Goodbye Japan, Hello Hawaii!

Hawaiian Beach (Casey's Beach)

Sunday was the beach and Monday was my flight back home. I spent the morning weeding and then the afternoon relaxing and finishing my packing. Emily went back to work at 4 while I waited for a ride to the station at 5. Mariko helped me get my stuff into the car and I was torn between sadness and excitement to come home, which makes a weird cocktail in your stomach. Emily came with to the station and I hugged them goodbye, hoping to see Mariko again in the future when I return to Japan (hopefully with my little brother in tow) and Emily hopefully as a travel buddy! For the last time I used the train ticket machines and went down to catch my train.

It was a two and a half hour ride to Kansai airport and at my transfer at Osaka, the train was in English and Japanese, that was a first. It was nice to read on the train and not worry about straining to hear in Japanese whether my stop was next, a nice British lady would say so over the loudspeaker. At the airport I had to eat something since my flight was at 10:35 pm, otherwise I would be dangerously cranky. I was still in Japanese mode when I ordered strawberry cheesecake frozen yogurt at an ice cream kiosk and I think I made the cashier laugh. He knew English well but it was hard to override two months of Japanese responses.

On the flight I sat next to a 15 year old girl who was moving to Hawaii for 5 years with her family and she was also surprised at my speaking abilities. She was cute. :) After the plane dinner I popped a sleeping assistant and groggily slept the next 8 hours to Hawaii. We landed 15 minutes early and I was pumped, it was 11:45 am and my next flight was at 5:15. I was going to spring out of that plane, through customs, and to the beach like a bullet. But actually, I had to get my luggage, transfer my luggage, check in for my flight and by that time I began to doubt I would be able to make it to the beach and back. However, luckily for me, the Honolulu airport had an exit by the check in where most folks get picked up or take a taxi elsewhere. I asked a lady working if that bus station over there went to Waikiki beach, and she responded, "Sure! Buses come every 10 minutes!" "Do I have enough time?" "I think so." "I'm THERE!" And took off for the station across the street. It cost me $3 since I didn't have change, but hey, better than the $25 dollar taxi.

I knew Waikiki was an mile and a half away, so I figured it wouldn't be that long on a bus, but as the clock ticked away, I realized there was no beach in sight. I borrowed the map from the gentleman next to me and realized oh no, we are very far away due to traffic. I panicked. And then on my right I noticed a beach! Was it private? No! Oh wait! We passed that stop! Pull for the next and book it! So I did.

I backtracked trying to find where the bus stop would be for the way back because that was more important than the beach just yet, and so was my growling tummy. I stopped into Petals and Beans to ask where the bus stop was--all this was in a line of hotels and fancy places I wasn't sure I could just walk into. But the Hawaiian man working said it was right outside at the stoplight so hooray! Then I noticed in the coffee/flower shop that behind the glass display case was a beautiful slice of New York Mocha cheesecake, so I had to eat it. It was the best ever, for lack of better words, accompanied by a handmade and one of a kind chai tea. After the cool down, it was time to beach-book-it. I raced across the street and the grass trying to find where I could change into my suit. Once that was accomplished, I put my stuff between two parties of two and was amazed how 1, this beach was gorgeous and 2, this was not crowded at all. Then, I burst into the ocean.

It was more than amazing, it was perfection at it's best. Warm but cool and refreshing water, bright blue water with that tinge of aquamarine and white sand. I couldn't believe I was walking on it! My time was short and I had to leave soon after plunging into the beautiful blue to catch a bus back to Honolulu Airport, but it was worth it. Hawaii, I hope to see you again. :)

A Taste of the Ocean

I love water. I think that has always been true since I can remember. For instance, I can remember stomping and swimming by the dock of my cabin with my Grandma watching me not an arm's length away, while today I stomped my feet in the ocean for the first time. Hello Grandma!!

Me looking for sea shells!

The plan was to go to the beach if the weather would allow us, which was possibly asking for a lot when it's the rainy season. This morning it poured itself out and eventually warmed up to a nice, humid day. I was practically tapping my foot waiting for the signal to go and when Mihoko came to say "yes! we will leave at one!" I instantly changed moods. There was some talk of not going because it wasn't "warm enough" and I thought that was crazy, how much nicer did it have to be? Anyway, it worked out and I joined Atsushi, Mihoko, kids, and their friends. We went to a private beach so there were fewer people than the famous Suma beach. It was a bit of a drive but I like riding in cars in Japan. :)

Me finding shells!

I was yet again, the only blond, non-Japanese in sight and that got more stares. But once we had lathered up in sunblock the kids wanted to race into the water. Mihoko apologized because the water was dirty with sticks and natural debris from the storms recently, and a few pieces of garbage... she said they can always see the bottom here and this is unusual but oh well, ocean is ocean and I was happy to be there. It was a lot warmer than I expected and a lot saltier too!

After some playing we got flavored ice and enjoyed more swimming. My favorite part was floating on the surface in the low waves. It's the best feeling ever to be weightless and suspended between the air and water, just drifting! It was my first time at the ocean and I will never forget it.

Pottery Day 2

I heard we were doing more pottery yesterday since there were two new wwoofers who needed to get their hands in clay! Although the new French wwoofer Xavier passed on making something, Emily said of course.

 At first we tried to fire up a kiln outside but we got rained out and had to run for it to the garage. From there we made camp again with the pottery teacher and Emily started over.

 Meanwhile, I was crossing my fingers that my owl would be cooked enough to survive a plane ride but it would take two hours to find out. So we spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon with clay and stoking a fire, but after that was over the pottery teacher pulled out bread mix! 

We rolled out the dough into long pieces and wrapped them around barbecue sticks, roasting them like marshmellows! 

It was very tasty :) 

In the afternoon since the rain stopped we went and weeded for a while, showing Xavier a few of the tricks of how to really pull some grass. For dinner everyone had curry followed by splurging in the French wine Xavier brought! Here's Mihoko approving of the first taste.

 I had some OJ with my banana bread (the dessert) and it was an evening filled with a lot of laughter--but that's a sound I could never get tired of. I am trying to soak up all I still can before I leave on Tuesday, but I can already tell this place has left me with a desire to visit Japan again one day. I feel very blessed to be taken such good care of here and finding a lot of happiness in daily things, even for instance watching TV on Emily's computer as we sit on the edge of our elbows ready to laugh and scream at the suspense of our scary show, or being able to teach others about my life, culture, and language. I think at the same time though I have a little voice that finally can peep loud enough, "There's no place like home" and I have never fully appreciated that until I left home 8,000 miles away.