5.12.2012

It's Saturday, I'm going home in ten days.

Last night Ojichan had jyuku while Obachan and Ema had a meeting/get together at the high school so I got to ride in Kazu's cool car and we went out to eat Hiroshima style Okinomiyaki. I told him I'd just have the normal one, but he ordered us the "special". Which was amazing! Normal okinomiyaki is basically cabbage, meat, flour and water and maybe eggs mixed together into a batter then cooked. But the Hiroshima style is a whole different thing. First they brought out soba noodles and started cooking that before pouring a little bit of plain batter on the grill, the woman used the laddle to smooth the batter out into a thin sheet. Then there was a lot of sliced cabbage, like 3 inches piled on top. She started cooking mochi seperately at that point. Then on top of the cabbage was set shrimp, squid and pork. Next was the egg, she cracked it on to the grill and same as the batter, smoothed it out into a thin sheet. The noodles went on top of the egg, mochi went on top of the noodles, then the cabbage and meat and pancake portion was flipped ontop of the mochi. It was absolutely massive. Spices, sauce, and mayo decorated the top and it was moved to the part of the  skillet close to us. It was really good:)

Today I went to Hashirigata for the morning, but decided I'd try to spend some time with the family during the afternoon. Since yesterday was harvesting day (since today was the morning auction at the market) I hadn't really spent any time in the green house. But the market is not open on Sundays so Satuday is always a green house day. I finished picking the new sprouts and adjusting the support strings on the tomato plants so today I got do something new. I sat on a little cart that could roll, and clipped off the bottom three "branches" of each tomato plant stalk. I know it doesn't sound that hard, but the tomato plant vines are kind of woven into eachother. The green house is 50 meters long, so I went up and down the row in 2 hours. I couldn't believe it took me so long but I listen to the RKK radio station while in the green houses...so first it was "mamonaku, kuji ni narimasu- ba ba baaaaaaan" then the next thing I knew "Mamonaku, juuji ni narimasu - ba ba baaaaaaan". Today the radio show wasn't very interesting. I guess they don't do the 8:50 AM horoscope reading on Saturdays...and luckily the "bag" talk is over. For about two days straight there were all kinds of discussions and stories about people and their bags...which was interesting at first but got kind of dull after a little while. I also think that about 5% of everydays radio talk time is made up of "sou desu ne~" or basically just "ne" in general. It makes me think of when Dad "speaks Japanese" which basically his a very exagerated " desu NE~~~"  and I end up laughing because all of Dads Japanese imitations are actually really on the spot:)

I left at 11:30 and got back to Uto around 12. Kazu and Ojichan had already eaten lunch and were doing their own things so I ate ramen, apple and mini cucumbers while watching some TV before working on packing. I think it will all fit... then I showered and decided to go on a bike ride.

I first visited Obaachan and Ojiichan's grave because I haven't this time. The day was beautiful and the view of the mountains from the cemetary was really beautiful.

Next I went to the Todoroki Spring, where I always go. Last time I went though it was winter time and I had been the only one there. Today was warm (I decided to be a proud foreigner and biked around in a tank top today, proper Japanese girls don't do that sort of thing, you'll turn brown if you do!) and because it was warm there were all kinds of people at the spring. A group of about six little kids were playing in the pool of water while other people were collecting water from the top of the spring. It was a gorgeous day, the sun was golden and everything seemed to glitter with beauty and joy. Listening to the children's voices and the birds and the water trickling - I was in a very happy place. I remember playing there too, with mom and Elijah and Ema and Kazu. I don't know when that was...I think it was when I was in 5th grade.

Then I walked a little down the road to where there are ruins and mossy steps, bamboo and giant trees. I'd gone there too in December, but it had a completely different feel now that it was warm and green. There was a pool of water and a little stone bridge before the steps and in the pool a turtle had its legs stretched out as it sun bathed on a rock. The turtle and I enjoyed the forest together for a little while...it was really beautiful.

Just in the past week I can see how much the tabacco plants have grown, some have the flower already. I think that perhaps after the tabacoo comes rice. Around the end of this month they at least harvest the wheat and start to prepare the fields for rice. Apparently the wheat harvest is really finicky and if the weather doesn't hold up, you can lose the whole crop. Apparently Chizuko-san's cousin lost all ten fields because there was took much rain and warmth and so the grains started sprouting...they then use a tractor to just mixed it all into the earth...natural fertilizer. I also learned that after harvest there is certain plant that is scattered over the fields that aren't going to be used in the spring so that when it gets time for planting rice, they can mixed that flower into the earth and it is an especially good fertilizer for rice. Pretty cool.

I came back from my bike ride and had a nice talk with Ojichan before he had to get ready for his 5:00PM class.
Tomorrow is the MTB race, two hour enduro followed by onsen and buffet lunch at the hotel that's hosting the event. Ojichan organized it so he isn't participating, but Ema and her high school team are. We are leaving at 5:00AM since it is about an hour and a half away in the northern part of Kumamoto. Kazu has to work tomorrow so he wont come. He's been outside washing and working on his car for about two hours now...he really, really loves cars.

I have a lot of time to think...so I've been thinking a lot about home...as well as my experience in Japan. It really does feel like it has been the fastest eight months of my life. I don't really know what to expect when I get back to Oberlin... if it will feel different...if I will be different. It seems so surreal that I'll be sleeping in my own bed soon, that I'll be fighting Elijah for the good side of the couch at Dad's house, that I'll be able to pet my cats and cuddle with them, that I'll see my family and friends, that I'll be speaking English, that I'll ride my own bike across town and see all the familiar sights that are Oberlin. What's it going to feel like to take off from Osaka? To land in Cleveland?

I like running through all my favorites memories from Japan, like flipping through a photo album - just snap shots here and there that I hope to never forget. A facial expression, a wave, kind words, gesture - like Hana-chan's joyful face while harvesting shiitake mushrooms together...just a moment...but all that good feeling from that moment is still here and that's what makes it so special to me. For some reason I can recall everyone's laughing face pretty well - maybe because everyone laughed often enough it is now printed onto my brain...whatever it is, I'm very happy that is something I will take home with me.

It's still not the end, but from her it is a lot of good byes... not until I land in Cleveland will I get to say "hi!" or "it's been a while" again:) But that will feel really, really nice.