Lunch in Japan: Mochi Eyes and Tofu Membrane

It sounds like something from a Halloween flick, I know. But the fact of the matter is, Japan has some weird food. And I love it, even the octopus pancakes. Since spending money is done with great ease here, most of us end up sitting on the front steps of school, eating trays of noodles and onigiri with sour plum paste inside while sipping chu-hi's, all bought for next to nothing at the 99 cent store across the street. It is always an adventure, choosing one's lunch.

Since moving out of my host family's house (more on this later, I'm writing an article for the program's blog on homestays), I've had plenty of opportunity to cook in the small apartment I now share with our director, her husband, our business and health directors, and their boyfriends. Only yesterday I attempted to bake cookies in our tiny but efficient microwave/oven. After Professor Benard and I finally decoded the buttons, the machine produced a few batches of half-baked, rather mediocre chocolate chip cookies.

Strange nosh aside, my experiences here over the last few weeks have been full of adventurous discovery, good-natured mix-ups and miscommunications. I have stumbled clumsily along the trendy avenues of Kyoto and have never been more aware of my gaijin ways. Despite all of my short-comings and gracelessness, I have been welcomed with open arms and encouraged by many of the Japanese people I have come to know well. With my first homestay under my belt, I am feeling more confident and adaptable and now look forward to a short break and a bit of relaxation before heading back to China.

Photos: Rachel J and me eating our kombini lunches at school.

Tending Toward Silence

We have been in Japan for over a week now and with the excitement surrounding the presidential election (YES! Obama!), the looming papers, exams, and our hour-two hour commutes to school have many of us beat. Despite my exhaustion, I am smitten with Kyoto and spend my days indulging my sweet tooth at the many boulangeries and walking the downtown streets between temple visits. Kyoto and Nara, two ancient Japanese capitals, have history seeping out of the cracks in their narrow sidewalks. It is enchanting to wander down little side streets where the teahouses look out over the mossy, channeled streams--mind you don't make yourself an obstacle on the cyclists paths!

I have also been enjoying my stay with my host family. I've learned to make some traditional Japanese dishes under the kind tutelage of my host mother, and have gone shopping with my trendy older host sisters a number of times now. Our greatest challenge is basic communication. It is a simple problem: they know a few words in English and I am capable of expressing only basic greetings ("good morning," "good evening," etc.). Most of the time I am silent. I spend most of my time awkwardly trying to pantomime my way through dinner or drawing pictures to express myself. It is like being placed at the kids table and overhearing a few words of adult conversation. I have learned to read body language extremely well and this sometimes makes things more confusing as it appears that I understand more than I do. There are moments of loneliness and occasions that feel "successful," like when I am able to put together small sentences. No matter how tired she is, my host mother always makes an effort to include me in conversations, or at least clue me in to what is being discussed. I am so grateful for her effort and it's my hope to communicate at least that much in the next week and a half before we pick up and leave again.

I will have more time to write again after these papers are finished but those are my present thoughts on Japan. Celebrate for me in the States, please.