Yufuin, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu
WWOOF period: 27th March to 19 April 2013
My first hosts in Yufuin, Oita. It is in Kyushu and Yufuin is well known for the various onsen.
My first day did not start off very well as I arrived late. I have been contacting my hosts promptly. Arrived on time at Yufuin bus center. But I missed. The local. Bus up the slope to the hostel abd have to wait for another hour and a half. Did not want to spend 500yen on locker so sat at bus center to pen my journal and reading. I never called Ryo san about me having to wait for the bus. Ryo-san was unhappy meeting me. I was led to my room at basement and met another Taiwanese WWOOFer. She's Den and very young. Den guided and taught me the jobscope here. At 23 years of age, she is very efficient apable. I am such a blur and slow learner and found it tough to meet all the expectations.
My first few days working there were interesting as I am such a blur queen and a slow learner. Made many mistakes and I should say, made me feel real bad. Interestingly, after one week, after Den left, I performed better. My relationship with Ryo san and his wife Tomo san improved.
Work here is quite relaxed, I should say. Scheduled like this:
6.30am - 8.30am : Breakfast preparation for guests, setting up table, washing up of dishes, kitchen etc
8.45am - about 11.30am : Housekeeping, changing of bedsheets or futon sheets, vacumming rooms, mopping the floor and furniture
* Ryo-san often plays music of X-Japan or Fukuyama Masaharu during the morning tasks.Coincidentally, I listen to X-Japan and the songs of Fukuyama Masaharu too.
The guests will often be out by 9.30am and we will start do the housekeeping, with the music blasting loudly. Ryo san will always shout 'Break time!' in the middle of work and all of us, together with Tomo san will stop work and have coffee and snack at the sofa area. This is one of my favourite moment, drinking coffee with Japanese snacks and chatting with one another. This is the time I get to know Ryo san and Tomo san better. They are very relaxed and will try to get to know me and about Singapore.
12 noon to about 4pm : Free time (I often go to the town and just walk around, sit, read and look at people engaged in their daily life...normacy)
5.45pm to 8.45pm ; Dinner preparation for guests, setting up table, washing up and cleaning of dishes and utensils
8.45pm onwards ; Free time / playing games with guests or just hanging around with guests
On the end of my first week, my hosts, Ryo-san and Tomo-san decided to close the hostel for two days so as to bring their three lovely children to a theme park.
It was nice of them to let me stay in their nicely furnished and cozy hostel. It is a sixty year old Japanese styled house. They bought it six yrs ago nd transformed it into a hostel. over the years they have established, quitepositve reputations among backpackers and Japanese alike. As I walked around the hostel upon my arrival, while waiting for work to start at 5.45pm in kitchen, I could see why. Dark brown woodenparquet flooring, deep brown furnitures, furnished with lots of tiny decos...there are much to see here.
It was a privilege to be able to stay in the hostel all on my own. I managed to communicate with my family members through Tango and I remembered I enjoyed the time and privacy.
I also took the opportunity to travel to Mt Aso during my 2 days break. It is about 3 hours away from Yufuin by bus. The trip is really a good break and I indulged in the vast space around me. I got to see that I had allowed myself to garner pre^assumptions about Japanese being polite outwardly but not sure how they really feel or think. It could have hindered me getting to know them and allowing them to know me too. I decided to just not doubt any sincerity from any of my hosts and only in that way, barriers can be broken.
The hostel, Aso Base Backpackers Hostel is really worth to stay. Meticulously tidy and clean, and well furnished. After spending half a day in Mt Aso, I took a stroll in the small town. It has a large grocery store, book store and a botique. Spent sometime in the book store and supermarket to get food to prepare dinner. Managed to spend time taking pictures of the houses and some farms as I walked into the small lanes.
Returning from the my off days, I was looking forward to start the regular routine in Yufuin Countryroad Hostel again. I was calmer, more relaxed and remind myself to smile and be happy. Nur's reminder helps. Thank you, Nur. Words from the card by Sharifah and friends remind me of my purpose of WWOOFing in Japan. Beside saving cost, my main purpose is to immerse and understand the culture and most importantly, the Japanese. Come what may, I said to myself. A journey is not always a bed of roses. Ups and downs are what make the journey memorable and impressionable. These are the things that will teach me something and open up my mind and heart.
Tomo-san and her very adorable children....
Ryo-san is often energetic. On some evenings, after dinner, he will gather the guests in his hostel to play really interesting games together.
At the end of my 3 weeks with Ryo-san and Tomo-san's family, I felt sad leaving them. I have known Chimi-san, the hardworking Korean Wwoofer and George, the 70ish year old French who makes me laugh and let me see what it means to take things easy. There are days when I was the only WWOOFer.
Meeting guests staying in this hostel from different countries including Singaporeans, engaged in games with them under the cool initiation of Ryo-san... I had also gotten good at the kitchen and the tasks. ~_~
Cherry blossoms outside the hostel
My room is at the basement where guests do their laundry... that is the door to my room. Low door, very interesting...
Manga corner just outside my room.
One of the breakfast meals prepared by Ryo-san and Tomo-san for the guests. They are very particular about the way utencils are displayed, the location etc...very meticulous in details. I got to decide on which table mat design and chopstick holders to use for each meal.
This is the script I have to read every day before breakfast and dinner. Through a speaker to call out for the guests to come to the dining hall for the meals prepared.
The WWOOFer book. Ryo-san drew a cartoon character of me on my page. He does that for every WWOOFer.
On one of the mornings, after breakfast, a rare sight where clouds covered the whole of the town which is in view from the hostel. The hostel is about 30 mins walk uphill from the town.
Every afternoon, during my break, I would take a stroll downhill to the town....
some of the sights which met me daily....
During one of our off-days, Chimi-san, the Korean WWOOFer and I set off to trek on of the moutains in Yufuin.
Chimi-san, who WWOOFed in the hostel for just a week. She had WWOOFed in Japan for seven months before arriving in Yufuin. I , on the other hand have just started with my first WWOOFing expereince in Japan. She is a very talented lady who speaks English, Japanese and Mandarin fluently. Amazing! We got along very well and she shared much of her WWOOFing expereince in Japan. She had her share of negative and positive experiences.
At the top, we see the whole of Yufuin!
On the way trekking down..... this old cemetry intrigued me... with all the moss and mould...
On my last night, I took a stroll outside after dinner duty has completed...
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