Black Pen and Cassiopeia Friends

Black Pen and Cassiopeia Friends

I was invited to be on a radio show in Ninohe called Cassiopeia Friends. The show was supposed to be recorded at 7.30 pm, so I decided to head up to Ninohe on the 5.19 train. It’s only 6 minutes to Ninohe so I was there in a flash. I went out to Honda to check out the prices on some used cars, since I’ve now decided that I want to buy a car. Then I walked back to the train station. The radio station is in the train station so I decided that I would have dinner in the restaurant upstairs to kill some time. I hadn’t expected to be back from Honda so early or I would have taken the train an hour later. I had katsu kare, I am such an addict. I can’t seem to avoid eating katsu kare ever. The katsu kare at Totoro, the restaurant in Ninohe’s train station, can not hold a candle to the one at Osaka, Ichinohe’s “mall” restaurant.

After dinner, there was still a half hour left, but there was nothing else to do, so I went downstairs to wait in the radio station. The station manager introduced himself and gave me his card. Then he had me do a tag (record a greeting with the station name). We talked a bit about Barbados and my life in Japan until the others arrived. Along with me, my Irish ALT friend, Jar, was also being interviewed, Yuka came along as a translator and Yuji and Morikawa were the program hosts.
The interview was fantastic. Somehow I understood everything Yuji asked, and was able to answer him in comprehensible Japanese! I was so proud! I haven’t really worked on my Japanese for the year, but it keeps getting better. Maybe I should try actually doing some work. I took a Krosfyah CD and I got to introduce Krosfyah’s song “ Yardie Graduation”. Then a hilarious scene ensued. Yuji attempted to dance. It looked very much like the caricature of an African chieftain doing a rain dance. So I got roped into wukking up in the studio. Lol! After that we played some Irish music and then we gave personal messages. I had a blast! I want to go back. I love radio! I am going to think up a concept for a 5 minute program and see if the station manager will let me do it.
After, the program, Yuka and I went to look at Cherry Blossoms on the river bank. They were so beautiful. I tried to read the Japanese signs… Reading is where my Japanese SUCKS!!! I have a LONG LONG way to go. From there we went to House of Picnic. House of Picnic is the first place I went out to eat in Ninohe, and my favourite place, but there is a table fee, so it can get expensive.
Jar was being his usual comedic self, and Yuji was playing right along. Then a group of doctors came in and it turns out most of them knew Morikawa and Yuji, probably because of their fields. Morikawa is a dentist, and Yuji owns a senior citizens home. (Morikawa is also one of my Principals’ little brother. The world, in small town Japan, is an itty-bitty place. )
Two of the doctors came over and sat with us. The one sitting next to me was the urologist, Susumu. He is absolutely crazy. I didn’t catch the name of the one sitting opposite me, but he was cute, and he was definitely staring at me. After the doctors had finished their own party, some more of them joined us, and the one who had been sitting across from me, went home. The ones we were joined by were a neurologist, a radiologist, and a paediatrician. According to Susumu, the neurologist and the radiologist are good boys, the paediatrician is a playboy, and he (Susumu) is the bad boy. He then told me, and I quote, “I single. I love you. My peh-niss black!” I have not laughed so hard in eons.
Somewhere along the course of the night, Yuji decided to have a house party and Susumu accused him of being kuchibakari (all talk). He said that he would have a party on May 15th and so I should see some of these hilarious people again. I am definitely looking forward to it!