Host Family

Heyyyy so I am going to post this in an effort to go into more detail about my host family.  I LOVE MY HOST FAMILY! And although I was extremely frustrated with them during the weeks before I arrived in Japan, I definitely understand why they were unable to answer my phone calls and emails, etc.  Also my fear of not being able to go to school was solved and since my host family spoils me soooooo much, I don't care that much about not having host siblings anymore.  However, my host family is still far from perfect and I am fine with that :) My host family has spent so much money on me in just the past 3 days.... probably over 6,000 yen lol.  I am really grateful for how kind they have been but at times, I feel like they are a bit intense. Especially my host dad. He is wayyyy too intense for me. I love my host mom so much! She is so kind and even though her english isn't that good, I love talking with her.  Not so much my host dad though.  He sometimes tries to guilt-trip me.... and it just makes me really annoyed.  I was hoping to have a nice, laid-back life in Japan but he kinda makes that impossible.  He always reminds me how much better a little town is compared to a big city.  I feel really bad when he starts talking about that because I know I was really skeptical about small towns before.  I am not anymore, but I would be lying if I said I prefer small places to big cities.  I am just a city person... I really don't see how he can change that by guilt-tripping me a ton. He always says how much hotter big cities are (which I DO NOT believe cuz it's wayyyyy hotter in Asago than in Tokyo) and how you can get to know everyone in small towns.  The latter is obviously true... but unfortunately, I am not the kind of person who likes to know everyone in the town I live in.  My host dad has been so busy taking me around town and introducing me to everyone that I kinda feel like he's trying to show me off almost.  He's always bragging about my skills in art and school and it makes me feel so uncomfortable because everything is completely exaggerated!  I really don't want to be flashed around like some prize horse... isn't it good enough that I am me?  I almost feel like the only reason they chose me to be their host daughter is because of my outstanding resume and skills... Maybe it's fine to brag about me to a couple close friends but I want some time to relax at home too.... alone time or maybe time with my host family.  I don't want to be stiff and formal and HOT for hours going building to building and staying for 20-30 minutes at each one and listening to rapid Japanese that I can't even understand and hearing ooooh's and ahhhh's from whoever we are visiting.  and then "soka soka" and "uwahhhh" lol I mean seriously, who likes doing that?  I seriously feel like everyone will be totally disappointed when they finally realize I am not as great as my host dad makes me out to be >_> My host dad is also super intense about taking me to places. and I am fine with that except for the fact that I feel like he thinks I can't go anywhere by myself.  Whenever I go around town, he has to take me.  Aren't I old enough to go for a walk by myself? So I can actually do a little bit of shopping without feeling awkward since he has to babysit me the whole time? My host dad is also really big on proving to me that our little town has better scenery than big cities, which is obviously true.  However, I am also not the forest-watching kind of person who sits for hours just watching a quiet patch of grass.... yeah so unfortunately I get pretty bored when all I do is sit around in an empty field with two people in their mid-sixties. Basically, my host dad is wayyyy too intense for me.  He needs to understand that I just want to do something fun not sit around watching a movie called "why Asago is better than big cities".  Of course, I feel like if I say something, I will just end up offending him since it seems making me watch that movie is what he enjoys so I don't want to stop him from doing it (lol if that makes any sense).  I end up feeling really awkward when I have to talk with my host dad.  Maybe if it was just my host mom and me, I would be a lot more relaxed and actually enjoy the scenery o.O hahaha anyway. I seriously can't wait until I start school so I can finally hang out with people close to my own age...

Okay basically, my point in that rant is that my host family is amazing but my host dad is really suffocating.   :)