Obara *GW Days 3 & 4*!!

Monday, May 5

So today I was going to visit the parents of my friend back home, Kuya! I was really excited. They live in a city called Obara, which is in Aichi ken.

So I ate breakfast with my host family and then headed off to take the train. It was raining, which sucked. I decided I'd walk to the station, so I had to walk through the rain. :( I caught the 10:02 train at Nagoya and was on my way. I realized on the train that the first stop was Kanayama, so I could have saved money and caught the train at Kanayama instead. Crap. Well, I hadn't bought my ticket for the way back yet, so I'd do that for the return.

The train was so empty!! I was shocked! I played Pokemon (I'm addicted again) while we passed the stations I'm familiar with. Then, once we got to the rice paddy fields and the country side, I looked out the window. It was so beautiful!

The ride was exactly 50 minutes. When I got off at Mizunami, I saw a guy at the other side of the station waving at me. I waved back and ran over to the other side. The guy was Kuya's dad. He introduced himself as Shuichi.

The rain had picked up and now it was pouring like crazy!! He and I got in the car and then he took me with him while we went to buy groceries and then a cover for his keyboard. I helped him out because he told me that they were my parents for the next two days and I was their daughter, so I should help out. It was really nice that he included me in the family like that!! My host parents never let me help out ever and it makes me feel awkward!

So I carried the groceries back to the car and the keyboard cover into the house. On the way home, Shuichi told me about how they all lived in India for two months! So cool! 

At their house, I met Kuya's mom, Nagako. She was so sweet!

Both Kuya's parents were really impressed I could speak some Japanese. So we spoke a little in Japanese at first and then it was mostly English with some random Japanese inserts lol. They were both so good at English and all their children have studied abroad! But Shuichi had told me he learned English when he was in China of all places! Because there were a bunch of English speakers staying in the same place as him, so he got to practice speaking all the English he'd studied for six years in middle and high school, and gradually remembered English.

Their house was super cool!! It was made of wood and 200 years old!! They had a little pit full of charcoal where they had a fire going and a pot hanging of above it where they cooked their food. So my clothes and hair soon smelled of woodsmoke. I love that smell!! They showed me to their guest house, which is where I was sleeping. Ahh, so nice!! I felt like I was being super pampered.

First, we had lunch. Nagako had made bread using her bread maker and it was delicious! It was this huge slab of raisin bread. Mmmm. My favorite! And they had blueberry jam for me to put on it. There was also potatoes and salad. It was all so good! And for dessert we had little okashi given to them by friends of theirs. They were cute little sakura themed okashi! What was interesting about them, was they were white anko on the outside and kuri (chestnut) on the inside! And the little flower petal thing was an almond shaving! 

We talked a lot during lunch and learned so much about each other. They were really curious about America, so I told them everything I could!

Also, when I told them about my happyou Friday, they wanted to hear it, so I started reciting it for them. They were really interested in what Japanese people thought of America and gave their answers for each of the questions I asked haha. When I finished the first part about foreigners' image of America, I stopped, but Nagako was like "sore de...?" (And then?), haha so I ended up presenting the entire presentation for them!! I messed up a bit, but all in all they were super impressed I'd memorized all that Japanese!

Before we started eating, Nagako opened the present I had brought them. I'd given them one of my Totoro Hanga prints as well as some chocolate from Texas and cotton seeds from Alabama (where I lived before Texas). They loved it all. It turns out Nagako has been making thread from cotton recently, so she showed me the cotton she was using. The Japanese cotton seeds were a lot smaller than the American ones. It was funny.

After lunch, they told me they were going to take me to the Fuji matsuri!! I'd heard Ken's relatives talking about that when I was in Kamezaki, but I figured it was in Tokyo because it was related to Mt. Fuji. But Shuichi and Nagako told me Fuji is a type of flower! It's purple and long and hangs down. So there are Fuji matsuri in all different parts of Japan. Cool!!

We got back in the car and drove through the rain to the matsuri. First, we stopped in a field so they could show me the koinobori, since today is "Kodomo no Hi," or "Children's Day." There was a long rope of them, much longer than than the ones at Kiyosu jo! I was so amazed they were so big. Shuichi and Nagako told me they're bigger out in the country. I should have taken a picture, but it was raining so they were all wet and hanging down instead of out flying, or "swimming" in the wind like they should be.

Then we continued on to the Fuji matsuri. 

Origami decorations made of flyers for the Fuji matsuri

The origami ball things were hung all along the fence!

Banner for the Fuji matsuri

We walked all along a the marked path that had Fuji flowers all along it. Nagako told me that last year, they'd come too late and all the Fuji had already wilted. So this was the first time they were really seeing the festival.

There were pink ones too!

And white!

Cute mascot. Because everything in Japan has to have a mascot!

 

We passed a small area with some yatai and then continued on down to where there were some white Fuji! But these hadn't started blooming yet. We ran into some people down there who had just gotten there and were starting from this side. They were bummed that the Fuji weren't blooming yet, but Shuichi and Nagako told them that where we had just come from had perfect purple ones!

Because the white Fuji were the end, we turned back around. This time, we climbed up a staircase that led off the main path. At the top was a koi pond! Shuichi and Nagako asked me of people raise koi as pets in America, lol. I told them usually only at Japanese restaurants or Japanese gardens. But I told them about the salt water fish tank my dad had when I was younger.

This path led back to the area with the yatai. It was in front of an elementary school. Inside the gym of the elementary school were a bunch of middle schoolers watching a group of guys playing guitar and singing. The group was pretty good! We stood and watched them for a bit too, before heading back to the car.

Back at home, Nagako wanted to have a tea ceremony since I told them I was in sadou class and really like sadou and matcha, haha. I was so impressed that she had a complete sadou set! So she had me be the one leading and I got to show off my matcha making skills! :D And then I got to show off the fact that I knew everything you're supposed to say as well, haha.

We sat in a tatami room next to the kitchen because it had a real kotatsu!! I finally got to sit under a real kotatsu! It was really cool out with the rain, so this was nice! Underneath the kotatsu was a grill and under that was real charcoal that Shuichi lit!

Then we ate more of the okashi and we each got to have one of the Texas chocolates I brought! They liked them, which I was glad about because most Japanese people think American desserts are too sweet, haha.

Then Nagako brought in a different kind of tea, this one iced tea, and we each got to have one more okashi because they were expiring soon, so Nagako and Shuichi wanted to finish them up. They were so delicious!!

Then Nagako and Shuichi cleared off the table and got out their computers. Nagako had told me earlier about how she teaches English and she had all these sound files with questions and answers in English that she wanted to use for a test, but she wanted to edit out the answers. So she hoped since I was a computer science major, that I'd be able to help. I've had to do that before, so I figured I'd be able to do it.

It took a lot longer than it should have because I realized Movie Maker, the program I'd downloaded to use only worked with a movie along with the sound, so I figured they wouldn't want that and then uninstalled Movie Maker. But Shuichi said that wouldn't be a problem. So I had to reinstall it and that took a while. But I finally was able to make the sound file for them, because to my delight, it turned out there was an option to save just the audio!

Nagako and Shuichi were sooooo happy!!! They thanked me over and over. Apparently Nagako had been stressing over this for the past few days and I'd just lifted a ton of weight from her shoulders! I was happy because it made me feel like I had given them something other than the small present I'd brought, since they were giving me so much plus food and a place to stay!

We took a break to have dinner. We ate at the kotatsu because it had gotten pretty cold now that the sun had set. We had a takoyaki party and made takoyaki using their takoyaki maker! Nagako poured a whole bunch of batter in the first two rounds, so it was difficult for me to make them and I probably didn't look as jouzu as I usually do. The third round was the right amount of batter and we made perfect balls.

They were really good! And they were made with only octopus, not weird fillings like cheese and hot dogs like Miyabi likes. I ate soooo much! We were all seriously stuffed when we were done! We'd been planning on eating more chocolate after dinner, but we all felt like we were going to burst haha!

After dinner, they had me step through the sound file editing again and then they wrote it all down and had me watch them as they did it to make sure they did it right too! They kept apologizing for making me do this, but I didn't mind at all!

Then Kuya got online, so we all Skyped him, which was fun. I was sooo exhausted afterwards. I'd started getting tired around 8 and it was after 11 now. Thankfully Nagako noticed and filled up the bath for me.

I've been spoiled at my host parents house, because they know I like showers. So Nagako showed me to the bath and was all like, "This is a Japanese bath, but I know you know how to use it," and then left before I realized that no, I actually have no idea how to use a Japanese bath!! She'd made a motion with the little wooden bucket thing like filling it with water from the bath and then pouring it over her, so I assumed it worked like the baths at the onsen. So I just did that. The water was really hot! But yeah, I probably did everything all wrong haha.

Then I said goodnight and went to bed. It had gotten really cold, but I'd been stupid and hadn't packed really warm stuff. Oh well, my futon was nice and warm!

Tuesday, May 6

The next morning, the rain had stopped and it was really warm, sunny, and beautiful! I was happy Yuko had taught me how to fold a futon at obaasan's house, because now I knew how and did it perfectly! :)
Anyway, Nagako and Shuichi weren't around in the kitchen or kotatsu room, so I figured they were still sleeping. I decided I'd sit on the front stairs and admire the view for a bit.

And that was when I saw them walking along the rice paddy field (which they'd said it's just a rice field lol. They'd never heard the word "paddy" before lol) in front of their house. They said "good morning" to me and asked if I slept well. Then Shuichi let me cross the stream over this wood plank (I was super scared to cross it since their house sandals were kind of big and hard for me to walk in, but he told me no one's ever fallen before haha) and then he showsd me their rice field. He told me it can grow 300 pounds of rice!! And they use that grain to make all their rice. Sugoi!

Then he showed the various bamboo structures they have around the house and told me they're all made from bamboo he cut from the bamboo forest next to their house. Omg that's so freaking awesome!!

We had breakfast after that, which was regular bread (again made by Nagako). It was also in a giant slab that I cut. We had it with jam and salad and potatoes. They told me about a Japanese paper museum nearby and asked if I knew of Japanese paper. I said I used it all the time in Hanga class and about how I went to the Japanese paper store with Shiichiro. Also, yesterday I'd told them about habachi grills, which my whole life, I always assumed were Japanese, since the name is Japanese and they're always in Japanese restaurants. Well, turns out they aren't!! Neither Nagako nor Shuichibhad ever heard of them! Well it came up in conversation again this morning, so I brought up a movie of one on my phone and showed it to them. It was perfect because it had the huge fire I'd been talking about as well as all the usual spatula tricks and food tossing. They loved it!! They thought it was the bomb dot com, so I told them to come to America and I'd take them to one!

Then friends of theirs called to invite them over for lunch. I heard Shuichi saying that they had a guest over now, but when his friends heard I was American, they asked him to bring me too!

So at 11:30, we hopped in the car to travel to their friends place. Nagako asked if it was alright to give them one of my box of Texas chocolates and I agreed, so she had me give it to them. They ended up being really nice!
Their house had a trickling stream behind it with a waterfall! It was so beautiful. The inside was huge and super modern. They had a balcony on the back that overlooked the stream below.
There was a lady, Shizuko, and her husband and then an older lady. I had to guess the older lady's age, so I said 70. It turned out she was 95!!! And she still moved around fine! She was the patient of Shuichi. She has a bunch of hobbies including calligraphy, hanga, playing the string instrument that I got to play at the International party (I showed her a picture of me playing it and she thought that was awesome!), and painting. Her paintings were hanging all over the walls and they were amazing!! They looked like photographs. She also showed us one of her hanga prints that she'd done in color!

When we first got there, we had a tea ceremony. The guy was the one who made the matcha and then served it to us. He was the host. Shuichi told me that guy wanted to practice English with me, because he's trying to learn English. But he didn't speak much English and whenever I talked to him in English, I couldn't tell if he could understand me or not...
They had these adorable little koi okashi for Kodomo no Hi!! I got first pick, so guess which one I chose? :)

Then while Shuichi went to go work with the older lady (he does physical therapy and acupuncture and stuff), the man (gosh, I can't remember his name!) showed Nagako and me all the pictures he's taken. Most of them were of flowers. I asked him if the flowers were all ones behind the house, and he told me they were! Whoa! Then he showed us a bunch of pictures he took while in France. He's a really great photographer! And he had printed all his photos on big papers so they were all pretty and glossy and stuff! Finally, he showed us pictures he took of sakura around Obara and a special Aki Sakura, that is unique to Obara and blooms in the autumn, as well as a landscape photo of a spot nearby. I showed him my Mt. Fuji from the airplane picture and the rainbow over the shrine. He told me my angle was good in the rainbow picture!

Then Shizuko gave me a flower pin that doubles as a barette. it was so beautiful, I can't believe she gave it to me! So we took a picture together with me wearing it.

In the background are the decorations for Kodomo no Hi, the kid's hat and the koi plushies

Then we took a picture with me, Nagako, and Shizuko and the man printed it out for me and gave it to me. He also gave me the landscape picture he'd shown me before! So nice!!

 

Then we had lunch. It was a huge spread of food that Shizuka had made all herself, by hand! Wow!! There was fish, rice, salad, soup, tea, and more! She also had a ton of hobbies, including cooking. Then another older lady, the 95 year old lady's sister came out to join us. She was 90! We all had a fun lively conversation at lunch. The man talked about how when he was in France, he got confused about the difference in the English word "change," because it has two meanings, lol.

For dessert, we got to have oranges and bananas. Ayuko had told me that it isn't usual for Japanese people to not eat the orange skin, which made me wonder why Yuko had thought I was strange for eating it. But Shuichi and I were the only ones who ate it today!

After lunch, we had to head back. It was sad. These people were so nice!!

Back at home, we drank tea and Shuichi and Nagako told me about how those people are always giving and never asking for anything in return. They're hontou ni yasashi hito. ;)

Then I went to pack up my stuff and Nagako brought me the guest book to sign. So I wrote them a nice message and then signed it. They had so many other messages because they've had so, so many people stay with them before!

Then we took a picture of the three of us outside the house and all got in the car to head to the station because it was already 3:30. When we got there, Nagako ran out and bought me a ticket home even though I insisted that she didn't! She was so, so nice!! But I wish I had bought it before I left! At least I told her Kanayama, so she saved 130 yen.

And then I was off. The train, when I got on it, only had three people on it! But soon it filled up. I was really sad on the way home. Shuichi and Nagako had been so, so much better than my host family! They really made me feel at home. And after only two days, I already felt like I was leaving my parents! I was not excited to return to Ichinomiya, that's for sure! Shuichi and Nagako were surprised when they heard the homestay program at Nanzan isn't a volunteer program, and they said I could have stayed with them for free. Gosh, so kind!

At Ichinomiya, I stopped at Lawson's on the way home because today was the day the Korilakkuma bowl came out! And there were only 20 available in each store. I'd been saving my stickers to get on! But when I got there, they said the bowls were all gone already. Nooooo!! :(

When I got home, everyone was about to eat dinner, so I sat down. We had noodles in this cold soup and salad. And the salad was covered in cheese. Really? I was gone for a day and a half and Yuko already forgot I can't eat cheese?

She didn't even realize until I made a big deal of picking out the things I could eat and then she saw and apologized. I said it was okay. But I accidentally said it in formal, because I'd been speaking in formal to Shuichi and Nagako. But I don't speak in formal with my host family. Oh well.

I told everyone about the fuji matsuri and the koinobori, but only Yuko really seemed interested. Ken seemed to be in a bad mood.

I saw later on Facebook that they'd bought Miyabi a huge cake full of cream and fruit for Kodomo no Hi. Gosh, it looked good! And then Miya told me they saw Rana today. And sure enough, there were pictures on Facebook with them and Rana and Rana's host family. Man, I would have wanted to go hang out with Rana! I can't believe they never told me!!

Then Miya and I played together. We chased each other around the house, flinging rubber bands at each other and Yuko laughed.