Yesterday we were invited to attend a kite preparation ceremony with one of Zac's coworkers. Shinya and Kaori Amano were very nice hosts and even fitted us with traditional hapi jackets! It was really neat to see the GIGANTIC HANDMADE kites! Shinya told us they still use the same over 500 year old technique in making them. It was a rather serious matter, and Zac and I were merely bystanders. The symbol for their town area is the rose ( much prettier than our symbol: remember the "hanya" devil woman???). Hopefully we made new friends, and it was fun, but we were quite tired afterwards. Shinya is very friendly and his wife Kaori is very beautiful. They have a sweet little chihuahua named Bibi, who we enjoyed playing with ( we thought of you Sandy :( ). The actual kite fighting and festival occurs at the beach next weekend; you can bet I will post pictures of that later on! Stay tuned! OH- and we rode to the park that evening and saw TWO TANUKIS!!! They came out at dusk and walked around near us! I think they come around the pavilion to search for food-- but that was the icing on the cake of Golden Week: Day 2. English class. Yep, that's right. Last Saturday Zac and I agreed to teach English to a class after a friend and translator who asked us to. We will be teaching only once a month for several months, and we were generally excited... Then the day finally came. We we thinking the class would be just a few housewives and that the class would be mainly laid back conversation. Which it partly was...
We arrived that Saturday to a REAL classroom where we met a class of about 11 people of all ages and types. We were instructed to sit at the front of the class and use the white board- like REAL teachers. After going around the room with introductions, I became increasingly sweaty and nervous when I found out many of the students had come VERY far for this lesson. Zac and I had brought our photo album and intended on seeing how much English everyone knew and mainly having small talk this first day. We were painfully unprepared. One of the men said he had been to Georgia long ago on a business trip. "Oh! You've been to our neck of the woods!" Confused stares. In an attempt to teach them a truly Southern phrase, I wrote this phrase they probably will NEVER need to use on the whiteboard. "So, this means, well, this is sorta like, so, so if you have ever been where I am from...it is weird right? Neck ( grabs own sweaty neck), woods ( lifts arms to make a tree and exposes sweaty arm pits) you know, a forest, I don't know where the saying is from, it's weird but we say it, ok (smiles and sits down in horror)." So thank goodness Zac was there. Usually I make fun of Zac for his shyness and didn't expect him to do so well. But... He. Did. Great. While I was creating awkward silences and unraveling at our lack of planning, Zac stayed cool and kept the conversations flowing and on task. He kept asking them questions, and not once did he fumble or break a sweat. My hero. He does however constantly remind me how he "saved" me during class... Then... They asked how we met.... I leapt up and darted to the whiteboard, writing -Piggly Wiggly-. " SO ummm, this is a strange name right? Yeah it is so weird right? Piggly. Wiggly? Where did come from? ( awkward laugh, looks at waiting faces, heart beats 28644 times a minute)...I don't know. But, ummm, um, I was a cashier there, one day Zac came through my line and it was love at first sight ( extends arms to the heavens, again exposing sweaty pits and makes a strange AHHHHH sound)...so, ummm that's how we met." Fail. After an hour and a half, class was over. Long story short, Zac and I were happy for the opportunity and are PLANNING activities for the next class. If they'll have us back of course! It is finally here! GOLDEN WEEK. A glorious week of freedom from work for Zac! Although we plan on staying in Hamamatsu this week (which is wise due to the unlimited horror stories I've heard of the Golden Week traffic),we are OK with that. Zac and I are not really the type of wild and crazy, stay up past 9 o'clock typical 20 somethings you may know. tehe. We more likely resemble the anti-social, hermit types you find living on the fringe of society. We enjoy long bike rides to the park and planning our daily events around our next meal. We like feeding the crows at the lake and picking out 2 "speciality" donuts from Mister Donut. We as a rule, generally avoid bright lights and loud noises. And other people. It is not always easy living here in Japan, but one of the great parts about our time here is that almost every day is like a honeymoon. We are very much alone here, and we practically do whatever we want. Even if that IS staying home and watching 539854900 Parks and Recreation episodes on Netflix. We have time for US as a married couple. It's nice. Golden Week:Day 1~ complete. It seems like whenever I have something planned, my hormones decide to bless me with a migraine. After two and a half days of suffering through a thick migraine, and after swallowing enough Imitrex to surely melt a sizable hole in my stomach, the migraine was subdued. Sato-san had invited me to go on a "tofu lunch" with her over a month ago, and I have been anticipating it ever since. The day finally came, and with my headache miraculously subsiding, I was all clear to go. The morning started at 10:00, went we left Sato's house by car, and drove to a friend's house about 15 minutes away. They were really nice, and showed Sato and I around their large garden of ocha bushes, kumquats, broccoli, and lots of other things I can't quite remember. In the back of their property was a huge bamboo forest; they showed me the new bamboo shoots they sometimes harvest to eat. That was only the beginning, for next we got into the neighbor's car and had a long ride ahead of us.
Let me just say- if you know me, you know I get car sick easily. I'm actually quite a pansy, and can't handle just about any car ride for too long.--
That being said- the constant back and forth chatter in Japanese, the slam stop and go traffic, the curvy, twisted roads, and the warm, stagnant temperature of the car, all added to my "excitement." By the time we reached our destination--all the way across town-- I hopped out of the car, and really thought I would lose my breakfast. Everyone (4 Japanese friends) was very caring and worried about my "condition." Just when I was feeling better, it was time to eat lunch and fill my queasy stomach.
We had a great lunch at a tofu restaurant that specializes in locally made tofu. I love tofu. It pretty much absorbs whatever flavor or sauce you put on it, not to mention it is pretty healthy. What was not so healthy was the TOFU ICE CREAM! Yes... it DID taste like tofu, and it was actually pretty yummy! After lunch we went on another not-so-flat car ride directly UP a mountainside full of orange trees. One of the friends had a "mountain cottage" on the mountain, which was basically a well maintained, one room building. We stayed there for several hours, picking oranges and consuming more snacks. The view was pretty amazing; we could see all of Hamamatsu.
After an eventful day, or at least more eventful than I'm used to these days, I am finally home. I feel so thankful to have Sato-san taking me places. I pretty much follow her around like a giant puppy, and she doesn't seem to mind. It was no coincidence that Zac and I were put here in Japan right down the street from her, or that her son is Zac's boss. Although I'm super tired and really just want a nap, it is getting about time to start dinner. Until next time... After biking about ten miles and hiking who knows, we are exhausted. Luckily we have Mister Donut's delicious creations to soothe our pain. Being in Japan, sometimes it can be a challenge to find a change in scenery that does not involve packed houses and rooftops for miles and miles. Thankfully, the trails around Lake Sanaru offer a much needed escape from the sensory overload. I love being in the woods, and if I leave early enough, I can find myself mostly alone on the trails. The trails vary from lakeside and paved, to twisty dirt paths up jungle-like hills. I like to take my time on these walks,and if I am still long enough, I usually find something new and interesting. I wish Zac had been with me, but I'm thankful for the nearby place I can "hide" when Japan gets to be too much. It's enjoyable now, at least until the summer sets in! 🌞 |