Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. o-shogatsu omedetou! We began our New Year celebrations on New Years eve by eating a delicious bowl of toshikoshi-soba (New Year's Eve buckwheat noodles), prepared by Nozomi's mum, Akiko-san. Noodles signify a long and successful life and are traditionally eaten on New Years eve. After seeing in the New Year, we hit the hay. It was a cold night and Nozomi and I were wrapped in many layers of blankets as well as a futon. Slept very well.

In the morning, we sat down together for o-sechi ryori This is traditional Japanese New Year food. The feast began with a toast of o-toso which is a spiced sweet sake followed by a bowl of Akiko-san's delicious ozouni. I partook of a glass or two of the red wine that Nozomi's dad had bought specially for the occasion. It was a blessed relief from the lemsip I had been glugging the previous day.



After our bellies were full, we had a bit of a rest before heading off to YouMe town, a huge retail store a few minutes walk from Nozomi's parent's house. It was extremely busy (despite New Years Day being an official holiday). We bought some omiyage (presents), and Yoko bought me some five-finger socks as a birthday present. (Imagine gloves for feet and you get the idea). Thank you Yoko-san! The should keep my feet nice and toasty. We stopped off for a coffee before heading back home. I had a Curry Bun with mine. A sort of doughnut with a curry filling. Much tastier than it sounds.

In the afternoon, we met Nozomi's friend Setsuko with her husband Tasheki and their two daughters Lin-chan and Hikari-chan. Lin-chan has grown up loads since we saw them at our Wedding in Oct 2006. Hikari-chan is already walking. Time really is flying by.

Later on, we dropped by Yuri-chan's mother's house to collect Nozomi's boots (she left them in the car after our onsen trip). There, we met Aya-chan and Wataru-kun and their parents. We stayed at their house during our last trip to Japan. Waturu-kun is now at middle school and his English has really improved since we last met. They were both happy to receive o-toshidama, (New Year gift money which is usually given to Japanese kids at this time). It was nice to see everyone again. I hope they will be able to come and visit us sometime.

Alba

Today, Nozomi and I finally met Kazuki and Yuri's dog, Alba. We stopped by at Yuri's mothers house on the way back from the onsen. Alba is very cute, and being only a few months old, very energetic! Her fur is very short, so doggy clothes are required to keep warm in the winter. (It is very nippy here at the moment). Recently, she has been spending a lot of time under the kotatzu where she has been licking at Yuri's father's feet. (A kotatsu is a type of table with a heated blanket under which you put your legs). Alba has her own blog, where you can follow her daily life and adventures.

Onsen Adventure

Yesterday, we went to an onsen (spa) called Sujiyu with Yuri and Kazuki. We stopped at a ryokan called Shugetsu. It started snowing almost as soon as we left Yame, and by the time we hit the mountain roads, it was settling. Eventually, the car refused to budge and despite three of us pushing, Kazuki-san's car was not going anywhere. Time to break out the snow-chains!
昨日百合ちゃんとかずきさんと筋湯と言う温泉に行って秀月と言う旅館に泊まった。八女をでたらしばらくして雪が降り始めて、山の道に着いた時には、車はすべりはじめちゃった。三人で車を押したのにぜんぜんすすまなくなっちゃった。でも良かった。チェーンを持ってきたかずきさんと百合ちゃんのおかげで助かったんだ。

Thanks to Kazuki-san's heroic driving, we finally made it safely to the onsen resort. What a place! With the snow, it was especially beautiful. Each guest room has its own private onsen and it was an amazing experience to sit in a lovely hot bath, whilst snow was drifting (or occasionally wind-blasted) through the wooden slats of the window shutters. The only problem was getting out! There is a badger like creature in Japan called Tanuki. Amongst other things, these creatures are alleged to be mischief makers, causing strange things to happen. I am sure that each time Nozomi and I tried to get out of the onsen, a tanuki created a blast of snowy wind to send us both diving back under the water..

In the evening we shared a delicious meal together, which as with most Japanese food, not only tasted great, but was presented very artfully. After the meal I felt absolutely shattered (having developed a cold on top of the jet-lag), but after a couple of beers I regained some energy and rejoined the party (in spirit as well as body). We spent a very pleasant evening chatting with Yuri and Kazuki whilst enjoying the New Year variety shows on TV. Slept very well, so it would seem that my prayer was answered at Takatsuka-Jizou, a temple we visited on the way to the onsen.



Our thanks to Yuri and Kazuki for a fantastic trip. o-sewa ni narimashita.