BURUBERIS!!!

That's Japanese for 'blueberries' in case you were wondering. Before coming to Japan, my sources told me that there was very little fruit to be had, so I had basically resigned myself to a fruit-life of cucumbers and melons. So you can imagine my surprise and unbounded happiness when I discovered that blueberries grow IN THIS REGION!!! I was invited to go to the once-a-year Blueberry Picking and Somen Noodle Eating Event, which takes place next to the Shiraito no Taki, or White Waterfall, which is a well-known beautiful, wooded mossy creek area.

I went with Akiko, who is the youngest office worker at the BOE besides myself. She's 23, incredibly shy and easily embarrassed and wants to practice her English. Communication was definitely harder, but by the end of they day, her English had noticeably improved. Her friend Yosi also spoke some English, so by the combined efforts of all three of us, we managed to establish some rudimentary communications. Our first stip was to the kitchen where the onigiri, or rice balls, were being made for the day's event. We helped put daikon radishes and other other strange-looking garnishes into the plastic containers.

From top to bottom: Yosi, me, Akiko

Next we went blueberry picking! The bushes were huge and covered with spider webs, but those could be avoided. There were lots of families with little kids picking through the bushes. The kids kept shouting 'oishin! oishin!' (delicious! delicious!) as they ate the blueberries. I can't help but agree - they were quite good. I used some to make a smoothie for breakfast this morning.

Next we went down to the waterfall to watch them make somen (thin white noodles eaten cold, a great summer food). Somebody, somewhere has invented the two BEST WAYS EVER to eat cold noodles!!! Method #1: Sit at a table with a small circular tank with moving water. Place noodles into the Mini River, catch, and dip into your sauce. Method #2: line up along a bamboo noodle conductor. Prepare to catch the noodles as they are send down the pole with cold water, a lot like a noodle-slide. Dip noodles into your cup of sauce.

Method #1

Method #2

It was an exciting day. Akiko and I did some shopping for my house afterward, then I fell asleep for 13 hours after getting back to the house. Thus began Week #2 in Japan. Pictures courtesy of my new cell phone, which takes 8 megapixel pictures, the same as my digital camera, which I can then text to my email account. Hooray for technology!