〜 ルクセンブルグ 〜〜 プリマス 〜 ロンドン(一期一会の旅）
七月 友人と二人で外国の家庭を二軒訪問した
一人はフランソワーズ
去年我が家に四ヶ月ホームステイした
ルクセンブルグからやってきた勉強家の留学生
ルクセンブルグはヨーロッパの小さな国
ドイツベルギーフランスに囲まれた豊かな落ちついた国だ
城壁に囲まれた市内と北部にある古城見学を
彼女のボーフレンドがガイドしてくれた
彼の祖母の家で彼の家族にも逢いお互いの国の話をした
彼は去年外務省主催日本観光旅行で
「一期一会」の言葉を知った
一日はベルギーへ衣装持ちのかわいい小便小僧を
彼女と電車に乗って見に行った
彼女の家庭はその国を象徴するような
穏やかな温かみがあった
もう一人はアンジェラ
約一年日本に滞在して今年一月末に帰国した
イギリス南西部の都市プリマスから来た
教え上手な英会話の先生
その昔 メイフラワー号が出発した港町
青い海がすぐそこに見える住宅街に住んでいる中流階級
皮肉屋でビール腹のお父さんは料理上手
お母さんは一言ずつが大笑いになる楽しい家庭
ここでもボーイフレンドのガイドで
環境を考えた大きな温室のある植物園
田舎の雰囲気が味わえたドライブに国立公園でのハイキング
外国のタイプの異なった二つの日常生活が体験できた
両家のもてなしの返礼の晩餐会は
持参したばらすしにお好み焼き
デザートタイムに浴衣を着てのお茶の点前の披露
茶道の言葉「一期一会」
その言葉の意味するとおりに二家族は最大級で迎えてくれた
別れの時には涙を流しながらもう一度強く逢いたいと思った
その後はロンドンをガイドなしで行動
ルクセンブルグから着いたその日
七月七日ロンドンテロがあった
私達の旅に影響はなかった
テレビ報道の「普段に戻りつつある」を聞いて予定通りに
七月十日プリマスより電車四時間で
ロンドンパディントン駅に着いた
十一日乗り降り自由な
日本語解説付二階だて市内観光バスに乗って
テムズ川クルーズ ビッグベン
ロンドン塔 バッキンガム宮殿
夕方にはハイドパークにある
ダイアナ記念噴水を捜して歩き回った
信号が変わる瞬間にタクシードライバーが
教えてくれたシーフードレストラン
グラタンにトマトサラダ量も味も値段もグッドだった
十二日は乗換えを確認して地下鉄利用
ロンドンの新名物
世界一の高さの観覧車ロンドンアイに乗った
オーストラリアから来た青年との会話も楽しく
天気は快晴私たちの心を表現するかのように
市内三百六十度がくっきり見えた
縁を大切にしたいという私の気持ち
逢えるならたずねて行きたい
もっと知りたいその人の故郷をその国のことを
日本との違いと同じものは何かを
それが出来た私は幸せ者
それをしたからには
少しでも日本を知ってもらいたい
日本文化の一片なりとも私の好きなお茶で
日本を知らない人々に
お互いに知り合う小さな会話は
大きな平和につづく第一歩
世界はひとつを願う
お茶碗をぶら下げて又旅に出る
"Ichigo Ichie"
I visited two foreign houses with one of my friends in July.
One house was Francoise's house.
She is a exchange student who stayed at my house for four months.
Luxemburg is her country ,small but rich, in Europe.
Her boyfriend took us on a guided tour of an old castle and the city.
We met his family at his grandmother's house and we enjoyed talking
about each country.
He learned the Japanese word "ichigo ichie" when he went to Japan on
a sightseeing trip at last year.
One day we went with Francoise to Belgium to see the famous statue
of the cute boy peeing. Her family was warm hearted and took care of us.
The other family I visited was Angela's house.
She is a good English teacher and stayed in Japan for one year.
She is from Plymouth, England,where the Mayflower ship left the US
a long time ago.
Her father is a good cook and her mother's smile made us feel warm
inside.
Her boyfriend took us to the biggest botanical garden in England and
he also took us a drive to the countryside .
We stayed at different country type homes.
We made "bara sushi and okonomiyaki" for the family with ingredients
that we brought from Japan.
We wore yukata and showed them tea ceremony at desert time.
"Ichigo Ichie"is one of the tea ceremony phrases .
It means that we always must remember ,that we can only meet at this
moment, one time in our lives,so have to give the guest a great
hospitality even thought we may meet often.
Both families really gave us great hospitality.
We don't know how to express our gratitude to them.
When we parted,we really cried and thanked from the bottom of our
heart.
We want to see them again.
Then we went to London without a guide.
We arrived in London on the 7th of July which was the day that
London was attacked by terrorist bombs.
Fortunately, we weren't bothered by it.
Soon everything was back to normal.
We traveled to Paddington station by train for a four-hour ride
on the 10th of July.
We took a one day sight seeing bus on the 11th for the Tams cruise,
to see Big Ben London Tower,London Bridge,and the Palace.
We walked around the Diana memorial fountain in the evening.
A taxi driver told us a nice restaurant just when the signal turned
from red to green.
We had a good meal and the taste was delicious and the amount of
food was ok and the price was reasonable so we were satisfied.
We went to ride on the London Eyes by using the underground on the
12th end enjoyed a nice talking with an Australian boy.
It was a fine day that looked like our hearts.
We could see the city of London for a full 360 degrees.
I think that we take the opportunity to meet often.
I want to see you again as soon as I possibly can.
I want to know more about your country and your home town and
what is different from my country and what is the same.
I am happy because I could make the trip and I want you,who do not
know,to be able to learn more about Japanese culture through the
tea ceremony.
We can know each other better by talking about simple things.
It is only one small step but it brings out a big feeling of peace.
I hope that all over the world ,we can become one world with no
more war.
I will travel with my tea bowls and talk again.