Days 55-60: またね,函館 (See you, Hakodate)

So, the last week came, and quickly it flew away. It wasn't too busy, but I tried to soak up the end of my time in Hakodate. On Monday (8/4), I had a nice lunch with many of my classmates at a restaurant nearby. On the way home, as I walked down my block, a woman working out in front of her house called out to me, "It's hot, isn't it?" and began a conversation with me. Another example of the ubiquitous kindness and genuine interest of the people here. She wished me luck with my last few days, and her kindness really made my day.

Japan's first concrete telephone pole… exciting.

For dinner, Okaasan prepared each of the squid dishes that are mentioned in the Hakodate "Squid Dance," which was a touching gesture. It was a lot of squid, and I could handle all of it except for the soaked squid ears. There was also meat, and when I asked what it was, she pointed to her tongue – and I understood.

Tuesday (8/5) wasn't especially eventful. We had one more shamisen lesson – since the teachers wanted us to perform at the sayonara (farewell) party at the end of the week. I gave my shamisen teacher a thank-you card for having taken the time out to teach me. Afterwards, my friend Aaron and I began a deep philosophical conversation as we walked to the train station before heading home.

Wednesday (8/6) was the last day of classes. After class, many of us ate in the HIF cafeteria. That evening, Okaasan had received tickets to a maritime band concert in the neighboring town, so the three of us went, and picked up a friend of hers on the way. The next day was the final exam, but I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to hear more music and spend more time with my host family! Okaasan picked up some teriyaki burgers from Lucky Pierrot for us, (which were more delicious than the Chinese Chicken burger I had previously tried). Before the concert, a few of the musicians sung a few a cappella songs, which was a fun reminder of what my upcoming year would bring.

The concert itself was fun – a big-band feel, with everyone in uniform – and included a mix of Japanese and familiar American tunes (e.g. Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing"). They played about 3 encores before it was all over. Afterwards, we went to an izakaya for some dinner, and tried out some different foods, beer, and a sake.

My B-gumi classmates

Fish tank at the izakaya 

A man contemplating outside the Starbucks

Thursday (8/7) was the final exam, which went fine and actually didn't take very long. Afterward, our class decided to go out for lunch together, and we invited our teacher to come with us as well. We waited for a while outside a popular ramen restaurant, and the food ended up being very delicious! After lunch, a few of us went searching for a gift to give our teacher, and I explored a bit on my own to find some fun things for my siblings. At the end of the night, Okaasan, Nick and I took a final trip to the onsen, and it was the best yet. After bathing in all of the hot pools, I got into the very cold pool, (which I had previously avoided because I thought it would be too cold), and it was extremely refreshing.

A celebratory ramen lunch

Friday (8/8), finally, was my last full day in Hakodate. We got up early in the morning to be on time for the closing ceremony, followed by the farewell party, where there were donuts and tea, and where each class had to give a small performance. We created our own lyrics to a popular Japanese song, talking about our "family-like" class, jokingly complaining about the workload, etc.

In the afternoon, Okaasan, Nick and I revisited the delicious soba restaurant we had gone to a few weeks earlier. We then drove out to Onuma, the nearby town with a beautiful lake, and after walking around a bit we decided to do a pedal-boat for half an hour. Before going home, we sampled the local soft serve (of course) and an extremely delicious beer (which apparently won a national prize).

The view of the mountain from the middle of the lake

For our final meal, Okaasan put together a huge sampling of different fish for us to make our own sushi rolls. The whole family came, including Okaasan's husband and son, and it was a really enjoyable (and, of course, delicious) time together.

After everyone left – and we had to say goodbye to Mariko, Kento, and little Haruto – the (American) Transformers movie was on the TV, so we watched it as I avoided packing up my room for my flight the next day.

My room, prior to packing, the night before my flight

Saturday (8/9), Okaasan drove me to the airport and helped make sure I got my ticket, got my bags checked, and made it through security alright. She also sent me off with some last minute souvenirs, as well as a prepared lunch, which was very kind. Mariko also showed up at the airport before work to say goodbye. After some near-tearful hugs, I went through security and waved goodbye – or, at least, goodbye for now.

My final Japanese meal, provided by my host mother

The street where I lived for two months.
So long, Hakodate.

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Days 52-54: 函館港祭り (Hakodate Port Festival)

Friday (8/1) marked the beginning of August, and an explicit mark that the end of our time was drawing near. After class (and a quick lunch at the nearby conveyor-belt-sushi place with two Yale friends), everyone headed over to the international hotel for the HIF Speech Contest, where the best two speeches of each class were presented. My roommate Nick was included and did a great job, speaking about his experience and techniques he had learned for studying Japanese.

 Afterwards, the festivities for the Port Festival (lasting all weekend) began. After wandering about for a bit, a group of us went to an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and enjoyed ourselves (with complimentary karaoke, too!). I then rand off to a barbecue hosted by one on my classmate's host family, and we watched the impressive and lengthy fireworks display from high up on the hill.

Saturday (8/2), Okaasan, Mariko, Haruto, Nick and I all drove out to the sea to swim. I had mentioned wanting to go swimming during the week, so Okaasan brought us to a spot she knew – and I at first was wondering why we had driven to a place so far away (about 1.5 hours), but it was well worth it, getting to swim in the lukewarm water, explore among the rocks, see starfish, etc. There were several sea urchins, and Mariko asked me if I wanted to eat one. I thought she was joking. Nope. She cut it open with scissors she had brought and scooped out some of the yellow insides and offered it to me – and as disgusting as I make that sound, it was actually tasty, and somewhat sweet. (Much better fresh than the sea urchin that is prepared in restaurants, I think.)

After we got back to town, Okaasan dropped off Nick and I to participate in the festival parade, which consisted of several different groups of people dancing to the Ika Odori. Over and over and over and over again. It was a lot of fun, and definitely exhausting, and hot! I was sweating buckets. The rest of the evening, a group of us walked around, checked out various food vendors, and enjoyed each others company amidst the celebratory mood of the evening.

Sunday (8/3), Okaasan had to pick up some vegetables from a friend, so on the way she dropped us off at a terrific, huge bookstore. I wish there were a bookstore like this at home (maybe there is somewhere, I don't know) – somewhat like a Borders, but spacious and comfortable (with many desks and sofas for reading or studying), as well as a Starbucks, a restaurant, a convenience store, a stationary store, even some furniture… etc. I didn't buy anything, but I had brought a couple of books to read. There was a man napping on the couch near me, but a staff person came by and poked him, so I thought maybe it wasn't the place for a nap.

 Afterwards, we went to the grocery store so Nick could get ingredients to make guacamole. We had mentioned a few times wanting to make something specially for Okaasan, and I couldn't think of anything that special I could make, but then I thought I'd try and make some chai tea. It ended up quite the eclectic snack-time: chai tea, guacamole, and crackers (since tortilla chips don't really exist in Japan). It was nice to at least attempt to do something nice in return after all Okaasan had done for both of us.

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Days 46-51: Work and Play

Saturday (7/26) allowed me to sleep in until the scheduled Japanese confectionary making class, which was luckily just down the street from our house. I am usually not so good at these things, but the ones I made turned out not so ugly, surprisingly. The ingredients were simple and pre-prepared, just a sugar-ish-dough, red-bean paste (a common sweet ingredient) and dye.

The master pastry chef

For lunch, we went to a delicious soba restaurant, then in the afternoon, I asked if I could practice piano again at Okaasan's sister's. Evening-time, we made plans with Mariko and Kento to go to karaoke; once we got there – surprise – 4-year-old Haruto had joined as well. It was a real blast; Kento tended toward Jpop/Kpop, I tended toward R&B that was generally too high for me to sing (hence, I should perhaps not be given the mike at karaoke, ha!). The karaoke place also had complimentary soft drinks, including slushies, which you know I indulged in. Afterwards, we went to a sushi place and all in all ate a lot of sushi. (My phone died so I couldn't get a picture of all the plates, but it was a feat).

The next day (7/27) was another restful Sunday. Since Okaasan brought up the point that I should ideally be practicing my piano every day, we went to her sister's again, and I brought the remainder of the sweets I had made the day before as a thank you gift. I could palpably sense the progress in my playing from the day before. (So this is what an actual practice routine looks like… duly noted). When we got back to the house, I helped Okaasan set up a new email address, since she didn't really know how to access her email on her computer. And at the end of the night, we joined Kento, by request, at his favorite onsen, which was fun. In the car on the way there, I could see in the rear-view mirror Kento and Okaasan chatting and laughing in the front seat; the love they shared was so clear, and I felt both honored to be allowed to temporarily join this family and thankful for my own loving family back at home. At the onsen itself they had a bubble-bath-type pool, which had a bunch of little rubber ducks that Nick, Kento and I tossed around for fun. When we got home, I realized (only right before going to sleep) that I had lost my glasses… argh!

Monday (7/28), though, Okaasan had me try out her glasses and, surprisingly, our prescriptions were pretty much the same. So, she let me use her pair, and even insisted on giving it to me, as she had many others. Truly, my gratitude was increasing with every day. And, I heard the Lord reminding me, "Be anxious for nothing."

For lunch, a group of us decided to go to the restaurant that served the famous "odori ika" (dancing squid) – a squid that is killed and served immediately, so that when you pour soy sauce on it the legs still react to it. I didn't have it personally, but it was quite the experience to watch:

Monday afternoon there was a soba and mochi-making demonstration that I had signed up to attend, but after biking to the area where the shop was supposed to be, I just couldn't find it, and instead wandered home, on the way discovering a children's playground with large tire-sculptures. The next day was our IS, so there I had preparation to do anyway. Okaasan made takoyaki (octopus balls – a favorite snack here) with a new takoyaki grill she had just bought, and the results were delicious.

Tuesday (7/29) after classes were over, everyone gave their I.S. presentations (8 minutes each, with all the classrooms used at once). Host families and locals from the community came to watch and listen. I jokingly tried to convince my host mother that she didn't need to come, and my presentation would be boring, but she insisted, "It is my job!"I was unsure how mine would go – again, having had not too much of a chance to practice the shamisen – but it went better than expected. I spoke a bit about the history of the shamisen, demonstrated an excerpt of the traditional folk song "Soran Bushi" and then spoke a bit about the re-emergence of the shamisen as a popular instrument in contemporary Japanese music (e.g. the Yoshida Brothers).

After the presentations were all done, many of us went to get either gelato or crepes. It felt like a Friday, since the brunt of the IS work was now behind us.

Wednesday (7/30) a small group of us had signed up to visit a local care house, for people with mental and physical disabilities – and what a good opportunity it was to get to meet people, one of many that HIF provided for us over the course of the term. We first did a question and answer session, each of us asking questions that the people would ask (favorite anime / favorite food / favorite singer / etc.), then us asking them. Then, they sang a couple songs for us (very enthusiastically), then all together we danced the Ika Odori (the "squid dance" – which is the famous dance of the upcoming Port festival in Hakodate. We had previously learned this same dance with the elementary schoolers). And when the song was over, we did it once again!

Thursday (7/31) was a pretty ordinary day, by all record. In fact, I don't especially remember it – and after asking Okaasan and Nick, they also don't really remember it. Based on my pictures and receipts, I got lunch at the convenience store and ate by the dock again with friends, then had another leisurely bike ride home, stopping briefly by a cool-looking temple. In the evening Kento and his basketball teammate came to eat dinner during a break in their rigorous practice schedule. That weekend, the entire town was gearing up for the Port Festival, a huge celebration of Hakodate's main economic source.

Real Japanese pokemon! :)

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Days 41-45: Week 6

This week, it seemed like each day was getting better and better. Monday (7/21), began early in the morning with a conference call with the rest of the Whiffenpoofs across the Pacific. I then hopped on the tram so I could finish my weekly journal for class, due after each weekend.

After class, I and two other friends went to the local radio station, where we had signed up to participate in a radio show. I was pretty nervous, wary of embarrassing myself with my sub-par Japanese for the whole city to hear, but it turned out to be fine, and even fun. The host, although maybe slightly condescending, asked us pretty simple questions during the 20-minute interview, about our experience in the city, etc. (Here is a link to download a 1-minute clip where you can hear me talking). Afterwards, we celebrated having conquered our nerves with soft serve and beer.

Squid ink ice cream

For dinner that evening Okaasan prepared sashimi, and I have a hunch that she did so because I mentioned it was my favorite Japanese food on the radio program that afternoon. Tricky, tricky (and very considerate).

Tuesday (7/22) during on of the breaks in between class periods, a friend from another class came to our classroom to see if anyone wanted to join her for gospel concert that evening. I was, fittingly, blasting gospel music in my headphones at the time, and I thought it would be a fun experience (even though I had a test the next day). I was very curious to see what Japanese gospel even meant…

After class, I participated in a kimono culture class, and we got to try on yukata – light, summer versions of kimono. Then, I had my final shamisen lesson before the Independent Study lessons the next week. I wasn't sure how I'd be able to do, this being only my third lesson, but I recalled what we had already learned pretty quickly. At the end I took a video of my sensei so I could at least memorize the melody of the song, since outside of the lessons I didn't have access to a shamsien to practice with. Then, I sped home on my bike, riding along the edge of the sea, my new favorite route.

My friend/classmate Li-san in her kimono

When I got home, Okaasan had prepared dinner early – Genghis Khan (yum). Then, I went off to the concert for the evening, and was surprised by how anointed the atmosphere was. The Japanese gospel singer and her band had rehearsed with a local choir from Hakodate, and my friend's host parents were singing in the choir (hence the tickets). And they could sing! It was a great, great time; my expectations were blown away, and I never would have expected to encounter this music that I love while in Northern Japan. My favorite song was the last one they sang, which – although most of the rest of the concert was in English – was in Japanese; I felt that the singers were able to connect that much more with the music since it was in their own tongue.

People lining up for the concert

On Wednesday (7/23) it was raining in the morning, yet I was still hoping to get my daily exercise by commuting by bike. Now, rational Ian would probably not bike 30 minutes in the rain, but this was not rational Ian – it was every-day-is-a-Japanese-adventure Ian. And so, every-day-is-a-Japanese-adventure Ian took his test that day with sopping wet shorts. For lunch I had some delicious tempura, and then in the afternoon participated in an English discussion time with local high school students. Speaking with the students reminded me how much patience it takes to help someone get their point across in a language they don't know well – patience my teacher and host mother had shown a lot of so far. I became more grateful.

Thursday (7/24) after class I went to a calligraphy class taught at the high school up the hill by a teacher who was very knowledgable and entertaining. He told us to draw our characters in a way that was expressive of the idea behind it (not just "mother," but what kind of mother? etc). He was very well versed in the subject matter, and also wrote in English cursive beautifully – impressive. At the end we received two nice canvas-like-boards to write on and give to our host families; I wrote the word 感謝 (thanks, gratitude).

The calligraphy teacher showing us his name in 5 different styles,
demonstrating the evolution of Japanese characters over time

"Right" and "left"

Then, Thursday evening, Okaasan took Nick and I to a Japanese "folk oldies" gathering, which was a hoot. Several people around Okaasan's age (many of whom were her high school classmates, apparently) gathered to sing songs they enjoyed. The lyrics were printed up in a little booklet, so it was a nice Japanese listening practice. There were also some English songs thrown in, and at one point Okaasan made me get up and sing in front of everyone; so I sang "Let It Be."

Friday (7/25) after class, I went to watch the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," which they were showing in one of the classrooms. I had heard of it before, and it was a fascinating watch, all about a man who has risen to be a renowned sushi chef, mainly by the brute force of doing the same hard work every day of his life.

Afterwards, I sat down on a bench by the dock and finally finished my script for the Independent Study presentation (which I had spent a healthy dose of procrastination on). While sitting there I met a very nice person visiting from another part of Japan, and we talked briefly about what I was doing in Hakodate and how I enjoyed it. It was another of many such encounters during my stay; so many of the people are so genuinely nice and invested. And, once I finished writing, I treated myself to some gelato before heading home.

At the end of the evening, the three of us went to the an onsen – a nice way to wrap up the week.

"Japan's oldest concrete electric pole" – just one of the many wonders of Hakodate...

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