JAPAN 2015

So last June, I got the chance to go to Japan. I was invited by my uncle who lives there. It wasn't my first time going abroad BUT it was my first flight alone. Honestly and guiltily, usually I just followed my mom (aka. mengekor) in every flight I've had. I had all that giddy and excited feeling. I was most worried about everything that involves the officials (seriously). Like even though I know that I didn't do or bring anything banned, I was so worried that something would went wrong. But I'm also pretty proud of myself that I had the courage to went abroad alone, come to think of it hehe :p It was a 3 weeks trip, and it had been really such an experience for me!

I lived in my uncle's wife's mother's house (sorry for the complicated words). My uncle's wife is Japanese, so yeah her mother is also a Japanese. (I'll refer to her as Oma). My uncle and aunt lives in an apartment in Shinjuku and Oma lives in Machida, where I stayed in with her. So it was kind of a homestay vacation, I guess? (because I got to live with the local). Sometimes my uncle and aunt would stay for some days in Machida too. And some days it was just me and Oma.

When I first went there, I speak very little Japanese. I only knew the basic and common words like sumimasen, arigatou, ohayou, konnichiwa, etc. And I couldn't read hiragana, katakana, nor kanji. So if you are wondering, I communicated with Oma by english + japanese + indonesian. She knows some indonesian words like makan, mandi, and jalan-jalan. Usually, what happens is that she'll say something in japanese, and then I'll guess what she means in english! Most of the times, I got it right. But sometimes I literally have no idea.

My uncle and aunt picked me up at the Haneda Airport and then we went to Machida. I was very very anxious and nervous when we were going to meet Oma! But I was really surprised and happy when we arrived and she gave me a very happy welcome!!! Actually it wasn't my first time meeting her, because she went to Indonesia and visited my home back when I was still a little kid. I miss her already now!