Oni wa soto!!!
Translation: Devil outside.
Today is Feb 3, 2005 also known as Setsubun. Which in Japanese means the day before the beginning of spring. And on this day there are a couple of traditions. One, you eat what is called a mame maki (while facing south west). Which is basically like a seaweed roll with egg, pickled root, and radish in it. It is actually quite good. The other, is to eat as many soy beans as your age, this sometimes can also be eat as many peanuts. The last one, is for the male of the household (usually the role of the dad) to dress up like a devil, and the wife and kids throw soy beans or peanuts at him while yelling devil outside, or get out devil. Yep. Nothing like giving dads a complex.
Anyway, so most of the high school students that I teach work at one of the three convenient stores around town. One of them happend to be working at the 7-11 when I went there last week. That student had me sign up to order a mame maki for today. In order to experience Japanese tradition.
However, today was also my first sick day of this year. I finally took time to have a relaxing, quiet night last night. My vision was to have a night with some candles, a good meal, and my "Thus Spake Zarathustra" book. It turned into a night of chips and salsa, writing, and going to be at 8:30pm. Not exactly what I had in mind, but good none the less. Then at 2am I woke up FREEZING and feeling really ill. My throat BURNED. So this morning I decided, I would catch my illness right away and have a day of rest and tea and take care of myself. Well, I called in sick. And then 15 minutes later, my boss is at my front door saying she is going to take me to the hospital and for me to get ready. Out of all the times she ignores me and lets me do my own thing, this, this is what she becomes attentive with. Anyway, so we set off to the Kutchan hospital (30 min drive away), cause I know if I go to the hospital in my town, regardless what I have, I will end up having to get an IV. So we get to the hospital, we wait for 2 hours. Then I have to see a ear, nose, and throat specialist. My sinuses hurt, and they have never heard of the term sinusitis. Apparently it does not effect Japanese people. So I am trying to explain that I get this so called rare ailment often and that it is not life threatening or anything. Anyway, I end up getting my nose looked up, my ears looked in, my throat looked in. A swab pushed up and a sample taken from my nose (can you say OW!), and then I had to put my mouth around this glass pipe that was smoking. Apparently that is how they apply medicine to your throat. Anyway, $35, 4 sets of different drugs, and 3 hours of waiting later, it is determined that I have a cold and swollen tonsils, and that what I need most is sleep. Hmmm, what a great idea!!! Finally we leave the hospital, my boss takes me to get groceries, and then drives me back to Kimobestu and drops me back off at home.
The story however does not end there. Since I had signed up for my mame maki (which included the time I was suppose to pick it up at), I waited till 5:30pm before having a nap to go get it. I walk out into the already dark night, and the sky was brilliant. Stars shining. Beautiful. Anyway, I trudge through the snow to the store, and I walk in, there are 6 employees, and all in unison say, Heather, are you okay?????? I was scared that they heard I died or something. Shocked that news would travel that fast, it finally occurred to me that I do indeed live in a small town. Also that the owners of the store, who were working when I walked in, have two daughters, both of whom I teach, and one of them I was suppose to teach today. Ah yes, mystery solved. Still they all wished me good health, and I bought my maki and made for home.
After shoveling a bit, I faced myself, in what I thought was south west, climbed up onto a snow bank, sat on my knees, offered my thanks, and ate my maki. My offering to keep the demons outside, both in my world and in my body. Oni wa soto!
Translation: Devil outside.
Today is Feb 3, 2005 also known as Setsubun. Which in Japanese means the day before the beginning of spring. And on this day there are a couple of traditions. One, you eat what is called a mame maki (while facing south west). Which is basically like a seaweed roll with egg, pickled root, and radish in it. It is actually quite good. The other, is to eat as many soy beans as your age, this sometimes can also be eat as many peanuts. The last one, is for the male of the household (usually the role of the dad) to dress up like a devil, and the wife and kids throw soy beans or peanuts at him while yelling devil outside, or get out devil. Yep. Nothing like giving dads a complex.
Anyway, so most of the high school students that I teach work at one of the three convenient stores around town. One of them happend to be working at the 7-11 when I went there last week. That student had me sign up to order a mame maki for today. In order to experience Japanese tradition.
However, today was also my first sick day of this year. I finally took time to have a relaxing, quiet night last night. My vision was to have a night with some candles, a good meal, and my "Thus Spake Zarathustra" book. It turned into a night of chips and salsa, writing, and going to be at 8:30pm. Not exactly what I had in mind, but good none the less. Then at 2am I woke up FREEZING and feeling really ill. My throat BURNED. So this morning I decided, I would catch my illness right away and have a day of rest and tea and take care of myself. Well, I called in sick. And then 15 minutes later, my boss is at my front door saying she is going to take me to the hospital and for me to get ready. Out of all the times she ignores me and lets me do my own thing, this, this is what she becomes attentive with. Anyway, so we set off to the Kutchan hospital (30 min drive away), cause I know if I go to the hospital in my town, regardless what I have, I will end up having to get an IV. So we get to the hospital, we wait for 2 hours. Then I have to see a ear, nose, and throat specialist. My sinuses hurt, and they have never heard of the term sinusitis. Apparently it does not effect Japanese people. So I am trying to explain that I get this so called rare ailment often and that it is not life threatening or anything. Anyway, I end up getting my nose looked up, my ears looked in, my throat looked in. A swab pushed up and a sample taken from my nose (can you say OW!), and then I had to put my mouth around this glass pipe that was smoking. Apparently that is how they apply medicine to your throat. Anyway, $35, 4 sets of different drugs, and 3 hours of waiting later, it is determined that I have a cold and swollen tonsils, and that what I need most is sleep. Hmmm, what a great idea!!! Finally we leave the hospital, my boss takes me to get groceries, and then drives me back to Kimobestu and drops me back off at home.
The story however does not end there. Since I had signed up for my mame maki (which included the time I was suppose to pick it up at), I waited till 5:30pm before having a nap to go get it. I walk out into the already dark night, and the sky was brilliant. Stars shining. Beautiful. Anyway, I trudge through the snow to the store, and I walk in, there are 6 employees, and all in unison say, Heather, are you okay?????? I was scared that they heard I died or something. Shocked that news would travel that fast, it finally occurred to me that I do indeed live in a small town. Also that the owners of the store, who were working when I walked in, have two daughters, both of whom I teach, and one of them I was suppose to teach today. Ah yes, mystery solved. Still they all wished me good health, and I bought my maki and made for home.
After shoveling a bit, I faced myself, in what I thought was south west, climbed up onto a snow bank, sat on my knees, offered my thanks, and ate my maki. My offering to keep the demons outside, both in my world and in my body. Oni wa soto!
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