Clayton with his Hostfamily |
Brian with his hostfamily |
By Clayton Hibbard
I am faced with the impossible task of documenting the exploits of 14 June, in Yokohama, but I shall attempt it anyway. First, at 7:00, a breakfast of bread, asparagus, eggs, and teriyaki beef was served. It was most excellent.
After breakfast, we made for the train station, bound for kamakura. We first visited a temple where we washed our money. This gesture is supposed to bring wealth, which is brought by a white serpent. After the money wash temple, we were headed towards a temple that was the site of a sacred dance. My host father said that the dance was a rare sight these days. We walked along a street built by shogun Minamoto several hundred years ago. We then proceeded to go toward the Daibutsu, which is a massive statue of the Zen Buddha. The Buddha statue was very cool, and the surrounding park was quite attractive. We then hit one of the many crepe shops in Japan for a bite to eat. After consuming a crepe in record time, we went shopping in the local tourist traps.
By now, it was late, and the rain had started to fall, so we headed home. I was pleased to find out we were going to have sukiyaki. I noticed there was no raw egg to dip with, but it was so good, it was only a minor detail lost. One thing that stands out about meals in Japan is that you will eat way too much at almost every meal.
Moving on, after dinner, I had the pleasure of meeting a renowned music master. He showed me, and my two host brothers how to play the koto. A koto is something of a cross between a guitar, and a something else. [Music is not my forte.]
We played a few songs that were very simple, and then we returned home. I was quite tired from the day's experience, so I went to sleep.