BBQ's and Cherry Blossoms

Koby is off of school today, so we all slept in a bit. After everyone had breakfast, we were informed that there is a BBQ today near the Shibinai meeting hall, so Yasuko prepared some rice to take and drinks, and I took a trip up the mountains to collect some spring water, along the way I stopped and took some pictures, and Sumi-san the Shibinai police officer stopped and talked with me a little while, he was happy that we finally got a car.

I continued up the mountain on my water collecting trip, and when I got there the parking lot was completely full, so I decided I would return another time. I got back just as the BBQ was starting and realized this was basically for women and children, but I was told no problem and to join in, Yoshitake-san, another man showed up and then Ueo-san showed up, so again it turned into a drinking party as usual and we ended up at Ueo-sans house until about 9:30 pm.

The BBQ was great, they were cooking lamb, beef, pork, chicken, salmon, asparagus, cabbage, and peppers. Later at Ueo-sans house he made fresh noodles right in front of us. It was a long process, but well worth the wait, it was some of the best noodles I have ever eaten, we also had tempura sweet potatoes, gobo, which is a root vegetable, and some local wild vegetables collected in the mountains here. If something was ever to happen with food supply, we have all we need here that you can just find growing wild.

The cherry blossoms are starting to open and I need to get some pictures tomorrow, they only last about a week before they start falling off. People are stopping off from their sightseeing trips up the mountain to take pictures of the cherry blossoms here at the school. I was also told that another BBQ will be taking place on Monday.