So how have you been? I've been
Japan is a place that everybody should experience, based on what I have seen so far. I chose this place for food, language, & culture. I also wanted to be ''minority.''
I have not been disappointed with regards to this last reason. Tall. Walking through Hiroshima's huge shopping complex I could see a sea of the tops of peoples heads. In the grocery store the shelves don't obstruct my view at all. This has it's advantages: my host mom can't lose me unless she wants to, and I can be found easily. The disadvantages are quite evident whenever I forget to duck enough for the eye-level doorways. Luckily they are eye-level instead of, say, forehead-level--I don't forget too often. I felt like a tall freak when I got fitted for my school uniform yesterday, and the tailors had a grand old time calling out my measurements to each other. Hyaku-ku-juu shini! If you were wondering, I wear size 78 pants.
Instead of sending letters home I should just write down everything that I eat... Sushi - Sashimi - Tako Maki (fried octopus balls) - Mr. Donut - ''Jelly'' (see food warning in the PS) - Spaghetti - Salad (everyday with breakfast)... One night I put Nori (seaweed) on the American macaroni and cheese; later I put maple syrup on the steamed rice. Both ''incidents'' sparked a condescending glance from my host father. Then my host mom, grandmother, and grandfather would try the crazy combination. Next time you have macaroni and cheese I highly recommend slapping some ''Hello Kitty'' brand Nori on it. Good stuff. My host family was impressed at how well I can use chop sticks. I knew working at Yoshida was good for something.
It seems that every day my host mom says ''let's going!'' I then roll out of bed, grab my pouch, and wonder where exactly it is that let's going and what I will find there...
Saturday we went to the marina, and got on a boat. After a few minutes I figured out that it was a Rotary function, the club that sponsors the scholarship that I am under. We cruised away from Hiroshima for awhile, then pulled up next to a fishing boat. The boat let down it's nets, tooled around for a bit, then pulled them back up, full of shrimp, octopi, crab, and some type of silver metallic fish. I thought to myself: ''Please let there be cooking involved sometime soon.'' Soon after this thought my host father decided to show off his Japaneseness to me by eating a raw ebi (shrimp). Then he gave me a big toothy smile and a wonderful Japanese laugh.
''Dame? (You wanna try it?)''[sic]
''Iie, arigato. (No, thank you.)''[sic]
Luckily, this was not to be a sashimi feast. Our boat pulled up to the private island (owned by one of the rotarian's company) where several grills were set up for us. I tried most of the gifts from the sea. Pumpkin, corn, and bell peppers were also grilled, so my vegetarian belly was quite satisfied by the end of the meal. I was amused by the little photo shoot going on next to the three hanging octopi.
I was then invited to go up the hill to the bath house. I have affectionatly dubbed these places ''old naked men stew.'' I sat there, looking out over the inland sea, contimplating the meaning of life, (etc. etc.)
Sunday when I woke and got into the car for the day's let's going I did not bring a tooth brush. I did not know it would be an over nighter... We drove north and north and north... hours on hours, until...
Finnaly we got to our first destination, a secluded grave site. A dictionary converstion (the conversations with the family so far have consisted of one or two words, pointed at in the dictionary) gave me the scoop: ''friend, dead.'' The grave visitation was not as grave as it would be here. The flowers were changed, the stone washed, and and open ''Asahi'' beer and a lit cigarette placed on the marble monument for the deceased. We knelt down, hands clasped together, prayed for a moment, took a picture, and left.
We then found our way to MOBA, the Museum Of Bohemian Art. The theme was hour glasses, the center peice a gargantuan one year peice, suspended above our heads. A video moniter assured us that the sand of time were, yes, falling. (Ceacelessly.)
Next stop, a 100 year old restaurant. Don't forget to trade your shoes at the door for the slippers that only go to your heels... we sat on the floor here. I later figured out that we would also be spending the night here. Supper converstions shifted from my name (my host family calls me ''Forresto,'' one of thier friends could only get ''Horrish'' to come from his mouth) to a dictionary converstion (snore). A natural salt water ''stew'' (that is, hot bath), and bed time. Men and women sleep in separate rooms. Before I went to sleep, one of my host father's friends was nice enough to give me some ear plugs. I think that is a custom in Japan that when men sleep in the same room to have a contest. Whoever can snore the loudest is the stongest, best, most virile of the bunch. I lost. The earplugs did help, and, as the packaging pointed out, NASA uses the same brand.
I want to send this now, so th tha that's all folkies...
Forrest
Fooresu
Forresto
Horrish
PS I expected to see English in Japan. I did not expect it to be everywhere that I looked... Here are some examples of English (more or less) that I have seen so far:
-food warning-
''This Product is more resilient than ordinary jelly products. Therefore, if you swallow without chewing it, you may choke on it. Rayher than slurping this product, pinch the bottom of container and chew well, or use a spoon and eat it small portions. Please cut this products into small bite size pieces before swallowing a small child or elderly to eat this product.''
-drink-
''Pocari Sweat'' (brand name)
''There is a gallon of delishiousness in every drop of doydo. For the best, reach for the taste of good taste, reach for doydo.''
-shirts emblazoonations-
''Sea Breezes Sporty Monotonic''
''The Whitbread''
''Rocky Horror Picture Show''
-bands-
''Thee Michelle Gun Elephant''
''Hot Hip Trampoline School'' (my favorite Japanese band so far)
''Hal From Apollo '69''
''Biscuit Fan''
''Missle Girl Scoot''