Saved in Shikoku
Thursday, January 4th, 2007Yesterday my luck began to change for the better. I got a hold of Mayumi while in Okayama and she told me to get back to Sakaide right away. In the end I got to cross the huge bridge four times, a thrilling and beautiful experience. The inland sea separating the islands of Shikoku and southern Honshu has a different feel. Its rich green waters were gorgeous on these clear winter days. With no waves the coast has been spared from the wrath of concrete tetrapods that litter the Pacific side. Dotted with small islands and busy with a constant stream of sea traffic, it reminds me of Puget Sound.
Mayumi’s family took me in as one of their own. They fed me, bathed me, and Mayumi put some money in my pocket. It was my first experience with the rumored Western Japanese hospitality and it will go down as one of my best memories from my time in Japan. It was hard to manage my best Japanese manners while fighting the urge to devour all the food in front of me like a wild animal. I had been imagining the previous two days what I’d prefer if I could eat anything. Lasagna topped the list over mashed potatoes, gravy and pork chops. I didn’t imagine myself eating osechi, the traditional New Years holiday food, but that’s exactly what I ate. It’s made the day before New Years and placed in decorated boxes. The idea behind New Years, or Oshou Gatsu, is that everyone relaxes including the women-folk, so all the food can stay fresh for several days. It’s a random assortment that most foreigners would call “strange Japanese food.” Honestly I’ve always gone out of my way to avoid osechi, hearing again and again how people generally tolerate it for the sake of tradition. So I’m glad I waited until I was literally starving to try it, because it tasted amazing.
This morning Mayumi and her parents took me on a drive around Sakaide showing me the best viewpoints of the bridge and sea. They dropped me off at the station a changed man.
Administrator