Seeing as my Mom will soon be landing in Chitose (and I have nothing else on my mind at the moment) I decided I should reflect on the upcoming visit. I guess the topic that would jump into most people's mind is to talk about change. But I am resistive to change by nature and I would propose most others are too. An inordinate amount of preparation has been done for the visit. My house has never looked so clean (and I normally keep it rather clean by habit). However - and I will confess this - I have been so busy just trying to keep up with my commitments that I haven't been able to raise my head above the taste at hand and look ahead to what on Earth I should do in the spare time allotted with host families. This could either be a brilliant move on my part or something that was woefully over-looked. I have come to one conclusion; to continue the timeless tradition carried on through many parts of the World and eat. We will eat our way through Japan.
The official delegation will also be busy. Myself being at the very bottom wrung have only gleaned the foggiest idea of what's going on. (I have actually gathered a lot of information second hand.) The delegation schedule looks good. I think the group will be touring under a heavy dose of Japanese culture; something I have grown to love but which can have a stunning/stupefying-effect when compressed into a short time period. I am sure awkward moments will abound; (a word to the wise) I have found the best remedy to deal with this type of situation is to do something completely unexpected (like conjure a cute puppy out of thin air or do three-dimensional math equations in five dimensions while juggling fire).
And because things will be so busy in Shikaoi and because I have to share my time with others while in Shikaoi my mother and I will be spending time in Sapporo for a couple of days until she returns. When I'm in Shikaoi there are too many things pulling me in many directions. This is not conducive to the most quality of visits. Sapporo is great in the summer and I am desperately looking forward to week away from Shikaoi with family. Returning to the issue of eating: I appreciate that Japanese food in Japan is several times better than anything can be found in Alberta and I respect that everyone is here for only a short time - I love Japanese food and I would want to cram as much down my gullet as I could - however, my Mom might have to put up with some foreign food while in Sapporo. There are times when I am really drawn to other tastes besides Japanese food. Eating Japanese food, and the health benefits it provides, is one of my most serious concern about returning to Canada. But sometimes I want to taste tomatoes and basil and smoky BBQ sauce!
At this time I would also like to roll out for my readers my Summer schedule. Of course there is the touring around Shikaoi and a trip to Sapporo. I will also be returning to Koriyama for a week. I will again be staying with the Tsuchiya's, who were so kind to me last May during Golden Week. They will be nursing a sad Blair, missing his Mom, back to uber-genki-ness. Also scheduled is a trip to Tokyo to spend money - you know - to help the economy and all. Tokyo is the one place you could save a lot of money if you don't eat.
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