Oh, my dears, my dears

Yesterday was bad. Not bad for me really. Bad for the whole family. You shall see why in a bit.

We wake up, clean and help breakfast, then head off to the farm all three of us. We get there are there are 8 people working that day (though only 5 stayed the whole time), and we finished all of the rows of stuff we were meant to do by 3:30ish. So, we got off of work sooner than expected and yeah! I got a nasty bento box for lunch. Ick. But I also got a pancake sandwich which was good. We also got -as gifts- this candy like sugary thing that looks like poop. But it tastes really good. We all make jokes about it. 

We also saw mini-melons after work and I smashed one. Yeah strong me!

Okaa-san picks us up at 4:40, 40 minutes after we're suppossed to be done work, and stops at a store on the way back home, so we get home at about 5:15ish. I'm kind of angry because Dave was suppossed to be here at 5, and frankly, I want to be away from work at 4, not stuck there for another hour doing nothing.

Dave comes over and we talk about what we've done that day, random stuff. Otoo-san and him have -what seems like- a nice conversation, and then I ask him when dinner is. He says to go help Okaa-san as she's making it now. I say ok, say goodbye to Dave, and go help with dinner. Sylph-san looks at me when I walk in and says "You look happy." And couldn't quite here her, so I asked what? She said, "You talked to Dave and now you're so happy." I just smiled and nodded. I didn't realize it was so apparent! hhahaha. I don't remember how much I helped but...

this is where it gets interesting.

I guess the meat we were having at dinner was fat. I didn't realize that. Mainly because I just don't ask what I'm eating anymore. I just don't. Vegetables, fine. But meat...I just let that be. Because usually  don't eat the fat, it just tastes all nasty and chewy. Anyway, that's important. The fat bit. We're almost finished eating, and I notice that KaKa and Sylph-san have both put the meat to the edge of the plate,like I do with onion because I can't eat it. I thought that was weird, and so I pointed it out. This is where I feel like an idiot/ass now.

I figured Otoo-san would say something like "Why do you eat that?" and then they would. Nope. Not that easy. They say that they don't like it; KaKa says she gags on it. Otoo-san then goes into his "lecture" that I recieved about eating all your food and how rude it is not too, and how we have to try everything, etc., etc. But he gets really upset about it. He actually stamped his fist on the table and knocked over his water. I'm not sure why though, I just had my head down. He also brought up that Jun-san is taking time out of his farming to drive us to a "nicer" bathroom, and how we shouldn't have to make him do that, and how we should use the Japanese toliet in Obaa-san's house (which is really, really nasty apparently). We didn't know though that Jun-san was upset about taking us to the bathroom, and none of us wanted to inconveience him!

Well, Sylph-san starts crying. Has to leave the room, and she just keeps saying she's so sorry and she didn't mean for this to happen, and they just don't like eating the fat of the meat. I eat the fat of the meat (even though I don't enjoy it much and I'm beyond full). Otoo-san looks at me almost desperatly after Sylph has run off crying and KaKa has gone to help her get together, and says "You're my family. They're my family." He looks like he's about to cry.

Well, KaKa and I clean the dishes, and then go to our room. Basically, it's super awkward. I try and talk to them. Tell them that it's just a miscommunication. That I got this same thing my 2nd day here, that everything will be alright. "He's not angry!" I say with a smile. And I start to believe it myself. "He's trying to teach us. He's showing us the Japanese culture, isn't that why we're here? We're his daughters and he's teaching us."

"My Father would not make me eat something I didn't want to. I'm 24 years old," KaKa-san says angerily, "I shouldn't have to eat what I don't like. I'm not a child."

I explain to them that I hate fish. I mean, hate. I say it over and over again. That it makes me gag. That I hate it. But look what I'm doing: I'm eating fish. I'm trying out new things. Trying to enjoy it. Learn from the journey! Basically, I'm trying to tell them everything that you all have told me. But Sylph-san is just crying and KaKa-san is upset. She says she liked Otoo-san a lot, and that to be upset over big things is fine, but small things? She says she's disappointed in him.

I mean, I guess I can see where she's coming from. But at the same time, I see where Otoo-san and Okaa-san are coming from. We're in their house. We follow their rules. We eat their food, as it's an insult to the chef not to eat everything, which in this case would be Okaa-san. Big no-no. They told KaKa and Sylph-san that if they were allergic, like I am to onions, that's ok, but just because they don't like it? That's not ok.

So now things are super awkward. It's like...just...blah. It's like no one is happy, and no one is going to try and change that. I'm not sure what to do about it really. I mean, at least KaKa and Sylp have each other, and me, to complain to. I was like "I didn't have anyone."

They keep asking why I didn't travel with Dave here. Why we didn't go together. Hmmm...Good question, I want to say.

So, this morning, get up and go to help with breakfast. Okaa-san says to "frite" (wash down) the restuarant. So I grab a towel/cloth from this basket she has and she instantly goes "Ashley. Dame." (dame means "not good" basically). I look confused and scared and she slightly calmly, slightly angry, explains to me that I can't use these towels, that they're for hand-washing from activities, that I am to use these towels. I know she's told us to use certain towels for certain things before, but I never knew that these towels were for this only. I guess I want to ask "why" more, but I'm afraid that I won't understand them when they explain it and I'll just be more confused.

But it's alright, because I understood, and I nodded and said Ok, and then she points to her mouth and starts laughing, and says something about "ha" (teeth) and I realize that I have toothpaste all over my mouth still. hahaha! She laughed like "Oh, you're so silly" not like mockingly, which I thought was nice. I alguehd about it too. She says "Ah, muzukashii..." (difficult) pretending nd sighing like me. We just laugh. She then tells me to clean this, and do this, and I actually feel helpful because she's telling me to do stuff! Not kitchen-work stuff, but stuff. Which is good.

Tomorrow I have to get up early, like 6:30 to go help with breakfast, since KaKa and Sylph have a holiday and will be sleeping in. I should be really noisy and wake them up like they did mine. But I'm not that mean.

Today we're cleaning and making ice cream with some guests! Yeah!

I'm trying to be happy and excited, to get KaKa and Sylph to lighten up again...but, well, it's not working. They're just upset. I guess it just takes time and self-expoloration? I have 5 days (not including today and my birthday) until I get to see Ma, we have a killer party, and I turn 19! Oh my gosh! And then a week from today, Ma and I will probably be on our ways to Sapporo to catch our overnight train and start sightseeing! I'm so excited!

I'm excited too because the overnight train we'll be on goes along the western coast, which Ma and I won't get to see. So that'll be nice to look at....in the dark...and not see much of...or see it at 100mph. hahaha!

I also figured out that my memory cards do not work with this camera. Boo. So I only have one 512MB memory card. I think I'm going to see how much cameras cost in Japan. I do like their camera's very much.

Well, hopefully things will lighten up here...