Abstract

So, while most of you who are reading this have probably kept up with all the insanity that is my writing, I'm going to try to sum sum of it up for you. By the way, abstract doesn't mean messed-up, crazy of anything like that, it means a summary (the back of a book often has an abstract on it, for example).

Story:
Through the Rotary Youth Exchange Program I am on a year long cultural exchange in Japan. I Live with Japanese families, go to school, visit occasional Rotary functions and try to learn about Japan.

Characters:

Geoffrey Robert Card:
Canadian, Male, 17/18
Came to Japan hoping to find new perspective from Eastern philosophy. Also interested in anime, manga, technology and video games. Strange.
Carries around an electric pocket dictionary and PSP (for music, podcasts, photos, and communication as he lacks a cellphone).

Brie:
Canadian, Female, 16/17, Protestant
Not very good with directions or numbers (or at least their real life uses) but happy-go-lucky and strongly religious. She's delightful and knows much about Japan.
Carries around her cellphone in her purse from which its ringing gets no attention.

Callan
Australian, Male, 18?
Japan was his second pick and he only learned simple conversational Japanese, but he seemed happy with his exchange. His nice personality and knowledge of gaming reminded me of my brother. Quite care-free and spoken very badly of by my first host father. He went home in January.
Passes his cellphone on to Brie.

肉(nee-koo, meat) Nick
Australian, Male, 18
Previously an anime fan, he's knowledgeable, well-read and social. He's read more Japanese literature than the Japanese give him credit as well as Western literature (he's asked me to read The Count of Monty Cristo so I can better translate the ending for him, which I am eager to do, but lacking a French copy). Also a fan of Japanese pop-culture and fashion with ideas of starting an foreigner Japanese boy-band.
He has a prepaid cellphone with a collection of things hanging from it on which he prides himself.

The Assistant Language Teachers
Basically Western college or university students who work to bring English to Japan, especially it's schools. There's about one in every school.

Location:

Japan (日本, nee-hon, nee-Ppon), the land of the rising sun. A group of islands off the coast of Asia well know for it's rich culture, comics and technology.

Ishikawa (石川, stone river) prefecture.

Kanazawa (金沢, gold stream/marsh) city, the capital of Ishikawa known mainly for its kenrokuen (兼六園) garden and gold-leaf production.
A city of four-hundred-thousand people. It has two rivers running through it from the mountains to the sea on either side of a long hill on which the castle (actually just a gate and some smaller structures) and garden are found. The city also prides itself on its ancient and modern night life districts.

The Exchange:

Rotary Youth Exchange Program:
A cultral exchange.
An exchange with high standards for entrants and a limited number of spots. For every spot there are twenty who apply. It requires an eighteen page application, two interviews and an orientation. The is minimal control over where entrants end up going. Run entirely by the goodwill of Rotary clubs and host families. It lasts one year starting in summer or winter.

Rules:
No:
Drugs (an obvious choice for anywhere but Amsterdam)
Dating (avoid serious relationships and related troubles)
Drinking (ahaha... just don't get drunk and you should be okay)
Driving (just to avoid accidents and cetera)
recent additions:
Disfigurement (no premenant hair dying, peircing, tattos and cetera)
Downloading (often using others' computers, don't get them viruses and cetera)

The Families:

松本
1st, 5.5 months, father, mother, older brother, younger brother
A very strict and hardworking family with whom I did not get along well. I could go on and on, but it was an impasse of character.

野上
2nd, 1 month, father, mother
A very laid-back working couple who reminded me of my house back home. It was a nice break.

橋谷
3rd, 1.5 months, grandfather, grandmother, daughter (yes, there's a generation missing, not dead)
A nice old couple living far from Kanazawa in a very Japanese style (house, life-style).

I might add more later.