Day 52: Enei Gaashuku

This morning I threw what was left to pack up into my suitcase before breakfast. This morning I left the Arai’s, moving my stuff to school, and I also left Kyoto for Mie prefecture. After breakfast, though, I left some gifts for the Arai family. I hope the t-shirts I left fit the kids. For the last time, I took a taxi to school, waving goodbye to Yoko. We shared some good times, and I really enjoyed her personality. She is also a smart woman and speaks English well, so we had some good conversations. I will miss Yoko and her family (and the dogs of course).

At school, I carried my suitcase to my room and grabbed a few things to bring with me. Urayama Sensei actually paged me to the office, which was funny. I had never been paged before. He didn’t want to be late for the subway, so we ran to Matsugasaki station and took the subway to Kyoto station. We met some of the other teachers at Kyoto station, as well as parents and volunteers who have come along to help with Enei Gaashuku (long-distance swim camp). We all boarded the limited express to Mie. I slept most of the two and a half hour ride there, as did the others. When I did open my eyes for brief moments I saw the beautiful countryside of Japan. There are mountains everywhere, rivers rolling between the slopes, and small rice fields growing wherever the landscape allows. Japan is quite beautiful.

When the train arrived at its final stop, we got off and took a van to the hotel where we are all staying for the next few days. I was surprised to see that the hotel is right on the seaside and the view of the surrounding area is spectacular! I could smell the salty water in the air and the Japanese food cooking inside. The hotel is called Horaiso and is located in the Ise-shima National Park. From the outside, the hotel looks modern, but everything else about it is traditional Japanese-style. There doesn’t seem to be much in the city except for people and fish. It is simply a small fishing town, where even the women harvest seafood for a living.

We all unloaded the truck of supplies into the hotel, and then sat down for lunch. The kids won’t come here until tomorrow, but today we will work hard preparing for the event. Lunch was delicious and it came with a nice view of the ocean! We had sashimi, shellfish soup, rice, tempura, and lobster, which this area is apparently famous for. I am sure that all of the sea food is famous here, for obvious reasons.

We all headed to the beach and put up the Notre Dame Elementary tents. Today was hot, just as every other day here, so it was not fun putting the tents up. I am not complaining, though, we had our fun. Urayama Sensei, Negasi, and I took our first swim in the sea together. We placed the buoys out in the water equidistant from the shore by carrying the cinderblocks into the deep water. It was a fun job to do, and it felt good to swim in the sea.

Tarashita Sensei and I went to the bath in the hotel to clean up and relax. The hotel has its own mineral water onsen (hot spring). The outdoor bath it practically hanging over the ocean, making it a perfect place to relax and soak in the scenery. Tarashita Sensei, I am quickly learning, is a really funny guy. Before this trip I had not spoken with him much, but today we started to get to know each other. We met the other teachers for dinner in a large tatami room. The food was already on the table, and it was a feast. We ate sashimi, yakiniku, vegetables, Japanese pickles, and awabi (abalone). We started to eat our meal and then I noticed that the awabi was moving…it was still alive!! Each of us had one large awabi in front of us on a grill. The waitress came around and lit the fires beneath the small grills. The awabi was dancing around in the heat. I could not believe my eyes, but this area, I am told, is known for “cruel barbeques.” It doesn’t take much thought to figure out the meaning of the name. It might be a cruel barbeque, but the seafood is as fresh as can be.

On a side note, I learned that Tarashita's father was working in a factory in Nagasaki when the atomic bomb exploded. Most of the workers died in the blast, and his father died later on due to the effects. The cruelty of men during wars is sad, and the results even more so. Tarashita Sensei told me that he has never hated America, but I think he wishes he had more time with his father. Many of his stories are about the times fishing with his father when he was young.

I think this trip will be one of the best experiences here in Japan. The teachers and I are really having fun together and I feel like I am really part of the family that is Notre Dame. Leaving next week will be extremely difficult for me, but I am going to be sure to enjoy this long-distance swim camp with the teachers and our wonderful students. Living by the sea is always a good way to make memories, enjoy ourselves, and appreciate life. After all, everything is better with an ocean view.