Ok, so that’s a horrible title but, our sunsets are pretty magical…on to the blog!
Sunset Time is one of the new traditions that Matt and Nori established at Sen. Nearly every night, they head up to Sen’s roof with a beer or some plum wine to watch the sunset. The view from the top of Sen is truly spectacular. High above the modern city, you can see Matsuyama castle guarding and watching over the city on top of a mountain. The neighboring mountains around the city offer a beautiful green backdrop behind which the sun drops every night. They’ve built a table and benches out of some local bamboo obtained by befriending a local monk’s family, so there is plenty of comfy seating for interesting conversation. Hammocks are hung from the water tower, creating comfortable perches to nap and watch the sunset.
One evening after Sunset Time, Nori brought up all the supplies for a takoyaki party. Takoyaki is a spherical pancake filled traditionally filled with octopus. Along with Matt, Nori and me, Fede, a recent Italian college graduate who was volunteering with Sen, and a Japanese couple who just days ago celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and decided to make Matsuyama their home.
We made every variety of takoyaki imaginable, from the traditional to kimchi, Tex-Mex (filled with avocado) and even gooey cheese. The meal was perhaps the most international experience I’ve ever had — sitting on a bamboo table on a rooftop in Japan and having a vibrant conversation in English, Japanese, Spanish and Italian. Somehow, we all understood each other. Matt and Nori have done a great job creating a truly international, and fun, atmosphere.