Piczo

A Japanese Family Get Together

The Masaki family are Shinto, which is an ancient Japanese religion that focuses mainly on honoring the deceased ancestors. For 30 years the youth of the deceased must celebrate and pray for the happiness and good fortune of the ancestors as a whole family once during the summer months. Yesterday we packed up the car and headed to Aki City, just about an hour away from Kochi City. There we would meet up with Okasans parents and her little sister and her niece and nephews for a feast and prayer. After a scenic drive thru large open country side (not quite so many squished houses at in the city but still many houses) on a very narrow street, we arrived. I met Okasans parents. I had practiced earlier in the morning how to greet them but I seemingly messed up as Otosan shook his head and gave me an icy glare. My Japanese has yet to improve and I still can't understand a single thing anyone says to me. Otosan tries to give me lessons but I just don't really get it. Anyways when we arrived we walked about a mile thru a very old traditional Japanese village. The houses looked very much like the typical generalized Japanese house. Okasans parents built a a huge Japanese garden with Torii gates and fountains with fish. It was beautiful. The family wanted to go swimming in the local river so we all trudged the 2 mile across dusty ancient roads in the heat (well over 100 degrees) When we arrived, the river was too dangerous to swim in because of the typhoon so we could only stay close to the banks about knee deep. After we headed back to play table tennis. I am absolutly terrible. That's all I'll say. Everyone headed back to watch championship high school baseball game of Tokyo verses Hokkaido and to also take a shower. Japanese people take up 3 or 4 showers a day down here in the absolute heat. Then we got to go grape picking. Okasans family grows grapes. I got to cut some just for the Masakis. In the grape tree tent a snake slithered by my foot and I freaked out and ran screaming. After we ate a huge dinner of dead fish. It was my first traditionally Japanese meal, as well as sitting on the tatami floor on our knees. I feasted on crab and barbequed shrimp. But it was a little hard eating with a dead fish staring at you. Okasan took pity on me and went to cook some fish just for me. I yet again could not understand a word of what was going on. After dinner Otosan and Okasan went to pray for there ancestors. I was really suprised when they asked me to do the same. I thought that would be disrespectful, but apparently not. So I kneed in front of the shrine thing with the pictures of the deceased, lit candles, rang a bell, and bowed my head in prayer. It was pretty cool to be able to be involved in such a tradition. I guess it was the the first feeling of fitting into Japanese culture. After a quick rain storm we were supposed to climb the mountain and give fortune to the ancestors. When we started to climb, I was the only one who didn't need to take 11,ooo+ breaks. In fact I had a running competition up the steep mountain with the 11 year old boy. He needed a break so I stopped to wait for him and yelled down to Otosan "Come On You Dont Want an American to Beat You!" Apparently he didn't care whether an American beat him or not just that if he went any faster he would have died. At the top of the mountain we walked through some torii gates and I bowed and prayed as I threw 7 yen into the ancestor well. The view from the top was impressive as you good see miles of farm land and the ocean in the distance. We came back down and cooled off in the house. The house is probably the most traditional Japanese house I have even seen. Bamboo shag floor, knee table to eat at, Japanese painting of geisha, and a sculpture of an old house. But then you can see the westernization as well. An air conditioner hangs over the room and there is a tv smack dab in the middle with baseball playing on the screen. Afterwards we played badmittion, and I got crushed by Tiger Woods (Otosans latest name for himself, no longer Captain Jack.) Then we set up some fireworks on the mountain. They were beautiful and everyone cheered as colors lit the sky.

Hangout and Saying Goodbye

Anyway this past weekend has been pretty interesting and a little boring. Contradictory? Welcome to Japan. On Sunday I was supposed to go to Kagawa on a Rotary excursion, but it was flooded from typhoon 17. Then Otosan Masaki planned on Osaka, but then the typhoon took out an entire highway in Kochi. (That sounds worse than it actually is, Kochi only really has one highway and its usually deserted.) Naoko, my host sister, was supposed to return to college in Kobe, but couldn't because of the highway. The typhoon really ruined the Sunday. But my host father, being the brave and somewhat strange man he is, decided we ought to go to the beach. In a typhoon. So we trekked in the pouring rain to Kochi's famously beautiful beach, Katsurahama. You can't swim at this beach as the waves are too big on a nice day. So I hope you can imagine how large they were with the typhoon swirling off the coast. The beach truly is beautiful and we were lucky as the rain stopped for us to take a few photos. Afterwards, we headed to Godaison, which is a famous old Buddhist/Shinto Shrine in Kochi. On the whole island of Shikoku there are 88 temple and shrines of great history and beauty. It is said if you visit all 88, all your wishes will come true. Godaison is number 21 on the list. So I have 87 more to go. Anyway Godaison is situated on top of mountain. It is a beautiful old shrine, that actually is kinda creepy. Unfortunately the main shrine was closed from the typhoon but we still prayed for the ancestors and rang the gong. We went to lunch afterwards, where I got to eat delicious pumpkin soup. Then we went home. Later after dinner, which was Tempura, one of my favorite dishes, we went bowling. I really don't like bowling, and I'm terrible compared to some Japanese people. But I stuck it out and beat Naoko again. Monday- Today was the Japanese holiday "Respect for the Aged Day" thus a free day from school. I woke up and had to say goodbye to Naoko as she caught the bus back to Kobe. Naoko was pretty busy all summer, so it was hard to spend time with her. But the times we did get to hang out were always so much fun. I really like hanging out with someone a little bit older than me. Someone easier to talk to. Thus, I was very sad when she left.

Imouto- The Feeling Of Being The Little Sister

I wanted my next post to be all about the fun weekend I just had. But I'll type that up for tommorrow. Instead I want to talk about something else that happened this weekend. Something I never imagined would happen. But then I never imagined I'd be spending a year in Japan either. Anyway, my wonderful host family has one daughter, Naoko, age 22. She is a University student at Kobe University, studying Pharmacy. When she is through with University she will return to Kochi and carry on in the Masaki Family Pharmacy. When she lived at home, from what I gather, she was the absolute most average Japanese teenagers, except she was really smart. She attended the best school in Kochi, made wonderful friends, all of which are at the best University's in Japan. She never dated, because it was against her father's rules. On free days after her Orchestra practice, she she stayed at home and studied her butt off, eventually she attended cram school. And to top it all off, she even dreamed about carrying on the family business over Pharmacy. But now she attends Kobe University, and last month, when her report card was sent home, I knew then I should leave the house for a little while. Haha She got her first D in physics! During the summer, when we both lived together, we didn't spend all that much time together. She usually slept throughout the day, then partied in the night. Thus when she was awake, I was asleep. We sat at the same dinner table, but there was a bit of a language barrier. Sure, we went to a pool, the caves, and to the beach together, but nothing super special. It wasn't until the day she left, that I generally knew I was going to miss her. That day there was a typhoon, and we both were stuck in Kochi. So we hung out, went shopping, and talked the whole day. And when the next morning came I found myself crying as she left. It was even harder when she told me she had always been an only child, so having me around meant something to her. I was really crying then. But then just before she boarded the bus, she turned around and gave me a big hug. Japanese people NEVER hug! And so, I was really really happy. October was a busy month for me. Unfortunately I hadn't been able to keep in touch with Naoko. And to make it worse I lost her cell phone email, so I couldn't even email her. But it wasn't as if I would never see her again. She promised to come back for my birthday, even though 2 days later I'd have to move so I wouldn't get to spend any time with her. Then, my Otosan announced we would be visiting her at her University on Sunday. I was really excited. After a long bus ride, we arrived and walked deep into a community of College dorms. We arrived at a bright pink building, climbed a million steps, and were greeted by an excited Naoko. She quickly jumped to give me another unexpected hug! I was so shocked and speechless, I didn't even get to say hello. She brought me into her dorm; a yellow room with a huge futon that had not been made in what looked like months. There were pictures of random places all on the wall, and a plasma TV hooked up to an old school Nintendo set. There were attempts at cooking and dirty dishes in the sink. And the bathroom was the size of broom cupboard and cluttered in every girly kind of thing possible. The tiny closet overflowed with clothes and shoes. Okasan wuickly set about dusting the walls and cleaning the table. I sat in awe and thought This is brilliant. Hanging in Naokos dorm, well that's when I first felt it... Afterwards we found ourselves on the outskirts of Kobe at a Starbucks. Naoko and I shared a coffee and caught up. I told her all about Hokkaido, Tokyo, Matsuyama, and Okinawa. She told me about how she got a D. When we noticed Otosan listening in to our conversation, I said "I always get A's in America." Naoko gave me a nasty look. I snickered at her. Pretty soon we were on a train heading to Pearl Bridge. There we looked out at Kobe, what a great city. Naoko grabbed my arm and we walked throughout the small museum laughing and skipping and just catching up. At one part of the museum, there is this great glass floor. My host family was afraid to fall through. Nope, not me. I jumped on it and it didn't appear to shatter. So Naoko followed. Afterwards, she turned to me and said "I'm having a wonderful day!" On another train I gave her a present, a few packs of her favorite gum, Orbit Citrus, all the way from America. I got another hug! I love and miss hugs! We went out of Kobe Mt. where me and Naoko joked around, bickered, and acted like 2 sisters. She was older, wiser, advice giving older sibling, while I was the annoying, playful, in need of advice younger sibling. I got her in trouble for her D. She gave me much needed hugs, I gave her packs of gum. A pretty fair trade off if you ask me. And I learned something new, big sisters and little sisters are the same in Japan as they are in America. For those of you who know me, you know I have a 12 year old little sister, Shannon. We fight every chance we get, but when it comes down the important stuff, she and I have each others back. She, like all little sisters knows just how and when to push my buttons, get me in trouble, and just be a little sister. That alone is a self decription. For the past 11 and 1/2 years I've had to put up with the little squirt, and though I may live to regret writing this, I wouldn't change any of it. But I have never had an older sister before. I've never gotten to be the annoying, pesky, little brat copying her older sister, and getting her into trouble. That little kid who looks up and occasionally needs advice. I was always perfectly content to being the older sister to take the time to care about how the other side lives. At home, when I thought about my upcoming exchange, I generally only thought about Japan life. Wondering how I would make friends, what school life was like, how I was going to fit in with no language skills. School and culture is only just the tip of the iceberg. There is really so much more. I'm apart of another family. That's another set of parents and people who watch out for me. And best of all, I'm a little sister! I guess I consider it life experience to be able to get your older sibling in trouble, or save their skin when needed, to give a good laugh, and to need an occasional hug-and get it! I never thought how much fun it would be. Like I said earlier, I never ever figured I would experience something like this. Never ever imagined having an older sister, like Naoko, to make fun of me or give me advice. So far that I've been here I've taken on many roles, Exchange Student, Crazy Gaijin, and Japanese school girl to name a few. But my favorite so far has definitely been Little Sister. When we had to leave, it was my turn to get on the bus. I gave her another hug and nearly in tears, I said goodbye. When we were driving away, my phone started ringing with an email. "Imouto (little sister) don't be sad. I will see more soon and that I promise. I am coming on your birthday. It will be fun. Love, Naoko" (translated from Japanese.) I smiled reading it and then attempted to reply in Japanese. Later on in the bus somebody asked my host father if Naoko was his only daughter. He said "Naoko and Julie. "

Last Day With the Masakis

Okay so I know this is called Last Day but I think it best to start on the night before I left... After my incredibly amazing Sweet 16 party, I find myself on the verge of tears as I pack all of my new gifts in a Bag for the move. The move from the Masaki family to the Ono family. Naoko sat along side of me putting things into bags. She kept me from crying, I'll admit to that. Otosan came into the room and announces we would be heading to see Devil Wears Prada in a few hours. I want to be all packed by then, so I hurry to throw things into my bags. I've been her for 3 months and as I look around at my 6 full heavy bags, I can't help but wonder how much I'm going to have after 12 months. The thought makes me cringe. Looking around at everything makes me so sad. I've only been here for 3 months, but they have been full of happy and joyful memories. I start to cry. I can't help it. Right before we leave for the movie theater I give Naoko and Okasan their presents from my parents. Naoko opens hers and instantly loves it. It's a pink and white framed picture of she and I at the airport on my first day in Japan. It says "Big Sister, Little Sister." She makes an excellent point when she points out that although she may be the older sister, I am much bigger than she is. I can't help but laugh. Okasan opens her present, a framed picture of me and Naoko at the pool. It's really a gorgeous picture, of the 2 of us. Both wide-eyed girls with dreams and beautiful smiles. My parents also write a note, "Favorite picture of our two daughters..." It takes Okasan a while to translate it. But she absolutely loves it and she puts the frame into her room. Then I hand her a note. This note I have been working on all week at school. It's written in the neatest and best Japanese I could possibly do. My original note was very me... terrible Japanese, a million star drawings, and a few smilieys. I showed it to Shiho and Aimi at school and they conferred that it wasn't very good. So they proofread, fixed my kanji characters, and made me write a much neater note. I still used my same words, though. Apparently they were good enough. The note said something like, (translated from Japanese) "Dear Okasan and Otosan, Now I want to thank you. I have been here for 3 months. They have been exciting and great. We have many jokes. (Lists all of good jokes.) I am very happy but sad to leave. Please come visit me in America, you will enjoy! I will miss you very very much. I still here for 9 more months. I will visit. Again thank you! Your Gaijin, Jurie Gaana." By the time, Okasan was finished reading the note, she has burst into tears and is hugging me and telling me how much she will miss me. I am fighting tooth and nail to not cry, and am in luck when Otosan returns to urge us to get going. We go to the cinema one last time, to see the movie. Afterwards, we go to the Super Market and then return home. Back at home, I take one last shower at the Masakis. Then I decide to spend my last night with my host family. It's pretty late, but that's okay. I ask Otosan if he likes the frame and he admits he loves it. The picture is great, two girls with fat cheeks. That's exactly how he says it. haha. Two Anpanman. The picture is on their cabinet in their room. We talk about the past 3 months and all of our jokes... Outskare Katsukare, GIDGET, 525,600 minutes, Competitive, procrastinate, Osoi eater, Captain Jack Sparrow... things only we can understand. We as in the Masaki family and me, who shared 3 fun months, August to November. I got to have a great family, Otosan, Okasan, and an older sister, Naoko. They got to have a wonderful American daughter and a younger sister. The thing is, even though, I will no longer live with them, that doesn't have to change. I know that, they know that. But it's still sad that I'm leaving tommorrow. I then teach the Masaki's one of my favorite old games, Bubble Gum Bubble Gum In A Dish, How Many Pieces Do You Wish? They love it! It's pretty funny when Otosan loses and Naoko wins. We also do some crazy hand games, which only Otosan can master. Naoko goes into the tub, and I am left with Otosan and Okasan. We talk about the party. I ask them what they thought about my friends, and they agree my friends were great and very polite. Naoko had said earlier that she was so suprised to see I had so many friends and that I was obviously very close to all the girls at the party. Otosan also assured me that the Ono family was great and very excited to have me and so far I had done well. Done well? After last years exchange students, Rotarians were extremely hesitant to host. Otosan admitted that he wouldn't have hosted if Sakioka-san hadn't pressured him. But now, many people are volunteering to do it. I already have my third host family picked out. They live rather far from the school, I will be the oldest kid and get this... there are 4 children! The oldest girl will be an exchange student next year. As of now, they are building my room in the house. That's an example of how I have done well, Otosan says. I'm getting really tired as it is very late. But before I go to bed I make them promise they will come to visit me in America. I tell otosan I will take him to see Rent (one of our jokes.) They tell me Oyasumi Nasai for the last time. I head to bed and fall asleep... the last time in the Masaki house. When I awake the next morning, I just lay in bed for a while, drifting in and out of sleep. At 10; 30 I finally decide to leave the room. Otosan decdes we should all go out for brunch. At breakfast Okasan and Otosan order Coffee, Naoko orders tea, they ask if I want water. "Can I have Coffee?" Otosan thinks about this, "Okay your 16 now I guess you can." You'd think I was asking him for alcohol or something... The girls all order Cheese Toast and Otosan order something else. We kind of sit there and talk about Kochi and how it never snows. When we get served, Otosan and Okasan eat quickly, and me and Naoko eat slowly. When I am finally done, I can't help but tell Otosan "Osoi Eater." (Another of our jokes.) Back at the house, we take a whole family show. My camera timer comes in great use as we sit on the deck and smile. Then Ojisan takes a picture of just the Masaki's and me. Back inside, it's time to load everything into the car. It takes Ojisan and Otosan both to carry just one of enormous heavy bags... poor guys. It's raining really heavy by this time, but Okasan takes my Camera chip to get pictures from the party. When she returns, she also has a bag of chestnuts. The most difficult little beast in the world. It's time to go... Obachan stands on the sidewalk waving to me. I'm crying so hard now I can't even hide it. Okasan is fighting not to cry. Naoko is too, but she is losing. The ride is quiet, but when we get there, I've dried my eyes. I don't want my new family to think I don't want to go to them. That all I want to do is stay with the Masakis, because that is not the case. We unload the car and the Masakis are invited in for tea. Okasan speaks to my new Okasan about me. Naoko looks around at the house and consistantly whispers "sugoi" which means Great. To break a mere awkwardness, I decide to speak. My new host brother is wearing a Red Sox Jacket. I call him on it and everyone laughs. This is going to work out. Its time for the Masaki's to go. Naoko is really crying now as I stand on the sidewalk and wave. --

Like I Never Left

Being an exchange student means living and experiencing things that spending the year in our borth countries would not allow us to experience. During orientation when the Coordinators of the exchange are talking about all the benefits of the program, they fail to mention one thing. One thing that is so important to me, that I can't imagine where I would be in the course of my exchange without it. And it doesn't happen to every exchange student. You have to be really lucky and work very hard for it. For me, it was finding a host family that I became part of. A family that even though I no longer live with, welcomes me back to the home as if I never really left in the first place. That family, the Masaki's, are and always will be, one of the best things that I have experienced on my year abroad to Japan. Yesterday, I went back to visit my first host family after a 4 week hiatus, in which I moved into my third family. As I walked through the Masaki family pharmacy, it felt the same way it did 4 months ago, when I walked through the sliding glass doors everyday after school. My host mom was working behind the counter and she looked up and exclaimed, "Ah! Jurie!" We began talking, never once letting a difficult language barrier block our way. I showed her the schedule I had made for the upcoming trip from my Mom and Nana, and she whisked off to make a copy for her family. I mean, the fact that my family from America's visit is that important to them, must show something. Soon I heard familiar footsteps and my favorite person in all of Japan came bounding the stairs. Naoko Masaki, 22 year old Kobe University college student, and the girl, whom I really consider to be my big sister, ran at me and gave me a much-needed hug. I've written about what it is like to be a younger sister before, but I want to add something. The thing about Naoko is that she and I are 100% different. She likes Couture clothes, galleons of makeup, and girly stuff. The kind of stuff that I don't really think too much about. And yet, when she stands there in her Cheetah skin leather coat, knee high heels, makeup painted face, and all-around Diva look, I can't help but absorb every word she says. I find myself wanting to be just like her in all the cool ways. It's weird to think that I LIKE being a younger sister. Anyway we begin talking, and to my disappointment I found Otosan Masaki was away in Takamatsu on business. But they invited to hang out the next day, go to the movies, and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with my first host family. Naoko suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me through the back of the pharmacy and up to the apartment, I lived in back in August through November. The Masaki's just recently bought a dog, which Naoko wanted me to meet. I hadn't been back in the apartment since November, but it hadn't changed at all from my memories. Walking up the stair case and through the garden was nothing new to me. Obachan, my host grandmother, whom I really adored even though it was really difficult to communicate with her, greeted us merrily. I was shocked at how lively she was, but really overjoyed to see the elderly woman so spirited. Naoko told me in secret that ever since they got the dog, Obachan had been acting excited and much younger everyday. I couldn't help breathe a sign of relief, after all, she was my adopted grandmother for a few months and seeing her so energetic brought on a good feeling. Soon I met, Sakura, a little weiner puppy that was the cutest thing on 4 feet. I watched as Obachan played with Sakura merrily, getting nibbed on slightly. Ojisan, my host uncle, came into the room, and we were all conversing about the upcoming trip. I showed them the schedule, and they complimented me on my amazing planning skills. Sometime in the festivities of Sakura's cuteness and Obachans laughter, Naoko invited me to lunch with her and Ojisan. And soon we were heading to my favorite Okonomiacki restaurant, Hakobe. At the restaurant Naoko and I began talking about the upcoming trip. I told her that I was going to Kyoto in the early morning and would be waiting for my Mom and Nana for about 8 hours. She came up with a brilliant plan. Instead I should take the bus to Osaka, and we could meet up at Universal Studios Japan for an awesome day. It was perfect! I'd get to make an already brilliant trip, even better by spending time with my big sister in Osaka. She also took on the task of helping my plan some last minute details with the Kyoto portion of the trip. I asked Naoko when she would be heading back to Kochi, and she said she was coming back specially to meet my Nana and Mom. Back at the pharmacy I said a reluctant goodbye to the family. But I wasn't worried because the next day I would be meeting with them to see a movie and hang our at the Aeon shopping center. The next day 2:30, Otosan and Naoko came to pick me up. I hadn't seen Otosan in a month and was very exicted to see that he hadn't changed very much. I would have drove my bike over to their apartment, 45 minutes away with no trouble but Naoko informed me that Otosan wanted to check out the premises. On the car ride to the Masaki apartment, he interviewed me all about my new family. His conclusion: that I am very happy and lucky to have such a great new family. Naoko later told me that he was very worried about the whole thing. That fact is that he didn't realize how difficult things were for me in my second host families house, until I told him towards the end of the stay. She said that when they found out, the Masaki family was very worried about me. But my new family is absolutely wonderful, no difficult weird rules about going out with a trusted first host family. Because he is Japanese, Otosan tried very hard not to show any emotions on the whole matter, but I could tell with every thing I talked about, he was breathing easier knowing I was happy. And at one point, after I told them that my new host grandmother had a decent amount of grandchildren, Otosan said, "Yes Masaki Obachan has 4 grandchildren and Julie and Sakura." Sometimes you don't realize just how special these little comments make one feel. At the apartment, I again climbed the steps and headed into the living area to be greeted by energetic Obachan and Sakura. We went into the living room to talk about everything. We made the schdule for me meeting up with Naoko in Osaka and then heading to Universal Studios Japan. Then she also made me relieved when she anounced she would travel with me to Kyoto so I wouldn't have to go alone. I love her! Then we talked about the upcoming travels and picked out a company that would dress me, my mom and Nana like Geisha in Kyoto. Soon we were off to Aeon shopping center. In the car we joked around as I talked in bad Japanese slang. You know what I realized? Lately all I have been doing in worrying that my Japanese is terrible. But when I'm with the people who really count, the Masaki's and my current host family, I can communicate and be understood. That being said, I'm horrific at the language, but I figure if I can make people laugh in Japanese, I'm not all that bad off. And I can do that. Naoko showed me her University card and I showed her my Gaikokujin identity card. We both nearly we ourseleves at how awful the pictures were. And they all admitted that with my Rotary application from last year when I was pretty fat, they were really suprised that I wasn't a fat American when I walked off the plane in August. After Naoko and I got Purikuras, the Masaki's and me headed down to a Katsu restaurant for delicious fried food. We joked through the whole thing and then heade dup to see the movie. Before we went in, Otosan pulled me aside to talk to me. He said sternly that he would call Matsumoto-san and ask permission about Osaka and then I would tell my host family. He continued talking about how worried he was and that it prbably wouldn't work out. I shocked him when I said I already talked to Matsumoto-san about it and that my host family was really fine with it. Infact they were encouraging of it. Otosan was shocked. I think my 2nd family experience really made him worried about breaking rules. Not that he ever broke any rules, they were just really strict about thhis kind of stuff. After Night Museum the movie was over with, we headed back to the car. Otosan wanted to get me back as early as possible (still thinking about the strictness of the 2nd family.) As we neared my host house, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm just very glad that you are happy with this family." And when we pulled up to the Osaki house, Otosan and Okasan said that whenever I am free after school, I have to come and visit them. Osaki Otosan came outside and he and Masaki-san discussed the upcoming trip, while Okasan Masaki hugged me and Naoko to keep warm. Soon I was saying goodbye and thanks for the amazing time and heading into me current host house. I don't think it's possible for someone to become part of family that we weren't born into. But I think being an exchange student gave me the opportunity to get as close to a family as possible. I love the Masaki family, and really don't know where I would be without them. Even when things were bad in my second family, I never got America homesick, I did however, get a strong yearning to go back to the Masaki's. And when I do go and visit them, it really feels like I never left in the first place. Yeah, it's that special.