Weekdays

Fri., Feb 21
   For breakfast, I had white rice and miso soup. The rice was freshly cooked in a rice cooker, so it was warm and super tasty.
   At the study center, Laura taught us about safety in the U.S. We practiced how to protect ourselves if someone tries to steal something from us. For example, if someone tries to take our wallet and attacks us, we learned to crouch down and shout “No!!!” loudly.
   We also learned about American money. It was a bit tricky, so I asked Richard to explain it again when I got back home. He even gave me a rare  50-cent coin. It’s now one of my treasures.
   In the evening, we had a welcome party. We played games with everyone’s host families and shared homemade food. I was a bit nervous at first, but they spoke in simple and easy-to-understand English, so I had a really good time.

Big Size!!	Welcome Party

Mon., Feb 24
   At the study center, we talked about what everyone did over the weekend.
   After that, we went to Tacoma. At Krispy Kreme, we shared a dozen doughnuts. They were super colorful and looked so cute, but they were a bit too sweet, so I couldn’t eat much.
   Then we went shopping at the Tacoma Mall. I bought a necklace and a keychain. There were so many cute stores, and just walking around was really exciting!

Sweet Doughnuts	Shopping in Tacoma

Tues., Feb 25
   Because of strong winds, the power went out in the house in the morning, so I couldn’t charge my phone. Luckily, I had my portable charger with me, and it really came in handy.
   In the afternoon, we visited a fire station. We asked the firefighters some questions, tried on their gear, and even experience using a fire hose. It was my first time doing something like that, so I was a bit nervous, but the firefighters were super supportive, which made me feel I felt safe.
   For dinner, I went out for Mexican food with my host family. I shared some tortillas with Lori. It was fun adding different toppings and making our own combinations.

Leave it to us!	Firefighter Items	Tortilla

Wed., Feb 26 
   We went to the Federal Way City Hall. It was a huge building that also included the police station and courthouse. We asksd the police officers some questions and took pictures with them. There were a few female officers too. They looked so cool and confident.
   We also talked to a judge and asked some questions, but the explanations were a bit hard to follow, so I couldn’t understand everything.
   At the end, we met the mayor. He spoke slowly and clearly, so I was able to understand most of what he said.

Police Station Tour	We Got Caught	The Verdict!

Thurs., Feb 27
   We met up early in the morning and went to Leavenworth. I had been told in advance that shopping there could be expensive, so I brought a little extra money. There were so many cute items that I had a hard time deciding what to buy. I thought carefully about how to spend my money and really enjoyed shopping. 
   For lunch, I ordered a hamburger set at McDonald’s. I was surprised by how much bigger the drink sizes were compared to Japan. I was also shocked to see a real horse walking down the street! Later, we visited a spicy sauces store. We tried some samples, but ended up not buying anything.

So Many Cute Things	With the Horse and Everyone	Let's Try!

Fri., Feb 28
   In the morning, we learned about American holidays. We learned that most American people spend these days with their families and often host big parties. For lunch, we all enjoyed a meal prepared by our host families, which included chicken, bread, mashed potatoes, and more. I was happy to try so many different kinds of food.
   In the afternoon, we changed into costumes and experienced Helloween. The day before, Lori had shown me a variety of costumes, and I chose a cowboy outfit. When I said “Trick or treat!", Laura gave me a bunch of candy. Some of them were types I had never seen before, which made me really excited. After that, we made noodles from scratch using eggs, flour, and water. It was my first time making noodles, but with Laura’s help, I was able to do it successfully.
   I cooked Japanese food for my host family after I got back home. I went to the supermarket with Lori, to buy ingredients, and I made tonjiru (pork miso soup) and shogayaki (ginger pork). I'm not very good at cooking, so Lori helped me. They said the food was delicious, and I was really happy.

Lunch with Everyone	Trick or Treat!	Cooking

Mon., Mar 3 
   In the morning, we visited Green River College. We saw students from many different countries studying there. At the campus store, they sold college goods that you wouldn’t normally find in Japan.
   In the afternoon, we went to a local senior home.  We sang Japanese songs with gestures and did a presentation about numbers, like the one we usually do in elementary school. We had the chance to talk with many of the elderly residents, which was a meaningful experience.
   For dinner, Richard made pasta for us. I was expecting long, straight spaghetti, but he served short, curly pasta with meat sauce. It was delicious and a little different from what I had imagined.

At the College Library	At the Nursing Home

Tues., Mar 4
   We spent the whole day sightseeing in Seattle. First, we visited the University of Washington. It’s a very large and impressive campus that felt like something out of a movie. The library especially left a strong impression on me. It was so quiet and calm, which is the perfect place to focus on studying. I thought it would be amazing to study at a school like that someday.
   Next, we went to the Space Needle. We didn’t go up to the observation deck, but we bought some souvenirs at the gift shop. Since they only accepted card payments, Laura kindly paid for me.
   After that, we took the monorail to downtown. The view from the window was great, and even though the ride was short, it was a fun experience.
   For lunch, I ate fries and small pieces of chicken at a food court. The portions were big, and I felt really full. 
   In the afternoon, we went to Pike Place Market. There were so many shops that I had a hard time deciding where to go. Just walking around and looking at everything was enjoyable, and time flew by. We even bought matching T-shirts for the four of us at one of the stores.

Shhh!	Super High!	Pike Place Market

Wed., Mar 5
   We started making a photo frame and a booklet to give to our host familes. There were so many decorations to choose from that, I had a hard time deciding which ones to use. I focused carefully, thinking about what kind of design they would like. I’m glad I was able to create an original gift.
   After dinner at home, I recommended a Japanese drama to Richard, and we watched it together. At first, I was a little worried about how he would react, but he seemed really drawn into the story and appeared to enjoy it.

With Gratitude	All Done!

Thurs., Mar 6
   We gave our presentation about numbers to different classes at an elementary school. The kids were very energetic, so I got a little tired. However, the American children’s reactions were very honest and genuine. They would be surprised or laugh every time we spoke, which made the presentation really enjoyable.
   After the presentation, we taught the children how to write their names in katakana, and they were very happy. That made me feel a strong sense of fulfillment.
   By the time we left the school, I was exhausted, but my heart was full of accomplishment. It was a valuable experience to interact directly with American children, and it made for a very rewarding day.

Presentation	With the Kids	Lunch Together

Fri., Mar 7
   In the morning, we worked on making the photo frame and the booklet. Memories of the time I spent with my host family came flooding me.
   For lunch, I ate the scones, chicken, and strawberries I had brought. Laura looked like she wanted to try the strawberries, so I asked, “Would you like to try this?” and gave her one.
   In the afternoon, we went bowling. I couldn't get many spares or strikes, so my score wasn’t great, but Laura’s enthusiastic coaching was really funny and made the experience enjoyable.

Passionate Coaching	Team Meeting	We Love Bowling!

Mon., Mar 10 
   In the morning, we finished making the booklet, and in the afternoon, we practiced our presentation for the  sayonara party in the evening. I focused on speaking loudly and clearly. After that, we ate pizza together.
   The  sayonara party was held in the evening. We wore yukata and gave our presentation in front of everyone who had helped us. I was happy that people actively participated in the quiz and showed interest in what we were saying. At the end of the party, I gave the photo frame and booklet I made with gratitude to my host family. They were very happy and said, “Thank you, Mao!” many times, which really touched my heart. Finally, we gave a gift to Laura as a token of appreciation for kindly and enjoyably teaching us English.
   After returning home, I started packing. Richard brought a scale, and I carefully packed so that my luggage stayed within the 50-pound limit. For fragile souvenirs like glass items, I placed them between clothes to make sure they wouldn’t break.

Gift Time!	Thank You, Laura!

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