The moment we got back into the house, they asked me if I wanted to go to Hakodate. To be honest, I was quite hesitant beacuse that would mean missing the weekend yosakoi ractice and I can't afford that while everyone else in the team practices so hard. But thanks to Jennifer and my host family who both strongly encourage me to ask the team for days off and thanks to my Japanese friend, Wakana, for her honest opinion - so off I go to Hakodate :)
But why is this trip so special that it has to be in May? First of all, my papa is in preparation to reopen his sushi restaurant in a new location instead of the busy city center - Susukino. Therefore, once June hits, he will be all busy with making sushi and will have no time to take me onto any trips. Secondly, my papa really wants me to meet his 102-year-old grandpa and his 96year-old grandma. Yup you are reading this - 102 and 96! What a life! My papa told me that you never know when they will stil be around, so let's go meet them, so we did!
We left the house early in the morning to start our adventure. The car ride to Hakodate is about 5 hours and to get to where papa's grandparents are will take another 3 hours. Our adventure started off speechlessly because my papa put down all the seats in the back to turn it into a huge bed where my little sister and I can just nap or do whatever like a baby playroom. So I took advantage o that and took caught up on plenty of sleep!
Something off topic, for a bathroom break, we passed by a pachinko store (a gambling device, kind of like a slot machine) to use the bathroom and I am amazed in a negative way. I walked in to just use the bathroom and walked back out with a shower of cigarettes smoke. I smelled like a stinky smoker :/ ewww
Anyway, our first stop into Hakodate was 森町 (Mori Machi) where my family took me to another park full with blooming cherry blossom trees and where we accidentally found a 桜祭り(cherry blossom festival) It was my first festival in Japan ever, so it was full of interesting discovery! I saw a lot of food stands and toy stands there which didn't surprise me that much because everyone loves eating at festival or fair! The most interesting thing is probably seeing Japanese rocking their picnic time. It was so legit since they all had a grill out with them grilling meat under the cherry blossom tree ... seriously awesome!
We moved on to a harbor area of Hakodate as the night was getting dark. It was a cute little area with shops, restaurants, and needless to say a Starbucks (oh America) I guess it is good that at least it's not a McDonald's? Hahahaha we had some icecream at a local famous burger restaurant then bought 4 焼き鳥便当 (grilled chicken on a stick rice box; a famous dish at Hakodate) with us to drive up to the mountain to see the famous Hakodate night view. To be known as the one of the top three night view places (among with Hong Kong and Naples [Napoli in Italian]), Hakodate didn't disappoint any of us of course. It was unspeakably pretty even though it was windy and cold up there. The wind didn't stop me from looking at the beautiful view. Nothing that I have seen can ever be compared to Hakodate's night view. In fact, all the night views that I have seen is uniquely beautiful in their way and attracts me differently. I just wish Pat was there to share it with me, but I can't complain much since my lovely host family was there with me.
By midnight, we finally reached papa's grandparent's house. They don't live there anymore though since they both moved into the nursery home nearby by, so we spent a night there. We got up quite early at around 7 to go into the mountain where papa's relatives owned some farm lands and plants plenty of fresh vegetables. We picked flowers, mushrooms and onions there and it was just the cutest thing ever. One day when I have my own house, I want to have my little garden too to grow my own tomatoes and flowers :)
Another cool cultural experience in this trip to visiting the Japanese graveyard. In Japan people brings flowers, small white candles with them to pay the visit. During the visit, they will clean the graveyard pouring fresh water over the graveyard and leave the flowers there.
We finally got to meet grandpa and grandma at their nursery home before their lunch time. They live in a nice artsy nursery home where a lot of activities go on with art and music. Also, they had a area of tatami (traditional Japanese floor) on their floor where their rooms are located. It was amazing to finally meet them. Grandpa is really healthy and energetic even though he is already 102. We had a little chat with him, and he was just like no other elderly - cute and funny - and super responsive. Then visited grandma who is, in comparison, not as healthy-looking and as responsive. She couldn't really open her eyes and was mourning or singing all the time. Grandpa told us that she doesn't remember a lot of things already and begins to act like a baby. Meeting the two of them makes me think a lot about life again. I think it will be the happiest thing to just grow old together with everyone that I love around me. Simple happiness.
To make a perfect ending to our road trip, we went to a mountain where the trappist is to see the famous Santa Maria, but it also turned into a fun hike! I never notice how much I love hiking, and I am thankful for my pair of Timberland haha being at that mountain is just like being in heaven. I have never been to a place like that - full with tall, healthy, green trees (unlike mountain in Texas haha so dry) and you are just part of the nature.
I am thankful to have such a great host family and I really am a lucky girl to have all these experience :)
