~ U S J ~

Yesterday was a very interesting experience! Believe it or not I went to Universal Studios Japan! That was something I defintiely did not expect to do before I came or before a week ago. When we were going to Kyoto, Ryo, Kanako and I, they asked if I had gone. Then they mentioned next week if there was time, that they could take me. So it happened!

Of course, I've been to Cedar Point countless times. Once a long time ago I went to Disney...World I think, whichever is in Florida. I remember going, but really anything I did. I also went to a small amusement park in Osaka when I was three. I remember riding a simulator with Keiko-obachan and crying as the chair bounced around and the screen was the video of us flying through a strange underground world with gnomes and dragons...or something. I did not like it one bit at the time.

But now I am 18 and we were at Universal Studios Japan. I honestly didn't know what to expect. The first thing we did was Shrek. We watched a little introduction and then were led into the room with rows of seats and the movie began with all kinds of occurences to make it more interesting. When Shrek was riding in a carriage with donkey, the chair bounced up and down like on a bumpy road. When Donkey sneezed, a little water was sprayed on us. When there was a strong wind, cool air or hot air was blow up from the floor. It was pretty interesting and fun. So after Shrek, we went and visited Spiderman! That was great. The whole time I was completely nervous about it falling, like the Demon Drop, or something. Luckily, it didn't, just kept me on enough edge to make nervous and yet have a good time. The car spun and tipped and jumped around. Buildings came towards us. It's pretty incredible what sound and images can do. So, we rode that and then went in search of lunch at Jurassic Restaurant or something. We found it finally! Tucked in at the corner of the Jurassic end of the park. All around outside the restaurant were families gnawing on large chicken legs...or perhaps turkey. I chose to eat T-Rex bucket, including baked potato, fried rice, a rib and sausage on a bone, plus ginger ale!

We sat down to eat. "This really is American food!" They said:) It was fun, because the park was naturally American themed. With old fashioned buildings (straight up out of downtown Oberlin) and America flags flapping in the bay wind. It was strange...I didn't even notice the flags until Ryo and Kanako pointed it out to me. "They are everywhere!" "oh, yeah! you're right!"

Our American meal was pretty good, so I thought. Naturally, fast food isn't exactly quality feastin' but I enjoyed it very much! Ate the whole sausage and rib, using my gloved hand so as not to dirty my finger (they supplied us the plastic glove!!).
After that, despite the cold, Ryo insisted on riding the Jurassic Park ride which is partly in water and in the end there is a fall then splash like Snake River Falls at Cedar Point. Of course, he got wet. We felt bad for him because it must  have been very uncomfortable. But then we went to Backdraft, and there is all that fire, so it was warm. Of course, it didn't dry him out, but at least he was toasty for 5 minutes. We rode Terminator and then we went to the new Space Adventure ride. I didn't understand it, and I wasn't familiar with the animation. But, what I did understand were the signs and announcements in English that warned guests of not riding or consulting first if you become easily motion sick, afraid of heights or dark places...the whole thing shouted roller coaster. The announcement in Japanese then went around and I could here in katakana Japaense "ro--ra ko--su-ta" which yeah, means roller coaster. So now Kanako and I were freaked. We had waited in line for almost an hour, though. Ryo said to us be brave.
The building was tall, so I knew it couldn't be all too bad but I don't like roller coasters. I cry riding almost every roller coaster, at least if I don't know what it is going to be like. And I will never ride anything bigger than the Iron Dragon at CP, and I know, it isn't very big.

I desperately wanted to ask what it was like. But I didn't. And soon I was being pinned down into my seat. It was so fast! Up down around sideways spinning - was clench my teeth and tighten my mid section to keep my innards from flying out my mouth, and all that clenching makes me eyes snap shut so I hardly saw a thing. A little bit of fake stars and a room that shined with a thousand reflecting mirrors...that's about all I remember.

I'd go on it again, now that I know it isn't as terrible as my imagination imagined it to be! Always the waiting is the worst.

Then it was off to souvenier shops, snapping photos and heading out. It was really fun, an interesting mix between roller coaster and movies...

Next part of the trip was SUSHI! We all know how much I love sushi:D

Then home with a bunch of snacks. There are waaaaaay too many sweets in this house now. I feel the pressure coming on now that I'm leaving next Sunday. I gave up rice today so I could eat more goodies:p heehee!

Today I ate Oden for lunch AND dinner and Mom's granola for breakfast with bananas and apples. Culture blend.


Tomorrow, more oden!
More sweets!
More chilling!

Aquarium and market adventure.

1.28
So yesterday was pretty exciting for a number of reasons. I went to the city with Keiko, and always going to the city is an exciting thing...not to mention slightly stressful. In the the morning we ate the left over Nabe from last night with rice mixed in. We have done that everyday after we eat Nabe for dinner. This time was kimchi Nabe so it was slightly spicy - still delicious.

After that we took baths (on days I go out, I take baths in the morning to make sure my hair looks OK). Then at a little before 10 Seibun drove Keiko and I to Togamikita station and from there we took a train to Osaka city. We found the Osaka Market.

The Osaka Market was not as crowded or crazy as Kyoto's, but there was just as amazing spreads of interesting food. They did mention that Kyoto's is more famous, therefore it is more aimed toward tourists, while Osaka's is for normal people who come shopping for the day's dinner ingredients. The street was lined with older ladies and pushy men as they were crowding around different vegetable and fish stands. We walked up and down the street. We decided we were hungry so we were looking for a good snack. We settled on this one fish store that sold sushi in boxes and had tables if you wanted to sit down and eat there. So, we did, and also got miso soup and tea because of it! Great snack.

After that we waited in line in the cold for 20 minutes for a bus to take us to Osaka's Aquarium. We had bought passes for $28 that let us get into the Aquarium and train and bus day passes. Before that, though, we had lunch in the plaza next door where there was also a giant ferris wheel. They are everywhere! We went to a Katsu Restaurant (fried pork cutlet) and got a combination of fried food with rice and soup. Everything is always delicious.

Then we head for the Aquarium. I great red and blue building with a mosaic on the front of the sea. We went in and the first bit and there was a tank that was built as a tunnel. How awesome is that? We walked through with small sharks and sting rays and differen fish swimming beside and over us in this blue tunnel. We went on. The building had large tanks I think around the building and on in the middle and there was a hall that wound around it so that you could see all depths of each tank. There was a giant shark, sting rays, manta rays, sea turtle, tropical fish, squied, otters, dolphins, seals - you get the picture. There was one tank that was for the Amazon fish, a GIANT fish was in there...it was completely freaky.

I LOVED the otters. I stood and watched them for a long time. First of all, they were a lot bigger than I thought they were. The flipped around in the water and settled on their backs chewing at and bashing their food item on their belly. It was so adorable.

The manta rays when they swam past the window blocked out the light it was big. The eerie blue and black silhouted people just made the place magical. So silent too.

I just kept thinking, what would happen if the glass broke? All the water would come rushing out, slipping into the halls, rushing down the slant of the hall to the bottom floor. The different creatures would go too, pulling down people with them and everyone would be washed up together in a sea creature human soup in the hall...maybe turning into a chunky tomato soup with the color of bloooooood.

 But then Keiko showed me a display of how thick the glass was. Well in fact, it wasn't glass but some kind of plastic. And it was like a foot thick. I decided we were safe.

The jelly fish were pretty great too. The ones with long delicate strings floating around beneath, behind, beside and above them - I wondered if they ever got tangled and imagined brushing it out...

There was one window with the cutest little jellyfish ever. Fat, with tiny little legs (or tenticles...) and they didn't move at a normal jellyfish pace, but twice as fast! putputputput it went. But then this older man got in the window and was trying to take the PERFECT pciture for about 5 minutes...finally when he left I went back to film the thing.

Overall, great! Very different atmostphere than a zoo...

Then, it was back out into the cold winds of the Osaka bay area. The thing is, I've gotten so used to this mild high 30s and low 40s weather that I've forgotten what REAL cold is like. Though everyone tells me that Ohio has been pretty mild this winter...I still think of that one day when it was -15 degrees with wind chill one day or when the snow came up to mid thigh or knees...
so, grin and bear a strong 40 degree wind I think.

On the train ride home I mostly slept. I was really tired. I haven't been sleeping too well.

Then it was the supermarket to get salad supplies before Seibun came to pick us up. Dinner. Kanji practice. And LAW & ORDER!
Then stretching. Bed time.

Tomorrow, Ryo and Kanako are taking me to Universal Studios Japan...they are toooooooooooooooo NICE!!!:D
Got to talk to Elijah, Mom and Dad and see Michael too:) Like being at two places at once...kind of...not really... missing home, but am so lucky to have Skype.

perfectly normal!

It's been a pretty normal week after the excitement of Kyoto. Eating, sleeping, ceramics, TV, kanji practice, reading, eating...TV...
I guess I was pretty happy about the fact that I can watch Law and Order as well as America's Next Top Model here. I have been watching more TV this week than I do in America, for sure. I think I've watched this season of ANTM before a couple years ago...but I don't remember who won, so it's still exciting. Luckily, Keiko enjoys it as much as I do. Seibun sits with us but reads his books about birds or works on gadgets.

I've been painting the pots and things I've made like crazy. They will get fired this weekend and be finished next week. I'm a little nervous about how they are going to turn out.

I've been going out on little walks this week. Yesterday I walk to the station, took a train to the next station over , went window shopping then walked back. There is the cutest sweater at GAP...I have to resist. I have more sweaters than I do anything else...I'm addicted. What I did by was a super sale shirt for four dollars. Hoorah! I also went to that natural goods store and bought another Konyaku and Grapefruit drink.

I've gotten through three chapters of kanji in the Genki Text book mom mailed me like a month ago. Already I find myself reading more and that is basically the only reason I'll keep at it. In America, I'd never practice on my own...I'm to lazy, and it would feel like there is no benefit because there isn't kanji EVERYWHERE! I have to get this down now, or I'll probably have to take Japanese two all over again...

We had konyaku steak the other night for supper. I love that stuff. It has no taste, but the texture is incredible! I don't know why I like it so much...luckily I can by that in the states (and it has zero calories!).

I bought a magazine today because I wanted to catch up on fashion and what not (not that I follow or try very hard). I was a little put off by what I understood. There was one part where they had a face of  girl who apparently made a makeup mistake. Then there was a picture of her face after she fixed this "mistake". Underneath each photo was a comment from a man. First of all, all the girls were beautiful. Under one picture of a girl whose cheeks were apparenly too red and made her cheeks look plump there was the comment that said  something along the lines of "her face looks strange, I wouldn't want to be seen with this girl." Then under the "fixed" photo it said something along the lines of "This is much better! I'd definitely go on a date with her!" My insides and hope in men melted away briefly. Luckily for me, there are men out there who care for other things in a woman besides makeup and prettiness. I kind of regret buying the magazine now because all it did was make feel sad. Soon enough I'll be back in Kikuchi with only the pigs and chickens to impress and I will feel like a queen in my jump suit EVERYDAY!!!!:D That's my kind of life. Not a candy, princess, city life. In the end, I'm going back to Oberlin...the safest place in the world to be you.

America's Next Top Model starts in 30 minutes! Tonight is kimchi nabe, which is super healthy and delicious. Lunch was dango jiru -Keiko style. I've figured out that everyone makes it a little differently. Which is fine, they are all good!

Since really I have nothing much to talk about, I'm going to end it here.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Osaka market and aquarium - should be fun!

Kyoto Adventure!

Wow, today was pretty awesome. But before today, let's talk about yesterday.
I went to see a kids animation film with Keiko at the closest theater. We walked to the train station then took a bus for 6 minutes to another mini shopping area where there is a theater. I paid $18 for a ticket. It made me REALLY appreciate the Apollo theater of Oberlin...how did I ever whine about a $5 ticket? Anyway, I had seen the preview for the movie called "friends" about a little baby and monsters and stuff. It looked fun. I also decided that since it was all in Japanese that it was a good thing that it was a children's movie, because otherwise I probably wouldn't understand it. We went and Keiko treated me to caramel popcorn and ginger ale - super! The movie was a great. Kind of like Shrek in the way that it is good for both kids and adults. Even though I didn't understand every last word, I did understand that movie and thought it was very touching. Keiko was expecting a very childish film but was also glas she saw it. I was pretty tired after the movie and managed to take a nap. Though all I did was sit in the theater, I think the Japanese made me brain go to work and so I got tired...not to mention it was rainy so the greyness makes me a little pooped out.
We had sardine stuffed with spicy fish eggs for dinner.

Today Ryo and Kanako (Ryo is Keiko's son and Kanako his girlfriend) took me to Kyoto. They picked me up a little after 11. Ryo brought a guitar for me to borrow, I need music in my life! I am grateful:)
The drive was a little over an hour. First we went to a shrine, Fushimi-Inari Taisha, that has I think one thousand "toris" the red gates that lead to shrines. I saw it in the guide book ans thought it would be beautiful. The road leading to the shrine was lined with interesting restaurants and shops. Apparently, this was the famous place to eat sparrow and quail. We decided to stop for lunch and try these items. We ordered sparrow, quail and the udon for Kanako and I and soba for Ryo. When the sparrow came, I was a little shocked. The little bird shape was there, on a stick, but thin and covered in brown sauce. But the head was there. The beak was even there! I wasn't sure if I could stomach it. The waitress explained we could eat the entire thing. Bones, head, meat - all. Ryo ate it first, said it was good. Kanako ate second, said it was good and had a texture similar to liver. It took me a while, I went through a fit of laughing and then really without thinking I stuck the poor little head in my mouth and crunched it right of the body. AH! Totally freaking crunching a tiny skull up in my mouth. It was interesting to try. Tasty, but, I'd never be sitting around and think, "Oh my, I'm really craving sparrow." Once was enough. The quail was served in little chunks of unrecognizeable meat (which I'm more used to as an American) and that was tender and a tastier. The udon, of course, was great. I had kitsune Udon, which means "fox udon" but it is only called that because the udon has fried tofu pouch in it, which is the food symbol of a fox. I like it, plus we were at the Shrine that was the fox shrine so it seemed appropriate.

We went to the shrine. Everything was bright red and beautiful. Fox statues peered down at us with slit eyes. They showed me where I could shake a little tube and out of a hole came a stick with a number. That number we then told a lady at a counter which corresponded to my fortune for the year. My fortune was overall pretty good, minus that it said I would become ill sometime during the year. Ryo and Kanako said if it wasn't good, I should tie it up on the wires where others had tied theirs, so that the Gods could reconsider it...or something like that. We walked up steps to where the hall of gateways were. But before we got very far, Ryo saw there was a man doing palm readings. They said I should try, so I did. It was pretty interesting, from what I understood: I tend to find one thing and really focus on it, I am shy, I tend to let people come to me instead of me going to them, I'm supposed to have good luck with studies this year, bad luck with love this year (despite all the love charms I have collect, haha)...stuff like that. I don't remember it all. It was interesting, I've never had a palm reading before.

Then we walked the red tunnel! It was beautiful! The sunlight came in through the slots between the toris and made the red shine brilliantly. Outside the passage was a beautiful mossy forrest with fat, old trees. It was really a one of a kind sight... the entire passage is four kilometers. We didn't do the whole thing, just the beginning loop, just enough to get a taste of the loveliness of it all. Between the intro and the entire trail there is a shrine. Kanako bought me little fox charm as a souvenier...they are really too nice. When we were walking back to the car I saw a stand selling dead snakes...appently for medicinal purposes. I saw it in the NHK Edo Period drama program last year, an old samurai drinking alcohol from a glass jug with a snake floating in it...whatever floats you're boat.

After that Kanako had to go to a meeting so Ryo took me to Nishiki Market. It was awesome! There were people and food everywhere! Samples were all over too, so I tried things here and there. There were tons of pickle stands, all kinds of pickles, eggplant, daikon, greens, cucumbers - and in beautiful colors from bright pink to purple to yellow. There were stands of dried fish, even saw dried sea cucumber innards. Stands of fish paste tempuras, Japanese sweets (which look like magic...), vegetables - anything! I saw scallops, but in the shell, which i've never seen before. I saw these baby octopus that were bright red and it was so weird I felt I HAD to try it, so I bought a pack to take home to Keiko and Seibun. The little things are about half the size of my palm or so, and in their head is a quail egg, so it makes it look like it is really alive still - minus the squiggly legs. Ryo bought barbequed eel "internal organs" (which is the translation he got on the phone)on a stick and had me try. It was really strong in flavor... I saw whale meat for the first time. It looks like beef, but a little more pale. Ryo said the flavor is somewhere between beef and fish - I can't imagine that. It's really expensive, so I didn't try it.
Basically, it was amazing. What a rich food culture Japan has...it's crazy.

After we finished there it was 4, the Rock Garden 20 minutes away stopped selling tickets at 4:30 we rushed to get there. We made it at like 4:27. Ryo had me go while he found parking. I bought two tickets and waited for him and then we went to see the Zen Rock Garden. It was small but definitely peaceful. I'm sure I didn't have as much appreciation for the rock garden as the others who were there, seated and staring in silence out at the gravel and boulders. However, the beautiful natural garden that surrounded the building made up for it. The garden was fascinating. Soft green moss covering the ground, tall, perfectly pruned and sculpted trees, boulders covered in a variety of moss, making it look like a mini landscape. We walked around a little bit because he had time to waste between the garden and picking up Kanako, but not enough time to go to the Manga Museum. Soon he got a call from her and we went to get her.

During the drive it got dark. We were waiting on the side of a busy street in downtown Kyoto. There was a wall of glass on the other side of the sidewalk next to us. The reflection in the glass made it look like there were the ghosts of cars flying by.
She got in the car and we decided we weren't hungry for a whole meal, so they took me to a famous dessert place in Kyoto by Gion. It was a restaurant that basically served all matcha desserts. Matcha is powdered green tea, like what they use in tea ceremony. There was matcha jell-o, matcha parfait, matcha castella, matcha dango - anything matcha! I ordered a dish that came with matcha dango as well as jell-o and this really soft mochi (I think) covered in what I believe to be soy powder. I know Mom loves it, and I hadn't eaten it for around 7 years I think. So the dango were green and white and the soft mochi was green and the jell-o was green, and on top of the jell-o was green whipped cream and on top of the soft mochi and dango I poured a dark green sugar sauce. MATCHA MATCHA! Everywhere we looked the tables were filled with people's green matcha desserts. Kanako ordered a parfait and Ryo had matcha pudding along with zenzai, sweet bean soup with mochi and chestnuts or sweet potatoes. My camera died after one picture there. After that fabulous matcha mania, we walked up a street in Gion. And to our surprise and luck, we saw a young Geisha walking with what might have been her parents. She didn't have white make up on yet, she was a Geisha in practice (for anyone who doesn't know yet, Geisha are not prostitutes, they are women trained to be beautiful, talented entertainers only). Ryo and Kanako were surprised we got to see any kind of Geisha at all, though. So lucky!

After that, we drove back to Osaka.

We dropped Kanako off at her home and Ryo and I talked with Keiko till a little later at night. But I got tired and I left the mother and son to talk about all the wedding:D

Today, I get to start glazing and painting the ceramic pieaces I made the last two weeks. I have a week to paint them all. Get cranking!

なんば！N A N B A ! ! !

Blog 1.17.12

Okay! So today was pretty fun. Not only did I feel like I got some things done, but I had a great time doing all of it!
I got up this morning with Keiko calling "Leah, Carnation is going to start!" I was surprised, because I've been setting the alarm on the cell phone I have now for 7:45. I checked the phone...dead. Well, I guess that's what happens if you don't charge the thing.

So I grabbed socks and ran downstairs and jumped around on one leg while putting them on. I completely forgot my slippers in the rush. I wiped the table and set the food out that Keiko had prepared - oops! Then Carnation began. It is about Itoko Ohara, a fashion designer and her story. I've been watching it basically the whole time I've been in Japan. It's 15 minutes, 6 days a week. I hardly understand the heavy Osaka-ben, but being here a week I've already gotten a little more used to it. While Kumamoto-ben ends a lot with "an" or "en" (like, instead of dakara, it is daken, or instead of wakaranai, it's wakaran). But with Osaka-ben everything ends in "ya". So, rather than "iiyo" it is "iiya". Things like that (nanio become nanya...etc...).
It sounds a lot more playful than Kumamoto-ben, probably just because it ends in a vowel. Intersting...I still can't get over how Japanese consider Kumamoto as "the country". They consider 30 miles outside the city's downtown as country...I can't imagine what they would think of Oberlin. I don't think they can comprehend a town that small! I guess I never considered Oberlin as the country...but I'm realizing it really is!

Anyway...ate breakfast. Today was bread day, we have bread every other day and rice every other day. After that, I washed up the dishes and took a long bath. The ofuro (deep bath tub) is a billion degrees and it feels wonderful. I just lie there in the steam and heat and think of far off things...then suddenly it is too hot and I feel like I can't breathe too well so, I decide it's good if I get out. Outside of the shower room is freezing, the windows are open and there is no heating except for the main room that we spend all of our time in, since it is warm. I then packed up a box after going to the super market and buying mom katsuobushi, the fish flakes that are tasty on top of okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake, famous in Osaka). Keiko was teaching pottery from 9:30 to 12. They were three adult ladies. Keiko told me the sweet potato we roasted on the top of the stove was ready to eat, so I ate it as a snack. It is delicious. Naturally sweet and soft and wonderful, not to mention nutritious! The golden yellow inside literally glows when it is fresh...

Around noon I had tea and more snacks with Keiko and the ladies. After they left, Keiko made Kumamoto style ramen for lunch. All I do is eat!

After lunch I strapped the package to the back of the bike I'm getting to use and rode to the post office to mail it. All on my own! They were really nice, the two people working there. At Uto, there was one guy who I felt had something against me personally. When he looked at me I thought he was going to burn holes through me, it was awful! So I was really grateful that these two were so kind and helpful.

When I got back to Keiko's, I made three bowls with a design I am proud of. Glazing is going to difficult...just another learning experience. Soon after that, I started to prepare for my big night out! Keiko's son and his girlfriend (soon to be wife!!!:D), Kanako, were taking me to Nanba during the night to see the famous city lights and to take me to dinner. I was kind of nervous because they are 30 and 36 and I'm, well, still 18. In Ameirca, 18 is when you have to become an "adult" in the eyes of others, but here, they still think of my as a kid. It's kind of nice, a lot less pressure, but I still got nervous. We met in front of a Uniqlo at the Nanba train station. I soon realized there was nothing to be nervous about, they were really nice and relaxed, so soon I relaxed as well. We went to the "Ganko" a chain that serves traditional and good quality Japanese food. I think they said it is very famous in Osaka, mostly. We had to take our shoes off and there were mini wooden lockers with a traditional wooden key so that no one would steal our shoes. The waitress was in kimono and there were tatami mats, but luckily, the hole in the floor for our legs. A lot less stress on my poor knees.

They ordered sushi, agedashi tofu, another tofu dish, yakitori (chicken on a stick), puffer fish sashimi and tempura. The tofu dishes were great, tofu is pretty amazing. The puffer fish I was a little uneasy about, just because I know that if they don't cut it JUST right, then it is poisonous. I tried it though, and it was pretty good. Not very strong flavor and more chewy than the normal fish. They ordered one plate that was varying qualities of tuna sushi. They pointed out which was which and asked me to eat the best one, the fattiest one. So I did and...oh my goodness it was great! The tuna was soft and flavor amazing and it melted in my mouth. Melted. I've never had a piece of fish do that. Now, after tasting that I can MAYBE understand a LITTLE more why people pay hundreds of thousands of dollars on a 200 kg tuna fish...probably if you google it you can find more information on that...

 The tempura was good of course. While eating the shrimp tempura, I could only think of Elijah...:(
While we were eating two people came to eat at the table beside ours, it was another foreigner and a Japanese woman. It was funny to me, because I'm used to being the only foreigner, but here, they are everywhere!
It was fun, and soon we went to the bridge to see the famous lights of Osaka's Nanba.

At the bridge, there were men standing around everywhere dressed crazily. At first I thought it might be an animation convention or something, because it really was that weird, but Kanako said "No, that's their normal clothes." Then she told me that basically you can buy a date with them, or something...like they will keep you company at a restaurant.

 The lights were wonderful! In the daytime it was great, but at night it was brilliant. I couldn't live here, but I could sit here and stare at the lights for quite some time. There was just so much to look at! They led me down a couple other roads with famous shops and signs. Giant puffer fish and crabs and octupus sculptures clinging to the buildings, neon lights and flags and more lights and everything you can imagine. I think in the guidebook it said it would remind you of "Blade Runner" or something...it definitely seems pretty sci-fi.

They also took me to the Osaka Tower (in Ryo's "cramped, tiny and messy" car which ended up a beautiful mini cooper...Shock) and we went down one street that sells a lot of fried food, but with more exciting signs, so we could look back up at the tower and through the street. The pictures I took could be straight out fo the guidebook. I was so grateful they were taking me to these places. For them it is normal, but for me it is magical! Not in a mossy fresh water spring way magical, completely different but equally inspriring. There was a sculpture there, a sculpture of "the god of they way things ought to be". I thought that was an interesting god to have...but a good one to have around, I suppose.

It was getting late so soon we headed back, dropping Kanako off at her home just a little further than where Keiko lives. Ryo and Kanako were really fun to hang out with and kind too. Am I lucky to be able to meet such wonderful people or is everyone here just amazing? They are very down to earth and smart, which makes being around them easy. If they were the type that dressed like anime characters and looked like dolls...I think it would a lot more difficult to hang out with them, and if that was the case, they probably wouldn't be too thrilled about walking around with an oversized girl  with no fashion. But, it all worked out. Sunday they are taking me to Kyoto to see the normal side of the city, which I haven't ever seen before.
I'm excited!

For now, I'm exhausted. Yahoo to a fun day!

Osaka: Carnation, eat, pottery, shopping, sleep - repeat!

It's been very relaxing here in Osaka. I was worried that I was going to be stressed out going from being a country bumpkin in Uto and Kikuchi to coming to this city. However, Keiko and Seibun's house is in a perfect location. A 30 minute bike ride to a big shopping center, 5 minute walk to super market, in an urban area yet with nearby rice fields (only in Japan!), 10 minute bike ride to the train station, and after that, the possibilities are endless.

I haven't been doing a whole lot, I suppose. Keiko has been helping me with pottery everyday and we cook dinner together. I have learned how to make pot stickers, koroke and katsudon and tonight for dinner we ate oden, which is for some reason so simple and so incredibly delicious. That is pretty common with Japanese food though, I could eat Japanese pickles and rice forever. We also went to sushi the other night, which was great. Salmon is an amazing fish - that is all I have to say about that.

Pottery lessons have been good. Everyone is probably thinking, "Your own mother is a potter, how come you haven't learned from her?" But if you think about it a little harder, you realize that it is really difficult to have a student teacher relationship if you are parent and child - it just doesn't work out. However, when I was little I played a lot with clay in Mom's studio. Now, I go when it is convenient for me or whenI need help from her on something. It's really the best situation. But with Keiko it is different since she's not my mother, and I will listen to her lecture and critique without huffing and puffing. So, because of this, I've learned some things! And it's fun to let those creative juices flow. I also am working on a couple short stories...drawing...and I've been reading like a maniac. I finished The Help and am half way done with that book that I can never remember the name of ... incredibly close and extremely loud...or the other way around - Gena reccomended it to me last year. It has been an amazing book (just like she said it would be). I'm in love with every character in the story... I laugh and tear up and think and sigh and bite my nails and it is all because of what I'm reading. I love stories that take an ordinary life, or perhaps not ordinary, but definitely someone's, and makes it this beautiful magical intricate world. It makes me think of my life more, how magical it is in its own way. I love things that make me appreciate life more and open my eyes wider and wider. There is so much to see!

But there is something else I love too...and that is shopping. There are so many cute things, everywhere, always. Luckily, there is one thing that saves me and that is the 100 yen shop. Because everything there is literally 100 yen, sometimes you find a rack of things for 300. And there are so many things! Dishes, clothes pins, bags, food - just about anything, really. So I can go there, get my shopping fix and spend only 500 yen and come home with a bag full of things. Like today, I bought clothes pins, a grinding stick, bamboo colinders, a bag...well, it must have been 11 things because I spent 1100 yen. I'm going shopping for dorm room supplies here and sending it home by sea mail, that way it is cheaper and I will get the package sometime in the summer - perfect time. I also went to the Gap today, and I went around feeling small because I wasn't a SUPER EXTRA MEGA LARGE but a medium and I went around happily touching and looking clothes that were American sized (of course that meant the store carried down to XXS, since, I am in Japan). I also saw about five women who were twice or tripple my age but with legs the size of my arm. I love my body...I love my body...I love my body... :p haha

Keiko and I went together and it was very fun. Mixed with her bright and encrouaging personality and brutal honesty, I've decided she is a very good shopping partner. She bought me a drink at a natural products store and let me choose between honey and yuzu or konyaku and grapfruit. Konyaku is when you take a konyaku bulb and grate it then strain it and then that water that you strained it with turns a little like extra stuff jell-o...I think. Anyway, I loved grapefruit and I love konyaku so I thought I'd give the konyaku grapefruit drink a try. I opened it and tried to drink but the konyaku was a big blog in the bottle so it blocked the juice at the mouth of the bottle. I thought, how am I supposed to drink this?? Keiko said she was going to take it back to the store and see if it was supposed to come with a spoon. Then she stopped and shook it and opened it to see if it was drinkable now, and it was! She handed it to me, "Well it was a good thing to shake it before the store woman would think I'm stupid!" I drank it and it was a very interesting texture, exactly like loose jell-o mixed with grapefruit juice - it was delicious! And a definite first. I also bought chocolate covered wheat puffs there...and yes, they are good. I'm eating them right now.

At a bakery I bought sweet potato bread, I wonder if I can make something like it at home. Use a normal puffy white bread recipe or sweet bread of some sort and put chunks of sweet potato and sesame seeds in it...not the same probably, but close? We will see.

Tonight we were eating oden which has all kinds of things in it, konyaku, egg, daikon, fish paste tempura, meat and mochi. But there is also one item called "agetofu".  Keiko said it  "ah-get-oh-fu", which she thought was pretty amusing. It is, by I have learned to not act quite my age since I'm always around adults...but she didn't think I got it so I ended up laughing a lot. Then there is the one that was a joke in our family for a long time , "doitashimashite", which sounds like "don't touch my mustache". There is a lot of accidently amusing things, to a foreign mind that is...


Tomorrow I will finish some more bowls, hopefully send a package, take a loooooooooooooooooooong bath, do the OSCA application and send it to home and start on some scholarship essays. Though it is still January...I know college is right around the corner. These five months well, now only 4.5, are going to go way too fast.

At least now I've made it my goal to return...and I haven't even left yet.

Osaka!

Blog 1.7.12

Goodness, it still feels weird to write out 2012. I can't imagine when it became 2000, I remember a little, but not very much...I think I was in 2nd grade...I kind of remember Mrs. Lee writing on the board 1999 then switching to 2000. It's one of those faint and foggy memories.  There must have been many mistakes for a while, all their lives writing 19-- and no 20--! Blahblahblah...

Today was the day I'd been nervous about for some time. Today was the day I got to Osaka and met with Keiko and Seibun again. Of course, that wasn't what I was nervous about. For the first time ever I was traveling by myself, like REALLY by myself. Technically this whole time I've been with friends and family. Minus the first few days after I got to Yamaai Mura farm where I felt alone at first, I have wrapped myself with loved ones and even managed to not become depressed during the holidays because of it. So, I was nervous about traveling from Kumamoto to Osaka alone and navigating through the train stations and buying tickets.

I was still in Uto until the morning of the 5th where Keichan came to pick me up and take me to Mashiki, right outside of Kumamoto city. It was sad leaving Uto, leaving my aunt and uncle and Ema and Kazu...and of course Nonta the doggie. But now that my plan has changed, I am coming to stay again for about 3 weeks in the spring. I keep thinking about when I have to say good bye for real, the good bye that means I wont see them again for a few years...it's probably better if I didn't get nervous about that yet.

At Mashiki I spent time relaxing with Keichan. Shin and Hiroko-obachan were at work a lot, but I could see them in the evening. Keichan took me to the mall. The only thing I forgot at Uto was my deodorant! I was so mad, because I'm especially smelly and only the "crystal" ( I believe Thai Stone) works on me. But after going to three stores at the mall, I finally found it and was very relieved. Being on crowded trains in a big city filled with beautiful people and not having on proper deodorant is basically a nightmare. I also couldn't resist purchasing a shimmery sweater that looks like nothing I've ever owned before...I decided since I'm no longer going to be a country bumpkin, I should try and look a little better in the city...not that one sweater is going to transform me, but...it's a start!

After that we went home and enjoyed ramen that is famous in Japan, the ones they package for selling are just as good as what they sell in the store. Shin works at the airport and one box happened to have a little tear, so he got it for free! It was scrumptious. After that we went to Keichan's sister's house because her daughter (who works for the phone company, Soft Bank) was letting me borrow one of her 4 cell phones for while I'm in Japan. The other options were very expensive so I was really really appreciative of them doing this for me, one day later and it already has made my life easier!

This morning Keichan took me to the Kumamoto station and even bought a ticket so he could stand with me on the platform and wait for the shinkansen. I was first in line for the car and I got a good seat next to the window. I waved to Keichan as the shinkansen started going. He is so kind and always worrying...I'm so grateful Mom has such wonderful friends here.

The shinkansen was pretty full with people for the first few stops, but soon it thinned out and I shared the three seats with one other person and sometimes I had all three to myself. For the leat leg of the trip I think there was an America family behind me. I thought maybe I should say something, but I didn't know what to say. "Hi! You are obviously foreigners but I'm a foreigner too! Hoorah, we both speak English."
If their water bottle rolled under my seat or something I'd talk but I didn't want to seem...creepy...or I am still just still stupidly shy.

The shinkansen was a little over 3 hours to Shin-Osaka station. I ate my obento while staring out the window, luckily during that part of the trip we weren't almost entirely in a tunnel. It was seasoned rice with what seemed like New Year's food, shitake, carrot, bamboo, konyaku and chicken. I didn't drink anything because I hate using restrooms on planes and trains. I read about a quarter of The Help. I almost done now, it is such a well written book...I saw the movie first and normally if I see the movie first I lose interest in the book. However, when I saw the movie I loved the movie but it seemed to me like only an appetizer. So, now I've gotten to the main course and... it's delicious. I never read at home, but now I'm reading a lot. My next book is one Gena reccomended to me but didn't read before...I think it's something like "Extremely close and Incredibly loud "or something like that.

After I got to Shin Osaka I came out of the shinkansen and just got into the river of flowing people because, well, I didn't know where I was going but off the platform with everyone else was a start. After that I came up to a level with doors and signs for different things. I knew I needed a subway but I saw a sign for tickets in the opposite direction...I wish I had paid more attention when Mom was here too. Basically at this station and the next one I spent approximately 15 minutes asking people how to get where or just standing, reading the same signs over and over again, and trying not panic or get nervous. When I was trying to by the subway ticket I waited in line for a while but when it was my turn I just stood in front of the machine and even hit the button for English and I think between being nervous because there were so many people and never having done it myself before I just blanked out. So I asked the man behind me and I think he was stunned that I didn't know what I was doing because he kind of gave me the pitiful yet shocked face before helping me out. But I got it and just as I made it to the platform the train came and I got on and wedged myself between two people and stared at my feet for a while. Basically I asked people everywhere I went and finally got to Togamikita station and found Keiko waiting for me. I couldn't help but grin when I saw her, I MADE IT.

We walked to her new house that I had only seen when they were looking for houses to buy. But they made it beautiful! Ripped out the dying bush in the front yard, fixed the walls and cielings, added furniture and accesories. It was beautiful and about double the size of their previous house. Seibun, Keiko's husband, was golfing for the day so we chatted then went groccery shopping for dinner. We made gyoza by hand and when Seibun came back he also brought me a kotats for my room! Awesome!

Dinner was delicious, now I can make gyoza:) And afterwards I got to eat a slightly thawed frozen persimmon, which is basically sherbet. Love!
And... a little ice cream bar that is actually like condensed milk with little azuki beans in it. I didn't eat a whole lot today so I didn't feel TOO guilty eating all that good food. I love Japan, and food is a big part of it...sometimes I think that maybe food is too much a part of it. But, food is important! Everyday and it is what supports your body...so, the more I like it the better...かな。。。

I got a headache on the shinkansen and didn't go away. Sleep should do the trick. oyasumi.

Happy New Year! 2012!

BLOG 1.1.12

I can't believe it is 2012. I'm sure I'm not the only one in a slight daze at that thought. Another year gone by, another that has come. Time trudges on!

I think it is going to be an interesting year. 5 months of it will be here in Japan and the rest will be packed full of other things...like college!
Oh, but that thought is for later.

I got to skype with some friends yesterday morning, New Year's Eve morning. It had been a while since I'd seen their faces or talked to them, so it was fun:) I'm really grateful to have such good friends! I am excited to go back to them and many others in May, but till then, I will fully enjoy my time here.

So, in Japan New Years is the BIGGEST holiday of the year. While in America we have the great big crazy New Years Eve party, in Japan it is most for the New Years day that they celebrate. And I believe traditionally (or even when my mother was growing up in Japan) that the first...3 days of the year were all spent celebrating and all the stores were closed and everyone at home. It isn't like that anymore really, because stores are open and many people can't get all three days off work. But for the past couple days I've been helping Obachan and Ema make "osechi" or traditional New Year's dishes. We went shopping for the ingredients a couple days ago, the stores were packed! Not only of people but of special New Years items. Racks of New Year's decorations, braided grass with ornamental oranges, or lobsters, fern fronds, flowers, ribbons and thread balls. There were trays and trays of ready made "osechi" and then the ingredients squeezed into the shelves; kuromame (black bean, but not like ours), kazunoko (pickled fish eggs only eaten at New Years), decortaed fish pastes and tempuras...and all the rest! Every food has a meaning, which is why you eat it at the New Years.

We went home and for the last two days of the year we prepped the food, did a little cleaning and went to our grandparents' grave to clean it and pray- which are all things done for the New Year. On New Years Eve night we ate soba, which is traditionally what everyone eats on that night. The tempura in that soba had a rabit and a dragon burned into it - the rabit for 2011 and the dragon for 2012. The year of the DRAGAON! Sounds cool:)

The food we prepped, as I said before, all has meanings. The black beans are so that we can work hard, essentially, till our skin is black from the sun. There is a dish where gobo (burdoc) is cut into little sticks and one end pounded so that it looks frayed, standing for our life having many options and paths. Lenkon (lotus root) because of the holes it has that runs through the root stands for being able to see into the future or good sight (like looking through the holes into what is beyond). The fish eggs (kazunoko) stand for a big family, our descendants. Little fish cooked crunchy with soy sauce and sugar stand for our ancestors. Daikon with carrots stands for celebration (red and white). Sweet potato and chestnut dish stands for becoming rich along with an baked egg dish (because it is golden). There is kombu that is tied into knots that stands for joy. Konyaku is also twisted.
We eat the soba noodles for dinner the night before because the soba noodles are dark, to stand also for hard work but noodles are long to stand for long life. Sounds all good to me! I should eat a lot of it all, and so I will be rich, hard working, mother of many, insightful and have many opportunities! Also I recieved a lot of luck today, and we don't take baths today in fear of washing all that good luck away. Wouldn't want to do that!
This morning we woke up at 8 and arranged the food and then around 9, sat down to enjoy it. Everyone drank a little warm sake from the same cup before we ate all the yummy food. It was so yummy! I love it all! I especially enjoy kazunoko because I can hardly ever eat it but it is one of my favorites:) Crunchy and poppy and delicious in flavor. There was also ozoni, mochi soup with vegetables, grilled fish, ham, chicken, potatoes and more! At the end there was only a little bit of the sweet potatoes and kuromame left. Ema urged Ojichan to finish the sweet potatoes, "eat it all so you will get rich for me!"  And we gave Kazu the kuromame to finish since he starts work in the spring. After that we ate anko paste treats in different shapes. I ate a pink one in the shape of a plum blossom, the plum blossom is the first blossom of a tree in the spring to bloom. Obachan ate a golden one in the shape of turtle, for long life, 10,000 years! Ema ate a pine tree shaped one, the needles stay green all year so it is strong and long lasting. Kazu ate one that was black beans, again for hard work! And Ojichan ate one that looked like the barrel that people used to keep rice in, once again for wealth and he also ate one in the shape of a crane, for 1,000 years of life. It was fun, especially feeding Ojichan everything that had to do with becoming wealthy:) His insides are yellow by now!

After we ate we hung out and around 12:00 Obachan and Ema and I went to see the movie "New Year's Eve". It is an American movie packed with famous people. It was very cute, not the normal movie I watch, but I was glad that I did see it. My dose of America and definitely a full dose of cute, seemingly perfect happy endings. Just makes me wanna cry! haha
But the mall we went to was PACKED. Because all the stores were selling those bags of random stuff for cheap. The parking was crazy and there were cars sprawled everywhere. People too, it was awful to walk around because of how many people were there.  I thought about how soon I'm going to Osaka and it is crowded and filled with many fashionable people and everywhere I go will be similar to this mall. Luckily I will be in the care of Mom's good friends who I love, being along in a big city isn't my thing...though I think it will be fun for the couple days I will be in Hokkaido because there will be so much to see for the Snow Festival!

 2012! My 19th year on this earth!
Everyone, Happy New Year! I hope...everyone had a good last year and a better this year.
Take care!