6.20 - 7.15
Long time no write–it’s been a while, huh. Apologies in advance for this very unpolished post. I’m writing at 12AM because I don’t want post-2023 kai to forget about what happened during June and July 2022 in Yakage. So, a few casual life updates:
#1: VEGGIE HEAVEN
When I say it’s vegetable season, it’s VEGETABLE SEASON! ⅓ of my refrigerator is filled with cucumbers I’ve been gifted from people near and far…from the library workers to Yamato-san to Yuki-san’s mother to Ma-chan to James and Manki, I’ve been consuming cucumbers like crazy and I’m so here for it. Plus, I’ve learned how to make several cucumber side dishes/pickled okazus, of which I’m quite proud! I’ve also transformed from an originally tomato-hating person to an I-can-tolerate-tomatoes person to a TOMATOES-OR-DIE person thanks to all the hand grown tomatoes I’ve received here. There really is another level of sweetness and deliciousness attached to food made and given with love. Also apologies for the overwhelmingly cringe cucumber selfies...they were all to show my mom and Ma-chan so, well, these happened.
only reason to take mirror selfies = show off the veggies you get from work
this cucumber I received from the library workers is HUGE
made pickeled cucumbers!
more pickeled cucumbers (this time with Japanese mustard powder)
love to find a cucumber gift on my desk!
a special mountain fruit that tasted like cantalope but looks like apricots.
the most delicious yellow mini tomatoes from ma-chan! picked that morning omggg
Yuki's mom's zucchini plant looking handsome!
made niku-jyaga with gifted potates and onions for james/manki's dinner night
another mirror selfie with another office vegetable...but i don't even know what it is.
#2: GOOD BYE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL :,(
My last day as an elementary school teacher is tomorrow…talk about all of a sudden. I was sat down two weeks ago and was informed that I will have to go back to the preschools as soon as the kids got out of school for summer vacation. And time flies like a bird–the day has approached all too quickly. It’s been a whirlwind trying to first wrap my head around the fact I won’t be teaching English at my elementary schools (once again, right when I finally learn everyone’s names and get to know them well am I being pulled away from my kids…) and then have to say goodbye to all the 1st-6th graders at my four schools. Though it sits heavily that I won’t get to hear my kids say “oh my gah!” or ask me to hold their newly caught turtles or tell me about how much they love Tom Cruise or ask me to weed outside with them, I’m filled with so much gratitude. I’m so grateful for having had kids who were so easy to love and pour into whole heartedly. I’m so grateful for the experience of interacting with and building a student-teacher relationship in the classroom. I’m so grateful for seeing students hear my advice, decide to use it, realize it makes sense, then remember it for the next assignment. I’m so grateful for the school teachers being patient, forgiving, and willing to guide my newness to teaching full 45 minute lessons. And I’m grateful that my brief ALT phase makes me have this gratitude list that can just go on and on and on.
a rice field close to Nakagawa Elemen. School~ and just look at those clouds!
a rice field I'd pass on my way to Mitani Elementaty School
#3: GOOD RIDDANCE JLPT TEST
The JLPT (Japanese Language Performance Test) N2 came and went! After many weeks of trying to remember kanji and staying at work until 7-8PM for practice tests, the test date, July 3rd, really just crept up on me. And I don’t lie when I say it was quite the experience, as it was held in a very large convention center (in the middle of nowhere Okayama let me tell you…I have so much gratitude for an angel to the angel that’s my JTE, Yasuda-sensei, who offered to drive me as opposed to having me take a 2.5 hour public transport route) where loudspeakers boomed with instructions for the test ttakers. It was like the scene when Ron, Harry, Hermione and a full Great Hall took the OWLS, except there were 50 times the amount of test takers for the JLPT. I am confident in my listening, but my kanji felt shaky. As a reward, I found a great thrift shop where I found a collectors Moomin cup for less than $5! Yay! But alas, I hope passing the N2 level is in my near future.
my JLPT study books...but made fun thanks to an ume-soda (handmade syrup from Ma-chan) Ume - pickeled plum.
#4: MY TEMPEH GRANNY BFF
Ma-chan is my new bestie. She’s been kind enough to invite me over for dinner at least once a week. Ma-chan then goes to feed me super neat and rare countryside produce that her other granny friends drop off…some including these jewel-like mountain berries to hand grown plums to these mini lychee-like melon-like bulb fruits you can only find in the mountains. She always starts off her presentation with “now I bet even your MOM doesn’t know what this is!”
otosan's homemade curry and potato salad!
MA-CHAN who was kind enough to help me start to plan for koh/dad's visit!
yet another beautiful ma-chan dinner
cold udon nooods from Ma-chan
#5: TOKYO
I SAW BABA AND HII-CHAN AND TOSHI AND MARI AND FREAKIN NAOMI AND MEAGU-CHAN AND NANA KO FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE PRE-COVID.
a banana vending machine...?
naomi with the cutest hat ever
bmc on three, bmc on three, B-M-C!
the Miya crew as of 2022
more cute nao pics
baba smiled for me :,)
Anyway if anything else comes to mind, I will write! There’s so much I’m leaving out, so let’s consider this the unfinished document to which will hopefully be updated throughout my next half a year in Yakage.
