03 January 2006

New Year's


I spent New Year's--a very important and somewhat solemn holiday in Japan--with Mayumi's family in Fujieda. Overall, it was a completely cozy, relaxing, lazy, spiritual, reflective, traditional holiday that I enjoyed very much. Her parents were so sweet and hospitable; her high school buddies were friendly and happy to speak Japanglish with me (their English was quite impressive, but I tried to throw in Japanese whenever I could, so the foreigner wouldn't totally monopolize the language of choice); I ate more rice cakes and home-cooked Japanese food than ever before; I met grandparents and brothers; I rang a temple bell and drank special sake at midnight; I bought very cheap very warm sets of long underwear; I ate my first riceburger (which was actually shrimp and vegetables); I cleaned tombstones and burned incense and prayed; I prayed some more; I watched Japanese dramas from the Edo period; I heard booming fireworks with the rising sun on the first day of the new year; I slept late; and I drank gold-flecked sake with breakfast. Needless to say it was a great welcome to 2006.

I also visited a famous fish market with Mayumi's family. Here are some pics...the orange stuff is a soupy squid mixture, the green stuff is seaweed, and the rest is self-explanatory. Mayumi's favorite treat was miniature octupii (sp?) mixed with wasabi. Uh, please pass the raw tuna with onions and hold the baby alien-wasabi-octupus. Thank you. :)

4 comments:

adam said...

that wasabi octopus stuff borders on the most disgusting thing i ate while in japan, perhaps in my lifetime. my friend there loved it and always ordered it for us. it is truly repulsive. i feel your pain. happy new years!

adam

Mimi said...

Happy New Year! Sounds like a great experience!

Anonymous said...

mmmmmm that orange stuff looks so appetizing!

Anonymous said...

It could be worse.
Or it could be better.