I`ve Been Adopted

This is my new family. Meet Ai, Kana, Akana and Atsushi. They Picked me up on Saturday afternoon for a weekend in their home. We drove to their house in Tajimi where we got to know each other over a cup of tea, pictures from home and a map of the United States. They have lived in the United States for three years and everyone spoke English this made it very easy for us to communicate. I knew right from the start that we were a perfect match. Ai and Akana are 9 and 7 and are the sweetest little girls. Ai was my Japanese teacher, she helped me to say the correct things, she translated when necessary and she helped me to know just what to do.
Tajimi is known worldwide for its pottery so the area has many pottery factories and of course, gift shops. After tea we drove to a pottery center where there are hands-on activities. We each selected a piece of bisque ware. We got to paint our pieces. If you know me, you know that this couldn`t have been a better activity. The pieces will be fired and in two weeks it will be ready. They will send my plate to me, I'm so excited!
From here we drove to a beautiful bridge. The sun was setting and were were very high above a passageway between two mountains. We could look down on the town below. Tiny lights started to appear as the evening hours began.
Our next stop was the grocery store. This is really fun and this time I had my little tour guides to tell me what everything was! In Japan you buy your food then go to a table where you bag your groceries. Other than that the stores are as modern and well stocked as an in the U.S.
We went back to their home. It is in a little neighborhood and you feel very welcome as soon as you walk in. As is the custom you leave your shoes at the door. While the girls and I played, Kana prepared dinner. Atsushi helped me to download pictures on to a CD for which I was very grateful. I have taken a lot of pictures (over 700) and I needed to clear some space on my memory card.
Dinner was ready. We sat down at the table which was so nicely set by the girls. In the middle of the table was a round electric pan. Atsushi ladled a batter filled with vegetables onto the hot pan. They made this dish especially for me and I was very thankful to have a good vegetarian meal. When dinner was ready we said a thankyou for the food, Ai helped me to say it correctly. She is very patient with me and slowly pronounces the words. She is very bright and an excellent teacher. We started with delicious miso soup with tofu and vegetables. This was followed by the dish which was now cooked to perfection. I can`t tell you how much I enjoyed the meal and the company.
After dinner I gave them gifts that I had brought. They were so very appreciative. They all looked great in NY Yankee hats. We laughed a lot as we tried to take a picture using a timer. The girls then took me by the hand and told me that they were going to teach me how to take a bath the Japanese way. We went to the bath room. Akana, the little one donned lime green boots that were two sizes too big. It is a small room, half is a floor that has a drain, the deep tub takes up the other half of the room. Akana sprayed the room and then proceeded to hose it clean. The girls instructed me to soap up first and wash my hair. The correct way is to sit on a little stool and use a basin to pour water over yourself to rinse off. "And don`t use soap in the tub, No.No.No." They filled the tub with very hot water. A thermostat regulates the temperature and a soft-spoken woman politely told us when the bath is ready. The girls put a cover over the tub to keep it hot. Being kids, they were the first ones to take a bath. When they were done it was my turn because I was the guest. It was great to soak in a hot tub. The water stays very clean and it is not drained between baths. (It is good to be first).
Kana set up my bed in a room off the living room. It was an empy room covered with tatami (grass) mats. My bed was a futon. Not what Americans think is a futon. This was a mattress that was about 3 inches thick that is set on the floor. This was covered in a soft sheet. On top of this goes a very thick comfortor. I was soooooo comfortable. It was very easy to drift off to sleep by 10:30. I knew I could sleep late because we took a family vote. We decided that no one would get up before 8:00. (Only Akana wanted to sleep until 9:00). I feel asleep thinking about how lucky I was to be in Japan with this very dear and special family. Tomorrow would be a new adventure.