DAY TWENTY-SIX and TWENTY-SEVEN: Cutting, Kimonos, and Cotton Candy

Friday, Elias and I tried to re-create Miho’s amazing yakisoba! While our finished product was delicious, it was nothing in comparison to Miho’s yakisoba.

 

On Saturday, we went to Aunt Tamiko and Uncle Yoshio’s house for lunch. We brought deviled eggs, which they said they had never seen before. Thankfully, they said they liked them! Aunt Tamiko made chicken legs in the pressure cooker which Bayus (ok, lets be honest here, all of us were guilty) couldn’t stop eating. She also made tempura vegetables, including these interesting mushrooms that we had never seen before. They were delicious! Aunt Tamiko is an amazing cook.

 

After lunch, Uncle Yoshio showed us pictures on his computer. Some of them were taken recently, but many of them were pictures from his childhood or before. We greatly enjoyed being able to see pictures of Chie, my great grandmother, and Yoshio and his brothers when they were very young.

Dad and Elias stayed at Yoshio’s house for a little while longer, to chop down a tree for Yoshio, while Bayus, Mom, and I walked to Nozomi’s house. Reari, her friend, and Bayus played together, throwing water balloons, making origami ninja stars, playing at the park, and making cotton candy! They had lots of fun together, despite the language barrier 🙂

 

 

While they were playing, Nozomi dressed me in a kimono! Not only did she dress me, but she talked me and Mom through the process, and had us do the steps ourselves, so I can do it when we get home. It was so much fun! When we were done, Nozomi showed us how to fold the kimono, and then she gave it to us, along with all of the supplies! I am so excited, I can’t even tell you!

The kimono must be hung spread out, so it can air out. Hanging it on a regular hanger is bad for it, and it can distort the fabric.

This is a more casual way to tie the obi of a kimono. The obi is the belt.

Here, Nozomi is showing us the more formal way to tie the obi. When someone is tying it for you, they would tie it in the back, but when tying it yourself, you tie most of it in front of you, and then you twist it to your back. This pillow is used to make the tie look fuller. In addition to this, there are many smaller belts, fancy ties, and a board that you slide into the obi, over your stomach, so that the obi lays flat. All of these attribute to both the elegance of the kimono, and the inability of breathe.

 

Ok, Saturday is the halfway point. We are exactly halfway through our trip! All of a sudden, we feel like we are running out of time. We love those back home, but how will we be able to leave behind those we love here? My plan is to enjoy the moment I am in, and tackle that moment when it gets here.

 

Hannah