Quiet times

Susaki Wednesday, and the sun took her sweet time peeking out from behind the greying cloud cover. I had little to do today at work. The third year students are all finished for the year (4 of my ussual classes gone until April), and the second years are off on their school trip to Korea or Nagoya (another 3 of my weekly classes). This leaves me with 4 classes in 5 days, and a month and a half of less than busy teaching. Ceramics anyone? Despite the pain of cold hands and unheated studios I think it is well past time that I attempt to get my artist side back in action. I have been invited to two open air two day craft markets by a friend who frequently sets up a booth at them. One is in the beginning of March and one the beginning of May. I had orriginaly intended on not selling any of my work until I had some type of show or exhibition with it, but I am finding it more than a little difficult to get Japanese galleries on my side of the "Hey! let's help the new artist attempt to break into the feild, " equasion.   I am in the process of making a blog esspeicially for my ceramics. Just a space where I can post photos of my work, get feedback, and do a little shameless self promotion.

Two weekends ago I went to Osaka with 5 of the most wonderful folks to see my favorite band, Beirut. The show bordered on religious experience. I would see them again, again, and again x 1000! The openning act was a fantastic Japanese band called Shogu Tokamaru, and then Beirut blew the roof off. Two, four song encores, every song I was hoping they would play, and really close to the stage made it the best concert I've ever been to.

On the day to day front, I am REALLY enjoying practicing my banjo. I try to play about an hour a day if I can. That hour goes by very quickly. I made a modified version (have yet to find dill seeds in my super markets) of these pickled carrot sticks last night, and just finished scarfing down a delicious home grown kale, mushroom, and onion pizza (on rye crust!). Also (speaking of kale), check out my winter greens!

It's growning like a champ in my tiny green house. I am considdering buying another one in the hopes of starting more seeds this winter, but the reality of that has yet to be seen. I am not even 100% sure I need to keep the kale in that green house. I really miss having a garden. . . like you know, one you can stand in and don't have to buy the earth in plastic bags from the home and gardening store and carry it up like 8 flights of steps. Some day Andrew, some day.

Well, I would say this post has gone about as far as it will go for a time filler on my snailish day. Be happy, be well, and stay warm. More to come. . .

Rumination

There are so many stories I have to catch this blog up with. So many significant episodes in my daily existence – meaningful doodles scribed in brilliant colors, far brighter than anything some rainbow could imagine. Were I to try to write them all I fear I’d fill every page the internet had left. Moments like walking atop ice and snow crusted trails with fearful friends, a snake curling out from towering golden grasses to cross a raining beach side path, a teammates five year old daughter calling me Kuma-chan and hugging me hello, or any of the many times our family here has raised our glasses and in ritualized unison - beginning the night with a, “Kampai!” and a smile. This weekend was no different.

We celebrated the birthday of the much loved Cat. With a long planned BBQ in a wisteria topped park. A chance to catch up with Colin (who has been an unfortunate missing piece to my Kochi family puzzle of late), and the usual cast of Kochi City loved ones.

I started the charcoal grill, and spent the early part of the gathering tending it. Once everyone arrived and the typical amalgamation of laughter, eating, and the multitude of conversations whipped about my ears I noticed the sound of the fire cracking, onions sizzling, and meat searing. I take note of this because it is as much a part of the experience for me as my friend’s voices. The sounds of cooking. I am beginning to realize that motions and sounds of a kitchen (makeshift or fully stocked) are one of my greatest comforts in life. Perhaps it is that I have just spent a lot of time invested in learning about foods and how to make them taste good, but I like to imagine that it goes beyond my personal investment in the culinary world. To me the popping fat on fire, or the searing sound of a well caramelized piece of beef takes me back to sitting on the counter as my father prepared dinner before my mother came home from work, or perhaps to just before Thanksgiving dinner as my Grandfather exchanged stories and my grandmother pulled the turkey (golden and crisp) from the oven after a day under her watchful gaze, or perhaps . . . to any other significant meal. For me cooking amidst friends is a full sensory activity. The mind is playing in a field of friendly voices, the heat of the cook fire, the coolness of the metal tongs, the rhythmic dicing of steel edge on wooden chopping board, smells carried on steam from simmering pots, and laughter. Here in Kochi, there is always laughter.

So we ate and laughed. The sun was bright. The wind blew. I lead a life filled with so much happiness it is hard at times for me to believe that I could be so lucky. To be able to see all those memories (to be taken back home in a sense) by simply cooking is a feeling I hope to never loose. There used to be a sign above my bed that had three quotes on it. It said, “Eat good food. Clean up your mess. Be kind.” I like to think that those are three of the guiding factors in my life.

In other news: My spring garden has jumped into life, with cucumbers, edible flowers, basil, and broccoli all doing splendidly.

I baked a delicious red velvet cake that was a huge hit, and lastly I suppose I have been thinking of my grandfather a lot recently because I can’t get this line from It’s A Wonderful Life out of my head:

“Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence.”

More to come!

The Promised Garden!

Hello interweb minions, all . . . five of you? Maybe? I’m coming to you from the rainiest week we’ve had in a long LONG time. Grey skies, hard rains all day, and if I’m being honest the hardest week I’ve had in Japan (for reasons I shall not elaborate on). That being said, I’ve always felt blogs are not the place to rant, rave, vent, or talk overly about one’s sorrows and hard times. No one wants to read that. So, I will simply say that I’m so grateful for the joys in my life here in Japan, and quote Mr. Bruce Cockburn (can’t do it without winking in mom’s general direction), “I bin through the ringer but I’m ok.”

So! With that cheery precaution out of the way. It’s finally time for some garden pictures! For those of you who do actually read this blog, last summer I started to learn about gardening with my dad. We bought seeds, made cold frames, and did the whole 9 yards. It was an absolute blast. Watching it grow each day, spending quality time with the parental units, and also I may be a tad bit addicted to the sensation of pride taken when one can say, “Oh, all this food – I grew it!” Long ago I walked the fifteen minutes to the hardware/ home store and bought a small green house, some soil, pots, and winterish seeds: kale, spinach, radishes, and broccoli.

The broccoli has only just sprouted, the kale (which I am not sure is really kale despite what I’m 90% sure the seeds said) and spinach are fantastic, and the radishes are now huge sprouts (which I may have been eating on salads because I don’t really love radishes).

This tiny box of greens will hopefully expand come spring. I plan on adding a few tomato plants and some herbs. What with travel I can’t get too genki with the garden dreams, but to do nothing would cause me a far greater loss.

In other news, went skiing for the first time with Colin, Kei, Jamie E., Marie, Gabriella, and Jayka. We all stayed at a big riokan (Japanese style hotel) in Ehime and went to the Kuma (bear ha ha fitting) Skie Land. After a whole day of attempting each, snowboarding and skiing I was left batter and feeling much like I did after attempting to ride the JET community bike cold turkey through Kochi City last summer. Just imagine a real bear trying to ski. . . not a pretty sight – but pretty funny when he falls down laughing hysterically every 4.5 seconds. It snowed heavily, and the sight of snow really helped lift up my opinion of Japan winters. As stated winter without snow is no fun.

So all in all things are on the up I believe. I’ll pick back up, and continue to have a great time here with the family I’m getting ever closer to here in Japan. As one door closes new ones open. Forever beginning there is an end, and for every ending a beginning. The end is where we start from. Love with all your heart folks. More to come.