"She insisted that rice should always be scooped at least twice from the big bowl to the individual bowls even if the second scoop was a token one without any rice on the ladle." (14)
"All I asking for is my body" is the by far the best book I have had to read for school. Most books you read in school are not ones you would usually pick up on your own or even take a second look at. Then with those books you are given you either hate it or enjoy it. This book is no different, I would have never picked it up or looked inside. What is different though is the moment I started ti read the book I couldn't put it down. The reason for this sudden and strange connection is I am Japanese and reading all the Japanese words and phase that I relate to.
Starting with "zori" a word I never hear anywhere else but with family. Next would be your parents and elders are always right and you have to follow what they said even if you don't quite agree. That was how I was raised and how the rest of my family on both sides were, so to me that was the "norm". Which always confused me when i was younger when other parents or adults would say I was so good and not like other kids my age. The next great big connect would be the superstitions in the book especially the one I quoted something I have listen to since I could remember. When I asked about why we did it my mother would just say that was what her oba-chan did. Oba-chan being grandmother like in the book as "0baban", which again is a connect where I laugh a bit. I must say this is a book I really do enjoy and can't to read more.
Thank you so much for the insights...just learned a few things from your blog this week, thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI always wondered why though that some people seem immune to the effects of bachi, but from experience it does seem to get you at some point and the longer the delay, the more powerful the effect. also some people are suffering from bachi but are just in denial or truly oblivious.
Just an insight back I thought I would offer!! Daye
Hi Haruki,
ReplyDeleteI like you didn't think that I was going to like the book as much as I have. But the best part is that you can relate to it and all that you share. I love how you share that you you enjoyed reading about the "zori" and how you never heard that word other in your family I bet it was so cool to read about it. Next thing that was neat for me to read was that you could relate to how your are suppose to treat your elders. I think it would do all american kids a little good to be brought up this way. The last thing that really stood out for me was that You yourself have lived with these superstitions in your own life. If you don't mind me asking do you have some superstitions of your own and if you do and you don't mind sharing what are they?
Thank you so much for sharing your life and the book with us.
Stacy
Stacy,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question the superstition about always taking two scoops of rice is something that is automatic for me. It is something I grew up with and now just do without thinking and always thought it was cool that my great grandmother did it and I needed to do what she did for I never got the chance to me her. Another one i grew up with is never pass food hashi to hashi (hashi being chopsticks) unless you want bad luck. The reason for this is at a cremation you separate the bones from the ashes with hashi. The last one that the book also talked about is your bachi. Which is something that you would hear about in my family. I must say that I have had plenty of times when I mother would say "That's your bachi." Hard to admit I knew that it was bachi because I had done something bad or shady. I know this is a long answer but those are the ones most present in my life.
Thanks for asking
Hi Haruki,
ReplyDeleteThat was so cool for you to share how you grew up and how much connection you had with the story. It is always so interesting to see and hear how people live their lives because we are all so different in so many ways and that's what makes life so interesting. Thanks for sharing your childhood and such. It was very fun to read.
Dina
After reading this book I did realize that Japanese culture is quite similar to my own culture, Nepalese culture. The paragraph you quoted surely did get my attention. We Nepalese also believe that we should always scoop any food twice or at least in even number. We believe that scooping once or in odd number brings bad luck. Like your culture we also have to obey the elder no matter they are right or wrong. Our thoughts seem to be unimportant in front of their thoughts. Inheriting parent’s debt by their children is also another similarity that Nepalese culture has with Japanese culture.
ReplyDeleteHi haruki,
ReplyDeletei am glad you enjoyed reading the book, i did too. I love reading books that speaks of culture because we can relate to all or some. I like how they spoke of superstition because my family is all about superstition.