By Luke Bader*

Hey Everyone!

Well…It’s about that time. I am currently preparing to head back to the U.S. However, before I do, I thought I’d do something a little different and make a video giving you all a tour of where I’ve been living for the last few months, my host parent’s house. I thought you may appreciate it a little more than just a few pictures and me talking about it.

Below is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5evhveZSsOE&feature=youtu.be

I’m planning to make another post once I get home and give you a wrap up of my adventures here in Japan.

Thanks for reading (and watching), everyone! まったね！

Luke

Fun Facts:

• When I usually leave the house, it is tradition to say ittekimasu (いってきます) to my parents which basically means, “I’m leaving.” When coming back home I say tadaima (ただいま).
• Before eating our meals we say itadakimasu (いただきます) and after meals we all say gochisousamadeshita (ごちそうさまでした). Both of these mean “Thank you for the meal.” The first one is for before meals, the second is for after meals.
  • These phrases can be used for a standard ‘thank you’ to the person who made or provided the meal to you, or as a sort of prayer.

*Luke Bader is a senior majoring in international studies with a minor in Japanese and a certificate in writing at the University of Iowa. This semester, the Jesup, IA native is studying abroad on the USAC Nagasaki Program in Japan.