となりの枚方たち (Hirakata & Co)

Late February. In my cold and snowy Russia it would mean still -20C (-4,00F) and snowy obstacles on the roads. In Japan it smells spring… Daffodils, tulips and plum trees are blossoming, light April wind plays with my hair, Kansai Gaidai inhabitants bathe in the sunlight and Japanese girls start forgetting about winter  boots and warmers…

This week I happened to get my bicycle broken and therefore spent the whole week moving around our Hirakata neighbourhood walking. And to say the truth – I enjoyed it, because slow-pace life lets you notice little pleasant things you would never pay attention to zooming by bike and being busy with some insignificant routine.

The first thing I’ve noticed was the fact that on our way to school from Seminar House 2 (Kansai Gaidai dormitory) we are used to pass by two Buddhist temples next to each other looking almost the same as usual private houses and one Shinto shrine attached to the Elementary school. Every day I passed them by, tempted to destroy the silence inside and only by Friday I got enough guts to come in one of the temples.

The temple is called Myoukyouji (妙教寺) and is looked after by cheerful Nishimoto-san’s family, who lives there. I was met by his wife who was really pleased by a gaijin’s interest in Buddhism, and she let me come and take pictures not only of a carefully landscaped tiny Japanese-styled garden but also inside of the temple itself.  Being busy with taking pictures of a shining golden altar full of flowers and statues, I didn’t hear heavy shuffling footsteps of the host. A little bit sleepy aged man began talking to me in Japanese (!), telling me lots of fascinating things such as the history of Buddhism and the temple itself, about Japanese people beliefs and connection of Shinto and Buddhism… Interestingly, he told me that nowadays the belief that Shinto deities (神様) were actually born from Bodhisattva, and although in Meiji period temples were completely destroyed, for Shindo (he pronounced it like this) was the only central religion and the reflection of unique Japanese national ideas, there are more and more people believing in Buddhism as a primary religion now. So, being enlightened with a real knowledge of religions’ origin and invited to the nest service, I left the temple.

Of course everybody here, in Hirakata, knows what New-Deli is, right? When we hear this magic name of the Indian restaurant, we imagine hot chicken carry, soft and warm, melting in our mouth naan (Indian huge pie), fabulous aroma of free (!) mango lassi (milk shake) and ice-cream with mango jam for a desert when you can’t eat anymore… And no doubts everyone does remember 33-teeth “元気な” (cheerful) smiles of Indian waiters, don’t you? This time we met there the greatest waiter ever – Yumin Go, a Chinese-Japanese Kansai Gaidai student,　speaking flawlessly English and Japanese and always ready to raise her customers’ mood. We noticed her laughing with other hungry for Indian hospitality people there, and when she came to our table, she began joking, mimicking Japanese eternal “すみません” (“I’m very sorry”) regretting grimace so skilfully that we couldn’t stop laughing till unbearable laugh cramps in belliesJ. After having eaten everything (and even three more free naans), my friends continued talking but I left them and came in a tiny sacred place – kitchen, where found friendly team of tree real Indian cooks ready to talk to me. They came from Calcutta – 8 months, a year and 3 years ago. They really enjoy life in Japan for a unique opportunity not only leading their own business but promoting Indian culture in their neighbourhood, where the sun rises first. We left the place of full stomachs Nirvana late at night, having learnt how to thank in Indian – “shukria”, seen enough Indian beauties on a screen and full of memories for the whole week – not only in our hearts and stomachs, but on our clothes as well, smelling one of the best substitute for Paradise on the Earth…