Sake and Fermentation, an interesting combination for the Stomach

Today was my easy day. Slept in until 9AM, and Mayumi wasn`t up. She woke up later when her Mom came in. I didn`t know how to operate the cafe, so I didn`t turn on lights or heat, and went outside to get my blood flowing and body heat operating.

Went to a local place that Mayumi`s friend knows about, everything there was in the style of Nukazuke, which is a fermentation process in rice bran. Think Eggs, Fish, Pork, Veggies... However, all this was done without the use of salt, so the flavor was very light and clean. I had a 5 course tasting menu (one dish made just for me!), and I went with two of Mayumi`s friends, Yuki and Aki. Both were great company, and I learned alot from them and the chef lady. Her family is huge into cooking, as her son works at a Japanese restaurant in Spain, Miyama. It really is kind of a small world, when you think about it.

Anyways, after a great lunch of fermented goodness, I went with Yuki to a temple south of the city to take part in a great winter festival. It involves drinking sake heated over a fire to prevent cancer. We did it a bit backwards, but I`m ok with that. You`re supposed to go to the temple, pray, get your sake cup (for a fee, of course), and then drink. We walked around, found the sake, wondered how to get the cups, and then met some old men who were already drunk.

Yuki, I should mention at this point, speaks Japanese, and tries really hard to speak English. We get along great, and he`s alot of fun, but there is some communication difficulty.

So, he talks to the man, and uses me as an introduction. I see pointing at me, and `American` that, and then two of the guys went and got their cups filled and handed them to us. Not a bad way to start. They then boisterously introduce us to the other Americans at the festival, a young couple teaching English in Osaka (I believe they were introduced as Latvians by the old Japanese guy, although I`m not sure why). We chat for 30 seconds, get our pictures taken by the old men (using our cameras) drinking the sake (somehow I got a huge stalk, and had to chug... hey, when in Rome, right?), and they were all about shaking my hand, and one even gave me his card (My email address is in the hands of so many Japanese, I wonder how you`re supposed to follow that up...). One even sang a great song about Sake and Americans, although I`m not sure of the exact translation. It involves dancing and waving your hands around really high (this same man made fun of me when I had to run off to the toilet 10 minutes later... grabbed his crotch and imitated running while shouting `Toy-ire`... Very humorous).

And you get a picture. Only because Yuki made me move some to the computer. Can you guess what part of the story this corresponds to?


Needless to say, I had a great time. 7 cups of sake (I think, and not including the big one), and then we got to the temple, which was a very cool experience. One guy was going at the Taiko drum while the other monks would beat everyone`s back with a stick that had bronze rings on it. I could feel the cancer coming out of my pores. Then, we went back (on Yuki`s suggestion), to get more sake. I think 3-4 more glasses. There was a water station next door, but that`s for wimps and Christians.

And then I got on the bike to ride back.

Oh yes, I rode a Japanese bike. You know those stunt bikes that are popular in the US? Think those, except actually designed for someone who is under 5 feet tall. Now, it was exciting being on a bike again (to those that don`t know, mine was stolen a few months ago. So it goes), but very difficult to ride (oh yes, and the brakes didn`t work.. minor detail). Riding back after, let`s say, a fair amount of sake... hehe.

We made it back OK though, but we were singing John Lennon together, and the theme from Power Rangers. So I guess it wasn`t all ok. There are like 6 people in the cafe, and I suddenly freeze up. It`s tough to comprehend a language you don`t understand enough to communicate when one is sober. When you are drunk, it`s like trying to find (thinking of a colorful metaphor here) a housewife at a Nine Inch Nails concert; doable, but you have to concentrate.

So I went out shopping for dinner. I made everyone except Mayumi dinner, because she had plans already. Butter sauteed chicken with wilted Chrysanthamum leaves, and a Trumpet Royale/Persimmon Chutney. MMMMM...

Spent the night chatting with Aki, who is in that state of figuring out life. I`m meeting alot of Japanese like that. The older generation is very traditional and observant of customs and rites and all of that, but the younger generations are basically the same as us. Which is comforting in a way, because it makes us closer as humans. However, it is destroying the culture of the country. Not that it`s a totally negative thing, because there are definate problems with some of these customs that don`t fit into a modern society. However, as an American who feels that America is without culture, I don`t like thinking that globalization, however nice of an idea it is, will get rid of a big part of what makes us unique as humans.

Many of the Japanese I`m talking to seem to have a more Western Style of thinking, but I think it`s a huge case of wanting to be different than your parents. Or at least not conforming to the normal cultural mould. Talking to Aki about nature, she was lamenting on how Japanese can`t enjoy nature as seperate from normal life, how it isn`t really a destination. I, on the other hand, relished the fact that I could go to Kyoto, a huge city, and climb a mountain during the day and go shopping/karaokeing at night (see earlier post, in which I get lost and dirty).

It`s all relative, as Einstein said.

I`m sleepy.