Just Some Golden Week Joys

1. Listening to my beloved grannies (and a grandpa) singing a folk song from Miyagi about rain and sipping chai with Parle-G biscuits. Even though summer is upon us and I’m a sweat pool, I feel such an extraordinary coolness in my heart thanks to how I am noticing within myself the capability — no, the immensity — to be moved to utter joy through small day-to-day occurrences. They also sang another popular rhyme called 「緑のそよ風」whose lyrics 「みどりのそよ風　いい日だね/ぶらんこゆりましょ　歌いましょ」translate to “Zephyr of spring, it’s a beautiful day/ let’s play on the swings, let’s unwind and sing”, and really, I think this is my life’s dream condensed in a sentence. I could spend a lifetime in its pursuit.

2. I ran 15 kilometers this morning. I breezed through Nishi-koen, lingering on the sakura trees that are now lush green. Not a sign of the flowers that were just here, just a striking green. Five years in this city still feel like a minute on some days, like the flowers were just blooming, like a friend’s voice calling out to me from outside the classroom, like a morning run insisting that it isn’t a coping mechanism. Five years in this city — time oscillating between stream, river, sea — always helping me land on the shore of myself. I love Sendai because it has taught me to love myself, which, in principle, is how every revolution begins. My body on this summer day, stumbling onto the fact of its own splendor. Hirosegawa, our local river, grand as ever, always offering itself to me. On many days, I have walked by this river troubled by sleepless nights and terrible dreams, and never once has it not brought me solace. I’m afraid that I’m experiencing another bout of insomnia because the last month I’ve probably averaged at 4-5 hours of sleep per night, but at least this time round, I know how to stay (mostly) sane.

3. My brother’s very important reiteration of how Kinder Happy Hippo (Cocoa) actually contribute to your overall happiness. A well-timed reminder for me to be indulgent and buy myself some, but I settled for a chocolate icecream cone instead. When my family and I had newly moved to Aurangabad and stayed in an apartment in CIDCO, we’d often walk to the Dinshaw’s that was ten minutes away for cold treats, and I’d always buy either a butterscotch or a black currant. Japan doesn’t have either of those flavours so I settle for sugar cones instead. On some days, I end up assigning more importance to the nostalgic value of food than other considerations. I’m just a dal-chawal girl.

4. Now that I’m done talking about food and nostalgia, allow me to be weirdly excited about karage or Japanese fried chicken. I say ‘Japanese fried chicken’ specifically because it cannot, and must not, be compared to its inferior counterpart, nuggets. I bite carefully into my fried chicken, four perfect pieces, each with a different sauce — chili, curry, garlic and a special offering. I’ve been vegetarian for most of my life, but tuna and fried chicken managed to convert me a couple years ago. Honestly, the fish in Japan is some of the best. With regard to meat, there’s not many places in where I feel comfortable eating but the karage restaurant my friend introduced me to today is a total game-changer. Besides, the owner is a really jovial man who let me have some extra cheese as topping for my salad. God bless him.