I am the luckiest person of our group. I’m sure the rest are having a good time, but my home stay will be the highlight of my trip. Yatsuki’s strong skills in English have made him invaluable to his company and a big bonus to me since I’ve been so unsuccessful in learning Japanese. We were able to discuss everything from religion to music as he and a family friend took me back to Miyajima Island. This time I got to see some of higher of the 88 shrines on the island. The trees are just beginning to turn, and the setting was lovely. Before our afternoon sightseeing, I got to visit a grocery store as Katsuki and his wife S
hoko picked out ingredients for our make-your-own-sushi lunch. The displays in the grocery were brightly colored, beautifully arranged, and remarkably fresh. Both for lunch and our dinner out, I got to taste many new things. I didn’t know so many tastes existed and discovered textures I’d never experienced before in food. Shoko is a beautiful, multi-talented woman who, as her husband likes to brag, has an innate sense of design and organization. She has to have lots of energy to keep up with 1 ½ year-old Kotaro and monitor Saeko’s school work, violin and piano lessons. Saeko (8-years-old) is quite talented and demonstrated her musical abilities in impromptu concerts. Shoko keeps a lovely home, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the visit tomorrow.
Sunday
I can’t believe how much we packed into one day. I got to see a neighborhood festival, which was just like any school carnival or community fair I’ve attended in the U.S. -- except, of course, the food offered. Instead of corn dogs and turkey legs, there were fried octopus and squid. The little train that you could ride for one lap around the field was a bullet train. The ball toss and band playing in the background were just so familiar.
In K.C. before my trip I had seen a Japanese entertainer performing an English version of Roguku, a traditional Japanese comic storytelling. Saeko belongs to a club that learns roguku and I got to hear her tell a short story. I had no idea what she was saying, but her exp
ressive voice, gestures, and the laughter of the audience proved her to be a promising performer.
Before returning to meet up with my group at 4:00 we made one last stop -- a traditional Japanese home that is now a lovely teahouse and gift shop. We were served tea as we looked out on a beautiful garden. By the time I returned to the hotel, I felt like I’d made a new family of friends.
hoko picked out ingredients for our make-your-own-sushi lunch. The displays in the grocery were brightly colored, beautifully arranged, and remarkably fresh. Both for lunch and our dinner out, I got to taste many new things. I didn’t know so many tastes existed and discovered textures I’d never experienced before in food. Shoko is a beautiful, multi-talented woman who, as her husband likes to brag, has an innate sense of design and organization. She has to have lots of energy to keep up with 1 ½ year-old Kotaro and monitor Saeko’s school work, violin and piano lessons. Saeko (8-years-old) is quite talented and demonstrated her musical abilities in impromptu concerts. Shoko keeps a lovely home, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the visit tomorrow.Sunday
I can’t believe how much we packed into one day. I got to see a neighborhood festival, which was just like any school carnival or community fair I’ve attended in the U.S. -- except, of course, the food offered. Instead of corn dogs and turkey legs, there were fried octopus and squid. The little train that you could ride for one lap around the field was a bullet train. The ball toss and band playing in the background were just so familiar.
In K.C. before my trip I had seen a Japanese entertainer performing an English version of Roguku, a traditional Japanese comic storytelling. Saeko belongs to a club that learns roguku and I got to hear her tell a short story. I had no idea what she was saying, but her exp
ressive voice, gestures, and the laughter of the audience proved her to be a promising performer.Before returning to meet up with my group at 4:00 we made one last stop -- a traditional Japanese home that is now a lovely teahouse and gift shop. We were served tea as we looked out on a beautiful garden. By the time I returned to the hotel, I felt like I’d made a new family of friends.
1 comment:
Hi, Terry. I am Katsuki. We had a very fruitful time with you. Discussion of cultures, education, food and so on in the U.S. and Japan. We hope you get to like Japan for now and will meet again some day in the U.S. or Japan.
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