u t o !

I'm quite behind right now...
On Firday the 9th, Makito-ojichan came to pick me up at noon from the farm. The day before was fairly eventful. In the morning a friend of Muto-san's came and we all chatted in the tatami room next to the guest house. In the afternoon I took pictures as Katsu, Hiro and Albert took the young pigs and moved them from the pig house into the little pens where they will be kept until they are large enough to be moved into the field. I was startled by how they had to catch the pigs. Hiro was in the pig house and caught the pigs and handed them to Albert who handed them to Katsu who carried them to the pens. The pigs were pretty good sized, I guess...like 2 months old. Yamaai Mura is very kind to their pigs, I have no doubt about that. But just like we handle cats by the scruff of their neck, they pigs were lifted by their ear and tail then over the shoulder or like a baby. The squeals and the thought of being picked up by my ear and a tail (if I had one) kind of made me ill...but they have a good happy life here running around and having good owners who really care about them. 


After that Albert, Hitomi, Hiro and I sorted rice again because they got another order. I didn't realize it at the time, but that evening was good bye till February. I was happy that we at least got to sort rice together though, we chatted and drank tea and it was fun. 


When Ojichan (Uncle in Japanese) came at 12 he came in and we all talked for quite a while. Then Muto-san offered we stay for lunch, so we ate pancakes, sausage and fruit salad together. Muto-san and Ojichan got along really well and I was happy for that, but soon we had to start for Uto because it takes an hour and a half and Ojichan had to work in the evening. Muto-san gave me a big hug and told me I have to come home soon, February isn't soon enough! It makes me happy that I have found such a great place there in Kikuchi. Out of all the WWOOFer profiles, it was chance that I picked his. And really, the one reason was the his was the only profile with exclamation points and emoticons! I know that is a dumb reason to choose, perhaps, but it worked out this time. 
Albert bought me a box of chocolate covered almonds before I left:) Love chocolate! The three of us love music and chocolate...so we got along:)


The ride to Uto was fun. Ojichan and I talked about all kinds of things. He teaches English and has lived in America so his English is really good and with my so-so Japanese we can talk about just about anything without too much of a struggle. He did have to stop and explain a lot of words and I told him that I was very sorry in advance because I cannot remember it all now. The way I have been trying to expand my vocab is through repition and usage. I think that's pretty normal, but I don't feel very confidant but I try to forget that sometimes. If I say something outrageous I think everyone will laugh and then they will correct me! That's not scary at all! But there are words I hear so often like"tatoeba", "betsuni" ,"ya-pari", "kanari", "jitsuwa" and I get their meanings all mixed up because they mean things like "for example", "fairly", "truthfully" and "nevertheless". So they are used very often and to me, they all just are the same in my mind for some reason. It's pretty annoying...so basically everytime I hear it I have to double check what the meaning is...I guess that's practice...one day I'll get it. 


We got to the house and I settled down in the room I always stay in. At this house there are two parts; the new part and the old part. The new part is two stories, the second level being Ojichan's classroom for his Jyuku and the bottom story being the house they live in mainly. It has their bedrooms, kitchen/central living space, toilet and bathroom. A hallway connects the new part to the old house which is all tatami mat rooms divided by sliding doors next to a long wide hallway that runs the length of the house. There is a bathroom and kitchen still in the old part of the house. It is where my grandfather stayed when he still alive. The old part of the house is made entirely of cypress would, so it smells wonderful. When I heard that I decided that that is what I identify as "The smell of Japan". It makes sense, because there are times when I get a wiff even in the States...
I stay in the room that has a little cove where my grandfather's bible lays open and there are photos of us grandchildren, my grandparent's and their parents. Close to the ceiling looking down are my grandparent's portraits. Hanging the portraits in that way is a Japanese tradition that is slowly fading away. 


Miyako-obachan soon came home and she hugged me. When i had seen her in the beginning of my trip she was still in the hospital recovering from surgery, but now she is well again - I was very glad to see that. She said she had to go pick up Ema, who had rode most of the way home, and asked if I wanted to go along so I did! It was good to see Ema. I can't believe she rides her bike like that...it's incredible, it truly is.  (I think i've written it already before, but Ema rides her bike on mountain roads to her high school nearly everyday. It is about 40 km. She leaves at 5 AM to get there in time. Such determination...amazing!).


On Saturday afternoon we went shopping at a big mall in the next town. It was really shiny and new. We first went to a Pet Store to get their dog, Nonta, his vitamins. But there were all kinds of things! Santa outfits for dogs, dog beer and wine, dog obentos, even dog UDON! I was kind of in disblief. The dog could basically live like a human, go shopping for clothes and food, vitamins, desserts and alcohol! Very interesting. 


Then we went people shopping and got a few more Christmas gifts...
For dinner I had my first McDonalds sandwhich in a very, very, very long time. I can't remember the last time I've eaten food there that wasn't a dessert item...I've stolen fried from others at times, I admit it, OH and I forgot I ate a couple chicken nuggest at the Fukuda's house. I got the chicken sandwhich this time. Basically, I haven't eaten so much McDonalds since I was a kid! They have a Japan-only burger that is called something like "Gura-ke", a mix between Gratton and Koro-ke. Basically a fried patty of creamy potato stuff. 


On Sunday I got up at 6 because we had to leave by 7 for Fukuoka. There, Ojichan and Ema were participating in a MTB Enduro Competition with Ema's high school MTB club. There were people from all over Kyushu, though, also participating. It started at 10:30 and went till 1:30. You could choose teams or do solo. Ema was on a team with her friend Fuka-chan. Ojichan was going solo for the whole 3 hours. It was pretty impressive to see how many people were there and all the bikes and outfits and how they just kept going and going and going. I grew a little tired jsut standing in the cold...can't imagine biking for 3 hours! The course wound around in a little grove of trees before going up and over a hill and the using a switchback down to a road and then back into the woods. Very fast. 
Miyako-obachan's sister, her husband and 10 yr old son and he parents also came to the race. I was with them most of the time. Also, Fuka-chan's little sister, Manaka-chan was there again. I remembered her and she remembered me from Ema's sports festival two months ago. She is a very friendly girl so she held my hand and pulled me around sometimes. She even gave me a little piece of candy!


We went on a walk during the race, Miyako, Miyako's sister and her husband and son. There was a playground that we walk to. It was so cool! I wish I were young again:p If it wasn't so cold I might have clambered all over everywhere...but I'm also scared of heights a little...and I'd rather take photos sometimes. 


I believe Makito-ojichan got 12th in the race! Ema and Fuka-chans record was a little messed up because they accidentally entered in the mens catergory...which, seeing as they were then competing against full grown men, changed the outcome dramatically. But everyone did very well, or in Japanese, みんな本当にがんばったです。


Yesterday everyone went to work really early so when I got up the house was empty except for Nonta. He doesn't bark as much when I'm around now, which I'm thankful for. I even have pet him a couple times now...:D
After breakfast I finished my Christmas shopping for good. Ojichan showed me a bike that I could ride around, he gave me a choice between a seriously nice bike and a cute little townbeater. I decided that it would be very silly of me to ride the intense bike, because I didn't really need it. Plus the town beater reminds me of my beautiful blue baby bike back home! (Yeah for alliteration!) In the afternoon I went in search of the spring that I remembered from the time I came to Japan in 5th grade. I rode there with Mom, Ema, Elijah and Kazu. It was warm so we were wading in the pool that the spring poors into and we were squatting under the spouts and drinking right from there. We also sat on the stone steps nearby and enjoyed ice cream...I have a few photos left from that trip, and I have been wanting to go back and see it again. I only remembered a few things from that time on how to get there. I remembered going left out of the driveway and then left again towards the mountains. I remembered riding across a field and I remembered a park near the spring. That was it. So I rode towards the mountains and figured if I stay on the roads nearest the base of the mountains I should come to it eventually. After winding around a lot and turning around a couple times I finally saw the park and just beyond that, the spring. I was so happy! I drank a little of the water and took some photos. Then I saw there was pointing up the road that went past the spring. I couldn't read anything but "700 m" on the sign. So I went up there and found myself climbing moss covered stairs up to the top of a little mountain where there were what seemed like graves of some sort or religious statues. It was very quiet and peaceful and the lighting was spectacular. The afternoons are beautiful since it is dark by 5:30. 
I was really happy to have time to just explore. I have also come to appreciate being alone more than I ever did. 
I keep thinking to when I'll be in Hokkaido, where I'll be staying in an apartment by myself through the Couch Surfing program (Thanks Patrick!!!). A couple live in Sapporo and they said I could stay in what is technically the woman's English classroom but also an apartment. So I will be alone for those three days. I can do what I want, eat what I want, sleep when I want, see what I want, go where I want...you get the picture, aha! Freedom! But then...really, I have 7 months of freedom! And after college, basically a life of freedom in which I choose my own barriers. Maybe in Hokkaido I will dedicate one of the days to eating Katsudon at all different restaurants and finding the best! Haha...it's going to be fun.


I found my way back easily and was soon at the house. Today I went to post office in the morning with Ojichan and then relaxed until around 2 watching a Dinosaur show on the Discovery channel as well as my favorite show that I always watch...but hardly understand because it used Osaka dialect.


After that I went on another bike ride. To nowhere in particular. But Ivisited two shrines a park with the coolest slide! After a while I started to get hungry so I went back, but stopped at the spring and filled my bottle up with spring water and stopped at a vending machine to buy sweet bean soup in a can - yum! I'd been looking for a vending machine with that and I was very glad I found it:)


So I enjoyed that along with a peanut butter banana and more TV! This time the show was one different area's special tradition. One prefecture made a certain dish with peanuts that the rest of Japan does without peanuts. And with TV shows in Japan, they use comedians with everything, so it made it very interesting even when you don't understand! Basically our TV shows on cooking are horribly boring...when you throw in a few comedians and go more into the origin of the food, wow! Anyhow, the next prefecture said "going to the bathroom" very strangely. Instead of using the verb "to go" they used the verb "to bounce". So that was very interesting. Japanese seems easy at first, but when you come to Japan, you realize that they hardly use the Japanese you learned! But very abbreviated and changed versions of the Japanese you learned. For example in Kumamoto "demo" which means "but" is "bu-ten" in Japanese. And basically everything end in "an". Instead of "shiranai" or "Ikanai" it become "shiran" and "Ikan" and "dakara" become "daken" and mixed with using "ore" and "are" instead of "watashi" (meaning "I") a lot of times I'm lost until I get the hang of it a little more. The worst part is that in Osaka, everything is different AGAIN from here in Kumamoto and in Sapporo will be different yet AGAIN. So...in the end...I feel that when I go back to America I will have not really improved my Japanese, just learned little bits and pieces of different dialects. My reading is getting better, though. Since they subtitle a lot of TV in Japanese it's good because I can read and hear and recognize the kanji...maybe kanji isn't a lost cause afterall!


We just went to pick up Ema who was somewhere in the mountains riding her bike in the pitch black of night. I wonder how far she had already ridden...ah!


Tonight I think we are having fish. Tomorrow Ojichan is taking me to my mom's aunt and uncle's house in Sanga, a town nearby. There I hope to help on their farm. There is some cucumber work now, though the melon season is over. I'm looking forward to it though I'm nervous because I know their Kumamoto Dialect is going to be INCREDIBLY strong since they are part of the older generation...ganba-te!