had this amazing idea one day where I take a picture of the book pages I need for homework on my phone and then I don't have to lug my book home! I'm so smart.

I love the bathroom in the building with the lockers because it's PINK!! And it has a super long mirror where you can stand and do your makeup. If only it didn't have squatty potties. :(

Japanese class felt like it took forever today! Probs cause we had Kandou sensei and she doesn't let us out early like Mutsukawa sensei does. Ugh. I was so tired too. And it was so hot in the room. And the guy next to me smelled bad.

There was one funny part though. We had to do so much writing today, so by the last paragraph thing we had to write, I was kind of sick of it, so I decided to have some fun.

We had to write about our hometown (in Japanese) by following along with this example paragraph about Moscow. At the end, it said "Moscow is a good place. Everyone, by all means, please come to Russia."

So I wrote about Houston and at the end I said "Houston is not a good place. Everyone, please never come to Houston."

Sensei came over to read my paragraph and cracked up. So much so that she put her head down on my desk and her whole body shook. Then she said it was the most interesting paragraph she had read.

Also she gave us a kanji workbook with kanji not in our textbook! Yay!!

During class, Natalia said she and her Japanese roommate were going to be making chocolate for Valentine's Day, did we want to come?

I've always wanted to do deco chocolate like Japanese people do! And it would be fun with her Japanese roommate showing us how to do it for real.

So I decided to go. Natalia told me she'd leave a map of how to get to the house she lives in (called the Rainbow House) and the phone number of the house in my mailbox.

At lunch, I ate my sandwiches with Emma, Minju, and some other people in the cafeteria next to the gym. Ah it was so amazing eating American food! 

I really like the roof area outside the cafeteria. I hope they put tables there in the spring.

(It was raining)

Then I had Hanga. Today we had to draw a picture and then trace it onto the woodblock and carve it. So hard!

I drew Sakura flower things.

(We had to draw it on the back of the woodblock we used last time and mine was covered in ink lol)

Then I went to get the map Natalia said she'd put in my mailbox, but there was nothing there. So I walked with Esteban and Rafa to my locker to put my book and Hanga stuff in. When I went back to the CJS office, my locker was still empty. So I got a map and the number of the rainbow house from the CJS staff.

I debated just heading home (and I probably should have), but at the last minute, I got off the subway and transferred to the Tsurumai line and rode to Ueda, where the rainbow house is. 

On the way, I streetpassed someone from Hokkaido!! Omg I've been wanting someone from Hokkaido! :D

When I got off the station I was distracted by the grocery store Natalia always talks about (at least I think it was the one) and stopped to look around in there a bit. This resulted in me turning the wrong way when I came back out and I got lost. 

(I saw this cool shrine though!)

I tried asking for help at a 7-11, but the lady couldn't help much, so I just walked back to the station. Then I saw I had turned the wrong way and finally figured out which way to go.

It was a walk up a big hill, but I finally made it.

(Engrish sign)

(So cute!)

I stopped at a house that looked like it was where the rainbow house was on my map and rang the bell. No one answered, so I walked all the way around and found another door and rang that bell. 

This guy came on the intercom and was all like "who are you?" And I said I was looking for the Rainbow House. Then this lady came out and walked me over to it. It turns out they were the landlords.

Only two of the six girls were home, though, and neither was Natalia. One was this girl, Autumn, I had met a couple of times, so she knew me.

Autumn took me into the kitchen and told me she had no idea where Natalia was either. She was supposed to be back by then because they were going to make chocolate together, but she hadn't shown up.

So Autumn and I made chocolate. Autumn gave me some snacks their Japanese roommate had given them for Setsubun last night before she left to go back to her hometown. They were really good!

It was really cool seeing the rainbow house. I liked it a lot. It's fairly close to school and has good wifi and is pretty big (two bathrooms and two showers!). Autumn showed me her room, which was also really big. Autumn said last semester they were all in high levels if Japanese and thus only spoke Japanese in the house! But then one girl moved out and Natalia moved in. Since Natalia's only in 300, they speak English a lot now.

The only thing I wouldn't like about living there, though, is having to cook for myself and not getting to experience how a Japanese family lives.

I had to leave at 5:30 so I could make it home in time for dinner at 7. The chocolate wasn't done by then. :( but Autumn said she'd bring me some at school tomorrow. Then another of the girls came gone. She gave me some cookies and Ferrero Rocher that she had. Natalia never showed up.

So I walked back to the station, which took me no time now that I knew the way! All today strong, icy, Blacksburg-like winds were blowing, so it was really cold walking back to the station since it was sunset!

The bike ride home was a bitch. I jept getting buffeted by freezing winds and when I got home my nose was running and my face and hands were numb and hurting! Also, there was this black cat at one of the street corners that I almost ran over because it blended into the night!

Dinner was good! We had a lot of fried things and rice and soup and salad. Yummy yummy. Ken got home after we were finished, but we sat around and talked for a bit with him. Yuko asked me about when Rana and I were doing the nomihoudai with the two Japanese girls and told me all about the Japanese expression for "drinking till the morning" and how she used to drink till morning all the time and how fun it was haha.

She asked Ken if he did this too and he said he was always too tired. She called him a grandpa lol!

She asked me if I've ever drank till morning and I said no. I didn't tell her that I'm an old fart too basically because I always end up ptfo'ing on the couch of whoever's apartment I'm in lol.

Then I practiced kanji and went to sleep.

Pix from Facebook:

From the night Miya's friends were over for dinner:

From Obaasan's house:

(Miya, Obaasan, and me with the cake)

(Obaasan teaching me how to wash my hands at the temple)

(Me catching mochi!)

Also, here's a pic of all of us at the Illuminations way back in my first weekend in Japan!

(Lawlz I'm taller than everyone)

I like this picture a lot. It's one of those rare ones where everyone looks good. Yuko has it as her cover photo in Facebook.

Also, everyone go right now and look again at yesterday's post about Setsubun, because I added all the pictures!!