Hooray for being back here in Japan - it`s amazing how similar and familiar so many things are! I arrived at Narita airport a bit late on Wednesday - there was some engine trouble (one of them was going backwards?!?!?! on the runway in Auckland) which delayed takeoff by half an hour, so it was a late arrival at about 5pm Japan time. I then made my way through the semi-familiar maze of the Japanese train systems to meet my host mother Mariko Yoshimura at just after 9pm in Tokyo. From the train on the way there I saw so many things that I`d forgotten about - the little narrow streets all decorated with lights, Lawson`s general store, 100Y shops, millions of bicycles, and how it gets dark at 4:30pm! Coming from NZ summer where sunset is about 9pm, this was a bit of a shock to the system! I also re-experienced the delights of my neighbour on the train repeatedly falling asleep onto my shoulder, and someone on the seats opposite snoring away blissfully - some things never change!
Once at the Yoshimura`s house, it was great to have a good chat catching up - even though my japanese is incredibly rusty. Even though Id only slept for about 1hr on the 11.5hr flight, I was both surprised and pleased to find that I wasn`t overly jetlagged. Still, it was heavenly to get into a very very relaxing piping hot japanese bath, and then go to bed on a lovely warm futon! Such memories!!!
Yesterday (Saturday) I had a good sleep-in, and then spent the morning talking to my host parents Mariko and Fumiaki, and also rang Mrs Nakayama, who was the co-ordinator of the first exchange I came on to Tokyo in 1998, so it was great to catch up with her. The Yoshimuras and I went to a gorgeous `Italian` restaurant for lunch with their daughter Ayaka (they remember my love of pasta!!:)) and then we drove to Fumiakis workplace. His business has moved premesis from the last time I was here, and is now two floors of a building in Shibuya - very nice! It was raining by then which gave me a chance to reminisce again about Japanese umbrella etiquette, and we walked to Shibuya station. Having some time to kill before I needed to catch my train, we took a wander throught the Foodshow market in the station - a place I`d often visited when I lived here. It was really fascinating, as always, to see all the food being prepared, advertised and sold - and to try some of the samples!
It was then time to say goodbye to Mariko and Fumiaki which was sad, as it was wonderful to see them again. I don`t think anything quite matches the extremely generous extent of Japanes hospitality.
From Shibuya, I took the VERY familiar train route to Aobadai where I was to meet Hamish (one of my bosses at Toin Gakuen School 2 years ago). Looking out of the train window I recognised so many things, and was quite astonished to find that I still remember the names of all the stations along the way.
I arrived at Aobadai just after 4:30pm (and yes, it was already dark!!!) and was most surprised to see not Hamish, but Mr Nosaka (another of my previous bosses) waiting at the gate for me!!! He drove me to the Yoshidas house (a host family from Toin Gakuen) where I was to spend the night, and also where a small `Christmas and Welcome Home Party` was held for me with the Yoshida family, Hamish and Mr Nosaka. As always, Mrs Yoshidas cooking was amazingly good, and we spent a really lovely evening - even though I understood perhaps 5% of all that was said (including what Hamish and I talked about in English!). The Yoshida`s oldest son Katsuomi is currently studying in Bsoton so I didn`t see him, but Katsuhiro and Yuria were both there. Yuria has grown so much!! She is coming to NZ next August with Dr Yoshida and Mr Nosaka, and hopefully I will be able to see them! She has a violin competition tomorrow in Chiba, and had practice all day yesterday and today, so I was lucky to get to see her. The only two changes I noticed in the Yoshida household were a new dog (Taakun, black labrador) and a fabulous massage chair, which I had the pleasure (and occasional pain!!) of sampling!! It`s lovely to have so many things so familiar - it really does feel like coming home, in many ways! Following another wonderful Japanese bath, I spent another night of sweet dreams in a Japanese futon, in the beautiful japanese-style room at the Yoshidas house. Once again, the hospitality is quite overwhelming!
This morning (after another gourmet breakfast courtesy of Mrs Yoshida) I am at school (Toin Gakuen) writing this on Hamish`s computer in the oh-so-familiar staffroom. All the buildings at school here seem just the same, and it`s sooooooooooo cool to be back! I`m going to the girl`s school (where I used to teach) at 11am to meet Mr Nosaka and all the teachers over there that I used to know, before being the `surprise` at a Table Manners lesson in the girl`s cafeteria (exams finished two days ago, so there are no classes). Apparently about 50 of the girls I used to teach will be at the lesson, so I`m the surprise guest, according to Mr Nosaka! The meal is supposed to be a full-course French style affair, and is expected to go on until about 4pm!! (Good practice for Lyon!) At 4:30pm I`ve arranged to meet Kumiko (a host sister and friend) and some of the other students, and sometime after that Hamish will take me to Mr Nosaka`s house where I am to spend the night, and apparently we`re going to watch Amelie on DVD, which I`ve never seen and have wanted to for ages. It`s in french with japanese subtitles, so should be an interesting test of both languages for me!
So yes, that`s about me up to date! Thankyou so much to all of you who have emailed me - I`m sorry if I don`t quite get round to replying individually to you all. I don`t know how often I`ll have internet access, but will write updates whenever I can. Tomorrow I`ll be at school again and staying in my old dormitory with Ariel tomorrow night, and then Sunday I`m off back to my `home` church - Tokyo Baptist Church (TBC).
I hope you`re all keeping well, wherever you are. Love to you all and God bless always,
Lisa
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