Days and Life

Well, the kanji test went better than I thought I would have went. Way better than the speaking test (that I totally failed. I’ve gone down a grade level, and the teacher won’t let me sit in the higher level class so I can do something other than reviewing what I’ve already learned). On a more slightly positive note, I have at least 3 friends in the correct level that are willing to teach me as they go. So, there’s that at least. And I can take the jump test over winter break to get into the right class. The biggest bummer is that they scheduled the new classes over some of my sumi-e classes, so I need to talk with the teacher and reschedule myself. Which I’m doing tomorrow.

This slightly distressing event was just the icing on the cake, though, because last night, I became sick. Really sick. Half living in the bathroom sick. Sick enough to have Okaasan wondering whether she should take me to the hospital (though it seems like if you’re in Japan, even coming down with the sniffles is an immediate hospital visit). But this morning I was fine, and I just kept on taking fluids throughout the day, and I’m thinking I’m all better now (don’t worry, I’m still being cautious!).

Today I also went down to Hirakata-shi Eki (Hirakata City Station—the place where all the buses and trains are) with my friends Heather and Liz and one of Liz’s friends whose name I unfortunately cannot remember. We went to a store called Kiddy Land which was filled to the brim with the most adorable things imaginable. We also went to the eight-floor department store, Aeon, which the most incredible thing happened. I finally completed my cell phone look.

But, Sarah, you ask. Don’t you already have a cell phone? The answer is, yes, yes I do. However, my cell phone was missing just one key component: cell phone charms. Okaasan noticed my lack of charms and gave me one that she got in Dubai. Now, Okaasan is a very generous person, but the charm is of a hotel owned by a famous soccer player. The phone was not officially mine until it had something of mine that I loved dangling from it.

As you enter the sixth floor of Aeon, you are greeted by a jangling noise that is vaguely reminiscent of music. If music was a mixture of cats yowling, keys jangling, cymbals crashing, and buzzers buzzing. As you turn the corner, you are assaulted by a riot of light and sound as you enter…the gaming arcade! (dun dun dun! Name totally created by me!) Here you can have a number of things done, not limited to a foot massage (7 minutes for only 100 yen!), photo booth picture taking (purikura all the way!) and capsule machines. There had to be over 150 capsule machines in that arcade and, lucky me, I happened to find a Skelanimals one. For those of you unaware of the cuteness that is Skelanimals, they are a brand that shows little animals colored black with their skulls on the outside. They’re adorable and I love them to death, but they’re a little on the pricey range. That’s why I was flipping out to see them sold very cheaply as cell phone charms in Japan. Thanks to the good luck mojo master that Liz is, I now have a Skelanimals cat cell phone charm of my very own! YAAAAAAAY!

Tonight was also a full moon. Apparently this once-a-month event is really big in Japan. In language classes, we learned about different uses for the word moon and tonight, Okaasan went to the store and bought a special “moon-viewing” dango (rice flour sweets (月見るだんご)) for us to eat as we watched the moon. This dango is supposed to represent the full moon (white) with clouds around it (brown/red). The “clouds” are anko, a paste made out of adzuki beans, water and sugar. I was surprised at how much of a deal everyone made out of this. It like happens twelve times a year, and sometimes the crescent moon looks nicer. I mean, I do appreciate a good full moon, especially the Harvest Moon, but I guess I associate it more with feelings of negativity (like “lunatics” and “murderous werewolves” or Mom’s infamous “people just go crazy when it’s a full moon”) than the wonder that seemed inspired today. And, okay, so I’ve read lots of waka (old-style poems) and haiku about people watching the moon, but I always applied it to “then,” not “now.” It’s interesting to see the old traditions still used in today’s society. 

Also, I've added pictures to my earlier posts, so if you want to see pictures of the shrine or purikura, please check them out!

The Weekend Report!

Friday Evening:

 Okaasan had a community meeting to go to today, so we had dinner early. We had some sort of curry rice—and again, with the portion control, only this time I couldn’t eat it all. Okaasan was very understanding, and I offered to eat it for lunch/brunch tomorrow, so I think everything’s okay. Also, it turns out I’ve been putting my dirty clothes in the wrong basket for about six days now. I’m so embarrassed!

Saturday:

Today was a pretty lazy day. Okaasan helped me practice my kanji for my review test on Monday.  After that, I went on Google maps to show her where I used to work (the Aldo Leopold Nature Center), and the family farm. It turns out that in Japan, people eat alfalfa sprouts (the main crop we produce on our farm). And here I was thinking that it was only for hay! We also had a long talk about the family’s chickens and who we got them from (a friend of Mom’s who’s sorta famous in the ornithologist field). And of course, I managed to mix up my vocab, using tsukuru (to make) instead of tsuru (crane), to explain about him. In the end, I showed her a clip from Fly Away Home as an example of what he does with cranes. It was an…interesting experience, especially because she paid more attention to the wing-clipping scene than the actual flying scene I intended to show her.

Then we went to her sports club to check it out. It seemed really cool, and the lady there was very helpful. She was also super impressed by my knowledge of katakana (the alphabet used for foreign loan words). She was so impressed, in fact, that she spoke super-fast Japanese at me the entire time. I only caught about 1/8^th of it; thank goodness for Okaasan! After checking out the sports club, we returned home where Okaasan gave me some scrap silk (from her old kimono) and taught me how to make tedama (手玉), known in the USA as bean bags. This is my first time working with silk, and boy is it hard! With felt (what I usually work with), it doesn’t usually matter how you stitch or how hard you pull the thread, but with silk you have to be very, very, very careful. I learned this the hard way, as you can probably guess.  The rest of the afternoon was spent attempting to sew with silk. I can happily say that now I think I have the hang of it! I also got to help with dinner tonight! Okaasan let me grind sesame seeds and then added salt, satou (sugar), mirin (sweet cooking wine), and shoyu (soy sauce), to make a delicious coating for some cooked vegetables. I also got to cut kyuri (cucumbers) for instant pickles (just add salt and vinegar, steep, strain, and serve!).

After dinner, I explained my family to Okaasan. She was amazed at the sheer amount of family I could remember (I can remember up to my second cousins (and if you’re reading this, Hi Andy!) on my mother’s side and about four generations back for both my mother and father’s sides), and I got to show her pictures as well. Never let it be said that I don’t like taking pictures of my family. I love it! Of course, I only had pictures of those still alive, because I didn’t think to scan the older pictures of my family. I’m a little disappointed in how I failed to remember that.

Those of you who know me well will be surprised at my menu. For those of you who don’t, I’ll try to explain: I make no attempt at hiding my distaste for certain foods, such as mushrooms and fish. Now, though, I find myself eating at least one mushroom a day (usually for breakfast) and fish at least twice (breakfast and dinner). And I don’t mind it at all! When I came to Japan I made a decision—I was not going to let my likes or dislikes ruin my trip; I decided to have none. Except for eggplant, I told Okaasan that I would eat anything she put in front of me. She accepted, saying that it would be a fun “cha-ren-ji” (challenge) to see what I would eat. And yes, sometimes it is a cha-ren-ji. But it’s a delicious cha-ren-ji; one that I’m happy to have taken.  For all of you reading this blog, who are planning on going abroad, be it to Japan or somewhere else, please take this challenge as well. Don’t let your attitude shape your experience. Try things that you know you might not like, you may be surprised at the results. I know I was!

Sunday:

The outside

Today Okaasan and I went to a homestyle Japanese restaurant for lunch. I had a hamburger (bunless with gravy and rice). After that we went to a temple. It’s a temple famous for its prayers against car accidents. It also holds a statue of the god of fire. I was tempted to take pictures of the inside of the shrine, but my good sense told me that it was probably not kosher at all to use someone else’s religion like a tourist trap. However, I did take some pictures around the shrine (it’s a shrine-temple mix) before Okaasan and I went in for the service.

The service was incredible.

When you first enter the shrine, the lights are dim. Barefoot, you pad over the tatami mats before settling in front of the long, tapered prayer candles with kanji written on them. Settling down into seiza style (bottom half of the legs folded under you), you get a whiff (actually a full face of) the sandalwood incense that is used across the whole temple. You settle down, knowing it’s going to be a long time, and wait for the burning in your legs to subside. Then the ringing starts. It’s pure and clear; you can feel it in your heart. The head monk starts chanting, and the other monks join in. Suddenly, a heartbeat occurs, rattling you to your very bones. It’s the taiko drum one of the assistants (apprentices?) is playing. Dum, dum, dumdum, it gets faster and faster. You feel yourself slipping into a trance-like state as the fire in front of the priest reaches towards the ceiling.

This is Japan.

Then, of course, when the service is over, you have to make sure you don’t accidentally break you foot by stepping on it in the wrong way (your legs get numb about 10 minutes in) and keeping your balance while dodging nimbler Japanese folk.

Also, there was a shrine to Inari (the god of foxes and rice), where I took a picture of the guardian foxes.

 

Also, I noticed this around the post of one of the mini-shrine/temple things. Yay for commericalism in religion in Japan!

The closeup-- SAILOR MOON LIVES~!

The mini-shrine

Then it was back to the studying! I have a test on Monday and it’s about kanji—one of my most dreaded topics. Wish me luck!

Meeting Moe!

Today (and I mean today, Friday, September 9, 2011) I had my first test in Spoken Japanese. That's why I didn't write my blog entry last night. And just so you know: it went terribly.

This is it, the test that determines my "grade" in Japanese, to make sure I was put in the right class. I spent all of last night studying and...everything totally left my head when the test was put in front of me. I did my best though! That should count for something, right? I hope so. If I have to go through Genki II (last year's textbook) again, someone is going to be hurt (probably my brain via implodation).

Today was also important to me because I finally met Moe (pronounced "Moe-eh"). Moe is one of the speaking partners that I was in contact with before my jaunt over the ocean. We've been trying to get together for about two weeks now, but today we finally met! We went to a little cafe called Sora Cafe (which means "Sky Cafe") which was on the top floor of a building near the bus/train stop. She gave me birthday presents and they are adorable! I got a ladybug-spotted coffee mug with a matching spoon and a milk pitcher shaped like a rabbit (its mouth is the spout). Horrible person that I am, I am already imagining how I can use it for Koolaid or some other red-colored drink. Then we went to go get purikura! I don't have any camera or scanning capabilty right now (I'm in the Kansai Gaidai computer lab), otherwise I'd post pictures (I probably will later!). Posted 9-13-11!

Purikura!

Yesterday, I met my newest friend, Hannah! She's a Brit from the other side of the pond, who rides the same bus and gets off at the same stop as me (Kourigaokananachoume, if you're interested...). We also went for a brief purikura stop on the way to the bus station. It's kinda amazing, the places you can find when you stop looking for the bus and start looking around. Purikura pictures will be up later.

Yesterday I also had my first practical sumi-e class! It was so much fun. We learned how to grind ink, how to make a "bone stroke" and shading. I'm not that good at it, though. D: With practice though, only time will tell. The teacher, Katherine Scott, has been studying calligraphy and sumi-e for about 50 years or so, I think. She's pretty cool and her brushwork is exquisite.

The weekend is the one time of the week that I will not be posting, due to a lack of internet at Okaasan's home. This will be supplimented by a new feature, "The Weekend Report," which will be an accounting of all that happened on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (posted on Monday). This weekend's going to be a bit boring because I HAVE ANOTHER JAPANESE TEST ON MONDAY. o.o Yes, I just can't seem to get enough of these tests. This test is on on of my worser subjects--kanji. Please, someone save me~~~! XD If I study over the weekend, I'll be fine (I hope!).

As for food: apparently in Japan, they serve bun-less burgers with gravy over the top of them. Delicous, but different. Also, I don't think I can get used to fish for breakfast, but I can get used to miso soup. It's delicous and has aburage (fried tofu skins) in it. Yum, yum, yum. Also, the Japanese do not bone their fish. BEWARE. Okaasan had to show me how to pick fish bones out ("like a baby," she said, kindheartedly). I'm still eating well, and I think now Okaasan understands that I don't eat big, "American-sized" meals. I can actually finish my food and not feel like I'm bursting at the seams, now!

Daily Life and Culinary Adventures!

The animals in Japan sound different from the ones in America and I wonder… Is it merely culture shock of a sort? Different acoustics due to the houses cramped together? Or is it just Japan? I’ve heard crows, crickets, and cats, and they all sound different than the ones I’ve heard at home in America. I wish I could record soundbits or something so you guys could hear the difference, but for now, you’re just going to have to take my word for it.

Today’s classes lasted until 12:50pm, so I had a lot of free time before I headed home. A couple of my friends from the Seminar House (Jesse, Emma, and Kolbrun) met me in the CIE lounge. They brought their speaking partners along, and before I knew it, we had a huge circle of chatting buddies. Then Lia came with her speaking partner and some of his friends, and before we knew it, she had around 6 guys circling her and hanging on to her every word. Go Lia!

Today I rode the bus alone, without any guidance to or from the stops from Okaasan. I would just like to give a shout out to the nice Japanese couple who kept me from getting on the wrong bus today. You guys were patient and kind to a foreign woman. Thank you so much! Today I left earlier than I had yesterday and so I actually managed to find a seat instead of holding onto the hand grips and nearly falling whenever the bus lurched. Thank goodness.

I also sampled many different cuisines today. For breakfast, Okaasan made me pancakes. They were huge! I could barely finish the plate. Okaasan has been feeding me very big portions partially, I think, because I am a guest and an American. However, I keep on hoping she’ll feed me smaller portions—I don’t want her to overoblige me! Lunch was an adventure. I went to the 7-11 (yes, they even have those in Japan!), and picked up a foccachia-like bread called a (translated) “bacon-mayo-roll.” As it sounds, it was not the height of culinary creation. I will not buy this again. In my mouth, bacon and mayo only go together lettuce and tomatoes! Dinner was a traditional Japanese meal with lots of fish—picking out the bones was kinda hard! During this, Okaasan mentioned that she thinks that I can do Japanese cooking (despite being a gaijin [though this part was unsaid]), and that she’ll teach me, starting with onigiri (rice balls with filling). Success! I have successfully started my Japanese kitchen infiltration plan!

Written September 7, 2011.

School Schedule

This morning was heralded by dreams about fried raptors (of the dinosaur variety). It was really surreal. But the birds were chirping, the crows were cawing and I think it’s going to be a beautiful day. …I hope. Today is the first day I’m really going to use the bus system to get to and from school. Yesterday, Okaasan drove around, telling me the stops that I use and what I’m getting off at. She also wrote down the kanji, so I can be a confused gaijin and ask people who actually know how to use the bus system exactly where I am. I fully expect to get lost a couple of times, but I really hope it’s not today!

Also, Kansai Gaidai has this charming system of setting up classes so that the times and the rooms change every day. I admit, I’m not looking forward to that, but today I have Spoken Japanese and Sumi-e. I hope I can figure out where they are located before the class starts!

Here’s my (current) schedule:

Monday: Reading and Writing Japanese from 9-9:50, Spoken Japanese from 11-11:50, Culture and Everyday Life in Japan from 1:15-2:45.

Tuesday: Spoken Japanese from 11-11:50, Sumi-e from 1:10-2:45.

Wednesday: Spoken Japanese from 11-11:50, Reading and Writing Japanese from 12-12:50.

Thursday: Spoken Japanese from 10-10:50, Sumi-e from 10:50-12:30, Culture and Everyday Life in Japan from 1:15-2:45.

Friday: Reading and Writing Japanese from 9-9:50, Spoken Japanese from 10-10:50, Sumi-e from 10:50-12:30.

As you can see, I am very fortunate to not have any class past 2:45pm on any given day, and a partial 3-day weekend starting at 12:30pm, every week.

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A word to the wise: if you’ve never ridden public transportation other than a school bus before, riding Japanese buses is terrifying. I have a transit bus, which means I have to change buses at Hirakata City Station (Hirakata-shi Eki). As I said before, Okaasan drilled me through the steps, but this morning I was sure that I had gotten on the wrong one.

 A bit of Japanese to learn: 「すみませんこれは、[place you’re going to] に行くバスですか？」or “Sumimasen, korewa, [place you’re going to]ni ikubasudesuka?” (Excuse me, is this the bus going to [place you’re going to]?”　If you’re having trouble, there’re all sorts of nice, motherly Japanese women who will help lost-looking gaijin (if they know they speak Japanese).

On my transit bus to Kansai Gaidai, I was panicked, sure that the bus full of old people was taking me to the wrong place. I had only 15 minutes until my first class started. I was close to full out panic. Luckily, that wasn’t the case and I arrived on time to class.

My Japanese speaking teacher, Saigou-sensei has a good sense of humor. I think I’m going to like this class even though he says there is going to be a ton of homework and “we will think that Saigou-sensei is like the devil.” In both the writing/reading and the speaking Japanese classes, we have to only speak to our teachers in Japanese. It will be challenging, but worth it. I’m just proud that I could follow Saigou-sensei talking to us in Japanese. I think it’s in a teacher’s training to speak in the sentence patterns that you know your students know; I understand more of what Saigou-sensei says to me than Okaasan. 

After Japanese speaking class, I called Mom and Dad. I keep on forgetting that to them, I’m calling from the future. They wished me a happy birthday and Dad showed me all the canning I was missing. Apparently at home it’s all tomatoes all the time. I almost wish I had taken a screen-shot to show Okaasan. Talking with them ate up all my lunch time, so then I was off to sumi-e!

Sumi-e is a type of brush painting course, created in China and then adapted by the Japanese. Katherine Scott is the sumi-e instructor. She seems like a very interesting person. Since most of us don’t know calligraphy (which is usually the base knowledge for sumi-e), she’s teaching us a little differently than she would someone with that background. This week we’re learning about the different materials, brush strokes, and tones with ink. Next week we start bamboo!

I met my new friend Marion in my speaking Japanese class. She’s a fellow Midwesterner from Chicago.  Today we hung out after I got out of Sumi-e and explored Hirakata City Station together. We were looking for a certain department store where purikura were taken, but I couldn’t remember the directions, so we wandered around. It was there I finally got my lunch (around 4pm). You’ve read my previous rant of Japan and bread, as a breakfast food, and now, as a lunch food. I didn’t actually know what it was (but it was 100 yen, so it was cheap!) but I decided to take a leap of faith and try it. I was not disappointed. It was green and delicious. Okaasan took a look at the picture I took of the kanji on my phone and told me it was a “black bean and green tea” bread. I didn’t know such things existed in this world. Of course, Japan is known for its strange tastes in flavors.

Riding the bus home was still nerve-wracking, but I think I got it. I also think I have the “lost gaijin with a piece of paper clutched desperately in her hands” look down pat. I wasn’t swarmed, per say, buy old Japanese women, but I definitely got a ton of help from several old women. THANK YOU OBA-SANS!!

And now a word about being the only Caucasian in a sea of Asians: I’m starting to feel a might conspicuous.  At Kansai Gaidai, I’m okay, because there are a bunch of people dressed like me and taller than me, however out of the bubble… I’m usually the tallest person (a novel experience because I’m the shortest in my immediate family), I’m dressed differently (right now the fashion is bulky-looking, ill-fitting clothing that just looks terrible on me! So my clothes are a little more tailored than the fashion norm), and I can’t understand the rapid-paced speak of anyone! Plus I’m white, white, white! If you pushed me into the snow and I closed my eyes, you probably couldn’t find me! People either stare at me like I’m in a zoo or ignore my existence completely. I’m sure there’s a happy medium somewhere, but I haven’t found it yet!  

I need a way to figure out how to tell Okaasan that she’s feeding me too much. She feeds me more than I eat at home! I might need to start cutting down even more on my lunch! Dinner tonight was a “summer dish” of ramen mixed with toppings and ice cubes. “The Chinese invented ramen,” Okaasan told me, “but the Japanese made it delicious in the summer.” And indeed it was delicious. Also, in terms of food today, I had miso soup for breakfast! It tasted awesome.

Written September 6, 2011.

My Birthday!

Explaining the new markings:

Every morning I start the beginning of the day writing my observations and thoughts. Then I leave for school where I have internet access to post for the blog. Returning home, I continue writing, dispersed with studying and talking to Okaasan. At night, after my shower, I write some more, reflecting on the day. Each change of time and perspective will be marked by a “--------------------------------------------------.”

Okaasan sure seemed surprised when I told her I get up around 6am every day, but she’s up at like 5 or something, busy bustling around the house and doing things.  Breakfast is at 8:30, and I don’t really know what to do with myself before then. I don’t mean to be a hikikomori (someone who stays in their room all day/a shut-in), but I feel if I went downstairs Okaasan would be pushed (by manners/society/etc) to do something for me, and that would inconvenience her.  I’m still a guest in her house, and I need to remain aware of that until I’m not. Of course, I have my computer to write out these blog entries and I have my textbooks here to study (and that’s probably a really good idea to do), so I should be well set.

My night was very restful, after a brief uncertainty with the pillows (which are neither feathers nor soft, but some sort of bean bag) and letting my nails dry without smudging them. But I went to bed relatively early (9:30pm) and slept well. One thing I need to remember in the morning is to put my hair in a ponytail because Okaasan doesn’t want my stray hairs falling around the house (which I totally understand. I do it sometimes at home as well, but usually not first thing out of bed; it’s something to adjust to).

Today is my birthday and I’m now twenty. That means now (finally!) I am the legal age of adulthood in Japan and can do adult stuff such as buying cigarettes (not that I would anyways), drinking alcohol (but I’m kinda a teetoler), and buying a cell phone (FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY!). It’s raining, but since there’s a drought in Wisconsin, I find myself not minding too much. Hopefully it’s raining over there as well.

One thing I’m also noticing her is how everyone seems so perfectly coiffed. I’ve found myself feeling quite awkward if I leave my room not wearing nice clothing and a layer of makeup. This is so strange—I’m usually not a makeup kind of girl, but I never leave without at least some foundation and mascara. Oy.

For breakfast today, Okaasan served me an egg with toast. But the toast had cheese on it! Okaasan has some sort of spicy sauce on her toast in addition to cheese. I know I come from the land of the cheese (Wisconsin), but this way of eating cheese I’ve never heard from.

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Before you leave, the OIE (Office of International Education) tells you that you’re in for some good days and some bad days in the beginning of your trip as you adjust to the culture. I’ve had a great time so far, so I guess I was due for a bad day. I just wish it wasn’t on my birthday. This morning started off pretty well, as you can tell from the beginning of my post. And it continued to be good; my alien registration was finished in less than 10 minutes and then we headed off to the bus station to get my bus pass. However, I didn’t have enough money to pay for the bus pass, and so Okaasan and I had to meet up at 4pm, after my classes were done and I withdrew money from the only ATM that accepts Mastercard on campus. Later we found out that there was an ATM a five minute walk away that I could have used instead of bothering Okaasan’s schedule more.

Once I arrived at school, I went to the lounge and attempted to Skype my family about five or six times so I could talk to them on my birthday. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a hold of them. A later email from my mom said that they were talking about me and thus ignoring the computer. Since I can’t get on the internet at Okaasan’s house (at least for now), I have no way to contact them. I admit, it’s a little depressing.

Also that morning I had arranged to meet Moe at the library. I guess I missed her, because I spent 15 minutes waiting before going to buy a cellphone. And that’s where the real trouble began. Due to the bus fiasco, Okaasan told me to “mail” (text) her when I got my cell phone (keitai), so that she could know when I was leaving for the bus station. However, I misremembered her text address (in Japan, texts go to one address and voicemail to another), and so spent half an hour tearfully trying to reach her with the pertinent information. I even went to the CIE for help, and the nice Japanese intern helping me was stumped as well. Looking it up online, it may be a problem with the settings on Okaasan’s phone, but at that moment, I thought it was just me.

I managed to bumble my way to the bus stop where Okaasan was waiting for me. I apologized for the phone situation. She said it was okay. At the time I was just relieved (and also on the verge of tears), but now thinking back on it, I wonder if she was just saying it or if she was really annoyed. I kinda screwed up her whole daily schedule. I feel like such an idiot. At the bus station, Okaasan took me to a little shop and told me to choose two very small cakes for dinner tonight because it is my birthday. I chose a chestnut cake and a chocolate cake. I’ll tell you what they taste like later.

After an uneventful trip home, I thanked Okaasan, apologized to her again for the inconveniences I led her through today and retreated to my room. Then I wrote down what happened and then let the tears loose.

I know that today was only just one bad day in what’s going to be an awesome trip, but right now I just feel sucky. And what sucks even more is that it’s on my birthday. Right now I’m just missing everything American. I hope this too will pass and I’ll be my normal cheery self. Until then, I’m still going to act cheerful and as if nothing is wrong. Okaasan doesn’t deserve my moodswings. : )

I’m kind of hesitant to post this because I don’t want to worry anyone. I’m going to be fine. But I figure that if I don’t post the bad with the good, people will get a skewed impression. And I don’t want to do that.

Adzuki bean rice

My birthday dinner

However the evening was a delightful contrast to my (somewhat) lousy day. Dinner was a delight. In honor of my birthday, Okaasan made adzuki bean rice (which is only served on the most special occasions like birth, graduation, and marriage) and had it shaped like a sakura (cherry) blossom (I helped pack it). She also grew the adzuki beans themselves! In addition to that, she also allowed me to make an usagi ringo (rabbit apple). I really didn’t think that I’d be let into the

My apple on the right

kitchen (even for some minimal cutting) so early, so that kinda made my day. For dinner, Okaasan freshly fried some things…I really don’t know what most of them were. One tasted kinda fishy, one was a frankfurter wrapped in some sort of white meat, and one tasted really fishy. All were delicious. Okaasan also made some sautéed veggies which I relished—even the mushroom (which, if you know me, is on my “I will eat only under extreme duress and even then…!” list of foods. Current contents: mushrooms, anchovies, and animal brains). Luckily I got my camera charged in time to take pictures! In addition to the before mentioned things, I was also served “ebi senbei” or shrimp crackers. Okaasan called it a “snack,” though I am not sure what that had to do with dinner. I will ask her later.

My chestnut birthday cake

My candle!

After dinner, Okaasan and I talked about language. Well, I attempted to in Japanese, sometimes lapsing into English while she had her electronic dictionary out whenever she needed to find a word (her amount of times=less than my language fumbling). Thank goodness my new cell phone has a Japanese-English/English-Japanese dictionary on it! Okaasan wants me to start writing a diary in Japanese about my day so that she can check my written Japanese for errors. Yay! More writing! Is anyone interested in me posting it on the blog along with a translation?

We also bonded over (believe it or not) corn, rice, and cooking. I (obviously) told her about my dad (the reason for my current obsession with Japanese food thanks to his wok, sushi maker, and steaming baskets) and how cooking inspired me. Then somehow we got onto the discussion of rice (the main staple of the Japanese diet) and corn (which surrounds my house [and is also a staple of the American diet, but we didn’t discuss that]). I taught her the word “husk” for husking corn (and quite possibly rice as well!).

Then we started talking about obento (Japanese lunch boxes). She was very surprised that I sometimes make them for Mom and Emily during winter break and was very, very impressed by the fact that I use the stove, not a rice cooker, to make rice. She also said that when it gets cooler, we should make obento together!

Since Okaasan seems to get up before the sun (and  thus me as well, but I’ll never tell her that), I’ve started to go to bed earlier and earlier (like 9/9:30). And look at the time! 9:30pm!

Good night all!

ETA 10pm: Okaasan just brought up for me the present she forgot to give to me. It’s an adorable handkerchief with fans on it! 

お母さんと私 Okaasan and I

Today I met my Okaasan. She’s a sprightly 68 year-old woman and lives in an adorable house with her husband, who is currently in Bangkok (and who might visit in late November, but his schedule is uncertain). She has one grandchild who lives with her son and daughter-in-law in Tokyo…and it’s about to be two! I’m actually moving back into one of the Seminar Houses for about a week so she can go to Tokyo for the birth. I’m so excited for her! I should probably send a gift to the happy couple. Maybe a t-shirt for his kid and some maple syrup for the family?

Luckily, Okaasan had a car, so I didn’t have to haul all three of my suitcases on the bus (or worse, call a cab). Okaasan’s English is very good, for which I am grateful, because my Japanese is not as good. I wish I had studied more over the summer. Okaasan was worried that all of my suitcases wouldn’t fit, but I grew up under the guidance of the Masters of Packing—Mom and Dad—so everything fit perfectly in the back of her tiny, little car. Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!

Today I learned that driving on the “wrong” side of the road is almost as stressful as walking down them. I felt safer, though, because I was in the car, this time, and not having what felt like close shaves every time a car passed me. Japanese roads are so narrow! I will be taking the bus to school every day, but this bussing involves a transit stage as well! Oh man, public transit, it’s been so long. What if I forget how to do this?! But I’m sure I’ll get it down within a week. Until then, watch for updates about me getting lost!

ETA: Night driving is terrifying. 

It’s still raining here, probably residual from the typhoon. I hope it doesn’t rain much on my birthday. I’m meeting both my speaking partners, Moe and Ikue then…but I need to check when Okaasan wants me home. I think I have a curfew of 7pm (right in time for dinner!).

As I’m writing this, I’ve just finished settling into my room (It’s about 1:45pm). Everything’s unpacked and then put in the drawers, or closet, or shelf they belong in. One of the weirdest things so far is that Okaasan is going to do my laundry. All of it. And she cleans my room every day—I just have to make sure to keep neat and dust every week. This is so weird. My own mother hasn’t cleaned my room (while I have been living in it) for about…ten years or so. Maybe longer. And I’ve been doing my laundry for about that long…I think (I’m sure Mom or Dad will correct me in the comments if I’m mistaken).

My room is really nice. It has some stacking cubes, a desk, a book shelf, a little table (with compartments underneath!), and a bed. Like a western-style bed. I have to admit, the most comfortable I’ve slept in a while was on the futons at Seminar House 3, but I’m oh-so-willing to try the bed. It looks comfy.  I think that this room has hosted many a foreign exchange student. It’s filled with knickknacks from all over, including Thailand, Australia, Ireland, and even Minnesota. I think that maybe I can take pictures of my room, but I believe that taking pictures of the house will have to wait until I’m more integrated into the family, so you guys are on your own to imagine how my home looks for now. There’s also one thing that I’m sure will make a better person out of me: no wireless internet. I have to connect using a LAN cord to the plug downstairs. This means less time for my internet addiction, and more time for creative processes, such as hanging with friends, writing, blogging (in Microsoft Word), and exploring Japan!

Okaasan seems very western. She doesn’t have the traditional Japanese tub—only a shower. We still shower at night though. And I’m not allowed to use it in the morning unless I ask in advance. She also recycles paper—something I was told not a lot of Japanese people do. However Okaasan is very Japanese in many aspects. 

Example 1: the kitchen and laundry rooms are her domain and her domain alone. I have to knock on the door to the kitchen so I can get in, because the eating room can only be accessed through the “nice” room (which I’m guessing is barred for through traffic) or the kitchen.

Example 2: all electric appliances must be turned off and unplugged by 11pm at the latest. 

Example 3: as it write, right now (no pun intended), she is busily vacuuming away.

One thing I don’t understand (yet) is the practice of opening windows in Japan. In the car, Okaasan had the windows open (I believe instead of using air conditioning), but when it started raining, she didn’t close the windows at all! I admit, it was a light sprinkle, but in America, my mom would have had the windows up in a flash. Also, during a mild rainstorm, Okaasan left the windows open. At least in my room, there was water all over the window sill. Of course, this could be because it was typhoon weather, and normal rain usually doesn’t blow into the house. I’m not sure.

And now onto the food!

For lunch, Okaasan made me a sandwich. But what a sandwich it was! It had all sorts of vegetables, chicken/tuna, and salami chunks mixed together in some mayonnaise dressing and presented with a half circle of corn, a spring of basil, grapes, peeled Japanese pears, and usagi ringo (rabbit-shaped apples)! I admit I had some reservations when Okaasan first explained to me what she was putting into it, but I kept face and nodded like a bobble head, telling her that I liked everything that she was showing me. It was totally worth it because it was so delicious. And the bread, oh in Japan, the bread! As shown before with the melon pan, bread is pretty big in Japan. This does not only apply to sweet breads, but regular bread as well. One slice of Japanese bread is equivalent to about 3 slices of American bread in width. They are huge and fluffy (and also delicious). It took my breath away when I saw it, it was so elaborate. And I mean, it was a freakin’ sandwich. Usually you just plop it on a plate and be done with it. But it had a basil garnish. Like I was at some sort of expensive café! I give Okaasan (and Japan) twenty points for presentation.  I only wish I had gotten a picture of it, but I don’t want to seem too weird right away. ;P

Then at 3pm, we had tea time. Okaasan presented me with some yummy “evening tea” with apple pie and mango sherbet. She’s really pulling out all the stops for me! I feel kinda guilty, even though I know if I had a guest I’d be doing the exact same thing. I made the mistake of showing Okaasan the pictures I brought of my home and family during tea time. She spent so much time on them; she didn’t get a chance to eat her apple pie or drink her coffee. I wish that I had shown them to her after she had a little sustenance. She was really amazed by the size of our farm (even though it’s only around 14 acres) and also by the fact that we eat all that we grow, and don’t sell the produce at market. She explained that in Japan, farmers keep only about 40% of what they grow and import a lot of stuff, while in America we keep 100-120% of what we grow and also import stuff in. I don’t think that I explained well enough that we only grow enough food to feed ourselves, and don’t do it for profit. I think that maybe in Japan, that idea is unthinkable (at least with the amount of land that I showed her in the photographs), that such a big farm produces such a (relatively) small amount.

Then she spent some time showing me her pictures. She’s been to Thailand, Myanmar, Korea, and Turkey! She’s an awesome traveler and has such cool pictures. Of course, we spent at least 10 minutes looking at pictures of Ryowa, her grandson. He’s soooo cute! Right now he’s three, but there are many pictures of him as a baby and toddler. かわいい、なぁ (he’s really cute!). We spent about two and a half hours looking at pictures. I wonder if I can call Okaasan’s son Oniisan (big brother). I’m definitely making him and his wife a card for congratulations. Later, I will ask Okaasan.

For dinner we went out to a kaiten (conveyer-belt) sushi restaurant! Never before have I seen such food porn in real life. Those were the best-looking mass made sushi I have ever seen. They looked like things you would see in a magazine or something. Unfortunately, still no pictures. Between the two of us, Okaasan and I demolished 12 plates of sushi. It was delicious and it all amounted to under $17 USD. Best. Welcome. Ever. I got to eat ika (squid), maguro (tuna), tako (boiled octopus), ima (sea breem), and naga tako (rare, raw octopus) among others. I had to keep on convincing Okaasan to choose some stuff to her liking as well. She kept on insisting that it was my night, but I was like, “Okaasan, please don’t make me feel like a sushi-eating monster. Get some for yourself,” and “What do you recommend?” I even got to special order kyuri maki (cucumber roll). You special order by pressing a button, and then a waitress comes to take your order, then the computer tells you when your order is coming towards you on the conveyer belt. I did the ordering in Japanese and everything. Okaasan applauded me after the waitress left. Keitai sushi is very cheap, which is why there’s always a line of families and teenagers waiting for their ticket to be called. I was the tallest person in the place (being the only gaijin) and I towered over everyone. I’m just glad I wasn’t wearing my platform heels. I could feel lots of people staring at me, but I guess that’s the life of the gaijin in Japan. In the car ride home, I impressed Okaasan by knowing about Sei Shonagon’s Makura Shoshi (The Pillow Book) and Kintarou (a Japanese folk legend). Okaasan was wonderful tonight.

I think I’m really going to like it here. I just hope that I’ve made an as good impression on Okaasan as she has on me. I know the Japanese concept of tatamae, or “wrapping” one’s guest from the inner workings of the house, and since it’s my first day here, I know that I’m not going to be treated like family. And I’m okay with that, because right now, I don’t really know how to act like a Japanese family member. I don’t know how much laundry to give Okaasan in a day (but I’m going to ask the CIE), how to compliment her, and I’m still a little shaky on what is actually a compliment and what is a (unspoken) reprimand. In addition, my Japanese is very shaky and I’m only understanding about two thirds of what comes out of Okaasan’s mouth, but I manage to understand through context. And gesturing. Lots and lots of gesturing.

As I write this, it’s actually September 4, 2011, but I have just experienced what I believe to be the Japanese “yes actually means no” phenomenon about using the internet and I don’t want to push Okaasan too far on the first day (or any day afterwords!). Anyways, I have internet access at school, and tomorrow (well, today) starts my first class, a Japanese cultural anthropology class. In the morning, Okaasan and I are going to the City Hall to apply for my Alien Registration card. Then we are exploring the busses, and by “exploring” I mean “showing me which ones to take.” Apparently the bus stop I get on in the morning is not the same one I get off at…

I’m going to bed now, Okaasan insists that moving in day is hard, and I gotta agree. 8:30 tomorrow, we’re eating breakfast and then leaving to start the day!