Recovered Impressions: Sept. 4th

"The children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar, Witness, 'For it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.'”
- Joshua 22:34







"It's a forty-five minute walk to their school." She said, "And not a simple walk either. There's this hill to go down (and, of course, it's up hill on their way back home), and then there's a real big steep hill they have to climb in order to reach their school." I looked out the window as we passed them. They seemed so small and young, every time I see kids they seem smaller and younger than before. It was there size that had attracted my attention, as they had waited to cross the street. Elementary students. It made me think of my younger brothers.

 "One of the moms in my class (you'll be teaching her in the fall) started walking the path with her son the year before he started school, just to build up endurance." She was informing me of all this, Mrs. Purewell, and I was ready to be informed. I like to know the different ways kids are brought up to be independent and capable. Did I mention I read Boy in August? It was an out cry against the British Boarding School system, which used to be very bad indeed. But it sure produced capable young men. It would probably be child abuse, though, to knowingly put a kid through that just to teach him a stiff upper lip. But forgive me, I am not making much sense. 

           To start over, yesterday I went to Ube to observe classes. The classes I'll be subbing for in the fall. I took a 7:44 train, arriving at 9:26. Usually it doesn't take that long to get from Hikari to Ube, but there was a bit of a wait at one of the ekis (err, stations).Then English all day, until about four, and dinner, and the Gospel Chrior practice, which I had to go to, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. In the end, bed time was eleven. The night was so cool, after the past few days of heat, and waking up in the morning I was cold, but I got up somehow, showered, studied my Japanese for an hour. Raided the Purewell's kitchen for food (and they had chocolate). Played the piano a bit, mostly just reading the lyrics to the old songs that Mrs. Purewell has - their pages yellow and chipping. Around ten we left for classes. Lunch from Seven-Eleven; Bread and some kind of vinegar salad with, I think, bean sprouts. The Seven Elevens are useful landmarks here, there's one just a few minutes bike from the Nijigaoka church in Hikari. But the colors seem wrong for Japan somehow I think peach, mint, and pink would go better. Not pastels, just.... just a cuter shade.

 Maybe I'm nuts.  

 

       Tomorrow is a big night. It's my second to last night in Hikari, and I'm making dinner for some of the missionaries. Biscuits, because thats one thing I'm sure of (thank you mom, I'm sorry I ever complained about cutting the butter into the flour); Yogurt Lemon Chicken (using chicken breast instead of legs, because I'm messy enough on my own), the kindhearted Ricers were brave enough to test run this for me and I don't think I can ruin it, unless I burn it; Asparagus, which I still need a recipe for, but I'll call my dad and ask him for his - when you talk to a good cook, like my dad,  the saying "honesty is the best policy" can quite easily be translated  "flattery gets you everywhere;" Lastly we are having a salad, because I hate to break tradition. Since I've been in Japan I've had a salad with almost every single homemade dinner, and quite often for lunch, whether there was another vegtable on the table or not. Actually, one night Mrs. Toothy made tacos (we get real exotic out here sometimes. Someday I'll blog about it) she set out the lettuce on the table and I went right ahead and tore the leaves to pieces and put them on plate as a salad without even thinking about it. I didn't realize it was for the tacos until I was half way done with it. I may be exaggerating a little, but the taco story is true, true, true. So salad, and I think chocolate cake for dessert. But I may change my mind, I've changed it five times already. Dessert is tricky out here, for the Tootheys do not really care for it, and certainly not in quantity. I know that the Moors are divided as a family on this point, so I think I will only frost half the cake. Still, it's hard to make a cake. Cakes are for parties, it seems, not for dinners. But what else can one make when it must be chocolate and casual? Pots De Cream? I think not. 

     So there you have it, that is how I've been occupying my time, half in the world of English Teaching, and half in the world of Dinners, failed and successful. And all the time I am in Japan, and time is moving on........ 

(Rice Field - going to seed in Hikari)