°˖✧Gaijin✧˖°

°˖✧Sorry, you're not a winner✧˖°

We at the Salt Middle Newspaper know that you're all quite interested in the newest addition to our population, transfer student Anaya Ari. Our very own, Mezato Ichi, has gone out of her way to interview her to ask some of the many questions that your brains have been filled with since she came. The following information is from her interview.

Anaya hails from the city of Fairfax in the United States of America, which hosts festivities such as the Chocolate Lovers Festival every year. Her blood type is A, which indicates traits such as a kind, reliable nature while also being stubborn and anxious. She remarked that her biggest culture shock upon coming to Japan was the fact that people don't hold the door open for one another.

When asked about what she missed the most about home, Mezato assumed that she would say something about family. However, she stated that she missed Mexican food and cheaper prices of fruit the most. Her biggest pet peeve is people who are rude to service and/or retail workers, such as not saying thank you. She says she has no celebrity crush, but that she appreciates the talents of voice actor Daisuke Ono.

Upon being asked about her ideal type, Anaya got a bit shy. She described her ideal type as someone who is kind to others not because they want anything in return, but because it's the right thing to do. Appearance-wise, she didn't seem to have much to say other than she slightly prefers dark hair and eyes, though this isn't a requirement.

She spoke about her dream of living a life that is comfortable and happy. Mezato found this to be a bit surprising, since it seems most people want something lavish for their lives, but Anaya desired no such thing. Her biggest fears, she said, were that of failure and death. She lives at home with her mother, an English teacher at Ponzu University, and has a French Bulldog named "Bubba." She also has an older sister that continues to live in America.

Anaya enjoys drawing, playing video games, cooking, watching anime and reading manga, and exploring the world around her. She expressed that if she had a motto, it would be, "Life is too short to not enjoy good food." On the subject of food, her favorites are anything spicy, such as Korean foods or tantanmen from the local ramen shop. Her least favorite foods are anything bitter, so she will gladly give anyone some bitter melon off of her plate if you'd like it.

Given the fact that she's foreign, we simply had to ask if she was fond of sashimi. To our surprise, she does like it quite a bit, and said she'd love to go to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant sometime! Our final question came about from Seasoning City's notorious reputation of being a hot spot for the supernatural. We asked her if she believed in such things, to which she responded that she is a big believer in the paranormal.

But don't look away just yet, dear reader! We have one more tidbit about Anaya, one that goes beyond the interview. Mezato caught up with fellow classmate, Kageyama Shigeo, to ask his opinion on our transfer student. He stated, "Ari is the type of person that puts others at ease. She's kind and takes the time to listen to others because she cares. She's more than just a transfer student." How sweet!

That's all from us for now. Stay tuned in next time for our student highlights!

"Hey, this is a really well written article," Micah chirps as he sets the newspaper back down onto his desk. He tucks his arms behind his head, leaning back a little bit in his office chair. "Looks like that Mezato girl put a whole lot of effort into letting the school know you beyond the foreignness. Maybe it'll help people see you differently."

Ari sits in front of his desk, looking down at her hands in her lap, a soft redness on her cheeks. She knew that Ichi took pride in her journalism, yes, but she didn't expect so much effort to be put into an article about her. She's beyond flattered - more like honored. And then what Shigeo said about her, too. It makes her tummy fill with butterflies knowing that he appreciates her.