Last “Joukai” and Hokusai Movie

Yesterday I made a little speech at my last “joukai” or “meeting of colleagues” (Google Translate).

Kyoo wa watashi no saigo no joukai desu.........

These ladies work hard on their farms and rarely socialise, but they come together once a month to chat and nibble together, and of course, drink green tea. 

Some examples of the chat:

One lady, while taking the clothes to the line, in spite of her walking stick, fell and damaged her shoulder and arm.  Everyone had a tale of when they fell over. 

Another subject was  The health of a lady  who was absent. She wasn’t there because she has been unwell since her heart attack. I heard that she now walks to her neighbour’s everyday, and stays several hours to rest before making the home journey. 

The oldest lady (front left in the photo) who is 93, had to out of the meeting twice to be sick. She told us it is morning sickness. 

Social contact is important, I believe, for our mental and physical health, so no wonder all of these elderly people are still bending over in their rice fields etc. 

After the meeting Toshiko, Kiyoshi and I went to see “Hokusai”, a British Museum documentary about this famous Japanese artist. I loved it and learned so much. 

p.s.  Yuhi told Toshiko that he may have been a superb artist but he couldn’t or didn’t do anything else. When his living quarters were cluttered and dirty, he moved house. That wasn’t in the film!