THANK GOD, THEY'RE DONE

...the tests at least. I still have one more paper to finish and a graduation to attend, but that's it.

And I gloried in it after my last test.

First I went and explored a shrine nearby to my house that I've been dying to see, but haven't had the time for.

 

It was pretty excellent.

I found a path next to it that led to a bunch of local gardens. How nostalgic!

Then I headed home. I took some pictures of flowers on the way there.

Okaasan and Hina were out, but I could hear Hina's voice and followed them over to the nearby park.

I should have done this to begin with, but I was so busy with classes and just tiredness in general, but I introduced myself to the moms and kids at the playground (I was lucky because since I was with Okaasan, I had an in and wasn't being a creepy stranger).

For the kids, it was love at first sight. I was bombarded by practiced English (with pretty good pronunciation as well!) questions and answered all as best I could. Then we took a picture.

After that, we played tag and boy, oh boy, are little kids fast. Man. Whew.

All Tokyo Posts Are UP!

Yes, that's right--all entries about Tokyo have been typed up and posted! For your convenience, here's a quick link and list:

Day One: Arrival
Day Two: Oedo Flea Market and Akihabara
Day Three: Tsukiji, Tokyo Imperial Palace, and Shibuya
Day Four: Harajuki
Day Five: Kamakura
Day Six: Ghibli Museum and Sensoji
Day Seven: Museum Madness

In other news today, I hung out with my host family today. For lunch, Okaasan made squid ink pasta. And we played around making balloons and then we went out to an onsen. So much fun!

First you make pasta, then you add squid ink

And then your teeth get all black!

Otousan was the master of making balloons!

And when the balloons popped, some of them were big enough for Hina to wear as a hat!

Phenology Report

Sunbeams of laziness making Sarah nap for an hour before class: check!

Some of the nicest weather we've had for the past three months: check!

Sakura in full bloom: check!

Ability to walk outside without wearing a coat: check!

First bats of the spring: check!

First mosquitoes of the spring: ...smack!!

Fishy Food

My new family is different from my old Okaasan, especially in food. This family eats way more fish than Okaasan did--and different varieties as well!

Yesterday I had salmon roe (ikura いくら) for the first time. It was...interesting--nice with rice and nori, but salty. I've also eaten whole (baby?) squid now--the eyeballs are more bitter and cruncher than I expected them to be.

This is a type of hot pot called "oden"

I have also partaken of the Japanese hamburger (which is more like a mini-meatloaf, if you ask me).

And I've made cookies!

Look at those sprinkles~!

A wild Hina-chan appears!

Don't they look good?

Gadzooks! She's gotten even closer!

Hina-chan kept circling the cookies until I took pity on her and put  them away. They're cinnamon shortbread dipped in chocolate (I also made some plain ones because it appears that Okaasan (this family) doesn't really like cinnamon).

The Year in Review: Sarah in Japan

As of today, I have spent four months and nine days in Japan. 

And 

I've

had 

tons

and

 bucket-loads

of 

fun!

I've adventured to temples and shrines full of foxes and flea markets! I've seen traditional Japanese gardens in Japan! I've celebrated the new year and drank sweet sake! I've seen rice fields in person, in the city, and walked along the banks of a river full of fish, herons, and I even saw a KINGFISHER yesterday! I've taken purikura and done karaoke; I've tipped a daruma and watched dorayaki being made. I got to see a Buddhist temple/Shinto shrine mix that specialized in blessing cars. I've also been instructed in the way to handle a Japanese kitchen knife, how to make okonomiyaki, yakisoba, omurice, AND I know how to use a rice cooker (the jury's still out on the washing machine, though!). I have seen straps of cell phone charms heavier and larger than the cellphone itself (and I am well on my way to having that occur to me as well!).

I've learned how to glean tiny bits of information from a big picture and weave it into something I can understand. I have a better grip on the super formal keigo Japanese. I still like anthropology (and I'm telling you--after the teacher I had, I'm still surprised that I do!). I can walk to places and not be afraid of being hit by a tractor (though old ladies on mopeds, bicyclists, and buses, not to mention cars, still apply because everyone drives like a crazy person in Japan) and I can navigate both the bus and train system with (relative) ease. I can also listen to random conversations on the bus and pick out words that I understand~!

Over all, I am very happy that I was able to grab this opportunity to Japan. There is just something that reading and researching cannot grasp and that is living in the element!

I do wish that I could have taken a different anthropology class, but what's done is done  and I got a good grade in it anyways, so let bygones be bygones.

In basic: I've enjoyed Japan so far that I can't really even put it into words. Whenever I think of what has been, is now, and will be happening, my heart just starts to flutter and I can't even stop the smile from spreading across my face. But it's really hard to put this into words. Ask me about situations and I can wax poetic, but describing this all in general? English doesn't have the words for it, and I don't know enough of any other language to know if they have words that can describe the feeling I'm feeling.

True, I've been kinda less adventurous lately. That's mostly because I am still settling into Seminar House life along with accidentally injuring my foot--I really shouldn't have walked on an injured foot around Kyoto in heels yesterday, but I sure looked snazzy! Also I'm considering when to take a quick travel to Tokyo. My To Do list is overflowing with things I just need to take care of.

I have to say that the best pictures I took would have to be at Fushimi Inari, closely followed by some of the pictures I took of Okaasan's cooking.

I have to say my favorite place so far was Fushimi Inari, followed by the Toji Fleamarkets.

My most useful item bought here is my Japanese-English electronic dictionary.

My favorite thing that I've bought oscillates between a good ten items, so I can't rightfully choose.

The stupidest thing I've done so far is a tie between getting my camera broken at Toji and walking on a bad foot in heels yesterday.

If you have any questions about my favorite whatever or most [insert term here], please just ask by commenting below--I'll answer them in my next blog post!

My Christmas in Japan

...just watch it, please!

So yes, I did go to a delicious Chinese restaurant with my dear friend Machi. We had a blast eating the cuisine and talking about various children's books from our childhoods. Then we stopped on the way back to pick up some potatoes and onions for the latkes I will be eventually making sometime this week.

It was a good day. :)

O.O

Last night I received a surprise—Okaasan had a gift for me! And that is how I learned the payoffs of being a historical culture nerd. 

What did I get?

Okaasan bought me a NEW HAORI and SCARF in a shibori pattern (shibori is also known as “tie-dye”  in the West, but Japan’s style is so unique and quintessential “Japan” that they seem like different ways of cloth dying, in my mind). I was blown away. She told me I was the first student she had done this for because I had shown an interest in the culture.

This is the shibori dying pattern, not from my haori or scarf, unfortunately... Each of these little circles is created by tying a tiny rope around the fabric before dying...pretty intricate, ne?

I was blown away. The scarf is a gorgeous mix of pink, red, and orange, while the haori is a light red. I couldn’t stop smiling. I am bouncing off the walls. It is so pretty and I am so happy; I am basically incoherent with descriptive words to describe how I feel right now. Awestruck, bashful, cheery, delighted, elated…I could go on for the entire alphabet!

I don't have any pictures yet, but I will!

I spent most of today figuring how to pack all of my stuff (plus the stuff my family sent for winter) into two little suitcases....I think I accumulate waaaaay too much stuff way to quickly. -_-

Finals

So, I'm done with my schooling for this semester. The grades are mostly in, though I'm still waiting to hear about Speaking Japanese and Sumi-e (though I'm sure I did fine...)

I passed both my anthropology class and Reading/Writing Japanese class with flying colors, I'm proud to say. Of course, I had my doubts about my anthro class due my lack of interest in the class that slowly started after the drop point passed, but oh well. I guess that looking for academics in a college basically designed for sightseeing is setting the bar a little high, but hey, whatever. It's all over now.

Soon I'll be posting about sumi-e and some of my better looking pictures (the first couple of weeks made it look like a raccoon had made off with an ink brush!) along with an explanation of the processes used. I'm really looking forward to it.

I move into the dorms for winter vacation this Saturday, and I'm really excited! Despite having a small case of the sniffles, I'm doing fine and packing piece by piece into my large (but apparently not large enough >.< oh no!) suitcases and I'm planning my vacation. A trip to Tokyo with friends is a must!!

The Definition of Family

(Can you tell I really don't want to start studying for exams yet? >.^ )

A while ago, an acquaintance and I were talking about our homestay life experiences and I mentioned that Okaasan was still feeding me meals that were disproportionate to what I had expected them to be. “Freakin’ huge,” I believe was the term I used. Anyways, that made her start laughing so hard.

“You’re still in the guest zone,” she told me. “You’re not considered family yet.”

Hearing that bothered me because I feel that the repertoire between Okaasan and I is going pretty well. When we skyped my parents, afterword, both parents commented on how well we seemed to get along together. Okaasan does feel a little bit like my family.

So I was thinking; mulling this over. Does Okaasan feel the same way? And you know what? I think she does, despite what that acquaintance did say. Most nights, I eat dinner alone, with Okaasan perusing the mail and or newspaper in front of me because she’s had a late lunch. Every day, Okaasan packs me an obento (adorable lunch box) to take to school. She’s told me that she does this so I can save money to go to the places I want to go, instead of having to worry about fees for school and other things (let me say this: everything I do inside Japan is mostly funded by me with all of my life savings. I am very, very thankful to my family for helping me with college tuition and plane tickets, so what I do in Japan, what I buy in Japan—this is all done under the assumption that I am drawing from my own bank account. Thus, I hope to learn how to budget in the best way possible—though experience!).

And then there’s the fact that in this house, there’s only Okaasan and I. I feel that that does change the “family” dynamics quite a bit, though I have no “family” experience to rely back on. But, at least in America, there’s the whole concept of not letting someone eat alone—especially if they’re a guest. Sometimes, Okaasan won’t even sit at the table with me when I eat as she tidies up the kitchen. I don’t feel that that is proper guest etiquette even in Japan. So I’m pretty certain I’m family. It’s just so hard to gage when I’m the only other person living in the house…

And Thus Schoolwork Wins Over Blogwork

So, finals are coming up in the best way possible--paper and test forms~!
Yay!

...not.

So now I'm frantically writing papers and hoping to get everything done by Thursday so I can work on my final project for Sumi-e.

Do not fear! Once schoolwork is over, I'm writing a HUGE reflection post for Japan, this semester (and thus Kansai Gaidai), and transportation in Japan. It's going to be epic, so just you wait and see!

Until then, back to the salt mines! *whipcrack*

She's Back!

So, you all may be wondering why I was out of touch this week....well, it's not that much of a long story, so I will tell you (and then update! update! update! all the blog entries that I've been missing).

To start it off, there was Halloween and the contest I entered, rendering me useless to do homework until 11 at night--and I had conveniently forgotten that I had a powerpoint due the next day. Needless to say, there was no sleep the night of Halloween! Then there was the culture festival, which was a wonderful distraction from just about everything--including schoolwork. Following that was a frantic haste to finish up my midterm paper for my anthropology class--I wanted it done by Friday (though it was due Monday) so I could relax over the weekend.

And then it happened--the weekend. First I went to the Royal Palace in the pouring, then had a belated birthday (2 months!). At this point, I was a little fatigued, and had slept weirdly so my throat got kinda dry at night. The next day I (finally!) went to Fushimi Inari which resides on top of a mountain with no elevator. >.< I had a blast! And then it happened.

DUN DUN DUN.

I got sick. Being sick in Japan is srs bsns (serious business). If you’re sick, you need to buy some horrendously overpriced otc meds (much like in America), but you also need to buy a medical mask. I have no idea why (maybe Japan just doesn’t want to see dripping noses or just wants to stop contagion), but if you’re sick in Japan (or part of the punk subculture…), you wear a medical mask.

Example A: Sick person wearing medical mask

Example B: Part of the punk subculture

Currently, I'm still sniffing along, and Okaasan has unfortunately caught it as well. :(

We're both healing, and look forward to hearing more updates from me~!

The thing about timezones is...

...some places, like Japan, don't have them!

So, Japan doesn’t take Daylight Savings into account…I should have realized this before trying to call my family at 6 in the morning their time…Sorry Dad! Sorry Mom! Sorry Em!

Sick!

So today I went to school and made it through one class before deciding that I should have stayed home sick. So, I notified my teachers, got on the bus, and slept for about five hours. I may have also watched some My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

During dinner, Okaasan pulled out some home remedies that she had made and grown herself—some sort of pickled kumquat juice. It was fermented—I can tell you that—but the taste was some sort of bitter sour/sweet combination that I have never ever experienced before. I just miss my peppermint tea. I need to search the shops to find it!

Pencil Sharpeners and Festivals

Today I finally bought a pencil sharpener. I had searched high and low for one in many different shops, before finally finding one right under my nose in the campus bookstore. Japanese take their stationary stuff seriously, so it’s of good quality (which is good because I spent over a buck on it due to that darn exchange rate!). 

I’m finding it useful already and it cuts really nicely. And yes, if you’re wondering, I have spent the past month or so using presharpened pencils that I brought from home and I haven’t sharpened them until now (yes, I adore the old fashioned pencils despite being in a mechanical pencil-ized Japan…). Maybe as souvenirs for everyone, I’ll just bring back the incredibly high-quality stationary stuff Japan has to offer!

This weekend I’m going on a fieldtrip for my anthropology class to the Fall Festival (aki matsuri). I’m not really sure what to expect, but there’s sure to be pictures up and around sometime after. This festival also has a danjiri, but will be taking place at night, so I’m all excited over how I don’t have my tripod with me to capture the lights display. >.< But it’ll be fun, the teacher knows a bunch of people in the area and is getting reservations for dinner there!

つまらないね。。。(Boring...)

Today was a holiday! Hooray! I spend the day alternately studying and doing nothing. Yeah, nothing much happened. 

Also, I appear to have misunderstood the rules for sorting trash yet again, when I tried to dispose of my disposable razor. I wonder when I will be able to fully function (or even partially—I’m not picky!) in Japanese society instead of stumbling around like a blind, drunk, madwoman. Not that I’m denying the madwoman part, but I always feel like I’m catching everything at the tail end. I’m just assuming that this is culture shock—the whole not always catching everything deal—but it’s kinda hard. I still don’t understand half of what Okaasan says to me, because it’s a mix of Japanese and English and my brain hurts switching between the two, but I’d like to think that my skills of inferring things are getting better.

Yakisoba + Onsen = ....

...heaven.

Delicious, eggy heaven

And then I added some kimchee!

Today I made yakisoba, which is basically grilled vegetables, meat, and noodles served up with sauce and an egg. It was delicious, and Okaasan even let me cut my own vegetables! It was beautiful and delicious.

View from the car - it's much bigger in real life

Going to the onsen (hot springs) may have just been the most relaxing thing I ever did. The one we went to (I forget the name...), was huge! Okaasan and I experimented in all the different pools (both indoor and out) as well as all the saunas and other things. During this muchly needed, very relaxing trip, I sat in an indoor hottub, an outdoor hottub, a little barrel that was just big enough for me to fit into filled with running hot water (the excess spilled over the  sides) and lay down on some stone with water trickling over it. However, my favorite experience was the steam sauna. In it, first we rubbed ourselves with some ginger salt (it smelled gingery, but I’m actually not sure of the scent), then we sat and sweated. It was the most wonderful thing in the world and I could have stayed in there for hours (though that would probably not be very healthy…), but Okaasan soon insisted we should go. It’s been less than half an hour since I was in there and I already want to go back! It was sooooooooooo nice.

One thing that may throw some people off about onsen is all the naked. Yes, you enter these tubs with many other people in them and you are naked. I, personally, have no problem with this due to the old showers after gym in middle school, but I know some people might. So to all of those people, I’m giving you this advice: forget about your hang ups and do this! You will be glad you stepped out of your comfort zone to try. Also, for those of you who think it unhygienic (Mom, I’m looking at you~!), everyone washes  both their hair and body before getting in, and there’s always some towels and stuff to wash yourself off more. This may quite possibly be the best thing that I’ve ever done in my entire 20 years of existence. You should try it too!

Also, remember to drink lots of water, because you sweated most of it out anyways!