Fire Walking, Teapot Shopping, Soba Chomping, Meat-Eater!

I've decided to use links for stuff that folks may not know about. So, I don't have to interupt my stories to explain Japanese words, etc...So you can click on the red/underlined links for more information...

Unlike most weekends since it's been cold, this weekend was quite eventful. About two weeks ago, the temperature shot up to the upper 60s. Then it plummeted back down to the low 40s over night. So, needless to say I've been barricading myself in my bedroom directly in front of the heater! Friday was spent inside doing laundry, cooking, catching up on emails, and generally relaxing. Saturday, it was my intention to go to the dollar store to replace a bowl I broke, but it was cold and rainy outside so I stayed in all day. That evening was the taco party.

Although it was pretty chilly, the sun was out and the sky was clear on Sunday. One of my friends works at a teashop and I sent her a text message on Friday for directions there. Instead, she offered to take me there on Sunday because it was her day off. Wow, people usually want to stay away from work on their days off…hahahaha. She also mentioned something about Yamabushi monks and fire walking. A trip to the teashop turned into a whole day adventure in Hoshino (a village in the mountains).

When she arrived to pick me up, I thanked her and gave her a box of Castilla from Nagasaki because she went out of her way just for me. First, we headed up a mountain to the place where the monks were doing the ceremony. It went as follows:

1. Everyone wrote their names on pieces of wood with pre-printed wishes on them.
2. The monks prayed at the shrine them made their way up the hill where the ceremony took place.
3. Formalities…sutras….I don’t know exactly what that part was; it was all in Japanese of course.
4. A big pile of wood and branches was set on fire and the wishes on the pieces of wood were thrown in.
5. The smoldering embers were raked to make a walkway.
6. Monks blessed everyone
7. We stripped off our shoes and socks and fire walked.

Fire walking was never on my list of things that I wanted to eventually do, but now that I’ve done it I think I’m officially OFFICIAL! It’s interesting that the word religion is used loosely when referring to Buddhism here. Of course, some refer to it as a philosophy or a lifestyle, but it’s obvious that a lot of things people do in it’s practice are for fun…i.e. fire walking. My friends didn’t seem to be there for the religious experience at all.

For lunch, we went to another friend’s soba restaurant. I didn’t like soba until last weekend. They are usually served cold and they usually taste a little too wheaty. These noodles were so good though. I later found out that the powder they use in their restaurant is specially ordered from a place in Northern Japan. Her family likes the location of the restaurant because the water quality way out there is so good. After a great lunch and a little gossiping…ehem…sharing of personal opinions, we headed to the teashop. Japanese people don’t do the whole “hook-up” thing but they do buy gifts for people at the drop of a hat. So, my friend who works there treated us to some tea flavored ice cream and tea. After I made my purchases, she gave me some green tea flavored snacks.

Later that night, we all went to a yakiniku restaurant because my co-worker’s (the one I like the most here) sisters are in town to visit her. Our party was so large so we had to sit at two different tables. I sat at the table with all the Japanese women. At first I though it was strange that all out Japanese friends were women and between the ages of 28 and 50. Nevertheless, I like it because they want to do more than drink, drink, and drink. I also like how women here, whether they are married/in a relationship or single, always make time for their friends. They focus a lot on friendship. I wonder though if it is a result of how men here usually work all the time. Either way, it’s nice.