Should I ride a Ferris Wheel on summer’s day?
Rizka Ramadhani Setijawan — INA AKP to Japan YP 22/23
When all the sky is clear and blue, should I ride a Ferris Wheel that is filled with dreams and love on summer’s day? Especially during the daytime, you don’t have to wait in line because the free-all-day pass was ready and may we look back for a moment before autumn comes? Shall we?
June, it all started here, the start of something new. Not only carry a very large suitcase, but also dreams, expectations, and also anxiety. Well, actually there’s nothing interesting here, I’m just trying to adapt and think about how I can survive for the next 10 months. New uniforms, new habits, new bed where I spent most of the time, and a view room facing the Kyoto tower. In case, those of you wondering, my first purchases were toilet paper and sunscreen. I thought what people said wasn’t true, but turns out, the heat of the sun wasn’t joking. Oh! You can tell this month’s highlight was about Summer Camp, just like in the movies, we had a lot of fun without thinking about anything.
August, eh? Summer holiday? What kind of summer movie would I like to see? Which attractions are famous on the internet? Everyone is talking about yukata and tegami (letters) with special flower stamps and sending them to loved ones or maybe your LP when summer comes. Maiko san, nice to meet you, the kimono and obi look beautiful on you. It’s good if you have 10 yen in your wallet, you can see the Byodoin Temple there, or you can see it in person and ask for the temple stamp to prove that you went there. I thought that collecting shrine and temple stamps this summer would be perfect. Collecting origami was also a good idea, I’m trying to be completely Japanese.
Let’s pretend not to be surprised after hearing the news that my host family during this summer holiday was my own classmate. It was a small house and there was a family of 5 people in it, my dad & mom, a little sister and little brother. I remember exactly how they turned the TV room into a room full of balloons that said “Welcome Home Cika!” and also how my Snoopy suitcase became the first topic of conversation because it was funny. The sofa in the TV room is very comfortable, that could be one of the reasons why on the first day I was very sleepy there, and maybe because last night I couldn’t sleep because I was too excited and nervous.
C’mon, I won’t let my first day pass like that, we’re going to watch the big football match between Osaka and Shimizu! After all, I’m already a part of this Osaka family, so I’m going to cheer on the Osaka team. The next day’s menu was takoyaki and bubble tea which went viral on the internet. We enjoyed it while looking at the Dotonbori Glico sign. Visiting grandma’s and sending prayers by tossing a coin, we also went to the highland area to see the night view, unfortunately, it was all covered with fog. The next day’s theme was Indonesian Independence Day. We went to an Indonesian restaurant. I was touched by the food, even my younger brother praised it many times, and also because after a long time for me. Cika! Grandpa and grandma called and wanted to talk to you! Thank you for the otoshidama with the doraemon envelope! Since Cup Noodles are popular in Asia, coming to see the museum and making and drawing our own noodles seems like a great idea. Yukata and hanabi (fireworks), too.
3 days left, have you ever heard of Fuji san? Shizuoka, we’re coming. We’re going to watch our little brother’s soccer game, Nodoka and the Osaka team. It’s nice to have the chance to see him playing well. We went to many places, many lakes that surrounded Fuji san, caves filled with the freezing ice and of course stopping to eat some good food because good food, good mood. Dad’s car has wide windows with long seats, it makes me feel a little sorry because during the trip I fell asleep comfortably.
September, the school bell rings again, a sign that summer holiday was over. It would be a busy month with all of the-sudden assignments and tests. Get ready on stage! We will dance together at the Ookini Festival. That feeling when I saw the email in the morning that I was going to the host family in mid-September, I’m not used to this feeling, nervous, never. Japanese style house and bento with my favorite food, room filled with manga. Be careful! typhoon is coming, almost every day it rained, and almost every day an alarm from the cellphone was made to be aware of disasters.
It’s almost time to say goodbye to the summer uniforms, kakigori (Japanese shaved ice dessert), the sounds of semi (cicada). Kyoto has saved a lot of memories, especially on my phone, every step is always spoiled by its natural beauty and people. Like the Ferris Wheel, we rotate from the same central at different heights, sometimes highs and sometimes lows, many ups and downs faced. But in every corner, we can see beautiful scenery and I’m immensely grateful for all of them. This summertime, I’ll make sure I remember it every season in fall, winter, and spring. See you in the next season, whether snow or sakura will be the topic of conversation. Guess it!
