So, today my host mom, Tomoko, and I went to the Nankichi Museum. Nankichi Niimi is a famous writer that was born in Handa City in 1913. My host mom had one of his stories, in English, for me to read. :) You know me and books. I was excited, even if it was just a children’s book…
I love museums. I could spend all day in a museum if I was allowed. I like reading all of the information that is posted at all the little stations. Most of the time though, there are other people with me and they don’t want to do that. (Except for Dad, he likes to read them too.) In the Nankichi Museum however, everything was in Japanese, so I couldn’t read all the information even if I wanted to. My host mom picked out most of the interesting things though. Sigh, I wish I could find a translator button in my head somewhere. That would make everything so much easier…
After the museum, Tomoko took us out to Chya Chya. It is an Italian restaurant that serves pizza and pasta. It was a very Japanese “pizza and pasta” let me tell you that right now. First of all the pizza is super thin and tiny, not thick and deliciously saucy and the toppings were… interesting… It was the same with the ingredients in the pasta. They were interesting… I chose pasta with cream sauce, shrimp, basil, spinach, and eggplant. That was probably the most normal one. I am pretty sure there was one with squid. Haha. I ate it all of mine though. (Except for eggplant.) They were playing Ice Age in English at the restaurant, just thought I would add that in.
When we got home Tomoko gave me a Hiragana (Japanese Writing Style #2) practice book. I learned how to write my name basically. Haha.
Tomoko left eventually, having to go home to her own two kids, one is actually my age, but I haven’t met her yet.
Hiroko Sensei came after that. I got to learn some calligraphy (or shodō). Mostly all I learned was that calligraphy is hard. Lol.
This is some of my best work. It says Kazoku. It means Home Group, or Family, in Kanji. My name is on the side in Hiragana.
They kept telling me I was a quick learner, so I think I did it right. Lol.
The Japanese are very giving people. Whenever you go to someone’s house or if you just feel like it, you give gifts. Hiroko gave me a gift so I gave her some of my precious chocolates. I also gave my host mom her chocolates as well. The first comment they made when they had some was, “It’s so soft.” They are so deprived when it comes to chocolate. :(
After calligraphy, my Obāsan (or grandmother) took my host mom, Iri, and me out to eat. We went to a Japanese Tempura restaurant. It is basically fried food over rice. I had shrimp with some veggies. It was very yummy or as they say in Japan, oishii (delicious). Once again, I ate it all, except for the eggplant. Lol.
I have found out, since my stay in Japan, that I do not like Green or Straw Tea, hot or cold. I love coffee hot, not cold, and they have Coca Cola here! In like every vending machine. And vending machines are everywhere in Japan!
They have a lot of other drinks in there that I have not been brave enough to try yet though.
After Tempura, we went home.
I met my host dad today. He comes home very late and he only speaks a little English but he seems to be okay with that. He gave me a present. It is a picture of a Dashi, which is a float that they make during the Handa Dashi Matsuri or Handa Float Festival. Unfortunately, it is a spring festival and I could not see it. But anyway, in Handa there are 31 of these Dashi, each belonging to a certain group. What is really impressive is that they manage to get these through Japanese streets!
My host dad also presented his wife the gift he was given from the Emperor. He handed her a small white box, I thought it help jewelry at first, but when she opened it, I saw that there were six little squares of candy, all imprinted with the emperor’s seal. We all split one. It was basically powdered sugar that melted in your mouth on impact. So cool!
My Okāsan (Host Mom) took all the pictures today, so I don’t have any of them on my camera. :( So, sorry ‘bout that. I will try to take them in the future.
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