Today, I woke up at 9:30 in the morning. Today we left at 11:30 to meet her uncle and go to a cottage in a sort of campground near a really small town in the countryside (Saint-Genies). Today was another stressful day for me because I woke up in the morning and didn’t know how to say hello and I really had to think about it. First of all, I don’t know how to say it, so that may be the problem for me. I could just say good morning. Maybe I’m really introverted just now.

So I waited about 30 minutes to finally even take a shower, so I thought it was really important to get up early in the morning and take a shower first thing lol

Heading to the country town where we’ll be spending the New Year

I packed what I had in my backpack and put it in the car, because we were going on a trip. In the morning it was baguettes and butter. Really, French baguettes are the best you can think of.

Jelena and I spent about half an hour in the morning talking about the annoying teacher at the university. She was working hard, but the annoying teacher didn’t give marks to the students, and when Jelena told the superintendent of education or something, that person was fired. How cool is that? The shyer you are, the more independent you are, and the harder you have to work, the stronger you become? I think that’s really true.

I think she has become stronger than ever, even though I only met her 1.5 years ago. I put yesterday’s bread into the bread machine, and when it was done, I tried to take it out by hand, but it was very hot, so Jelena took it out with special tongs.

In France, they use a very retro bread machine, so I didn’t know how to use it. So, after a nice piece of French bread, we finally left! First, we arrived at the town where Jelena lived when she was little, and best! We went to a bakery that was called the best!

It was a really country bakery there, but the chocolatine was really huge, and the croissants were really croissants. They looked the best.

Heading out to the country in a cute little car

After that, we drive through the countryside.

On the way there, I saw many vineyards and really felt like I was in France, where the wine we drank for lunch two days ago is produced. It seems to be a regional wine. Syrah wine.
Jazz music is always playing in the car. I think it’s really nice, and take a short nap while being held by the back seat where the backpack is placed. I think Jelena’s car is cute because it is small, and there is something romantic about it. The fact that it is not a luxury car or a new car is, on the contrary, wonderful, I love it. With this in mind, we arrive at a town.

That town seems to be the town where she is going to meet her uncle, and we arrived at a town called Cosado, although our destination is still ahead of us. We arrived right in front of the café. Her mom asked me if I wanted something to eat at the café, or if I wanted to walk around. I said I wanted to go to the cafe. It was a really beautiful town, and it felt so realistically French that it was hard to believe it is in the countryside. When faced with a choice, I couldn’t make up my mind. Because I don’t know which choice I want to make. To be honest, I would rather relax in the car right now. But since I had to choose between walking and going to a café, I decided to go to a café.

Eat marron glace for the first time at the cafe and meet Jelena’s uncle.

When we arrived at the cafe, there were a lot of really delicious looking cakes, chocolate truffles, and food. This time, I decided to pay for it myself, so I pulled out my wallet, but her mom bought me a cup of tea along the way. Then there was a sweet that Jelena love. I think it was called marron glacé. She bought one for me, too. And I had a cup of green tea. There was a place to eat next to the cashier, so we moved there.

I wanted to take a seat, but I didn’t know where to sit, and I couldn’t help but get the Japanese mindset, thinking that since this is the farthest seat, the mother should sit there or something like that. But in France, there is no such thing, and you can sit anywhere. And since Jelena’s personality is such that she doesn’t seem to care about, I think it probably doesn’t matter where I sit. However, I was puzzled, so I went to the restroom anyway.

When I came out of the restroom, I saw the uncle and his wife had arrived. He was really high-spirited and very talkative. He asked me a lot of questions. What is the name of the Emperor of Japan? What is his daughter’s name? How old is she? And do I look 68? The only thing that was true was that he had 10 siblings, but everything else was a joke. Really, he was such a fun guy that all he did was tell jokes. I was always laughing. These people automatically tell me all kinds of stories, so I don’t have to do the talking, which makes it very easy. I knew she must feel the same way.

The marrons glaces were really the best. At first I thought it was chocolate, but it was marron because it was a marron glacé. I didn’t think it was marron because it was wrapped in golden paper. I was surprised to see so many chocolates and sweets in the store. Everything looked really delicious.
After that, we got in the car again and drove to our final destination. It took us another hour to get there. What a surprise, we will not spending new year’s at her uncle’s house, but actually trip! We were going to a cottage in a country town.

I feel her warmth

From then on, in the car, we talked about truffles. Black truffles. The area we were about to visit was said to be famous for truffles. And that the town is said to have the prettiest architecture in all of France. She talked about these things. She also showed me a picture she had drawn. I felt that she was very good at drawing and that she was very friendly. Her heart is really warm. She always tries to do things for others and loves to Give to others. I think she is a really nice person.

When she sent me a letter, it was very much like her. She drew something with flowers. She said that it was easier for her to draw a picture than to play the piano. She told me that drawing takes time, but playing the piano is really hard because you have to learn the notes and then practice. She told me that. I see. But I certainly agree. For those who can’t play without looking at the notes, playing the piano is more difficult.

Finally, we arrived at a place where the air is clear!

After all this talking, we finally arrived at a small town! The name of the town there is La bastide saint genies. It is a very small town! There were no mountains, it was more like a basin, with a few houses on a large area of land. It was really beautiful. There were horses and they were so cute. A horse eating grass. I was so happy to be able to welcome the New Year in such a beautiful place, and I feel like a really lucky person. I really am. There is really nothing around the cottage, and the air is crystal clear and the nature is delicious. I really love this place.

Usually, when people travel to France, they go to Paris or Toulouse, go to various cafes, eat something, buy something, and that’s it. Then they go to the tourist spots. I don’t like that. I am always interested in people. That’s why I was really blessed to have a good relationship, to meet her, and now I am a part of her family, and we are celebrating the New Year. I am really happy. Thank you again.
When we arrived, we went into the house and were surprised to see how big it was. In Japan, the cottages are really small, for four people.

But this house in France is really huge and I was surprised. After that, me, Jelena, and Dominique went to the supermarket to buy baguettes. There I picked up some postcards, caramel pudding and marrons. I told Jelena that I was going to buy marrons and she said that that malon is at home in her house, so I didn’t have to buy them. But still I wanted to buy it.

I want to eat now, so I’m buying. Besides, when it came time to pay the bill, her uncle said, “Kota! I’ll buy it for you!” It’s really nice of him, and I’m glad he’s so generous, but it’s a bit un-comfotable for me. I really don’t like it when people treat me financially, I’m very happy to receive gifts, but I don’t like to let someone pay me, I don’t know why.

I’m very happy to receive gifts, and I love having things done (massages, for example lol), but I really don’t like to be treated in terms of money for some reason. So I wanted to buy it myself. By buying it myself, it would be mine, and I could eat it whenever I wanted. In other words, freedom. I realized that I am looking for freedom.

I spoke with Jelena this morning and she asked me if I preferred to live alone or with my grandmother, and I told her that of course I wanted to live alone, because it would be all free and everything would be at my disposal. And She said the same thing. I thought, “We are just similar to each other”.

I also heard that in France, she study on Saturdays and Sundays, and she don’t often go out anywhere on Saturdays and Sundays. So I thought, “That must be really hard”. She told me such things. It is unthinkable how light Japanese universities are, that most of the students have part-time jobs. In France, they get free scholarships and don’t have part-time jobs. I think that is a big difference.

Everyone is complicated. No one is simple

By the way, before we arrived in town, Jelena had forgotten to buy a pill, and while we were at the pharmacy, her mother said to me, “Jelena was very worried, wondering if Kota was getting bored”.I told her that it was not true and that I am having a lot of fun. But I told her that we are sensitive to that kind of thing. Her mother knew us very well. When she was in Cyprus, she used to call her a lot to ask for advice, saying that sometimes she would go somewhere with a group and she didn’t know what to say. She would ask for advice about such things. I know exactly how she feels. Exactly same with me. I don’t know what to talk about it too so that’s why I prefer going with just two.

I have found that we really are a lot similar to each other. I told her that if she didn’t have anything to say, that was fine. I don’t mind at all because I know her well, and since we met 1.5 years ago, we’ve talked about a lot of topics online, so I already know her well. So I don’t really care. No, I do care. Of course I care. But that doesn’t mean I’m bored. I am happy just to be able to share time together, and I like my alone time, so I want to tell them that she really doesn’t have to worry about it.

Tasting a variety of French foodstuffs

Well, then we go back to the house. Opening the windows in the car is also a manual. For the first time in a really long time, I turn the lever and open the back seat window. So, looking at the view. Like Yosaku who was our family’s dog used to do, I put my face out the window and go back to the cottage, swaying in the wind. When we return to there, they have time to have some kind of light meal before dinner, and they call it L’apero. So we had a typical French meal: Saucisson, Fromage de chèvre (goat cheese), Italian Grissini, a very nice wine (TARIOUET), and a glass of rum. The rum was so sweet and tasty that I could drink it in an instant.

Goat cheese. I was not good at it.

Then I tried olives, they weren’t good, but they were very olive. The last time I ate them was in Omsk, Russia. This time, in this town. I don’t like olives, but I was really happy to experience a normal French feeling.

Then Dominic took a picture of us all. I took a selfie too. The dog came and he was 15 years old. He was a really long-lived dog. He was also very cute. The fireplace was lit and we spent our time warmed by the fire. Since there were only five of us, we were able to spend a relaxing time without much tension, and it was very comfortable.。

Her ｍom was talking about her family in French with her brother Dominique and his wife. I had had a lot of rum and wine and was a little drunk.
She is annoying the fact that she don’t put protective sheet on her phone, so I told her that I don’t want to put the protective glass on my phone because it wouldn’t be beautiful, and she said, “I disagree, I drop my phone 5 times a week.” So I told her that if she dropped it five times in a week, it would be better to have a protective glass.

Then we discussed the number of photos. She had taken only 750 photos in Cyprus, and I showed her the 1500 I had taken in Latvia. She said she didn’t like her pictures, that she wasn’t confident in her face. She said something like that. I have no idea why she has not confident. Her profile is really beautiful and incomparably beautiful.

We also talked about rings. My ring is very heavy and hers is very light. I asked her why she wears her ring on her left index finger. She told me that in France, it is common to wear the wedding ring on the left sister’s finger, which is closer to the heart, and the other is no reason. That is what she told me. She asked me what kind of effect it would have if I put it on my left index finger in Japan. I looked it up and found out that it is supposed to help people get married and be more active in love. When I told her that, she said she don’t want to marry. I felt like “Yeah, I know already lol”, and we talked like that. I knew that when I was drunk, the conversation would go very well.

Dinner is fun so much for everyone! I love this atmosphere

So, dinner was genovese pasta and salad, plus avocado without me. It was really good. Bread with goat cheese too. After that, we enjoyed the conversation spoken in French. Jelena’s uncle had crushed her ring and bent it, so he was very funny about it. But she weren’t really hurt, and everyone was having fun. I felt this kind of feeling was very nice. She was not really angry. She get angry, but only to that extent. There was a sense of love there. I thought it was very nice.

Then they were playing some game, I was by the fireplace so I was very relaxed, but Jelena and her uncle were playing a game where they had to walk around with a book on their heads. They seemed to really enjoy it. I dropped the book in the middle of the game, but Jelena and her uncle finished it. But I thought afterwards, this is completely based on the area of your head. My head is smaller than Jelena’s and Dominique’s. That’s why I tend to drop books easily. It was such a great time. Really, I love this kind of family. It’s so wonderful.

Jelena had showered first. The smell of perfume filled the living room. It was a very nice smell, and I felt kind of wonderful. Because it smells really good. A nerve-racking smell that makes your heart beat faster. It’s kinda nice, isn’t it?

Then I wanted to take a bath, so I asked her if I could take a bath. She said “You don’t have to ask”. In Japan, there is an order, so I got caught up in that common sense. In France, it doesn’t matter who goes in or in what order. I felt that was also really nice.

After taking a bath, I got out and was about to brush my teeth when I found that her uncle’s dog had peed in my room. I didn’t know it and I just stepped on it. Seriously! I was like, “Oh my God!” So I washed only my feet.
Then I got warm in front of the fireplace. After that, I went downstairs to write in my journal, and Jelena came downstairs with her computer to do research for her master’s degree. We worked together. We hardly talked, but I was really happy to share time in the space together. I think this is what is important. Of course, I’m still getting used to it, there are still invisible barriers, and I’m the kind of person who thinks before I say. But still, this time is very important. It was great.