Kimono and Kittens

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Today is a national holiday – Respect for the Aged Day. I love the Aged. I think we should respect them more often.

Given how late I was up last night, it's no wonder that I slept until 1pm. That didn't leave much day to be productive. I got through three loads of laundry and got those hanging, but little else. My floors need sweeping and I STILL haven't made it to Hard-Off.

I made pancakes for breakfast and am beginning to be horrified by how little peanut butter I have left. I ran out of maple syrup, so I substituted in chocolate syrup, which made my pancakes taste like Reese's peanut butter cups. I actually preferred the maple syrup, though.

This was my kind of national holiday – no work but the mail still comes. Especially when that mail includes a package from my mommy! It had candy sticks as omiyage for my coworkers, my bicycle helmet to protect me on my upcoming bike trip, and seven macaroni and cheese powder packets so I can make mac and cheese here. I was blissfully happy. (Oh, some vegetarian bouillons were also included.)

I ended up collapsing and napping for 40 minutes before my kimono lessons. I frantically scrambled to get ready and find clothes to wear (as I'd mostly been wearing lounge wear all day.) I ended up half-running to lessons and apologizing for being five minutes late. As it was, class hasn't started yet and we were still getting stuff out. It took them a bit of time to find my kimono case.

Today, we not only got our kimono on, but also tied our Obi for the first time. Kimono is an interesting outfit – quite elegant, but unfortunately it makes you very square. It's impossible when I'm wearing it to tell that I have any more curves or bosom than my Japanese classmates. However, it basically squares off my hips, making me look wider. The teacher, though, seemed to think I was adorable.

Another teacher came though, briefly, and I was introduced as the English-only speaking gaijin. The teacher made a joke that she only spoke French, to which I immediately piped in that I do, in fact, speak French. I then had five minutes of reassurance that the sensei had only been joking with me.

My kimono-sensei knows more English than she lets on, as she peppers the class with English words. I know she talks about me sometimes, as I can hear “Magadara” scattered in every once in a while. I wonder what makes my classmates laugh kindly.

After class, I was given long instructions on how to sew my white collar onto my under-kimono. It doesn't come pre-sewn for some reason (I suspect because this way you can change it with whatever color you'd like, although that's merely a guess taken from a section in the novel “Memoirs of a Geisha.”) I need to buy white thread and do that this week. I was be-gifted two little clips, like the kind used to do laundry to hold my obi during some of the tying processes. I was also gifted a long plain fabric ribbon that's used as a temporary hold while other parts of the obi are tied.

On my way home from kimono lessons, I saw a cat and crouched down outside my apartment to see if she'd come to me. The cat didn't, preferring instead to walk off, but I noticed others behind her and, by staying still, got to witness three young kittens frolicking in and out of the hedges. They were adorable. It makes me miss Truffle.

Worried about what I'd make myself for lunch tomorrow, I quickly set to work whipping up the only easy thing I had ingredients for and could only cross my fingers and hope it turned out okay. I chopped up garlic and an onion and caramelized them, added some spices and olive oil and dumped it on pasta. It was delicious and I ate a fair bit for dinner before packing up the rest for lunch on Tuesday. Next, time, more onion, though, as it was quite sweet and had good flavor. It makes me wish I had Alan's mini chopper. I'd like to see if I could make it into a sauce.