A morsel of fluff

Long jump since my last post again, but who cares! There are hardly any people who read this crap anyway! :D So I'm just writing it for myself so that I wouldn't forget the details of my PERFECT year in Japan (you just wait... I'LL BI BAK TU SKUUL).

So it's been almost a month. I've done a lot. Most of the 'a lot' will be put up as photos in the Book of Face. But to say it short in words, I've had a weird long running struck of luck.

First, I got to see kyogen (an interval play between Noh performances = the oldest Japanese stage comedy) FOR FREE, which is unbelievable considering and also it was through my own school. They organised a culture lesson of sorts - we all went to the city hall where the kyogen/Noh introductory session took place. We got to see 2 performances and learn about many rules and mannerisms of the art. It really 'brightened' my day. After leaving the hall I also saw a double rainbow perhaps for the first time ever and ever so clearly.

Also school life is going smoothly like creamed.

In other words - dreamy.

That was quite some time ago.

As for recent events, I got to go for a short family trip to Iwate and Miyagi pref due to my host dad's friend meeting. Hail all you coppers! I got to enjoy such a feast because of you! By feast I mean table full of delicacies all for myself in a traditional ryokan. (Refer to the Book of Face for pictures.) And afterwards all hour onsen hot water baths. It was heaven to say the least. We stayed there for a night and in the morning we had yet another delight for our tummies, but fortunately not as big as the night before.

The meal finished we head to Miyagi's and also Tohoku district's capital - Sendai. My mum and sister had some businesses to attend to so me and dad had quite some spare time in our hands. So we wandered around the city. Because my dad is a policeman he has had to travel around Tohoku quite a lot so he has lived here and there separate from his family. And of course he had stayed in Sendai too, quite near the city centre. He also took me there and we talked about some nostalgic stuff and wandered back to the station area. And wandered. And wandered. Wandered for about 4 hours (it was anything but boring) until the female part of the family finished their doings. We were quite starving by then so we all went to eat some famous dishes of Sendai. Which meant beef tongue and cream custard in roll cake pasty. Separate of course. It was all (unbelievingly) delicious! Says a person who dislikes eating something that has been in the mouths of others. Maybe I just didn't think about that at the time. Heh.

Then we drove home for another 4 hours. In other words I went on a tour as big as my home country in 2 days. Lilliputians we are, yes.

And this will sadly be my last entry as a child, because tomorrow I'll turn 18 and fly out of my nest. In a way. And also go to a concert of a band I recently found. They're uber awesome so I'm quite giddy right now. It might also be because I'll be having my Japanese exam on Sunday, for which I'll be going to Iwate again. This time to its capital Morioka.

Stating these things really makes me feel the END of things. Sighing ensues.

But that doesn't mean I'm sad. Just (overly) thoughtful maybe.

Anyway, merry tidings to you who have accidentally find your way here and may the coming holidays be white and fluffy!

Mine will be vivid. For years to come. :)

Soon I'll be making New Year postcard's for all my friends here and there (nengasho in Japanese, a traditional thing) so look forward to it, if you care.

Sails hoy! Kachin!

Yamagata Banzai Dango *update

GOLDEN WEEK (so far) HAS BEEN AWESOMELY MAGNIFICENT!

I'm back from Yamagata and feeling absolutely tired. But it was so great! I have so much great memories that I think I'll forget to tell all of them. Do I make sense?

(Looking at the photos will give you a better picture (literally) about my trip. This will be a short summary about my feelings and thoughts.)

Overall, the ride from Akita city to Yamagata city, where my (host) aunt lives, is about 4 hours, but we made many pit stops along the way. Firstly, we went to visit otoosan's mum in Akita's southern part. Really an epic grandma I must say. She served us really great sweets and gave us an awesome bentou for the ride. She makes the best imoten in the world! (Sweet potato bread-fry)

Afterwards we visited a sakura park and many road stations (sort of souvenir shopping malls along main highway's) and went to an amusement park of pet animals. It was sort of a children's zoo with a lot of cute little animals. We also went to see a river nearby and ate lunch there.

(now my mind is blank)

And so we went to the aunt's place where we had a huge and delicious dinner. It's just unbelievable how much effort they (the Japanese) put to everything! It really is a huge cultural leap for me. WHO~~OU!

Later that evening we went to see the cherries at night. It was really magical - there was a bit of lighting around the trees and little sparkly bugs were hovering between the branches making it all look like fairy dust. After that - sleep.

The next day we went to a lot of places, but the main two were a central hill in Yamagata city with a lot of magnificent cherry trees and later Yamadera mountain temple. Both were breathtakingly beautiful with cherry blossom rain. Yup, it's that time of the year in the far north Honshuu. We spent the later afternoon completely in Yamadera, climbing the hills, seeing the temples and shrines and later we ate kakikoori (shaved ice with syrup) and rested a bit. That evening's dinner wa syet again (go figure) HUGE.

The final day was sakura day. We went to see the 1,200-year-old cherry tree in Kubo-cho and the surroundings. The tree was just gigantic! It was supported by numerous pillars and looked like a well cared for senior grandma/pa.

Later on, it was goodbye to the aunts, uncles, nieces and grandparents and off we went to finally get our hanami dango. It is a small but famous shop in Ooishida city, where average waiting time is a little under an hour (if you're lucky to arrive there before it's all sold out). Because of that we thought to go to eat something because it had been a while. During the ride, I noticed a great spot under the cherry trees by a riverside and at that moment we all decided that this will be the spot for our hanami.

And that's that.

*5th May, Kodomo no hi (Children's Day), I went to a local freemarket about 30 minutes ride away from home. It was in a dahlia park in which were a lot of cherry trees too and that was the place where we ate yet again a hanami lunch. The air was unbelievably thick with the smell of blossoms which were hanging from the branches over our heads. The petals were dancing in the wind and occasionally dropped on our onigiri (riceballs), which was just like in the movies I've seen too much before coming to Japan. Haaa~~~ah!

Later, we went to Akita Central PArk, which is a huge place with thick forests covering many mountains and also your usual park that runs through a university campus. That place was filled to the brim with sakura trees and there we rent bikes for a ride in the surroundings. Fubuki (petal rain) was really magical and the forests looked a lot like my homeland's. It felt really heartwarming and soul freeing. The ride lasted for an hour, but it felt like ages. A trip of a lifetime.

The whole day, I felt really moved by the views of Akita. I'm just unbelievably glad that I happened to be sent here into the countryside of Japan, because that's where I think you can really feel the heart of a nation. The root of it, stripped from bureaucracy etc. NATURE.

And that's that.

Now I'm home, have finished half of my F level Kumon and really put a lot of effort in creating this entry and putting up all those photos on FB. I hope it gives you a bit of joy to see some pink in your everyday computer surfing.

Nice of you to have dropped by!

BB and good night!

And off we go!

Hey boys and girls! (and family :))

My last post was a tad short, so I'll post another short one! Gag.

Anyway, I've gone to see cherry blossoms twice already, but just passing through kind of way. In Senshuu Park and in Kakunodate samurai village to be specific. The latter was today. Why did I go there twice? Well, I wanted to draw a picture, that's why. And I did it. But the thing isn't quite finished so you all need to wait a bit until I polish it and load it up. :)

Also, my real hanami (with picnic) will be in Yamagata, the neighbouring prefecture to Akita. I'm going to visit okaasan's parents there. I hope I understand the local dialect because my family assured me that they will definitely be speaking it. I'll be staying there for 3 days, so for the most part of the Golden Week. Yes, it's already started! There's no school either! BREAKTIEM! The grandparents house will be about a 4-hour ride from where I'm currently located. But we have a really long and interesting schedule made, e.g. we'll go to a Japanese sweets shop that otoosan thinks is the best, afterwards onsen, then an amusement park etc etc.

So for that time I won't be updating around here.

Everybody enjoy yourselves and thanks for dropping by!

BB

Summary summery

Phew!

My first school week is now behind me and I'm waiting for the next one!

Throughout the first half of the week, I only had self introductions in front of students and teachers and so on, BUT...

the climax was on Wednesday... in front of the whole school body! I did rather well considering my nervous circumstances. :D YAY! I think my 'love of chasing cats' went into many people's hearts.

I have received a wery wery warm welcome from everybody and that makes me really happy. It's so amazing of a feeling to meet so many new people and be able to talk to them and that they understand what you're saying. That gives me the greatest rush currently. It might be so for a long time.

Also I have went to many activity clubs in my school for a 'seeing tour'. Up till now, I have went to arts' club, go, calligraphy and school band's club. This system is really awesome I think. This should be executed everywhere around the world!! Hear me, hear me!

Next, my weekend. Saturday was a bit of a family excursion sort of day. We went to the zoo once more and the giraffes were out that day! I think they actually remembered me because when I went closer they turned their heads towards me, lowered them slightly and came really close! I really think we had some sort of connection... yeah, nice!

Afterwards we visited one of the biggest shrines in the district and I took some photos there so check them out!

And last but not least - onsen. Ahhh, it's so good. The place we went to is popular for it's great smell of wood. And it really is great. There was a bit of a kink there. it seems that it's a must to drink some milk after the bathing. There's a huge milk machine with your everyday milk, fruit milk and milk coffee. Weird, but really enjoyable.

The last day of the week is a time for total relaxation or so it seems. Might go for a walk later.

Currently it's noon and it's sunny so everything is possible.

Until next time amigos and amigas!

Lots of love!