Chapter 5: Meeting my Host Family
Saturday, October 2, 1999
Eh, this is my first time in a Japanese house. Kin-san went to pick me up at Kita-Senri (two stations away in monorail from my dorm) with her car. Waa, small car at that! I just had my knees in my face for the whole trip (well, I'm exaggerating, but it felt like that!). Bruno, her car was smaller than yours (the brown one, eheh). So, I while I was wondering why so many people had small cars (maybe the big ones are too expensive) we got into her hometown (Minoo). Then I figured why the cars are small. The streets are so narrow you can't have two cars facing each other ( and it's not one way, so don't ask me how they get out of this if two cars meet). Basically, people ride in these streets with their bicycle, or they simply walk. The houses are pretty close to each other, and they don't have a backyard, or a frontyard if I may say. It's only the house, and that's it (well, maybe some house have 1 meter space around, so some people are able to grow trees and plants in that space...). Then, I got the absolute confirmation: her parking space is the same size as her car. She can't get a bigger car, unless she moves to another place.
So then, I enter her house, and I expect I have to take my shoes off, which I did. She gave me slippers to walk around the house. When you enter, the floor at the entrance is lower than the real floor, so that no dirt enters the house. I think it comes from some Buddhist customs (somebody, help me on that one ;^^). The inside of the house is not that small. It's bigger than an appartment, and it has two floors. The living room was normal size, but the kitchen was somewhat smaller than the kitchens we have in Canada. On Saturday, Kin-san has ikebana classes, so I met many Japanese girls on that day. People just came in and out at anytime, because ikebana is more somthing you do on your own. She is there to correct you after you finish your ikebana. So there I go, trying to do some flower arrangement. Believe me people, it's not that simple. I just don't catch it yet, 'cause i only had one lesson, but there is some art in that. You have to use a particular flower pot, with the spikes inside (which is called kenzan, on which you basically plant the flowers and the leaves), and a certain type of flower and plants with the shape of the container. Then you have to cut the flowers to certain lengths, place them at some angles... phew, I have a lot to catch up in this field!! But it was really interesting :D
I forgot to mention that I got to eat the Japanese way, in a Japanese room. Cool!!! I sat on the floor, in front of the low table, and we ate some noodles. Eh, she was slurping all the way! I was laughing, and she was laughing too, because I'm not used to that!! But whenever I try, I just can't slurp... I feel like I'm being impolite even if it's normal to slurp when you eat noodles... +P Culture shock again, eheh.
Chapter 6