IrishOboe

I had a much needed sleep, read more of Gatto’s book, then finally sat to thinking about what to play for the Christmas Eve service. I spent some time working out a medley of carols using oboe, voice and tin whistle. We had a candlelight (electric) Christmas Eve service, which was nice even though it was actually an Epiphany service. My playing was rather interesting. Things I rely upon as a performer and assume will always be there are not as they once were due to my long break from practicing and performing. It’s nothing I can’t get back, but it was educational for me. I’d planned for a semi-improvised medley, but I’d thought out most of it before hand. However, in places, especially the end, I truly improvised something totally different from what I’d planned. I’d like to say it was from divide inspiration, but it was from forgetting what I was going to do. I got myself into a bind at the end when I closed out with the wrong tune. That would be no big deal, but I was on whistle and the tune was in F, which meant I had to fake B-flats and F-naturals. I survived remarkably well, but it was good lesson in humility. I think it’s rather appropriate considering the holiday.

We all went out for dinner after church, as usual, and this time I sad at the Japanese table. We don’t always separate out like that, but it happened that way today. It was good practice, and fun. I followed some conversations better than others, and I managed to figure out when Addin was explaining how they heat places in China with radiators. I was a bit proud of that accomplishment!

When I got home I cleaned the place up a bit in anticipation of Christmas Day. Then I went to bed snug and warm with my many blankets, hat and scarf and thought about how I felt so loved by and close to family despite being half a world away. I think traditions help with that because I could imagine what rituals they’d be going through now.

Christmas Day (Dec. 25^th)

I slept snuggly in my bed until 9:30 and woke up to many merry Christmas messages in my inbox. Then I biked to Naito sensei’s house and helped her family make mochi. Making mochi around the New Year is a very deep tradition in Japan. It was very neat to be a part of it. Homemade mochi is much better than store bought mochi. In fact, it was very good! What is mochi? It’s made from a special kind of rice that is stickier than normal rice. It’s cooked much the same way you cook regular rice, then it’s put into a large stone bowl and pounded with a large (huge) wooden hammer. Once person pounds with the hammer and in between blows another person shifts the rice. It’s then rolled into balls or rolled out on a board for drying and keeping for later. You can put different things inside, like anko (sweet bean paste). They made one batch where they cooked soybeans with the rice, then while they were pounding it they added seaweed, sugar, walnuts, and lemon peal. Yum! Mochi is rather sweet on it’s own, and I don’t think it’s particularly healthy. In fact, I hear that a few old folks die each New Years from choking on mochi . . .

I had tea with the family after the mochi making party was cleaned up. Then I looked at Naito sensei’s father-in-laws award winning photos, which were quite beautiful. By the way, they live next door to each other. It’s common for families to live nearby here.

Around 1:30 they sent me home with some mochi for later and I stopped at the store to get stuff for the Christmas dinner that night. I didn’t know what I was bringing until the night before, so I had to shop on Christmas . . . Though the Japanese have all the commercial trimmings of Christmas, the actual day of Christmas is not commonly observed in any particular way.

When I got home I read from the prayer book and the Bible and opened a few presents that came after my mini Christmas celebration (planned because I thought I’d be away for Christmas). I thought of family and the greatest gift of all and felt deeply, both very sad and very joyful.

I then tried to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for the Christmas dinner with church friends. I discovered that I had two packages of baking powder and no baking soda, so I rode to the store and back only to discover that I’d bought baking powder! So, I went back, but couldn’t find the baking soda (I later discovered that it’s in a small container and has crazy kanji and no mention of baking soda on it). So, I found on the internet that substitutions are sometimes possible, so I tried it. I think also that the sticks of butter here are smaller than in America so my dough was a little dry so I added some milk. I plugged in the microwave that I bought from my neighbor for the first time, and though I found the oven function easily enough I couldn’t figure out how to keep the temperature up, so my cookies took longer and didn’t cook evenly. Because of the time it took to go to the grocery store I didn’t have time to finish baking all the cookies, but I had enough for the evening. I had also bought some fruit and candy in case the cookies were a flop.

The Browns picked me up at Kofu station and we went to Bonnie and Atley’s house. We had a lovely dinner that resembled a Thanksgiving dinner, and my cookies went over alright. After dinner Atley read some Hebrew prayers and sung the first three blessings traditionally sung on the first day of Hanukah and lit the first menorah candle. That was neat to watch.

When I got home around 10:30 I made calls to America to wish people a Merry Christmas. By the end of my calls it was no longer Christmas here, but I say it’s Christmas until you go to sleep.

As I write this it’s still Christmas in America, so Merry Christmas, everyone!