This blog offers snapshots of in time of the Rising Daughters growing up. This latest round provides an overview of Elena’s current lifestyle and thinking by way of a Q&A. Her environment in Yokohama is relatively unchanged, but this kid is transforming thanks to her experiences and unique personality. She’s a work-in-progress.
A typical teenager: hormonal and icily logical. Querulous yet obedient. Apathetic but overactive in areas they shouldn’t be. And self-absorbed.
These days, society encourages dads to not describe our daughters in gender-centric, stereotypical terms like “pretty” and “my princess.” As my Lady E. teenager learns and progresses toward adulthood, things are gonna get interesting.
Without further ado...
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| Not her school, by the way |
What's been the hardest thing to readjust to since you moved back to Yokohama?
School, especially math. Yes, school in general, but especially math, science and social studies since they’re different from what I took in America.
Anything different about your lifestyle or things that are hard to readjust to?
Something hard is to make new friends. Maybe it's not that hard because I already have friends here from four years ago. So there's nothing especially hard, but in general it’s just different, not that hard to readjust to.
What are your favorite clothes these days?
Ah, favorite clothes. I only wear my clothes two times a week, because I have my school jersey [tracksuit]. So, maybe my jeans, and my band hoodie. It's big, it's like a huge size that makes me look like it's a one-piece black hoodie. That's probably my favorite.
Sub Q: Is it the hoodie from your band days at middle school in Tennessee?
School, especially math. Yes, school in general, but especially math, science and social studies since they’re different from what I took in America.
Anything different about your lifestyle or things that are hard to readjust to?
Something hard is to make new friends. Maybe it's not that hard because I already have friends here from four years ago. So there's nothing especially hard, but in general it’s just different, not that hard to readjust to.
What are your favorite clothes these days?
Ah, favorite clothes. I only wear my clothes two times a week, because I have my school jersey [tracksuit]. So, maybe my jeans, and my band hoodie. It's big, it's like a huge size that makes me look like it's a one-piece black hoodie. That's probably my favorite.
Sub Q: Is it the hoodie from your band days at middle school in Tennessee?
A: Yes.
Any new hobbies or sports?
I played tennis this year as a club activity at school.
Why did you decide to play tennis?
Because I originally liked badminton but they don’t have badminton available at school. So it was either table tennis or tennis, and mom used to do tennis, and it seemed quite interesting.
What's your favorite ice cream/or candy?
I have a lot of flavors I like. I like the original flavors from Baskin Robbins, and the chocolate banana super scoop ice cream. Also, gummies, chocolate, super tough gummies. Or just gummies in general but hard gummies--stuff like that, and milk chocolate.
Who is more fun to play with, boys or girls?
Girls. Yeah, I don't have any boyfriends. It’s easier with girls and girlfriends. I don't have anything in common with the boys. We just don't talk to boys in my grade. No, no, no, none of my girlfriends have friends that are boys. There's this complete line, a wall between boys and girls in our class.
What's your average day like?
Yeah, well I go to school around 08:00 I usually have five or six classes on school days. I have lunch around 12:25.
Why did you decide to play tennis?
Because I originally liked badminton but they don’t have badminton available at school. So it was either table tennis or tennis, and mom used to do tennis, and it seemed quite interesting.
What's your favorite ice cream/or candy?
I have a lot of flavors I like. I like the original flavors from Baskin Robbins, and the chocolate banana super scoop ice cream. Also, gummies, chocolate, super tough gummies. Or just gummies in general but hard gummies--stuff like that, and milk chocolate.
Who is more fun to play with, boys or girls?
Girls. Yeah, I don't have any boyfriends. It’s easier with girls and girlfriends. I don't have anything in common with the boys. We just don't talk to boys in my grade. No, no, no, none of my girlfriends have friends that are boys. There's this complete line, a wall between boys and girls in our class.
What's your average day like?
Yeah, well I go to school around 08:00 I usually have five or six classes on school days. I have lunch around 12:25.
What kind of lunch?
A bento box lunch that mommy makes. It’s usually good. It's like different every day.
Do your friends all have school lunches from their moms?
Yeah, well some of them buy lunch but most of them have bentos. Only like two people in our class buy lunch.
Tell us about the past year. What have you learned?
Yeah, we've been here over a year now. But the subjects are all new.
Math is new, I’m studying graphs, and some functions and relations, but it’s just math. We all take the same math. Okay, it's different from America so there's like no algebra and smart people classes. We are all learning the same stuff. I learned new kanji characters, and Japanese history in social studies.
What books are you reading lately?
Reading Harry Potter and this Japanese book that I find interesting. I forgot the name of the Japanese book. I read it a month ago so it's, it's something like 40 days of being somewhere like in a dream, about two people from different times, like completely different timelines. I read a lot.
What’s your favorite TV show these days?
Comedy shows.
What would you like to say to your future self, when you’re 21?
I'll probably be a university student. I hope I'm happy, and have a stable life. Yeah, I hope I'm a not rock and roll star or a TV celebrity. Just living a normal life as a university student. I want to be peaceful. I know I want to be normal. I want to travel, but don't want to do like super high spec stuff. And, I’m watching a lot of American TV shows and Japanese anime shows, so I’m becoming expert in both.
In what place are you happiest?
I'm happy talking to my friends at school or just anywhere in general because it's fun. Also, I like sleeping. So, those two. Yeah, talking to my friends just anywhere, and then doing stuff with my friends and also sleeping and relaxing.
To be continued...
A bento box lunch that mommy makes. It’s usually good. It's like different every day.
Do your friends all have school lunches from their moms?
Yeah, well some of them buy lunch but most of them have bentos. Only like two people in our class buy lunch.
Tell us about the past year. What have you learned?
Yeah, we've been here over a year now. But the subjects are all new.
Math is new, I’m studying graphs, and some functions and relations, but it’s just math. We all take the same math. Okay, it's different from America so there's like no algebra and smart people classes. We are all learning the same stuff. I learned new kanji characters, and Japanese history in social studies.
What books are you reading lately?
Reading Harry Potter and this Japanese book that I find interesting. I forgot the name of the Japanese book. I read it a month ago so it's, it's something like 40 days of being somewhere like in a dream, about two people from different times, like completely different timelines. I read a lot.
What’s your favorite TV show these days?
Comedy shows.
What would you like to say to your future self, when you’re 21?
I'll probably be a university student. I hope I'm happy, and have a stable life. Yeah, I hope I'm a not rock and roll star or a TV celebrity. Just living a normal life as a university student. I want to be peaceful. I know I want to be normal. I want to travel, but don't want to do like super high spec stuff. And, I’m watching a lot of American TV shows and Japanese anime shows, so I’m becoming expert in both.
In what place are you happiest?
I'm happy talking to my friends at school or just anywhere in general because it's fun. Also, I like sleeping. So, those two. Yeah, talking to my friends just anywhere, and then doing stuff with my friends and also sleeping and relaxing.
To be continued...
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