Full circle visit to Hiroshima - part 2 of 2

To continue on with last weekend, on Saturday after visiting Hiroshima Castle, we took two trains way out into the outskirts of Iwakuni about an hour and a half away... 

I mean, this was the train station.  We are talking rural.

Our destination was the "Chicken Shack", a "you HAVE to go eat here" place up on the mountain.   It was a difficult walk, but paved, and not too too long.  We took 100 breaks, and made it up to a beautiful sprawling complex.  Fresh crisp air, smells of grilled food being prepared, not crowded, just wonderful.   Good social distancing measures in place, and we ate outdoors.  We deliberately went at an odd time in the middle of the afternoon, to avoid any crowds. 

 

A lot of the seating was like this - kotatsu - sitting at the low table, with your legs covered by the thick cozy quilts - 

But, that style of sitting is really too difficult for us at this point, so we opted for bench seating along a long communal table. 

The grilled chicken really was so excellent and the "meal set" came with a local soba noodle dish: 

Lot of beautiful spots to explore on the sprawling property: 

Checking the train schedule carefully, we made our way back down the long winding road,  to our little train station to catch a train to Iwakuni and then on back to Hiroshima to sleep. 

Gaming and Sleeping teens across from us on a train;): 

Sunday morning we trained back out to Iwakuni to attend church at this little LDS chapel just steps away from the train station.  The building used to be a car dealership.  It was a very small congregation (English speaking), maybe 20 or so adults and lot of kids.  I got emotional walking in, because the "vibe" reminded me so much of the late 80's when I attended church there.  Back then we met somewhere right on the military base.  But the homey friendly low key feeling was the same as I remembered.   The topic for the day's meeting was HOPE.  David and I both gave talks. He was there by assignment and he asked me to also speak.  I was very nervous but I just loved being there!  

Then immediately following church, we made our way back home to Tokyo - by train, train, bus, airplane, taxi, home.  I am still recovering, lol. 

That is Fuji-san in the distance: 

Tokyo is so sprawling... this is just a small fraction of it - so beautiful at night as our airplane descended: 

We did not put away our suitcases because indeed we have decided to go ahead with our plans to visit grand baby in Texas for Christmas..... leaving on Saturday.  This was a really hard decision, and we went back and forth (me in tears) over the past few weeks.  I'm trying to NOT think about the hotel quarantine when we get back to Japan. 

In the meantime... in our neighborhood we are sure enjoying the "winter illumination" near us in the park whenever we happen to walk through at night: 

It is so beautiful, the combination of the autumn leaves and lights.  It is just so uplifting.  

Thank you for reading.  I hope your holiday plans are just right for you, with minimal stress!  And that your hearts are filled with gladness. 

xo

Cynthia 

Natsukashii, and new things too

One of my favorite Japanese words is natsukashii (懐かしい)  - you know the feeling of nostalgia when you hear an old song you love, or taste something from your childhood, or return to a beloved place.  That's how I felt, walking into a sashiko class at Blue and White and seeing that Yoshiura-sensei is indeed still teaching there.

I started a little sampler for old time's sake, and in September when classes resume I will start a new project.  

This little fella came in with his Mom.  Look at this marvelous sashiko on his little kimono - 

And for something totally new, on Saturday my buddy Corrie and I enjoyed a small group class in "cartonnage" - originally a French craft, adapted by the Japanese - at "Ayahime" atelier.   We made these beautiful fabric covered purses, really from scratch.  

After constructing our bags, we covered them first with indigo, and then this beautiful blue and white yukata fabric:

A very nice group of ladies, in a peaceful artistic atmosphere - 

Secure, letting the glue set:

Our sensei Atsuko Hasegawa prepared a beautiful lunch.  Cheesy toast, soup, salad, and fruit.  Delicious and so beautifully presented.  The only difficulty for me was kneeling on the tatami for lunch.  I just can't do that.  I folded myself awkwardly and did my best, ha ha. 

Meanwhile, settling in to our apartment continues.  Here is our washer/dryer combination.  Google translate was only marginally helpful.

In the end, David worked so hard to make this key for me:

Another natuskashii thing this week was helping out with the onigiri (rice balls) for the homeless at the Franciscan Chapel Center.   Each morning, volunteers prepare these rice balls, and others deliver them in the wee hours of the following morning.  Folks from our LDS congregation have been making the rice balls each Monday for as long as anyone can remember.  Sadly, apparently the government is pushing the homeless out of the central areas, in advance of the Olympics.  That's what I hear anyway - might not be accurate.  They may still be there, just going hungrier.  But years ago when I helped every Monday, we prepared three or four (or five?) huge pots of rice, and now they are down to one pot.  

David had the day off yesterday.  We got some things done, enjoyed some good food, and stumbled upon this marvelous electronic rock garden/art installation not far from our apartment, at "Midtown".  It was mesmerizing.  I just loved it!  It was like a zen light show, with mood music and mist.  Something totally new.  

In quilting news, I'm working on my next Stepping Stones quilt (for a graduate of a Japanese orphanage) in shades of "emerald green" by request.  Oh, it feels great to be behind the machine again.  I've made so many of these same quilts that piecing these blocks feels meditative at this point... and ya a little natsukashii... remembering how the project started back when I lived here and my kids were with me;).   This is a pic I love from 2013.  Piecing a Stepping Stones quilt next to my ninth grader doing his homework.  Sweet memories. 

 

xo

Cynthia