Some culture, Some musings.

So many things to write about!  This will be very disorganized, and I'll probably forget half of the things I had in mind.

Rhubarb yogurt.  They have it here, but I had to explain what rhubarb is.  All I could come up with was "big red celery."  It's yummy.

Yasutaka has gone to the USA.  While my family was in Tokyo for 2 nights doing airport things, I stayed with Masaki Ito and his wife Mercedes.  The first afternoon I was there, one of Mercedes' spanish students was over. He just got back from 2 years in Chile. [Background info:  Mercedes is from Spain.  She speaks Spanish, English, and Japanese.  She teaches Spanish at a training place here for people who go and volunteer around the world.]  My brain was SO utterly twisted around itself.  Mixing Spanish, English, and Japanese was a workout.  It was fun, and I was able to communicate much more than usual, but it was definitely mind-boggling.  Anyway, staying at the Ito house was very nice.  They are both very kind.

Yesterday my oldest sister's friend Maiko took me around Komagane.  Went to Kozenji -- a 1,150 year old temple.  Gosh I don't even now how to begin.  I think I can't.  General reaction:  wanted to become Buddhist immediately.  Incense was blowing through the trees, stone statues were hidden throughout the forest.  The moss between the rocks glows [literally].  Moss is everywhere.  Everywhere.  The stone fences have kanji etched into them.  I bought a pack of incense and threw it into the massive urn in front of the temple.

Then she took me to see the river.  From a little bridge, we could see the mountains and the town below.  The water is perfectly clear.

Had cabbage/sticky potato/octopus fried pancake type things for dinner.

This evening, I discovered that the temple I live in is much much much bigger than I realized!  After tea, my host-parents showed me around more.  My host-dad showed me all of the bells and wooden fish drums and instruments.  Very old, very Buddhist.  [instruments and ceremony things, not otousan! although he is very Buddhist.]  I guess this is another time when I'll just need to take pictures.  There are endless hallways with big windows and sliding doors opening into tatami-mat floored rooms, with statues and shodou on the walls and incense in the air.  [it's a good thing i like the smell of incense!]  Outside, there is a little stream and rocks and Japanese small trees and a 13 year old yellow lab, Momo.

Reading The Wild Sheep Chase.


I am not homesick, and I am not having intense culture shock.  This is just where I live now.  There are things I need to figure out, like how to speak Japanese etc, but that will all come.  It is very simple...  this is my home for this year.  So I feel at home and I am happy and comfortable.

Proud Bragging Moment:
It was dark.  I had to brush my teeth.  There were 2 buttons on the mirror.  I saw that one of them had the kanji for "moon" and "sun."  I pushed that button.  The light turned on.
Moral of the Story:  I can figure this stuff out!  [and I know some already:) and can use it to learn more.]  [it's a chain reaction, man.]