I will wrote about the life in USA. I was in the US as an exchange student long time ago. I was in Frolida for two months and in Colorado for eight months. Include the trip, I been to 27 states such as California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgea, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kanzas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Iowa.

Life in Florida Vol.1

I was in Frostproof, FL. The town is near Orlando (Disney World), maybe about 2hours drive from there. Frostproof is in a damp area, and I often saw rattle snakes on an unpaved road. The town is in nature, I went to marsh for fishing, and went river for canoeing. While canoeing the river, I could see alligators. But everyone jump into the river, so I jump into the river too. Alligators are cowardice, so we can swim safely. But you have to careful when you got bleed.

I went on board a Canadian canoe with Japanese friend. Both of us are first to go on board a canoe, and our canoe carried foods. While canoeing we almost sink because of fallen tree. Somehow, we could go pass and saved from sink. If I went on board to kayak, I didn't care if I sink.

The twon is famous for orange, so I could drink fresh orange juice everyday. One day, host mother told me that I can eat ice cream in a freezer. I opened freezer and I couldn't believe. Rattle snake was in freezer, off course the snake was dead. Host father put the snake for eat. I ate but I dislike the eating snakes.

Life in Florida Vol.2 School life

Frostproof junior-senior high school is big school. There are white, black, mexican in the school, but I saw few asian-American. One Japanese boy stayed at the my host family's friend's house, so we often talk, and stay together. The students and teachers were interested in us, they spoke to us friendly.

I took American History, Gym, Math, English, Agriculture, and Work. The school decided classes. I suppose the school thought Japanaes are good at "moth", and he came to learn "English" to "America", but not good enough English, so "Agriculture" and "work" are fine, and to communicate well "Gym". I was in a technical high school in Japan, so math and work were no problem. English and Agriculture teacher were so kind to teach. I had trouble with American history. History teacher didn't want to talk with me and one more Japanese, so I suppose he dislike Japanese. He gave us F. I had no problem with Gym class. This was my favorite class. Gym teacher was popular in students. I had scouted from football coach. I am not tall enough, but maybe wide enough.

I haven't chose friends, but most of them were trouble kid, such as pot dealer, fighter. One of my friend is very strange for me, because he is soldier, and he came to school from camp. I taught him Karate and Judo, and he taught me military fightings and knife fighting. One day, I went to other black friend's house. His house is in black community, so I was little bit scared. But there was no problem.

One funny story, I had good relationship with a Mexican girl and she lives near my host's house. One day, a Mexican guy came to me and said Leave that girl and grab my shirts. I throw him and told him that I will broke his arm if he doesn't stop. And I told him that I am master of Karate. Then my friends came and stop us. My friend said that the Mexican guy is short temper, but told him not to do again. Ratino heat!

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay in Florida only for two months. Then I moved to Colorado. Warm state to cold state.

Life in Colorado Vol.1

I spent August and September in humid Florida, then moved to Colorado. I was going to spent whole year at Florida, so I didn't bring warm clothes. I just brought one sweat and a couple of shirts. I called to my house and asked to send cloths.

I lived in Ault, Colorado. It takes about an hour from Denver toward north direction. In the town, there are elementary-jinior and senior high school, a firehouse, an antique shop, small supermarket (not open 24/7), a post office. There is no mall in the town, it takes about 20minutes to mall by car. Little far from Rocky mountains, and I thought flat ground, but the altitude of over 1000 meters. The the maximum temperature is around 86°F and the minimum temperature is -18°F. The weather is steppe, so there is not many high trees, but it is confortable to spend.

My host family in Colorado was single white man. He took care of some exchange students. 2year before I stayed his place, he took care guy from Germany, and a year before I stayed, he took care guy from Japan. If my memory is right, he was the member of exchange student organization. About one month later I stayed his house, a spanish exchange student moved from Texas to his house. So my host, Rohn took care two exchange student on that year. Spanish exchange student, Emilio stayed another room, so we are not really room mate, but house mate? As Rohn is single man, we didn't call me dad, or host father. He treat us like friend. He was a teacher of social class as history, geometory, and his school was about 50 miles far from his house. I went to his school with him. But from his house to his school, there are only two signals, and the road is almost straight. Emilio went to local school.

The school was very small. There are about 120 students from Kindergarten to Senior. There is nothing around the school, but 360digree horizon. I remembered all students' name and face except elememtary. Even in that small school, there were factions. There was no racial discrimination, but most of students are white. I took classes such as 7th grade English, Sophomore English, Word Processing, Computor Programing, keybording, math, geography, and art. Rohn was my geography teacher, so he taught me well. I think most of Japanese exchange students has problem with history or geography in English rather than English class. Text book is huge for us.

Life in Colorado Vol.2

What do you imagine when you heard "Colorado"? Rocky Mountains? Ski? Denver (Capital of State)? I think Colorado is state of nature.

But I heard that Colorado is very famous between skier. Powder snow such as Canada, but not famous than Canada, so it is not crowded. I went skiing twice or three times while I am in Colorado. A ski run is large, but less people, so I could ski confortably. I had experience of skiing, but not so good. Japanese ntern (friend of Rohn) is good ski player and he told me that he will teach me. When I went to ski with him at first time, he took me to the top of ski run, and tell me "Have you ever ski?". I answered yes. Then he said "OK, you try first" and left me (he waited me at middle of ski run). Somehow I could ski and caught him. Then he said "You did it! In this wide slope, you can ski whatever you like, if you want to stop, fell down, then you can stop." Anyway I could ski.

One time I went to ski, I went out of ski course, and I lost my way. I also lost a ski so I was trying to find ski almost for an hour. Finally, I could find ski, and went back to lodge. Everyone was very upset, and told them that I was looking for ski. They said "next time, leave ski, and come back soon!". But I didn't want to compensation....

Denver is tha capital city of Colorado. Denver is called "City of Thunder" and "Mile-high-City". There are many buildings such as Tokyo. It looks flat ground, but but the altitude of over 1000 meters. I heard ond story of Denver airport. One day, criminal called to police that he set bomb on airplane, and if the plane fly under 800 yards, that plane will esplode. Then the plane land Denver airport immidiately, without explosion. And it makes Denver famous. I haven't seen thunder while I'm in Denver.

There is an Airforce Academy in Colorado Springs. Ordinary people could inspect in the academy. There is huge stained glass, and it was excellent.

Life in Colorado Vol.3

Rohn like to travel, so he took us small trip sometimes. In the size of America, it maybe small trip, but in size of Japan, it quite big trip.

Start is off course our home, Ault, CO. Then we drove to Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, then we came back to Colorado. So like drive around Colorado. We didn't go Nebraska and Wyoming, then. But in fact, we didn't really drive throgh Utah and Arixona, we drove the corner of those states. So most of time, we drove in Colorado.

After the drive, I thought the view wasn't change really. While we drove highway, it is almost turnpike in midnight in Japan. I worried about gas, and kept watching Rohn not to sleep. His bad habit is sleeping while he drives car (not everytime). While we go to school, the road is almost straight, no oncoming car, no obstacle, so I can understand now, but I was very scared. To tell the truth, I sometimes drxxx without lixxxce. So when I came back to Japan and went driving school, it was little bit difficult to drive right hundle car.

We often went Colorado Springs. My hometown, Ault is close to Wyoming, and Colorado Springs is very close to Oklahoma. So it's kind a trip.

I loved to go to shopping mall. There is a big shopping mall at Greely near Ft.Collins (about 10miles from Ault). There are many shops such as restaurants, book stores, cloths, car, game place. Even if I don't need to buy, I liked look around those shops. Sometimes, Rohn took me to mall and pick me up 3 hours later. On our way home, he sometimes took me buffet. I loved to go buffet. I ate more than ordinary young American. When I was in Japan, I ate 6 pounds of meat, 5 bowls of rice, one bucket of salad, half gallon of milk for one meal. I wasn't full by bread, even if I ate whole package.

So when family meet together such as ThanksGiving, they were worried about foods, because I didn't stop eating.

to be continue....