Here in Gifu we have been experiencing a chillier winter than we did last year. We are seeing temperatures regularly dipping below zero (Celsius that is) at night. We even got what Gifu considers a “snowstorm” on Tuesday morning, nearly two inches of snow which were almost completely gone by mid-afternoon.
While I never felt that I was able to adapt to the summer, in fact, just thinking about this summer strikes fear in my soul. I hate the heat and humidity that Japan dishes up. I do feel as though I have adapted to the winter. It is chilly, without being ridiculously cold (a major shout-out to all of our friends and family in the Midwest dealing with unspeakable temperatures), except that it is chilly ALL THE TIME. Remember us telling you about the whole lack of central heating about this time last year??
However, I must say that when I woke up this morning and looked at the thermometer in my kitchen it told me that it was a balmy 5 degrees Celsius (40 degrees for you Fahrenheit folks). In my KITCHEN!! That, my friends, is a totally unreasonable temperature.
That is the type of temperature which makes it such that you can’t just sneak to the toilet quickly in the middle of the night without fully waking up. It is the type of indoor temperature which rudely robs you of your groggy state the minute you pull your covers back. It makes you question exactly how badly you have to use the toilet (and, as the pregnant lady, I must say that the answer is almost always, pretty badly). It is the type of temperature that means that even though you are only out of bed for only a minute or two, it is cold when you climb back in. As I said, completely unreasonable.
There are many things about Japan that I will miss. A total lack of central heating, and more importantly insulation, is definitely not one of them.
This is a picture of a tourist map sign posted at the main streetcar stop right outside Nagasaki station. We got a real kick out of the fact that one side of the tracks had correct English on its sign, the other side, well, not so much.
This is a picture of a tourist map sign posted at the main streetcar stop right outside Nagasaki station. We got a real kick out of the fact that one side of the tracks had correct English on its sign, the other side, well, not so much.
Whenever you travel anywhere in Japan, the Japanese will always remind you what that place is famous for, and upon your return they will surely ask you whether you experienced that particular famous thing (whether visiting or eating). So, before we went to Kyushu we were given a long list of things that we simply must do. For example, Fukuoka is famous for ramen, so we knew we had to try it. Nagasaki is famous for castella (a type of cake), so we would eat that as well.
Fukuoka is also famous for Dazaifu Tenman-gu, a Shinto Shrine that is frequently visited by students, hoping to gain wisdom and success for their entrance examinations. So, we knew we wanted to go there as well. After all, we could all use a little extra wisdom.
Dazaifu is about an hour train ride out of Fukuoka and a perfectly pleasant place to spend a half-day or so. We did visit the shrine, but after that we found something which we thought was a little more spectacular.
A short walk away is Komyozenji, a Zen temple famous for having the one-and-only dry garden in Kyushu. Aaron and I have always been a fan of these types of gardens, and this one was no exception. Even in the middle of winter, an ordinarily gray and bleak time of year to visit a garden, it was still a peaceful and beautiful place.
Just like Fall, when you live here in Gifu city, you also have to go on a small day-trip to find winter. Well, more accurately, to find snow.
To me, winter and snow are still inseparable concepts. Last year I enjoyed the absence of snow and the mild winter, this year I find myself really missing the peace and stillness of a snow storm. The way it forces everyone to stop and slow down, it changes plans, and reminds us that we do not have ultimate control. Perhaps being away from the inconveniences of snow has made it easier to seem so idyllic. Perhaps when snow is part of my reality again, shoveling and driving through it, my perception will change. But for now I long for it and I am jealous of those of you that get to experience the magic of snow for more than one day this winter.
A few months ago I took the leap, I started another blog but I have kept it mostly a secret. At first it was a secret because, well, the contents of the blog (Little R) were a secret as well. But, after that, I just never really thought to mention it.
Now people have started asking for a few more updates about our other adventure, growing a child, and I figured it might just be easier to let you all take a look for yourself.
This blog will remain focused on our adventures in Japan, at least until that adventure ends (about 7 months from now). The other will focus on my adventures in pregnancy and our adventures in parenthood. If you are interested, or if you just really want to find out how HUGE I am getting, go take a look!
Last year we abandoned Japan during the largest holiday of the year, New Years, in search of a more tropical place to spend our holidays. This year we decided to stay put to take part in the festivities of a traditional Japanese New Year. I say that we decided to stay put, but actually this was largely decided for us because of the little person happily growing inside of me making long travels to exotic places a non-option. Even though I would have loved to spend the holiday in a slightly warmer place, I am so glad that we ended up spending New Years the way we did and I think that this year will easily remain in my memory as one of my favorite New Years for many years to come.
The best part of the New Year was visiting a small temple with a very dear Japanese friend of ours, Tanaka. He is friends with the monk that cares for the temple, and thought it would be a good place for us to experience a traditional Japanese New Year.
After spending the night at Tanaka’s house eating traditional foods and watching the NHK New Years broadcast (very similar to the one in New York, although this one ends a bit before the turn of the clock to give families the chance to ring in the New Year together and make their way to a local temple), we got in the car to drive to a small temple about 15 minutes from his house.
From my time in Japan, all 17 months of it, I can easily and clearly pick one day that was my ABSOLUTE worst day here. That day is still so vivid in my mind, as though it just happened yesterday. Picturing and thinking about that day is still enough to trigger an emotional reaction, practically bringing tears to my eyes.
Needless to say, it was hard this week, knowing that I had to return to the school where my worst day in Japan happened. I was scheduled to be at the school three days this week (Tuesday-Thursday) and as I watched those days creep closer and closer on my calendar my stress and tension increased. On Tuesday morning I woke up, knowing that I had to go, dreading the day, and I couldn’t make it through the morning without breaking down in tears.
I knew it was nearly impossible for the day to be any worse than last year, much less as bad, but I still didn’t want to face it. Aaron reminded me that I had to decide. I could decide to have a miserable day or I could decide to make the best of it. Sometimes he knows what he is talking about. I decided that I was going to practice some of the “letting go” and “relaxing” that my pregnancy books have been telling me about, knowing that letting go was as important to getting through the next three days as it will be when I give birth in a few months.
