Hello guys, I feel as though i've been neglecting my blog alot so as you can see i changed my layout :D Hmm i never actually blogged about my trip to Japan properly so maybe i'll do so now.  Basically we spent around 4 days in kyoto which involved going to see the famous temples: kyomizudera and Kinkakuji.
  Both were sooo pretty, i'm never normally the type to enjoy scenery/historical places but this time it was different. We bumped into some schoolboys at Kinkakuji lol and they started looking at us ( probably cause we were foreigners) and then their teacher walked over and asked to take a picture with us haha. Except the guys were being shy and had to be dragged in by their teacher which was pretty funny considering they were like 180cm tall and the teacher was like 165-170cm hahahaha.

Of course, one of the best parts was staying in hotel rooms with my friends, the bed time was supposedly at like 10:00pm and the teachers said they would call to check up on us - never happened. So basically all the girls came to hang out in me/natalie's room and we had like midnight snacks while talking about random stuff. We'd talk till like 2am in the morning and wake up at 8:30 or something to go upstairs to the buffet where we had breakfast. I swear everything in Japan just amazes me lol, their things are so advanced and there is like all these pretty lunch packs in convenience stores! We even got to go separately to shop and to buy our dinner. Me, jenni, susan&dayadra ended up going to a dessert place after dinner in Kyoto station one night 8)

Went on a day trip to tokyo, it wasn't that fun to be honest but jenni got a maid dress ;) she's gonna wear it for her future boyfriend if he has a fetish for those things <_< LOL. just joking, she just likes cosplay. We also went to the Universal studios of Japan (USJ) which is basically like disney land, i don't get why everyone said it was boring. It was amazing, there was music playing the whole time in the theme park and we bought so much stuff and watched the hellokitty themed characters + other character walking around and we went on awesome rides. They are so different to Australian ones, its not all about thrill but the effects were so amazing. There was even this 4D spiderman ride.

We went Hiroshima next and went to see the atomic bombing place and stuff~ The shopping there was really good though, there is like 100yen shops in japan ( roughtly $1) called Daisou and omg. I love that store, that is all. Went to this building which was filled with Okonomiyaki shops to have dinner. The next day we visited Miyajima and there were these cute little ders walking around ngawws! Everyone was trying to take selfies with them haha and there was this pretty temple place there too.

Went by the Shinkansen ( bullet train) to Nagoya so we could change trains to Takayama except there was a storm so we had to chill in the waiting room for like 6 hours haha but it was all good cause we went to do a bit of shopping 8) Out of all the places i think Takayama was the most different. We stayed at the only youth hostel on the trip but it was really good and better than we expected.
We lived in the traditional Japanese rooms with Tatami (straw mats) and like slept on Futons :D + there was traditional jap breakfast too! Shopped around a bit, bought a massive bunch of flowers which the lady tried to give me a discount for at like 50cents ;o but yeah gave her 3 dollars instead-  which is still really cheap. Had dinner at this awesome ramen place and took pictures with the guy they worked there.

The last place we went to was Gifu where we met our host families. Seriously everyone was really nervous in the beginning but gradually we all became good friends. My buddy was called Akane, she's like soooooo pretty <3 haha i know a few people from our trip who've like basically fallen in love with her hehe.Basically it was meant to be me&susan staying with her but then one friend got homesick so the teachers moved susan over to our friend's family~ But before that Akane & her parents took us to this place called 昭和村 where we made pottery and dyed clothes :) Felt bad though cause our host parents paid for everything which was $150+

Did calliagraphy & cooking classes there and made Takoyaki ( octopus balls), watched our buddies practice for the bunkasai ( culture festival) where they danced to lady gaga & Britney spears' songs.  The bunkasai was so amazing, i wish our school had the lighting affects they did, we never do anything fun either i swear.Everyone went to karaoke after the culture festival. It was like 3 hours with 13 people in a room for 30 and everyone had to pay about $7 each only. So much cheaper compared to Australia lol - -'' They even have free icecream there. I'm proud that i sang one Japanese song 8) it was hard though~ but it was really fun :D My host mother drove us to school & picked us up every single day so I got to wake up at 7:30am while all my friends had to wake at like 5 or 6am LOOOL.

We had a farewell party at Tomita high (the school that we went to everyday in Gifu) and we all had to give speeches, then everyone went to take photos together which involved like everyone looking at 1000 different cameras LOL. The teacher gave each of us this really cute hamster plushie thingyo called Kapibarasan :) My host mother took me to eat at this expensive jap place & then bought Akane & I a pair necklace.

We were meant to go back to Australia on the 30th of September except our flight got cancelled cause the people went on strike so yeah 8) stayed in a 4 star hotel for free for a extra night. It had a gym, buffet & onsen ( hot springs) which everyone went to :D Went for last minute shopping~ I've written so much but I still can't elaborate how fun the japan trip was <3 i'll literally never forget it, one of the most happy times of my life. If anyone is contemplating going next year , YOU HAVE TO.