Miso Soup Ettiquette

I am really tired.

This morning I got up at 6:30 to get ready to help Okaa-san with breakfast for our 6 guests and ourselves. Usually Sylph and KaKa-san would help with this, but they have their holiday's on Mondays. So I'm SOL. Get up (somehow) and make my way semi-deliriously to the kitchen. I gradually being to wake up (I don't think Okaa-san is a morning person either), and I clean dishes, do menially things. And then Okaa-san asks me to help! Yeah! So I helped make breakfast - well, just preparing some soup and rice and place settings, but still.

Breakfast ends, I clean all the dishes, and then I have nothing really to do. After my break, I clean the restuarant. All the chairs, tables, etc. Then, it's about 10:30, and Okaa-san is done with her activity with people (10 people, about 6 of them mentally challenged) of sasuage making and is preapring lunch. I help her again. But even more! I actually got the salads ready, got the soups ready, got a whole bunch of stuff ready, and then helped make tempura! We had 10 people, and then 3 more showed up, but it was after Okaa-san said I was done. But it was really exciting to help her.

Bad thing though: I fumbled around like an idiot. Didn't know where half the stuff was, or this or that. So that wasn't fun, but I guess it was just nerves. One of the guests kindly informed me that theso Miso Soup goes on the RIGHT side of the place setting as the gohan (rice) goes on the left. Oh! Gosh! How did I not know that!?

No, that's sarcasm there.

Americans and their uncultivated lack of miso placing ettiquette. But now I know.

So, I eat lunch at 12:40 and figure it would be ok not to start again at 1 and have an hour break. I'm exhausted anyway. Chill until 1:30 and then wonder what to do. I see Okaa-san with her daughter and friend in the kitchen, so I figure I'll go outside and clean the yard. So I do that. It was so freakin' boring. Gah! This one person in a car pointed at me though and kept pointing at me. Either that or the chickens...

I finish at about 3:50, go inside and clean a little, and then Okaa-san asks me if I've cleaned my work clothes lately. I keep thinking she means the clothes I work in everyday, so I said yes. We got confused a little, a then we both said "Dijobu." Then I figured out she meant WORK clothes! Oh! That little suit thing! So I went outside, figured out how to use the outside washer, and wshed my suit thing. Then she walked past the room and said "Sometimes clean your room." And we both laughed at how messy it was, so I vaccumed a little and straightened a little.

Then, I was talking to Dave, thinking of taking a nap, figuring out if we would see each other, and Otoo-san calls me....for dinner! It's like 5:00 at this point, so I was a little confused. Turns out they were going to an onsen. Dave had left to come here while I was eating dinner and arrived shortly after I was done. But I though that I was going to the onsen too...which I didn't want to, but I didn't have to! Yeah!

So after Otoo-san and Okaa-san left, Dave and I went to ride into town, but ended up just going to the MaxValu. He bought me some food (yogurt, drinks, etc.), some stuff for him, and ice cream. The ice cream was really delicious! And the man there (owner?) said that the next time I came I had to try the melon, and gave me a 100yen off card thing. Yeah! So I told him I would. I have to go back now! hahaha. Mom and I will have to go for the special dinner anyway.

We get back and we were going to go to JoJo's for coffee and garlic rolls, but it looked like rain and it was getting dark, so we decided that we'll do that in the coming days. Tomorrow I think we may ride into town, and then Wednesday go to JoJo's and hang out. I like hanging out there. And the server guy is very adorable.

Now I'm chilling out, just had some delicious yogurt, waiting for Sylph and KaKa-san to return, and then hit the sack. I guess I should shower somewhere in there too....hmmm...

NOTE TO DAD:
I got an e-mail this morning saying that it couldn't deliver my e-mail to you. I'm not sure if it's here or there that's the problem. But I have been sending you e-mails! You may just not be getting them! Sorry!

Update:
KaKa-san and Sylph-san just got back. Apparently, they WALKED from Niseko back home (it's like a 10 minute 50mph drive). Okaa-san, however was not too happy about this. And frankly, I agree with her.
They didn't say when they would be back, they didn't call saying they'd be late, they didn't have the number at all. I know my Mother would have my head on the chopping block if I did something like that.
I know Okaa-san isn't our real mother, but I think she's worried about us too. Well, we are good workers. She can't go losing us! But, she is responsible for us, our well-being, in a way.
KaKa was saying she didn't think that was right, Okaa-san telling them that they're too late. I said that I don't think it's too late, it's the fact that we didn't know where you were and Okaa-san was worried.
She came in probably 5 minutes before they arrived to see if they were here. I said I didn't know.

I recently read in my Bible that we're suppossed to act like children. Not like children in the "let's be irresponsible," but in the "I'm going to trust you, and a love you, and forgive you" kind of way. And this trip, I think, has been all about that. I mean, these people could kill me if they wanted too. (I mean, a lot of people could kill me, but let's think about it this way.) They could take me to a mountain and leave me there with nothing. They could sell me into slavery. I think this trip has shown me that humans are inherently good. At least, most. And that we need to trust more, believe more. I mean, it may still be hard to forgive, but I/we can work on that, right?