Long time no see, apologies.

My lack of blogging isn't due to being lazy or not going out. It's because everything I do in Japan has now turned into daily/weekly routine. It's my lifestyle, and I don't have the mindset anymore that 'omg this is new I need to blog about this!'  I'm sorry I know all my friends and family deserve updates about my life in Japan but the good thing about this is, I feel like I'm at home. Which is bittersweet. I meet up with friends to have lunch at swanky new cafes I've never been before and it's just routine, it's like being back in Sydney and trying out a new restaurant, instagram it and that's it. It's the same being in Tokyo now too. I also have favourite local restaurants, I also order the same thing at cafe's or I can tell the difference between prices and which grocers is better to shop at. I feel like I'm a local some days, and others a foreigner. At this right time it's the former. I feel like an absolute local.

I'm comfortable. I go to the city and there is no rush that I'm in a different country. I'm at home. Being in Shinjuku is the same as being in George St back in Sydney. Shopping at Shibuya is the same as shopping at Pitt St Mall. There is no hype, there is no adrenaline... I am home.

The main things that have been happening since my last post is just the new influx of new semester kids. Said goodbye to my first set of friends from last semester and then I said hello to the new kids. There weren't many of us left behind doing a full year so making friends didn't feel like an option, you needed to because it would've been mega lonely. All the new kids are amazing and kind. I got to meet all of them on their first day because I volountered to help out for the dorm's orientation. Skipping things I ended up becoming an R.A (resident assistant) for the dorm. I get a bigger room which is like my form of payment and my room is about three times bigger. Though my job is helping anyone living in the dorm if they need it and also planning events for everyone. It's not that tiring as I have maybe the most free time out of everyone here haha.

Anyway a lot of the times I find myself just hanging out with my friends in my room or having dinner locally so I haven't had that interesting places to blog about. I do have another camp coming up so I guess I'll blog about that. Here are just some photos of me and my cute friends and also a video made from this morning by Kenji. I thought I'd give you guys something... lol.

Saturday Morning from Gerry Narciso on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you had fun with my very random photos haha
Love G
x.

Burabura

My summer holidays have been nothing but amazing. I've been spending quality time with my close friends here and at the same time juggling my time with Ate Mai and Kuya Jase. The other day I went to Disneyland (again) with these cute kids and it was a full day of it, from open to close. It was flipping hot and I'm seriously feelings the effects of this humid summer. I sit outside for 5 minutes and I'm already sweating. Other than that, the day was just so much fun, hot and tiring but incredibly fun. 

Not long after, the group went to Enoshima because I requested to go on a road trip. I haven't been in a car at all since my stay here and it felt different. This was also planned because our special cookie Miho was leaving us for America. She's actually gone for ten months and we won't be seeing each other again and I died inside. She is someone I started having dnms with and having the biggest girl talk imaginable. I was like to myself, holy crap... I have actual friends and friends I know I'm going to keep for a lifetime. 

I'm starting to feel at home. And trust me these kids are helping me adjust so much. One simple request to hang out or go somewhere and they're all on board. The drive was a killer, it was two and a half hours getting there and bless Kenji for driving everyone, such a champ. Enoshima is popular for it's beach but if you come from Australia - there is nothing exciting about this beach. Black sand? Nahhh. So when we got to Enoshima we just trecked it around and walked everywhere. We had a nice dinner together and drove back home. When we dropped off Miho she just started crying, and I just couldn't look at her. Seriously, my throat was so heavy and I hid my tears because I just couldn't cry in front of them. But if I'm feeling the effects of leaving people I've met for less than 5 months, I just can't imagine myself saying goodbye to these kids when I leave. 

I started fresh, I started in a new place where no one knew me and no one knew my past. For some strange reason I was able to make a group of friends, have constant hang outs, stay out till late and talk till late. It feels like, hey I can do this, people actually genuinely like me. I've found a group of friends like the ones I have back at home in a totally different country. I can finally say crude jokes known as my jokes being too "over" haha but it feels good. It feels good to be myself in front of people and not judge me for it. 

With all of this being said, I'm still at a lost on what I crave for. At days I am home sick and miss my friends back at home but on other days I crave for hanging out with these new kids and making new memories and constantly traveling around Japan. Life on an exchange kid is hard, but what makes it harder is the people you left back at home. If they weren't such influential people in my life, this exchange would be hell of a lot easier. 

But anyway enjoy my photos (though they are on Facebook already). I finally took out my SLR lol.

So blessed to have met these amazing kids.