I’m a little time-sense challenged right now, both from being in a time zone some 16 hours distant from the one in which I normally reside, and also from being on vacation, an existence in which I am not required to know the exact time or day of the week. So, although my computer tells me it’s 2:53 PM on Thursday, Jan 1, I’m only fairly confident it’s actually 7:53 AM on Friday, Jan 2.
Our days have been relaxed and not overly eventful thus far. I’ll try to get my bearings and bring you up to date. We left the USA on a Sunday morn and arrived in Japan on Mon eve. On Tues, we had ‘Christmas’ and made pizza. Okay, on Wednesday, it was New Year’s Eve. That was the day we took a nice long walk down to Zushi beach. Again, Linc was in the carrier, alternately on Daddy’s back and front. UDad claims he has his bearings and could take us back to the beach, to Zushi Station and the other places we have walked to thus far and he probably could. UMom, indisputably, could not. The weather was quite nice, especially considering it is also winter in Japan. UltraMom had to take her shoes and socks off and experience the ocean firsthand, getting her feet wet and feeling the sand between her toes. Many others were out enjoying the beach; we saw kite flyers, joggers, and lots of dog walkers. One Japanese couple, who looked to be about the ages of the UltraParents stopped for a chat. They were interested in the family relationships in this group of predominant Caucasians, and of course Linc always draws admirers. At the end of the chat conducted in both English and Japanese, the woman apologized, stating that their English was not as good as their Russian, a language they teach. Too bad we didn’t have Chenoa or Billie with us! We picked up a lot of little shells and UMom skipped a couple of rocks on the ocean. We saw lots of larger birds, such as gulls, crows and hawks. UltraBob told us how in some seaside places, notably near the McDonald’s in Kamakura, the hawks will swoop in upon unsuspecting outside diners and take hamburgers right out of their hands. A little while later, I heard a commotion; I did not witness the event, but only the aftermath. A hawk had flown down and taken something from a man a few hundred yards away. I caught a glimpse of the hawk as he flew out of sight and saw the man, looking shaken and astonished. I only hope it was food the hawk stole, not some prized possession!
It was starting to get chilly by the time we started our walk back. We ducked into a little Thai eatery and picked up a few to-go bowls and started home. At this point, the Ultras decided a taxi ride home was justified. Good call!
Walking on the beach
Close up, blowing bubbles
Linc is my favorite honey bee
Soon it was time to go to the Suzuki’s for New Year’s Eve. UltraDad and I had been invited for dinner; Tomoko and Linc would spend the night. It is considered good luck to eat something l-o-n-g, to promote a long life, so one of the dishes was soba noodles. UDad and I had to watch carefully and get lots of coaching to eat properly. The noodles are in communal dishes on the table, while we each have a small bowl with a kind of soy-mushroom sauce inside. A serving of noodles is procured, via chopsticks, and you then slurp the noodles as you hold the bowl close to your mouth. It is not considered impolite, as it is in America, to pick up your dish and noisily slurp, which made it much easier. Udad, as Heather before him, ended up being pretty handy with the chopsticks, while UMom had to be brought a fork. The food is nearly as beautiful as it is tasty. One dish was shredded daikon (like a large, mild radish) with canned tuna and sesame dressing. A different bowl contained potataoes, carrots, onions and beef, and tasted very much like a pot roast. Another concession to the Americans were the two, low chairs we were seated on while everyone else settled in on the floor. When I was there two years ago, the floor worked fine for me, but with the current knee problems, the chair was much appreciated. A language barrier is always problematic, and I’m sure we missed out on much of the conversation, but UltraBob & Girl did their best through sporadic translating, to keep us in the loop. After dinner, and a dessert of the small, tangerine like oranges I have grown to love, UBob, UDad and I went home, and the Suzuki family got on with their New Year’s Eve traditions. New Years is a very big holiday in Japan, and everyone has sprigs of evergreen or other traditional good luck adornments, especially on their front doors. The house is given a thorough cleaning, and before midnight, everyone in the house must be thoroughly clean as well. The next day, the family visits a shrine to start the New Year off right. Once back home, we popped some corn and settled in to watch a new sequel of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. UDad didn’t make it to midnight; UMom dozed through the movie, but came alive before the witching hour. To me, though missing Linc and Tomoko, it was not a bad way to start off 2009.
ALMOST too beautiful to eat..........but not quite.
