HELP! GET ME OUT!

sister
Originally uploaded by sillyhapa.

I just found out that Jessica from Pomona stayed with this family last year, so I wrote to her for advice, and this is what I got:

"Yes, I did live with the Kuzuma family last year, and yes, I did survive. But I remember thinking that I wasn't going to. Here are a couple of things to expect, if you haven't experienced them already.

The mother and daughter will fight viciously several times a week. They will have screaming matches and will sound like they are about to kill each other. This is normal.

The mother will try to find ways to make you feel bad about yourself. For instance, she called me fat a few times.
If they tell you they are going to give you a key and you haven't received one yet, don't hold your breath. They will leave the door open for you if you tell them you are going to be home late.

I pretty much just kept to myself in that little room all semester and stayed out as much as possible. The mother will talk to you about Buddhism for hours on end if you let her. The father will assume that you speak no or very little Japanese. The daughter probably won't become your best friend.

Oh, and the laundry machine is really annoying to use. But you probably know all of this by now. Just try to stay out as much as you can. Have fun and stay positive."

Yeah. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. This weekend my bike got stolen from outside the train station (I swear, I locked it to itself like a good Japanese person and everything!) so now it takes me approximately 50 minutes to walk home every day. In the rain. And get this -- it's the best part of the day. Being alone, listening to the stellar mix my friend Nick made me, just walking around the streets of Musashino.

Fun stuff. Only 7 more weeks.