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Published: November 28th 2007
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Celebrating Another Birthday!
It was our friend Nagisa's (the chick in the way back who's not courtney) birthday, so we went out to eat. Yowza! Three weeks gone by! That's unbelievable! It would appear that things are definitely winding down around here. I think everyone is exhausted from the program and the school term. We have been doing classes for a full three months now, which is a little longer than the typical quarter (10 weeks). I think that's why not a whole heck of a lot has been going on lately.
Let's see... Ah yes! Two weeks ago I was SUPPOSED to be playing my concert with the band from the music circle, but on Friday they decided to cancel the concert because they couldn't get a permit from the school to sell food and drinks. That was EXTREMELY disappointing. There will be another one on December 12th, though, and so hopefully that will go as planned.
Since I (was supposed to have) had the concert though, Courtney and Mami came out to Tsuru to sing my praises, scream my name, and make sure everyone knew who the real rock star was. Unfortunately, it was only after they arrived that they found out about the concert - so they just screamed in my room, which made me slightly uncomfortable (joking..... I wasn't
Nagisa's Birthday
We continue to be silly. uncomfortable at all!). So we scrapped the weekend and made the best of it by spending saturday running around playing frisbee and soccer, and cooking up a whole mess of curry in the evening. I, for the first time since I entered college/started at catering, did not cook for people in my kitchen that saturday evening. I'm not sure if I'm okay with that.
I really really think that I would have preferred Courtney and Mami screaming like drunken fans to the experience of other people cooking in my kitchen without me.
Anyway, Sunday we went out to Kawaguchiko, which is where the first matsuri we went to was (ed. note: See issue 3: "Final-freaking-ly Pt .3"). I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a gorgeous day, and we got to see Mt. Fuji, which is always extremely exciting for everyone involved. I normally roll my eyes whenever anyone mentions changing seasons as a valid reason for living in someplace cold, but I must admit that being able to see all the colors change here is quite remarkable* . We are in a small valley and surrounded by nearby hills that are covered
So Silly we are!
Being Silly. Very out of character for all of us. in trees, and are all manners of reds and yellows. I haven't had a chance yet, but I'll post a picture soon of the view from my classroom - it'd definitely have you staring out the window during class!
*(counterpoint: in San Diego you can go to the beach in January and be comfortable. STILL DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN THE SNOW)
The next weekend, which was last weekend, Shani and I went to my homestay family's place to celebrate their daughter's birthday; She turned 4 years old (the daughter. Not Shani). Now, my homestay mom had told me that there was going to be a party for Mirei, their daughter - so we imagined a usual birthday party with a myriad of tiny people running around and screaming. Instead it turned out to be a couple other small families who were friends of my homestay family's and their kids. It was a great time! We played Bingo (also unexpected)! We drank (also also unexpected!) I made blue-cheese mashed potatoes, which were a hit (much to my relief).
The next day (saturday) the ryugakusei went and did zazen, which is zen meditation. It was pretty interesting,
This kind of stuff kills me
I really really really hope this is a joke. and a very pleasant experience. Thinking of nothing wasn't quite so easy, but I did stare off into space quite aptly, as my stepfather will attest to. The one thing that was very strange was, in order to keep you from falling asleep, at a certain point a monk may sit behind you and gives you a solid whack on the shoulder with his special paddle of nothingness. Now he doesn't smack you hard enough to hurt, but just hard enough to definitely make you know you've been smacked. I guess that's to keep you in line? Don't want the meditation to get TOO out of hand...
This week I learned how to make steam cakes, which are little cupcakes with miso in them that are steamed instead of baked. They have a funky fluffy texture because of it, and they are my favorite sweet in all of this fair land they call Japan. Believe me, if the wonders of the orient ever ceased, this would be the first thing to go.. they are pretty wonderful. This and maybe Asimo. And those cell phone dangly dealies. Maybe.
In other culinary news, I had sukiyaki for the first time.
Tsurubunka-GORGEOUS-gaku!
The colors at Tsurubunka daigaku Those of you who are more wizened than others may remember the popular song of note from the prime years in our nation's history (wink, wink mom). It is just as good, if not better than the song! In a tug-of-war between the dish and the song, it would be a hard fought battle. If it were rock-paper-scissors, I think the dish would win, because it is more tactically-minded. The song is just a heavy-hitter, good for feats of strength, but overwhelmed in a thinking-man's arena.
To the best of my knowledge, that is both the latest and the greatest. With my time in Japan dwindling, I have become quite preoccupied with my return home. It's the silly idle musings like "deciding what day I'm actually leaving on so someone can pick me up from the airport" and "where I'm going to live when the school-year begins" and "do I have to pay rent for the last month I'm staying here" that tend to fill up one's head in times like these.
In all seriousness, I must admit that in a strange twist, I have never been so homesick as I am now! Before it was a little
Beer!!!
After running around for a good two or three hours, this beer could not have looked more appetizing. rough, but with the end in sight it's pretty tough to focus on the last few weeks here, though I am trying to make the most of it. This weekend is another rest in Tsuru, but next weekend we are all going over to Internat'l Christian University in Tokyo to have a Thanksgiving dinner. I pray pray pray that this will somehow be ACTUAL thanksgiving dinner, and not the usual Japanese-version-of-American food.
If I haven't told you about the aforementioned cuisine, let's do a little point, counterpoint
American pizza: cheese, some form of pig (bacon, sausage, pork in the meatballs), usually a veggie or two (onions, peppers, mushrooms are pretty standard)
Japanese pizza: normally has mayo and/or corn on it.
FAIL: Japanese Pizza
American bread: comes in slices of probably 20 or 24 (i've never counted), and a wide variety, wheat, white, rye, etc.
Japanese bread: pretty much white bread, six slices per package, each about an inch and a half thick (NOT EXAGGERATING)
FAIL: Japanese bread
Italian food in america: does NOT ever have a poached egg on top of spaghetti!
Italian food in Japan: DOES OFTEN have a poached egg on top of spaghetti!!!!
Eatin Lunch!
We did a lot of eating this weekend... Instead of playing bass!!!!! FAIL: Italian food in Japan
So you can see why I would be so so concerned. Fer Chrissake people, the Japanese don't know to put peanut-butter and jelly on the same durn sandwich! What is that!?! However, everything could be horrible so long as they have some of that sweet sweet nectar known as pumpkin pie. That's all I'm asking for... just a slice of (or a whole) pun'kin pie.
So there you have it. As we speak I am contemplating finals (though I only have a couple), and reflecting on my experiences in Japan. I have been looking over my old travelblogs, and I wrote some things that make me laugh now - meaning I said things that were either erroneous, uninformed, or very understated. In my next blog I think I'll do a special "oops! our bad!" feature, as this one is getting on in words.
So until next time, stay classy everyone, and have a good respective time of day (afternoon, evening, weekend, whatever the heck time it is where you are).
By the way! Malie! I JUST got your package! COMPLETELY unexpected! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Especially for the chocolate covered macadamia
nuts and the... erm... tasteful, exotic calendar! 😉.
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Emily
non-member comment
You didn't cook? Were your limbs broken?