Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.14

14|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKTOYAMAWEIGHTWATCHINGDAY2SEPTEMBER16THTOYAMACITY,TOYAMADESPITETHELAUGHINGSCEPTICISMOFTHEOFTHETRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTOFFICE,WECAMETOJAPANSINCERELYBELIEVINGTHATBYSIMPLYFOLLOWINGAJAPANESEDIET,WE’DBEABLETOLOSEABITOFWEIGHT.EVENTHOUGHTHEY’VEBEENQUICKTOVOICETHEIRDOUBTS,WE’RESTILLREASONABLYHOPEFULOFSOMEKINDOFSUCCESS.EARLIERINTHEYEAR,WEWEREABLETOSTAYAFEWWEEKSINAMERICA.ITWASAGREATTRIP,BUTAGAINANDAGAIN,WHENEATING-OUT,WE’DLEAVETHEDINNERTABLEFEELINGLIKEWE’DJUSTEATENJABBATHEHUT,DEEP-FRIEDINCHEESE,WITHICECREAM.ANYPLEASURETHEREWASFROMITLASTEDABOUTTHETIMEITTOOKFORTHEGREASYMORSELSTOSPLASHDOWNINOURBELLIES,BEFOREWEBEGANTOFEELSLIMY,LETHARGICANDGUILTY.NOWWE’REINJAPAN,THINGSCOULDHARDLYBEMOREDIFFERENT.THERARITYOFWHITEBREADANDDAIRYPROBABLYHELPS,ASDOESTHEFACTTHATATALMOSTEVERYMEALSOFAR,WE’VEBEENTREATEDTOAWIDERANGEOFTINYDISHES,LIKEJAPANESETAPAS(JAPAS?).EATINGAHANDFULOFTHESESEEMSTOLEAVEUSFEELINGVERYFULLATTHETIME,BUTTHENHUNGRYFORMOREAFEWHOURSLATER.THEUPSANDDOWNS,RATHERTHANTHEGASSYBLOATEDSENSATION,HAVELEFTUSFEELINGSMUGLYHEALTHY.MUCHOFWHATWE’REEATINGISGUESSWORK,BUTINAWAY,IT’SBETTERLIKETHAT.EATINGMYSTERYDISHESGIVESUSTHECHANCETOTRYTHINGSWITHOUTANYPRECONCEPTIONS.ITMIGHTBESEASNAIL,FERMENTEDSQUIDORSEAURCHIN,BUTWITHOUTACTUALLYKNOWINGTHAT*,WECANATLEASTGIVEITAGO.IT’SALSOBEENWORTHTRYINGTOIGNOREWHATSOMETHINGLOOKSLIKEANDJUSTTRYIT–INTRUTHMANYOFTHEWORSTTHINGSHAVELOOKEDTOTALLYINNOCUOUS.BESTOFALL,WHENWEDOFINDSOMETHINGWEDON’TLIKE,THERE’SNOSHAMEINJUSTLEAVINGIT.ANDIFWEMANAGETODISCRETELYTRANSPORTITBACKFROMOURMOUTHSTOWHENCEITCAME,THENALLTHEBETTER.IFTHESAMETHINGHAPPENEDANYWHEREINTHEWEST,YOU’DBEEXPECTEDTOMANFULLYSTRUGGLEONWITHWHATEVERGLOOPWASINFRONTOFYOU,ORORDERSOMETHINGELSEALTOGETHER.BUT FOREVERYONETHINGWE’VEFOUNDTHATWEDIDN’TLOVE/MADEUSGAG,THEREHAVEBEENEIGHTORNINEDELICIOUSSURPRISES.TAKETODAYINTOYAMAFOREXAMPLE.HAVINGALREADYHADABREAKFASTOFFRUITANDRICEANDSOUPANDTEAANDHALFADOZENUNKNOWNTREATS,OURGUIDEMIEKOTOOKUSTOIKEDAYAYASUBEIFORLUNCH.WHILEALOTOFTHEOTHERMEALSWE’VEHADHAVEN’THADTOADVERTISETHEMSELVESASBEINGPARTICULARLYNUTRITIOUS,HERETHERESTAURANTLITERALLYSATONTOPOFANOLDAPOTHECARY.ALLKINDSOFHERBALREMEDIESWEREAVAILABLEDOWNSTAIRS(TOYAMAHASALONGHISTORYWITHPHARMACEUTICALS)WHILEUPSTAIRSTHEBELIEFINTHENATURALWORLDWASCARRIEDTHROUGHTOTHEMENU.SEVENCOURSESROLLEDOUTINFRONTOFUS:TOFUPASTEWITHSALAD(KATY’SFAVOURITE);GRATEDMOUNTAINPOTATOWITHWALNUTSANDPUMPKIN(WEIRD,BUTAPPARENTLYGOODFORSTAMINA);SHRIMPHOTPOTWITHSAFFRON(GREAT,“WARMSYOUUP”);ANCIENTRICEWITHMOUNTAINVEGETABLES(FANTASTIC“GOODFORTHEBLOOD”)ANDSOON.NOTABITOFITWASPROCESSED.WEWASHEDITDOWNWITHGREENTEAANDWATER,FEELINGVIRTUOUS,OURCONFIDENCERESTORED.*ONETHINGABOUT WESTERNERS -ANDI’MMAKINGANENORMOUSANDPROBABLYINACCURATEGENERALISATIONHERE–ISTHATWEDON’TLIKEOURFOODTOSTILLLOOKLIKEANANIMALWHENITARRIVESONTHEPLATE.EYESAREAPROBLEMFORUS.WEPREFERNOTTOKNOWHOWITLOOKEDWHENITWASALIVE–ANDWEESPECIALLYDON’TWANTTOKNOWHOWITDIED.


<< | < | > | >>