Koto, then Galileo

To be honest, I've been so busy that I haven't done yoga in almost 3 weeks. And instead of reading the Bible everyday, I've been catching up on the weekends. But all that ends today. Cheers to getting back into good habits!

Evening: Psalm 107.  Namaste 185 "Radiant Joy"

Today was a pretty slow day. I had my second midterm this morning, went to Vidal and Beisia during my lunch break, then came back for this week's JCMU cultural activity which was 琴 (koto). Koto is a traditional Japanese instrument that has 13 strings. We entered the super-secret-hidden tatami room again, where a woman named Ukawa-sensei played a song for us.

 

After her performance, she told us about the koto's structure, how it works, and how it's played. Then she helped us learn how to play a couple simple songs on it ourselves.

Once that ended I came back to my room, and I've been chilling here watching Galileo all afternoon and evening. It's been a hot, humid, busy, stressful week and I really just wanted to do nothing today. I have a 3-day weekend so I think I can afford a lazy Friday.

70 Days in Kansai photos (JULY/AUGUST) \
 70 Days in Kansai photos (JUNE)


Karaoke with Eri

I finally got to see Eri again today!

When she came to meet me at JCMU, the first thing she said was "I'm so happy I get to see you again!" Second thing, "What's the opposite of 'gained weight'? 'Lost weight', right? You look like you lost weight, especially in your face. What happened?" Lord, this girl.

We grabbed a bite to eat at Starbucks, then walked around AL Plaza shopping center for a bit before heading to A-Zone to sing our hearts out for a couple of hours. You know, before coming to Japan I never understood why karaoke is such a huge thing in Asia. But after going with a Japanese person, I totally get it now! You get to sing out as loudly as you want, bond with friends, release so much pent-up energy, and at the end of it you feel so refreshed. It's wonderful! Not that I didn't do all of that last time, but this time I went a lot harder. So much so that I surprised myself. I probably got a little too caught up in it this time, but I didn't care. I needed release.

Thanks for hanging out with me Eri! And thanks for giving me a reason not to stay cooped up in my room studying for the rest of the day.



"You should send this one to your mother." -Eri

70 Days in Kansai photos (JULY/AUGUST) \
 70 Days in Kansai photos (JUNE)




"I miss Detroit."/Black Slang Sounds Like Music

I want to tell y'all about a very interesting person whom I've met recently at Beisia, the grocery store. Let's call this person L.

SUNDAY
On the way back from Kumakuma, I went to Beisia for groceries. I usually go to the self-checkout section (English option!), and I always see the same attendant when I go there. That's L.Today I was at the station right in front of her. Usually she doesn't say anything to me when I'm there. I scan and pay for my groceries, she says  something akin to "Thanks for coming" like she does to all the customers, and I go on my way. But today, to my surprise, she started talking to me in English.

L: You are from Michigan?
Me: Yes.
L:  I lived in Detroit for 6 months [or was it 6 years?]. 20 years ago. [comes close to me and lowers her voice] My ex-boyfriend was a black guy, so...
Me: Oh. Really?
L: Yes. We also lived in Ann Arbor too but that place is boring. I like Detroit a lot better, because I like soul music and things like that. I miss Detroit.

She started to get really excited talking about these things. She even giggled a little. But then she caught herself, regained her composure and went back into work mode. As I left, L said in Japanese: "Sorry for bothering you. Thanks for coming."

TODAY
I went to the ATM at the post office, so I made a quick trip to Beisia since it was right across the street. Nearly all the self-checkout stations were open, but I went to the one right in front of L on purpose to see if she'd say anything to me again. She did, and she had plenty to say!

About learning Japanese/learning English:

L:Where did you learn Japanese?
Me: Back in Michigan.
L: That's very smart of you. But it must be difficult to understand Kansai-ben and Kansai slang, right?
Me: It can be hard sometimes.
L: Yeah, my English is not so good. My ex told me that my English sounds like a clown.
Me: What? That's not true at all. Your English is beautiful!
L: A clown is like Pierrot, right? Yeah, that's how he said my English sounds. But I don't care. I'm Japanese, so I don't care.

About black slang:

L: I want to learn black slang. It sounds like music! But it always changes, doesn't it? 20 years ago, my ex and I would say dope. "That's dope." "He's dope." But people don't say that anymore do they?
Me: No, we still say that.
L: Oh, okay! Good.

She preceded to tell me about how much she LOVES Ne-Yo and Joe. When I told her that I don't really care for Ne-Yo, she replied:

Yeah, his face is not so handsome, but actually I think he is very sexy. He comes to Japan a lot and he is very popular. When he smiles, it's good. He seems like a good person.

And about Joe:

I've always loved Joe. One time I went to his concert here and I hugged him!

Again, she got excited talking about these things. But she didn't try to hide it as much this time. And she didn't switch back to Japanese as I was leaving, either.

L: Sorry, I've talked too much.
Me: No, it's fine. I really don't mind at all.
L: Okay then. Have a nice day! [moves to pat me on the shoulder but misses]
Me: Thanks, you too!

Wow. Usually when I go out and about, none of the Japanese people I come across say anything to me. Most try to avoid eye contact. So what are the odds that in an average grocery store in the middle of rural Japan, I would meet a woman who is willing to speak openly about herself to a foreigner, likes black men and the way black people talk, and loves soul/R&B music? You really never know what kind of people you'll meet.

Tanabata @ Kumakuma!

Kumagawa-san is the one holding up the meat

Kumagawa-san said she was going to have us back at her café, and she meant it. Yesterday about 7 of us returned to Kumakuma for a barbecue in celebration of 七夕 (tanabata)!

Tanabata is a festival that occurs every year in Japan, beginning on July 7th. It celebrates the meeting of two deities in Japanese folklore. These deities are lovers who are separated from each other and can only meet once a year. Because these deities are represented by stars, tanabata is often called "the star festival." Also, due to this legend, tanabata can be seen as a romantic holiday. But we just had a nice gathering among friends! In addition to us JCMU students, Kumakuma staff and a few local college students who are close with Kumagawa-san came to get in on the fun.


These are just the leftovers

Kumakuma is usually closed on Sundays, but Kumagawa-san had prepared the place just for this occasion. The barbecue was held in the parking lot on the side of the building. Like most of the gatherings I've been to here, there was an overwhelming abundance of food. I didn't eat much but I tried a bit of everything. The food was great and everyone was in good spirits. I just couldn't stop sweating, though! The 90°F heat and the smoking hot food were killing me! But hey, that's summer isn't it?

We moved back inside the café after eating and talking for a while. Each of us young folks wrote a special wish or aspiration on a long, vertical strip of paper and attached it to a branch. Making a "wish tree" such as this is a tanabata
tradition. What was my wish, you ask? You'll have to check the other photos to find out.


After that we passed the time chatting and folding origami. Well, I should say that everyone else folded origami. I can barely fold a crane, much less copy the penguins, sea otters, and horses that were being made. Instead, I just watched, rearranged the finished products, and took pictures of them.

Yesterday was not only the first day (I recall) that that real summer heat hit us, but it was also my first time celebrating a Japanese holiday. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to do so with such lively and generous  people. Most of the college students who came had also been at Kumakuma when we went there the first time, so I really appreciated being able to talk to them again and get to know them better. Especially a certain someone....



Lord have mercy, H-san in the middle! Beauty beyond words, I tell you.

70 Days in Kansai photos (JULY/AUGUST) \
 70 Days in Kansai photos (JUNE)



Welcome Party at minto!

I spent the afternoon with Ivy and Bryen  again today. This time we went to minto, the real estate/contractor and lifestyle/wellness business that Ivy's host mom, Tanaka-san, works at. minto does a little bit of everything that has to do with the concept of "living well".  Apparently her boss,  the 社長 (shachou/company president or director) said that he wanted to meet American students and practice speaking English, so they planned a welcome party for us! Even though we've already been here a month, how sweet is that?

The minto building serves as a  model house, an office, and a lifestyle/wellness center. It's a splendidly-designed building, with a clever mixture of cozy and modern, business and home. It's one of the most interesting establishments I've ever visited.

Besides us 3, most of the attendees were women who work for minto. Two of them brought their children, so there were also 3 adorable babies there. And of course Ivy's host parents (the Tanakas) and  the shachou were also present. Excluding dem babies, there were about 13 people in total.

They prepared so much food! As usual I can't  even tell you exactly what I ate, but it was good and it was free and that's all that mattered. Ivy made a dish with quinoa and it was spectacular!

Conversation started with the questions we typically get: How long have you been studying Japanese, why do you want to study Japanese, have

you been to Japan before, what's your favorite Japanese food, etc. But as people started getting more comfortable, we got more interesting questions: What's your dream for the future, would you ever marry a Japanese person, how has Japan differed from the image you had of it before you arrived?

Another topic we also kept returning to was language. Lately I've been disappointed in myself because I don't feel like my Japanese is improving enough. As a result, I've been putting a lot of pressure on  myself. But talking to the people at minto helped me understand that to some degree, everyone has difficulty learning a new language. While I struggle with Japanese, they have weaknesses when it comes to English. In fact, there are some aspects of Japanese that even Japanese people have trouble with, so I shouldn't expect to be perfect. Or ever become perfect, for that matter.

One woman who calls herself  ピコメグ (Picomegu) is a 落語 (rakugo) performer and a laughter yoga instructor, among other things. Basically, she helps people heal through laughter and alternative methods for a living. Rakugo is a traditonal Japanese art of one-man comedic storytelling. Since Bryen, Ivy, and I were there she was gracious enough to perform a short piece for us in English. It's called "People Often Pretend to Know Everything in a Museum".

In return for her sharing her talent, Ivy and I each sang a song for everyone. Bryen managed to get out of doing anything. This time.

Everyone was so kind and funny. We were shown nothing but warmth and hospitality, and I'm so glad we were invited to come. Though I've met some pretty cool Japanese college students since coming here, I've still had this stereotypical image of Japanese people (especially adults) as stoic, standoffish, and uptight. It was refreshing to meet adults who were so open and convivial. I mean if you think about it, interacting with most people is somewhat similar. You meet and it might be a little awkward at first, but once people warm up to each other everyone usually has a good time. Hopefully we'll go back before we leave next month. Thanks to the Tanaka family and the folks at minto!


minto website: http://www.k-kawachi.com/index.html
minto FB: https://www.facebook.com/kawachiminto


70 Days in Kansai photos (JULY/AUGUST) \
 70 Days in Kansai photos (JUNE)

Looking for a Watch in Otsu

These goofs

My watch stopped working on Wednesday, so I've been meaning to get a new one. At first I planned to look for one at a recycle shop (secondhand store) in the next town over. But I found out that my friend Ivy was going to Otsu today, and I figured why not look for one there? So after class Ivy, our friend Bryen, and I set out for Otsu, the capital of Shiga Prefecture.

 ("Ivy" and "Bryen" were both with me last week at kaiten-zushi and karaoke. I didn't mention their names then, but they found out that I have a blog and asked me to give them a shoutout using "cool" aliases. With that said, what's up y'all! Thanks for the support!)

We were only in Otsu for about 5 hours and only went down two streets, so I can't make a well-informed conclusion about the city. However, I can say that Otsu is so beautiful! I feel like I've said that about nearly every place I've visited here, but it's true. Otsu is not just beautiful, it's a pleasant place. I got a really pleasant feeling just by walking around there. While walking along the shore of Lake Biwa we came
across this guy playing the guitar and singing an Oasis song to his girlfriend. Ivy told him that we lived in Hikone, and he said he thought Hikone was more beautiful than Otsu, but I must disagree.

After some strolling we made our way to Parco, a large mall franchise that has locations throughout Japan. Other than finding a watch for me, our plan was to just see what the place had to offer and maybe buy a few things. There are 8 floors in Otsu Parco but somehow we only made it to 6 of them and couldn't find the way to the last 2. In it there was a really nice watch store called Tic Toc and some other stores that sold watches, but they were all upwards of  ¥8,000 ($79). So I opted for a  ¥2,000 ($20) one from G Plaza, which was a really cute accessories store with reasonable prices.


The only other thing I bought was.... a book! I know, no surprise at all. The book is titled 宗教はなぜ必要なのか (Why is Religion Necessary?) by Hiromi Shimada. It was the only book I saw in the store whose title I could read and understand completely, so I bought it. I'm going to try to read and understand all of it within the next 5 years.

Before leaving we stopped at the food court and got some food from MOS Burger, which is the second largest fast-food chain in Japan after McDonald's. I got a curry dog on naan bread, a salad and melon soda. The curry dog was a litte strange-looking and messy, but it tasted great!

After some more walking and looking and joking and talking, we made our way back to Hikone. In the end we didn't do much in Otsu, but at least I got to go to another place that I hadn't been before. I had a nice, short break from Hikone, and I finally have a watch again!

70 Days in Kansai photos (JULY/AUGUST) \ 70 Days in Kansai photos (JUNE)

Ma Is Right.

  "So, you are not missing out.  You are always concerned about what others are doing in terms of what you are not doing and you need to stop doing this."