La Japoneisa: Tomatoes and other matters of a simple organic life

(Also 29th July 2005)
Two days of weeding tomatoes.
I found the most interesting things the weeds' roots were living off-ropes, some metal nails, some plastic packages and the absolute winner was a glove.


The weeds that looked like nettles indeed were nettles (arms in a close-to-leprose state).

Cleaning up the house is a good warm up - using Judy's highly developed technique it is fast, comfortable, kind of fun too though sweat dripping. One feels like sitting down rather often. Very hard to stand up though (might remain seated for the rest of the day...or not).

Drove to the onsen yesterday. The more I drive the K-truck down these crappy windy roads I found, the more I grow to appreciate and like the truck and the roads. It was my first time at the onsen with the guests so Annie called the Kazurabashi Hoteru so they know that a new staff member is coming with her group. I arrived, greeted politely and introduced myself. The guy at the desk hardly looked at me, he turned towards our Japanese guests barking at them whether any of them speak Japanese (doh!). I just stood there staring at him, not knowing what to do or say, except for thank you for the explanation, wondering whether to be upset by his mannerisms or whether get used to it like to something I am supposed to get used to. Back at Chiiori Annie told me not to worry as this guy has got a history of being extremely rude to Yuki, to Gin, Alex, her, everyone really. No cramps.

Finished with the chick fence - only one gap is left by the rock wall since there is no where to tie the fence to. The chickens are my friends now. They run towards me whenever I come and then sit around me when I sit down poking on my bum or pockets or anything that ever so slightly sticks out i believe what I came to understand as a demonstrations of inner emotions (= love and friendship).
(this is how well the fence works-after all that work and hassle!)


Tomatoes are all weeded and supported at a loss of a few in the name of a good cause. They look gorgeous (now that you can actually see them).


PS: One of our guests, Richard from New Zealand, was given soya shoots to plant in the field by the chicken fence (oh so safe now that the orange devils are locked up). A couple of days later, as we stood by the field, Annie was laughing and pointing to it-to the plants among which, in the rows, were also neatly planted weeds that somehow got into the box with the soya plants. So uselesslyfunnilycute.