Yesterday I went to the bread shop on the way home from visiting
Katy and was asked whether I was "used to my life in Oita yet". The same lady asks me the same question every time I go into the shop and I always reply "yes, for the most part". Having spent over one third of my life here I find I don't blink an eye at some of the "strange" things anymore and today as I was painting the deck I confirmed that I am now officially "used to life in Japan". Firstly I realised as Tom was snapping the photo of me painting (yes I did the whole deck myself... including scrubbing it down etc. - still have to do the railings etc. though if anyone is free tomorrow!) that I was painting while in the seiza sitting position - ie on my knees... and it wasn't worrying me at all. I have been laughing at
Megan and Nathan and their inability to sit on the floor for even 5 minutes, but I remember when I first arrived being exactly the same. I can now sit through an hour long funeral on my knees without moving. Of course when I stand up my knees protest a little and I am likely to need knee surgery before I turn 40, but I can sit there for an hour when needed.
The second thing that made me think perhaps I have lived here too long was when my husband came home with the paint and some "taiyaki" which is basically sweet bean paste enclosed in a pancake kind of case which is in the shape of a sea bream fish. Not only was I excited to see it, but I ate two! I can't count the number of times I came home from the supermarket when I first came to Japan all excited about making myself a sandwich - cutting into what I thought was a nice bread roll and discovering that it was filled with sweet bean paste. Just the thought of it used to make me feel sick - beans should be spicy or in tomato sauce, but not sweet! But, now I love them..... perhaps in another 14 years I won't even blink at the thought of eating whale... but I very much doubt it!
Yesterday I went to the bread shop on the way home from visiting Katy and was asked whether I was "used to my life in Oita yet". The same lady asks me the same question every time I go into the shop and I always reply "yes, for the most part". Having spent over one third of my life here I find I don't blink an eye at some of the "strange" things anymore and today as I was painting the deck I confirmed that I am now officially "used to life in Japan". Firstly I realised as Tom was snapping the photo of me painting (yes I did the whole deck myself... including scrubbing it down etc. - still have to do the railings etc. though if anyone is free tomorrow!) that I was painting while in the seiza sitting position - ie on my knees... and it wasn't worrying me at all. I have been laughing at Megan and Nathan and their inability to sit on the floor for even 5 minutes, but I remember when I first arrived being exactly the same. I can now sit through an hour long funeral on my knees without moving. Of course when I stand up my knees protest a little and I am likely to need knee surgery before I turn 40, but I can sit there for an hour when needed.
The second thing that made me think perhaps I have lived here too long was when my husband came home with the paint and some "taiyaki" which is basically sweet bean paste enclosed in a pancake kind of case which is in the shape of a sea bream fish. Not only was I excited to see it, but I ate two! I can't count the number of times I came home from the supermarket when I first came to Japan all excited about making myself a sandwich - cutting into what I thought was a nice bread roll and discovering that it was filled with sweet bean paste. Just the thought of it used to make me feel sick - beans should be spicy or in tomato sauce, but not sweet! But, now I love them..... perhaps in another 14 years I won't even blink at the thought of eating whale... but I very much doubt it!
What a beautiful deck! We have to do ours, it's very bare and it won't be good for it to be snow-soaked for months on end. I bought the stain, sander etc weeks and weeks ago, before the summer holidays.... I am thinking I might do the little deck tomorrow if the weather is good.... You have inspired me!
ReplyDeleteI like taiyaki too but always have the cream if I can choose.
And I can't sit seiza even now so you are one up on me! I go down on my right knee. As I spend a lot of time teaching little kids on the floor, every single pair of trousers I buy gets a hole in the right knee after about four months.