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.