April 13th, 102 BC

China got me this strange thing and told me that I can write in it. I asked him what to write and he said anything I wanted and suggested that I write about my day, so I will.

I'm Vietnam, China's little sister and sister to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Thailand. I am a sister to many others but they live somewhere else; we all live under China's roof, but I have a feeling that one day we won't. I don't know why but I have this weird feeling that we'd leave one day.

Maybe I shouldn't overthink things.

Today was very eventful, I think. China took Taiwan and me down to the village to buy some food for dinner. Even though we're all rather old compared to people, China looks like a young man and Taiwan and I look like children. Some people had told me I look like a six year old and Taiwan looks like she is four. I don't like it too much; old ladies keep pinching our cheeks and they hurt.

So that's what happened. The old ladies came forward and pinched my cheeks and Taiwan's. They laughed when Taiwan ran behind me and grabbed my arm. Taiwan doesn't like it either. I told China that we both didn't like to be thought as of children, but China said that we act like children sometimes. I don't understand why but I didn't ask him; I was too busy watching a puppet show a few feet away. It looked interesting and China's laugh brought me back to the conversation.

"See," he said. "I told you, aru."

"N-no you didn't." I told him stubbornly. I held my chin up high and told him that I was very mature.

China only laughed and agreed with me. I'm glad to know that he thinks I'm mature.

We came home after an hour- China started talking to an old man, calling him 'boss'. The old man looked at me and Taiwan and he looked very mean. China says he isn't mean, but I still think he looks mean. He would give me and Taiwan a very mean look and say something to China that we couldn't hear. It was very scary.

Anyway, when we came home, China went to the kitchen and cooked. His food is very good. I watch him sometimes, me, Japan, and Hong Kong. We'd usually sit there, watching while the others played. Sometimes I'd taste the food to see if it's ready and tell him. I like my food sweet and sour sometimes, and so does China. Japan likes salty food, but he doesn't mind sweet and sour.

Thailand likes spicy food, and so does Korea, but I think spicy food is okay. But I drink water after spicy food. Thailand and Korea don't have to.

So when China went to cook, Taiwan and I went out to the gardens to find the others. Japan was practicing his caligraphy by the pond and Thailand and Macao were by the pond, crouched down and pointing. Korea was chasing a butterfly near by and Hong Kong watched him.

Taiwan tugged at my arm and told me she wanted to go see what Japan was doing. I asked her why I had to go too, because she always had me go with her everywhere.

"You're my sister, Vietnam!" she said, giving me a big smile. "Pwease?"

Taiwan looked too cute; I like cute things. China has a lot of cute things and I like them. Taiwan was little, and little kids look very cute. So I said okay and went to go see Japan.

Japan is very nice to me. Sometimes he's too quiet, but sometimes, he can be loud like everyone else. I don't know which one of us is older though. China says he doesn't remember and Japan and I don't remember either. Korea says he was older, but we don't really know.

"Hello," Japan said when Taiwan and I came to him.

"Hello," Taiwan and I greeted back. Taiwan sat down by Japan and peered at his caligraphy. "I wish I can do that too." she pouted.

"China will teach you soon." Japan said calmly. "When you're older, he'll teach you."

Japan's caligraphy is a little different than China's. Japan altered it a little bit, and it looks more easier than Chinese. It made things easier becuase Chinese has a lot more lines than Japanese. China made me learn caligraphy too, but I think it's more like drawing than writing.

Japan continued to practice quietly. I looked over at the pond at Thailand and Macao and went over to them. I looked behind me and Taiwan looked worried. It happened all the time. Whenever Japan is in one direction and I'm in the other, Taiwan didn't know who to go to.

I told her to stay with Japan, but it didn't help much. Oh well. She was already with Japan anyway so it was okay.

Thailand and Macao were watching the fish swim in the water. China's fish are very pretty. They are orange and white and black and more. They are very big too. I sat down by them and watched with them.

Thailand is very nice to me too, like Japan. He had his elephant toy with him. China got him the toy and Thailand takes it everywhere he went. It's cute too.

Macao is younger than me and Thailand but a little older than Taiwan. He looks like he's four too, but if he was human, China said he'd be months older than Taiwan. I still don't understand why countries age so slow. China says if we grow like people, we'd all look like a skeleton. I don't know what a skeleton is so I asked China.

"A skeleton is the hard bony part of a human, aru." China said. "Here, it looks like this, aru."

He drew me a picture. I think a skeleton looks silly and it doesn't look like a human. China says it's inside us. He says that the skeleton protects us and keeps us up.

The fish in the pond were just swimming around so I got bored and went to go play with Korea.

Korea is fast and he can jump very high. He looks like he's six like me and Japan, but some people say five too. Maybe five and a half. I don't know. Korea saw me and told me to help him catch a butterfly.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I'm bored, da-ze." Korea said. "And it would be better if two people try to catch it, da-ze."

"What will you do after you catch it?" I asked.

Korea only shrugged and told me to go try and cut it off over by the pagoda in the gardens.

At the end, we learned that a butterfly can fly higher than it lets off.

China called us in for dinner after the butterlfy flew up higher over the wall. Korea and I were sad to see it go, but we were happy to eat. "Aniki's food is delicious, da-ze." Korea declared.

China grinned at him and patted his head. Korea then looked up to see if his hair was okay after that. Korea and Taiwan has this weird long strand of hair that sticks out. I don't know what it's there for and why no one else has it but they said they don't know either.

Dinner was good. China always make sure we're full and we had a good meal. Before everyone left the kitchen, China stopped everyone and said he had gifts for everyone.

"Ooh, is it our birthdays?" Korea asked excitedly.

"It's no one's birthday today." Hong Kong said to Korea. Hong Kong can be quiet like Japan too. "And we all have different birthdays."

China said that he thought it would be nice to get everyone something so he did. He gave Japan a toy wood sword. Then he gave Hong Kong and Taiwan new clothes. Macao got a collection of tales and stories. Korea got new paintbrushes to draw with; Korea likes to draw and sometimes he draws when he's supposed to pratice caligraphy. Thailand got a real baby elephant. Thailand was very excited and asked where.

"Outside, aru. Come, let's all go see it, aru." China said excitedly, ushering us out of the kitchen.

"What about Vietnam?" Japan asked China.

China hugged me tightly, saying sorry over and over again. I didn't mind. I was too busy being excited about an elephant to remember I didn't get one yet. I think an elephant is cool and I wanted to see it, but I didn't tell China that.

"Here, little sister, aru." China said, giving me a book like thing.

I opened it and said it was empty.

"You write in it, aru." China said. "Or draw, whichever you want, aru."

So that's what happened and how I got this. I think I'll stop writing. I can hear Thailand outside laughing. I just looked out the window and he was riding on the elephant. The elephant may be a baby one but it's big enough to give a five year old looking country a ride. He's getting off right now and Korea is getting on. I want to go on too so I'm stopping.

-Vietnam