Lost in Translation

Brellowgirl
Oct 23, 2015
6 min read

I’ve got to say that the hardest thing about traveling with older generations is that I feel like a waste. Everybody is speaking Japanese around me and I can’t understand a single thing (unless it’s “gohan” or “food” lol). When it’s not Japanese it’s Portuguese (which I can understand but not super well especially when it’s tainted with Japanese here and there). No one wants my help, no one answers my questions. Family members speak to me in Japanese and I know I have the stupidest blank stare on my face as I apologize in English and I frantically try and find someone to save me and translate. I actually start sweating I get so nervous when people speak to me in Japanese. This is what it’s like to be a first generation born in America. So much culture has been lost on me and it’s moments like these when I feel it the most. That’s why I tried so hard to take Portuguese classes in college and abuse my duolingo app. I have never had a proper conversation with my grandparents and all I can think about is all the amazing stories they must have that I’ll never get to hear for myself because of our language barrier. It’s frustrating and upsetting and I’m so grateful to be back in Japan traveling with my grandma because it’s the little bit of heritage I get to be exposed to that’s pure (toto ramen in the city just doesn’t cut it). If all else fails at least I can offer my future children knowledge on Japanese food and customs and hope that they’ll want to hold on to part of their heritage enough to learn some of the language and travel here for themselves.

Alriiight, even though I’m tired as anything, I promised I would blog to keep you guys updated. So I’m spending my 8 hr train ride to Nagasaki writing and reading =]

I am so jetlagged. I was falling asleep at dinner yesterday and it was only 7:30pm.

We started the day by leaving our air bnb and taking a train to Kitami to visit my great great aunt. We saw her two years ago when we visited and she just celebrated her 103rd birthday (total proof that the Japanese lead long healthy lives). She is my grandfather’s uncle’s wife and she is the cutest thing ever. She chatted with my mom and aunt while I listened to the Japanese and tried to understand what they were talking about. We stayed for tea and I let my mind wander about why I am the way that I am. Oobachan (how I address her) made some paper flowers for my grandma to take home and I wondered if that’s where I get my love for flowers from. For the past few months while I was home, I was having date night with my grandparents (on my dad’s side) and realized that my grandfather eats slower than I do, I definitely must have gotten my eating habits from him. It’s just funny that small things like that help me associate myself with my extended family.

After our visit, we had lunch with my grandma’s sisters at the St. George’s restaurant in the Tokyo Hilton Hotel. Nani has like 8 siblings and three of her sisters joined us. I always wanted a sister growing up and seeing them together was adorable. They were like little kids gossiping and catching up and giggling with each other. Nani brought her sisters some treats from Brasil and immediately one of her sisters started popping the bubble wrap. I just found it hilarious because my grandmother has a strange addiction to popping small bubble wrap haha. Totally sisters. The hotel restaurant was a buffet and the food was delicious and so beautifully presented – so of course I took tons of pictures! The plates were so small it forced me to take small portions and go back for seconds…thirds… fourths. haha There was a mini noodle bar where you could order soba noodles done in different ways (the buckwheat noodles I had the day before). I had two helpings and had them traditionally in a dashi broth (a light broth flavored with kombu (seaweed), shoyu (soy sauce) and bonito flakes) they you can top it with kamaboku (fish cakes), very thinly sliced red onion, bits of scallion, sesame seeds, kelp and dried nori (seaweed). They also had these giant poached scallops that I had to try and were delicious and some beautiful desserts. Needless to say, I was slow to move after that meal. Mom joked that I’d better eat up because it might be the best meal I have for the rest of my trip.

While Nani caught up with her sisters, mom, tia and I walked around Shinjuku and did some department store window-shopping. Shinjuku is pretty saturated with business buildings so the department stores are more like high-rise malls. The basement floors of the department stores are ALL food. Manju (steamed hot buns filled with all kinds of good stuff like vegetables or pork), kaki (rice cakes), katsu (fried pork cutlets), tempura (lightly battered and deep fried pieces of vegetables or shrimp), you name it and it’s there. It’s like food heaven. Actually it might be better than food heaven. I love it because everybody is moving around and sales people are yelling into the aisles trying to get people to come over and buy whatever it is they’re selling. It’s kind of like when you walk through the perfume area at Macy’s and all the heavily perfumed ladies try and attack you – and that’s just the underground level. We made our way up to level 7 because I wanted to see the stationary. I love cool, printed stationary and Japan has the cutest sets. I picked up a set that had gingko leaves on it (my absolute favorite tree) and braved the checkout line by myself =]

We met up with my grandmother’s brother and his wife for dinner (the same tio that picked us up from the airport). He took us to this restaurant in Ueno on the top floor of a building for shabu shabu (hot pot). Ugh, no one in America does shabu shabu like here. There were big laquer boxes that were brought out with very thinly sliced beef and two cuts of bacon and then another huge box of all kinds of vegetables – different kinds of mushrooms, cabbages, moyashi (bean sprouts), shaved carrots, etc. There’s a dashi or ponzu broth you pour into your individual bowl and then you take veggies and meat and swirl them around in the communal hot pot for a few seconds until they cook, pull them out, dip it into your bowl and eat! I had to explain the concept of meat sweats to my Japanese family and they just looked at me funny…

When we got back to our air bnb we had to pack up in preparation to leave early this morning for Nagasaki. We’re on our second train now- a Shinkansen Sakura Super Express (SO awesome) and I think we have one more to go. All my family is worried about me spending an extra week and a half in Japan by myself but I think I’m ready for this. I want a cultural slap in the face! There are things you overlook when you travel with family and I want to be uncomfortable traveling here by myself. I want to challenge myself and I don’t think a trip to the mountains will disappoint. I’ll be staying at a ski resort in Nozawa Onsen when the girls leave Japan. Hopefully want to see some snow monkeys hanging out in the hot springs! Not sure what I’ll be doing yet but I’ll keep you guys updated (meaning that I’ll probably be cleaning toilets or something). Just taking it one day at a time over here though.

Some things I’ve been noticing:

Murses (man purses) are real here. Like every guy has some kind of bag they carry around for their items
Taxi doors open and close by themselves - don’t touch them or you’ll get yelled at
Don’t take pictures of little cute school children wearing uniforms – you’ll get yelled at
When you take your shoes off at somebody’s house, face them towards the door so you can slip them on the right way when you’re ready to leave
Wear the house slippers or your feet will freeze
Don’t press buttons on the toilets. Even if you’re really tempted. Especially if it’s all in Japanese
When in doubt, bow and apologize profusely
I’m only 5’6” but I feel like goliath standing next to cars and other women
Didn’t notice it last time I was in Japan but everything is pretty much in English at the train stations and airports