Today's kids

Kyushu regional office of JICA (the agency who let me go to Burkina for 2 years) organised monthly events at after school kids clubs in my city to let kids know about different culture and lifestyle in the world.

I participated as animator in the event at 5 kids clubs during the first 2 weeks of August.

It's summer vacation in Japan, too so kids spend whole day at their club because their parents both work.

It starts at 9:30 for about 2 hours.

We start with "how does the world look like ?"

They get a map with only Japan on and different continents card and try to put them in the right place.

Then we talk about "clothes, food, house and school" in different parts of the world with photos.

In which country the photo is ?

What do they do ?

How different is it from Japanese style ?

Basically we talked by questions and answers.

Kids were usually so excited to get the right answer.

They showed their surprised look each time.

Some kids know certain countries well,

Others are very intelligent to talk about wars and else.

I was quite impressed.

I was also very happy to have met these young kids (6-11 years old) that I don't usually have contact with them.

I had a great time and learned many things.

For the last one hour, we try a play from a foreign country.

Each club chose one of 2 games.

Some did "cat and dog" game form Vanuatu : 2 groups try to get a bar (bone for real) as many times as possible.

Other did "Shipa" from Philippines : Make a shuttlecock with a flat beer lid ad cellphane tape and play with it by hitting it with hands and feet.

They both have different type of fun so kids enjoyed them. (the photos are for shipa)

When I was 6-11 years old, I had only interests or knowledge about my family, school and club activities (piano, calligraphy and swimming).

I find very important to have such occasion to learn about the world at these ages.

Recently, there are more TV shows which introduce culture and lifestyle in different countries so that kids can easily get information from them.

Many critics say that today's young Japanese are often passive and don't look outside (of the country).

But at least about 150 kids or more that I met this summer are or won't be like that.

I strongly hope that they will become adults who have interests toward foreign countries and capacity to see inside (Japan) objectively as well.

Summer arrival

10 days ago, the rainy season ended.

And suddenly the real summer arrived without leaving us a bit of preparation period...

Since then, it has been crazy hot like 35 degrees or more with of course humidity...

This reminds me of the heat in Burkina.

It seemed like they waited this moment...

On the wall of my dog's house, I saw a very rare situation.

One of signs or symbols or Japanese summer is...

Although to be honest, I do not like the noise so much because it accumulates the heat in my head !

"Cicada" molting

He just became adult.

He is so white or even pale.

They start molting after sunset.

Because during the night, they prepare their wings to fly and leave before their predators wake up in the morning.

The short life of an adult cicada is quite well-known :1 week to a month.

But how long do they live as nymphs?

3-17 years in underground !!!

Wow...

I should apologize for saying to them "noisy"...

Also I feel lucky to be a person, especially Japanese who stays 9-10months in mum's stomach, takes 18-20 years to become adult and live in average for 80 years...

I should appreciate such seasonal change.

Some lives are born and and die so quickly...

Since one month

On 16th, I had one month checkup.

Since 2 weeks, I have been feeling great (I mean, normal).

But until 2 days before, I had 38 of fever for 3 days... so I was a little bit worried about the exam resulats possibly affected by this.

But, NO PROBLEMO !

I really appreciated so many of my friends support.

Here, I am officially recovered !

Last 2 weeks, I remet many friends that I had not seen since 2 or more years.

Everyone seems doing well.

I was very happy.

I will try to have as always as possible such smile for me and others around me :)

Health + smile = happy ☆

I am now just waiting for the date of my departure to UK with the visa in my hand :D

By the way, this smile was very delicious ! which put exactly the same form on my face.

Merci Madame !!!

One thing that I don't like in Japan

When I came back with my huge stomach in May, 

I was going to get on a bus with a suitcase of over 20kg, a backpack of over 15kg and a carton box of over 10kg at the airport.

I could put little power to my stomach (I was advised to do so by doctor) so I was charging one another.

The bus was quite busy.

No one helped me.

Yesterday was just one month after my operation.

I feel almost perfectly recovered and I went to Tokyo this week.

The day before, I took a train with my pregnant friend.

There were 2 young (25-35 yrdish) men in suits inside and one of them took one of priority seats.

My friend and I were standing nearby.

On the priority 3 seats, there were a foreign looking sleeping guy, a middle aged woman and him.

I believed that one of them, especially the young business man, called "salary man" in Japanese would  offer a place to my friend.

In fact, he was talking with another guy standing in front of him and ignored her.

I could not believe it.

It was obvious that his eye level was just at the same level of her big belly !

As I was not happy about it, I talked about such situation with her on purpose.

She told me that this happens quite often. Women offer their place most of the time while men do not.

I felt really ashamed.

She had even a key chain which shows that she is pregnant.

I wondered how they feel if these guys' wives meet such situation..

Then at the next station, the lady got off the train.

The second guy standing sat on her seat without hesitating at all!

So the first closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep then another busy by typing texts.

Although both got off just two stations after !!!

Japanese men, especially young ones can not keep standing just two more stations !?

How weak are they ?!

Above that, I was so furious and ashamed of being a Japanese that they did not move even though they surely heard what we were saying.

At the same time, I did not make any action like yelling to them or at least ask them to give a seat to my friend politely.

I did not have enough courage to do so...

Thus, I am similar to them ! I did nothing to let her sit down.

I have been so angry against myself and regret a lot since then.

But fortunately, my friend told me today that she got a seat offered by an old lady and an old guy in different trains.

I was relieved that not all Japanese are like these guys or me.

Japanese are well known that they are often "shy".

But such act should not be excused by this "shy" attitude.

They don't have common sens and kindness.

In Burkina, if you have a lot of luggage, someone will come to help you (for foreigners, sometimes at the end, some may ask some money for the action though...) and people surely offer a place to sit down to older people and ladies without any note or key chain which ask to do so.

Such minimum manner and attention have to be succeeded forever.

Parents day

The last Sunday 20 was Father's day.

Last 2 years, (as it has been always), my father helped me a lot even though we did live in different countries.

However, I have not given him back my gratitude physically.

So this year for that day, I decided to cook the dinner for him.

Something he likes or can eat although he has so many dislifes in food...

One of them that I can make...

One of them that I also like...

Hmmm...

I finally gave my priority to the 3rd condition...

It is easy to make but so delicious ♪

Bibimbap (un plat coréen) !!!

Usually when I cook, it is me who prepare the main dish and mum who does side dishes.

But as same as for father, I have not done much for my mum either.

For mother's day also, I did nothing because I was in a quite unsual situation.

So I decided to celebrate both days in one day !

I prepared also cellophane noodles (Chinese vermicelli) salad and seaweed soupe. (mum had anyway made already a plate with Japanese flowering fern).

For desert, I choose Japanese sweet (Daifuku) that I love !!!

It wasn't too bad for the first time cooking! :)

Well, I chose all that I like simply lol

But they liked them, too.

Thank you, both !

I hope that you both will be always in good shape and next to me for support***

Rainy season

Last weekend, rainy season started in my region.

This season in Japan is called  "rainy season" in English and "saison des pluies" in French like the one in Burkina.

But if I translate littelary the word in Japanese, it is "the season of plums".

In fact, they are very different.
In Burkina, a whole year is devided in 2 seasons, dry season and rainy season.

Every year in general, very dark clouds and strong winds tell the arrival of the season at the end of May or early June. It continues until the end of August or September although it used to be until the end of October.

This year however, in Bobo-Dioulasso, it started raining regularly from the end of April before my return to Japan. There was a strong storm which devastated many houses and broke huge trees like Khaya senegalensis which had lived since colonial era. Several shops and bars along side of strees got damaged.

At that time, the first conversation that I had with everyone was if the season would really start now or it would stop suddenly (take a break).

Because the rain is everything for all for the following year !

Everyone cultivates corns, millet, peanuts, peas, sorgho etc with the rain as food stock.

If the rain stops after planting, it's over.

Few people can water their plants unless they have their fields next to a river or swamp.

Their work really depends on rain.

Fortunately this year, it was the beginning of the season. It has been raining regularly since then.

I am very relieved.

By the way, the rainy season in Japan is as humid as the one in Burkina.

But it does not rain as much and often as in Burkina, rather slightly and longer.

I knew it but as I spent 2 years in Burkina, for me, the definition of the season was the one in Burkina !

Weird...

While in Burkina, with the arrival of the season, we see more and more green everywhere,

In Japan, its sign is a flower, called hydrangea.

They are in many house yards and sidewalk streets.

Its huge flowers with beatiful color give me a big smile and let me forget gloomy feeling because of the bad weather.

But the code for the flower is

"cold heart" or "capriciousness"...

Wow, I can not imagine this with their beautiful appearance !

The meaning comes from its nature of changing the flower's colors by growing up.

Now, there are so many varieties of its colors and forms.
I walk now often for exercise so this is fun to find them on the way.

The operation went well and now I just need to get recovered.

This is a chance to enjoy such greatful moments of japanese nature as I have much free time.

Once again to Burkina. but...

After very intensive but fun month in Japan,

I went back to Burkina on April 27th.

This is 4th time to be there.

In fact, since November 2009, I have been working with a spanish NGO for a sanitation (hygiene and latrine construction promotion) project in a village, 30 km from Bobo.

This pilote project will finish in July 2010 so I came back to finish this work.

But...

One week since my return to Faso, my body had been showing abnormal reactions.

I have been wondering about my stomach getting bigger and bigger...

I believed that it was because of too many parties before the end of my volunteer contract and too delicious food in Japan

Then I was getting fat...

Oh no, I'm not pregnant.

Apparently there is a huge liquid mass in my stomach.

Only way of removing it is an operation.

So, my 4th stay in Burkina was done in 2 weeks.

I left the project with a lot of challenges and problems to my colleagues and boss...

I "re"returned to Japan on May 15th.

I went to see a gynecologist and have been passing some exams to find out what the mass is exactly and to decide the operation date.

I didn't get at all seriously sick during my volunteering of 2 years !

I had to go back home with a illness which has nothing with Africa...

Well, it happened so I have to accept it.

I have been running forward non stop so maybe this is a good time to take some break (until september).

Thank you so much for everyone who helped me, who let me learn many things and with who I could share the great time in burkina !!!

This was the hardest moment to say good bye...

But I promis to come back one day !

Note : no worry, I am absolutely fine in appearance.