Meet the Nakamura's, my Japanese parents!

Meet the Nakamura's, Junko and Hideo san. Or as I call them, oka and oto san.  I first told you about them in one of my first posts and how I met them walking Oliver.  We have come a long way since that first meeting. My japanese is recognizable but minimal and their english is much better, although none of us agree on the others opinion...so we have concluded that we speak "J-ENGLISH"  In the beginning when Oto san was not around we would go out together and carry notepads to converse.  The japanese can read english but they can't speak it, weird I know.  But since then, life with them has been a whirlwind!

Junko san is the silliest and sweetest person and one can't help but crack up when around her. Not that she is funny "haha" a jokester she is not, but if there was ever a blonde japanese woman, she is definitely it!   On top of her many "blonde" moments she is probably the most truthfully blunt person I've ever met.  She means no harm in her bluntness but it's so funny that she is so completely honest on what she thinks or feels.  She does not beat around the bush.  Kae, her daughter, says its her blood type and she can't help it.  The japanese believe that blood type drives the personality.  For instance, I walk Oliver several times a day here I've run into many, many people inquiring about him. She's curious to know who all I have met or talked to, which ususally ends with me describing them because she doesn't recognize their name...I have to laugh because almost everyone I describe to her upon recognition she tells me to be careful because their crazy, and I hate to say it, she's right. (smile) Another example is,  I started training for a half marathon in August and around October she tells me, "Lori San, you look good. When I first met you when you sit down your belly would stick out (as she gestures with her hands)!" Yikes! Junko san, be gentle! LOL I was a size 12 to which I'm a proud size 10 working towards an 8.  She can't believe how "fat" americans are.  You see there are very few "heavy" japanese which is mostly due to them eating every kind of vegetable imaginable with very little meat...but I can't help but think that their thin because they WALK and BICYCLE everywhere!!  Nonetheless, she worries about me being alone all day, about me walking barefoot all the time - it's not good for woman to have cold feet; and she's always surprising me with little things she's found at the store.  I couldn't ask for a better friend, or mother...she's always feeding us.

Mr. Nakamura - Oto san. His english is much better than Junko sans and when I first met them he did all of our translating for us.  I give him alot of credit because it was mostly girl talk! You know, "where do you shop?, Who cuts your hair?, etc " He even drives us shopping and waits in the mall lounge.  He is a good man.  He is also a force to be reckoned with, and I suspect a very shrewd businessman.  He once worked for a large printing company here and retired 10 yrs. ago.  Last spring I decided to try the japanese version of the "Schwann" man.  This was fine and dandy except that every time I received a bill it was higher and higher..so I went to him for an explanation as I can't read kanji.  He was not a happy man because upon answering several questions he told me I should cancel my business with them and demand a refund.  His reason, because all my catalogs and order forms were in japanese and they were charging me for them, along with hidden "fees" that I actually had the option of declining - this was NOT explained to me.  He immediately set up a meeting with the company and it was not like anything I've seen before. I thought I'd just sign a few papers to close my account and they would act as my interpreter.  Instead, we had formal tea with the gentleman and got the niceties out of the way he immediately started talking with him harshly. I immediately felt like I was 12 yrs old and knew that this was a scolding - Kae and I locked eyes and we just sat there with our hands folded. I was too scared to move!  I don't know exactly what he said but whatever it was the gentlemen immediately bowed the lowest bow I had ever witnessed along with a very earnest and repeated "Gomenasai" -I'm sorry then turned and repeated it to me.  This meeting not only cancelled my account but also had the company return to me all hidden fees and reimbursement for weekly papers and order forms. His reason?  If they are going to have american customers then they need to have all paperwork in english.  I felt bad for the man!

On the non-business side, he now keeps himself busy gardening, or as the japanese call themselves, "Farmers". I laugh because its really just a small, small, small garden.  I will not knock it though because he grows everything under the sun.  I am very grateful that he shares his garden with David and I. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, eggplant, sky beans(kinda like edamame) snow peas, green beans, watermelon, corn...I'm sure there's more but that's all I can remember right now.  Everything from his garden is fresh, delicious, sweet and juicy...it reminds me of my grandma's and the Bruning's garden. Yum!

 I am glad that Junko san was brave enough to speak to me last February, my life here and my experiences would not have been the same.  I have seen and done more things with them that I would not have been able to experience had David and I lived on base instead of out in town.  Because of them, I now know where to go for all the best deals on food, shopping, furniture outside of the "mainstream".  I have friends that I can pop in unannounced for a cup of tea. I no longer have formal tea with them in the living room and have moved into the kitchen.  This gesture alone made me feel part of the family! However, we still have our tea in proper cups and saucers, it makes me wish that I had brought mine that my great aunt and grandma had given me (they are in storage)...they would definitely been put to good use!

Jan 1st - Mochi time!

Last year our friends Skip and Rei Bennett invited us to go on a Mystery Tour on New Years Day.  This year our new friends the Nagatsuka's gave us mochi made by one of their family members.  David and I were very appreciative of this gesture, the only problem was was that we hadn't a clue how to prepare or eat the blocks of mochi given us.  This mochi looked like hard white bricks, and the mochi I was familiar with was supposed to be chewy and it's shaped like an orange with a bean inside. Why didn't we ask them how to prepare you wonder? Well, you see the Nagatsuka's do not speak ANY english - AT. ALL.  Eriko san and I do all our  conversations by charades.  I did have her over once for tea and Rei as our translator, and we had a lovely time but I digress...!  Thankfully, our friends Kae and Nobu Matsuzawa, were more than happy to teach us.

What is Mochi?  Mochi is made by pounding rice over and over again. The pounding of the rice makes it quite gummy and pliable. Last Fall, David and I were able to see how mochi is made and it's a very long and physically drawn out process along with a large dose of trust.  The tools used to make mochi is a very large mallet and pestle. As one person used the mallet, the other person turns the lump of rice in a very quick and rhythmic pattern.  I found out that its then shaped and dried.

On New Years Day, Kae and Nobu san came over for lunch and then for dessert we had mochi.  I wasn't sure how these hard blocks of rice would turn gummy.  To me they looked like dried out indian corn bread and I was very tempted to heat it up, butter and salt then eat!  Instead, Kae gave me a pan that allowed me to toast on top of the stove, which can also be doubled as a toaster.  This process was quite easy to do, the moc hi is simply heated until it starts getting puffy.  Once it poofs, you poke it with a chopstick, if its oozes it's done!  Of course it must be done on a very low heat or it could burn, like the one in the picture.  Once heated  it can be eaten several different ways; soy sauce and seaweed, crushed soybeans with sugar, or with soy sauce and sugar.  Each one is quite tasty, but the soy sauce and seaweed was our favorite!! Oishiikatta!!

Top 10 2011 memories of Japan

Where did the year go?  It's hard to believe that it's been 10 months since I've last posted. I have about 20 posts started but not finished...there is just so much to tell that by the end of each day I'm too tired to write and then I tell myself that I'll finish it tomorrow.  Well, we know how that turned out!! So my goal is to post at least once a week in 2012, but again it started out with a bang and just keeps getting busier.

Here is my Top 10 experiences for 2011!

1. Jan 1st David and I went on a Mystery Tour to 4 different prefectures of Japan, and to this day we still don't know where because our entire tour was in Japanese..to include our brochure!

2. In February during my daily walk I met the Nakurma's - Junko san and Otosan along with their daughter, Kae who is my japanese BFF.  The Nakurma's have proclaimed themeselves as my Japanese parents and their 3rd daughter. Im a touched beyond belief and humbled by the generosity of their friendship, home, family garden, and much much more. They have made my first year here unforgetable!

3. March 11.  I woke to the most beautiful red sunrise and never imagined that later on that day a 9.0 magnitude earthquake would devastate Japan and rock the lives of the people here forever. It was and still his heartbreaking.  One of my acquaintances lost her best friend of 40s.  She lived in Sendai where she was taken away in the Tsunami.  I could only hug her in my arms as she cried.

4. After the earthquake, I volunteered at the the base American Red Cross and met the sweetest old man, Mr. Kobyashi.  After getting to know one another that day we found out that we live only a mile apart...to which he frequently rides his bike to my home delivering fresh vegetables from his garden. Oh and he's 83!

5. Due to a large amount of people evacuating back to America. Many english classes were left without a teacher.  I was contacted about substituting for these classes and I have not slowed down since! I teach 4 days a week, various hours...I'm really quite busy.

6. Summer went by in a FLASH...it was quite hot but David and I were able to visit downtown Tokyo, only to find out it was a holiday and everything was closed! But we did get to visit the Tokyo Tower.

7. Oh! Forgot about the Cherry Tree Season!!! Gorgeous, beautiful, breathtaking don't even come close to expressing how spectacular the blossoms are here. It's like walking under a canopy of PINK! My favorite color by the way!

8. Went to several different types of festivals that were interesting. Ginger festival, Tanabata festival, Firefly...apparently there's many many more but due to the Earthquake in honor of the 10,000 plus lives lost most were cancelled.

9. We climbed Mt. Takeo and Mt. Mitake.  They each have their own beauty but Mt. Mitake is my favorite!

10. We have a running club here and I decided to join.  In December I ran my first half-marathon! Yeah Me!!

Okay so I said 10, but....

11.  David and I finished out the year by having a traditional Soba noodles dinner New Years Eve with Mr. and Mrs. Kobyashi.  Soba noodles are very long and the Japanese eat them at the end of year to wish for a long life and good health for the coming year!  It was delicious!!

Stay tuned for 2012...!

When I am 90...

Spring has arrived - It came today bringing with it a bright sun, a warm breeze, a sky filled with blue and budding flowers and trees at every glance.   It also brought me a special dose of homesickness.  It reminded me of being back home on the Rez...the smell, the breeze, the river.  I wanted to be home taking a walk, not here in Japan.  I have to be honest I didn't really want to walk in this weather today it amplifies my homesickness. But Oliver's tummy is upset, so in fear of him throwing up in the house we went for a walk.

Along our normal path Oliver and I had the pleasure of meeting the sweetest 90 year old man. Yes, I said N-I-N-E-T-Y!  When we came upon him I did my usual head nod and smiled, sometimes I'll say, "Konnichiwa"  and sometimes I don't.  We've never seen him before  so I chose to do the first and he spoke to me instead.  Unfortunately, I can only understand a few catch phrases and I didn't understand him and answered with Gomenisai, ni hongo wakaru nai (I'm sorry, but I don't speak Japanese).  He then asked if I spoke English and when I answered, "Yes", to my surprise he said in perfect English, "Where are you from?"  This opened up a completely unexpected conversation.

Once our formalities were done, we walked along the river bank for two miles.  He was a little hard of hearing, and we walked a little slow but during this walk I learned that he had spent one year in Montgomery, Alabama attending the Air College  learning about a new aircraft that McDonnell-Douglas was building,  the Jet Engine!  He was chosen by his company to learn about the new plane and how to fly it.  I learned that it took him over a week to get America.  One day  for each stop - Tokyo to Wake Island, Wake Island to Hawaii, Hawaii to San Francisco.  He then traveled by train from San Francisco to Montgomery, which took 3 nights and 4 days.  PHEW. I'm tired of just thinking about it!

I also learned that he has four children, 3 sons and 1 daughter.  He has a granddaughter that just married an Australian and is to meet him in a few days.  He was very happy that he could practice his English on me.  I also learned that he is just visiting for a few days, but is looking for an apartment or home close to his son, whom he is visiting.  Our walk only lasted about 45 minutes, but I wished it were longer, he had to return to his son's house.  His daughter-in-law was coming to make lunch, then he was going to catch a train to Tachikawa for a dental appointment.   Did I mention he was 90?!! Yes, he was traveling by himself.

I never did catch his name, but that's alright because what I learned is that even though homesickness has a way of creeping up on you, push through it and find the positive.  I was able to feel past this, enjoy the beauty of today, this sweet man helped me recognize that when I'm ninety,  I want to walk two miles on my own with a sound mind!  So, "Thank You" kind stranger for sharing your walk with me on this beautiful Spring day.

Conserving Energy - Roulette Style!

Since March 11, Each day is a barrage of public service announcements and warning from the Giant Voice in our city.  We didn't have a CLUE of what was being said and the first few days we relied on rumors. Thankfully, Rei, our Japanese friend who lives on base, would kindly listen for the announcements and interpret them for us.  Now, finally, Fussa City gives Yokota heads up for those of us living off base and the announcement is then posted on FaceBook. Thank you, Mr. Zuckerman!

Oh yes, Public Service announcements...well,  we found out that the majority of them are notifications of our rolling blackouts.  In order to conserve energy, Tokyo is divided up by its suburbs, so to speak, and we are subject to 3-4hr rolling blackouts.  Sort of like Russian Roulette.  Instead of a gun it's with energy.   So some days it's from 12:30 to 16:30, the next is from 9:30 - 12:30, etc..you get the picture. Sometimes if the city has been good on conserving energy we get a reprieve by cancelling the next day's blackouts and don't always find out until AFTER you've altered you schedule. Grrrrr...!  These rolling blackouts have become quite the aggravation making it hard to plan my day around...I have an order to my day with regards to cleaning my home and making dinner.  So my housework rolls with the blackouts, too.  Not to mention, my walks with Oliver..he's a little discombobulated, as well. 

But amongst all this disorder...(insert evil hee-hee) David and I have found our humor.  A little tid-bit, the Japanese do not have four-way stops here, or even three-way stops for that matter.  Our first blackout occurred at 6:30pm and it was to last until 9:30 so we decided to venture out with Oliver for a walk.  David wanted to take my day route in the dark, I was like no way there may be Gah-hiite..(Ghosts)..there's a shrine along the route that has dressed up baby Buddha's. It's just a little creepy..he laughed and we headed towards Fussa...over the bridge...it was cold that night and the wind was whipping, what were we thinking??  Well all this second guessing flew out of our minds, forgetting the cold,  when we came across our first intersection with the lights out (it was pitch black).  Did I mention that the Japanese are probably the politest society I know?

Picture this, you have to, walking along, pitch black, no moon, and the wind being very, very cold...then imagine coming across a VERY BUSY four way intersection with no light signal and no one knows what a four-way stop is.  It was hilarious!  The cars were doing one of two things. 1) they were politely scooching up into the intersection, tapping on their horn or 2) just kinda creeping up then blowing through.   Now the tapping of the horn wasn't  a "hey, I'm here watch out" it was a "No, no, you go..." and then the other would tap back, "No. No. I insist, you go..." and back in forth this would go. We had found our evening  entertainment.  We stood on the corner for about five minutes watching the cars politely tap back and forth, going, not going, the heck with it, I'm barreling through, making up our own imagined conversation  of the drivers and couldn't stop laughing!!  I'm chuckling now,  just thinking about it. (insert evil hee-hee-hee ...)

It didn't occur to us to video tape this until AFTER we got home.  We have had several blackouts since then but not at night.  I promise to videotape the next time we have one at night.  We figure that videotaping them at night would be less noticeable than during the day.  The Japanese have a hard enough time figuring out how to cross during the day, let alone stopping to pause and wonder what those CRAZY Gaijin's are doing on the sidewalk??!  Our blackouts are opened ended until the reactors are controlled.  Things here are finding their own "new" normal - Gas has trickled back in, there are more cars on the road; shelves are still bare and when supplies do come in they are bought just as quick.  I, finally, saw some of my old dog walking friends this past Sunday.  I am happy. So until our "new" normal is here to stay... I will continue to find humor in my everyday living!

I Have No Words.

I Have No Words.

Today, is March 15, 2011.  I have no words.  David has been taking hourly readings throughout the day and first thing in the morning when we wake up.  They are normal.  Normal...to who? It has been four days since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit, along with an historical tsunami that has wiped out a minimum of 10,000 people in one town alone -  Sendei is gone.  Normal, it is not.  Oliver, my dog, keeps me busy and it's because of him that I know things are not normal.  Our daily walk along the river are now silent. Gone are the daily walkers; I don't know who they are or where they live, but  I miss them.  Gone are my new friends with their dogs. The ones who try to speak English to me as we let our dogs sniff and play. I wonder how they are.  Gone are the multiple birds along the river bank, did they leave?  Perhaps they've taking their cue by the absence of people.  This is not normal.

Normal.  I feel safe.  I am not alarmed.   I Skype my mother, my sister, my father regularly, my Facebook page is filled with concerns.  All is well in my household, we are safe.  Normal.  I have faith in the Lord, he will provide, reassure and comfort where man cannot.  I have faith that our military leadership will provide accurate information and care for us if the time comes.  Japan is in a very calm panic, If I may describe it that way.  The store shelves are bare of everyday items - rice, milk, bread, tofu.  There is no gas.  Our neighborhood driveways are lined with cars that no longer move, their owners are being frugal with what's left in the tank.  People are now riding their bikes to work or walking.  The majority of vehicles on the road now are commercial - delivery trucks, semi's, construction, etc.  I drove to base today to do my normal grocery shopping and I felt guilty.  Guilty, because I could drive, there's plenty of gas on base.  Guilty, because I could buy food, the shelves are well-stocked.  I purchased a 20lb bag of rice, just in case.  Just in case we starve? No, just in case we had to leave...I could provide something for my new friends Junko-San and her family and Fumiko-san, our shop keeper.  They have brought joy and laughter into this foreigners life and have made me feel more welcome here than I could have ever imagined.  I hope I do not have to say, "Sayonara".

My heart is overwhelmed by the multiple well wishes, thoughts and prayers;  more so, for the people of Japan.  I can only imagine what they think, or can I?  This natural disaster has affected their town, prefecture - their nation.  Even though we sit SAFE some 200 miles away, I've not seen a soul, they must be inside grieving. Grieving for the loss of their loved ones, the unexpected, for what might have been.  Or, perhaps they are being cautious for the "just-in-case" and are choosing to stay inside and conserve energy.  Twice, there was notice of a blackout. Twice it was cancelled.  The nation has done well conserving energy as their government, along with the United States and other nations assist in stopping a nuclear meltdown. We  were rewarded with the cancellation.  Tonight, there is a call for another one, perhaps that will be cancelled, too. 

David and I have no television or cable.  We obtain all our news from the internet, however, I've chosen to limit myself.  It's too much.  Too much grief, too much sensationalized journalism, it's just too much.  Every few hours a giant voice is speaking. It reminds of the exercises that I participated in with the Air Force, and on my deployment.  I wish I could understand Japanese...I hear Kudasai (please), arrigato (thank you), onagyshimas (I think that's "I repeat or I say again" - I've butchered the spelling, I know).  This is when I search the news for updated information.  This is when I am, again, confronted with what has happened.  I read the articles, I see the photos. I am overwhelmed with emotion -  I feel guilty, I have food.  I am safe.

I have no words.

March 11, 2011

When I first opened my eyes, I awoke to a blazing fire red sunrise staring at me...the first thing that popped through my head was "Red sunset at night a sailors delight, red sunrise in morn' sailors be warned" a little rhyme I used to hear my mother say when I was a little girl.  I shared this with David as we laid there looking at the beauty rising in our bedroom window.  He just chuckled, as he usual does at my little sayings and the thousands of useless little tidbits that I share daily.

At around 2:40pm I decided that I would work with Oliver to allow me to touch his paws.  I clipped his nails too close when he was very young and I am no longer allowed to touch them.  I now have a Pedi paw but I cannot get close enough to touch him.  I had just sat down on the floor with him when David called, our friend Kitty, wanted to know if I'd like to go to the movies..so we made our plans and hung up.  Little did I know that that small rhyme I recited earlier would have such an affect on a town, one nation, and the world.

At 2:46pm I heard what I thought was a huge gust of wind; they periodically come and go, out of the blue and just as quick.  From the floor I looked towards our front window, the wind sounded like a freight train...then all of a sudden the floor started shaking and I thought "Oh, my first little, big tremor".  I wasn't scared, so I just sat there..then it started getting bigger and the whole house started shaking and thought to myself, "What do I do? I should know..but I can't think" so I quickly got up and sat on the recliner for a second, then realized I should stand in a barrier supporting wall or doorway. Everything was so surreal, it felt as if I was on a roller coaster ride, clickety clacking on my way up to the drop.  Only instead of me dropping, I stood and watched my pictures frames fall, my spices rolling of the shelves and only imagined what else was falling.  At this point I still was not afraid, I can't explain it but I knew that I and David were safe.  He was at school and I know that Yokota had built very sound facilities.  During all of this my phone was ringing, but I had left it on the side table about six feet away I knew it was David calling to check on me, but I figured I better stay put.

So many things were going through my mind, like "Wow, my first earthquake ~ Crazy!" "This is a new house, surely its somewhat Earthquake friendly"..yeah, why I would think that? LOL..."I hope it's not too serious the bridges will fall....how will David get home?".. "I can't wait to tell my family".."I should be videotaping..oh man, my phones over there...darn." "Is this supposed to last this long..it feels like forever" In fact, I was told it lasted almost three minutes.  When all was done..Oliver came to me and the cats came downstairs.  I thought, so much for animal premonition. I told them they were useless! so together we surveyed our home.  Kitchen cupboards were open, drawers pulled out..spices on the floor.  In reality, we were very, very fortunate.  I went outside and saw the power and phone lines swinging, there were some elderly couples out for their afternoon exercise who definitely worked their core muscles to keep their balance, they were okay and giggling!

It wasn't until David came home to share with me the horror that the earthquake brought, a tsunami 160 miles away that wiped out a town of 10,000 plus people. Not including other small towns up and down the coast.  I felt horrible, I had already taken Oliver back out for a walk and waved to the other dog walkers as we charade (d) across our experience to one another.  How could we be so close but yet far enough away to go on as normal, never realizing that such a travesty occurred?  We have no television or radio. Our sole source of news is the internet.  When I first looked on the news, there wasn't anything so I went about my day..only for David and I to read much later of what was to come.  I am blessed.  We are blessed, the Lord has kept us from harm.