I ate an entire fish head yesterday. It was pretty large, and when I say entire that's a bit of an exaggeration on my part because, while I did eat all of the edible elements, a lot of it was bone. But let me tell you it was an experience! My host mom asked me if I could eat fish head, but I got the word for head confused with the word for eggs (actually though, I really don't like eating fish eggs haha!), so when I replied saying I could she was really surprised saying that most international students don't want to eat it. It was at that point that I realized the errors of my ways. But- it was pretty good! The parts that were a little strange were the eyes (goopy!) and the collagen- again goopy, but I'll have nice skin, right?! It was a really fun experience actually though. And my host mom told me that in Okinawa a popular dish is eating pig's ears, nose, and feet, so bring it on, I guess!
I leave for Okinawa on Saturday, which is really exciting! Finals are done- they were not stressful at all. It was actually kind of fun to study like a real college student. My friend and I hit up a really cheap restaurant where they have an unlimited coffee bar, so we had some nice days sipping and studying and being silly when my kanji and his math problems stopped being interesting. I found out recently that I would be living with a host family in Okinawa, which I am really really really happy about! I know if I were to live in a dorm it would be great because my friend Narumi told me the staff at the school is really welcoming and would look out for me, but how wonderful is it that I am able to live with an Okinawan family, eat local Okinawan cuisine, pick up some slang, and learn more about this place from people who actually live there. My host sister's name is Miyu. She is a junior in high school and I guess studied in Iowa last year, so I'm sure we can commiserate on the winters of the mighty midwest! I am really looking forward to my month in Okinawa.
Another really great thing about Okinawa is that when I return, it will only be a few weeks before my lovely mother comes to visit me! I've been doing a lot of bonding with my host mom lately because she has been helping me plan out our schedule and book hotels. But the reservations have been made, tickets bought, and my little brother Kojirou has even been learning some english phrases! It is so hilarious and so sweet to hear him practicing welcoming my mom in english. Ah, I am so lucky!
In other news, it's been a really really really busy last seven days or so. I met with a lot of friends, some from St. Olaf who were visiting for a few days, a few going away parties for friends leaving, celebrations for the end of finals and other random activities. Two of my favorite things I did last week were food related. On Saturday I went to an event sponsored by my "town" in Tokyo, Koganei. This event was for foreigners living in Koganei to try their hand at the art of Udon-making. Udon is a type of Japanese noodle, kind of like a really thick spaghetti noodle. It was so fun! The ingredients are simple- flour and water, but it takes a long time and a lot of power to mix the dough properly and get it to the right consistancy. My favorite part was when we put a mat on the floor, then a put the dough on the mat , covered on both sides by a piece of plastic with a final piece of cloth on top. I was so surprised when the Grandma who was helping us took her shoes off and started turning in circles standing on the dough! Haha it was fantastic! We all got to try and it felt very strange but all I can say is that our udon was extremely delicious. It was so great to meet other foreigners in Koganei who are all here for different reasons, as well as being able to meet other Japanese people. A really fun day!
The second food related activity was going to my friend's host family's home where he was making Korean food for his host mom, three of her friends, a guy who had lived in her home ten years ago as a part of the Japan Study Program, and me. My friend's host family owns their own apartment building, so the place where we were wasn't their personal kitchen/dining room area. I'm actually not really sure what it was, but it was interesting to see a living arrangement that was very different from mine. My friend made one Korean dish, duc-bo-gi (cabbage, rice cake, spicy sauce, yum) and his host mom's friend made a korean kimchi pancake (can't remember the name!). Her friend is actually Korean but has lived in Japan all her life. The Korean population in Japan is has a very strong voice, especially in Tokyo. Many of these Koreans are actually second or third generation and are called Zianichi-Korean. There are a lot of complicated political and cultural topics for discussion that arise when talking about this group of people, and I don't know a lot about them yet, but am learning more the longer I spend time here.
I can't remember if I wrote about this or not but this same friend's host mom also took me and another of our friends to see some historical buildings in a place called Kawagoe. She is so nice and has been really welcoming to me- it's fun getting to know other host families!
Must get going- have a brief orientation meeting regarding our cultural practicum where we receive the all important packet of money! Meeting another crew of oles tonight for dinner- two were studying abroad in Nagoya, another city in Japan, and are heading back, and the other was on another program and is visiting Tokyo before heading back to good old northfield. Should be fun!
1/31/11
1/23/11
The wind down of semester 1
The last week-and-a-half or so has been a pretty quiet but also fun week. Finals for fall semester are finally underway, so I had lots of study dates with the library and Saizeria- a mock Italian restaurant chain that has bad food but, more importantly, has an unlimited coffee bar. So I am well caffeinated these days!
Probably the highlight of recent days came last Thursday. My friend from high school that also is from the same school in Okinawa where I am going to spending the month of February invited me to her friend's apartment to make nabe, or basically veggies and meet that are cooked in a savory broth, with her other friends from Okinawa. We had such a wonderful time- everyone was really really nice to me and there were two other girls there who had graduated from the same high school as Narumi! It was so fun to eat good food and meet new people and hear so much about the place where I will be going in less than two weeks. Also, I had a really crazy encounter- A guy named Kenta came to the party about an hour after we had started eating. Kenta had actually gone to my high school for one year as an exchange student when I was a freshmen. I don't think I had ever talked to him, but I remembered him because he was in choir with me and he had a really big solo for one of our spring concert pieces that year. I literally had never ever ever ever considered the fact that I might run into him- I didn't even know he was in Tokyo! But he goes to the same college as Narumi, and so Thursday night there he was! Oh life- it's so fun the interactions and encounters you can have with others when you least expect it.
After that things have been pretty quiet- Some really nice nights bonding with my host family- things are going so well- I'm really lucky! Then Saturday a friend had a small dinner party at his apartment and Sunday there was a going-away party for the students in my program who are leaving after this semester (aka in about one week!). And of course lots of studying--!
This week things get really really busy though. I am taking advantage of today, Monday and my day off, to get organized and study, as the following days I don't know how much time I will have.
Life is good!
Probably the highlight of recent days came last Thursday. My friend from high school that also is from the same school in Okinawa where I am going to spending the month of February invited me to her friend's apartment to make nabe, or basically veggies and meet that are cooked in a savory broth, with her other friends from Okinawa. We had such a wonderful time- everyone was really really nice to me and there were two other girls there who had graduated from the same high school as Narumi! It was so fun to eat good food and meet new people and hear so much about the place where I will be going in less than two weeks. Also, I had a really crazy encounter- A guy named Kenta came to the party about an hour after we had started eating. Kenta had actually gone to my high school for one year as an exchange student when I was a freshmen. I don't think I had ever talked to him, but I remembered him because he was in choir with me and he had a really big solo for one of our spring concert pieces that year. I literally had never ever ever ever considered the fact that I might run into him- I didn't even know he was in Tokyo! But he goes to the same college as Narumi, and so Thursday night there he was! Oh life- it's so fun the interactions and encounters you can have with others when you least expect it.
After that things have been pretty quiet- Some really nice nights bonding with my host family- things are going so well- I'm really lucky! Then Saturday a friend had a small dinner party at his apartment and Sunday there was a going-away party for the students in my program who are leaving after this semester (aka in about one week!). And of course lots of studying--!
This week things get really really busy though. I am taking advantage of today, Monday and my day off, to get organized and study, as the following days I don't know how much time I will have.
Life is good!
1/12/11
New Years and other happenings!
Well New Years has come and gone and, being as it's arguably Japan's biggest holiday, I thought I should write about it!
I spent New Years with my host mom, Machico-san's family in a small town about two hours away. After I got back from Hong Kong my Machico-san and Kojirou had already left for her parents house, but as my host dad Kenichi-san had work, we left together on the afternoon of the 31st after doing some cleaning around the house (I feel proud to say I cleaned the room with the ofuro (bath) exceptionally well- better than Kenichi-san normally does!! ). We took the train and reached our destination just in time for dinner. And boy, did we eat. I was at their home from the 31st until the afternoon of the second, and my stomach was always full! I learned on new year's eve, Japanese usually eat "soba" noodles, noodles made from buckwheat flour. Soba is eaten because the noodle strands are long and thin, representing longevity and happiness. The morning of the 1st we had o-mochi, mochi being rice pounded into dense, sticky cakes. The rest of the meals we had everything under the sun in Japanese cuisine, and it was very delicious!
In terms of new year's activities, the days were pretty quiet. On the 31st we just had dinner, chatted, and stayed up to watch a popular concert on television that brings in the new year. On the first I went to a jinja, a Japanese shinto shrine, with my host parents, Kojirou, and my Machico-san's brother. We didn't wait in line to pay respects to the kami (god) or burn incense or get our fortune told as it was too crowded, but it was really nice to walk around and see all the sites and be a part of Japanese new year! The Japanese people are not very religious, and to most visiting the temple or jinja is more a custom than a religious act. It's been interesting learning more about the shinto religion and the Japanese people's relationship to it.
After that we went to karaoke, always a very fun activity! On the second we went for walks, saw swans and ducks (even black swans!), had lunch at a sushi restaurant, and then Kenichi-san and I headed home, Machico-san and Kojirou following the next day. It was a really nice and relaxing new years!
Other events of note- the next day I had fugu with Kenichi-san's brother, Seiji-san. Fugu (blowfish) is a specialty of Japanese (and maybe other Asian countries?) cuisine, and long ago used to be dangerous to eat because the blowfish is very poisonous if not prepared correctly and people used to die because of ingesting the poison. I personally don't know why they went to all this risk though- I was able to try fugu three ways: raw, fried, and boiled, and really it doesn't taste like anything. If someone wants to risk their life for a meal, let it be something more delicious at least!
Went to a jazz cafe with one of my friends- really relaxing and also really fun to see the Japanese jazz scene! The next day this same friend's host mom took us to Kowagoe, a part of Tokyo known for it's old buildings, actually a rarity in Tokyo I think largely because of WWII. It was a really fun outing and my friend's host mom was so so nice! She bought me extra presents at the end of the trip saying, "onna-na hito dake!", meaning just for girls (my friend was a boy, so I think she was glad to be showing around a girl).
Then got to go to my host dad's family's house last weekend for a "shin-nen-kai". "Shin" means new, "nen" means year, "kai" means meeting, so basically a lunch celebrating the new year. It was also seijinshki, a day that celebrates all 20 year-olds coming of age in Japan. Girls wear beautiful kimonos with long sleeves and colorful fabrics. Boys usually wear suits to the ceremony. I was actually invited as I am 20 this year, and when I talked to my host family about it they suggested the ceremony might be boring for me as I probably wouldn't be able to understand it. Another one of my American program-mates tried to attend the ceremony but ended up leaving- his host family wasn't allowed to enter (it must just be for the 20 year olds), and as he was the only foreigner he felt very uncomfortable and didn't know anyone. So given his experience, I am glad I didn't go. Probably what I will do at some point is wear kimono and take photos at a shrine or temple. We were actually going to do that at Kenichi-san's parents house, as his mom makes kimono, but we didn't have time, so another day!
Just about all caught up. Bought my ticket to Okinawa yesterday! I will be there from Feb 5th until probably March 5th. Very very very exciting!!!!!!!
I spent New Years with my host mom, Machico-san's family in a small town about two hours away. After I got back from Hong Kong my Machico-san and Kojirou had already left for her parents house, but as my host dad Kenichi-san had work, we left together on the afternoon of the 31st after doing some cleaning around the house (I feel proud to say I cleaned the room with the ofuro (bath) exceptionally well- better than Kenichi-san normally does!! ). We took the train and reached our destination just in time for dinner. And boy, did we eat. I was at their home from the 31st until the afternoon of the second, and my stomach was always full! I learned on new year's eve, Japanese usually eat "soba" noodles, noodles made from buckwheat flour. Soba is eaten because the noodle strands are long and thin, representing longevity and happiness. The morning of the 1st we had o-mochi, mochi being rice pounded into dense, sticky cakes. The rest of the meals we had everything under the sun in Japanese cuisine, and it was very delicious!
In terms of new year's activities, the days were pretty quiet. On the 31st we just had dinner, chatted, and stayed up to watch a popular concert on television that brings in the new year. On the first I went to a jinja, a Japanese shinto shrine, with my host parents, Kojirou, and my Machico-san's brother. We didn't wait in line to pay respects to the kami (god) or burn incense or get our fortune told as it was too crowded, but it was really nice to walk around and see all the sites and be a part of Japanese new year! The Japanese people are not very religious, and to most visiting the temple or jinja is more a custom than a religious act. It's been interesting learning more about the shinto religion and the Japanese people's relationship to it.
After that we went to karaoke, always a very fun activity! On the second we went for walks, saw swans and ducks (even black swans!), had lunch at a sushi restaurant, and then Kenichi-san and I headed home, Machico-san and Kojirou following the next day. It was a really nice and relaxing new years!
Other events of note- the next day I had fugu with Kenichi-san's brother, Seiji-san. Fugu (blowfish) is a specialty of Japanese (and maybe other Asian countries?) cuisine, and long ago used to be dangerous to eat because the blowfish is very poisonous if not prepared correctly and people used to die because of ingesting the poison. I personally don't know why they went to all this risk though- I was able to try fugu three ways: raw, fried, and boiled, and really it doesn't taste like anything. If someone wants to risk their life for a meal, let it be something more delicious at least!
Went to a jazz cafe with one of my friends- really relaxing and also really fun to see the Japanese jazz scene! The next day this same friend's host mom took us to Kowagoe, a part of Tokyo known for it's old buildings, actually a rarity in Tokyo I think largely because of WWII. It was a really fun outing and my friend's host mom was so so nice! She bought me extra presents at the end of the trip saying, "onna-na hito dake!", meaning just for girls (my friend was a boy, so I think she was glad to be showing around a girl).
Then got to go to my host dad's family's house last weekend for a "shin-nen-kai". "Shin" means new, "nen" means year, "kai" means meeting, so basically a lunch celebrating the new year. It was also seijinshki, a day that celebrates all 20 year-olds coming of age in Japan. Girls wear beautiful kimonos with long sleeves and colorful fabrics. Boys usually wear suits to the ceremony. I was actually invited as I am 20 this year, and when I talked to my host family about it they suggested the ceremony might be boring for me as I probably wouldn't be able to understand it. Another one of my American program-mates tried to attend the ceremony but ended up leaving- his host family wasn't allowed to enter (it must just be for the 20 year olds), and as he was the only foreigner he felt very uncomfortable and didn't know anyone. So given his experience, I am glad I didn't go. Probably what I will do at some point is wear kimono and take photos at a shrine or temple. We were actually going to do that at Kenichi-san's parents house, as his mom makes kimono, but we didn't have time, so another day!
Just about all caught up. Bought my ticket to Okinawa yesterday! I will be there from Feb 5th until probably March 5th. Very very very exciting!!!!!!!
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