A Sister's Arrival

Yes, my sister is officially in Japan!

I woke up before six to grab a bus to the airport, and finally getting there and seeing her sitting, waiting, was so nice. She noticed me, put her phone down, grinning, and started running towards me and I towards her. I did not expect it to be a movie moment, but we met with a solid hug and hung on tight for a good while. It has been such a long time since I have had a hug. We both cried, saying how much we missed each other. It was great. I didn't realize just how much I missed her until I saw her. It didn't feel real (still only feels slightly real - like a dream that will snap as soon as I go to bed and awake again).

Then began a long but amazing day. I got to see everything with a new perspective through her. She was so excited about how nice everyone was, how neat and crisp and clean the cash is, how small and tall and unique the buildings are, how there are vending machines everywhere, the trees, the humidity, the birds, the breeze, the everything.

We rode the bus back and were immediately greeted by my host family - excuse me, our host family. They were kind enough to take us to a nearby station so my sister, R, could get a ICOCA Card, or IC Card. This is so she won't have to stop and pay a ticket every time we use a subway or train system.

Once we got home, we had tea and a special type of Japanese snack that was part Western. It was like a cookie sandwich and tasted like a shortbread cookie with cream in the middle. We also had watermelon and then a lunch of cold soumen and some Japanese gobo - which my sister liked.

Then, after washing together (despite some protestations from our host family and R convincing them that since she had coffee, she wasn't super tired), she gave them some gifts. One was a thank you from our family to our host family for everything they have done and loved it, taking peaks at the book. Then, from my sister personally, were some played cards from Las Vegas casinos (which they also thought were extremely cool and uniquely Las Vegas).

Afterwards, we went on a little local adventure. On the way, we saw some gorgeous orange flowers (this time unguarded by wasps) and, finally, I got some pictures of cicada shells. There were at least twenty on this metal framework by a tree, and then more in the tree and under the leaves themselves. By the way, they were so loud this morning, there was a ringing in my ear, and it was hard to hear my host parents as they bid me goodbye for the time being.

I showed her a bit of my campus, the famous central lawn and clock tower, our historical Kofun, and the Shinkansen park (complete with grasshoppers and the bullet train whizzing by). Finally, we made it to Mt. Kabuto forest park. We took a side trail for a few minutes, walking under the trees and standing on rocks, welcoming the breeze, the view, and the country. Also, saw some huge and colorful mushrooms (one of which looked like a pancake and some of which had mold or...goo...of some kind). We enjoyed the path of statues and a beautiful butterfly. We asked a nice lady with gardening gloves the name of a tree and it turned out to be a cedar. She also was talking about how she is 84 years old and comes to the park often so she doesn't lay around the house. She was adorable and so cheerful.

We stumbled upon a grove of hydrangeas and took some yoga poses while just enjoying the fairy landscape of it.

We walked up the road, passing smaller shrines and statues along the way, and made it to my sister's first Japanese temple. We admired the statues of the gate, straddle-stepped over the main middle bar, and ascended the first flight of stairs. The lake I saw a few months ago, with a Shinto shrine in the middle, was completely filled with lily pads and some huge buds. Amazing!

 (I thought this looked like a fairy leaf throne)













Rows of Kannon and Fudo Myoo and Jizo statues later, we made it to the top and had the place practically to ourselves. The pair of elderly men rang the bell, took our picture for us, and said we were both very beautiful as they left. They were very nice.



 (roof details I didn't notice the first time I visited the temple)







Then we climbed the steep stairs of the tree-tunneled way to the top of the mountain, emerging from darkness and a surprising encounter with a frog to the sunny meadow of the summit. Three sister trees were a beautiful photo-shoot spot, but the beautiful, raspberry-like berries' scent did not positively add to it. The berries smelled like rotting garbage - and I'm not talking about the ones on the ground. The fresh juice from the berries off the branch had a strong stench. Also, the meadow was teeming with slender, green grasshoppers. Either being herself or inspired by all the net-wielding children we saw today, my sister chased one and held one, looking adorable and happy with a proud bug.

On our way back down, we saw an act of predation. A beautiful butterfly was fluttering around, enjoying its carefree life when suddenly it froze and fell to the ground. Concerned we looked at it, wondering why it just fell. Using a stick, we flipped it over, to find a still unidentified, thin, dark bug holding onto it with a tongue or proboscis or something extended and going into the butterfly. We were not sure what it was, so quickly left it alone.

Praying at the small fox shrine between the summit and temple that I first prayed at when I went to the mountain temple on my own, seeing a snake and lizard and various birds, my sister had her first Japan prayer experience. Bowing through the torii gates, and taking some last photos or glimpses of statues, each other, rock gardens, and so on, we made our way down and through the temple gate - down the road and through the park - down the main street of campus, the steep set of stairs, and arrived at home.

We arrived to the preparations of a delicious and traditional dinner of tempura! Eggplant, ooba, Japanese pumpkin, gobo, seaweed, shrimp, Japanese sweet potato, green pepper, onions, renkon, and, probably after hearing me talk about southern food, okra! We had fried okra! I was so happy. I also had a very small cup of Japanese sake with my sister! It was nice to drink with her, but I had about three sips in total. Out of all the alcohol I've tasted, this was the best - but I still don't quite care for the feel or taste. It was so interesting trying to hold a conversation between the four of us, myself and my host dad translating often. Though sometimes, my sister would understand what they were trying to say, even if I didn't. Switching between the languages so quickly, close together, and for such a long time was quite the work out for my brain and tongue. I was not used to it, sometimes talking to my sister in Japanese or my host parents in English. But she gave me a boost of confidence, saying it's cool seeing me talking to Japanese people in Japanese.

Then we had some tea and wafer cookies, some confusing talk between three of us, all tired, but we worked out some details of the coming weeks (not quite done planning though). Now I am here, writing this blog, tired and a bit sweaty despite my shower (by the way, was reminded in the mountain today how painful it is to get sweat in one's eye). Now I must sleep for more energy for more adventure!

For the time being, good night and good day!