The Day

Rise and shine; actually it's raining out and kind of dreary.

Woke Aya up promptly at 07:30 in order to be ready by 08:30.
My other daughters I decided would be best to drag them out of bed, for comfort and reassurance. We know she will be nervous.

One thing I recall from being in Japan is the house slippers - Aya is wearing them now while she is preparing her bowl of cereal. She bought all the girls them as well which was wonderful.

I notice that most Japanese guys or girls walk in those slippers or Zori's with a shuff-shuff sort of walk as the heels sort of never leave the ground. At my work there were two guys from Japan that helped us install and repair machines; and they too walk with the same shuff-shuff. Its sort of funny, but as a kid my dad used to yell at me for doing such a thing.

Pick up your feet! You are acting lazy and I will not have that in my house!

He'd say as I instantly ceased from such activity.

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And off we went to the High School with my two daughters or should I say three.
There was some obvious visible anxieties, since we fully expected to meet the Principal first thing.

To our relief we met the Guidance Counselor that put together Aya's schedule yesterday.
We did notice another exchange student there from Thailand and Alli noticed another student there yesterday at her orientation who is from Brazil. (I have a feeling that both students may speak more fluent English, which may compound some anxieties).

We spent a good portion of the 2 hours in the cafeteria on some hard plastic seats. As I recollected one of my college professors state that the brain will absorb only what the butt can endure. (I think that statement has more meaning with age.)

Most of the orientation was about schedules and classes, location and how to read your schedule and how many credits is expected by the end of the school year. Afterwards we took a tour around the high school 3 of the 4 floors worth, seeing all the different sections. I knew the High school was large, but it felt even larger once within its walls. Compared to my High School which was more of a Voc-Tech High School it was gi-normous.

After orientation we set her up with a Bank Account at another banks, it seems the 2nd Bank is more flexible when it comes to foreigners and the ease of working with exchange students etc.

We were even able to obtain a Visa Check card (debit card) from them, where as the other bank we tried she was only limited to just an ATM card.

We stopped by McDonald's for lunch, we believe it was her first time in the U.S. , but as well all know McDonald's has already spanned the globe. Fillet-o-fish was her sandwich of choice; she had mentioned that she is missing Japanese food now. Which might explain why last night when given a choice of what to eat, she choose the Ramen package in the cabinet.

I understand that she wants to have Sushi or other Japanese foods, more as a comfort food while in a strange place, but as it had been explained to us from the Exchange Program, that we need to treat her as one of our own and not as a guest - thus not cater to all her desires.

I am finding this one of the hardest things to do. How do you not treat someone who is staying with you not as a guest? I think it will take time, though I don't want it to take too long before we figure how to do this or else it will become expected.

She is asking for a quiet place to study with desk, as my oldest daughter's room is a little cramped and has only a computer desk and is in close proximity to the kitchen / great room which is where most of the family's activities take place, hence it may be too noisy.

Alli has found that studying in her room was no problem, though as an American teenager she can study on the floor sitting Indian style or half on the bed and half off. It never affected how well she has done in school (an honor student).

But I suppose I can't expect Aya to just mimic that way of studying and doing her homework. I presume at home she has a quiet place to get away from it all and study.

In the next coming days, I think I will clean up and organize our Entertainment area in basement where there is a desk I got from work - and make it into a study area, just that it will be rather cold in the Winter time down there (heat is limited to a propane heater).

Just when you think you have too much in life to do, God plays a joke and add just one more item to your task list.

As a treat, I brought the girls to one of the larger Malls in the area. Aya says she loves to shop, it wasn't much later that day when I didn't see her leave the stores with items that she meant she loves to check out stuff at the mall, but only buy what is necessary. Window shopping comes to mind.

To fill you in girls these days like stores like:
- Claire's
- Pac Sun
- Hot Topic
- Spencer's
- FYE

There may be more, but they weren't interested in what I thought girls were interested in like. Aeropostele, Abercrombie and Fitch, DKNY, Banana Republic etc. They told me those stores are for older women. (I was stunned a bit and realized I was considered OLD, but I am and will always be a kid at heart.)
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Checking email's tonight I received some encouragement and morale support from Eric and family. - Thanks guys :)