OMG! JUST 6 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are leaving next Thursday! I have my suitcase and have started to pack. I got some new shoes and a watch and a little shoulder bag to put little stuff in... it's so exciting!!! I have been practising my speech which I now know off by heart:
Konnichi wa/Ohayoo gozaimus              Hello/Good morning
Hajimemashite                                       Pleased to meet you
Watashi wa Amber Spicer desu            My name is Amber Spicer
Juni sai desu                                          I am 12
Watashi wa dansu ga suki desu             I like dancing
Watashi wa shifudo ga kirai desu          I don't like sea food
Hokke o shimasu                                    I play hockey
Doozo yoroshiku                                    Thank you
I am also trying to learn some other phrases that might help me over there. I haven't yet got all gifts for my host family, but I will do that this weekend. This time next week I'll be in Japan, and would've just finished the first day of the exchange. The time over there is about 4 hours back from New Zealand time. I looked up Tsumiki's house on google maps and couldn't find it. I might try again tomorrow. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL 6 DAYS IS OVER!!!

9 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am also nervous, but happy, but scared at the same time. Tonight we had our last Japan group meeting, and a lady called Laura, who is a travel agent, gave us our tickets. She explained about customs, and taking food on the plane. I hope I can remember it all. We also received our travel uniforms, our backpacks, and the itinary of the trip. We chose what after school club we would be doing in Japan, I'm going to be doing judo. I got an email from my host student this morning, Tsumiki, saying that she can't wait to meet me and stuff like that. I can't wait to meet her either. The things that I am nervous and scared about is the food, getting lost or not being fast enough, and remembering all the rules about manners in the house. But I'm pretty sure nothing bad will happen to me. I HONESTLY CAN'T WAIT!!! I am getting my suitcase soon and I am starting to get clothes and extra stuff ready to pack. I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED!!!!! I HAVE BUTTERFLIES!!!!! This trip has come on so fast, I don't want it end.

17 days to go...........

OMG! There's only 17 days left until we head off to Japan! We have started making paper cranes, hoping to make 1,000 before we go. We have started to practise walking speedily around the block two to three times a week. Also we have made up our speeches and I have almost completely memorised mine off by heart. Almost. Last week we found out who we will be billited with in Japan. My host's name is Tsumiki, she is 13 and lives with her two sisters, her Grandma and her Mum. I takes 45 minutes to get to school from their place on a bus. I can't wait to meet her. :) This is soo EXCITING! 

Goodbye :(

On Wednesday the Japanese group went horse riding. On Thursday they just stayed at school and did P.E. in the hall. Then Thursday night we had our school social. The theme was 'kiwiana'. Me and Miyabi went as kiwi cops. It was a really fun night. On Friday the Japanese group stayed at school and prepared for Sayonara Evening. They went to the cooking room and made some Japanese food. That night was the Sayonara Evening. It was sooo cool. There was singing, dancing, kimono's, comedy/drama, photos and speeches. The MIS kapa haka group got up on stage and helped the Japanese with some waiata - e rere taku poi, e toru nga mea, and our haka - ko wairarapa. In the weekend we went shopping in Masterton, played in the Greytown Park watched some hockey and movies, and relaxed by the fire. On Monday we all bussed up to Wellington and walked around shopping, went up the cable cars, bought souvenirs and ate. We also went to Te Papa, and Miyabi really enjoyed the squid stuff, like making your own squid. Then we waited at the airport and said our goodbyes. I almost cried. I will really miss Miyabi.

I cant wait to go to Japan and see our friends again. Ja mata-see you again!!

They're here!!! My billets name is Miyabi, she's 14, she does kendo (using bamboo swords) and enjoys rock music. On Wednesday a group of us went up and collected them from the Wellington airport, which was followed by a powhiri at school, then we went home, ate, and went to bed. On Thursday they went to Mt. Bruce. On Friday the Japanese group were supposed to go horse riding, but because of the bad weather, they just had to go farming. Miyabi enjoyed that day as she really likes animals. In the weekend I was away at a mini hockey tournament in Blenhiem, so Miyabi stayed home with Mum. they did baking, bowling, and watched some movies. On Monday they visited the Paua Shell Factory in Carterton. Miyabi bought a teddy kiwi, (white,) a paua neclace and a fern key-ring. all very NZ. Today we went to Papawai Marae and had a yummy Hungi, we taught the japanese students our haka, ko wairarapa, and some waiata. so in return they taught us 'sasa' it was very cool. I taught Miyabi how to play knuckle bones and she picked it up quite fast. This Exchange is AWESOME!

5 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooooooo EXCITED!! Its come soo fast, it seems like just yesterday I found out I had made it into the Exchange, and now its only 5 days until it starts!! I found out last night that i had raised $2,629!! YAY!! I'm almost finished with my fundraising!! but I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me get this money. Especially Mum and Dad, who have probably done a bit more of fundraising than I have!! So thank you sooo much.

Konnichi wa, only 26 days to go, I'm getting more and more excited as the 1st of August gets nearer!! I found out the stuff that I will be doing when the Japanese billets come. Which is going up to Wellington to recieve them from the airport, and maybe visiting the Marae with the kapa haka! Woohoo!

Yesterday I found out more about Miyabi, my japanese billet. She is a beginner at English, she turns 14 in July, she is allergic to plants, she gets hay-fever and she loves animals!! I do aswell, so I think we will get along very nicely.  xoxo Amber :)

YAY!!! i was donated a trailer load of fire wood from the Lions Club of Carterton. this is to help me with fundraising for the Japan trip. and i am pretty good at selling raffle tickets, if that is what we will do with with it. in the previous raffle, i raised $600. hopefully we can get around about the same amount of money raised with this trailer load of wood.  :)