July 29, 2009
Even though it has been two weeks since last writing, I have not forgotten about updating. The reason for the pause is the increase in activity, as well as the reintroduction of grad school classes into my schedule. Juggling my responsibilities with the present moment has proven to be quite challenging(taihen). I will skip the majority of what has transpired, because it has been repetitive. I will add that the majority of my days have been spent in the Shijo area. The outdoor mall that I frequent is called Teramachi. Machi means town or city, while tera means temple. The area has been a marketplace as far back as 600 years. Because of the activity, the temples and shrines were moved to one side of the street. Therefore, it is called temple city. Because Minami is busy in class, it has become my stomping ground. Another reason why I have gone here so much, is for souvenir(omiyage) shopping.
In this time, I realized that collecting gifts around the country is a chance to share the experience of this journey with others. Even though I came and experienced this wondrous land without bringing others, by bringing back souvenirs, my friends and family may, too have a taste of Japan. My brother, Josh, has been the easiest to find gifts for. His excitement and enthusiasm for the Japanese culture has been existent since we were young boys playing together. The most difficult was my father. Jerry has never mentioned a specific interest in Japanese culture. As a guy, I understand he would appreciate anything; however, I wanted to get him something that would wow him and something he could cherish. I only mentioned these two, because they exist on opposite ends of the spectrum in difficulty in choosing souvenirs.
Besides shopping and walking all over Kyoto, an event worth mentioning that has taken place in the past two weeks, is the Gion Matsuri(Festival). This is a long standing festival that takes place every year in the Shijo area of Kyoto. It is similar to a fair/new years Eve celebration. Participants where traditional clothes just like at the Ryokan, called Yukatas. The difference is that the ones worn at the Japanese style inn are more like robes, these are more delicate. Women where a fancy tie around their wastes that come in the back in a decorative tie. I also wore a yukata as well. It was Minami’s Grandpa’s(Ojiisan), who passed away a few years ago. Regardless, I was honored to be able to wear a piece of clothing that had such a family history. Despite being a robe, it was small on me. Minami’s was shockingly beautiful. Her mother worked on wrapping and then tying. He decorative tie was a bow in the back about 1foot by 6inches. She put her hair up in created a visual display that was both traditional and magnificent. Dressed up we headed to Kyoto.
She had a English(Eigo) lesson with Ayumi and her son, Keiichiro. Minami was hesitant about wearing this wear to the house and teaching with the attire on. I was nervous about walking around in public with it on. We were not alone in our dress. A majority of people, who are not in business attire, are wearing Yukatas. Some men where a Jimbei, which is a pair of shorts and a shirt that ties on either sides of the waste My initial hesitation with wearing the yukata faded to slight acceptance.
After the lesson, we headed to a Shijo to buy food to bring to the house party we were invited. Since I arrived in Japan, I have heard of this woman, Satoko. Everyone speaks highly of her, saying that she is quite the host. She owns a house in Kyoto and has gatherings with many of the international teachers in the Kansai area. The Kansai area consists of the area around Lake Biwa, south and a little more west. I believe Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto, and Shiga are all included. For those who do not remember, Minami lives in Shiga. We both bought different items to bring to the party.
We were one of the first people to the house. It is snuggled in between two buildings in the busy Sanjo area(a street up from Shji). The gathering took place in a small porch area. It was inside; however, it seemed to be a separate part from the rest of the house used for entertaining. This whole time in Japan, I have yet to enter a home that is similar to one’s in the U.S.; so when I say home, don’t think a home like what you are used too. Create a picture in your mind by imagining a quaint Japanese setting, with unique roofs, and wood supports on every corner. Better yet, just Google Japanese style houses.
Sure enough, there were a lot of foreigners who came to the party. When I say foreigners, I mean Americans: English teachers in the Jet programme, who teach in Elementary through High School. There were also two other men, who were business workers in the area and had been living in Japan for around 4 years. It seems that Japan is more loose in terms of working visas, while being extremely strict with granting citizenship to foreigners. Minami has told me that it is virtually impossible for any one, not of Japanese origin, to become a citizen. The exceptions exist in marriage. After catching up and meeting new people, quite a few of us walked down to the festival area to see the festivities. They have a special game here in Japan, during festivals, called Goldfish scooping. In this game, the participant is giving a paddle that is made of paper. She attempts to scoop as many goldfish as she can into a bowl, The goldfish are in a big area spread out in front of the many participants. I have wanted to do this since I have come. If people are lucky enough to know that Joe loves goldfish, then you will understand why. Remember later that goldfish in Japanese(nihongode) are Kingyo. This is important for when I describe the trip to Nara that took place this past weekend.
Long story short, I did not get to do the Kingyo scooping. Dale, the English teacher from Portland, did though. He gave his fish to Minami wanted them to be Shimoda Family(Kazoku) family pets. The problem with catching goldfish in such a away, is that they are very dirty fish. Eating much and defecating much, Kingyo require more care than the average tropical fish.
I just received a call from Minami. Her last exam is over and she is coming this way. I must go, because today is the special day that I will present to her the ring and ask that special question. A lot to explain later….
To be continued…..
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
This will serve to update my travels and experiences of the passed two weeks to the best of my ability. As the days have worn on, less and less time has been available for updates. On 7/6 Monday, Minami and I had an appointment with Ikuko, our representative from LST. I met up with Minami in the Shijo area. I have gotten accustomed to walking around Kyoto. Again this is a very large city: however, my walks are good exercise as well provide me with a good feel with where I am. It takes anywhere between 20-40 minutes to walk to Shijo dori, depending on the cadence of my steps. Dori means street and when I say Shijo area it refers to an actual street that stretches throughout the city. The specific area I am referring to is around 7-8 blocks filled with western stores and native businesses. It is the most familiar place outside of Takashima.
Ironically there is a huge seven-story department store at the end of Shijo called Takashimaya. Ya means store or shop, and Takashima comes from somebody’s name. Each floor is filled with expensive merchandise of the utmost quality and most of all ice cold air. There are also chairs if you know where to find them. Japan does not have many places to sit. There are rarely benches. In fact, I believe the benches I have seen have been in parks, never in places where one is traveling during the day. So of course, while traveling around Kyoto, I know I can always head to Takashimaya, sit down, and enjoy some air conditioning. Mind you that it takes a lot of walking to get to this destination. Japan is hot in an unexplainable way. There are periods when one feels comfortably cool to absolutely dripping with sweat. Because of this people walking around wiping their faces with hanker-chiefs or small pocket-sized hand towels. They do become an outlet for fashion expression. I purchased one and enjoyed having it. As I am writing this, I have since lost this one. I may be overstating the sweat factor. In my case, I am the giant that sweats like some beast, while everyone else seems more comfortable than I. Nonetheless, they have these tools for wiping their sweat.
It was around 1:30pm and I met up with Minami outside of Takashimaya. We were going to get a quick lunch and make it to our appointment at 3. We walked towards a restaurant chain called Sukiya. Sukiya is a type of Japanese food. It consists of donburi, which is rice topped with various vegetables, meats, or eggs. Minami and I both ate our fill it was around $6.70. I know, cheap. While eating I notice a button on the table. I had been staring at it during the whole meal. Finally I asked “What is this.” Unfortunately, I didn’t wait long enough for an answer and pushed it. A loud ding sounded, like a doorbell, and a young man ran from the back of the store over to our table. Minami, thoroughly embarrassed, expressed the mistake to him in words that I could not. Lost in laughter, I was blinded by the enormous humility of the situation. This is my explanation for not being embarrassed.
Being here brings an enormous feeling of humility to me. Here I was, living my life in a country for my whole life; I’ve developed a strong sense of values and have grown roots solidly grounded, never knowing that an entirely different world could exist. To discover that my Minami could be a part of a different world, has uncovered a side of her that awakens the senses and tingles the heart. This world does exist and there are many qualities here that I would like to have and reflect within my own experience. I can only imagine what it would be like if I could actually converse with people here.
We rushed up Shijodori towards the mountain. We were trying to find Saami, the restaurant where we were planning on having our after ceremony lunch. I started to sweat again. She was sweating to. I was dripping, she was not. We finally made it to the restaurant with Ikuko waiting out front. We went inside and it had….. air conditioning. The lobby area was quite beautiful with many picturesque qualities. We visited several rooms, including the one we were booked to use. Overall, I am certain of the enchantment that will be experienced during that day not too far into the future. Afterwards we headed back to the LST office to make it official; handing in the application, money, and answering the final questions.
Minami and I then met up with a friend of hers. Minami then did what girls do—went on a shopping frenzy. I followed them around with the camera, trying to make embarrassing comments or involve my self in their activity. I learned the word Kawai, which means cute. It is funny that it took this long to learn how to say cute in Japanese, while hanging out with only girls here. Minami bought a pair of shorts that looked like genie shorts, with big pockets. She then tried to purchase a shirt to match. Unfortunately, and don’t tell her I said this, she got one that did not match… Sorry, but if you ask--- “It looks Kawai, sweetie.”
The three of us headed to a café. I got a mango slush thing, while Minami got tea and Chocolate cake. It looked like good cake. I should have gotten myself one, too.
I am afraid I can’t totally recall what happened on Tuesday or Wednesday. I know that I woke up with 10 minutes to get ready and headed to school with Minami on Wednesday. I can mention the growing desire to purchase a dictionary at this time. I still had not went and purchased one yet. Now that I am in that moment, I believe it was Wednesday, Minami and I left from school and walked to a local Shrine. It was the Star festival, as fable of two lovers torn apart. People come and tie colorful string with wishes on it to the ends of bamboo stems. I read about the story later that weekend. The festival must have been over, and not much was going on. From there we walked down Senbon, a street that heads down towards Kyoto Station. From there we stopped in a convenient store, family mart. Minami paid for bus tickets to Tokyo there. We also picked up a drink with some snack. Walking down the street we ate, drank and commented on stores we passed. At the train station that would take us to Kyoto station, was a large bookstore. The plan was to look for a dictionary(じしよ- sounds like jishyo) there.
There were many dictionaries there, but were all printed for Japanese speakers learning English. If it was a Japanese-English English-Japanese dictionary then it would have English to Kana and Kanji-Japanese and Chinese Characters. So, instead, Minami helped me pick out a kids book that had the correct stroke order(writing) for Hiragana, Katakana, beginners Kanji, and vocabulary. Walking to the counter, we found a book about Japanese etiquette. It was written in both Japanese and English. Opening the pages, we found specific information about a traditional Japanese style wedding, which means I had to get it. Heading back to Takashima, I had two good book purchases under my arm. Her parents were equally impressed with the buys. When her mom saw me practicing stroke order, she supplied me with a notebook made for that very task.
Thursday the 9th, Minami and I woke up late and rolled out of bed and then down stairs. After eating brunch, it was the rush to get ready for that night’s English lesson at RIP(car body shop). We had to pack for the weekend, as well. Our plan was to hop on a Night bus and get to Tokyo in the morning. After packing, it was lesson plan time. We made another dialogue together about the same guy from last week’s lesson bringing a friend in to get his truck raised. We headed Kyoto arou
Minami got off before Kyoto station. I was to entertain myself for the next 4 hours. This was nothing new. In fact, Minami is in class now, which will be about 5 hours. I walked to where?—Shijo. I stopped in a 5-story book store. I decided to go ahead and get the dictionary. The drawback was that the jishyo that I needed was 1170 yen = approx. $11.70, while on the cover it says $6.99. In Canadian dollars it was $8.99. I guess that is the price for import. I sat there for a few moments, pondering whether to make the purchase. I have had it for almost a week now, and realize it was worthy enough for purchase.
Walking back, slowly, to Kyoto station, I knew I wanted to find a spot to sit an look up words. At 10:20, I was reunited with Minami. We, by escalator and stair made it to the top floor of Kyoto Station. This area is known as Sky Garden. It is a garden on top of the building. Sitting there, we had what would be our dinner—onigiri(rice balls), and a host of other junk food. We then found a bathroom to wash up once more before our trip. Minutes later, we found the buses and then waited to board.
The bus was quite large(ookii), inside it was chisai (small). The seats could recline very far backwards; however this would impede on the space of the person behind you. I squeezed into my seat. People were already on the bus. It had been traveling from Osaka already. The seats had another peculiar attribute; a half umbrella like feature that could be pulled down over a traveler’s head to block outside distractions from the main activity—sleep. Sleep was hard to come by on the trip, but after a potty break at around 3 am, I slept until our arrival at 7.
Friday 7/10- The bus dropped us off in a street not yet bustling by early morning goers or business persons. Minami worked our way to a subway stopped and we headed to her brother, Akitsugu:s apartment. We purchased a one day pass for 1000yen. We were worried it wouldn’t be worth it. Aki was just waking up and getting ready for work. I knew and was told that her brother could speak English. After exchanging greetings, Akitsugu left. Minami and I took showers and helped him clean his apartment. I folded his clean clothes; washed dishes and scrubbed the sink. I felt like I was helping my own brother.
The days task= see Tokyo and buy new shoes that look good enough for me to wear when meeting her aunt and uncle. People are not fans of my sandals in Japan. I don’t know why. Tsujiku was our first stop. This is a famous fish market in Japan, where everyday the fishermen bring in the fish from the night and early morning catch. Business and people participate in an auction for the best ones. Tourists go up and down the isles to look at the items for sale. We walked down many isles and some a lot of stuff. I stopped when I saw different seafood items on Cell phone(Kaite Denwa) straps. Cell phone straps are huge here. They are the small kind that can go on digital cameras. They are all sizes here. Some people even sport small teddy bears off the side of their phone. I stood there with Minami looking for a cell phone strap/ Omi miage(souvenir）for Etsuo. Minami spotted the tako, and I knew I had to get it. Lunch was also a notable experience, but first we went to get a razor and some water in a convenient store. The bottle of water we chose had a hanker chief attached to it and was only 10 more yen then the bottle next to it. In the store I saw some Americans. I asked where they were from and their reply came to me as no surprise. He said Miami. I wasn’t surprised because his shirt said Ft. Lauderdale. I replied with saying that I was from Miami Shores. Every time I see a foreigner here, I analyze the individual to determine if they are American. It is pretty easy to tell Europeans apart from Americans. It’s in our demeanor, style, and complete look. This was the first time that I’ve acted on the desire to ask where they were from.
Minami and I had lunch at a standing ramen bar. Ramen here, as I said before, is much more prized. It is still instant; however, the preparation is more than heating water and letting it soak. Minami found us a spot at a the busy bar while I stood in line. It was on the side of the side walk and there were people every where. The chef noticed me, as everyone seems to. He said something to me and I replied with Ramen ga suki desu(I like ramen). I watched him prepare the grub: boiling the ramen, setting bowls up and putting a soy sauce inside, putting broth to fill the bowl, and then putting ramen into each. A man next to him cut up pieces of pork and placed them in the bowls with some green onions. I got our bowls of ramen and headed to where Minami was. It was probably an common experience for a Japanese person; however, it was one of the best meals. My chopsticks skills had improved so much, which allowed me to eat the whole meal standing up. It was so delicious, I even drank all the broth.
We looked at many shops and used of the all day pass. We would count the fare then comment every subway that it was paying for itself. After seeing many shops we set out on a mission to find shoes. So many stores later, we found a pair of deck shoes that were reasonably priced. By this time it was after 6. We head back to meat up with her brother. Aki was already home and getting ready for the night. He led us out of the apartment and down the street. After a short subway ride, we walked out into a busy street filled with people, restaurants and stores. The first food we got was at a standing bar. After scarfing down a fried beef patty, that was delicious, we went into a small restaurant and had barbeque pork. Meals in Japan are rarely an individually portioned thing. Besides having one’s own bowl of rice, a lot of things are taken from a middle bowl or plate. Some times people use their chopsticks to eat out of one bowl. After having a small amount of food we quickly rushed off again. Minami and I trailing behind, Aki led us to a sushi bar. This was a genuine sushi bar where all the fish and items were prepared in front of the customers. The food was great. The employees were quite excited to here that an American had come to visit that he was eating in their sushi bar. I was equally pleased to be there. We order a countless amount of food.
It was getting late at this point, but a friend of Aki’s had come so we followed Aki again. This time we went up a long flight of stairs and ended up in a smoky bar filled with foreigners. It was an Irish pub, but the band was very Japanese. People cleared the way when they saw us and we got a seat 6 inches away from the guitar players. The next 30 minutes had to be the most mind blowing since I was here. They played Memphis blues and Jazz music. This was so mind blowing, because here were 4 Japanese men playing blues from the deep south, and sounding really good. Guitar solo after guitar solo rang through the bar. The crowd ate it, native and foreigner alike. There was a point where the lead singer brought his guitar to our table and played a solo for us. We all started acting like the guitar had turned us into the best dancers in the world.
We parted ways with Aki’s friend and hopped into a cab. This cab brought us closer to the apartment, but we stopped into a bar. When we entered, everyone erupted with cheers to see Aki. Apparently, her brother gets around the town. Even the people at the Sushi bar lit up when he came in. In a small aquarium at the bar, there were two gold fish. At some point I started making fun of British people and Aki chimed in. All of a sudden Minami eyed a guy at the bar. She suggested he might be from England and to tone it down a bit. A shrugged this off thinking what would chances? I tapped him on his should and asked where he was from. He replied with somewhere in Northern England. This we found very funny. It is extremely difficult to balance one’s own dialect in a dark smoky bar, in surroundings quite unfamiliar, with beer, and then the mixture of a British accent. Simply speaking, I started unintentionally copying his accent. When I noticed this I sat back and let everyone else do the talking. After our new friend had left we moved over to the bar, and I sat next to the goldfish (kingyo) This was exciting for the fish. They were very active when they saw me coming. It was a mutual feeling.
Aki is comparable to a wined up toy or the energizer bunny; once he begins his night, he doesn’t stop until there is no juice left. It was about 2 am at this point and Minami knew we had to meet her family the next day. Not wanting to confront her brother, she grabbed my shoulder and drug me out of the bar when Aki visited the restroom. She kept saying hurry, hurry. We hurried down the street. We didn’t know where we were, but there were maps all over the streets. Stopping at each one she was navigating our way back to the apartment. After a long time of fast walking, we made it back. Unlocking the front door, we stumbled to take off our shoes and to our surprise there he was with a friend who had come back. They beat us back even though we had left and were walking fast. Maybe we were walking in circles. I have learned a very important piece of information since being here, Minami and maps is like putting underwear on your head, it just makes no sense. We stayed up a while longer, and I got to talk to Aki a bit more. It was a bonding moment, while Minami prepared a futon for us to sleep in the other room. After Aki’s friend left, the three of us fell asleep in one room: Minami and I on a futon next to Aki’s bed.
Ironically there is a huge seven-story department store at the end of Shijo called Takashimaya. Ya means store or shop, and Takashima comes from somebody’s name. Each floor is filled with expensive merchandise of the utmost quality and most of all ice cold air. There are also chairs if you know where to find them. Japan does not have many places to sit. There are rarely benches. In fact, I believe the benches I have seen have been in parks, never in places where one is traveling during the day. So of course, while traveling around Kyoto, I know I can always head to Takashimaya, sit down, and enjoy some air conditioning. Mind you that it takes a lot of walking to get to this destination. Japan is hot in an unexplainable way. There are periods when one feels comfortably cool to absolutely dripping with sweat. Because of this people walking around wiping their faces with hanker-chiefs or small pocket-sized hand towels. They do become an outlet for fashion expression. I purchased one and enjoyed having it. As I am writing this, I have since lost this one. I may be overstating the sweat factor. In my case, I am the giant that sweats like some beast, while everyone else seems more comfortable than I. Nonetheless, they have these tools for wiping their sweat.
It was around 1:30pm and I met up with Minami outside of Takashimaya. We were going to get a quick lunch and make it to our appointment at 3. We walked towards a restaurant chain called Sukiya. Sukiya is a type of Japanese food. It consists of donburi, which is rice topped with various vegetables, meats, or eggs. Minami and I both ate our fill it was around $6.70. I know, cheap. While eating I notice a button on the table. I had been staring at it during the whole meal. Finally I asked “What is this.” Unfortunately, I didn’t wait long enough for an answer and pushed it. A loud ding sounded, like a doorbell, and a young man ran from the back of the store over to our table. Minami, thoroughly embarrassed, expressed the mistake to him in words that I could not. Lost in laughter, I was blinded by the enormous humility of the situation. This is my explanation for not being embarrassed.
Being here brings an enormous feeling of humility to me. Here I was, living my life in a country for my whole life; I’ve developed a strong sense of values and have grown roots solidly grounded, never knowing that an entirely different world could exist. To discover that my Minami could be a part of a different world, has uncovered a side of her that awakens the senses and tingles the heart. This world does exist and there are many qualities here that I would like to have and reflect within my own experience. I can only imagine what it would be like if I could actually converse with people here.
We rushed up Shijodori towards the mountain. We were trying to find Saami, the restaurant where we were planning on having our after ceremony lunch. I started to sweat again. She was sweating to. I was dripping, she was not. We finally made it to the restaurant with Ikuko waiting out front. We went inside and it had….. air conditioning. The lobby area was quite beautiful with many picturesque qualities. We visited several rooms, including the one we were booked to use. Overall, I am certain of the enchantment that will be experienced during that day not too far into the future. Afterwards we headed back to the LST office to make it official; handing in the application, money, and answering the final questions.
Minami and I then met up with a friend of hers. Minami then did what girls do—went on a shopping frenzy. I followed them around with the camera, trying to make embarrassing comments or involve my self in their activity. I learned the word Kawai, which means cute. It is funny that it took this long to learn how to say cute in Japanese, while hanging out with only girls here. Minami bought a pair of shorts that looked like genie shorts, with big pockets. She then tried to purchase a shirt to match. Unfortunately, and don’t tell her I said this, she got one that did not match… Sorry, but if you ask--- “It looks Kawai, sweetie.”
The three of us headed to a café. I got a mango slush thing, while Minami got tea and Chocolate cake. It looked like good cake. I should have gotten myself one, too.
I am afraid I can’t totally recall what happened on Tuesday or Wednesday. I know that I woke up with 10 minutes to get ready and headed to school with Minami on Wednesday. I can mention the growing desire to purchase a dictionary at this time. I still had not went and purchased one yet. Now that I am in that moment, I believe it was Wednesday, Minami and I left from school and walked to a local Shrine. It was the Star festival, as fable of two lovers torn apart. People come and tie colorful string with wishes on it to the ends of bamboo stems. I read about the story later that weekend. The festival must have been over, and not much was going on. From there we walked down Senbon, a street that heads down towards Kyoto Station. From there we stopped in a convenient store, family mart. Minami paid for bus tickets to Tokyo there. We also picked up a drink with some snack. Walking down the street we ate, drank and commented on stores we passed. At the train station that would take us to Kyoto station, was a large bookstore. The plan was to look for a dictionary(じしよ- sounds like jishyo) there.
There were many dictionaries there, but were all printed for Japanese speakers learning English. If it was a Japanese-English English-Japanese dictionary then it would have English to Kana and Kanji-Japanese and Chinese Characters. So, instead, Minami helped me pick out a kids book that had the correct stroke order(writing) for Hiragana, Katakana, beginners Kanji, and vocabulary. Walking to the counter, we found a book about Japanese etiquette. It was written in both Japanese and English. Opening the pages, we found specific information about a traditional Japanese style wedding, which means I had to get it. Heading back to Takashima, I had two good book purchases under my arm. Her parents were equally impressed with the buys. When her mom saw me practicing stroke order, she supplied me with a notebook made for that very task.
Thursday the 9th, Minami and I woke up late and rolled out of bed and then down stairs. After eating brunch, it was the rush to get ready for that night’s English lesson at RIP(car body shop). We had to pack for the weekend, as well. Our plan was to hop on a Night bus and get to Tokyo in the morning. After packing, it was lesson plan time. We made another dialogue together about the same guy from last week’s lesson bringing a friend in to get his truck raised. We headed Kyoto arou
Minami got off before Kyoto station. I was to entertain myself for the next 4 hours. This was nothing new. In fact, Minami is in class now, which will be about 5 hours. I walked to where?—Shijo. I stopped in a 5-story book store. I decided to go ahead and get the dictionary. The drawback was that the jishyo that I needed was 1170 yen = approx. $11.70, while on the cover it says $6.99. In Canadian dollars it was $8.99. I guess that is the price for import. I sat there for a few moments, pondering whether to make the purchase. I have had it for almost a week now, and realize it was worthy enough for purchase.
Walking back, slowly, to Kyoto station, I knew I wanted to find a spot to sit an look up words. At 10:20, I was reunited with Minami. We, by escalator and stair made it to the top floor of Kyoto Station. This area is known as Sky Garden. It is a garden on top of the building. Sitting there, we had what would be our dinner—onigiri(rice balls), and a host of other junk food. We then found a bathroom to wash up once more before our trip. Minutes later, we found the buses and then waited to board.
The bus was quite large(ookii), inside it was chisai (small). The seats could recline very far backwards; however this would impede on the space of the person behind you. I squeezed into my seat. People were already on the bus. It had been traveling from Osaka already. The seats had another peculiar attribute; a half umbrella like feature that could be pulled down over a traveler’s head to block outside distractions from the main activity—sleep. Sleep was hard to come by on the trip, but after a potty break at around 3 am, I slept until our arrival at 7.
Friday 7/10- The bus dropped us off in a street not yet bustling by early morning goers or business persons. Minami worked our way to a subway stopped and we headed to her brother, Akitsugu:s apartment. We purchased a one day pass for 1000yen. We were worried it wouldn’t be worth it. Aki was just waking up and getting ready for work. I knew and was told that her brother could speak English. After exchanging greetings, Akitsugu left. Minami and I took showers and helped him clean his apartment. I folded his clean clothes; washed dishes and scrubbed the sink. I felt like I was helping my own brother.
The days task= see Tokyo and buy new shoes that look good enough for me to wear when meeting her aunt and uncle. People are not fans of my sandals in Japan. I don’t know why. Tsujiku was our first stop. This is a famous fish market in Japan, where everyday the fishermen bring in the fish from the night and early morning catch. Business and people participate in an auction for the best ones. Tourists go up and down the isles to look at the items for sale. We walked down many isles and some a lot of stuff. I stopped when I saw different seafood items on Cell phone(Kaite Denwa) straps. Cell phone straps are huge here. They are the small kind that can go on digital cameras. They are all sizes here. Some people even sport small teddy bears off the side of their phone. I stood there with Minami looking for a cell phone strap/ Omi miage(souvenir）for Etsuo. Minami spotted the tako, and I knew I had to get it. Lunch was also a notable experience, but first we went to get a razor and some water in a convenient store. The bottle of water we chose had a hanker chief attached to it and was only 10 more yen then the bottle next to it. In the store I saw some Americans. I asked where they were from and their reply came to me as no surprise. He said Miami. I wasn’t surprised because his shirt said Ft. Lauderdale. I replied with saying that I was from Miami Shores. Every time I see a foreigner here, I analyze the individual to determine if they are American. It is pretty easy to tell Europeans apart from Americans. It’s in our demeanor, style, and complete look. This was the first time that I’ve acted on the desire to ask where they were from.
Minami and I had lunch at a standing ramen bar. Ramen here, as I said before, is much more prized. It is still instant; however, the preparation is more than heating water and letting it soak. Minami found us a spot at a the busy bar while I stood in line. It was on the side of the side walk and there were people every where. The chef noticed me, as everyone seems to. He said something to me and I replied with Ramen ga suki desu(I like ramen). I watched him prepare the grub: boiling the ramen, setting bowls up and putting a soy sauce inside, putting broth to fill the bowl, and then putting ramen into each. A man next to him cut up pieces of pork and placed them in the bowls with some green onions. I got our bowls of ramen and headed to where Minami was. It was probably an common experience for a Japanese person; however, it was one of the best meals. My chopsticks skills had improved so much, which allowed me to eat the whole meal standing up. It was so delicious, I even drank all the broth.
We looked at many shops and used of the all day pass. We would count the fare then comment every subway that it was paying for itself. After seeing many shops we set out on a mission to find shoes. So many stores later, we found a pair of deck shoes that were reasonably priced. By this time it was after 6. We head back to meat up with her brother. Aki was already home and getting ready for the night. He led us out of the apartment and down the street. After a short subway ride, we walked out into a busy street filled with people, restaurants and stores. The first food we got was at a standing bar. After scarfing down a fried beef patty, that was delicious, we went into a small restaurant and had barbeque pork. Meals in Japan are rarely an individually portioned thing. Besides having one’s own bowl of rice, a lot of things are taken from a middle bowl or plate. Some times people use their chopsticks to eat out of one bowl. After having a small amount of food we quickly rushed off again. Minami and I trailing behind, Aki led us to a sushi bar. This was a genuine sushi bar where all the fish and items were prepared in front of the customers. The food was great. The employees were quite excited to here that an American had come to visit that he was eating in their sushi bar. I was equally pleased to be there. We order a countless amount of food.
It was getting late at this point, but a friend of Aki’s had come so we followed Aki again. This time we went up a long flight of stairs and ended up in a smoky bar filled with foreigners. It was an Irish pub, but the band was very Japanese. People cleared the way when they saw us and we got a seat 6 inches away from the guitar players. The next 30 minutes had to be the most mind blowing since I was here. They played Memphis blues and Jazz music. This was so mind blowing, because here were 4 Japanese men playing blues from the deep south, and sounding really good. Guitar solo after guitar solo rang through the bar. The crowd ate it, native and foreigner alike. There was a point where the lead singer brought his guitar to our table and played a solo for us. We all started acting like the guitar had turned us into the best dancers in the world.
We parted ways with Aki’s friend and hopped into a cab. This cab brought us closer to the apartment, but we stopped into a bar. When we entered, everyone erupted with cheers to see Aki. Apparently, her brother gets around the town. Even the people at the Sushi bar lit up when he came in. In a small aquarium at the bar, there were two gold fish. At some point I started making fun of British people and Aki chimed in. All of a sudden Minami eyed a guy at the bar. She suggested he might be from England and to tone it down a bit. A shrugged this off thinking what would chances? I tapped him on his should and asked where he was from. He replied with somewhere in Northern England. This we found very funny. It is extremely difficult to balance one’s own dialect in a dark smoky bar, in surroundings quite unfamiliar, with beer, and then the mixture of a British accent. Simply speaking, I started unintentionally copying his accent. When I noticed this I sat back and let everyone else do the talking. After our new friend had left we moved over to the bar, and I sat next to the goldfish (kingyo) This was exciting for the fish. They were very active when they saw me coming. It was a mutual feeling.
Aki is comparable to a wined up toy or the energizer bunny; once he begins his night, he doesn’t stop until there is no juice left. It was about 2 am at this point and Minami knew we had to meet her family the next day. Not wanting to confront her brother, she grabbed my shoulder and drug me out of the bar when Aki visited the restroom. She kept saying hurry, hurry. We hurried down the street. We didn’t know where we were, but there were maps all over the streets. Stopping at each one she was navigating our way back to the apartment. After a long time of fast walking, we made it back. Unlocking the front door, we stumbled to take off our shoes and to our surprise there he was with a friend who had come back. They beat us back even though we had left and were walking fast. Maybe we were walking in circles. I have learned a very important piece of information since being here, Minami and maps is like putting underwear on your head, it just makes no sense. We stayed up a while longer, and I got to talk to Aki a bit more. It was a bonding moment, while Minami prepared a futon for us to sleep in the other room. After Aki’s friend left, the three of us fell asleep in one room: Minami and I on a futon next to Aki’s bed.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Trying to catch up...
Minami had to go in for a lot of classes on Tuesday. She ended up not going to any. We slept in and laid around the house until it was time for her to make a plan for an English class later. I knew Minami was going to a car repair shop every week to give some of the employees there as well as the owner a lesson in English, but I had never really been told what the place was like. Before I get to that though, I have to go into the making of the plan. We sat up stairs. I checked email and read the news, while Minami sat, head spinning, and confused about what to do. The employees have little interest in English, but are motivated by relevant material, such as car parts, ordering food, or something related to their job. Minami is not exactly the car expert. After about an hour, we started working together on a plan that would last an hour and a half. 15 minutes later we were done. She was surprised to see how quickly we could make a lesson plan together.
She never drives to the car shop, but rather takes a train to a station close by and is then picked up by car and driven to the shop. This time we drove. It was raining and she was trying to read a map in the dark car. It was around 5:30 at this point. After some driving, turning around, and worry, we found the correct turn and then the shop. We walked in together, and met the gentlemen she works with. They were working under the hoods of cars or on other parts in the corner of the garage. Thinking we would head into the lobby, Minami, three men, and I walked to the center of the garage to where a make shift table had been constructed. She set up a large notepad and the students took out work folders. For the next hour and a half we worked in the middle of a noisy garage, while machines were running, workers, moving around, and music playing. Their eyes lit up when Minami asked me to say a word or phrase for them, and they were excited to see that the English that had learned the passed months actually worked with an English speaker,
Wednesday was a busy today. We headed to Kyoto for Minami’s classes. We had a lot to do that day including a meeting for Minami and the party with her friends that night. Not much happened, and I didn’t visit any temples. In stead I walked around the neighborhood of Ritsumeikan. I got lost, but knew it would be ok, because I had a rough idea of where I was. It turns out that this idea was more rough than I though. Suddenly street signs were no longer in Romaji(Roman Letters). Instead the signs were now all in Kanji. I began to feel a light drizzle from the grey clouds that had rolled in over head. I had no umbrella on this excursion. I walked faster. The streets got even more unfamiliar. Instead of panicking, I let my eyes wander towards the different shops that I was passing. I passed a junior and senior high school. The students were just leaving school. They were riding their bikes every where. I had already been sweating. The heat grew thick. I found my way back to Minami’s school. I had around 15 minutes to cool off before we left for Ritsumeikan Law school, where her meeting would be.
Minami was invited by certain individuals at her school to take part in hosting Yale Alumni and their annual Yale-Gale. I am not entirely sure what that stands for, but it is an initiative where the international academic elite put forth certain values, such as world peace, or something of that nature. We rode a bus with Yumi, a student who had attended American U. the same time Minami did, to the law school. I sat downstairs, while the meeting was going on. Afterwards, Minami came out with an old teacher of hers from junior high school. We rushed to the Sanjo area of Kyoto, where the get together was scheduled to be. Minami and Minami were setting up so we had to be there early. The restaurant was much different than what people in the U.S would be used to. There were separate rooms, small, but could fit 25 + people. There was a bar and two bartenders. I big screen tv with speakers were at one end and the room could barely fit the chairs and tables required for a party. When her friends began to arrive, the Minamis took money and I snapped pictures and video. Some seemed shocked to see me there.
It turns out only 2-3 could speak English. I was introduced and I said nice to meet you in Japanese. Later I had to introduce myself again, since every one took turns around the table, saying what they were into. Of course, I had no clue what anyone was saying. The drinks were all weak, but they kept coming. The food was bite sized. The girls didn’t eat, but ordered drink after drink. They were having a good time, and I was enjoying their excitement. At one point, my Minami was telling the crowd of our engagement, and a couple of her friends huddle by the door. All of a sudden they pulled out and gave Minami a frame of pictures of her and I, which said in the corner ,”Hope you’ll be happy!”. It was quite the moment. Minami was crying. I looked around and so was everyone else. I was a moment that only happens in books, movies, or dreams and I was happy that Minami got to experience it. I would say me, but it was for her. It meant a lot to me that her friends had done something so nice for her.
Afterwards, we were getting ready to head back home. Instead of getting on the train, we decided to go to karaoke. Just Minami and I this time. We stopped at the local store to get some food to take in with us. Minami and I sang for an hour, songs I knew, then songs she knew. We got back late that night, and the house was quiet and dark.
We headed to Kyoto on Thursday. Minami had an English lesson at Ayumi, the woman with the child, Keichiro. Heading out late, we rushed to the Ayumi’s house. It was good to see her again, and we exchanged greetings feeling comfortable with each other. I was on a mission, during the lesson. I knew that my quest to learn the Japanese language had to start some where, so it was going to be rushed a long by learning Hiragana. Japanese writing is made up of three different categories: Hiragana- Japanese characters, Katakana- used for foreign words formulated into the Japanese language, and then kanji- Chinese characters. There are roughly 46 characters for each Hiragana and katakana, with a countless amount Kanji. Almost everything can be said in the first two; however, it is similar to an increasing vocabulary to learn Kanji. Kanji, in turn, is the most difficult. During this lesson I was going to familiarize myself with Hiragana. By the end I had taught my self each character to memory.
Minami and I picked up KFC afterwards and headed to Toyokuni jinja, the shrine where we are planning on having our ceremony. We wanted to see it in better weather than we had seen it before. After this we were going to catch an hour bus ride up to Northern most Kyoto to see Kamigami jinja, the original shrine we were planning on having our ceremony at. Toyokuni was very beautiful and we knew that it was the right location. The bus ride was long, and the food we picked up stayed in the bag, because eating on buses is not allowed. We sat down on the lawn of Kamigami and ate. This shrine was much larger than Toyokuni. The Torii was huge and red. After lounging around the area we headed back to Takashima.
Friday was another day off for Minami. We laid around the house. Minami took me to used comic book store. I wanted to get some books so that I could at least practice reading Hiragana. At this point I didn’t know what I was reading meant; however I could make the sounds that the characters represented. It was at least a start. I picked up a couple books for me and a few for my brother. Minami and I then went to a store to pick up some sake, beer, tea and other beverages for the Shimoda store.
When we returned from our outing, Minami and I went to B and G to use the pool. It was a good swim, much better than Saturday’s. Minami swam a few laps and then walked a few. We ended the swim with a dip in the Jacuzzi. Dinner was good that night. It is great every night. It is always eaten as a family. We all have our designated spots around the table. We have our designated jobs. It is also where I listen to the family speak and I wonder what they are saying.
Minami left for work at the gym very early on Saturday. She had to leave early from the gym to head to her University so she could host the Yale Alumni. I got up late. I headed into Kyoto and walked from the station to The Shijo area. I knew there were some shops there that may have dictionaries. At this point I had mastered Hiragana and was going to move on to Katakana asap. It was hot, and I dressed in a button down and jeans. Of course I was wearing cowboy boots as well. I had to dress somewhat formally so that I could throw on a tie later. I wanted to be a part of the tour Minami was giving and didn’t want to stand out. I respired the whole walk to Shijo. It is about a half hour walk, if one walks at a quick speed. I couldn’t find any dictionaries, but enjoyed looking at the different shops. It was busy. The breath of people that walked through the streets were excited with the feel of the weekend. After a couple hours I stopped at a Lawson’s (like 7-eleven) and got a beverage and a small cake type of food. Was 220yen for both. I searched for a seat outside to enjoy my snack. Finding a seat in Japan is like trying to take money from Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime; there just aren’t any. I managed to find three blocks by a light post, that could be sat on. It was a business area, yet not too much traffic. It was comparable with the likes of New York or DC with fewer people. Minami called as she was heading from one job to the next. He tour was going to begin in two hours. She told me the buses I could get on to get the school, but she sounded like she did not expect me there. So I decided to walk. It took me about two hours to walk from the Shijo area to her University. I got to see a castle, which I believe is called Nijo castle. I wanted to walk so that I could see everything, plus I knew I wouldn’t be able to get on the right bus. I looked at a map I had with me, and thought, “ Hey I am half way.” It turns out it was much further away.
I walked into a small bookstore, hoping to find a dictionary. After looking around the store, I approached the man working behind the calendar. I knew this was the moment. I was going to speak using the little Japanese I knew. I said “Nihongo to Igurusu hon.” which means Japanese and English book. It was a small, almost incoherent phrase; however, the employee knew exactly what I wanted and said dictionary and I answered back with hai. The dictionary he showed me had hiragana to English and no romaji. I left, proud of my first speaking experience.
I saw many other stores on my way and stepped into one more bookstore to practice. I said the same and was understood again. When I got close to the University, I knew that I needed to rehydrate myself and stopped in a 7-eleven for the first time. 7-11 is not the same over here. The ones in the U.S. have a distinct smell to them that I have always looked forward to, since I was a kid. It reminds me of Slurpees during the summer time. This one was much Lawson’s or any other convenient store. I got another beverage and began to finish my 2 hour trip. I found my way. It was just after 4:15 and I visited the bathroom to cool off. I was sweating and my shirt, which was once light blue, was now a dark blue. I took it off in side the stall. I stood there in side the bathroom stall, shirtless and pleased with my journey. Now, I had to cool off, and then find Minami. After cooling off, I reclothed myself and began walking around different areas of the campus. Around 5 P.M. I saw Minami from a distance. She was leading a few older gentlemen and was followed by many students doing the same with other ladies and gentlemen as well. I snuck behind the end of the line and tried to fit in. The line went around the campus and finally walked outside of the campus. I had no idea where they were headed and thought they were dropping the Yale Alumni off at a bus stop. I followed after no one returned. I guessed which way they walked and found out I was right, when I stopped at Museum called the Kyoto World Peace Museum. I sat out front and read a comic I had purchased the day before.
I reunited with Minami at 6:15 and we headed back to Kyoto station to come home. At Kyoto station we went to a desert restaurant and had Hojicha ice cream and green tea ice cream. She told me that the restaurant was well known. On the way out we purchased ice cream to bring back to her parents, which the employee placed in bubble wrap with a container of dry ice.
Sunday was going to be a high pressure day, well that’s what I was told. We were going to Osaka to meet with Minami’s grandparents. Supposedly the first time the grandmother heard that I was not Japanese she was disappointed. So of course, I had to be trained and on my best behavior. Minami had been training me on my Japanese etiquette and I was no doubt ready. The ride was 45 minutes to Kyoto 30 minutes to Osaka. After leaving the Train station in Osaka we went down a quiet street. We stopped by a dark brown building. Minami stuck her head inside the door until a man came out. I was informed that this was Cheiko’s brother. Minami and I went inside the building, which was a coffee shop, while her parents left to go to an apartment where the grandparents lived. Her uncle served us ice coffee. The shop was empty except for some older men in the corner booth. Minami and her uncle had a conversation. I sat and listened. Her uncle point to my shoulders and made a jester that I was big. He asked her how I got so big, and she told him that I was a swimmer.
We took the elevator to a top floor of the apartment building. This was it. I was going to make my big entrance. I did so gently and gracefully with “Dozo Yoroshiku” which is a polite greeting. I bowed. Grandpa bowed back. The family giggled, I found a seat next to Minami. I couldn’t say much. They pointed to my shoulders and said I was big. We were served cold green tea and mochi. It was good mochi, and so was the tea. Grandma and Grandpa were both intrigued by this new visitor. They made glances at me and smiled. I believe they wanted to carry on a conversation. Grandpa tried- grandma brushed him with her hand to say stop. It was a quiet and unconventional meeting. It was effortless and perfect. We got up and put our shoes on as we walked out of the apartment. I was, again, wearing a button down, jeans, and boots. It was ok at this point. As we walked the uncle caught up with us. Every one was chattering. Grandpa kept giving me compliments. Grandma laughed. At some point Grandpa asked if I died my hair, because if I did I wouldn’t be allowed in school. This made the group stop and laugh. Etsuo bent over with one hand on his knee laughing. I said” Kare wa suki desuka (do you like this)” while running my fingers through my hair.
We went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. It was quite the classy restaurant, where the family sat in a private room with a center spinning piece of glass on the table. The chopsticks were shiny metal. Food was elegantly prepared. Again, I impressed the family. My chopsticks were quite good for a foreigner. Even though I couldn’t speak much, I said a few phrases and my wit kept me interesting. I etiquette was impeccable.
We walked through a festival area and then up the steep steps of a castle walk way. We were visiting Osaka-jo. I started to sweat. I sweat so much that my shirt stuck to my back. It was noticeable and I was uncomfortable. Minami and I decided that later I would by a t-shirt to wear. We said good by the grandparents and uncle. Back on a train to another part of Osaka. The first store we visited after this was to get me a tshirt. The family scurried through a crowded 3rd floor looking for a shirt for me. I tried on a couple. Nothing fit me. All the Larges are similar to Smalls and Mediums in Japan. I decided to not get a shirt. The rest of the family shopped around for awhile. We stopped for mochi ice cream and drinks. Mom stopped for beads at a huge bead store. Dad stopped for shoes. Minami stopped for shoes. I followed everyone around just soaking up the experience.
We later went to an area of Osaka where Korean immigrants and descendants have shops selling ethnic food like Kimchi. We walked through the food area and the family stopped to try samples or buy some. We all stopped at a restaurant for yakiniku. The food was great. It sounds outrageous, but we had each of the 4 stomachs of a cow, cow heart, tongue, neck, throat, and regular meat cuts. It was a feast. We grilled in on a small grill on the table. Our way back was long but we were filled with delicious food. The beginning of that day had begun with my attempts of writing Katakana on the train and it ended with my memorization of every character. So by the end of Sunday I had memorized all of Hiragana and was roughly memorizing Katakana all the way through.
She never drives to the car shop, but rather takes a train to a station close by and is then picked up by car and driven to the shop. This time we drove. It was raining and she was trying to read a map in the dark car. It was around 5:30 at this point. After some driving, turning around, and worry, we found the correct turn and then the shop. We walked in together, and met the gentlemen she works with. They were working under the hoods of cars or on other parts in the corner of the garage. Thinking we would head into the lobby, Minami, three men, and I walked to the center of the garage to where a make shift table had been constructed. She set up a large notepad and the students took out work folders. For the next hour and a half we worked in the middle of a noisy garage, while machines were running, workers, moving around, and music playing. Their eyes lit up when Minami asked me to say a word or phrase for them, and they were excited to see that the English that had learned the passed months actually worked with an English speaker,
Wednesday was a busy today. We headed to Kyoto for Minami’s classes. We had a lot to do that day including a meeting for Minami and the party with her friends that night. Not much happened, and I didn’t visit any temples. In stead I walked around the neighborhood of Ritsumeikan. I got lost, but knew it would be ok, because I had a rough idea of where I was. It turns out that this idea was more rough than I though. Suddenly street signs were no longer in Romaji(Roman Letters). Instead the signs were now all in Kanji. I began to feel a light drizzle from the grey clouds that had rolled in over head. I had no umbrella on this excursion. I walked faster. The streets got even more unfamiliar. Instead of panicking, I let my eyes wander towards the different shops that I was passing. I passed a junior and senior high school. The students were just leaving school. They were riding their bikes every where. I had already been sweating. The heat grew thick. I found my way back to Minami’s school. I had around 15 minutes to cool off before we left for Ritsumeikan Law school, where her meeting would be.
Minami was invited by certain individuals at her school to take part in hosting Yale Alumni and their annual Yale-Gale. I am not entirely sure what that stands for, but it is an initiative where the international academic elite put forth certain values, such as world peace, or something of that nature. We rode a bus with Yumi, a student who had attended American U. the same time Minami did, to the law school. I sat downstairs, while the meeting was going on. Afterwards, Minami came out with an old teacher of hers from junior high school. We rushed to the Sanjo area of Kyoto, where the get together was scheduled to be. Minami and Minami were setting up so we had to be there early. The restaurant was much different than what people in the U.S would be used to. There were separate rooms, small, but could fit 25 + people. There was a bar and two bartenders. I big screen tv with speakers were at one end and the room could barely fit the chairs and tables required for a party. When her friends began to arrive, the Minamis took money and I snapped pictures and video. Some seemed shocked to see me there.
It turns out only 2-3 could speak English. I was introduced and I said nice to meet you in Japanese. Later I had to introduce myself again, since every one took turns around the table, saying what they were into. Of course, I had no clue what anyone was saying. The drinks were all weak, but they kept coming. The food was bite sized. The girls didn’t eat, but ordered drink after drink. They were having a good time, and I was enjoying their excitement. At one point, my Minami was telling the crowd of our engagement, and a couple of her friends huddle by the door. All of a sudden they pulled out and gave Minami a frame of pictures of her and I, which said in the corner ,”Hope you’ll be happy!”. It was quite the moment. Minami was crying. I looked around and so was everyone else. I was a moment that only happens in books, movies, or dreams and I was happy that Minami got to experience it. I would say me, but it was for her. It meant a lot to me that her friends had done something so nice for her.
Afterwards, we were getting ready to head back home. Instead of getting on the train, we decided to go to karaoke. Just Minami and I this time. We stopped at the local store to get some food to take in with us. Minami and I sang for an hour, songs I knew, then songs she knew. We got back late that night, and the house was quiet and dark.
We headed to Kyoto on Thursday. Minami had an English lesson at Ayumi, the woman with the child, Keichiro. Heading out late, we rushed to the Ayumi’s house. It was good to see her again, and we exchanged greetings feeling comfortable with each other. I was on a mission, during the lesson. I knew that my quest to learn the Japanese language had to start some where, so it was going to be rushed a long by learning Hiragana. Japanese writing is made up of three different categories: Hiragana- Japanese characters, Katakana- used for foreign words formulated into the Japanese language, and then kanji- Chinese characters. There are roughly 46 characters for each Hiragana and katakana, with a countless amount Kanji. Almost everything can be said in the first two; however, it is similar to an increasing vocabulary to learn Kanji. Kanji, in turn, is the most difficult. During this lesson I was going to familiarize myself with Hiragana. By the end I had taught my self each character to memory.
Minami and I picked up KFC afterwards and headed to Toyokuni jinja, the shrine where we are planning on having our ceremony. We wanted to see it in better weather than we had seen it before. After this we were going to catch an hour bus ride up to Northern most Kyoto to see Kamigami jinja, the original shrine we were planning on having our ceremony at. Toyokuni was very beautiful and we knew that it was the right location. The bus ride was long, and the food we picked up stayed in the bag, because eating on buses is not allowed. We sat down on the lawn of Kamigami and ate. This shrine was much larger than Toyokuni. The Torii was huge and red. After lounging around the area we headed back to Takashima.
Friday was another day off for Minami. We laid around the house. Minami took me to used comic book store. I wanted to get some books so that I could at least practice reading Hiragana. At this point I didn’t know what I was reading meant; however I could make the sounds that the characters represented. It was at least a start. I picked up a couple books for me and a few for my brother. Minami and I then went to a store to pick up some sake, beer, tea and other beverages for the Shimoda store.
When we returned from our outing, Minami and I went to B and G to use the pool. It was a good swim, much better than Saturday’s. Minami swam a few laps and then walked a few. We ended the swim with a dip in the Jacuzzi. Dinner was good that night. It is great every night. It is always eaten as a family. We all have our designated spots around the table. We have our designated jobs. It is also where I listen to the family speak and I wonder what they are saying.
Minami left for work at the gym very early on Saturday. She had to leave early from the gym to head to her University so she could host the Yale Alumni. I got up late. I headed into Kyoto and walked from the station to The Shijo area. I knew there were some shops there that may have dictionaries. At this point I had mastered Hiragana and was going to move on to Katakana asap. It was hot, and I dressed in a button down and jeans. Of course I was wearing cowboy boots as well. I had to dress somewhat formally so that I could throw on a tie later. I wanted to be a part of the tour Minami was giving and didn’t want to stand out. I respired the whole walk to Shijo. It is about a half hour walk, if one walks at a quick speed. I couldn’t find any dictionaries, but enjoyed looking at the different shops. It was busy. The breath of people that walked through the streets were excited with the feel of the weekend. After a couple hours I stopped at a Lawson’s (like 7-eleven) and got a beverage and a small cake type of food. Was 220yen for both. I searched for a seat outside to enjoy my snack. Finding a seat in Japan is like trying to take money from Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime; there just aren’t any. I managed to find three blocks by a light post, that could be sat on. It was a business area, yet not too much traffic. It was comparable with the likes of New York or DC with fewer people. Minami called as she was heading from one job to the next. He tour was going to begin in two hours. She told me the buses I could get on to get the school, but she sounded like she did not expect me there. So I decided to walk. It took me about two hours to walk from the Shijo area to her University. I got to see a castle, which I believe is called Nijo castle. I wanted to walk so that I could see everything, plus I knew I wouldn’t be able to get on the right bus. I looked at a map I had with me, and thought, “ Hey I am half way.” It turns out it was much further away.
I walked into a small bookstore, hoping to find a dictionary. After looking around the store, I approached the man working behind the calendar. I knew this was the moment. I was going to speak using the little Japanese I knew. I said “Nihongo to Igurusu hon.” which means Japanese and English book. It was a small, almost incoherent phrase; however, the employee knew exactly what I wanted and said dictionary and I answered back with hai. The dictionary he showed me had hiragana to English and no romaji. I left, proud of my first speaking experience.
I saw many other stores on my way and stepped into one more bookstore to practice. I said the same and was understood again. When I got close to the University, I knew that I needed to rehydrate myself and stopped in a 7-eleven for the first time. 7-11 is not the same over here. The ones in the U.S. have a distinct smell to them that I have always looked forward to, since I was a kid. It reminds me of Slurpees during the summer time. This one was much Lawson’s or any other convenient store. I got another beverage and began to finish my 2 hour trip. I found my way. It was just after 4:15 and I visited the bathroom to cool off. I was sweating and my shirt, which was once light blue, was now a dark blue. I took it off in side the stall. I stood there in side the bathroom stall, shirtless and pleased with my journey. Now, I had to cool off, and then find Minami. After cooling off, I reclothed myself and began walking around different areas of the campus. Around 5 P.M. I saw Minami from a distance. She was leading a few older gentlemen and was followed by many students doing the same with other ladies and gentlemen as well. I snuck behind the end of the line and tried to fit in. The line went around the campus and finally walked outside of the campus. I had no idea where they were headed and thought they were dropping the Yale Alumni off at a bus stop. I followed after no one returned. I guessed which way they walked and found out I was right, when I stopped at Museum called the Kyoto World Peace Museum. I sat out front and read a comic I had purchased the day before.
I reunited with Minami at 6:15 and we headed back to Kyoto station to come home. At Kyoto station we went to a desert restaurant and had Hojicha ice cream and green tea ice cream. She told me that the restaurant was well known. On the way out we purchased ice cream to bring back to her parents, which the employee placed in bubble wrap with a container of dry ice.
Sunday was going to be a high pressure day, well that’s what I was told. We were going to Osaka to meet with Minami’s grandparents. Supposedly the first time the grandmother heard that I was not Japanese she was disappointed. So of course, I had to be trained and on my best behavior. Minami had been training me on my Japanese etiquette and I was no doubt ready. The ride was 45 minutes to Kyoto 30 minutes to Osaka. After leaving the Train station in Osaka we went down a quiet street. We stopped by a dark brown building. Minami stuck her head inside the door until a man came out. I was informed that this was Cheiko’s brother. Minami and I went inside the building, which was a coffee shop, while her parents left to go to an apartment where the grandparents lived. Her uncle served us ice coffee. The shop was empty except for some older men in the corner booth. Minami and her uncle had a conversation. I sat and listened. Her uncle point to my shoulders and made a jester that I was big. He asked her how I got so big, and she told him that I was a swimmer.
We took the elevator to a top floor of the apartment building. This was it. I was going to make my big entrance. I did so gently and gracefully with “Dozo Yoroshiku” which is a polite greeting. I bowed. Grandpa bowed back. The family giggled, I found a seat next to Minami. I couldn’t say much. They pointed to my shoulders and said I was big. We were served cold green tea and mochi. It was good mochi, and so was the tea. Grandma and Grandpa were both intrigued by this new visitor. They made glances at me and smiled. I believe they wanted to carry on a conversation. Grandpa tried- grandma brushed him with her hand to say stop. It was a quiet and unconventional meeting. It was effortless and perfect. We got up and put our shoes on as we walked out of the apartment. I was, again, wearing a button down, jeans, and boots. It was ok at this point. As we walked the uncle caught up with us. Every one was chattering. Grandpa kept giving me compliments. Grandma laughed. At some point Grandpa asked if I died my hair, because if I did I wouldn’t be allowed in school. This made the group stop and laugh. Etsuo bent over with one hand on his knee laughing. I said” Kare wa suki desuka (do you like this)” while running my fingers through my hair.
We went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. It was quite the classy restaurant, where the family sat in a private room with a center spinning piece of glass on the table. The chopsticks were shiny metal. Food was elegantly prepared. Again, I impressed the family. My chopsticks were quite good for a foreigner. Even though I couldn’t speak much, I said a few phrases and my wit kept me interesting. I etiquette was impeccable.
We walked through a festival area and then up the steep steps of a castle walk way. We were visiting Osaka-jo. I started to sweat. I sweat so much that my shirt stuck to my back. It was noticeable and I was uncomfortable. Minami and I decided that later I would by a t-shirt to wear. We said good by the grandparents and uncle. Back on a train to another part of Osaka. The first store we visited after this was to get me a tshirt. The family scurried through a crowded 3rd floor looking for a shirt for me. I tried on a couple. Nothing fit me. All the Larges are similar to Smalls and Mediums in Japan. I decided to not get a shirt. The rest of the family shopped around for awhile. We stopped for mochi ice cream and drinks. Mom stopped for beads at a huge bead store. Dad stopped for shoes. Minami stopped for shoes. I followed everyone around just soaking up the experience.
We later went to an area of Osaka where Korean immigrants and descendants have shops selling ethnic food like Kimchi. We walked through the food area and the family stopped to try samples or buy some. We all stopped at a restaurant for yakiniku. The food was great. It sounds outrageous, but we had each of the 4 stomachs of a cow, cow heart, tongue, neck, throat, and regular meat cuts. It was a feast. We grilled in on a small grill on the table. Our way back was long but we were filled with delicious food. The beginning of that day had begun with my attempts of writing Katakana on the train and it ended with my memorization of every character. So by the end of Sunday I had memorized all of Hiragana and was roughly memorizing Katakana all the way through.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
More incredibly long posts...
Saturday the 29th found me headed to the gym for the first time. Minami was busy at work and I was lazying around the house. I had lunch with her parents and asked to borrow the bike so that I could ride in stead of walk or run. It turns out that my memory of how to get to B and G was less than perfect, which led me to a journey with many stops and head swings. Swinging back and forth my head was looking for familiar land marks. It is beautiful being outside in Japan. Even though it is very humid, you are surrounded by awe and magnificence. The distance is painted with mountains and to each side are fields of rice stalks swaying in the wind. It’s quiet and the only sound is the wind brushing by my ears and hair as I ride the bike. It feels good to be physically active, after many long and delicious meals. I rode faster and harder. Swerving around corners, I am reminding of my motorcycle back home. There is a mirroring freedom of riding each. Riding the bike in Japan is one of complete ecstasy. I don’t have a solid idea of where I am headed, just a faint belief in the direction I need to head. There really isn’t a curfew or watch I am following. The only pressing measure is how long it will be before I meet up with Minami.
I slowly walked into the gym and walked towards the woman working at the front desk. We exchanged hellos, or should I say konnichiwas? After spouting off some Japanese I quickly said Nihongo Wakalimasen( I don’t understand Japanese). She giggled, and included other employees on the calamity. Knowing the same feeling, trying to provide a service to someone who couldn’t speak the required language, I held back my amusement. I was more focused on remaining calm, and not prolonging the obscurity of the whole ordeal. She put two half sheets of paper in front of me, one yellow, one white, both with Japanese characters on them. She managed to squeeze out, name, address, and phone. I believe it was my intuition that told me what went where, but it was our telepathic communication that carried the consensus across. My name was easy to remember, but scurried through my memory to write down the address. I had to look through the phone Minami’s family provided for me to write down a phone number. After that a man took control of my introduction to the gym. There was a small area in front of the desk that was made of brick This is where I correctly guessed was the line to take off one’s shoes. I carried my sandals over to a locker, where the man gave me a pair of lime green slippers to wear. He showed me passed a room with glass walls and inside were weights, machines, and treadmills. Directing me to the locker room, he showed me where an available locker was; no. 251, and then demonstrated how to get the key from the locker door. From then on he let me grab my ‘training shoes,’ which I forgot to add, every one knew how to say, since they kept asking to check for them. I can infer that separate shoes for different activities are necessary. Minami mentioned that I might have to bring in different shoes in addition to the shoes I was wearing when I arrived. Good thing I listened. The man, who had a shirt that read Takashima Swim School on the back, led me back to the glass room and handed me off to another guy who I would guess was in his late teens. He watched me put on my shoes and I asked him with one word if where I was putting my slippers was a correct place-- Hai?
There I was. I had made it to the gym, in a small country town, where my features stood out like a mountain amongst a field of grass. My mind began to chuckle. My face maintained a blank stare halfway between a straight face and a smirk. It is all too amusing, knowing what is going through others’ minds when you walk through a room, but having no idea how to express any expression back to these others. So I did what any man in any country all over the world would do, I went to the gym and began working out. For some reason I was being watched by the employee I was handed off to. Maybe he assumed I didn’t know what weights and machines were. He showed me proper technique, and after 20-30 reps of his approval, I got off the leg press machine. From that point on, he eyed me from a watchful distance. Again, the physical exertion felt good. To empty the muscle’s anxiety and adrenaline into one big swoosh of elegant motion lifting metal weights was almost as tranquil as the bike ride. I’ve never been a muscle head or a gym-zombie, but this moment just felt right. As I went through the simplest of training routines, just trying to focus on a burn different than the burning desire to communicate, my new friend kept approaching me with different questions. “Where… from?” I said “Watashiha American desu. Miami.” He looked puzzled after I said Miami. I thought of how could I explain where Miami was. “Uh. Florida.” Nothing “Disney World. Mickey Mouse.” He finally got it. A few moments later he asked “How old… you?” If his English was funny, my attempt at replying in Japanese was even more funny--- “ni-san” which roughly translates to two-three. “Huh? Ni-ju-san?” he excitedly questioned. I concurred. He rustled back to an even younger kid. He seemed to be sharing this info with the few others that were in the room, which included an older woman and an older man. I would say these individuals were in their 50-60s. From that point on, I knew I was a novelty. Hereyee hereyee come see the whitey; he is tall, he is huge, hereyee hereyee. I ate up the quiet attention. As I finished and was taking off my ’training shoes’ and putting on the green slippers, my watchman approached one last time, but now along with the younger kid.” What….hmm… do? Job?” I replied with “Teacher. Sensei. Science Teacher.” They loved it. The next question--- how tall? I knew they weren’t going to be familiar with feet so I said “ I know you know centimeters and meters, but I know it in feet.” He replied “10 FEET!??!?!” oh no I thought, he is going to tell every one he met an American from Disney World who was 10 feet tall. I quickly said “no no.” and then tried to convert inches to centimeters. They were impressed with the final number, nonetheless.
I changed for the pool next. I knew if the gym was going to be a shock to people there, then my presence at the pool would send at least one person into cardiac arrest. When I stepped on the deck, I was relieved that all were in relatively good shape and no CPR was necessary. It is a requirement that everyone wear a swim cap while in the pool. This is so even for men. Minami’s parents prepared me with one of theirs: A bright yellow clothe cap that has SHIMODA written in permanent black marker across the front. By the way, I know that I am making a great impression for the Shimoda family all over town. Anyway, the swim was great as well and I ended it with a dip in the Jacuzzi.
The ride back was more confusing than the ride there. I couldn’t remember if I was riding towards the mountains or away from them. I accidentally missed the turn to Katsuno, the street the house is on, and drove by Ko Me Ri, a garden store. I rode around the parking lot, tossing around the idea of stopping and going in. I decided to try my luck at finding some seeds. I found the seed rack and picked out Suika, Japanese watermelon, which the outside shell is a deep rich green and the inside a thick blood red. I’ve yet to have some, but have heard and thought it looks delicious. I also picked up a package of Edamame, edible soy bean pods that are a hit in the U.S. The total was around 500 yen. I rode back, proud of my purchase. I began to enjoy the ride again, but was parched from all the heat and activity. I stopped at what I know now is a coke machine directly next to the house, but didn’t know it at the time. I got a coke zero, which happened to be my first soft drink, since my departure from the U.S. I kept riding looking for the Shimoda house. I got to the giant Gulliver next to train station. I stopped and drank my the rest of my coke. Still sitting on the bike, I basked in the sun. The rays baked over the evening sky and warmed my face and arms.
I rode back home and showed my seeds to the family. They all thought it a joke, but I was still proud. Minami‘s mom said “Shall we make Mochi?” She knew I wanted to learn how to make it. Mochi is made from rice flower and is a soft treat. I awkwardly mixed together the ingredients and sloppily made the mochi balls. A popular desert topping here is Anko, a red bean paste. Another is kinako, which is powder from soy beans. We put some on the mochi to make sure it was ok, since I made it. It was.
I went back to Gulliver 30 minutes later to meet a tired and hot Minami. It had been a long day for her, but instead of going directly home, she showed me a nearby lake. We walked back through a hospital parking lot. Takashima looks like an old town. If I were to explain it in any terms understandable, I think of town with deep traditional roots, but a string of ties with modern amenities. Buildings still look old and the business buildings look run down and out of date. I am aware that this comes of as critical, but is just an attempt to describe with words, something that cannot be unless seen for one’s self. It is undoubtedly a beautifully quaint town.
Minami worked only a few short hours on Sunday, and I spent it with her parents. I enjoy the time I spend with them. It is a relationship, where pressure and misunderstanding could corrupt, but is immense with a rhythmic simplistic nature. We spend time eating. I ask what this is, or what that is. I pour the tea. We say things taste good and struggle to speak in a language that is understandable with one another. They are happy and laughing. I am not sure if it is mutual, but I will miss our time together, when I leave.
I spent the first part of the day learning Japanese with Cheiko. She taught me new verbs and I asked questions the best I could. Her dad peered in from the shop. listening to our jokes about food or cleaning. At some point, he came in with an entire octopus. I had never seen one like that in real life, and to be honest… I wanted to go over and touch it. Instead, I replied with” Tako.. Tako ga suki desu ( I like octopus). Minami’s parents are going to Nagoya in a few weeks with friends. They are going to be eating tako and also going to another onsen. I believe this may be the reason why we were talking about octopus. Etsuo cooked up some noodles and takoyaki. This is octopus meet in side of a round fried dumpling. It has an amazing taste and a great texture. Only her dad and I ate this course. Etsuo loves food. His taste is only for the best foods. I believe I am learning a lot from this, because I am used to KFC, then Church’s chicken, and if I get tired of these two, I go to Popeye’s chicken. All three supply delicious, cheap, soul food, but not the great rare flavors that I am enjoying now.
Aftering eating, I stepped into the shop to look around. I watched Minami’s dad cut up fish and prepare a plate of sashimi. This plate was an order of 7-8 types of fish worth about 50 dollars. He is a master at cutting fish. I met Minami at 3:30.
Monday, Minami went to school early. It was a rainy day and I was going to meet up with her in Shijo area of Kyoto, where there are shops. Wednesday was going to be a big party for Minami and 23 of her friends. It was all the friends from junior high to high school. All one big group of friends. I was the only guy invited. Monday she had to go shopping to pick up party stuff and some gifts for three girls who have July birthdays. After trenching through the rain, I made it to the Shijo area and cooled off in a shopping mall. I sat there for at least 30 minutes until I regained my wind to go exploring again. It took about an hour to get to where I was, so venturing off in the rain took some motivation. Minami was shopping with her friend Minami. I know, same name. I wanted them to do the girl thing together, which let me explore the area. I met up with them shortly and we stopped at a coffee shop for further Wednesday night planning. Minami was very nice, but didn’t speak English. So I am assuming that her smiles were kindness.
After saying bye to the other Minami, who works at GAP in Shijo, we walked to Hokoku shrine. It was a possible place for our wedding ceremony. It was further away than expected. It was still raining. Minami and I huddled under one small umbrella, with her big purse, my shoulder bag, and a big bag full of party supplies. The part supply bag was made of paper… I knew it wasn’t going to last if it got wet. We made it to the shrine. At first glance, it took my breathe away, at second glance I was speechless. I know this makes it sound good, but how can I find words to describe the moment when something feels perfectly right. I wonder how I find words to write any of these blogs, since they are of moments that seem perfectly right as well. The recount of happenings and memories, I hope are able to mirror the experiences themselves. We walked back to Kyoto station. Dripping wet from sweat and rain, we made it inside. There was about 30 minutes of time before the next train, so Minami suggested we get some takoyaki. The little fast food store was only big enough for a few chairs inside. Customers could watch the employees make the takoyaki. They used little skewers and went through a series of steps to finish a completed ball of takoyaki. Minami and I shared 6 and a soda. It was only a snack until we got home. Oh.. and yes the bag with the party supplies did break.
I slowly walked into the gym and walked towards the woman working at the front desk. We exchanged hellos, or should I say konnichiwas? After spouting off some Japanese I quickly said Nihongo Wakalimasen( I don’t understand Japanese). She giggled, and included other employees on the calamity. Knowing the same feeling, trying to provide a service to someone who couldn’t speak the required language, I held back my amusement. I was more focused on remaining calm, and not prolonging the obscurity of the whole ordeal. She put two half sheets of paper in front of me, one yellow, one white, both with Japanese characters on them. She managed to squeeze out, name, address, and phone. I believe it was my intuition that told me what went where, but it was our telepathic communication that carried the consensus across. My name was easy to remember, but scurried through my memory to write down the address. I had to look through the phone Minami’s family provided for me to write down a phone number. After that a man took control of my introduction to the gym. There was a small area in front of the desk that was made of brick This is where I correctly guessed was the line to take off one’s shoes. I carried my sandals over to a locker, where the man gave me a pair of lime green slippers to wear. He showed me passed a room with glass walls and inside were weights, machines, and treadmills. Directing me to the locker room, he showed me where an available locker was; no. 251, and then demonstrated how to get the key from the locker door. From then on he let me grab my ‘training shoes,’ which I forgot to add, every one knew how to say, since they kept asking to check for them. I can infer that separate shoes for different activities are necessary. Minami mentioned that I might have to bring in different shoes in addition to the shoes I was wearing when I arrived. Good thing I listened. The man, who had a shirt that read Takashima Swim School on the back, led me back to the glass room and handed me off to another guy who I would guess was in his late teens. He watched me put on my shoes and I asked him with one word if where I was putting my slippers was a correct place-- Hai?
There I was. I had made it to the gym, in a small country town, where my features stood out like a mountain amongst a field of grass. My mind began to chuckle. My face maintained a blank stare halfway between a straight face and a smirk. It is all too amusing, knowing what is going through others’ minds when you walk through a room, but having no idea how to express any expression back to these others. So I did what any man in any country all over the world would do, I went to the gym and began working out. For some reason I was being watched by the employee I was handed off to. Maybe he assumed I didn’t know what weights and machines were. He showed me proper technique, and after 20-30 reps of his approval, I got off the leg press machine. From that point on, he eyed me from a watchful distance. Again, the physical exertion felt good. To empty the muscle’s anxiety and adrenaline into one big swoosh of elegant motion lifting metal weights was almost as tranquil as the bike ride. I’ve never been a muscle head or a gym-zombie, but this moment just felt right. As I went through the simplest of training routines, just trying to focus on a burn different than the burning desire to communicate, my new friend kept approaching me with different questions. “Where… from?” I said “Watashiha American desu. Miami.” He looked puzzled after I said Miami. I thought of how could I explain where Miami was. “Uh. Florida.” Nothing “Disney World. Mickey Mouse.” He finally got it. A few moments later he asked “How old… you?” If his English was funny, my attempt at replying in Japanese was even more funny--- “ni-san” which roughly translates to two-three. “Huh? Ni-ju-san?” he excitedly questioned. I concurred. He rustled back to an even younger kid. He seemed to be sharing this info with the few others that were in the room, which included an older woman and an older man. I would say these individuals were in their 50-60s. From that point on, I knew I was a novelty. Hereyee hereyee come see the whitey; he is tall, he is huge, hereyee hereyee. I ate up the quiet attention. As I finished and was taking off my ’training shoes’ and putting on the green slippers, my watchman approached one last time, but now along with the younger kid.” What….hmm… do? Job?” I replied with “Teacher. Sensei. Science Teacher.” They loved it. The next question--- how tall? I knew they weren’t going to be familiar with feet so I said “ I know you know centimeters and meters, but I know it in feet.” He replied “10 FEET!??!?!” oh no I thought, he is going to tell every one he met an American from Disney World who was 10 feet tall. I quickly said “no no.” and then tried to convert inches to centimeters. They were impressed with the final number, nonetheless.
I changed for the pool next. I knew if the gym was going to be a shock to people there, then my presence at the pool would send at least one person into cardiac arrest. When I stepped on the deck, I was relieved that all were in relatively good shape and no CPR was necessary. It is a requirement that everyone wear a swim cap while in the pool. This is so even for men. Minami’s parents prepared me with one of theirs: A bright yellow clothe cap that has SHIMODA written in permanent black marker across the front. By the way, I know that I am making a great impression for the Shimoda family all over town. Anyway, the swim was great as well and I ended it with a dip in the Jacuzzi.
The ride back was more confusing than the ride there. I couldn’t remember if I was riding towards the mountains or away from them. I accidentally missed the turn to Katsuno, the street the house is on, and drove by Ko Me Ri, a garden store. I rode around the parking lot, tossing around the idea of stopping and going in. I decided to try my luck at finding some seeds. I found the seed rack and picked out Suika, Japanese watermelon, which the outside shell is a deep rich green and the inside a thick blood red. I’ve yet to have some, but have heard and thought it looks delicious. I also picked up a package of Edamame, edible soy bean pods that are a hit in the U.S. The total was around 500 yen. I rode back, proud of my purchase. I began to enjoy the ride again, but was parched from all the heat and activity. I stopped at what I know now is a coke machine directly next to the house, but didn’t know it at the time. I got a coke zero, which happened to be my first soft drink, since my departure from the U.S. I kept riding looking for the Shimoda house. I got to the giant Gulliver next to train station. I stopped and drank my the rest of my coke. Still sitting on the bike, I basked in the sun. The rays baked over the evening sky and warmed my face and arms.
I rode back home and showed my seeds to the family. They all thought it a joke, but I was still proud. Minami‘s mom said “Shall we make Mochi?” She knew I wanted to learn how to make it. Mochi is made from rice flower and is a soft treat. I awkwardly mixed together the ingredients and sloppily made the mochi balls. A popular desert topping here is Anko, a red bean paste. Another is kinako, which is powder from soy beans. We put some on the mochi to make sure it was ok, since I made it. It was.
I went back to Gulliver 30 minutes later to meet a tired and hot Minami. It had been a long day for her, but instead of going directly home, she showed me a nearby lake. We walked back through a hospital parking lot. Takashima looks like an old town. If I were to explain it in any terms understandable, I think of town with deep traditional roots, but a string of ties with modern amenities. Buildings still look old and the business buildings look run down and out of date. I am aware that this comes of as critical, but is just an attempt to describe with words, something that cannot be unless seen for one’s self. It is undoubtedly a beautifully quaint town.
Minami worked only a few short hours on Sunday, and I spent it with her parents. I enjoy the time I spend with them. It is a relationship, where pressure and misunderstanding could corrupt, but is immense with a rhythmic simplistic nature. We spend time eating. I ask what this is, or what that is. I pour the tea. We say things taste good and struggle to speak in a language that is understandable with one another. They are happy and laughing. I am not sure if it is mutual, but I will miss our time together, when I leave.
I spent the first part of the day learning Japanese with Cheiko. She taught me new verbs and I asked questions the best I could. Her dad peered in from the shop. listening to our jokes about food or cleaning. At some point, he came in with an entire octopus. I had never seen one like that in real life, and to be honest… I wanted to go over and touch it. Instead, I replied with” Tako.. Tako ga suki desu ( I like octopus). Minami’s parents are going to Nagoya in a few weeks with friends. They are going to be eating tako and also going to another onsen. I believe this may be the reason why we were talking about octopus. Etsuo cooked up some noodles and takoyaki. This is octopus meet in side of a round fried dumpling. It has an amazing taste and a great texture. Only her dad and I ate this course. Etsuo loves food. His taste is only for the best foods. I believe I am learning a lot from this, because I am used to KFC, then Church’s chicken, and if I get tired of these two, I go to Popeye’s chicken. All three supply delicious, cheap, soul food, but not the great rare flavors that I am enjoying now.
Aftering eating, I stepped into the shop to look around. I watched Minami’s dad cut up fish and prepare a plate of sashimi. This plate was an order of 7-8 types of fish worth about 50 dollars. He is a master at cutting fish. I met Minami at 3:30.
Monday, Minami went to school early. It was a rainy day and I was going to meet up with her in Shijo area of Kyoto, where there are shops. Wednesday was going to be a big party for Minami and 23 of her friends. It was all the friends from junior high to high school. All one big group of friends. I was the only guy invited. Monday she had to go shopping to pick up party stuff and some gifts for three girls who have July birthdays. After trenching through the rain, I made it to the Shijo area and cooled off in a shopping mall. I sat there for at least 30 minutes until I regained my wind to go exploring again. It took about an hour to get to where I was, so venturing off in the rain took some motivation. Minami was shopping with her friend Minami. I know, same name. I wanted them to do the girl thing together, which let me explore the area. I met up with them shortly and we stopped at a coffee shop for further Wednesday night planning. Minami was very nice, but didn’t speak English. So I am assuming that her smiles were kindness.
After saying bye to the other Minami, who works at GAP in Shijo, we walked to Hokoku shrine. It was a possible place for our wedding ceremony. It was further away than expected. It was still raining. Minami and I huddled under one small umbrella, with her big purse, my shoulder bag, and a big bag full of party supplies. The part supply bag was made of paper… I knew it wasn’t going to last if it got wet. We made it to the shrine. At first glance, it took my breathe away, at second glance I was speechless. I know this makes it sound good, but how can I find words to describe the moment when something feels perfectly right. I wonder how I find words to write any of these blogs, since they are of moments that seem perfectly right as well. The recount of happenings and memories, I hope are able to mirror the experiences themselves. We walked back to Kyoto station. Dripping wet from sweat and rain, we made it inside. There was about 30 minutes of time before the next train, so Minami suggested we get some takoyaki. The little fast food store was only big enough for a few chairs inside. Customers could watch the employees make the takoyaki. They used little skewers and went through a series of steps to finish a completed ball of takoyaki. Minami and I shared 6 and a soda. It was only a snack until we got home. Oh.. and yes the bag with the party supplies did break.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Ongoing discovery
I spent the first three days this week traveling to Kyoto with Minami. While she was in class at her University I visited local temples. On Monday, I waited through Minami’s first class. That is when I wrote the last entry. I was able to go to her next class, since it was a large room. Even though the room was large, most of the students sit in the back. There are flat panel screens hanging from the ceiling and the professor spoke using a microphone. Even though the class was in Japanese, the professor played a 20 minute video that was in English. It was about bilingual education in the United States. It was a collaboration of video with Peter Jennyings from 1988. It talked about the growing pressure on immigrants in the United States to learn English. Highlighting legislation from the 1970s, it showed benefits of having bilingual programs rather than total immergence. Even though the video was two decades old, the facts are still relevant today.
From the classes that I have attended, it seems that the Japanese college experience is much different than that of an American. Students are not directly involved in instruction. They take notes and look down the majority of the time. The Sensei does not actively check for student understanding and rarely stops for anything, but a breath. The University stops all classes around lunch time for an hour so that everyone may eat.
The cafeteria is a mad house, with a never-ending criss-cross of people. The food (gohann) is still Japanese and the setting is Japanese as well. Chopsticks instead of forks, big plastic soup spoons instead of western style spoons for soup, and cold tea is available for free in large containers in the middle of the cafeteria.. Seats are difficult to find, so students seem to set themselves down where ever there is an available seat. This includes outside and back in the classrooms. I met one of Minami’s friends, Kina and we carried our lunch tray and all back to the classroom we had just departed from.
Kina Spoke English well. It is always a breath of fresh air to use it. Early this week, I began to understand why the existence of ethnic enclaves is so prevalent in the U.S. Immigrants coming to the U.S. find familiarity in a surrounding of unfamiliar. Of course this is all self explanatory and common sense; however, one never knows until they have experience.
Minami had to give an English lesson to a women who lives in another area of Kyoto. We got on a bus and after some walking, arrived at a house. It looked like a modern home, but it had traditional Japanese style decorations. The women has a young child, I would say around two years old, who was constantly running around. The lesson lasted an hour and a half, in which I entertained my self by playing with the young boy and his toys. He was curious and into everything. He couldn’t understand me and I could not understand him, but we sat together making car and siren sounds. I guess Minami and the women were surprised, because he is usually shy and scared of strangers. I said it was because of my good spirit. The women looked young but she was actually 36. I would have guessed 24 or 25.
Afterwards we headed to the department stores around Kyoto train station to get a pair of pajamas for me. Like I mentioned before, showers are taken at night, and people hang around in their pajamas for a good amount of time before going to bed. So I bought some pajamas so that I could fit in with the rest of the family.
Tuesday, I went to Ryoanji temple, This was my first adventure by myself here. Ryoanji has a garden comprised of only rocks. There are 15 larger rocks placed on a bed of white pebbles. The garden is a sign of tranquility and harmony and is suppose to inspire inward thought and meditation. I had the opportunity to sit there and let the scenery sink in. There were a lot of visitors and I had to purchase a ticket. I enjoy going out and mingling with people. By this time I was able to ask how much something is (ikura desuka). Being able to speak my new language, even if it is very little, is encouraging. After taking some pictures and video, I headed back to Ritsumeiken University to sit in class with Minami. It was another large room, but this time was filled. There had to be any where from 200-300 students. The Sensei was very impressive. He spoke without breathing for an hour and a half. He even told jokes and after the punch line, he laughed and kept going. It was not in English.
Minami had a quiz in her next class and I headed to the school’s convenient store. There are drinks that are recognizable and then there are some that have entirely Japanese writing on them. Drinks are not just sold in bottles, but in cartons as well. The cartons are actually quite large and are cheaper than bottled beverages. I am becoming a big fan of the cartons.
That night Dale came over for dinner. We were going to head to the B and G gym and play(futsol) in door soccer that night. Dinner consisted of chicken hearts, cartilage, and fermented fish sauce on ika(squid). Dale is a big fan of this type of food. This was my first time with all of these things. Not something I would make a part of my regular staple. I am not a soccer player, and I don’t intend on picking up the sport anytime soon. We played with local people from Takashima. Minami drove us. It felt good to run around and I knew where the city gym was now.
Wednesday, I headed to Ninnaji Temple. This was a 15 minute walk from Minami’s school, but I had 3 hours to kill. Ninnaji was built over a thousand years ago, finished in the year 888 AD. It was burned in the Onin war during the 1400s and rebuilt 150 years later. The Emperor who oversaw its first building retired from the throne and spent the next 30 years of his life dedicated to the study of the Buddhist religion. The temple is the Center of Omuro School and the main Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. It is one of the largest assembly of buildings and is stretched over many acres. I joined Minami for her American politics class. It is taught by a man from Minnesota. The topic being covered currently in the class is the making and passing of a bill. The professor is awkward and obviously is bringing the American Education flavor to the University. Most students seem intimidated. I met two more of Minami’s friends for lunch, Saki and Mitsu. Both spoke English. After graduation, Saki is going to work for a company that is associated with Disney in Japan, while Mitsu is going to grad school for International politics.
We headed back to Kyoto station, after school. Minami had to go to a car body shop where she teaches the employees English. She was only going to be 2 hrs so I decided to wait for her and try my luck walking around Kyoto. I walked slowly from store to store. I walked completely around Kyoto station, which is probably about the size of a mall in the U.S. Then I sat in an area where I knew that I wouldn’t get in the way. Kyoto is a very big city. It is full of busy people and has a taste of New York mixed with a bit of D.C.. If anyone knows me, then they know me and music go hand and hand. I sat and listened to music for the next few hours. Singing and then sitting quietly when someone would pass by. Minami called and said that if I got on the next Kosei train to Imazu, then we would be able to meet up on the stop after Kyoto station. I knew where to go and I even knew what platform to wait on. We agreed on meeting in the last car of the train. Standing on the platform at the end, I turned around and saw a train sitting there. I frantically got on, knowing it was going to leave in a few minutes. This was odd because I was at the back of the platform and expecting a train to pass by. Apparently this train comes in one way and then leaves the same. I didn’t know that at this time. When I talked to Minami I said that I might be on the front of the train because I didn’t see it come in. “Wait a second and I’ll tell you which way the train is going. Then I’ll know if I am on the front or in the back.” All of a sudden, the battery in the phone died and it turned off. I wasn’t worried, but confident I was on the right train.
Stop after stop, I didn’t see Minami. I thought that I better look around for a map to make sure I was going the right way. No map had stops that I recognized. A hot flash and thick sweat overcame me. I began walking towards the front of the train to figure out if I could find something. What was I looking for? I have no idea; a map, a foreigner, anything in English. As I stepped from car to car, the plain truth that I was going to have to find a place to sleep that night began to sink in. My only way of communicating was the phone and it was now dead. I didn’t even have Minami’s phone number. I pictured Minami worried and talking to her parents. I came to terms with the situation and accepted my obvious fate. Right as I came to this realization, I discovered a pair of familiar eyes searching through the train. It was Minami.
Thursday was a day off for Minami, and we spent the first part of the day lying around the house. We then went to Katata, a smaller city not too far from Takashima. We went to a shopping mall there, which is much different than our malls. Japan also has outside malls. Which look like a covered street surround by stores on either side. We looked around at kitchen supplies, furniture and other nick nacks. We got excited about our life together and picked out things we wanted for our house. I got excited when I saw a store that sold tatami. The bamboo type of carpet. Right before we left to come home, we grabbed a carton of Ice coffee and an éclair from the store. It was around 200 yen = 2 dollars. The travel home was also eventful. About 10 minutes from home, the two lane highway came to a halt. We hypothesized that there must have been an accident kuruma no jiko. Not knowing how long we would be there, we kept the music playing. After an hour, we turned the car off. After two hours, I decided to get out and find out what was up. It was pitch black and the mile of cars in front of us were probably filled with people wondering what this whitey, in sandals was doing running on the side of the highway. I was fearful that the cars would start going and Minami would have to slow down to let me back in. I ran what seemed like 3-5 minutes. I passed cars, trucks, and semis. Still I could not see the end of the line. I ran back and met Minami in the same spot I left her. In all we were stuck there for three hours. We never saw the severity of the accident that held us deadlocked for such a long time. The sad part was, Etsuo and Cheiko were waiting for us to eat with them and by the time we got home it was 11:00. We came in with dad watching TV on the floor and mom a sleep on the other side of the room. They had waited this whole time to eat with us. It was quite a gesture and it meant a lot to me. Her dad had prepared a massive plate of sashimi. This is the top part that is put on sushi. It is consisted of raw seafood. It was very good. I am not completely sure what everything was, but I think one was salmon, one a type of eel, and then tako(octopus). If anyone reading this has never had octopus, I suggest going to your nearest sushi bar and eating some. It’s one of my favorites. I learned tsumeti, which means cold. So we had both Ocha atsui and Ocha Tsumeti. Minami wanted me to make sure I wrote about the Melon we had for desert. It tasted like Honey dew melon, but was more expensive Etsuo said. Delicious.
We headed in to Kyoto Early on Friday. We had an appointment at a bridal shop called LST. We were checking out the options included in the wedding packaged offered by the company. Minami and I are planning on a traditional Japanese wedding that will take place a Shinto shrine. The attire will all be genuine and traditional. Our appointment was at 11:30 and we started off slow. After ironing and getting ready, time was not on our side to make the last train to make it to our appointment. Minami in 4 inch heels and I in cowboy boots, ran from her house to the train station. It’s about 2-3 blocks. We made it in time; however, we were hot and sweaty because of the dash. The hour ride into Kyoto was enough to cool us down. After a bus ride, we walked into a building and took the elevator to the 5th floor. We walked into a room with a DVD playing, which showed someone’s wedding. Minami and I were the only ones in the room. A sign that said the Shimoda family in Kanji was on the front desk. We rang the bell and a women greeted us. Ikuko showed us to a table and served us cold tea. After listening to Minami and Ikuko talk, pictures were showed to us of the different restaurant options. We knew that the traditional style sitting on the floor was what we were looking for. We picked out a restaurant and looked at album options. The woman kept leaving the room to type up items that we were picking out. We took a look around the room. Bridal outfits were in each corner. They are not gowns, but more of a robe and kimono combination. There are kimono options; however, in keeping with tradition, Minami will be wearing an all white outfit with a white headdress that looks similar to the top of a mushroom. In all, we were at LST for two hours.
Afterwards, we stopped at a fast food restaurant called Mos Burger. People who come in to order and take out do so on the first floor. Those who come and dine in order and eat on the second floor. The third floor is for people wishing to smoke. Smoking is a big deal in Japan. Cigarettes are sold in vending machines on the side of the rode. They are cheaper than American prices, but have U.S. brands. We ate and went to the bank to exchange my dollars for some yen. The exchange rate was $100 for 920 yen. After this we walked to Kyomizu Dera. Dera means temple. The walk was incredible. It was up a hill at about 45 degree incline or more most of the way. Poor Minami in her heels. The back of my ankles were already blistered up. When we arrived I got to properly ask for two tickets. Chiketo wo ni mai kudasai. It the longest phrase I have learned thus far, besides what is that Kore wa nani desuka, do you like that kore wa suki desuka, or do you want this Kore wa hoshii desuka. The temple is nestled in the side of a mountain with a very scenic view. The plan was to visit this temple and then to go to a Shinto Shrine close by. We had another appointment at another bridal center. This one was much more modern. We were served cold mugicha (barley tea). This time Minami and I knew what we wanted and were there to compare package price. I didn’t get to say anything during this appointment. There are few times that I do get to speak. Even when Minami is around, she is busy talking to her parents in a language that I cannot yet understand. I just have to sit there and look cute, make sure I don’t get caught picking my nose, or dropping anything.
Minami and I went to meat up with Dale, Ryan, and Kyla for yakiniku. That is Korean barbeque. The place we went to was $35 all you can eat and drink for 2 hours. The grill is in in the center of the table. Raw meet comes out as ones orders it and the customers grill it themselves. The meat is dipped in a variety of sauces. We had cow tongue and heart at some point. Since it was $35 and a timed meal I made sure to get my fill of both meat and drink. Apparently I had too much of both. When the five of us left the building there was a young guy on the side of the street playing a guitar and singing songs in English. We sang a song with him, “Let it be” and people from off the streets got a kick out of it. I gave him ten yen. Minami stopped me from giving him 500 yen. Thank you Minami. We then went to get more beverages and go to Japanese Karaoke. The karaoke place had long hallways with individual rooms. In the rooms were a couch and a table. In front was a TV which played the songs and showed the words. Of course we picked the English songs. Every English song had a video of a Japanese man riding around on a motorcycle. At some point the stopped to get gas. Nothing much more American than that.
From the classes that I have attended, it seems that the Japanese college experience is much different than that of an American. Students are not directly involved in instruction. They take notes and look down the majority of the time. The Sensei does not actively check for student understanding and rarely stops for anything, but a breath. The University stops all classes around lunch time for an hour so that everyone may eat.
The cafeteria is a mad house, with a never-ending criss-cross of people. The food (gohann) is still Japanese and the setting is Japanese as well. Chopsticks instead of forks, big plastic soup spoons instead of western style spoons for soup, and cold tea is available for free in large containers in the middle of the cafeteria.. Seats are difficult to find, so students seem to set themselves down where ever there is an available seat. This includes outside and back in the classrooms. I met one of Minami’s friends, Kina and we carried our lunch tray and all back to the classroom we had just departed from.
Kina Spoke English well. It is always a breath of fresh air to use it. Early this week, I began to understand why the existence of ethnic enclaves is so prevalent in the U.S. Immigrants coming to the U.S. find familiarity in a surrounding of unfamiliar. Of course this is all self explanatory and common sense; however, one never knows until they have experience.
Minami had to give an English lesson to a women who lives in another area of Kyoto. We got on a bus and after some walking, arrived at a house. It looked like a modern home, but it had traditional Japanese style decorations. The women has a young child, I would say around two years old, who was constantly running around. The lesson lasted an hour and a half, in which I entertained my self by playing with the young boy and his toys. He was curious and into everything. He couldn’t understand me and I could not understand him, but we sat together making car and siren sounds. I guess Minami and the women were surprised, because he is usually shy and scared of strangers. I said it was because of my good spirit. The women looked young but she was actually 36. I would have guessed 24 or 25.
Afterwards we headed to the department stores around Kyoto train station to get a pair of pajamas for me. Like I mentioned before, showers are taken at night, and people hang around in their pajamas for a good amount of time before going to bed. So I bought some pajamas so that I could fit in with the rest of the family.
Tuesday, I went to Ryoanji temple, This was my first adventure by myself here. Ryoanji has a garden comprised of only rocks. There are 15 larger rocks placed on a bed of white pebbles. The garden is a sign of tranquility and harmony and is suppose to inspire inward thought and meditation. I had the opportunity to sit there and let the scenery sink in. There were a lot of visitors and I had to purchase a ticket. I enjoy going out and mingling with people. By this time I was able to ask how much something is (ikura desuka). Being able to speak my new language, even if it is very little, is encouraging. After taking some pictures and video, I headed back to Ritsumeiken University to sit in class with Minami. It was another large room, but this time was filled. There had to be any where from 200-300 students. The Sensei was very impressive. He spoke without breathing for an hour and a half. He even told jokes and after the punch line, he laughed and kept going. It was not in English.
Minami had a quiz in her next class and I headed to the school’s convenient store. There are drinks that are recognizable and then there are some that have entirely Japanese writing on them. Drinks are not just sold in bottles, but in cartons as well. The cartons are actually quite large and are cheaper than bottled beverages. I am becoming a big fan of the cartons.
That night Dale came over for dinner. We were going to head to the B and G gym and play(futsol) in door soccer that night. Dinner consisted of chicken hearts, cartilage, and fermented fish sauce on ika(squid). Dale is a big fan of this type of food. This was my first time with all of these things. Not something I would make a part of my regular staple. I am not a soccer player, and I don’t intend on picking up the sport anytime soon. We played with local people from Takashima. Minami drove us. It felt good to run around and I knew where the city gym was now.
Wednesday, I headed to Ninnaji Temple. This was a 15 minute walk from Minami’s school, but I had 3 hours to kill. Ninnaji was built over a thousand years ago, finished in the year 888 AD. It was burned in the Onin war during the 1400s and rebuilt 150 years later. The Emperor who oversaw its first building retired from the throne and spent the next 30 years of his life dedicated to the study of the Buddhist religion. The temple is the Center of Omuro School and the main Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. It is one of the largest assembly of buildings and is stretched over many acres. I joined Minami for her American politics class. It is taught by a man from Minnesota. The topic being covered currently in the class is the making and passing of a bill. The professor is awkward and obviously is bringing the American Education flavor to the University. Most students seem intimidated. I met two more of Minami’s friends for lunch, Saki and Mitsu. Both spoke English. After graduation, Saki is going to work for a company that is associated with Disney in Japan, while Mitsu is going to grad school for International politics.
We headed back to Kyoto station, after school. Minami had to go to a car body shop where she teaches the employees English. She was only going to be 2 hrs so I decided to wait for her and try my luck walking around Kyoto. I walked slowly from store to store. I walked completely around Kyoto station, which is probably about the size of a mall in the U.S. Then I sat in an area where I knew that I wouldn’t get in the way. Kyoto is a very big city. It is full of busy people and has a taste of New York mixed with a bit of D.C.. If anyone knows me, then they know me and music go hand and hand. I sat and listened to music for the next few hours. Singing and then sitting quietly when someone would pass by. Minami called and said that if I got on the next Kosei train to Imazu, then we would be able to meet up on the stop after Kyoto station. I knew where to go and I even knew what platform to wait on. We agreed on meeting in the last car of the train. Standing on the platform at the end, I turned around and saw a train sitting there. I frantically got on, knowing it was going to leave in a few minutes. This was odd because I was at the back of the platform and expecting a train to pass by. Apparently this train comes in one way and then leaves the same. I didn’t know that at this time. When I talked to Minami I said that I might be on the front of the train because I didn’t see it come in. “Wait a second and I’ll tell you which way the train is going. Then I’ll know if I am on the front or in the back.” All of a sudden, the battery in the phone died and it turned off. I wasn’t worried, but confident I was on the right train.
Stop after stop, I didn’t see Minami. I thought that I better look around for a map to make sure I was going the right way. No map had stops that I recognized. A hot flash and thick sweat overcame me. I began walking towards the front of the train to figure out if I could find something. What was I looking for? I have no idea; a map, a foreigner, anything in English. As I stepped from car to car, the plain truth that I was going to have to find a place to sleep that night began to sink in. My only way of communicating was the phone and it was now dead. I didn’t even have Minami’s phone number. I pictured Minami worried and talking to her parents. I came to terms with the situation and accepted my obvious fate. Right as I came to this realization, I discovered a pair of familiar eyes searching through the train. It was Minami.
Thursday was a day off for Minami, and we spent the first part of the day lying around the house. We then went to Katata, a smaller city not too far from Takashima. We went to a shopping mall there, which is much different than our malls. Japan also has outside malls. Which look like a covered street surround by stores on either side. We looked around at kitchen supplies, furniture and other nick nacks. We got excited about our life together and picked out things we wanted for our house. I got excited when I saw a store that sold tatami. The bamboo type of carpet. Right before we left to come home, we grabbed a carton of Ice coffee and an éclair from the store. It was around 200 yen = 2 dollars. The travel home was also eventful. About 10 minutes from home, the two lane highway came to a halt. We hypothesized that there must have been an accident kuruma no jiko. Not knowing how long we would be there, we kept the music playing. After an hour, we turned the car off. After two hours, I decided to get out and find out what was up. It was pitch black and the mile of cars in front of us were probably filled with people wondering what this whitey, in sandals was doing running on the side of the highway. I was fearful that the cars would start going and Minami would have to slow down to let me back in. I ran what seemed like 3-5 minutes. I passed cars, trucks, and semis. Still I could not see the end of the line. I ran back and met Minami in the same spot I left her. In all we were stuck there for three hours. We never saw the severity of the accident that held us deadlocked for such a long time. The sad part was, Etsuo and Cheiko were waiting for us to eat with them and by the time we got home it was 11:00. We came in with dad watching TV on the floor and mom a sleep on the other side of the room. They had waited this whole time to eat with us. It was quite a gesture and it meant a lot to me. Her dad had prepared a massive plate of sashimi. This is the top part that is put on sushi. It is consisted of raw seafood. It was very good. I am not completely sure what everything was, but I think one was salmon, one a type of eel, and then tako(octopus). If anyone reading this has never had octopus, I suggest going to your nearest sushi bar and eating some. It’s one of my favorites. I learned tsumeti, which means cold. So we had both Ocha atsui and Ocha Tsumeti. Minami wanted me to make sure I wrote about the Melon we had for desert. It tasted like Honey dew melon, but was more expensive Etsuo said. Delicious.
We headed in to Kyoto Early on Friday. We had an appointment at a bridal shop called LST. We were checking out the options included in the wedding packaged offered by the company. Minami and I are planning on a traditional Japanese wedding that will take place a Shinto shrine. The attire will all be genuine and traditional. Our appointment was at 11:30 and we started off slow. After ironing and getting ready, time was not on our side to make the last train to make it to our appointment. Minami in 4 inch heels and I in cowboy boots, ran from her house to the train station. It’s about 2-3 blocks. We made it in time; however, we were hot and sweaty because of the dash. The hour ride into Kyoto was enough to cool us down. After a bus ride, we walked into a building and took the elevator to the 5th floor. We walked into a room with a DVD playing, which showed someone’s wedding. Minami and I were the only ones in the room. A sign that said the Shimoda family in Kanji was on the front desk. We rang the bell and a women greeted us. Ikuko showed us to a table and served us cold tea. After listening to Minami and Ikuko talk, pictures were showed to us of the different restaurant options. We knew that the traditional style sitting on the floor was what we were looking for. We picked out a restaurant and looked at album options. The woman kept leaving the room to type up items that we were picking out. We took a look around the room. Bridal outfits were in each corner. They are not gowns, but more of a robe and kimono combination. There are kimono options; however, in keeping with tradition, Minami will be wearing an all white outfit with a white headdress that looks similar to the top of a mushroom. In all, we were at LST for two hours.
Afterwards, we stopped at a fast food restaurant called Mos Burger. People who come in to order and take out do so on the first floor. Those who come and dine in order and eat on the second floor. The third floor is for people wishing to smoke. Smoking is a big deal in Japan. Cigarettes are sold in vending machines on the side of the rode. They are cheaper than American prices, but have U.S. brands. We ate and went to the bank to exchange my dollars for some yen. The exchange rate was $100 for 920 yen. After this we walked to Kyomizu Dera. Dera means temple. The walk was incredible. It was up a hill at about 45 degree incline or more most of the way. Poor Minami in her heels. The back of my ankles were already blistered up. When we arrived I got to properly ask for two tickets. Chiketo wo ni mai kudasai. It the longest phrase I have learned thus far, besides what is that Kore wa nani desuka, do you like that kore wa suki desuka, or do you want this Kore wa hoshii desuka. The temple is nestled in the side of a mountain with a very scenic view. The plan was to visit this temple and then to go to a Shinto Shrine close by. We had another appointment at another bridal center. This one was much more modern. We were served cold mugicha (barley tea). This time Minami and I knew what we wanted and were there to compare package price. I didn’t get to say anything during this appointment. There are few times that I do get to speak. Even when Minami is around, she is busy talking to her parents in a language that I cannot yet understand. I just have to sit there and look cute, make sure I don’t get caught picking my nose, or dropping anything.
Minami and I went to meat up with Dale, Ryan, and Kyla for yakiniku. That is Korean barbeque. The place we went to was $35 all you can eat and drink for 2 hours. The grill is in in the center of the table. Raw meet comes out as ones orders it and the customers grill it themselves. The meat is dipped in a variety of sauces. We had cow tongue and heart at some point. Since it was $35 and a timed meal I made sure to get my fill of both meat and drink. Apparently I had too much of both. When the five of us left the building there was a young guy on the side of the street playing a guitar and singing songs in English. We sang a song with him, “Let it be” and people from off the streets got a kick out of it. I gave him ten yen. Minami stopped me from giving him 500 yen. Thank you Minami. We then went to get more beverages and go to Japanese Karaoke. The karaoke place had long hallways with individual rooms. In the rooms were a couch and a table. In front was a TV which played the songs and showed the words. Of course we picked the English songs. Every English song had a video of a Japanese man riding around on a motorcycle. At some point the stopped to get gas. Nothing much more American than that.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
This will serve as an update from my arrival to Monday, June 22, 2009.
Itami airport in Osaka: This airport was much different than Narita in Tokyo. English was not as prevalent on signs, which prompted me to follow the crowd leaving the plane. The flight to Osaka was much different as well. ANA 001 to Tokyo was filled with attendants that knew I spoke English. On the way to Osaka, the attendants assumed I spoke Japanese. I was only able to infer what they were saying by facial expression and situational occurrences. The flight was also cramped comparatively.
As I was following the crowd, my body patiently walked, while my eyes frantically searched for English words. We ended up in the baggage claim area, where I collected my bag, after some time of waiting. Immediately upon exiting the baggage claim area, I saw Minami. What a long trip, but this moment made it all more than worth it. Quickly, we jumped onto a bus from Osaka to Kyoto. Again, my suitcase was very heavy, in which I had to carry it up and down flights of stairs. Yes not as many escalators.
The bus ride was an hour long, but Minami and I looked over the video I had already taken as well as what I had written in Narita airport. Upon arriving at Kyoto, we rushed to catch a train to a spot where Etsuo, Minami’s father, would pick us up. Kyoto met me with even more stairs. It seemed to be like a big city and nothing was much different from America so far, besides the signs and the people.
The train ride was also an hour long. Arriving in a station that was close to Takashima, where the Shimoda family resides, I had to carry my suitcase down what seemed to be a never ending set of stairs. Etsuo was waiting for us outside the gate. Our ride to the house prepared me for the setting I was about to step into. There were obvious language barriers that could not easily be overcome. We drove through narrow streets, filled with houses and shops. Even though it is considered the country -side, buildings are close together. At the house I lugged my suit case inside, careful not to bumped into any fragile walls. Cheiko, was waiting for us on the floor. Every thing seemed to be in miniature form. Ceilings were low, door ways were lower, the chairs were on the floor, and all of a sudden, so were we..
Sitting there with everything to say, but no way of saying it presented a familiar feeling. It is comparable to attempting a conversation with one of my Hispanic or Haitian parents. I was attempting to copy Minami and her mother by sitting on my knees, but when her father came in he told me to sit comfortably. I really didn’t understand what that meant, since sitting on the floor was not a concept of comfort to me at the time. I awkwardly fanagled my legs into an Indian style position and sat there with an expressionless smile on my face. Minami got up and walked over to a wall. She slid the wall to the side, which showed a staircase. This was the way upstairs. The steps were 6-8 inches wide and very steep. I, again, carefully carried my bag up a very narrow flight of stairs. My surroundings were extremely thin and fragile.
The house that night was busy. Even though I arrived at 11 pm, her family was still busily walking around and carrying out their activities. Minami and I sat down and ate, while her father and mother sat down. All communication was done through Minami. Etsuo obviously had a grasp of the English language, but years of lack of practice and application, made its usage difficult. I began to learn the customs surrounding eating, including not to drink while having chopsticks in your hand, not leaving even a speck of rice in the bowl, and where to place the other hand that is not being used. Dinner was good. Oishi.
Showers are taken at night. Bathing takes place in a separate room. It has a bathtub and a shower. The door opens up into this room in which the entire room is for bathing. Showers are taken sitting down on a small bucket. Good bye familiar. Minami’s room seemed smaller than what I had imagined. Her bed was low. This was the first shock of stepping into her house; everything is low to the ground. Shoes are taken off at the porch; therefore the floor is clean. We slept till 9 am
6/18/09
We made breakfast the next morning. Toasted bread with butter, yogurt, and an egg cooked by yours truly. Even though it was a lot of variety, portions were still small. This satisfies the taste buds, but leaves one not overly full. Onaka Ga Ebi. We walked outside that morning. Minami took a bike from the garage and sat on its seat. The streets were two sided, divided by an opening where the stream from a mountain flowed. The houses were traditional in style, and most had a small garden in the lawn. Grass was not a part of the landscape; concrete or dirt. Even though it was a small town, it had both a crowded and open feel. She gave me a tour of the area. We walked and then road the bike together. We stopped to take pictures or for her to explain something to me. After a while of walking, we came to a shrine. The shrine was at the top of a long set of stairs. It was all outside, in the woodsy area next to a mountain.
Our return to the house was met with lunch. We began eating with her mom and her dad joined us shortly. Hot tea is served with every meal. Ocha hotsu. Hojicha mainly, but sometimes green or a concoction of many. The lunch consisted of a piece of fish, a stew of pork, potatoes, and carrots, rice (gohan), miso soup, and vegetables. Portions are 2-3 ounces or less each, so again the satisfaction of many tastes trumps the amount consumed
A drive shortly after lunch allowed me too see the country-side. The roads are about half the size in Japan. Every car looks like a Mini or a Scion. They are still Honda, Mitsubishi, and Toyota; however they are made extremely small. The steering wheel is on the right side of the car and the cars drive on the left side of the road. We first stopped at an area, which is known for its windmills. It was a park. After we took a few pictures(sha shinn), our journey led us to a small shopping area. Walking though the department stores, there were only hints of English. Clothing and other items have a large Western influence and most attire worn by, at least younger people, are adorned with English words. Some of the writing doesn’t seem to be correctly used or is an awkward combination of words. Nonetheless, English was present; however, only Minami and I were speaking it. A video, game, and magazine store across street showed me how huge comics are here. Comics seem make up a majority of the reading material available.
Minami drove us to a small mart, comparable to a gas station, with no gas pumps. We picked up ice cream and a beverage and headed to the beach. It was a lake beach, with small pebbles instead of sand. It was empty, save one or two people with their dogs(dogu).
Dinner was eaten that night as a family. Meals take any where from 30-45 minutes or even longer to finish. The table consists of many individual plates and bowls with larger bowls and plates in the center. The larger contain meat. This night we had squid, salmon, tuna, shrimp, pork, and maybe another I cannot name. Cod egg is eaten as an additive to rice or other items. They look like pink sausages, but are more red in color. The taste is strong, with a kick of spice. We go through taking turns pouring tea for one another. We begin meals with Ita daki masu, this is like Bon apetit. We end meals with go chi so samu deshita. This is, from what Minami says, is a prayer in thanks for the food. This are not said in ritual or together, but individually, whenever one feels like it. Sounds of yum and mmm receive strange looks. Oishii, Oishiide, or Oshiiha are custom. Salmon is hard to eat when it is the part close to the bone. Bones are hard and must be picked out of the mouth by hand.
6/19/09
Sleep was immensely welcomed that night. My first nights met me with dreams of going through Customs. It was Friday and Minami had to work the majority of the day. We drove up a mountain after breakfast. Breakfast is not usually eaten together. It consisted of a ham sandwich and tea. Minami was attempting to take me to see(miru) a waterfall. The walk was steep and difficult in our shoes so we stopped and sat on rocks in the middle of a cold stream. After a while, we headed back. This was the first time, since my arrival, that I was left without a way of communicating easily. After a few hours of homework, I went down stairs and sat with my computer, and Minami’s mom. She started showing me on maps where we were going the next day. Etsuo had been planning a big trip through an array of cities and a destination of the city of Yufuin in the Oita prefecture. Cheiko showed me Kyushu, which is the Island in Southern Japan. She spoke to me in simple Japanese. After a short while of homework she would return and show me more things on the map or give me short lessons in Japanese( Nihongode shimasyo). Etsuo, Cheiko and I ate dinner together. They tried English, I tried Japanese. Her mom drew pictures to ask questions. Her dad used the dictionary. I used prayer. We joked and ate, talked and drank tea. After dinner we retired to the living room, where we picked spots on the floor to rest. Both approached me at different times to talk. Her mom asked questions about my family and about Florida. Her dad showed me Fukuoka on the computer, the city we were first going to on the following day by shinkansen(bullet train). I didn’t know it at the time, but her father loves Densya(trains). That surprise was saved for the following day.
At 11pm I walked to the train station to meet Minami. It had been a surprisingly great day. Despite not knowing my surroundings and definitely not being comfortable with communication yet, it turned out alright.
6/20/09
Even though we had to wake up at 6 the next day, the Sun did the job much earlier. The Sun seems to rise around 4:45 or a tad later. Mornings come easy because of this. We were headed for an over not stay in Yufuin. Etsuo, Cheiko, Minami and I headed out of the house to catch an earlier train to Kyoto, where we would take the Shinkansen to the Kyushu prefecture. We met up with Ryan and Dale, two Americans from Oregon who are in Shiga to teach English at local schools. The first time that I had seen other white people since I had been here. While in Kyoto station, we picked up a bento box, which is a box filled with many small portions of food. We said goodbye to Dale and Ryan, who were going to Hiroshima. On the train we ate the food. The train took us to Hakata, a city in Kyushu. Each region or prefecture has foods that are native and unique to that area. Ramen is a type of noodles that are uniquely prepared in different areas. We stopped at a Ramen restaurant for lunch. Food is ordered in a machine outside and then served in the restaurant. Throughout the day, I learned words and some phrases to say sumimasen- excuse me is used to apologize for bumping into someone and also to get attention from some one.
After walking around and looking at different shops we stopped at a dessert bar. They serve tea, coffee, cakes, and other treats. I ordered iced tea, while the Shimoda family ordered treats that were fancy and delicately prepared.
On the train platform, I became accustomed to Etsuo rushing to each train to take pictures. Looking around, there were many others doing the same. So I did as the Japanese do in Japan. I began chasing after the trains to take pictures or lend a finger in the snapping of a picture for some one else. Another two hour train ride later ended us in Yufuin. It was a rapid express train, which is not as fast as the Shinkansen, but is an elegant looking train, anyways.
We stopped in shops and looked around. The city was located in the Oita prefecture and is surrounded by mountains smoky with the cover of clouds. We hurried down a long street aligned with rice fields. Through a wooded area and passed a couple buildings we ended in front of a building nestled in the back of a quaint setting with many trees. A man rushed outside to meet us. He was wearing a type of traditional Japanese wear called a yukata. We placed our bags down and were welcomed to what would be Minami’s parents room. It was a room with tatami on the floor, a type of bamboo covering, almost like carpet, but not soft. The walls were thin and the doors all made of paper. The room opened up to a porch and a garden. We all collapsed onto the floor, while Etsuo put on his Ukata. He then joined the rest of us sitting around a table. A women, also wearing a Yukata, came in and served us tea and small snacks. Minami and I left to our room, mirrored the one we were just in. It was a scene out of a movie. This was a hotel called a ryo-kan, which means inn. It was of traditional style with three Onsens( hot springs). Minami showed me the proper usage of the showers and onsen so that I would be able to use the Men’s later on.
Adorned in Yukatas, we met up with her parents to have our dinner. The meal was rich in regional culture and history. Everything from the fish and vegetables to the beer was a locally grown or produced . Dinner consisted of many courses. The delicious taste of each course seemed only out done by the next. The third course surprised me with a full fish In a shell of salt. One must crack open the shell of salt to reach the fish inside. I cut into the chest area of the fish with my chopsticks and was greeted with, of course, its organs, I knew that this was going to be a new experience and said bottoms up. It could have been a lung or even the heart, but whatever it was did not sit well with me. Besides that, the whole meal was great. After the huge meal. I said televi wo miru. We all found a spot on the Tatami around the table and watched tv. Sleep came quickly that night.
6/21/09
Minami and I woke up at 6 the next morning and hurried over to the onsen to wash and relax one last time. The men’s was empty. A shower area, where one must sit on a small bamboo bucket and rinse before he enters the onsen, was directly outside of a small area where I put my cloths and towel. The water is naturally hot from the mountain which is comparable to a Jacuzzi or warm spa. It is not scalding hot, but warm enough to relax comfortably.
Still wearing Yukatas we went to the dining area of the ryokan and had a full coursed stagehand(breakfast). This was good as well, but did not eat any fish organs. Fish was served though. After breakfast, we went back to our rooms and packed for the days trip. Leaving Yufuin, we next went to Beppu. We met up with an exchange student that stayed with the Shimoda family a couple years ago from Thailand named If. After a while of walking, we visited a shrine and then had lunch in a Chinese restaurant. It wasn’t like Chinese food that we are accustomed to in the U.S. Plates were filled on a spinning table and individual portions were taken by one’s chopsticks. After lunch we went to the top of Beppu tower, a television tower.
Several quick train rides later and many shashinn, we were on the Shinkansen. Even though it is a bullet train, it still takes two hours to get from Hakata in the Kyushu prefecture to Kyoto. In Kyoto, we had dinner and then had a quick tour of the station by Minami. I saw the Kyto tower and some of the structures in the station. The train ride back was hot and long, and every one in our ryokou(traveling) party was fading. Etsuo slept, Minami waned, and Cheiko read. Air conditioning is a rarity in Japan. It exists, but is not used much. It is also humid, even though temperatures are not extreme. This leaves one with sweat and mustiness throughout the day. People bring small designer hand towels and wipe there faces from time to time. By the time we returned home, we were all ready for a shower and sleep. Even though the idea of the onsen was intimidating, and there was some initial hesitation about the trip, it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Hanging out with Minami and her parents is relaxing and fulfilling and I am very thankful to be a part of their family.
Itami airport in Osaka: This airport was much different than Narita in Tokyo. English was not as prevalent on signs, which prompted me to follow the crowd leaving the plane. The flight to Osaka was much different as well. ANA 001 to Tokyo was filled with attendants that knew I spoke English. On the way to Osaka, the attendants assumed I spoke Japanese. I was only able to infer what they were saying by facial expression and situational occurrences. The flight was also cramped comparatively.
As I was following the crowd, my body patiently walked, while my eyes frantically searched for English words. We ended up in the baggage claim area, where I collected my bag, after some time of waiting. Immediately upon exiting the baggage claim area, I saw Minami. What a long trip, but this moment made it all more than worth it. Quickly, we jumped onto a bus from Osaka to Kyoto. Again, my suitcase was very heavy, in which I had to carry it up and down flights of stairs. Yes not as many escalators.
The bus ride was an hour long, but Minami and I looked over the video I had already taken as well as what I had written in Narita airport. Upon arriving at Kyoto, we rushed to catch a train to a spot where Etsuo, Minami’s father, would pick us up. Kyoto met me with even more stairs. It seemed to be like a big city and nothing was much different from America so far, besides the signs and the people.
The train ride was also an hour long. Arriving in a station that was close to Takashima, where the Shimoda family resides, I had to carry my suitcase down what seemed to be a never ending set of stairs. Etsuo was waiting for us outside the gate. Our ride to the house prepared me for the setting I was about to step into. There were obvious language barriers that could not easily be overcome. We drove through narrow streets, filled with houses and shops. Even though it is considered the country -side, buildings are close together. At the house I lugged my suit case inside, careful not to bumped into any fragile walls. Cheiko, was waiting for us on the floor. Every thing seemed to be in miniature form. Ceilings were low, door ways were lower, the chairs were on the floor, and all of a sudden, so were we..
Sitting there with everything to say, but no way of saying it presented a familiar feeling. It is comparable to attempting a conversation with one of my Hispanic or Haitian parents. I was attempting to copy Minami and her mother by sitting on my knees, but when her father came in he told me to sit comfortably. I really didn’t understand what that meant, since sitting on the floor was not a concept of comfort to me at the time. I awkwardly fanagled my legs into an Indian style position and sat there with an expressionless smile on my face. Minami got up and walked over to a wall. She slid the wall to the side, which showed a staircase. This was the way upstairs. The steps were 6-8 inches wide and very steep. I, again, carefully carried my bag up a very narrow flight of stairs. My surroundings were extremely thin and fragile.
The house that night was busy. Even though I arrived at 11 pm, her family was still busily walking around and carrying out their activities. Minami and I sat down and ate, while her father and mother sat down. All communication was done through Minami. Etsuo obviously had a grasp of the English language, but years of lack of practice and application, made its usage difficult. I began to learn the customs surrounding eating, including not to drink while having chopsticks in your hand, not leaving even a speck of rice in the bowl, and where to place the other hand that is not being used. Dinner was good. Oishi.
Showers are taken at night. Bathing takes place in a separate room. It has a bathtub and a shower. The door opens up into this room in which the entire room is for bathing. Showers are taken sitting down on a small bucket. Good bye familiar. Minami’s room seemed smaller than what I had imagined. Her bed was low. This was the first shock of stepping into her house; everything is low to the ground. Shoes are taken off at the porch; therefore the floor is clean. We slept till 9 am
6/18/09
We made breakfast the next morning. Toasted bread with butter, yogurt, and an egg cooked by yours truly. Even though it was a lot of variety, portions were still small. This satisfies the taste buds, but leaves one not overly full. Onaka Ga Ebi. We walked outside that morning. Minami took a bike from the garage and sat on its seat. The streets were two sided, divided by an opening where the stream from a mountain flowed. The houses were traditional in style, and most had a small garden in the lawn. Grass was not a part of the landscape; concrete or dirt. Even though it was a small town, it had both a crowded and open feel. She gave me a tour of the area. We walked and then road the bike together. We stopped to take pictures or for her to explain something to me. After a while of walking, we came to a shrine. The shrine was at the top of a long set of stairs. It was all outside, in the woodsy area next to a mountain.
Our return to the house was met with lunch. We began eating with her mom and her dad joined us shortly. Hot tea is served with every meal. Ocha hotsu. Hojicha mainly, but sometimes green or a concoction of many. The lunch consisted of a piece of fish, a stew of pork, potatoes, and carrots, rice (gohan), miso soup, and vegetables. Portions are 2-3 ounces or less each, so again the satisfaction of many tastes trumps the amount consumed
A drive shortly after lunch allowed me too see the country-side. The roads are about half the size in Japan. Every car looks like a Mini or a Scion. They are still Honda, Mitsubishi, and Toyota; however they are made extremely small. The steering wheel is on the right side of the car and the cars drive on the left side of the road. We first stopped at an area, which is known for its windmills. It was a park. After we took a few pictures(sha shinn), our journey led us to a small shopping area. Walking though the department stores, there were only hints of English. Clothing and other items have a large Western influence and most attire worn by, at least younger people, are adorned with English words. Some of the writing doesn’t seem to be correctly used or is an awkward combination of words. Nonetheless, English was present; however, only Minami and I were speaking it. A video, game, and magazine store across street showed me how huge comics are here. Comics seem make up a majority of the reading material available.
Minami drove us to a small mart, comparable to a gas station, with no gas pumps. We picked up ice cream and a beverage and headed to the beach. It was a lake beach, with small pebbles instead of sand. It was empty, save one or two people with their dogs(dogu).
Dinner was eaten that night as a family. Meals take any where from 30-45 minutes or even longer to finish. The table consists of many individual plates and bowls with larger bowls and plates in the center. The larger contain meat. This night we had squid, salmon, tuna, shrimp, pork, and maybe another I cannot name. Cod egg is eaten as an additive to rice or other items. They look like pink sausages, but are more red in color. The taste is strong, with a kick of spice. We go through taking turns pouring tea for one another. We begin meals with Ita daki masu, this is like Bon apetit. We end meals with go chi so samu deshita. This is, from what Minami says, is a prayer in thanks for the food. This are not said in ritual or together, but individually, whenever one feels like it. Sounds of yum and mmm receive strange looks. Oishii, Oishiide, or Oshiiha are custom. Salmon is hard to eat when it is the part close to the bone. Bones are hard and must be picked out of the mouth by hand.
6/19/09
Sleep was immensely welcomed that night. My first nights met me with dreams of going through Customs. It was Friday and Minami had to work the majority of the day. We drove up a mountain after breakfast. Breakfast is not usually eaten together. It consisted of a ham sandwich and tea. Minami was attempting to take me to see(miru) a waterfall. The walk was steep and difficult in our shoes so we stopped and sat on rocks in the middle of a cold stream. After a while, we headed back. This was the first time, since my arrival, that I was left without a way of communicating easily. After a few hours of homework, I went down stairs and sat with my computer, and Minami’s mom. She started showing me on maps where we were going the next day. Etsuo had been planning a big trip through an array of cities and a destination of the city of Yufuin in the Oita prefecture. Cheiko showed me Kyushu, which is the Island in Southern Japan. She spoke to me in simple Japanese. After a short while of homework she would return and show me more things on the map or give me short lessons in Japanese( Nihongode shimasyo). Etsuo, Cheiko and I ate dinner together. They tried English, I tried Japanese. Her mom drew pictures to ask questions. Her dad used the dictionary. I used prayer. We joked and ate, talked and drank tea. After dinner we retired to the living room, where we picked spots on the floor to rest. Both approached me at different times to talk. Her mom asked questions about my family and about Florida. Her dad showed me Fukuoka on the computer, the city we were first going to on the following day by shinkansen(bullet train). I didn’t know it at the time, but her father loves Densya(trains). That surprise was saved for the following day.
At 11pm I walked to the train station to meet Minami. It had been a surprisingly great day. Despite not knowing my surroundings and definitely not being comfortable with communication yet, it turned out alright.
6/20/09
Even though we had to wake up at 6 the next day, the Sun did the job much earlier. The Sun seems to rise around 4:45 or a tad later. Mornings come easy because of this. We were headed for an over not stay in Yufuin. Etsuo, Cheiko, Minami and I headed out of the house to catch an earlier train to Kyoto, where we would take the Shinkansen to the Kyushu prefecture. We met up with Ryan and Dale, two Americans from Oregon who are in Shiga to teach English at local schools. The first time that I had seen other white people since I had been here. While in Kyoto station, we picked up a bento box, which is a box filled with many small portions of food. We said goodbye to Dale and Ryan, who were going to Hiroshima. On the train we ate the food. The train took us to Hakata, a city in Kyushu. Each region or prefecture has foods that are native and unique to that area. Ramen is a type of noodles that are uniquely prepared in different areas. We stopped at a Ramen restaurant for lunch. Food is ordered in a machine outside and then served in the restaurant. Throughout the day, I learned words and some phrases to say sumimasen- excuse me is used to apologize for bumping into someone and also to get attention from some one.
After walking around and looking at different shops we stopped at a dessert bar. They serve tea, coffee, cakes, and other treats. I ordered iced tea, while the Shimoda family ordered treats that were fancy and delicately prepared.
On the train platform, I became accustomed to Etsuo rushing to each train to take pictures. Looking around, there were many others doing the same. So I did as the Japanese do in Japan. I began chasing after the trains to take pictures or lend a finger in the snapping of a picture for some one else. Another two hour train ride later ended us in Yufuin. It was a rapid express train, which is not as fast as the Shinkansen, but is an elegant looking train, anyways.
We stopped in shops and looked around. The city was located in the Oita prefecture and is surrounded by mountains smoky with the cover of clouds. We hurried down a long street aligned with rice fields. Through a wooded area and passed a couple buildings we ended in front of a building nestled in the back of a quaint setting with many trees. A man rushed outside to meet us. He was wearing a type of traditional Japanese wear called a yukata. We placed our bags down and were welcomed to what would be Minami’s parents room. It was a room with tatami on the floor, a type of bamboo covering, almost like carpet, but not soft. The walls were thin and the doors all made of paper. The room opened up to a porch and a garden. We all collapsed onto the floor, while Etsuo put on his Ukata. He then joined the rest of us sitting around a table. A women, also wearing a Yukata, came in and served us tea and small snacks. Minami and I left to our room, mirrored the one we were just in. It was a scene out of a movie. This was a hotel called a ryo-kan, which means inn. It was of traditional style with three Onsens( hot springs). Minami showed me the proper usage of the showers and onsen so that I would be able to use the Men’s later on.
Adorned in Yukatas, we met up with her parents to have our dinner. The meal was rich in regional culture and history. Everything from the fish and vegetables to the beer was a locally grown or produced . Dinner consisted of many courses. The delicious taste of each course seemed only out done by the next. The third course surprised me with a full fish In a shell of salt. One must crack open the shell of salt to reach the fish inside. I cut into the chest area of the fish with my chopsticks and was greeted with, of course, its organs, I knew that this was going to be a new experience and said bottoms up. It could have been a lung or even the heart, but whatever it was did not sit well with me. Besides that, the whole meal was great. After the huge meal. I said televi wo miru. We all found a spot on the Tatami around the table and watched tv. Sleep came quickly that night.
6/21/09
Minami and I woke up at 6 the next morning and hurried over to the onsen to wash and relax one last time. The men’s was empty. A shower area, where one must sit on a small bamboo bucket and rinse before he enters the onsen, was directly outside of a small area where I put my cloths and towel. The water is naturally hot from the mountain which is comparable to a Jacuzzi or warm spa. It is not scalding hot, but warm enough to relax comfortably.
Still wearing Yukatas we went to the dining area of the ryokan and had a full coursed stagehand(breakfast). This was good as well, but did not eat any fish organs. Fish was served though. After breakfast, we went back to our rooms and packed for the days trip. Leaving Yufuin, we next went to Beppu. We met up with an exchange student that stayed with the Shimoda family a couple years ago from Thailand named If. After a while of walking, we visited a shrine and then had lunch in a Chinese restaurant. It wasn’t like Chinese food that we are accustomed to in the U.S. Plates were filled on a spinning table and individual portions were taken by one’s chopsticks. After lunch we went to the top of Beppu tower, a television tower.
Several quick train rides later and many shashinn, we were on the Shinkansen. Even though it is a bullet train, it still takes two hours to get from Hakata in the Kyushu prefecture to Kyoto. In Kyoto, we had dinner and then had a quick tour of the station by Minami. I saw the Kyto tower and some of the structures in the station. The train ride back was hot and long, and every one in our ryokou(traveling) party was fading. Etsuo slept, Minami waned, and Cheiko read. Air conditioning is a rarity in Japan. It exists, but is not used much. It is also humid, even though temperatures are not extreme. This leaves one with sweat and mustiness throughout the day. People bring small designer hand towels and wipe there faces from time to time. By the time we returned home, we were all ready for a shower and sleep. Even though the idea of the onsen was intimidating, and there was some initial hesitation about the trip, it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Hanging out with Minami and her parents is relaxing and fulfilling and I am very thankful to be a part of their family.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
In the Beginning...
So the journey started out mirroring the journeys of others, and if I was one that was challenged with words I would leave it at “I was dirt tired.” Sitting in Tokyo Narita airport here, I have little words that could amuse and few thoughts other than a ramble of what has just occurred mixed with dreams of sleep. I don’t want to get to into what’s going on right now, because I have so much to mention about what has happened in the passed 24 hrs.
Tampa:
I showed up with my suitcase packed with enough stuff to get me through the next 7 weeks. I proudly walked up to the self check in with my new passport. I even scanned it to check in. I placed my one piece of checked baggage on the scale and it the United Employee shockingly said “67lbs!.” I knew it was going to be over. I said that he should be lenient since I am staying for so long. People aren’t in that good of a mood at 4 am. It turns out the extra charge was only $25. We were all surprised( by this time I had attracted a crowd of employees. They all had come to see the 67 lb bag and its owner. With their surprise and approval I walked away with a few more friends. Security check in was quick. I then attempted the videos. I am realizing now… videos aren’t fun unless something is going on. From the ones I am going to post, you can tell I am forcing… something to happen, or just blanketly allowing the moment to speak for itself.
Dulles- Nice airport I thought. A big change from the two times I had been there before. I must have seen the run-down side before. Strolling to terminal B, I got on what I thought was a shuttle. I stepped on, sat down, and waited for it to take me to my next destination. All of a sudden a man walked through, sat down, and started driving the shuttle. ??? “What am I on?” I started thinking. It was the size of a double wide bus, but we were ` 2-3 stories in the air. There had to be more than one of these things I was thinking. I would look out and try to find out what it was. In the mean time we took off flying at ramming speed across the terminal parking area, dodging moving planes, employees, and the innocent passer by. All of a sudden in the distance I saw two other structures that were moving towards a cross way. This must have been what I was on. It looked like a double wide bus sitting on top of a platform with wheels. It’s design was an obvious Star Wars inspiration. I was lucky to escape that piece of 18th century technology with my life and was on my way. Waiting at the terminal was pretty uneventful. I did see a group of monks adorned in orange robes waiting by the gate. After a restroom break I strolled over and sat next to them, thinking to myself, “ maybe they will be talking about cool stuff.” Sitting down, I noticed that they were nibbling on little treats. Where were these treats from? Starbucks. Hmm. One pulled out a digital camera and started snapping pictures and another was using his notebook computer. I thought this is just like me. Sitting there with a computer, a camera, and some Starbucks. The only difference was that I wasn’t wearing orange or a robe. I then remember why I went over to sit by them in the first place-- why didn’t I realize that they wouldn’t be speaking English?
Upon boarding the plane, I was greeted by the most sleek and modern designs I have ever seen. The seats were adorned with pine wood accents and stainless steel. There was so much room that the seats had three different settings -upright, relaxed, and sleep. The sleep setting feature a picture of the seat reclined all the way out, almost like a bed. I began to realize what an awesome trip I was about to take. Just when I sat down, and before I could come to grips with where I was sitting and the attributes of my settings, an army of Japanese Women swooped down over the passengers, offering water, warm towelettes, newspapers in all languages, giggles, and smiles. They were intense and focused on their objective. That objective was to make it the most comfortable flight of my life.. Everyone else’s, too. I kept getting visions of the early American Aviation culture, where all flight attendants were women. I remembered glimpses of a movie, the Aviator, where this was a theme. The contrast here is that this experience did not seem old fashioned. It seemed modern. I must admit a bunch of happy smiling women beats a grumpy old man any day.
I slept the first 3 hrs, and was intending to sleep longer, but was awaken with the smell of food. I thought, “ah dinner, it must be 5 or 6, which would mean we were 6 hrs into the flight. I looked at the watch and it showed that we had only left 3 hrs ago. I sat there, dazed and fuzzy from my slumber. One of the awesome attendants noticed me without grub and suggested I try the Japanese meal. I agreed and set my tray table up. It started with smoked bacon, a green olive, and a black olive on a bamboo skewer, smoked nuts, and a piece of cheese. How cute. Then the main course. Roast duck, prawn, fish…. Other stuff. When I thought it was over, the next portion came out, which was a fish soup with rice. I looked forward to the rice. It was something I knew. I know what I said sounded like a lot, and it was a lot of variety, but so far my experience with Japanese food is everything comes in tiny portions. Everything is tiny and cut up with colors of veggies and pieces of things I have no clue what they are. I eat it with a grin, since I enjoy variety. On came the tea and desert. Fruit and ice cream mixed together, and the best black tea I have ever had.. I was awake and I kept saying this is the best flight I have ever been on. Not just because of the food, so let me tell you about what I discovered. Besides each seat having three adjustable settings, each had a 9 inch tv screen that could be pulled out of the side. Each seat had partitions and separate arm rests so you could even pretend no one was next to you. Not that I was doing that, but I had a feeling the two women at my side were doing with me. There was a list of some 30 movies to chose from, countless tv shoes, music, and games. All this was accessible by the touch of an individual remote placed at each seat. I stayed awake the rest of the time. It wasn’t boring at all. I kept saying how great the flight was. There was even a complimentary pair of slippers. I snuggled my feed into those bad boys, put the seat on recline and watched movie after movie after movie. I laughed, I cried, I got enraged, and I felt victorious. You can get the picture. I wondered--- how did this army of flight attendants stay energized for 14 hours, in tight skirt suits, with heals on, a bow sticking out the side of their neck, and constantly walking around? This is a testament to the strength, focus, and vitality of Japanese women everywhere. Japanese superwoman/ military flight attendant, I salute you.
Tokyo- Entering a new world…. Coming off the plane I was met by more smiling faces. Japanese women with signs working diligently to get people to their next destination. Where are all the men in this society? Do they do anything? Ah customs… there’s the men. Everything went without a hitch. I visited the restroom to brush my teeth. I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the faucet. Thankfully the woman working in the bathroom showed me that it was a sensor.. Woman in the men’s bathroom? Need I say more? Now I am sitting at my gate. I had to pay for a day of internet for $6 to send Minami information about my flight. Of course I am leaving things out of my adventure, but again I am tired. As I sit here, I am thinking that I will like living in Japan. Here’s to a great trip.
Tampa:
I showed up with my suitcase packed with enough stuff to get me through the next 7 weeks. I proudly walked up to the self check in with my new passport. I even scanned it to check in. I placed my one piece of checked baggage on the scale and it the United Employee shockingly said “67lbs!.” I knew it was going to be over. I said that he should be lenient since I am staying for so long. People aren’t in that good of a mood at 4 am. It turns out the extra charge was only $25. We were all surprised( by this time I had attracted a crowd of employees. They all had come to see the 67 lb bag and its owner. With their surprise and approval I walked away with a few more friends. Security check in was quick. I then attempted the videos. I am realizing now… videos aren’t fun unless something is going on. From the ones I am going to post, you can tell I am forcing… something to happen, or just blanketly allowing the moment to speak for itself.
Dulles- Nice airport I thought. A big change from the two times I had been there before. I must have seen the run-down side before. Strolling to terminal B, I got on what I thought was a shuttle. I stepped on, sat down, and waited for it to take me to my next destination. All of a sudden a man walked through, sat down, and started driving the shuttle. ??? “What am I on?” I started thinking. It was the size of a double wide bus, but we were ` 2-3 stories in the air. There had to be more than one of these things I was thinking. I would look out and try to find out what it was. In the mean time we took off flying at ramming speed across the terminal parking area, dodging moving planes, employees, and the innocent passer by. All of a sudden in the distance I saw two other structures that were moving towards a cross way. This must have been what I was on. It looked like a double wide bus sitting on top of a platform with wheels. It’s design was an obvious Star Wars inspiration. I was lucky to escape that piece of 18th century technology with my life and was on my way. Waiting at the terminal was pretty uneventful. I did see a group of monks adorned in orange robes waiting by the gate. After a restroom break I strolled over and sat next to them, thinking to myself, “ maybe they will be talking about cool stuff.” Sitting down, I noticed that they were nibbling on little treats. Where were these treats from? Starbucks. Hmm. One pulled out a digital camera and started snapping pictures and another was using his notebook computer. I thought this is just like me. Sitting there with a computer, a camera, and some Starbucks. The only difference was that I wasn’t wearing orange or a robe. I then remember why I went over to sit by them in the first place-- why didn’t I realize that they wouldn’t be speaking English?
Upon boarding the plane, I was greeted by the most sleek and modern designs I have ever seen. The seats were adorned with pine wood accents and stainless steel. There was so much room that the seats had three different settings -upright, relaxed, and sleep. The sleep setting feature a picture of the seat reclined all the way out, almost like a bed. I began to realize what an awesome trip I was about to take. Just when I sat down, and before I could come to grips with where I was sitting and the attributes of my settings, an army of Japanese Women swooped down over the passengers, offering water, warm towelettes, newspapers in all languages, giggles, and smiles. They were intense and focused on their objective. That objective was to make it the most comfortable flight of my life.. Everyone else’s, too. I kept getting visions of the early American Aviation culture, where all flight attendants were women. I remembered glimpses of a movie, the Aviator, where this was a theme. The contrast here is that this experience did not seem old fashioned. It seemed modern. I must admit a bunch of happy smiling women beats a grumpy old man any day.
I slept the first 3 hrs, and was intending to sleep longer, but was awaken with the smell of food. I thought, “ah dinner, it must be 5 or 6, which would mean we were 6 hrs into the flight. I looked at the watch and it showed that we had only left 3 hrs ago. I sat there, dazed and fuzzy from my slumber. One of the awesome attendants noticed me without grub and suggested I try the Japanese meal. I agreed and set my tray table up. It started with smoked bacon, a green olive, and a black olive on a bamboo skewer, smoked nuts, and a piece of cheese. How cute. Then the main course. Roast duck, prawn, fish…. Other stuff. When I thought it was over, the next portion came out, which was a fish soup with rice. I looked forward to the rice. It was something I knew. I know what I said sounded like a lot, and it was a lot of variety, but so far my experience with Japanese food is everything comes in tiny portions. Everything is tiny and cut up with colors of veggies and pieces of things I have no clue what they are. I eat it with a grin, since I enjoy variety. On came the tea and desert. Fruit and ice cream mixed together, and the best black tea I have ever had.. I was awake and I kept saying this is the best flight I have ever been on. Not just because of the food, so let me tell you about what I discovered. Besides each seat having three adjustable settings, each had a 9 inch tv screen that could be pulled out of the side. Each seat had partitions and separate arm rests so you could even pretend no one was next to you. Not that I was doing that, but I had a feeling the two women at my side were doing with me. There was a list of some 30 movies to chose from, countless tv shoes, music, and games. All this was accessible by the touch of an individual remote placed at each seat. I stayed awake the rest of the time. It wasn’t boring at all. I kept saying how great the flight was. There was even a complimentary pair of slippers. I snuggled my feed into those bad boys, put the seat on recline and watched movie after movie after movie. I laughed, I cried, I got enraged, and I felt victorious. You can get the picture. I wondered--- how did this army of flight attendants stay energized for 14 hours, in tight skirt suits, with heals on, a bow sticking out the side of their neck, and constantly walking around? This is a testament to the strength, focus, and vitality of Japanese women everywhere. Japanese superwoman/ military flight attendant, I salute you.
Tokyo- Entering a new world…. Coming off the plane I was met by more smiling faces. Japanese women with signs working diligently to get people to their next destination. Where are all the men in this society? Do they do anything? Ah customs… there’s the men. Everything went without a hitch. I visited the restroom to brush my teeth. I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the faucet. Thankfully the woman working in the bathroom showed me that it was a sensor.. Woman in the men’s bathroom? Need I say more? Now I am sitting at my gate. I had to pay for a day of internet for $6 to send Minami information about my flight. Of course I am leaving things out of my adventure, but again I am tired. As I sit here, I am thinking that I will like living in Japan. Here’s to a great trip.
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