a water garden near a famous Buddhist temple that I climbed 3oo (sanhyaku) steps to get to.Today
I am writing this the night before I am to give a speech. My speech is to encompass my thouhgts on Japan in Japanese as the epitome of my language study and will be presented to all of the local host families, Japanese teachers, AFS staff persons and the mayor of Kurume (big boss man). I am a little nervouse not only because my speech is in another language and because of our special guest but because of the speeches content. I explain how I think that Japanese culture is too quick now to change into western culture. How Japanese youth don't always appreciate the beauty of their own country when truly that beauty dwells now in my heart.
I appologize for my scarcity of posts but I have been so terribly yet wonderfully busy. To cover all of the bases, I have: visited two famous Japanese gardens, been to many different buddhist and shinto famous and infamous shrines, visited a zen rock garden then prayed in its temple, practiced traditional Japanese Karate, been to kareoke four times, eaten all kinds of fresh Japanese food, learned more Japanese, watched my cities fireworks with a beautiful Japanese girl, made good friends with Itialian and American exchange students, met a young Australian man on the train after I stopped being shy, taught my siblings some taekwondo and sung "Angel" by Jack Johnson to over 40 people. I have loved Japan and at times gone insane due to its nature.
Thank you all so much for this oppurtunity, my heart is constant and true here. I am loved here and before my trip I realized how much I was loved in America. Never before have I been in such debt with the fear that I am experiencing a compassion I could never emulate. I am sorry that I write so little but I must rise early tomorrow and speak once more to a people whose words are still foreign to me but whose hearts are near to my own.
