And three months just ripped by without warning... Though I'd like to say it's because the spring weather has been stunning, that would be a lie. According to many locals, it's the coldest spring in the last five years! Ugh. Time has flown, however, because I've had such fun "landmarks" to look forward to. (for which to look forward? I have become a bit of a grammar machine...)
Not a week had passed after Jill left when my mother informed me that she bought the tickets for herself, Dad, and Robby to come visit in March! I have to admit, even after they have come and gone, I am still surprised they bought their tickets. With how busy they all are, it's amazing that they took a TWO-WEEK chunk out of their time. Nothing like a rave review of Japan coming from Jill to put the pressure on to see their only (other) daughter...
January and February were pretty dismal months in regard to the weather. Japanese winters really wouldn't be that bad if there was central heating. Space heaters are the norm, though I imagine some newer houses are changing to become more "western." I have kerosene heaters that I could have used, but I was afraid after having just read a story about a little girl whose bed caught on fire from a kerosene heater. That was enough for me to not use them in my apartment! My lovely kotatsu--heated coffee table--was my saving grace, though it didn't encourage me to leave my position sitting on the floor, under blankets (and still bundled up with many layers, one of which was a pink and white polka-dot "house coat" that my boss's wife gave me for my birthday), in front of the computer. Katrina told me about the way one of her coworkers/friends viewed the lack of central heating: "Why would you heat the entire room when you just need the space around you to be warm?" Thus, you only "need" the kotatsu... hmmm, Katrina and I respectfully disagree!
Anyways. January and February were cold. And I rarely left my one spot unless I had to wash the pile of dishes in the sink or dash to the shower. But. I made a lot of money because we were teaching quite a bit of overtime for students who work at the factory and were going to be moving abroad. The fat(ter) paycheck made up for waking up on those cold mornings and miserably riding my bicycle to school to teach extra hours...
March was all about finishing up those overtime students, being deceived by glimpses of springtime weather, and looking forward to a reunion with Whitties, as well as a visit from my family.
Met up with Chad Frisk and Katrina Barlow (both of whom teach English in Japan) and Mike Rathwell (who was visiting) for a fun, mellow few days in the less-touristy Nara area. We went for a funny hike that ultimately didn't take us anywhere, but I don't think that was the point. (LOST IN THE WOODS? Sasha? Chase? Craiger too if you ever read this. haha!) As we walked up a dead-end trail into what is the most forested part of Japan I have actually been to thus far, we reminisced and gossiped and generally had a jolly good time. Sitting on a rock wall in the middle of nowhere at sunset, drinking alcohol that tastes-so-good-you-think-it's-juice, and eating pumpkin bread among friends just can't be beat.
Just a few days after the Whittie reunion, my parents and brother arrived. From the moment they arrived to the moment they left, we were on the go, whether that was eating new kinds of Japanese food, visiting temples and shrines, walking through crazy electronic districts, eating, walking through open-air markets, eating, taking a cooking lesson, taking a shuji lesson, eating, or just meeting some wonderful, wonderful friends of mine. Did I mention that we ate an enormous amount of food? Several reasons for that: 1. My brother came to Japan. He is 15. He is a boy. He CAN EAT. :) 2. You cannot come to Japan and NOT try everything new that you see. I have been here for seven months now, and while I don't necessarily eat "Japanese" food everyday, I have had more than a few gastronomic, flavor-explosion-in-your-mouth (not always good) dining experiences. Yet, despite all the eating I've done, I am continually surprised by the exquisite flavors of a new dish. Simply said: the food here is amazing. You can almost always expect quality from any restaurant you choose. We enjoyed all different kinds of food: okonomiyaki, taikaki, takoyaki, sukiyaki, yakiniku, shabu shabu, sashimi, onigiri, mochi, tempura...and the list just goes on and on.
As for the activities that didn't directly involve eating: We spent a few days being visually overloaded in Tokyo, attended the last day of a sumo tournament in Osaka, visited Nijo-jo castle and Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto, saw the big Buddha--Daibutsu-en--in Nara, came to Kanonji, had a cooking lesson, had a shuji calligraphy lesson, climbed up the 1300 steps to Konpira Shrine, walked through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum...
In addition to all this, my parents and brother took a day trip by themselves to the gorgeous White Heron Castle--Himeji Castle. They made it there and back on the trains without any issues! Hurrah! I was worried when, shortly after dropping them off at the station with a detailed list of instructions about transferring and platforms, they called me, giggling and talking over each other before hanging up abruptly. Luckily, they called back and spewed out a few more incoherent sentences before hanging up and getting on the train. I didn't figure out why exactly they had called me--they just wanted to check to see if my dad's iPhone worked internationally--until late that night when I was anxiously waiting their return. :)
It was truly special to have the opportunity to spend two full weeks with my family, without too many other distractions. No work (for them), no school, no friends....just EACH OTHER. And I have to say, we got on splendidly. Don't tell my parents this, but sometimes it actually seemed as though they were college friends of mine--what?? Walking and chatting for twenty minutes to a bar along quiet roads was only too reminiscent of a certain bar in Walla Walla. And then, having the waitress ask if we needed a taxi called (hint hint) and my mother walk straight forward toward the front door, only to turn suddenly at the last minute and open a utility closet instead, was almost too much for me to handle. I was laughing hysterically in the restaurant (which only probably drew even more attention to us by that point in time), in the taxi on the way home, and even now, I still giggle about that night. And somehow, I wasn't able to accurately explain the situation in all its hilarity through broken Japanese to the taxi driver. He wasn't as amused as I'd hoped he would be. In retrospect, I suppose "Mother opened wrong door" wouldn't seem very funny to a taxi driver.
I could go on and on about all the funny moment we shared (like when Robby thought Shinto was a kind of bean--"No, that's Pinto," my mother informed him), but I'll try and wrap up here. Like I said, it was wonderful having my family here. Though I was sad to see them go at the end of our two weeks, I felt recharged, renewed, revitalized, re-everything-good.
Since they left in early April, it's been a flurry of activity still: thinking about the future, catching up with friends from home, going on an excellent day trip to a Sunday market and an animation museum, in addition to eating 100 strawberries (I kid you not), having a very internationally-represented (people from Sri Lanka, Vietnam, India, Japan, US) goodbye party last night for another overtime student who is moving to Australia....and next week, I am going to South Korea with Katrina! I have truly lucked out in terms of some fantastic opportunities and experiences while in Japan.
On a final (and very idealistic) note, the Indian man who I met last night shared his personal philosophy about humans and this is what I took from it: that countries and borders and nationalities and religions don't matter (or shouldn't matter), that we all have a common beating heart, replete with emotions and dreams that we all share on some fundamental level, that there is just one "human race" here on earth, and that is simply "human."
On a final-final and somehow related note, though I can't draw the perfect line between it: one of the things that has affected me most on all my travels is the enormous amount of generosity and hospitality that I have been so lucky to be on the receiving side of. Whether that was distant connections in Greece, random Americans in the Czech Republic, or new Japanese friends, people have been so, so kind to me. Dinners, drinks, drives, places to stay, making telephone calls for me, inviting me places...the list could go on forever. One such person in Greece said, "hospitality is our culture." I know Japanese people feel the same. And I hope that Americans treat international visitors in this way. The Americans who treated Jill and I to dinner or drinks said in response to our protests about paying, "We remember being young and traveling. Just pay it forward."
In the end, it all seems to balance out: what you give and what you receive. I always try to remind myself of that, especially in those moments when I am feeling stingy with money or time or whatever it is that I want to be selfish with.
And in light of the Indian man's wisdom and the kind actions of so many people both at home and abroad, that will be a life-long goal for me--TO PAY IT FORWARD.
I hope everyone is doing so, so well. I miss you all dearly.
