summer days in the countryside
celebrating an abundance of life
Hello reader, thanks for being here! I’m Kana and this is Tending Gardens, which you can read about here. If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.
from rainy season to summer
It is officially summer. It’s continued to rain these past two weeks—mould and bugs trying it’s best to creep into the home, but I’m doing my best to stay vigilant in cleaning and keep fans running to keep as much out as possible. The weather is usually cloudy or clear in the morning and then a downpour of rain in the afternoon. The evenings aren’t cool anymore and it still stays warm and a bit sticky.
Summer also means new flowers, plants, vegetables and fruits. I can always tell what’s in season from the farmer’s market and from the small gifts of extra produce I get from people in the village.
There’s an abundance of cucumber (kyuri/きゅうり), eggplant (nasu/なす), okra (オクラ), and corn (toumorokoshi/とうもろこし). I also recently received a bag of yellow and green zucchini and squash.
A tasty recipe I’ve found recently is a corn and okra saute (オクラととうもろこしのカレーソテー). A simple stirfry with corn, okra, and garlic seasoned with a tiny bit of soy sauce and curry powder. Summer vegetables are so fresh! I wrote about the heartiness of winter vegetables as the winter season came to a close, but all the colours of summer vegetables make my heart sing. Watermelon (suika) has also arrived and I could eat so much watermelon in one sitting it would shock a normal person.
a celebration of star-crossed lovers
A couple of days ago was Tanabata (七夕, meaning 7th night, or also known as Star Festival). People write wishes on small pieces of coloured paper called tanzaku and hang them on bamboo trees. Tanabata is a celebration on July 7th based on a Japanese legend of Chinese origins about two lovers who were separated on each side of the milky way.
Long story short (and I apologize for taking some of the magic out of this folktale): a princess can't find love—some say it's because she's working so hard and others say it's because of her concerned father, caring about her happiness, decided to introduce her to a boy.
She met a boy, they fell in love, but they start to neglect their work—absorbed in their love. A god punishes the couple and they are separated forever. But their sadness overwhelmed the god and the god gave them one night, the night of the seventh day of the seventh month, to reunite (contingent on clear skies).
Although I didn’t grow up doing any of the traditions that come with this holiday, there is something special about writing wishes down and It feels like you’re really able to put something tangible into the universe.
community-run, volunteer-supported
I’m adjusting to different kinds of relationships in the countryside. All kinds of relationships: neighbours, elders, fishers, farmers, business owners, young people—every person a new teacher.
In the last newsletter I wrote about my relationship with elderly people in Kamikatsu. I’m also grateful for relationships with friends and young people in this community. Not all countrysides are made equal and I know how fortunate I am to be in a special place that has attracted a handful of young people.
I think when different people from different backgrounds are woven together for a shared purpose, it creates something truly special. I felt this wonderful entanglement of different people this week when I helped a community-run, volunteer-supported rice field. After a well-loved elder passed away, there weren’t enough people to help maintain the rice planting and harvesting in an area of Kamikatsu called Yaeji.
We were asked if we could lend a hand with weeding the flooded rice fields. We pulled up long boots, tied towels to our heads, belted baskets on our hips, pulled on gloves and entered the field. Spending time together in this way with all kinds of people makes my heart grow.
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.
Take care,
Kana
I’d love for you to think of me as your penpal—sharing a note from a tiny village in Japan. With Tending Gardens, I want to bring you a small joy in the form of a newsletter. If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.