~November 30
Updates in Nice. It is currently Saturday, November 29th. I finally have some time alone for the first time since this week began, so I am taking advantage of it to write this.
On Monday, while I was heading to the city center in Nice, I was invited to go diving by a Judo person I met during a training session. I went to his house in the morning to have breakfast with him, his son, and another Judoka. We had coffee and a crêpe his son made. Then we left the house to go diving. He has his own small boat, so we went out to a spot where we could dive. On the way, the waves were so big that he said we might not be able to dive because it could be dangerous. However, after about 20 minutes, the waves calmed down, and he let me try diving. I put on all the diving suits and equipment. It was my first time diving, so it was extremely difficult for me. I have not been good at swimming since I was a child, either. I eventually gave up, even though he helped me hand by hand. I was surprised by how difficult it was, even though it looked easy. I was disappointed, but I still enjoyed riding the boat and the beautiful views. After returning, we took a quick shower and then went to a restaurant for lunch. The other Judoka, by the way, got seasick from the waves and had to stay on the boat for safety while we were diving. He was so sick that he couldn’t eat lunch. I felt bad for him.
In the evening, I finally moved to the center of Nice. I joined a big Judo training session where many strong competitors gathered. I am sure there were more than 50 people on the mat. I had a great time training, although my body was exhausted. One of the Judokas, who is very strong in France, let me stay at his house that night. We had dinner together and went to bed afterward.
The next day, Tuesday, he took me on a tour around the city center. We spent time there until the afternoon and then headed to a training session in Monaco. I have been there once before, so I knew some of the people. I taught some techniques to both kids and adults. It was a pleasure to see so many Judokas again.
On Wednesday, I trained at the same place as on Monday. I did not plan to do a lot of sparring, but many young Judokas asked me, so I ended up training a lot, which I always enjoy. At the end of the training, I was told that another Judoka would take care of me the next day.
On Thursday, I spent time exploring the city with the strong Judoka, and he dropped me off at the place where I was meeting the other Judoka I had trained with the night before. He took me to his house in Cannes. He lives with his dog, who is four years old. He told me I could use his room to sleep. Later, we went to a different dojo to practice and teach some techniques. The students were less strong than the competitors I had met on Monday and Wednesday, but they had just as much passion. I ended up doing sparring for the same reason as before—they kept asking me. I had a great time with them. After practice, we went to a pizza restaurant with the students and teachers. I had a couple of beers and a fantastic pizza cut in half. They were genuinely enjoying the moment. I realized how much they value spending quality time with friends and family. They truly enjoy their lives. When we left the restaurant, it was already about 11:30 PM, so after returning home, I took a shower and went to bed. I was a little drunk.
On Friday morning, when I woke up, he and his dog had already gone for a walk. After they returned, we went on a drive with his dog. In the car, he started helping me with my French. He speaks French, English, and Italian. Since I came here, I have noticed that it is common for people to speak more than two languages. I would like to become trilingual—Japanese, English, and French—as well. However, for now, it still feels like a long journey.
On Saturday, I went to the restaurant recommended by the Judoka. It was noon, but there were no customers inside. I realized that lunchtime in France is kind of late, especially on weekends. I had a duck dish. The duck was different from any I had tried before—shredded and very tender.
After lunch, I joined the last practice and teaching session at the dojo I had visited for the past few days. My body wasn’t in great condition, so I decided not to do any sparring, even though some students asked me. I felt bad, but sometimes I need to say no—something Japanese people are not very good at.
In the evening, another Judoka took me to a place with a beautiful night view of the cities. It was stunning. For dinner, I requested pizza, so we went to a pizza restaurant with some Judokas. I have noticed many Italian influences around here. I had never tried a folded pizza before. After returning home, I went to bed.
Today was my last day staying in the Mediterranean cities. In the morning, I woke up and went to a good boulangerie near the house to have coffee and a croissant. I hadn’t had a croissant for a while. It is getting colder even here, so I felt chilled inside. But it always surprises me how much French people like eating outside restaurants. I am not sure why they are so obsessed with it.
After that, the person who let me stay at his house took me to a family’s home (all three children practice Judo) who accepted me for my last day. When I arrived, they welcomed me warmly. I heard that the family is originally from another country, and the mother cooked traditional dishes from their culture for me. It was food I had never tried before. Almost everything was homemade. We had lunch together with their relatives, who are from Russia. I think everyone there speaks both Russian and French. After lunch, we played board games, and I also went to a Christmas festival with the kids. There were many shops and a small amusement park. I tried ice skating for the first time in my life, for about an hour. It was not well organized, and many people did not follow their time limits. After coming back to their house, we had dinner together. They were a lovely family.
I have to wake up at around 5:30 to get to the airport in Nice. I am going to arrive in Geneva in Switzerland, and move to Cluses, a small city. I could not get a train ticket online, so I have to buy one tomorrow.
I am surprised that I have already been in France for two months. I have completely gotten used to the culture here. I have one more month left. I am thinking of visiting other countries, but I still have no idea where I will go during my last month. I hope I can find a good destination.
Anyway, I have really enjoyed the Mediterranean cities—Cagnes-sur-Mer, Antibes, Cannes, Nice, as well as Monaco. It was quite an adventure because I stayed in 4 different houses. I am grateful to all the people who supported me.
I am ready for the next adventure.
