gardens and Ōsu: Eat child and be still!!!

2/8/10 room, early evening….or late afternoon depending on how you look at it- Yesterday was a hoot and today wasn’t bad either.

I read Curiosi-tea until late the night before last and got up yesterday morning at 8:15ish. I ate breakfast and at 9:10 my host mom and I left to take me to Aikido practice. It was my first time going to the Nagoya Dojo. I researched online and contacted a friend of the leader of my dojo in Rochester. He told me how to get there and amazingly it is more or less on my way to Nanzan University!!! The founder of the branch of Aikido that I do lives right here in Nagoya and so this is where the head dojo is. I was excited to meet him because all I hear at the dojo in Rochester is how amazing his aikido is (and that he is a huge flirt).

We found the dojo easily (with me leading my host mom instead of the other way around, weird). The sensei lived up to his reputation. His aikido IS awesome and he IS a huge flirt. He’s harmless and kindhearted though; I like him. Class went well. The floor there is about one million times harder than the canvas we have back at the Rochester dojo but I was assured I’d get used to that. Sensei kept telling everyone not to throw me too hard (maybe he knew I wasn’t used to the floors?)

After class Sensei told me to come back soon. I certainly am going to go back soon. I hadn’t felt so good in a while. I really missed aikido!!

My host mom and I set out to go to a botanical garden as planned. On the way to the subway she pulled out a mikan (manderan orange) for me to eat. I inhaled it. Literally I started eating it on one side of a street and by the time we had walked across the cross walk it was gone. She also brought a bottle of tea and a towel for me. I just love her. :D

Before we went to the garden she treated us to lunch at a really nice restaurant. It had mini onigiri (rice balls). I thought it was really tasty but it was more of a glorified snack than lunch. I wasn’t put off though; if I am patient I always get enough food by the end of the day even if I have to wait until dinner.

We then went to the garden, which had a kokoro (heart) theme going on. Of course it was beautiful and there were so many different kinds of plants. They were giving out tea so my host mom and I got some and sat at a table and drank it right there in the outside portion of the gardens.

After a bit we then went to ōsu. I knew it was a place but I didn’t know what kind of place until we got there. What kind of place? Enormous outdoor shopping area. It is the heart of Nagoya and it was so cool! A huge shrine and temple. Shops everywhere, lining the streets. So many food shops and most giving out free samples! (I have stopped using complete sentences it was so cool.) X3 My host mom bought us anko buns (red bean), dango (rice paste globs on sticks), tea, and crackers. I was in heaven!!! I was a fat kid in candy land heaven.

At the dango stand (remember dango rhymes with bongo in English not mango), there was a mom with a little kid. The kid was being whiny and loud. The mom’s solution? Buy one dango from stand. Get the dango. Place the dango in wailing kid’s hand. Guide dango into kid’s open mouth. The kid stopped blubbering, seeming to instantly forget whatever was ailing him, and began to chew contemplatively on the grilled dango goodness. His face looked like he was thinking, “mmmm… dango…” It was the magic of Japanese food at work again!!! :D That was probably a really effective method for me too when I was little. My parents could just shove something tasty into my mouth and let the healing take place. ;3

We wondered around different shops for a while including a couple kimono shops. Then we headed home. At home, I tried to find out what was up with my aches the other night but didn’t come up with any sources that talked about cold air relieving pain. I’ll try again.

We had dinner and I had shower time and stayed up late reading Curiosi-tea. Then there was today. I’ll do today after I get back from making and eating dinner. (17:20)