Celebrating Valentine's - Japanese Style...

Last week, Rei, asked me if I wanted to go to Tachikawa to shop for a Valentine's Day gift for David.  Yes!!! Valentine's Day,  even though it is one of those commercialized holidays, its the one I've always wanted to celebrate.  There's just something romantic and magical of receiving a secret valentine that I can only imagine makes your heart pitter-patter off the chart!  You see, I was one of those girls that would watch the other girls receive secret candy grams and florist made bouquets delivered during class from some secret admirer, <sigh> just holding my breath that one of those beautiful flowers would be mine.. it didn't happen *sniff* :)

Fast forward - I am finally married to a man that I have loved almost my whole adult life and knew that someday we would marry.  This year will be our first Valentine's Day physically spent together, EVER!  Flashes of past daydreams dancing in my head imagining what kind of Valentine's Day we would have..it was going to be romantic and, well...magical.  Imagine my surprise when David came home to tell me that he specifically liked Dark Chocolate, but I could forgo the flowers.  I'm like..WHAT are you talking about??!!  He quickly, and very happily, I might add, that in Japan the men receive flowers and chocolate, not the women.  I thought he was joking because he knows I can be quite gullible, but I was not going to fall for this trick.  Unfortunately,

Rei confirmed this sad bit of information. No it's true...the men receive all the pretty valentine flowers and chocolate. 




 

This past Wednesday, Rei and I went to Tachikawa. I could not believe my eyes, this is no joke, the japanese women take their Valentine's Day shopping seriously.  It looked like an end of season clearance sale at Macy's. Counter after counter, kiosk after Kiosk was a bevy of chocolates! Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, truffles, bon-bons...and women everywhere.  It was a chocolate haven and I suspect that some of those women pushing and sampling couldn't help but make a few hidden purchases for themselves!  Sales ladies passed out chocolate samples like the perfume lady in front of Macy's, only instead of being nauseated by the smell of perfume, we were nauseated from sampling too much chocolate!  In fact, this trip reminded me of buying perfume. I liken this experience the same as trying to find the best chocolate to finding the perfect scent but because you've smelled so many, you can't remember which one was your favorite. I knew David liked dark chocolate, but which one?  There were just so many to choose from.  In the end, I selected one that was sprinkled with 60% dark cocoa over Dark Belgian...ooh so yummm.

But wait...what about the girls??  We get a marshmallow.  Yep, it's called White Day and its celebrated in March.  Apparently, the men give their sweethearts a marshmallow, hence the white.  I don't know who's bright idea that was but I'm with Rei, screw the marshmallow..I want chocolate!

Watashi no inu wa friendly desu! translation: My dog is friendly

The simple phrase of "Watashi no inu wa friendly desu" meaning, "my dog is friendly" has been such a blessing to me this week.  I walk Oliver three times a day - 5:00 am, noon, and at 7pm;  30, 60 and 30 minutes, respectively, with an occasional 15 or 20 minute one, mid-afternoon.  During these walk we often pass the same people out with their dogs and are suspiciously looked at as if to say "Who is this very tall woman and her extremely large dog?" to which I can assume they're really thinking...will her dog eat my dog?!

I wanted to let them know that my dog was friendly, so I ask my friend Rei how to say it.  This simple phrase has opened up my lonely days.  Lonely only during the day, as every English speaking person I know, works.  I pass Japanese people all day  and I feel suffocated because I do not , yet, know the language.  And for those of you that know me, know that I enjoy people and love to chat. 

I have to laugh because on Monday, a curious gentleman stopped to chat with me.  I wasn't sure what he said, but I did use my new phrase to which he then asked me in perfect English, "What kind of dog is he?"  We've met Yoko and her dog, Moku and hope to pass them again.  We've only put Mee-Maw's fears to rest that Oliver will not eat her dog that's just as old as she is, and I can only assume really, really old!

This morning was the best!  I met Mrs. Jun-ko and her daughter's dog.  It seems the biggest question, is what kind of dog is he?  Jun-ko informed me that we walk by her house everyday and I could stop and say hello.  However, I apologized because I didn't understand her directions and she let me follow her home.  Her home is one that I often admire and was curious about. She has a garden that I can assume is quite beautiful when in bloom.  She brought her husband out to interpret as he has lived and traveled abroad to England.  She is a domestic goddess as well, and he is a Farmer.  He is also the man  I see practicing his golf swing each day along the banks of the river when we walk.  This photo is of a Japanese radish, known as Daikon, which he proudly grows.  David and I often see it at the farmer's market and wondered what it was..now we know!  Mr. Jun-ko gave this to me as a gift, I felt so blessed and touched that they would extend this kind gesture to me a stranger.   I look forward to eating it. 

"Watashi no enu wa friendly des" has opened a door for new friendships.  Because of this simple phrase, Jun ko has invited me and David back to her home.  A visit I look forward to!