I Found Japan in Orange County

I never cry when I leave America.

Perhaps I always know, I shall return.

I always cry when I leave Japan. Perhaps it's the uncertainty.

The last I see of Japan are the rice paddies.

I say good bye to the Chiba rice paddies from the train or the bus enroute to Narita.


When I return to Japan, the rice paddies welcome me home.

I never sleep on the journey. Neither to nor fro.

Childlike, I never want to miss anything.

Although the beaches welcome me home in America, the emotion doesn't produce the same effect.

Northwest of the Tappan Zee Bridge is a mountain that juts out into the Hudson. It reminds me of Kanagawa/Miura peninsula. Heading west over the Tappan Zee, I experience that same emotion. I'm home. Tadaima.

A young friend took me into Pine Island, the black dirt region of Orange County. I was so confused at first. I was speechless. I was dumbstruck. I was awed. The recall the very first moment I made the discovery. I was on a hill overlooking the land. I climbed atop a gate to get a better view. It was not possible to run down the hill to get a closer view. It was clearly private propery. All the while, I was thinking someone is growing rice !!! I was elated. I kept asked my guide, "is that rice?" I don't think he quite knew or else I simply didn't hear him. "Is that rice?" I asked again and again, like a child.

Suddenly, my mind began collecting data. This entire region is flat. The soil is rich. The area is completely irrigated. Sans machinery. Unlike Long Island. I don't believe I noticed the mountains in the background until a return visit but I had enough information to draw a conclusion.

I found Japan in Orange County!

I went in to work that Monday.

First thing in the morning, I announced, as if I shall never forget this weekend in my entire life, "This is the weekend I fell in love !!!"

There were several people presnet. My boss continued to gaze at a paper in his hand, his head tilted downward. He turned away quickly and headed for his office. I followed him. I stood in his doorway.

I announced again, "I've fallen in love!"

He continued to stare at the paper in his hand. I was certain I was making him nervous.

I walked into his office, on the opposite side of his desk I stood, directly in front of him. Still staring at the page he held in his hand. I exclaimed, asw if he didn't hear me the first time, "Hank, I've fallen in love. After a very brief pause, I continued, "I've fallen in love with Orange County!!!"

Perhaps he was relieved. His hand slowly lowered the page, his head titled upwards.
Then he looked my way with a a bit of a grin and said, "I hope she don't break your heart!"

Resolve

Iki Gai : Sense of Purpose
Iki Gai.
Purpose of life or something, someone support your life.
We have "Iki gai" individually
Someones's iki gai may be to have a nice family.
The other's iki gai might be to make a lot money.
My iki gai is to live with a good people.

Anata no Ikigai wa nandesuka?
what's your ikigai?

(This was an email from Yuichi)

Shogi

Shogi is a kind of philosophy.
Shogi is much more difficult to learn than chess.
The pieces can be reused.
Their movement can be promoted when
they make it into opponent's territory.

Shogi master Yonenaga-san.

Is like a 3 dimensional than chess!!!

Strategizing
Contemplating the consequence of a move
Trying to make the set up.

Useful Phrases

Be happy or enjoy
Tanoshiminasai

konndo hanasi simasyou

konndo(next time) hanashi(talk) shimasyou(let us)

I'll talk to you soon or next time. In other words, she's expecting to see you.

karada ni ki o tsukete

shinyuu (close friend)

Onegaishimasu.

karada ni ki o tsukete. (take care of your body)

Season of Kou You (sounds like koh yoh) and many many falling leaves.

Hai, wakarimasuka. Yokatta desu.
Kyoh wa doyoh bi desu. Kochira wa ima asa no hichiji han desu. Samui desu.
Today is Saturday. Here is seven thirty in the morning. Cold. Hai

Kochira wa samuku nai desu. (It is NOT cold here)

Kiyoh wa nichiyoh bi desu. Kochira wa samui desu. Ame ga futte imasu.
Today is Saturday. Here is cold. It's raining.

Hai, yokatta desu.
Kyoh wa J-Mart ni ikimasu.
Go to J-Mart today. Hai

hai, kaeshi mashita.
Yes, I returned the printer to Ayako after summer.
Korekara dekake masu.
I'm leaving now.
Mata atode.
Talk you later or see you later.

Good night. oyasumi nasai

> いかがですか？ How are you?
> I hope you are well.
> 元気でいることと思います
> I'll be in Tokyo next month.
> 私は来月(12月)東京に行きます。
> I'll go to ishigaki for a week.
> 1週間石垣島に行きます。
> I'll be at Kodaira from Dec. 29 to Jan.6.
> 私は12月29日から1月6日まで小平にいます。
> I want to see you.
> あなたに会いたいです。


Iki Gai : Sense of Purpose
Iki Gai.
Purpose of life or something, someone support your life.
We have "Iki gai" individually
Someones's iki gai may be to have a nice family.
The other's iki gai might be to make a lot money.
My iki gai is to live with a good people.

Anata no Ikigai wa nandesuka?
what's your ikigai?



TELLING TIME

what time is it (now)?
ima nan ji desu ka.

ima=now
ji=o'clock

12 ji desu

It is Noon
hiru no ji desu.

It is Midnight
mayonaka no 12 ji desu.

then just think how to say the number!!

1=ichi
2=ni
3=san
4=shi(yon)
5=go
6=roku
7=nana(shichi)
8=hachi
9=kyuu
10=jyuu
11=(just say 10 and 1)=jyuu ichi
12= jyuu ni
13=jyuu san
14=jyuu shi (yon)
15=jyuu go
16=jyuu roku
17=jyuu nana (shichi)
18=jyuu hachi
19=jyuu kyuu
20=(just say 2 then 10)=ni jyuu
21=(say 20 and 1)= ni jyuu ich
Provided by Chisa Suetsugu

Lost In Translation

It's not often you see the open sky.  

The days and the weeks went by and you wouldn't even realize it.  So consumed with the daily life of working and cooking . . preparing dinner.  I said to Mrs. Rogers, "I need a Japanese wife (to cook and clean for us)."  She responded, "You don't want a Japanese wife, honey, you need a Filipino."

So . . As I was saying, the days would be consumed with work and household responsibilities that I didn't even realize we were so land locked.  Everything was cement and tall buildings.  The laundry hanging outside on the verandahs and the futons hanging over the balconies were still so novel !!!  Iseveral months went by and I wasn't missing home.

Then . . . one night as I was going up the outside stairway, I saw the full moon.  "Jayme, come quick !!!" I summoned the boy as soon as I entered the apartment.

On another occasion, we were on our way to Yuichi's house for the weekend.  Yuichi was with us.  We had just arrived at Kodaira station and passed what is now a Mos Burger.  We were entering the big bicycle pathway, a wide open space . . And there in front of us was a big beautiful blue sky.  "Nice sky!," I declared.  And Yuichi . . . Responded . . . "Who?"

--------------/------------------/------------/----------------------/----------------

We were talking with Dr. Nakajima.  Yuichi wanted to confirm that Nakajima Sensei had attended the same university as Dr. Kurihara.  "See," he exclaimed,  "you never listen to me!"  "I listen to you," I said, "I just don't believe you!"  Dr. Nakajima laughed.  

-----------/------------/-------------/----------------------/------------------/-----

"Like Bob," he would say.  "What is like Bob?"  He would never answer.  This went on for days.  "What is like Bob?"  If he tried to answer that question, perhaps I didn't understand his reply.  I don't quite recall any reply, he seemed deep in thought about it.  Was there something about Bob that was disturbing him?  Of course I talked to Bob periodically, but there was never anything to feel threatened by . . . Then finally one day, he came to the apartment at Suginami-ku with a light bulb for the kitchen light . . Now I recall his reply . . "We must remember like Bob."  Of course, Bob would have a better memory but what did we need to remember??  We needed to remember to buy a light bulb !!  

Teaching a Japanese the correct pronunciation can be a lot of fun 

Actually (ack tree)

Light bulb (like bob)

Jamaica (jah my kah)

Drink (dwink)

Really (reah ree)

---------------------all about Bob ---------
I'll show you

I suddenly thought of this attitude that drives me . . perhaps is responsible for the depressive feelings of inadequacy !!!

I made alot of moves in my life driven by that motivation.  Like going to Japan and hooking up with Yuichi 

Boyfriend Bob aggravated me so much, I said to myself, I'll show you I'll live here (together, we were in Japan but he was loving it too much)

He said, "youll probably meet a business man." Yuichi wore a suit and tie to work every day and I was able to say you Bob "I got my business man"

: )

shi shi mai

The name is "Shishi", legendary lion. We call them "Shishi
mai". Mai means "to dance". The guys put on the costume
and do traditional dance. They visit neighborhood' door to
door and dance to expel devils from their houses. Some
people give money to Sishimai at their door.

"Namahage" is Japanese traditional folkways which is
observed throughout Oga Peninsula, Akita Prefecture in
northern Japan. Originally it is said to be a ritual for
cleansing people's soul, and praying coming year to be a
good one. It is a kind of toshigami.

On New Year's Eve, a group of young villager men dressed up
as fierce demons or bogeymen, or Namahage, visit each
house in the village, interrogating loudly "any
misbehaving kids live here?" They then come up to children
in the house, to menace them telling not to be lazy or
cry, though little children bursting out crying is usually
the case. Then parents will assure Namahage there is no
bad child in their house, and treat refreshments to the
demons.

An obvious purpose of the festival is to encourage young
children to obey their parents and to behave, important
qualities in Japan's heavily structured society.

Tea Ceremony

Sunday, I was dressed in Kimono and assisted a tea ceremony. I work for a master of tea ceremony. Yukiko Murano, our host and master of tea ceremony. She put together a great crew of international peoples that assist her and she invites the most interesting guests. She is a wonderful host, she introduces her guests to each other and to the people working her party.She had a guest journalist who had been to Iraq.  She shows her guests some interesting artifacts, they pass them to the person beside them after inspection.

Ceramic ware and Japanese calligraphy . . . She had a special tea bowl that had camels on it. Among us, the servers, we had an American, a Phillipino, Sri Lankan, Saudi Arabian. Other helpers included young Japanese children, 8-12 years old. A young girl, 12 years of age, one of our AOBA students, performed (goes through all the rituals of preparing the tea), she actually only makes the first two bowls. We serve the rest from a kitchen which is set up in a back room.

We went to a dress shop early in the morning to get professionally dressed.  Done so tightly, my back was aching from being forced to be stand so straight and tall. I had to lie down on my stomach during my lunch break !!!

We did a number of parties throughout the day. These awesome old Japanese ladies all in kimonos are treat ME like I'm the celebrity !!! I think they are thrilled to see foreigners appreciating/enjoying their culture.