Third Time Lucky
(Nicola and Sarah going for a walk)
Over the last 11 months, I've visited Japan 3 times and have failed to write about it at all!!!!
What's especially lovely about going to Japan, is, it's an opportunity to see my family there. Now, my family is very complicated, and actually took me a day and a half to explain to a friend once, so for the sake of simplicity, I call them brothers. 'Adam' and 'Matt'.
Adam has been living in Japan for 10 years, he has a house in the mountains of Nagano, where he lives with his wife Yoko and 2 children Sarah and Ricky, and a school in the city, where he teaches English.
(Sarah)
Matt has been married to his wife Midori for 5 years and they have they're little one Nicola. Matt teaches from their country home in Nagoya.
The thing about having brothers who have settled in Japan, is generally, I don't get to see them very often. Which has been one of the reasons why it's been so special for me to visit them, and see them in their fatherly roles, in their homes with their beautiful families. It seemed quite strange at first to hear them chattering away in Japanese. It was never anything that I would have imagined as a child. That they would both be teachers! And that they would ever be fluent in another language, let alone Japanese!
Most recently I visited Japan for New Year. Unfortunately, 2 days before I was due to leave, I picked up a strong flu virus, that knocked me side ways and sent me to bed for 3 days, and to the doctors once, where I had to get a shot near my hip and received a big bag of painkillers! I could hardly make it out of my apartment, let alone to Japan. But after sleeping for 36 hours I made it. I recovered slowly whilst there.
New Years Eve was great and one that I'll remember because it's really quite different to my other experiences and because it was relaxing. After playing card games with Matt and Chris (Matt's friend from England), the loser having to drink a shot of soju(Korean liquor), we all went down to the shrine, it's tradition there for people to ring a huge bell, so we took turns. They told us in Japanese not to ring it too hard, which Matt translated to Chris, but to the contrary, and Chris hit it so hard it gave me a headache for the rest of the night, and could be heard for miles around I'm sure. Next we went to a temple. The difference between a shrine and a temple, I've yet to learn! There we offered money and prayed to the Buddha, before being given Saki, and sitting by the bonfire, to chat and enjoy the crisp night under the clear moon. Really lovely.
The following day Matt woke me up at 12.30 to tell me lunch was ready now. I hurried to shower and make myself look half respectable before being 10 minutes late joining Midoris parents, grandmother and friends of the family for sushi, which is the traditional meal on new years day. Chris had a hard time being faced with raw fish as soon as he woke with a hangover, its not his favourite.
Later that day Adam arrived with Ricky and Sarah. The energy of having 3 kids running around, adults trying to keep them happy and occupied, the tears and the laughter reminded me of this time of year in our house growing up. We spent the next few days taking little trips out, shopping, eating together, playing drinking games, card games, play-dough games, playing the guitar and singing. It was wicked.
The first time I went to Japan, I didn't know what to expect. I assumed it would be similar to Korea, and was surprised when it reminded me more of England! There are the simple things like, the roads being smaller there, they drive on the same side of the road as back home. People live in houses as opposed to apartment blocks like they do in Korea. Not only these things, but the variety in the shops reminded me of home, and an innovative feel of the Japanese, which I think Korea lacks! I felt the people were less polished in Japan, kind of more real. And it feels calmer some how, less pushing and shoving. Whats really nice about it for me is getting to stay in the country for a few days. Waking up in the morning to fresh air and quiet streets, such a treat!
What's especially lovely about going to Japan, is, it's an opportunity to see my family there. Now, my family is very complicated, and actually took me a day and a half to explain to a friend once, so for the sake of simplicity, I call them brothers. 'Adam' and 'Matt'.
Adam has been living in Japan for 10 years, he has a house in the mountains of Nagano, where he lives with his wife Yoko and 2 children Sarah and Ricky, and a school in the city, where he teaches English.
(Sarah)
Matt has been married to his wife Midori for 5 years and they have they're little one Nicola. Matt teaches from their country home in Nagoya.
The thing about having brothers who have settled in Japan, is generally, I don't get to see them very often. Which has been one of the reasons why it's been so special for me to visit them, and see them in their fatherly roles, in their homes with their beautiful families. It seemed quite strange at first to hear them chattering away in Japanese. It was never anything that I would have imagined as a child. That they would both be teachers! And that they would ever be fluent in another language, let alone Japanese!
Most recently I visited Japan for New Year. Unfortunately, 2 days before I was due to leave, I picked up a strong flu virus, that knocked me side ways and sent me to bed for 3 days, and to the doctors once, where I had to get a shot near my hip and received a big bag of painkillers! I could hardly make it out of my apartment, let alone to Japan. But after sleeping for 36 hours I made it. I recovered slowly whilst there.
New Years Eve was great and one that I'll remember because it's really quite different to my other experiences and because it was relaxing. After playing card games with Matt and Chris (Matt's friend from England), the loser having to drink a shot of soju(Korean liquor), we all went down to the shrine, it's tradition there for people to ring a huge bell, so we took turns. They told us in Japanese not to ring it too hard, which Matt translated to Chris, but to the contrary, and Chris hit it so hard it gave me a headache for the rest of the night, and could be heard for miles around I'm sure. Next we went to a temple. The difference between a shrine and a temple, I've yet to learn! There we offered money and prayed to the Buddha, before being given Saki, and sitting by the bonfire, to chat and enjoy the crisp night under the clear moon. Really lovely.
The following day Matt woke me up at 12.30 to tell me lunch was ready now. I hurried to shower and make myself look half respectable before being 10 minutes late joining Midoris parents, grandmother and friends of the family for sushi, which is the traditional meal on new years day. Chris had a hard time being faced with raw fish as soon as he woke with a hangover, its not his favourite.
Later that day Adam arrived with Ricky and Sarah. The energy of having 3 kids running around, adults trying to keep them happy and occupied, the tears and the laughter reminded me of this time of year in our house growing up. We spent the next few days taking little trips out, shopping, eating together, playing drinking games, card games, play-dough games, playing the guitar and singing. It was wicked.
The first time I went to Japan, I didn't know what to expect. I assumed it would be similar to Korea, and was surprised when it reminded me more of England! There are the simple things like, the roads being smaller there, they drive on the same side of the road as back home. People live in houses as opposed to apartment blocks like they do in Korea. Not only these things, but the variety in the shops reminded me of home, and an innovative feel of the Japanese, which I think Korea lacks! I felt the people were less polished in Japan, kind of more real. And it feels calmer some how, less pushing and shoving. Whats really nice about it for me is getting to stay in the country for a few days. Waking up in the morning to fresh air and quiet streets, such a treat!
posted by happytrails @ 1:23 PM
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