So far this trip has been full of new experiences. For instance... We live on the first floor of Koriyama Baptist Church and Pastor Tajima and his family live on the second. They have a cat named Jackie. The cat named Jackie is in heat. The cat named Jackie doesn’t mind sharing this fact with the world. I have never heard screaming, screeching, wailing, and moaning like this… I don’t know what a wailing banshee is or what it sounds like, but I imagine it would have competition in the cat named Jackie.
Another new experience: eating raw squid. Evan was the first to try it. I closely watched his face to gauge what it was going to be like. He bravely chewed and chewed and chewed and I could almost see the gag reflex trying to kick in. But he swallowed it and even managed to smile weakly for the benefit of all the missionaries and Japanese pastors who were watching, too. I knew there was no retreat for me. The strip of white, slimy meat tried to wriggle out of my chopsticks and make its escape, having so recently been swimming carefree and happy in the ocean. I tighten my grip. Mariah and I took a deep breath and put it in our mouths, after pausing for a picture of this death-defying feat. I chewed and chewed and chewed a little more, and then realized that it was never going to break down, not even if I kept chewing for 6 months, 7 days and 11 hours. So I swallowed it. I think I can still feel it a couple days later, refusing to break down in my stomach.
It is really, really, raining today. Right. Rent. Rice. No, I haven’t gone crazy, just practicing my “R” sound. There is no “r” in the Japanese language. In our English classes we have been helping to teach how to say “r”. In fact, it uses a muscle that you don’t use for any other letter and the students say that it gets sore after a while. It is the same for us and using chopsticks. New muscles in our hands are being used and they get sore after while. Really. Watch my mouth…. Rrrrrreally.
-Elsbeth
Some laundromat silliness!