March 29

I guess it was a pretty boring day today, but it had its ups. When I woke up (around 10), I was the only one in the house (it’s easy to figure out, because being a Japanese household, everyone leaves their slippers in the foyer when they switch into their outdoor shoes). I decided to make “yaki tamago,” because okaasan wouldn’t be there to tell me I was putting too much air in my scrambled eggs. d: I thought perhaps that she had taken otousan to the hospital (I’m still not sure when that is), but otousan came home right as I finished my breakfast (and the delicious eclair).

I had a fairly uneventful day of using the internet and doing my laundry, until lunch when otousan made nikuman and miso soup. We watched okaasan’s favorite singing competition show. Afterward, I took my laundry outside to dry in the nice weather. There’s a balcony outside my room, but I’ve never been on it (though that cat has). Today I changed that, and I found that okaasan has a big cistern with at least two tiny fish (that dart away when you look at them) in it!!! It was such a nice day that I left the sliding door open while I did my homework until it got cold. I found myself falling asleep at my desk, so I took a nap too.

When I woke up, it was to my alarm telling me to help okaasan with dinner, but she wasn’t home yet (and otousan had gone out again). A minute later, she was home, so I went down to help her, and she was surprised at how early I was to dinner (though I come at the same time every weekend). We actually talked a bit, about her long day today (I didn’t know it was the last day of the classes she teaches), but when the talk grew a bit slim, she dismissed me to my room to study. I guess I have to be more outspoken, because I would have been happy to keep talking (if only sparsely) while she cooked.

We had delicious curry noodles with stir-fry vegetables, but okaasan was worried I would be disappointed because she thought it was un-spectacular, being a dish she decided to make because she didn’t have the energy to make something else. I wish Japanese people would not put themselves down so much. She and otousan were worried that I hadn’t had enough to eat for lunch or dinner, but I assured them I had. I wish okaasan ate more sweets so that I could make cookies or pancakes for ryoushin. I don’t know what I can do to show my gratitude other than the dishes, but that seems so small.

We talked a bit about school at dinner. Otousan told me about Cambridge University and how English and French people don’t seem to have to speak foreign languages to get into college. He thought it was important to study foreign languages, but also to study the cultures.

After dinner, okaasan showed me the dolls she had brought home since I had said I wanted to accept the offer I had received at her son’s house. There are two, identical other than kimono pattern, and she told me to pick one, to keep. I had a hard time doing so, so she told me to ask again before I left for the US. What am I going to do to show my gratitude?