I will miss Japan. A kind of mild panic constricted my chest when I thought about leaving. I have just been reading through a short illustrated book (provided to me by the British Council as part of an free educational pack) detailing the relationship between Britain and Japan from it's earliest beginnings to the present. Of particular note is William Adams the first recorded Briton to come to Japan and the first foreigner to achieve samurai status. He gave great service to the Tokugawa shogunate and married a Japanese woman. He never returned to Britain. I think Japan is a very Charismatic country. By this what do I mean? Allow me to explain. Charisma of a person is viewed quite rightly as an intangeble and difficult to define characteristic. A person's Charisma however clearly stems from one or more extraordinary and unusually powerful personality traits. A countries personality can be said to be its culture. Japan has a unique and very strong culture, pervading all facets of life in Japan. I think a culture of this sort can hold influence over individuals much like a charismatic person can.
Or maybe I am afraid that my ego won't be able to take it when children no longer shout 'KUREIGU' or 'HAROO' when they see me. I am like royality smiling and waving as I ride my bike to school or if I pop back during lunch. Some kindergarten children go home around lunch time and I often pass them. They have now aquired the habit of demanding 'touchie touchie' before I can continue on my way. 'Touchie' is japanese for a high-5.
Or maaaaaaaaaybe I miss the wonderful food! They really are fearless about trying crazy combinations of food here. Only a few days ago they hit me with a double wammy in one meal (school lunch). The first wammy (?) was a salad. A typical Japanese salad heavy on the sea weed and heavy on the vinegar. In fact the dressing might have been only strong vinegar, strong tasting stuff! Anyway for some reason they added diced orange to it. Curious. The second wammy was cold mashed potato with raisins as a desert!
Today we had chicken, pork and squid in the same dish. Not that I minded the more meat the better I think.
Then there is always the classic (had it 3 or 4 times now) dessert comprising of nuts, dried fish mixed together and glazed with sugar. Yummsters!
I have so far eating everything put in front of me at school lunch and only refused one things outside of school (horse meat) and in the main it has all be yum except for some of the salads.
Oh yes and they always try and sneak fish into everything, tiny little transparent fish hiding in the salads or sometimes the rice! One can spot them by their eyes.
I will really really miss the food here though, I say that in utter and complete sincerity.