18 08 2004
I had my first ride on a mamachari today. The word is a contraction of
"mother's chariot", so called because they are the bike favoured by
housewives running errands around town. They have thin wheels like a
road bike, but they usually have a basket attached to them for
transporting stuff around. Back home, they might be embarrassing to
ride, but here they're everywhere, and their use is not confined to
mothers.
A kind American who works as a priest - the same guy who helped me get
a washing machine and fridge when I first arrived, has volunteered to
get a bike built for me based on a sturdy frame and some various
parts. The end result should last a while, while costing me under
$200. In the interim he's lent me a mamachari to get around on.
Up until now I'd avoided riding on it, partly because I haven't
ridden in 4 months and I was afraid I'd be all over the shop, and
partly because that sort of bike has a stigma back home and it took me
a while to get over the aversion to being seen on one.
Today I had to go into a national government office to apply for a
full time visa here - currently I'm on a working holiday visa which is
only good for a little while longer. My coworker kindly volunteered to
lead me there, since I didn't know where I was going, and he went so
far as to come up and help me along with the application process to
boot. Which was helpful, as the lady there could speak only a modicum
of English. I probably could have made it through a conversation
without him, but it would have probably taken a lot longer. I've got to
go back again soon because I forgot to take my original degree with
me, so I'll get a chance to see how I fare on my own.
My two weeks of holidays have all but drawn to a close, and I don't
know where all the time went. It was good to relax and catch up on
sleep, though I probably could have used the time more effectively. If
I hadn't been sick when they started I probably would have been more
motivated to use them better. Probably.
This holiday period was centred around "Obon", a buddist festival
where Japanese people pay homage to their deceased ancestors. During
this time a number of fireworks festivals are held, and on Saturday I
got to see one of them.
My girlfriend picked me and two of her friends up, and we drove to
another of her friend's houses. We picked up tea, coffee and drinks on
the way. This friend's house was in very close proximity to where the
fireworks were held - maybe 2 blocks away.
We sat around eating, drinking and talking. I was a bit dazed due to
lack of sleep (awful sleeping habits during the holidays) and the
residual effects of a cold, so I spent more time listening than
speaking. My girlfriend's friends are really lovely and despite my
inability to contribute much to the conversation, they were friendly
and tried to include me where they could. Questions directed at me are
generally easier to follow than conversations between them -
especially as they're likely to drop into the local Kumamoto-ben
(dialect) when talking to each other. I have enough trouble following
standard Japanese!
I was drinking iced coffee for the majority of the evening as I feared
I'd fall asleep if I had any alcohol, but most of the others there
were indulging in some beer. The traditional beer accompaniments over
here are different to peanuts or jerky. There's edamame - which look
like beans but with bigger peas inside, and you squeeze the peas out
and eat them like that. They're less sweet than green peas but still
pleasant. Then there's shredded bits of ika (squid), resembling jerky
but much thinner. I think they put a bit of sugar in with them.
Most of the girls there were in their late 20s, and two of them had
children - the host, and one of the girls we'd picked up along the
way. The lady who we picked up had brought her child along.
Both of the kids were about 1 1/2 years old, and really cute. At my
school I teach kids about as young as that, but it was interesting to
be able to watch them outside the context of an English lesson, where
the mothers are chasing them around trying to get them to behave. By
about the age of 2 or 2 1/2, they start to become attentive and able
to participate properly in the lessons, but at 1 1/2 they're still
very much at an explorative stage and unable to focus for long. At one
point I murmured "chotto abunai" (a little dangerous) to the 1 1/2 y/o
girl's mother, as the daughter had wrapped a curtain cord around her
throat and was at risk of hanging herself if she fell down. The mother
had only turned away for a split second. Remind me not have kids if I
ever develop a heart condition!
The fireworks started about 8pm, and we stepped outside on to the
veranda to watch. The show was quite good - by estimation bigger than
the firework festivals we have back in my home town. It was actually a
smaller festival - the day before, a big fireworks festival had been
held, but I didn't go to that one. Maybe next year.
Today's dinner (see photo) - a raw egg cracked over instant noodles.
When you pour hot water over it, it cooks the egg and the noodles.
Yum.