Couchsurfing hosting in Japan. 9th couchserfer from Montreal, Canada
July 19, 20179th couchserfer from Montreal, Canada
August, 2014
We welcomed 9th guest from Montreal, Canada. Montreal... 3 times in 9 times hosting, I wonder if Japan is popular in Montreal.
Actually, I was considering whether I should stop Couchsurfing in a while before I received their request. We had welcomed new guests almost all weeks this season. It's absolutely fun to do Couchsurfing for me, but it was getting to be little bit hard to take balance for both weekdays tasks we have to and to be host. However, I couldn't stop myself because I got a nice request from them ! And my decision was completely correct, we had great time even it was weekdays hosting though, especially for my older children, they did really awesome experience with them. It will stay in my kids for long time as their precious childhood memory, definitely!
They stayed 2 nights.
Not good mood...
There are 4 child in my home. Yes, They are child but they are human at same time. I mean, they have own thought, joy, sad, angry, desire. Sometimes, my wife and I can't handle the situation made by their chain reaction, my home will be terrible at that time, it's like battlefield.
One of kids get to start angry because another one took her toy which she is playing, then, a fight is started. Then, another one (older) coming to stop the fighting but younger two start to hit older one, then older one starts to join this fighting.
On the other hand, oldest one gets to start angry and shout because he can't continue his homework due to sister's screaming voices. Moreover, my wife gets to start to punish each ones .
These things can be happen sometimes in the evening despite we got tired by finishing own jobs. It's so stressful for us and after happened the atmosphere is not good.. every time.
Same thing was happened the day they came, and it was just a little bit before they arrive.
I was waiting the meeting up time which my guest and I decided before while organizing all of family's laundry, peacefully.
However, I had a worry thing. I was not sure whether they come because we missed the contact 3 days ago. Surely I wrote " let's meet up at my nearest station at 7 pm", but they didn't response to it. I believed they had just lost WiFi for 3 days but, on the other hand, I remembered that some bad rumors I read on internet, some surfers no show without any contact, some surfers appears very late night... I was worried what should I do if they like that.
Then, the things happened.
My wife was starting to cook but she seemed was in a bad mood from the begging and 4 kids started the fighting,crying, screaming. She started to punish them with "devil face". This time her angriness was looked stronger than usual.
Oh....This is not good...
This is not good atmosphere at all as welcoming the guest.
I tried to calm down her, but before that, I considered "Why my wife turned the devil ? " She is not a type of lady in usual, and I noticed it.
She is not tired only by her job, she is not irritated only by this noisy, she is tired to continue the host. I have repeated to accept the guests constantly in very short term without her agreement.
She had a lot of task in a day, full time job from 8:30 am to 5 pm, then go to pick daughters up to kindergarten, then go to shopping for the dinner, and cook as soon as she got back to home, plus we had almost 2 couple of guests per week.
Yap, it seems too much, indeed.
Yap, it seems too much, indeed.
I didn't care of my wife at all and I took priority of my pleasure... So she was in a bad mood...
I couldn't say anything to her.
Um, it's not easy to continue couchsurfing as well.
Um, it's not easy to continue couchsurfing as well.
I left my house stealthy to check my guest if really came to the station.
Actually, I was already late the meeting up time.
Actually, I was already late the meeting up time.
Meeting up!
I went to the station having anxiety, but I found them as soon as I arrived. They were on time! I'm sorry..I was late for 15 minutes.
After greetings, they asked me " Did you have a busy day? " .
Yeah, Leave it at that. It seems happier than true. I answered " Yes ".
I was worried my house situation right now but when we arrived my house, my kids and wife turned in a good mood somehow. It seems the fighting is over. So now, everything is normal, I'm relieved.
Kids forgot the fighting and punishing already because they played with my kids as soon as they arrived. Nice!
Then, we had dinner.
While having dinner, we talked some interesting topics, what is our daily life like, about jobs, and why they came to Japan. They said that they had plan to go to Turkey in first but one day they met their friend who have been to Japan. They heard some good things about Japan then got interest and changed the plan.
Oh～I'm glad to hear that. Although I'm not interested in Japan, I'm glad to hear when someone get to be interested in Japan.
They seemed already enjoyed some place in Japan, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, and Asakusa. Asakusa! I used to live there couple of years! Very nice city which you can feel real old Japanese atmosphere with rich history. I recommend Asakusa to anybody! They did really good choice.
My son and I played UNO with them with a special rule,they have to use Japanese and we also use English when we say colors like after put " Draw 4" or "Color card".
Blue is Ao, Yellow is Kiro, Red is Aka, Green is Midori. This rule seemd pretty tough for them and my son, except me:) They were not able to say the colors with each languages easily, of course. So, I won!
Anyway, I hope this was good opportunity to learn Japanese for them.
After greetings, they asked me " Did you have a busy day? " .
Yeah, Leave it at that. It seems happier than true. I answered " Yes ".
I was worried my house situation right now but when we arrived my house, my kids and wife turned in a good mood somehow. It seems the fighting is over. So now, everything is normal, I'm relieved.
Kids forgot the fighting and punishing already because they played with my kids as soon as they arrived. Nice!
Then, we had dinner.
While having dinner, we talked some interesting topics, what is our daily life like, about jobs, and why they came to Japan. They said that they had plan to go to Turkey in first but one day they met their friend who have been to Japan. They heard some good things about Japan then got interest and changed the plan.
Oh～I'm glad to hear that. Although I'm not interested in Japan, I'm glad to hear when someone get to be interested in Japan.
They seemed already enjoyed some place in Japan, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, and Asakusa. Asakusa! I used to live there couple of years! Very nice city which you can feel real old Japanese atmosphere with rich history. I recommend Asakusa to anybody! They did really good choice.
My son and I played UNO with them with a special rule,they have to use Japanese and we also use English when we say colors like after put " Draw 4" or "Color card".
Blue is Ao, Yellow is Kiro, Red is Aka, Green is Midori. This rule seemd pretty tough for them and my son, except me:) They were not able to say the colors with each languages easily, of course. So, I won!
Anyway, I hope this was good opportunity to learn Japanese for them.
The special day
Second day, guests and I were talking about what do we do. I have to go to sales so I can't join them. I suggested to visit Arima onsen since you are in here.
They said " yeah, not bad".
My oldest daughter is standing by me look like she want to say something.
By the way, my oldest son (9 y.o) and daughter (7 y.o) is in summer vacation.
They said " yeah, not bad".
My oldest daughter is standing by me look like she want to say something.
By the way, my oldest son (9 y.o) and daughter (7 y.o) is in summer vacation.
Also, I suggested to visit Mt.Rokko because they can see the great scenery of Kobe and top of mountain is really cool, it's a good place to escape from hot and humid.
They said " It's also not bad".
My oldest daughter (7 y.o) is standing by me look like she want to say something.
My guest couple said that actually they want go to the beach and they heard Kobe has a beach called Suma. Yeah, Indeed, that's right.
My daughter (7 y.o) is still standing by me, she is saying something with small voice. I ignored it, and kept talking. But she said again with small voice, so I asked her " What do you want to say? ", then she said " I wanna go with them.."
What?! No, no. It's impossible. I have to go to my job.
Is there a father who allow his small daughter hang out with someone, without parents in the world? Nothing. First of all, it's too much trouble for them.
But the couple had an interest what my daughter said.
" Yeah! It's great idea!! Sounds very fun!! "
Are you sure?! but it's too much...
" NO! It's really good idea! "
They said so...
Hmm, it might be good opportunity for great experience. Yeah, it must be.
In Japan we have a saying "Let your pretty child travel alone"
OK! So, it's a deal. I prepared my son's and daughter's swim suits, some money and " kids cell phone", just in case.
Have a fun and take care! I brought all of them to the station, then went to work.
After brought them, I had regret my mistake.
I should have passed my memo or something paper to prove the guest and my children is going to the beach with my agreement, just in case, Otherwise, some people might misunderstand my children is kidnapped,
or at least they never look parents and their kids. White adults and Japanese kids, this is very strange couple in Japan. If someone call the police...oh, it's not good.
But I had nothing I can do after I noticed it, just have to wait they come back.
My oldest daughter (7 y.o) is standing by me look like she want to say something.
My guest couple said that actually they want go to the beach and they heard Kobe has a beach called Suma. Yeah, Indeed, that's right.
My daughter (7 y.o) is still standing by me, she is saying something with small voice. I ignored it, and kept talking. But she said again with small voice, so I asked her " What do you want to say? ", then she said " I wanna go with them.."
What?! No, no. It's impossible. I have to go to my job.
Is there a father who allow his small daughter hang out with someone, without parents in the world? Nothing. First of all, it's too much trouble for them.
But the couple had an interest what my daughter said.
" Yeah! It's great idea!! Sounds very fun!! "
Are you sure?! but it's too much...
" NO! It's really good idea! "
They said so...
Hmm, it might be good opportunity for great experience. Yeah, it must be.
In Japan we have a saying "Let your pretty child travel alone"
OK! So, it's a deal. I prepared my son's and daughter's swim suits, some money and " kids cell phone", just in case.
Have a fun and take care! I brought all of them to the station, then went to work.
After brought them, I had regret my mistake.
I should have passed my memo or something paper to prove the guest and my children is going to the beach with my agreement, just in case, Otherwise, some people might misunderstand my children is kidnapped,
or at least they never look parents and their kids. White adults and Japanese kids, this is very strange couple in Japan. If someone call the police...oh, it's not good.
But I had nothing I can do after I noticed it, just have to wait they come back.
I couldn't concentrate to my job at all in that all of day.
Around 7:30 pm they came back to here with tanned well.
I apologized to my guest first about I didn't pass them my memo or something as showing you guys are not strangers.
Actually, they said that they were worried same thing:) It looks really weird at least in Japan, the combination white person and Japanese kids.
So, they did very much care to be seem they have nice relationship with my kids.
Oh... I'm sorry to bother you.
I heard "one day trip story" while having dinner.
In the beginning they were lost during changing the train, so my guest asked the way to old lady but she couldn't understand English at all. Then, my son found a guy and asked him the way so that they could find the way! Good job!
In the train, they spend the time doing some games and listening the music through their iPod.
In the beach, they did, catch balling, diving to against the waves again and again, eating ice creams, just relaxing under the tree... they seemed enjoyed the beach a lot.
I asked my son to take some pictures with my old iPhone before they leave my house. He took some indeed, but there is no human, just scenery. Hmm, I wanted him to take pictures more enjoying one with my guest, but yeah, he is just kid, you know.
Here are some pictures he took.
Anyway, this is really great experience for my children!Hang out with other country people, and moreover, without their parents.What a great !!
If we didn't Couchsurfing, they never get such a great moment.
I was relieved to hear that they said they also had great time and did make nice memories with my kids. I hope it was not too much trouble for them.
My guest were exhausted by this experience so they went the bed at very early night :)
Thank you for everything!!!
0 コメント
Please leave us comments in feel free.