I Keep Thinking I'm There Already

One of my favorites places to go in Kumamoto City is the Traditional Crafts Center. Just across the street from the Castle, the TCC has all kinds of locally made crafts for sale: hand-painted fans, ceramics, jewelry, glassware, leather goods. You name it, you can find it at the TCC. You can also observe classes in calligraphy, pottery, etc. It’s really great fun.

This past Sunday, the rain slowed to an intermittent drizzle, so I hopped the bus downtown and visited the Crafts Center to see what new treasures they had. On weekends especially, many local vendors come to display their wares, and on this particular weekend, a big exhibition of glassware was showcased. Vases, dishes, and jewelry of all colors of glass were displayed. If only I were wealthy… I’m not, however, so I must make do with simply enjoying the riches from afar and trying to express my admiration to the craftsmen and women.

The next day as I was driving to work, I couldn’t help but recall the beautiful works of glassware I had seen. I drive through and past a lot of farmland on my way to this particular school and as the rain had stopped and the sun was shining, I had a perfect view of the fields. At first, I thought all of the rain we’ve been having had flooded the land. On both sides of the road, water shimmered in the sun. I felt a bit like Moses. Quickly, I realized that the ‘flooded’ fields were perfectly contained and shaped. They were rice paddies recently planted and, like the glass I saw at the TCC, they danced in the sunlight. The water in some of the fields (the newest planted ones, I think) was almost crystal clear and acted a bit like mirrors. Some of the fields were covered in water tinted brown from the soil, though still slightly translucent, glowing warmly in the sun. My favorites were the fields where rice had already begun to spring up through the water. The water reflected the flora giving the entire field a look of lucent green glass dappled with darker green. My words can’t do it justice. For a few hours, the countryside of Japan was glorious. Then it started to rain again.

I realize I never really talked about the singers that performed at Shisui-higashi Shogakku a couple weeks ago. I almost feel like it’s too late now, but I did promise so… I have no idea if these women are actually professional performers or simply two local women making a good try at being professional singers. As I mentioned previously, they reminded me of Marty Culp and Bobby Moughan – Culp (Saturday Night Live skit with Will Farrell and Ana Gasteyer.) Their voices were technically very good, but it just all seemed way too practiced and perfect. Their voices, hand movements and even facial expressions were perfectly in unison - even when talking between the songs. I kept wanting to giggle.

The songs they sung were well known children’s’ songs, I assume, as the kids seemed to be familiar with all of them. I, of course, couldn’t understand any of it and had reached a state of unfocused relaxation about halfway through the assembly when I was shocked alert by the sound of sleigh bells. They were singing Jingle Bells… in English… in the middle of June. Take a moment and imagine that. Yeah. Most of the students near me turned to see how I reacted to hearing an English song and no doubt concluded by the goofy grin on my face that I considered this to be a most beloved song. I couldn’t help but laugh and sing along.

Well, after almost five weeks and two trips apiece to and a couple hours spent at the Immigration Office and City Hall, I’ve finally got all of my immigration and registration paperwork signed, stamped, and approved. I may have also signed away my firstborn, I’m not quite sure.

I’ll finish this post of random thoughts by mentioning a article I read a few months ago in The New Yorker about a new book complied by Smith Online Magazine of 6-word memoirs. Here’s a link to an NPR story on the book - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18768430 . I came up with my own quite unintentionally while Stewart and I were driving up Mt. Kimpo one night shortly after I got here. As we turned yet another corner to see their was still more to climb, I remarked, “I keep thinking we’re there already.” About a second went by when both Stewart and I looked at each other and said there was my 6-word memoir – “I keep thinking I’m there already.”

I have to go now. My apartment building is having their monthly tenet meeting and I have been highly encouraged – read bullied – to attend and introduce myself to everyone. It will make them feel much more comfortable, apparently. I might question that, but who am I to argue? Maybe there will be food…

- Jenny