EIL Intercultural Learning

So... Hey everyone! This is my first blog for EIL, so I'm not quite sure where to start... Well, I'm still on a high after hearing I won the trip! I still can't believe it... it doesn't feel real! But the letters and emails are starting to pile up, so it's kinda starting to hit home that I'm actually going. But, to be honest, studying for the Leaving Cert hasn't left me much time to think, never mind plan or anything! I can't wait until I'm finished. A little over a month left, that's all! And just over a week later I'll be (hopefully, provided the volcano doesn't start again...) flying out! So, a pretty intense few weeks in store for me!

I'm ramping up the Japanese study, too. Hopefully I'll be able to handle general conversation and stuff through Japanese. I want to avoid relying on my English for absolutely EVERYTHING, but we'll see how it goes. I'll be armed with my trusty notebook and pocket dictionary anyway! Japanese is my last exam (25th), so I wonder how much of my frantic cramming will get retained after a week?

Japan itself should be good craic. One thing I'm wondering about is how should I address my host parents? Okaasan and otousan (Mom and dad) sound a bit too formal, but haha and chichi (you use these to refer to your own parents) would be way to familiar. Just some of the cultural things I'm gonna have to get used to, I guess. I don't know much about where I'm staying, who I'm staying with or even the specifics of what I'm doing yet, but as long as I'm told everyone's names before I show up at the door it can't go too badly wrong, can it? :-)

I think you could definitely say I'm looking forward to the trip - to this adventure! I've never done anything like this before, but that's much better, I think - no preconceptions, no expectations, nothing like that. Going in blind sounds more fun, anyway! I plan to update again before I set off, provided I don't get sucked into the black hole of LC despair. Here's hoping!