hana and heaven in japan

(enchant:?page,(text-colour:red))15-year-old Hana Mayumi Nakahara and her cousin, Heaven Victoria Russom, who just turned 16, are spending the summer of 2016 in the vibrant city of Kyoto, in southern Japan. Both teens and Los Angeles natives are figure skaters who are training under a certain coach who would be later exposed for her "unique" practices on her skaters. [[Hana]] [[Heaven]] [[Gianna]]

Hi, I'm Hana Nakahara, and I am 15 years old. I sometimes go by my middle name, Mayumi, and I am Japanese and Eritrean. Ironically, I speak little Japanese and I am currently in Kyoto for the summer with my cousin, [[Heaven]], who just turned 16. We arrived in Kyoto on the morning of June 17 local time... [[Day one (Hana)]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:orange))

I'm Heaven Victoria Russom, and I just turned 16 last week. I'm staying in Japan this summer to train as a figure skater, and to take part in the culture of my cousin, [[Hana]], who is half Japanese. I couldn't feel my legs coming out of that airplane in Kyoto... [[Day one (Heaven)]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:yellow))

My body felt raw with fatigue... I struggled to get out of the airplane because we sat for nearly two days in that metal tube. [[Day one (Heaven)]] I spent most of the flight sleeping and Heaven acted if I was her kid and she was my mother, Camila. [[Day two (Hana)]] (enchant:?passage,(text-colour:orange))

The metal tube had my ass numb from all the sitting. For most of that time I slept or watched films, but I couldn't believe that I was going somewhere that wasn't either Brazil or Ethiopia. Mayumi was my biggest help throughout our travels... [[Day two (Heaven)]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:yellow))

Mayumi took the aisle seat while I took the window, where I, the taller cousin, served as the resident shoulder to sleep on throughout the day-long flight. She looked adorable while she slept, and I can admit, I kissed her forehead a couple of times as if she was still a little kid, and I was Camila, her mother, and my aunt. [[Day two (Hana)]] I have to admit, I was excited about what Kyoto had to offer... [[Day three (Heaven)]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:yellow))

I don't remember what happened day two, but all I know was that it was spent sleeping because my body was still on LA time, meaning when it was morning here in Kyoto, it was the previous night back in LA. We didn't do much until the next day... [[Day two (Heaven)]] [[Day three (Hana)]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:orange))

I woke up around 5 in the morning to start getting ready to head to the rink while Gianna and Hana slept. [[I let Hana and Gianna sleep in until the last minute]] [[I wake them up after I get ready because there is no way in hell that we'd be late as guests]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:yellow))

I'm Gianna Sato, [[Heaven]] and [[Hana]]'s coach. Right now, in the year 2016, I am 26 years old, and recently retired from skating competitively. I don't know about this particular coach that works here, but Heaven especially was adamant about going to Japan since she looks up to many Japanese skaters. [[Day one (Gianna)]]

We spent most of this day traveling from LA to Kyoto, which took around 2 days. Heaven and Hana were asleep for most of it, though I couldn't since I don't like to sleep sitting up. [[Day two (Gianna)]]

Heaven got up around 5 am, but I was debating to get up along with her since we start training today. [[Get dressed and ready immediately]] [[Sleep in because I'm still jetlagged]](enchant:?passage,(text-colour:orange))

Hana and Gianna are well-rested after being jetlagged, but we are late to practice. The head coach already doesn't like us because we are American, but lets especially Hana and Gianna off because they are Japanese, though she likes Hana a little less because she is mixed.(enchant:?passage,(text-colour:yellow))

(enchant:?passage,(text-colour:yellow))We got there quite early and I just found out she (the coach) spoke perfect English this whole time. Hana asked me before getting on the ice to help her split stretches, as we were starting to practice our Biellmann spins. [[Help Hana with her split stretches]] [[Ignore Hana and expect Hana to do it herself]]

(enchant:?passage,(text-colour:orange))I'm still sore, but nervous because I've heard some things about this coach. She looks like the Japanese version of Ursula, and seems to act like it. I'm still iffy about her since I just found out she speaks perfect English, as she was talking to Heaven in English. I got to warming up by stretching myself off the ice, as Gianna taught us back in Los Angeles. [[Ask Heaven to help me with my split stretches]] [[Do my stretches by myself]]

(enchant:?passage,(text-colour:orange))We end up being late, but I know that she (the coach) won't like us because of her interaction yesterday with Gianna.

I slept in for around half that day, but went to the rink to meet with the head coaches at the rink that Heaven and Hana were going to train at. I believe that I speak a half-decent level of Japanese, but I hope I'm not getting judged since I'm a second-generation American and learned from my grandparents. [[Day three (Gianna)]]

I'm surprised that Heaven got up at 5 am on the dot, because back in LA she would be the last to arrive before practice. [[Sleep in and rush out]] [[Drag myself out of bed so we can be on time]]

Hana forgot her skate guards and has to rush back into the hostel to get them. We end up late, again.

The coach already doesn't like us, and we're giving her more reason not to...

(enchant:?page,(text-colour:orange))Heaven stepped on my feet so I could stretch my back on the floor. Usually if I did it myself, I would've done it standing, but I was too dizzy since I was incredibly jetlagged AND as I am quite anemic.

(enchant:?page,(text-colour:orange))I still stretched myself on the floor, but instead of my hands touching my feet from the back, I rolled over to my side. The coach did NOT like that I was fumbling on Biellmann stretches on the first day. I wonder why I even still stretched by myself on the floor...

(enchant:?page,(text-colour:yellow))Hana told me to step on her feet so she could stretch her back.

(enchant:?page,(text-colour:yellow))Hana struggled to stretch herself on the ground, therefore she fell over within 10 seconds of trying. The coach did NOT like that...