First thing this morning so I reached by bus Mukawa, a small little place in the vicinity of Tomakomae. I would have no need to ask, how could I find the farm, because my new host mom Naomi I was waiting at the bus stop with an umbrella.
Even her car brought them hate, so I left donkey in his pocket, and we heaved it into the trunk. The drive took only very short - a few minutes later we were rolling over already crunching gravel in the driveway to the house, which was quite large.
was in the vicinity of the Court, I already to my right, the greenhouses, in between the barn and make up to my left a small, brightly blooming garden with swings and a few barns in the background.
Besides the dog, who signed up as an intruder barking, no one was home. The children were in school, and Kazu, the father worked in the fields.
Against all expectations, I was free the rest of the day settling in and exploring the environment. I had assumed, must be equal to begin work, as when Natsumi had been the case.
So I spent the first day with some Erkundungsspaziergaengen, befriending the dog Coco and welcoming of the many cows, but these were all very shy and timid ... the evening, I also learned the children Satoru (7), Asuka (9) and Hiroshi (11) to know. They were very different from Natsumis offspring. First and foremost, self-confident and somewhat indifferent when it came to her mother's instructions.
The father recalled his good nature and fondness for sleeping and eating at a large bear, which earned him his nickname and "Kuma" (Japanese for bears).
The days flowed into one another. It was a completely different sequence than in Otaki, who gave me much more freedom, especially since I did not have to take care of the children.
I had my fixed working hours each 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 - 17:00 clock. So I could sleep at least seven clock, a lunch break of two hours and the evening before the food even enough time and (sometimes) Energy had to look around a little. (There was, however, not much to see and often physically I was just too exhausted to even move me in my spare time)
A few days after my arrival, I got company from further WWOOFerin - the French girl Jacki, I made friends with me now . She was 25 and had studied psychology, what brought us many interesting discussions. She worked only for a month in Hokkaido, then they would back English and French teaching in Tokyo. Thus, we would meet again in August, which I was happy now, even though we had not even mid-July.
Jacki also had a great need for sleep and as we shared a small room it was good that we are in this case came to meet.
now made the work twice as much fun as we were able to weeding in the greenhouses and coal fields, while planting Kuerbissetzlingen, mucking out the cowshed or the Fuettern always amused and entertained us royally.
particular, my birthday was therefore much more enjoyable, even when we deeply with our rubber boots in cow dung and were hundreds of flies buzzing around our heads. To celebrate the day we were even free for four clock and the evening there was sashimi, plum wine and sake. Naomi had even prepared some small gifts (origami paper and Scarves), and Akira, a friend of the Family came up with a new pair of slippers. I had got used does not work out the kindness of the Japanese and was once again stirred a lot. On the farm I could learn a lot out of the routine work. On our day we could validly take the children along to Kalligraphiunterricht. Then we went to a nearby onsen and dinner was held in the town of a barbecue party. voiced As Naomi Children volunteer, teaching at the school of their daughter, in English, and the Rector had the desire and get to know us, we accompanied her on a morning and sang with the children the song "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" . And because the interest in other languages was very large, not only in Japanese and English, but also in German and French (where I was and Jackie with teachers).
Even the youngest children were with so much earnestness and zeal in the matter, that it was a real pleasure. (Naomi even said later, as many had not arisen in the voluntary teaching and was very happy)
began in my second week of harvesting the Kohlkoepfe. Instead we had all the weeds first in the beaten paths between rows of cabbage weed, which alone took three days. Afternoon was then harvested for three hours in the morning and we now had to get up at four to pack the Kohlkoepfe in boxes, which alone already was a science in itself. (It had all the same size and adjusted depending on the size either 9 (when they were very small), 8, 7, or only six in a box. Also, the pattern in which one should be fooled, she was determined. Eight in a box however, brought the best price because they had the perfect size)
Harvesting in itself was a bit tragic, because almost every other head of cabbage in the rain was already scruffy.
The two weeks went by Mukawa almost in a flash and before I knew it, already the day of departure was near. I wanted the ferry to Niigata, which is on West Coast of Honshu, translate and working on a new host family. Unfortunately, however, the search for such a far been unsuccessful. This held also in the last few days nothing. There were only five families, and anyway they had either already all have enough helping hands, or had not yet reported. With the hope that would help even more, and would be the promise to Jacki that we will meet again in Tokyo, so I climbed with my donkey on the evening of my last day on board ...
Mata ne
Kira
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