Motorcycle trip

After Obon holiday week, I went to a bike trip with Ben.

This was the first time to travel by motorbike especially on mountain roads...

So I was quite nervous about it but the fear was blown away by the amazing scenery.

First, we went to see a world heritage Amanohashidate in Kyoto from Osaka.

Before arriving to the beach, we pass a bridge which is separated in 3 parts to let boats and ships pass.

This guy is always on the middle part to keep watch the process.

I had not seen a as beautiful beach as there since the one in Okinawa!

It was very hot day but the water was nicely cool to put feet in.

Next to the beach, there was a path under pine trees which was great for a walk.

Cercle lantern of  wisdom

It is said that if you pass through the cylinder 3 times, you would become intelligent.

It was located too high for me...

On the same day, we went up the coast side till Tsuruga in Fukui because we could not find a reasonable nice hotel.

2nd day morning, we ran into the ocean, which we couldn't in Kyoto because we were too lazy to unpack the well attached bag on the bike and take out our swimsuits.

Then we went to Echizen to see Ben's bonze Japanese friend.

We went to again to a beach with him.

Sunset is always everywhere so beautiful!

At night, we stayed at his place in a temple.

It was cold, rather than cool to sleep !

Next morning, he left at 6 to go to work.

We saw him out then tried the family's daily work with his mum : ring the temple bell.

It was difficult to find out the right volume of the ring.

After saying thank you to her, we headed to Gero city in Gifu prefecture.

I have a friend with who I went to Burkina there.

We left Fukui at 7 and arrived in Gero after 6 hours...of course including seveal stops.

Gero is a small hot spring popular town in the valley surrounded by mountains.

The hot spring bath and the local famous food "Kei-chan" (seasoned chicken which we grill on a hot plate with cabbage) removed our fatigue.

Her friend brought us wild Ayu (fish) taken from the river which crosses the town.

4th day we went to see another world heritage Shirakawa-gô(village).

Conserved traditional architecture in the region

The biggest house has 4 floors !

5th day, we went to Nagano where Ben wanted to go since his arrival in Japan.

Because we did not have too much time left, we went toKamikôchi in North Japan Alps.

Just after getting off a bus at the bottom of the Alps, the beautiful landscape came up in front of us !!!

The water was so transparent and cool.

Actually, it was too cool for me to play in.

As we did not have proper equipment for trekking, we could not climb up the mountains but the walk at the bottom was also very nice with meeting some wild animals.

On the same day, we went down til Nagoya in Aichi.

The friend in Gero just moved in a new apartment on the day to start a new life with her fiancé.

So, I know it was kind of weird but they let us stay at their new place for their first night there...

We had a great time with them though :)

Finally on 6th day,

we went back to Osaka, passing by Biwa lake in Shiga.

I have lived in Osaka which is just next to Shiga for 4 years but I had never been to see the largest fresh water lake in Japan.

The water wasn't as clear as in other places where we went this time but I enjoyed not only seeing it but swimming in !

I prefer swimming in freshwater to salt water!

On the way back in Uji (Kyoto), for the 1st and last time, rain and thunder attacked us on the mountain road especially...

We were soaked and I was scared of driving under the rain but Ben drove very carefully and slowly.

Also there was not much trafic.

I had never enjoyed so much nature in a trip.

I rediscovered the beauty of Japanese nature and I am very proud to be Japanese.

I hope sincerely that this wonderful nature last forever.

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.