Airi "Rin" Kanai

2007-08 Inbound from Japan

Hometown: Konosu, Saitama, Japan

Sponsor: Konosu Suiyo Rotary Club, District 2770, Japan

Host: Four Townes/Orange City Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: Deltona High School

Airi's Bio

I like to play piano, since I was 4 years old I began to play. I also like to play basketball. I go to Deltona High School. I like school very much because I have many friends. I take chorus, child care, algebra, and environmental science. I like environmental science best. :D In school in Japan, we don't change classrooms, students just wait for the next teacher. At first it was difficult to make friends but now I have many friends. ;) I always wonder why we must say the pledge to the flag. In Japan, we don't do this.

I miss rice and chopsticks because in Japan we use them everyday. I can't use fork and knife well. That's hard for me. I have only been learning English for four years, but I hope to know it perfectly! I want to talk smoothly with my host parents and my friends.

I love Florida already. I hope to have a successful exchange.

Love, Airi

October 22 Journal

Arrival

I left Japan on August 5th. I couldn't sleep enough the day before departure because I was really really looking forward to seeing everybody in United States. And I was nervous about before this exchange. I was crying at Narita international airport in Japan. I felt sad. Also, I had good experience at Atlanta. I didn't know about how to change airplanes and nobody speaks Japanese (of course). It was really scary but good experience. Many people came to see me at Daytona Beach international airport. It made me happy.

My school

I go to Deltona High School. As you know, I take Chorus, Algebra, Child care and environmental science. Deltona High School is bigger than my school in Japan. My school is a high building. Deltona High school is not high building but they have too many buildings! I love Deltona High School because I have really good friends.

Food

I love American food! In general, I was eating vegetables and a lot of seafood in Japan. Japanese food is really healthy. I know American foods are making me fat. But I love American foods. That's why I have put on weight recently. :(

Difference

Japan and America have a lot of difference. House is very different. In Japan, we must take off one's shoes in house. And we have a leisurely bath every night. Also, school is really different. I chose my classes. But in Japan, we can not choose own classes. And we have very big exams in a school year. I really didn't like the exams!:( I prefer American school to Japanese school. :D

I'm having good time!

Experiences

I had really good time at the Rotary meeting. I met exchange students and we went to Kennedy Space Center! I was really happy because I always wanted to go there. I never dreamed of going there before I came here. I granted my little dream! I think I am a happy girl. :) Of course it was awesome!

And I went to Jacksonville with my host mom, her mom, her sister Natalie, her brother and Natalie's best friend Kristen. Kristen was exchange student from this district. :) We went to UKF. And I like them a lot.

Also, I spent a night with Anne from Denmark. We talked about this exchange. Almost 3 months have passed since I came here. I can't believe it. Because feels like 2 weeks. The days went really quickly. I have only 9 months. It makes me sad. However, I have a lot of friends in 19 other countries! It's the best thing imaginable, isn't it!

I miss my friends, my family and my boyfriend in Japan sometime. But I'm sure I'll miss everything in United States because I really like my friends, my host parent, my school, foods in United States! In Japan, we do not have Ranch dressing. I love Ranch dressing. I need that forever. I'll miss that too. :D

Here is a funny story. I forgot Japanese last weekend! Someone asked me "How do you say YOU'RE WELCOME in Japanese?". I couldn't answer around 30 seconds. Also, one day I was writing a letter for my grandmother. I couldn't write some Chinese characters. It came as an awful shock I forget Japanese. I'm so forgetful! I think it is a my weak point. :(

I'm learning a lot of things from my experience in United States. I know language is really important but I think it is not most important thing. I'm not sure but I guess so. I hope I understand about it after this exchange.

I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR HOMESICKNESS.

Love,
Airi

January 14 Journal

Hello everybody! It is January 14th 2008. I've been here for 5 months. Oh my god how fast the time passes! I can say it - "time flies". I had lots of amazing experiences so let me tell you guys about my amazing experiences!

I went to MAROON5 concert with my 1st host mother and it was a lot of fun. One day after school she picked me up from school and she began to sing! She was like, "WAKE UP CALL CAUGHT YOU IN THE MORNING WITH ANOTHER ONE IN MY BED DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT ME ANYMORE? CARE ABOUT ME? I DON'T THINK SO."

Then she asked me "Rin! What is this song!" and I said "It's MAROON5's wake up call!" And she said... "I won on the radio in this morning! I got 2 tickets and it's tonight!" I was like, "Are you kidding me?!" How lucky day!!

Anyway, we went to the concert and it was so much fun 'cause I'm loving them since I was a middle school student. One of my best friends also likes them.

And about my Christmas and new year's eve! It was my first real big Christmas. In Japan, we celebrate Christmas but not like that much. Japan has little Christmas. So my first real Christmas was really really good. I got a lot of gifts from my friends, host mom, host mom's parents and my Rotary club! And I ate many many seafoods. :) And I met a lot of people on Christmas day. I love to meet people. Also I had happy new year's eve with exchange students. I love them so much.:) Of course I did like American new year's eve but I love Japanese new year! I think new year is the biggest thing in Japan.

Oh and I have to tell you about it, I'm at 2nd host house now. When I left my 1st host house, it was really sad. But my 2nd host family, they are nice! I got 2 sisters. I have brother in Japan but I never had a sister before so it makes me happy! And my host mother is from Italy, how cooooool! They can speak Italian. I hope I could speak Italian.

Every experience reminds me a lot of things I forgot. Thank you for everything to everybody. I'm pretty sure about it, people around me, they are the world's greatest!

I'm having the time of my life.

Love, Airi