Guess Who's Back?

Hello Again All

It has been roughly two months since my departure from Japan back to America and I have finally returned to Kyoto. I have just had one of the best Spring Break ever and I am so glad that I got to spend it with the people I did and in the cities that I know and love. I don’t want to dwell to long in my time in America, but I would like to touch on how it was to readjust after flying from the East back into the Wild West.

When I arrived at the airport in San Francisco the first thing I noticed was the lack of emotion among airport employees, both at the terminal and at baggage claim. I had realized, then, that I was no longer in the land of unconditional hospitality. I also noticed that there were many more noticeably overweight people and most everything was, to put it simply, physically larger.

I was so glad to se my parents at the airport the evening of my arrival, but it wasn’t one or two nights after that I headed down to Eugene, Oregon to visit my beloved friend Ben David. I spent a wonderful Shabbat at the Chabad house at the University of Oregon, braided and baked Challah in Ben’s kitchen and enjoyed the nice drive from Seattle to Eugene and back-I had been riding on the left side of the road for the past five months.


Challah

My next stint in the Pacific Northwest brought me up to Vancouver to visit my beautiful campus and see some great friends, including Zach, who had come back China a few months prior. It was really great to talk to someone face-to-face about the diversity of opportunities that Asia can offer in terms f working, learning and just simply-or not so simply-living.

I have not taken a trip down to Phoenix, Arizona with my whole family in a while, so when I picked up Chloe from Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix I knew I was in for a great trip. The family and I covered more ground in AZ than we ever had before, together that is. We made a day trip up to Sedona to the beautiful red rock and Chloe and I took an amazing little drive to Tucson to see my dear friend Jess Antonio at the University of Arizona. When Jess told us that he was having a taping for the UA T.V. News show Chloe could not pass up the offer. We ended up sitting in the live studio during the taping, which was a thrill. One of the best parts of the trip, though, was reuniting with some of the extended Ramras family. In other words, I got to eat my Aunt amazing blintzes while hanging out with my cousins whom last time I saw them could barely walk.

In a last ditch effort to cover the whole west coast in the small window of time I had, I bought a ticket to Ontario, California to go see my brother Micah at Redlands University. My five days there were also jam-packed and I was lucky enough to come on St. Patty’s Day weekend. Between the beer-pong tournament, the local burger joint, swimming in the huge pool at Redlands and kicking back with my grade school friend, I couldn’t have asked for a better trip.


Me and Micah

My last few days in Seattle were bitter sweet. With so little time and so many people I wanted to see, I got my priorities straight and started to work down at the Pike Place Market again at Three Girls Bakery. Being back down there was great; the atmosphere of the market is one of a kind. Also, since I was in one place I had all of my friends come visit me at work . . . bonus. Chloe even came down to work for a day, that was a hoot. My last night in Seattle I spent with some great friends Peter C. and Marty, who was celebrating his twentieth birthday, partying and record playing ensued.


Me and Chloe at Three Girls Bakery, Ruben please!

I knew I needed to sleep on the plain on the way to Japan, but I am far too tall. However, the sleep I could have got on the plain could have never prepared me for the following sixteen days. Walking down the terminal in Tokyo’s Narita Airport is an experience in itself, but to look over your shoulder and see you family right on your heels is a feeling that I had been anticipating for along time.

Tokyo was absolutely amazing. The family and I hit every spot we possibly could within our four days in one of the busiest metropolises in the world. Traversing the train tracks to Akihabara (gadget city), Harajuku (modern fashion-ville), Shinjuku (the busiest train station in the world), Shibuya (the busiest pedestrian street crossing in the world) and Asakusa Shrine was a very draining, yet rewarding experience. Moreover, my mother’s current teacher’s assistant at Roosevelt High School gave us the contact of her home stay mother from ten years prior and one rainy day my family and I found ourselves running around a train station trying to meet with Kosuge Mariko. The confusion arose from my intermediate folly for reversing the Japanese words for below and behind. Either way, an hour later we being toured around a one hundred and thirty year old house in one of Tokyo’s neighbouring towns, Moriya. The house left me speechless. Also, since part of the house was converted into a restaurant we got to try some hand made soba noodles, which were, as could be expected, one of a kind.

However, my family, having no prior knowledge of the Japanese language or the lay of the land, really put me to the test. I was translating, ordering meals (and changing orders), making hotel and train reservations and navigating via my Japanese skills. I was more than relieved to hop on the Shinkansen (bullet train) headed for Kyoto knowing that familiar roads, restaurants and dialects awaited me.

From Kyoto my family and I hit Nara, the ancient capitol of Japan, to see the largest indoor Buddha in the world (Todai-ji), Himeji Castle, Kobe, Osaka, Miyajima, and Hiroshima in a little over a week. All the while I was getting readjusted into my dorm, registering for classes, taking a Japanese placement test and trying not to trip on the bags that were hanging from under my eyes.


The Family at the base of the main tower of Himeji Castel


Hanami at Himeji Castle

I unfortunately had to say goodbye to my family today and send them on their way, not to see them again until early August, but it was my extreme pleasure to have the privilege to show them around and reveal to them the unique environment that I have now made my own. With that said, it was very hard for me to come back to Kyoto knowing that I only have four more months until I have to head back home. On the other hand, my triumphant return has helped me realize that I must make the most of the upcoming summer in Japan, which should bring even more memorable experiences, invaluable knowledge of the Japanese, which I have come to respect so much and maybe, just maybe, to the top of Mount Fuji.

A major shout out to my parents for sticking it out there. Mom the train stations were scary, I know. Dad you can take my seat on the bus any day. And Chloe, karaoke was above and beyond what both you and I thought it was going to be.

Asher Ramras, back in Kyoto, OUT.

Until Next Time.