Big decision, football and Niigata - (el proximo post en castellano!!! no tuve tiempo de traducirlo)

Hello Hello!!!
Some time has gone by and I have so many new stories to tell!!! But first I want to thank those of you who have been posting comments in this blog, it really makes me feel closer to you and it is a great feeling, so please keep on doing so!!! i will be trying to reply to your emails as much as possible but...you know, many new things to explore all around me. So right now I'm like a kid in a candy store...and going out every moment I can, and i don't have that much time left. So thanks for the messages!!! I LOVE THEM!!!

Coming back to these last days stories I wanna start by the most important, this last week I made a decision that is going to have a big impact on the way this year is going to be, and also the rest of my experience in Japan, by the 7th of December I will take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test level 1, the most difficult Japanese language exam that I know. If someone says that he or she has passed this exam there is no doubt that this person speaks good Japanese. I think I may not pass the exam, but I will do my best to do so, and even If I do not pass it at least I would have reviewed all the grammar points an vocabulary necessary for it, and this is going to be a great learning for me and it will allow me to start understanding and enjoying more this country's culture and it's people. So my friends please do me a favor, please think positively about this goal for me and send me good vibes from wherever you are!!!!! I will need those for sure!!!

Football time!!! Some days ago, Isamu (a japanese friend) took me to see game, F.C. Tokyo vs Oita and it was GREAT!!! we got to the staduim by train and we reached Ajinomoto Staduim, the feeling of entering the stadium with all the fans, reminded me so much of Argentina. To my surprise Japanese football fans love argentine-expresions related to football and they wear T-Shirts that say ' La 12 de Tokio' (like 'la 12' the name of the supporters of Boca Juniors in Argentina) or posters saying 'I love u Tokio' in Spanish and more. I was taking pictures of everything and I bought the T-Shirt of course. Inside the Stadium, Isamu and I, we sat in 'la popular' beside the goal arch, together with the more 'hardcore' fans of Tokyo, and to my surprise again it is so secure compared to Argentina, before the game people were leaving their bags on the chairs and going buy drinks and stuff, i also so this guy with his laptop in the tribune, so unthinkable in Argentina. And finally the most surprising thing were the songs!!! the songs that the fans sing to cheer their team have the same melodies than in Argentina!!! so during half time Isamu taught me the songs, I was so happy singing and jumping with the Japanese!!! it was so great!!!

After that I had some classes and last weekend it was GOLDEN WEEK! one of my teachers said 'It is not bronze, it is not silver, it is golden!!!'. Golden Week are 4 days of holidays for all Japanese and it looks like everybody goes somewhere, it is like Easter in Argentina. So taking advantage of this I decided to join a club of students from Waseda and go for 2 days to Niigata, to the mountains. It was a very very interesting time, we were 60 students travelling in two buses, mostly Japanese, some Asian (including my friend Mori), and me, only westerner. The whole weekend consisted of hiking, some sports, barbecue, and the most important activity: Nomikai.
The landscapes were beautiful, reminded me of Bariloche in Argentina, or Engadin Valley in Switzerland, there were many ski stations but almost no snow since we are in spring. The sports time was ok, the barbecue was great, and NOMIKAI. This word is very important for Japanese people, it means 'get together and drink' , and it is crucial moment to learn about everyones feelings, cause during the day everyone is very polite, but as soon as they have a sip of alcohol, they get very honest, and wild. They chat, sing, shout, drink and hug long hours until they finally go to sleep... I was having a blast just watching this whole situation. The next morning everyone came back to normal and we had lunch and came back.

Ok that is all for today, gotta go have lunch!!! I will be uploading all new pictures soon!!!