It’s a grey and rainy Monday, the start of another week here in Kurashiki. I’m sulking because I have a sore throat and a buzzing head, but I know Jeff has been dealing with constant headaches the last month, so I can’t complain and expect too much sympathy. As much as I’m enjoying my job down here, there is a lot to be said for having someone at home to look after you when you’re not feeling 100%.
Last night Mum booked her flights to Japan, so that’s really exciting! She will be here for slightly over a month. NZ passports can only stay for a month without a visa, but on her UK passport she can stay six months – nice. Although it sounds like Kate may possibly be the most excited person – I think she is really looking forward to having someone to discuss her time in Japan with.
This past weekend Jeff came down to visit me in Kurashiki. Friday night started brilliantly (for me, anyway), because when I got off work I found Jeff had prepared me a big dinner of fresh salad (vegies provided by a sharing neighbour) with tempura prawn and a piece of salmon cooked in foil with basil pesto. It was so great having someone cook dinner for me. Even better to come home from work to find someone has cooked dinner for me; there is something about finishing an eight hour day and NOT having to prepare your own food. As I pointed out to Jeff, this is almost the first time I’ve been able to come home from work to someone else’s cooking all year (with the exception of when Kate was visiting – a couple of times she finished teaching before I did and would prepare something for when I got in). Dessert was the famous Japanese ‘pudding’, another gift from our generous neighbours.
On Saturday we had a lazy morning then drove into the Tamashima train station. There we caught a train into Okayama. This was a revelation, as last time we went into Okayama we spent hours on wet roads, fighting hundreds of cars. The train was much faster and stress free – well, the trip in anyway. On the homeward journey we jumped on a train that turned out to turn inland two stops before ours. We then had to spend at least half an hour waiting at a tiny little train station in a tiny, mist-covered mountain town, waiting for a train back in to Kurashiki. Back in Kurashiki we were able to change to a train that got us back to Tamashima no more than, oh, an hour and a half after we should have been there!
Other than this, Saturday was a very successful day. I found the hairdresser I had been recommended (they are used to Western hair – very important for me!) and got a cute cut. I just hope I can style it on my own… I particularly impressed myself because the hairdresser spoke about the same amount of English as I spoke Japanese, so we ended up communicating in, say, 80% Japanese and 20% English. I was there for over an hour and we chatted almost constantly. We couldn’t talk about anything in-depth, but we were able to ask and answer questions and generally understand each other. Usually I let Jeff deal with the Japanese conversation, so it was great for me, both as practice and as a confidence-booster. While I was doing this Jeff did a bit of shopping, buying beer and snacks at the import store and getting me a book at the store that has an English section (it is a book called 24 Eyes. They made a movie of it and when we were in Shikoku we visited the village that was built as the movie set). When I was done we wandered round a few more shops, weaving our way round the underground mall, before heading home early. You know what happened then!
On Sunday we headed into the big mall in Kurashiki, with the main objective of buying Jeff socks. He keeps trying to buy socks that turn out to be too small, so my sock collection is growing quickly! However, we managed to find him stretchy socks and a new work bag, while I bought a couple of blokes singlets – the only way I can find a singlet that is sure to fit me and isn’t unflatteringly clingy. Lunch was Subway – ah, Subway, how I had missed you!
Back in Tamashima we went for a walk on the beach before Jeff went home. As it was a warm weekend, the beach was very popular with a number of groups on the sand. However, the only people in the water was one woman wading ankle deep and a toddler. As we pulled into the carpark we watched a woman in jean shorts and stiletto gladiator sandals gingerly step onto the sand and walk down towards the water. No wonder when we took the Chinese students from the hall of residence to the beach, they didn’t know to bring swimsuits!
Work starts in just over an hour, so I should get dressed and have something to eat. I might take a bottle of juice to work to make my throat feel better. I only have to teach three classes this evening, but I only have ten minutes break between each one, so I’m not looking forward to it. I guess I’m being a drama queen about this, but it’s just there is no-one/nothing happening to distract me from feeling urcky today (yes, that is a word, ok!).
Bye,
Charly
No comments:
Post a Comment