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#Increased peace of mind and self-reliance #New food experiences #Felt satisfaction and regret
- Diving into green charm! A gap year stay at a farm in Hokkaido, Japan Kim Youngshin, gap-year traveler / 4-week gap year
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# At first it started simply from a desire to try doing something alone.
At first it started simply from a desire to try doing something alone. Through my own gap year,I wanted to change my repetitive, lazy lifestyle, and eliminating my dependent mindset was the goal of this gap yearwas.
On the first day, after receiving a lot of help at the airport and going through some ups and downs, I arrived at Shirataki Station. As soon as I arrived I met Akito-san and rode in the car to the house. It was late when we got home so it seemed everyone was sleeping, and after a brief orientation about the house I went to my room. Since the rooms on the second floor were full, I stayed for the time being in the tatami room on the first floor. The unfamiliar surroundings made me excited and somehow scared on that first night.
# Once I get used to the work, time here will feel short and I''ll have regrets.
The next morning I had my first meal here. The other dishes were tasty, and the tomato stew was really delicious. After breakfast, I went out to the fields with Jaesung, who had started living here a month before me. In the morning we replanted dead sugar beets.
After lunch, in the afternoon we planted potatoes in the potato field; as the potato-planting machine ran, we filled in the empty spots with potatoes. I thought that the potatoes planted in those few hours that day were more than the potatoes I had eaten in my life.
And I went to a hot spring for the first time in my life. My body was tired from doing unfamiliar work, but thanks to the hot spring my body felt much lighter. The field that had felt very far the first time I went became shorter as it became familiar.It was a day that felt like a week, but as time goes by and the work becomes familiar, time here will feel short and I''ll be left with regret.
# Since coming here I''ve been trying many new foods.
On the third day it rained so we took the day off. While resting in my room, Yoko-san, Ashley from Singapore and I tidied the garden together. Then we went to the field and harvested asparagus. I also saw mugwort here, which I never expected to see. We dug up mugwort, picked pretty flowers, and harvested lemon balm leaves. We drank tea in front of the house, then went to the potato storage and brought some potatoes. There were purple potatoes, gray potatoes, potatoes I knew, and several potatoes that looked like sweet potatoes.
When I came home and washed up, the colors were so beautiful. For lunch Yoko-san made olive tuna spaghetti and boiled potatoes. The food here is really delicious. For dessert we had potato ice cream, mochi made from the mugwort we had dug up earlier, and a mix of tangerine and pineapple — a combination I''d never tried before, but it was healthy and tasty.
I''ve been trying many new foods since coming here. And before dinner I took a walk around the house with Nonoka. Working makes me sleep well, all the meals are tasty, and my digestion is great, so my body feels light and good.
# I was really grateful and happy to be able to join Nonoka''s fifth birthday.
Saturday was Nonoka''s birthday. SoI don''t know any Japanese, but with the help of a translator I wrote a letter to Nonoka.And Yoko-san made a cake out of potatoes, prepared Nonoka''s favorite foods, and we all sat around to eat; we stuck candles into the cake Nonoka made, sang, and celebrated.
I was really grateful and happy to be able to join Nonoka''s fifth birthday.
# It was a starry night I''ll remember for a long time in my life.
On Monday it rained, so Ezra''s family, Jaeseong, and I all went out to Asahikawa together. Ezra''s family went to Nonoka''s playroom together, and Jaeseong and I explored the nearby area. We walked the streets, bought cake, and ate donuts. Then we met up again with Ezra''s family and went to eat sushi. We ate a lot and were very full. I thought that if I travel here again, I definitely want to go again.
Then we went to a large nearby supermarket to look around and bought various things we needed. I think I bought a product called ''Hyujokjigan'' that day — it seems like a really good purchase. It was very helpful. Then we went to a hot spring. It was an older place than the one we had been to before, but hot springs are wonderful wherever you go. After the hot spring, we went to eat the tonkatsu I had wanted to try.
They said there was a menu only women could order, so I ordered that menu. It had fried eggplant and lots of different vegetables, so I thought they called it the "women''s set." It was crispy and really delicious.
And it wasn''t until night that we arrived home. I got out of the car while dozing off, andit was the first time in my life I had seen such a sight. It looked as if stars were pouring down. No — I saw a night sky where many stars seemed to be pouring down.I borrowed a camera from Akito, took pictures of the night sky with Jaeseong, photographed each other, installed a star-app to find out which stars they were, and we watched the stars for a very long time — long enough that our necks were sore the next day.
It was a starry night that will remain in my memory for a long time.
#Because there are many things you can feel without having to say them all in words.
About a week later, on that day we installed a fence in the morning and finished picking the corn. For lunch we had shio ramen. The ramen had butter in it, which added more flavor, and the broth was light and very pleasant. In the afternoon we went to the sugar beet field to put fertilizer on the sides and moved the large stones that might hinder the growth of the sugar beets.
Moving the stones was a bit of a heavy task for me. My wrists, ankles, waist, and shoulders all ached, but my spirit felt very proud and happy. Around four o''clock the work finished and we went shopping together. For the first time since arriving here I went to the shopping street near Shirataki Station. The buildings were all so pretty and the colors felt very warm.
In the evening we bought lots of beef, lamb, and pork for a barbecue, stopped by the supermarket to buy alcohol and snacks, brought Nonoka back to the house, and prepared for the barbecue. We all sat together, grilled and ate meat, and talked,I could hardly understand Japanese, so I couldn''t join in conversations or empathize, but I still loved the atmosphere. There are many things you can feel without having to say them all in words..
After the barbecue we cleaned up, sat in the living room, and everyone talked. While listening I thought, "I wish my Japanese would improve a lot." "Even after going back to Korea I want to keep studying Japanese so I don''t forget, so that next time I come here I can have more conversations with Yoko-san, Akito-san, and Nonoka."
#Guests came from Kyoto.
About two weeks after arriving here, guests came from Kyoto. For dinner I made a Korean-style kimchi beef-rib stew I learned from my mother, and Jaeseong made Huahua. Yoko-san made potato salad, potato pizza, and other dishes. They also fried bamboo shoots brought from Kyoto, which were really delicious.
The next day the guests also worked with us. During the morning break we had matcha and strawberry mochi brought by the Kyoto guests and shrimp chips I had brought. I thought I would like to visit Kyoto someday, if only to try the matcha mochi they brought. Then we went to the greenhouse, prepared the fields, and planted seedlings like tomatoes and cucumbers.
In the afternoon we all pulled weeds together. While pulling weeds I learned a lot of the Kyoto dialect. The next day, we promised to go skiing here together in winter, and the Kyoto guests left.
#I hope my feelings were conveyed well.
A few days later we worked in the morning and had the afternoon off, so Jaeseong and I rode bicycles into town and back. We went to a shrine, to the gateball field, and took a walk around the neighborhood.On the way back we did some shopping and I made the fried rice I learned from Baek Jong-won. The seasoning ended up being too light and it was a bit bland, but everyone ate it deliciously, so I was grateful.
The next day was also a day off and the weather was wonderful. So we all went out together. We went to Biei, ate ice cream, bought pudding, and bought potato and corn snacks made from very fresh ingredients. Everything sold in Biei looked fresh and tempting just to look at. After sightseeing in Biei we went to eat soup curry. I told them what I wanted to eat, and Akito recognized it and took us there.
I am always grateful for that kind of consideration. It was as tasty as I hoped, and the vegetables were really delicious. Since coming here I feel like I''ve been eating a lot of vegetables. I didn''t know broccoli could be so tasty. After lunch we went to Furano. There are several wooden cabins along a forest path where people sell their handmade products. They sold carved wooden animals that play pianos or drums, paper works depicting Furano''s scenery, framed landscape artwork, leather bags, rings, and a variety of other items.
I bought two sheets of stationery to give to Ezra and Jaeseong and a painting that most closely resembled the Furano and local scenery I had seen to hang in my room. Then we went to a cheese factory to see how cheese is made and sampled various cheeses. While Yoko was shopping I wandered around Furano; it was really quiet and the houses were so pretty. Photographing someone else''s house felt strange and perhaps rude, but I found myself taking pictures without realizing it. It was truly a peaceful, beautiful place where you want to walk.
In the car Akito played Korean songs for us, so we listened — many old songs by Wonder Girls, Big Bang, and Kara played. The Boys Over Flowers OST and the Winter Sonata OST also came on. Hearing them here felt even more special. We went to a hot spring. I''d been to several, but the place we went to this time was the best. There were many types of baths and, above all, the open-air bath''s atmosphere was wonderful.
The sky was beautiful, the trees were beautiful, and the trees and flowers beside the bath were truly lovely.A lot of my fatigue was relieved here. When I return to Korea I think I''ll miss the hot springs a lot.And for dinner we went to have shabu-shabu. We ate a lot, very delicious and got really full. After eating and coming back home it was almost 11 o''clock. I was very grateful to Akito-san for driving for a long time late at night.
It became two days before leaving, and at night I wrote letters to Jaeseong and Ezra-san.
I hope my feelings were conveyed well.
#Whether it rained or the sun came out, it was always beautiful so I took photos, but it''s such a shame they didn''t turn out as they appeared to the eye.
The day before, a day began like any other. I got up, changed clothes, and went down to the first floor to have breakfast. I ate the breakfast Yoko-san prepared, and when Jaeseong did the dishes I wiped the washed dishes dry and put them back in place. I usually leave for work at 8, but today was a holiday, so I went up to my room and packed.
I went downstairs to wash, and Nonoka said she''d make a ring so we made rings together, and we also made fruit crepes to share. Then we watched an animated movie called Monster Hotel. There were no subtitles so I just listened in Japanese; I couldn''t understand most of it, but I understood the story.
After watching the movie and washing up, I grabbed my camera and stepped outside the house.As I took photos, I saw that compared to when I first arrived a lot of the snow had melted and many new shoots had grown. Whether it rained or the sun shone, it was always beautiful and I wanted to keep it for a long time so I took photos, but it''s such a shame they didn''t come out as they appeared to my eyes.
Then after lunch, Akito-san, Jaeseong, Nonoka and I went to buy seeds, and we went to a big supermarket and bought many things we wanted. At home, Yoko-san made my favorite tomato stew, and Jaeseong made pizza. We ate so much that we were truly stuffed, and before it got darker we went out to play with fireworks.
We did the kind that sizzle and pop when lit, and used sparklers on sticks. Akito-san took very pretty photos. We drew hearts well too, and after the pretty fireworks ended, we came home and did the dishes. Then Jaeseong bought a really delicious pudding, which we had for dessert. I appreciated that he thoughtfully bought it.
#I was grateful for every moment. I''ll definitely come again!
On the last day, we all had breakfast together, packed our bags, and went to Shirataki Station. On the way I handed over the letters, and Yoko-san also bought us drinks. We waved as the train arrived. When the train doors closed and Nonoka ran, that was when I really realized the farewell.
Here I learned how to focus on living in the present. And thanks to good people, I made many good memories here.Farewells are always a pity, but knowing that Ezra-san will always be here and that I can meet him anytime makes me not feel sad. Rather, I felt happier. Even as I left, I was excited at the thought of coming back here later with loved ones.
Next time I will definitely be good at Japanese and want to talk a lot. These are such good and beautiful memories for me, so I hope that Ezra-san''s family, Jaeseong, Uchi-san, and the Kyoto guests who visited will remember the time spent with me fondly. I was grateful for every moment. I''ll definitely come again!
#My personal gap year tips
(Language)
When I joined the project, someone I met there who worked on the project spoke Japanese well and interpreted for me, which helped me a lot with the work. When that person wasn''t around...They explained most things in English, and for parts that were hard to understand they explained with gestures, so there were no major problems at work.
Still, I think you''ll have a better time if you study Japanese beforehand.
(Accommodation)
The house was clean and the atmosphere was so nice that I had no inconveniences during my stay.
(Meals)
I usually have poor digestion and often feel bloated, but since coming here I never once had a stomachache.They were so good at cooking that I always ate delicious meals.And when I occasionally cooked Korean food for them, they were extremely happy. I recommend practicing at least one dish to serve them.
(What to bring)
Because of a previously injured ankle I used sports taping while working, and when I went to the supermarket I bought a foot-relief patch and put it on at night — it helped me a lot.
(To prospective participants)
What I regretted was that I couldn''t have as many conversations as I had hoped. I keep thinking ''I wish my Japanese had been better,'' so now that I''m back I''m studying Japanese more seriously, looking forward to the next time we meet.
And because there are more demanding tasks than you might expect, someone like me...If you go in thinking it''s simple, it can be a bit hard at first. Still, it''s something anyone can do well. There are so many other great benefits that it''s not worth hesitating just because the work seems difficult.
#It was a time when I thought a lot about myself.
Before my gap year I had no mental breathing room and was living with a lot of anxiety.
By taking part in this project, I had no distracting thoughts while working, and thanks to the relaxed, slow pace it became a time I reflected a lot about myself.
Now, about a week after returning, I''ve changed so much that I even feel unfamiliar to myself.
I think it was definitely the right thing to do for myself.
