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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Dec 15, 2008 3:13:03 GMT -5
Kyo almost wondered why he was picking up the language so well, thought maybe he was finally really beginning to pick up on English even though it was only his first day in America, then realized with a great deal of embarrassment that it was because Danil's family was talking with him very slowly. Still, he couldn't lie, he appreciated the gesture, though he felt silly. He imagined apologizing and asking the people to repeat all the time would be far more humiliating then this. He received a respite in the avid conversation about himself, none of which he minded telling everyone about (in fact, he felt a certain sense of nationalism getting to talk about his homeland), when the doorbell rang. Kyo found himself curious. More guests.
It was another family, this one just as pleasant-looking as the other. There was a young man and someone who was probably his wife, two children, and then an older woman. A very picturesque family indeed, and Kyo could see some similarities between Danil and the man in the other family. Brothers, perhaps? Danil answered it for him.
"This is my brother, Evgeni Alekseievich," he said, gesturing to him, "his wife, Ekaterina Alexandrovna, his mother, Maria Ilishina, and these are his children, Margarita and Miroslav."
"Just call me Zhenya," Evgeni said with a bow. Katya followed with a bow of her own.
"Just call me Katya," she said, but in Japanese. "I learned Japanese from my utors several years back," she explained.
Zhenya blushed but said nothing.
"Just call me Masha, or Maria," Maria told Kyo.
"You can just call this little girl Rita, and the young man is Slava," Zhenya said with pride as he patted his children on the shoulders.
"Arigato gozaimasu, it is very nice of you all," Kyo bowed to all of them in turn, but specifically bowed as low as he could manage when Masha introduced herself. She was, by far, his elder and deserved a great deal more respect. She had seen many more years than he had. He turned to Danil, wide-eyed, but happy. "Danil, your family is-ah soooooo big!"
Danil informed Kyo and Nic about his nephew's deafness and what the gesturing was all about. Kyo felt a little bit more enlightened. He had mistaken the gestures for a kind of American greeting he had yet to discover. He nodded his head politely now and told Danil that he didn't mind learning it at all, that he just needed to get his English down first. "I would love to talk with Slava." He smiled the other boy's way, then followed the group onto the patio, as Zhenya recommended. Kyo sighed, walking out into the outdoor-like portion of the house. The weather was nice, a simply perfect day, and everything had been done up in a fashion similar to that seen in Kyo's own home. His mother had a green thumb; she could be seen decorating the porch and indoors with all kinds of flowers all the time. Kyo could envision her at work now, maybe putting some in his room because he was away... Kyo felt a little homesick at the thought and laughed to himself. He was far too melodramatic. Anyway, he appreciated the gesture so much, he felt tears come to his eyes. He quickly brushed them away. There was no need to upset his hosts. This was just all so nice...More than he could have asked for. "You have out-ah done yourselves...This is the way I say it, right? Yes...outadone..." Kyo sat down at Danil's beckoning and thanked them for everything in a very Japanese manner. He put his hands together as if in prayer, then hoisted the chopsticks at his place setting between his thumbs and index fingers and bowed his head. "Arigato gozaimasu. Thank you so much." He looked at the table, licked his lips, then gave his hosts a sly glance. "You must give the word when to eat all the good food."
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Post by Angela on Jan 24, 2009 23:11:24 GMT -5
Danil smiled and everyone sat down. Danil was at the head of the table, with Peter to his right, Kyo, Zhenya was next to him, Katya, Rita, and Slava. Across from Slava was Iris, Lily was next to her, Andrei, and Nic sat across from Peter.
It had been agreed upon that they would not push their beliefs on Nic or Kyo. That meant they would say a blessing in silence before commencing the meal.
"What would you like to drink, Kyo?" Danil asked before he sat down. "Perhaps some hot or iced green tea? We love tea, so you'll never be without it here if you want it."
Once everyone had their drinks and Danil sat down, the food was started to be passed to the right, as was formal custom. Everyone took little portions of almost everything. Zhenya in particular was taking much of the seafood dishes, including a seaweed crab wrap. There were several different kinds of wraps, as Danil pointed out to Kyo.
"I tell you no matter where I go in America for sushi, the best place is still Japan. My favorite restaurant is in Osaka. The atmosphere is so nie," Danil said as he took up some of the noodles. "They had the best crab rolls."
"I might point out that I was the one who introduced him to that restaurant," Zhenya said.
The adults were eating with chopsticks, while the children were able to use silverware, since they were not used to them.
"I told Kyo he will be travelling with me when I compete this year," Danil said.
"Really?" Zhenya asked.
"It's going to be fun. He can show me around Odaiba! We're already planning on meeting his family there."
"So your family is from Odaiba, Kyo? I've been to several places in Japan but never there. I am going there this year. I am a coach now, instead of a skater, and my student is competing against Danil in that competition," Zhenya explained.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Jan 26, 2009 1:18:02 GMT -5
At Danil's request, Nicholas took a seat in the closest chair and, once everyone had been seated, the guests began striking up conversations with each other. Much of the attention was turned to the guest from Japan, Kyo. Nic was more than happy that he was not being noticed, as he was unsure what he would say if someone attempted to strike up a conversation with him. He knew the best thing he could do was simply to be polite, but he was tired and extremely hungry from all the college work he had been doing--especially while trying to figure out his scholarship information. Since the beginning of the year, he'd been having some difficult ensuring that his first semester would be paid off by winter break, and he was still trying to fix his situation. As much as he wanted a higher education, college was a tough place to get into and an even tougher place to stay in.
Nicholas noted, after sitting in the living room silent for a while, as Danil got up and left the room for a moment. When he returned, he was accompanied by several other people.
"This is my brother, Evgeni Alekseievich," he said, gesturing to him, "his wife, Ekaterina Alexandrovna, his mother, Maria Ilishina, and these are his children, Margarita and Miroslav."
"Just call me Zhenya," Evgeni said with a bow. Katya followed with a bow of her own.
"Just call me Katya," she said, but in Japanese. "I learned Japanese from my utors several years back," she explained.
Zhenya blushed but said nothing.
"Just call me Masha, or Maria," Maria told Kyo.
"You can just call this little girl Rita, and the young man is Slava," Zhenya said with pride as he patted his children on the shoulders.
Nicholas felt his face burning when some of the attention was turned to him. The first thing he noticed was the way the hands of the new guests were flitting around, forming different symbols. He knew right away that they were using sign language, though he had no understanding of it at all. Instead, he looked from face to face, watching what each person was saying. When Katya began to speak though, he realized that her lips were forming the sounds of another language. He guessed it was Japanese. To his dismay, he had no clue what she was saying.
He looked up in time to see Danil speaking once more.
"My nephew is deaf, so we talk in sign language as we speak so that he can keep up with the conversation. We can teach you if you like- both of you," he added to Nicholas.
Nicholas felt speechless for a moment. "That...sounds good." He smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you."
"Whenever you want, we can go out to the patio and eat," he added.
"Might as well go now, when everything is piping hot," Zhenya said with a shrug.
The group followed Danil onto the patio, where the decor was distinctly Japanese. The patio was lit by the natural light from outside, peering in through the glass windows that surrounded the room. The scene of the vibrant trees and plants in the backyard accentuated the green of the shades on the patio windows. The scenery gave the room a picturesque quality and made it a calming place to be. Having lived in New England for a while now, the backyard--though much bigger than his own--gave Nic a sense of home.
Meanwhile, the smell of the food was deliciously overwhelming. Nicholas was fighting the urge to start stuffing his face as fast as he could. He noted that some of the foods were both Chinese and Japanese delicacies, but all of it made his mouth watered.
"Why don't we all sit down?" Danil asked.
Nic wasn't sure where he was supposed to sit. He didn't want to be impolite and take a seat that was not his. He watched as the other guests took there seats, then decided to take the empty chair across from Peter.
There seemed to be a moment of silence before everyone began to eat, and Nicholas knew immediately that the members of the family were saying a prayer before they ate. He thought perhaps they all believed in different religions, as they did not openly speak, and decided that perhaps he would say his own small prayer before his meal. He was, after all, supposed to be Catholic.
Dear God, thank you for this meal,, he said to himself, his eyes closed and head bowed. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Thanks.
Everyone had already begun getting their food. There was so much to eat, but Nic didn't want to take too much. He took a little bit of everything and began eating--though slowly--as soon as his plate was resting in front of him once more. He somehow did not even notice that he had been given chopsticks instead of silverware, even though he had become accustomed to silverware back home. Instead, he held the chopsticks the old-fashioned way, focusing all his attention on his food and missing the conversations going on around him. He thought perhaps it was rude of him not to pay attention, but after some consideration, he figured it would be much ruder to be swiveling his head left and right while eating. That would just look....weird.
"I told Kyo he will be travelling with me when I compete this year," Danil said."
Nicholas looked up and saw what Danil was saying. As the conversation ensued, he realized that Danil would be leaving for the Russia for his career. It had come as a rather big shock when Nicholas had found out that Danil was a famous skater. He hadn't known for some time while he'd been staying with the family, and when he had found out, he could only admire Danil for his skills on the ice. It took a lot of strength, even to dance or to skate.
As Danil and Zhenya discussed bringing Kyo back to Japan for a little while, Nicholas looked at Kyo to see how the younger boy would react. He was fairly sure that Kyo would be glad to see his family again. Nicholas wasn't even as far away as Kyo was, but he still worried about his dad. He wondered if James was getting along well on his own, and if he had found a better job. After all, he had been laid off for weeks...it was only a matter of time.
Nicholas set down his chopsticks and drank a glass of hot green tea. It was a rich type of green tea--the real thing. Nic sighed. Danil and Peter had more authentic Asian food and drink than he had at home. It felt good to have the one small comfort.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Jan 27, 2009 1:22:06 GMT -5
Kyo was pondering something about Western culture, something he had been considering for some time during his plane ride over to the Americas, but he couldn't quite place it at the moment. He knew it had something to do with table etiquette though, so he just hoped he would remember it before he did something silly.
Kyo was comfortable where he was sitting. He was across from the Chinese guest, Nicholas and next to Danil's brother, Zhenka, who he had liked from first sight. The man seemed as friendly as his sibling, and Kyo didn't doubt he was.
"What would you like to drink, Kyo?" Danil asked before he sat down. "Perhaps some hot or iced green tea? We love tea, so you'll never be without it here if you want it."
Kyo beamed at Danil. This was all very nice. "I am not picky. I do not mind either of the teas, but I guess I will choose the hot tea! Yum-wah." He sat back and waited for Danil to pour the drink, then thanked him with a bow of his head. Kyo got his taste for Western table etiquette as the food went around. He pretty much followed everyone else's examples, making sure not to take too much food, but not to take too little and risk appearing as though he disliked any of it.
As Kyo took some samples of the sushi and put them onto his plate--he liked the eel kind best--Danil turned his attention to him.
"I tell you no matter where I go in America for sushi, the best place is still Japan. My favorite restaurant is in Osaka. The atmosphere is so nie," Danil said as he took up some of the noodles. "They had the best crab rolls."
"I might point out that I was the one who introduced him to that restaurant," Zhenya said.
Kyo looked from one of the men to the next, smiling broadly. He turned to his food for just a second and quietly murmured, "Itadakimasu!", which was similar to the Western manner of saying "grace", his hands together and the chopsticks between his thumbs and index fingers. A little more satisfied, he turned his attention back to Danil. "I have gone to Osaka often. My family likes it there very much, but I most likely do not know the restaurant." He pointed to his nose. He was just full of Japanese gestures today. (Pointing to one's nose in Japanese culture is the Western equivalent of a person pointing to his or her heart to symbolize he is talking about himself).
"I am not very good with directions," Kyo continued, giggling.
"I told Kyo he will be travelling with me when I compete this year," Danil said.
"Really?" Zhenya asked.
"It's going to be fun. He can show me around Odaiba! We're already planning on meeting his family there."
"So your family is from Odaiba, Kyo? I've been to several places in Japan but never there. I am going there this year. I am a coach now, instead of a skater, and my student is competing against Danil in that competition," Zhenya explained.
Kyo was very happy. "Yes, my hometown...but I am not good with directions anyway but Odaiba. And even there I am sort of pah-de-ti-cah...I think this is the word." He laughed. "It will be so fun, because there is so much entertainment and life. I am happy to show you!"
Then he stopped. Very abruptly. He had finally recalled the Western habit he had been thinking about earlier and stood up abruptly in his chair, nearly knocking his plate from the table. "Oh my good-ah-ness! I am sitting in the wrong spot! Gomenasai! This is important person's chair." Then he frowned. "Or is that the left side...?"
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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2009 0:49:35 GMT -5
"Oh, Kyo, no, you are fine," Danil said with a smile, and Peter patted his shoulder.
"We sit wherever we want, really. Danil just likes to sit at the head of the table, where he is now, because he's head of the household, and I sit beside him because that's what I like. Zhenya sits next to Katya because they're married, same with Andrei and Lily. But there is no set arrangement on where we sit, not in this house."
"You are a very respectful young man, Kyo, if I may say so," Andrei commented. "The fact that you are trying not to offend anyone speaks very highly of your character. Your family has raised you well. I'm sure they are very proud of you."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Jan 31, 2009 1:46:18 GMT -5
"Oh, Kyo, no, you are fine," Danil said with a smile, and Peter patted his shoulder.
Kyo's face flushed. He wrinkled his nose in an attempt to look innocent of his own goofiness.
"We sit wherever we want, really. Danil just likes to sit at the head of the table, where he is now, because he's head of the household, and I sit beside him because that's what I like. Zhenya sits next to Katya because they're married, same with Andrei and Lily. But there is no set arrangement on where we sit, not in this house."
"Go-men-asai!" Kyo pointed to his nose. "I am the fool...I am expecting the Western houses to be like the ones in the big, fancy movies. The big, important man sits at the top of the table--" he gestured to where Danil was seated, "--and the next most important man sits to his right. I am not so important, so I was confused and..." Kyo slapped a hand to his face. "Gomen, gomen...I just ramble..." He sat down again, a little more red-faced than before.
"You are a very respectful young man, Kyo, if I may say so," Andrei commented. "The fact that you are trying not to offend anyone speaks very highly of your character. Your family has raised you well. I'm sure they are very proud of you." Kyo stood up immediately, once more. He had to. Andrei had just paid him one of the highest possible compliments.
"Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you so much! Hai, Otaasan and Okaasan would be so honored to hear this, so I am very grateful." He bowed low, three times in a row. When there was an ensuing moment of silence, Kyo settled back into his chair, feeling a little more prideful that he had been complimented so. "Please continue eating! I am sorry to interrupt this good meal for my goofiness!"
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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2009 2:40:50 GMT -5
Everyone seemed to adore Kyo. They respected and loved his own compliments just as he appreciated theirs.
"How are you enjoying the meal, by the way?" Danil asked. "That goes for everyone. To be completely honest, this is our very first time we've made Japanese in our home."
"We got the recipes online from an authentic Japanese culture website, hopefully they were right in their recipes," Peter explained. "Hey, I got an idea! What do you say, when we're dne eating, and after you and Nic have your gifts, we go out and play some games? Football, American football, frisbee, volleyball, badminton, or we could all go out to a bowling alley!"
"All of that sounds like fun!" Danil agreed. "We settle decisions like this by voting. So, when I name an ativity, those who want to do it, raise your hands!"
"And don't worry if you don't know or understand how to play something, because it's all in good fun!" Peter added.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Jan 31, 2009 3:18:58 GMT -5
"How are you enjoying the meal, by the way?" Danil asked. "That goes for everyone. To be completely honest, this is our very first time we've made Japanese in our home."
"We got the recipes online from an authentic Japanese culture website, hopefully they were right in their recipes," Peter explained.
Kyo had a mouthful of the delicious food. It was a little different from his mother's cooking, but not entirely different from what he was used to at home. It was so nice of Danil and Peter to have gone to this trouble for him. Temporarily unable to speak, he merely bobbed his head in response to Peter's statement, signaling that the food was, in fact, both authentic and delicious!
"Hey, I got an idea! What do you say, when we're dne eating, and after you and Nic have your gifts, we go out and play some games? Football, American football, frisbee, volleyball, badminton, or we could all go out to a bowling alley!"
"All of that sounds like fun!" Danil agreed. "We settle decisions like this by voting. So, when I name an ativity, those who want to do it, raise your hands!"
"And don't worry if you don't know or understand how to play something, because it's all in good fun!" Peter added.
Kyo looked up specifically at the mention of badminton. He was a huge fan of that, aside from tennis. Volleyball, the footballs, and frisbee sounded equally fun. He watched his hosts carefully to see when they would start "naming" options.
Not that he intended to pick or anything. Actually, he preferred to just go with whatever anyone else wanted to go with. He wasn't much of a chooser. Looking across the table at Nicholas, he got the feeling the other Asian boy was the same way. Maybe even more so, with his naturally quiet disposition.
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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2009 20:00:39 GMT -5
"What about kickball and punchball?" Slava asked suddenly.
"Certainly, Slavachka, we can add those to the list as well," Danil said, putting down his chopsticks so he could sign to him as he spoke.
"I like tag, and hide and seek," Iris said quietly.
"Well, that would be fine with us too, I'm sure," Danil said, nodding. "All right. You may only vote for one thing. The thing with the most votes wins."
"Hey, before we vote, what about ghost in the graveyard?" Peter asked excitedly. "That's just a fancy word for hide and seek, but it's at night! That way, we can do other things before playing that."
"Is that all right with you, Iris?" Danil asked. Iris nodded with a big grin. She was brave for a four-year-old.
"Okay, so we'll save that for tonight. Badminton, all in favor raise your hands." Kyo raised his hand after a moment. But unfortunately, he was the only one who did. "How about volleyball?" No votes there. "American football?" Danil looked to Peter, who naturally raised his hand. But unfortunately he was the only one who did. "Kickball?" Slava and Lily raised their hands. "Bowling?" Zhenya, Andrei, Katya, and Iris voted for that. Danil chuckled. "Well, that leaves my vote and Nic's vote still to be counted. I think bowling sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll go ahead and vote for that. Nic?"
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 1, 2009 20:54:46 GMT -5
At the mention of games, especially tag and hide and seek, Nicholas felt a little woozy. He wasn't sure if he could participate in these games. If anything, it was because he felt a little self-conscious, especially around these people that he didn't really know. But of course, he also realized that he was acting really foolish. It was just a game, right? There was no harm in playing a game.
He wasn't sure what everyone else wanted to do, so he decided not to vote. In fact, he rather liked badminton and was pretty good at it, especially because it was so popular in China, but he also knew that it was not quite as popular here in America and decided that he could leave the decision up to the others.
When Danil turned to him for his vote, his shoulders stiffened. "I...I don't mind which we play," he said softly.
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Post by Angela on Feb 2, 2009 2:22:57 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "Bowling it is. We will have a nice game at the nearest alley, the Sons of Italy, and come back, and we can play Ghost in the Graveyard!"
The rest of the meal went by raher quickly, full of talking and laughing. They went into the living room for dessert, and Kyo and Nic could get their gifts.
Kyo received some collectors' item graphic novels, both of Japanese anime as well as American superheroes like Superman, Spiderman and Batman. Among the books was a signed copy of the Japanese version of the original graphi novel, The Dark Knight. It was a rare find. Another gift was the graphic novel Road To Perdition, to help introduce him to some of America's non-superhero graphic novels. He also received a signed copy of Death of Superman, and that too was an important find. It was he best-selling graphic novel of all time.
All the books were from Peter. Danil had printed out various recipes from the computer, on TBS's "Dinner and a Movie" webside, and made a booklet of them. He explained that it was a traditin in Amjerica to have dinner with a movie, especially on romantic dates and family outings. So popular was the tradition that they had a little show on television in which they would show a film, while making a specific dish that was in some way related to the film. He pointed out in particular, "Triple Axel Rotisserie Chickien," inspired by The Cutting Edge. He also added that they added fake ingredients as a joke, and fake directions too. He pointed out that one of the directions, at the very end, was "After eating, dramatically cry 'Why me?!' Maybe it will get you out of doing the dishes."
Danil also got him a "Friendship Pin," which had the American and Japanese flags together in a sign of friendship. He got him some American chocolate bars, from Hershey and Nestle, Reese's peanut butter cups, Reese's Pieces, various kinds of Skittles, Caramello, Milky Way, Butterfinger, and Three Musketeers. Then he handed him a decorative box. Inside was an M&M, a large one, saying "Welcome Kyo!" instead of the traditional M&Ms logo.
Obviously they wanted him to have a mix of American and Japanese culture on hand. Lily surprised Kyo with a flower arrangement, as well as a sugar cookie bouquet. Another special gift was a brown teddy bear holding a Japanaese flag. His white shirt said "I Love Japan" with a heart instead of the word Love. She also got him a beautiful photograph book of famous American landmarks and monuments, which included such things as Old Faithful, Mr. Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and all the memorials in Washington, D. C., as well as the Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges. Another book told the story of Pittsburgh, which of course was the nearest city, and another book was a book that showcased America's cityscapes, such as NYC, Chicago, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and the like. Also from Lily was a collector's magazine honoring the 250th anniversary of the founding of Pittsburgh. Another book honored Pittsburgh's famous athletes, their sports teams as well as sports without teams. Danil was featured in it as well as Zhenya. But mostly it was about football, hockey, and baseball, of which the city was always very proud. Andrei had given Kyo a Polaroid camera which, of course, printed pictures automatically after taking them, and a scrapbook to place the photos in. The album was plain, but Lily explained that she did not want to impose on Kyo and decorate it for him, because she did not know what he liked. Iris had picked out a Rubik's Cube as a special treat for Kyo as well. Andrei had given a cookbook of American recipes. Most of it was focused on barbecue foods, such as various steak and chicken and ribs recipes. He thought it would be nice to give him a "taste" of America.
Katya presented to Kyo a necklace which had his name in Japanese on it, pure gold and green jade. Though it seemed like a feminine gift, she knew how the Japanese loved their baths, so she got him some various bath salts from Japan itself. Zhenya gave him an armband, that was meant to bring good fortune, according to Russian traditions. He also gave him a book of Russian fairy tales and legends. Zhenya said that Slava picked it out, along with the collected works of the Brothers Grimm, and various European fairy tales and legends, including King Arthur and oher British folklore. He also picked out a selection of American short stories, such as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, various tall tales about John Henry and Paul Bunyan, and other such classic literary heroes of Americana. Rita got him some figurines of anime heroes and villains. Zhenya also gave him several burned CDs of film music, curtesy, he said, of Angela Rabatin, the Olympic medalist in pairs skating. It was a treasure of sorts, with twenty CDs in all, covering nearly every composer's greatest works. Sometimes it was a homemade suite, sometimes it was a single cue, or a few cues from the same score, and other times it was a "Greatest Hits" for various composers and genres. Sometimes she even presented the entire score if she wanted. One such score was Brokeback Mountain, which, as the family explained, was very dear to their hearts.
"Hopefully you're a bookworm like we all are," Danil said with a chuckle when he saw all the books that Kyo had gotten from everyone. "Really, what better way to learn about other cultures than to experience them firsthand and read about them?" He smiled.
Nic's gifts were equally as generous. Danil and Peter gave him some Amazon gift cards, two $50 gift cards. They explained that since he was going to start school soon, he would surely need them for his textbooks. Iris had given another Rubik's Cube to Nic. Lily had bought him a panda bear. Andrei had given him a basket which was decoratively arranged, with various foods in it. In the basket front was a photocopy of a recipe and it was taped to the cookbook it came in. Danil and Peter said that he could use their kitchen as he liked. He too got the "Dinner and a Movie" recipe book that Danil had made. He pointed out the comical "Who Framed Roger Rabbit Rabbit" recipe, which called for exploding bombs and crashing anvils as the gag ingredient. Katya's gift was more serious, a green jade necklace that was his Chinese zodiac. She also got him a painted gold yin-yang pendant. Zhenya presented him with a teddy bear from Slava, it held school books, and was dubbed "Student Bear." He explained that it was from the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, which specialized in custom-made bears for all occasions. At his other gift from Slava, Zhenya said he wasn't sure he would like it or not. It was a DVD game version of Wheel of Fortune. He knew that Nic had lived in the States for several years, but for Kyo's benefit, he explained what it was. To his relief, Nic looked most happy to receive it.
Since he was going to Penn State, Peter gave him a stuffed lion also, wearing the Penn State Lions football jersey, holding a pennant and everything. He also presented him with some of his old textbooks which he was sure he would be needing this year, notes and highlights and all. He explained that since he was in his senior year in college, that he had no need for the old books and was glad to help him out by providing Nic with his.
Lily presented Nic with something else. One of her favorite books, called "Floowers In The Attic." She said she wasn't sure if he would really like it, but hoped that he would. She said that he had to have something to read for leisure. Andrei got him a special set of classical music, which were burned from mp3s that he had picked out online. One can't live by books alone, he explained. Zhenya had given him the same set of music that Andie had made for Kyo. He pointed out that the two would surely enjoy the martial arts-inspired scores such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Hero, both by Academy Award-winner Tan Dun, the first Chinese composer to be given that honor. Kyo was sure to enjoy the Memoirs of a Geisha suite, he added, as well as a burned CD of Yo Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone. He himself hadn't listened to it yet, but Angela had spoken highly in particular of Gabriel's Oboe.
"Well, if you like, we can play some of this while we have some dessert," Peter said with a grin.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 13, 2009 1:16:28 GMT -5
Danil smiled. "Bowling it is. We will have a nice game at the nearest alley, the Sons of Italy, and come back, and we can play Ghost in the Graveyard!"
Nicholas nodded. It had been obvious that bowling was going to be the game of choice. Everyone in Danil's family seemed to enjoy the sport! While Nicholas didn't mind bowling at all, he thought that perhaps he would sit out and just watch the game. Sometimes, watching was equally as fun as playing.
The rest of the meal seemed to go by fairly quickly. Nicholas was feeling a little anxious, especially because he knew that Danil's family wanted him and Kyo to open presents directly afterwards. He had never been very good at accepting gifts from others, especially when he had to open those gifts in front of them. In fact, he felt no reason that the family should have to buy him anything. It had been kind enough for Danil to accept him into his home. No further gift was needed. As Nicholas finished up his dish of chicken teriyaki, he felt as though all the food he had eaten would not settle in his stomach. He knew it was because he was nervous, and for a such a silly reason, too.
Trying to quell his queasiness, Nicholas decided to stop eating and waited for everyone else to finish. When they were done with dinner, they all moved into the living room--Nicholas last.
Kyo and Nic were positioned across from Danil's family when they were in the living room. Nicholas hated being the center of attention, and he felt only a small amount of relief when Kyo was asked to open his gifts first. The family had bought a lot for the Japanese boy. There were graphic novels of nearly every Japanese manga and American superhero. Many of the copies were signed first editions! There were also many other odd gifts, such as a giant M&M with Kyo's name on it, a book of fairy tales, and a book with pictures of famous American landmarks. The gifts all seemed rather expensive and Nicholas wondered if Kyo felt bombarded with too much love from his new family.
Time seemed to pass too quickly, and it was soon Nicholas' turn to open his gifts. Nicholas was immediately horrified by the sight of far too many presents for him to open. He knew there was no possible way he was going to be able to repay Danil's family for everything they had gotten him. He felt sick to his stomach.
The first thing he opened, rather reluctantly, was the gift from Danil and Peter, which were two $50 gift cards for Amazon. They told him that the cards could be used for his school textbooks, and he could not thank them enough for this. Even though he was at Penn State on scholarship, the scholarships certainly did not cover the cost of his books. These cards would surely help him out a lot. Danil and Peter also gave him a home-made book Danil had created--one of the "Dinner and a Movie" books that Kyo had gotten. Nicholas smiled and thanked the two for their generous gifts, especially when they told Nicholas that he was welcome to use the kitchen if he wanted to try out any of the new recipes he had gotten. He also received, from Peter, a stuffed lion wearing the football jersey for Penn Stat's football team--in addition to some of Peter's old textbooks, which Nicholas was equally grateful for. At least now he could consider taking some courses Peter had taken, in order to lessen the cost of buying textbooks!
From the little girl that he had found so adorable, he received a Rubik's Cube, like Kyo. He smiled at her sweetly and thanked her for her very generous gift. Even though opening the gifts had made him feel nauseous, he wanted the little girl to know that he was very thankful she had thought about him. From Lily, he received a panda bear (which he very much liked--he had always been rather fond of stuffed animals) and a book called "Flowers in the Attic", which she told him was her favorite book. Nicholas nodded appreciatively. He had ownly brought a few of his favorite books with him to Pennsylvania. It would be nice to have something different to read, even if the title of this book sounded a little different from the other books he had chosen to read in his past.
From Katya, he received a jade necklace with his Chinese zodiac--the Rabbit. He had once had a pendant of his zodiac when he'd been very little, but it had not been made of jade. There were very few things his family owned that had ever been made of real jade. It felt good to receive such a nice Chinese gift from her. She also gave him a yin-yang pendant, and he thanked her for both gifts, feeling a little shy, but ultimately happy. He still felt a little undeserving, though.
Zhenya, Danil's brother, gave Nicholas a teddy bear that was carrying school books. The little thing looked very cute and cuddly, and Nicholas knew he would never have let it go if he had received it as a gift ten years ago. Zhenya's other gift to him was a DVD copy of Wheel of Fortune. At the sight of this, Nicholas felt unmeasurable happiness. He and his father loved watching Wheel of Fortune together! It was the perfect gift for him to take home--to spend more time with his dad.
From Andrei, he received a neatly-decorated basket of food, along with a cookbook. He was looking forward to using some of these cookbooks when he got home, especially since he was no good at making exotic dishes for his father. Now, at least, he would have something to go off of.
As he thanked Andrei, surrounded by what he considered an overdose of presents (he most assuredly did not deserve this many gifts from anyone), he turned to open the last few. He wasn't aware that he was smiling. Even though he felt the family had certainly done too much for him, especially since he was still a stranger, it felt good to be so obviously cared for. He knew that, at some point while he was staying here, he would have to find a way to repay them all.
He tore the wrapping paper off of Andrei's next gift, then stopped when he saw what it was. The smile on his face disappeared slowly. They were CDs. Burned CDs of some nice classical music that Andrei must have gotten from online. At first, Nicholas thought there might have been some sort of mistake. Perhaps these gifts were meant for Danil, or Peter--maybe Kyo. But, when he looked at the label on the wrapping paper once more, he saw his own name there. The gifts were obviously for him.
Feeling a little stunned and confused, Nicholas tried to smile. "Uhh, thank you," he said softly, setting the CDs aside delicately. Andrei informed him that "one could not live by books alone", and Nicholas nodded, though he wasn't sure if he agreed or not.
The next thing he opened was from Zhenya. Still feeling a little awkward, he opened the gift with shaking fingers, only to find that this gift too was a pack of CDs. All of the music looked good--it was the same music that Kyo had gotten, as well as the soundtracks for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero." Nicholas looked up, confused, as Zhenya explained that Tan Dun was the first Chinese composer to win an Academy Award for his work. Was that why he was being given the CDs? Because they were Chinese? He also received a CD of Yo Yo Ma playing some Ennio Morricone music--another Chinese musician. Zhenya was telling him about some of the songs on that CD, but he was having a hard time paying attention. The family knew he was deaf, didn't they? After all, they had offered to help him learn sign language.
It occurred to him that perhaps they thought he could sense the vibrations from the music. In a way, he could sense some of the vibrations--especially from the louder and lower sounds. But there was no way he would be able to feel the softer parts of the music. There was no way he could really enjoy the reason why Tan Dun had won an Academy Award.
And yet, the family had gotten him so many things, that he knew it would be incredibly rude to show any kind of confusion or misunderstanding over these last few gifts. Instead, he tried to force a smile to his face.
"Well, if you like, we can play some of this while we have some dessert," Peter said with a grin.
Nicholas stared at him for a moment. Unable to say anything, he nodded.
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Post by Angela on Feb 15, 2009 0:23:02 GMT -5
Peter looked to Kyo and Nic to see which of their CDs they would like to hear... well, he wasn't sure how much Nic wouldbe able to appreciate the music of his original homeland's finest musicians and composers along with the best Western talent. Even seeing the look on Danil's face was evident that he was thinking of the same thing. They had never heard Nic listen to music before, perhaps he could not sense vibrations like Slava could. Obviously, both Danil and Peter had been too polite to ask him personally. He now knew that they knew he was deaf, so why didn't everyone else? Well, Danil and Peter had told he others about his deafness, but evidently they thought that, like Slava, he could sense the vibrations.
But if there was one thing they knew about Nic, it was that he did not like eing pitied. So they triedtheir estto continue as normal. When Peter took one of the CDs from Kyo, Danil changed the subject entirely.
"What time does the bowling alley close, Lily?"
"Ten o'clock, but I think we'd est get there just the same. We still want to have time for Ghost In The Graveyard."
"All right, everyone, we're going bowling now! We'll just have that dessert another time," Danil said, clapping his hands.
In a blur of conversation and bustling about to get ready, Danil went over to Nic and discreetly took him aside.
"You don't have to keep that music if you feel it could not be appreciated because of your disability. I'm truly sorry for that, Nic my friend. I honestly did not know that my rother and father were getting you that. My nephew can feel the vibrations, and I suppose my brother and father thought you could too. They have a lot to learn... They meant well, I'm sure you understand that. It's up to you, Nic. They don't have to know if you choose to give the music away. I completely understand how it must feel. I am sorry for my family's lack of thought on the matter. I hope you are not too upset by this. You will still come bowling with us, won't you?" he asked, keeping his voice down. The two were in the middle ofthe hallway as the ohers got ready.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 15, 2009 1:29:48 GMT -5
It seemed that Danil immediately came to the realization of how awkward the situation had become. While Nicholas had been trying his best to look as though he were enjoying opening the presents in front of the guests (and truly he loved the presents, he just didn't like being the center of attention), he had been shocked by the last few gifts and probably had failed at hiding his reaction. Thinking of that now, as he watched Danil change the subject, he immediately wished he had not felt the way he had, even if his reaction had been involuntary.
"What time does the bowling alley close, Lily?"
"Ten o'clock, but I think we'd est get there just the same. We still want to have time for Ghost In The Graveyard."
"All right, everyone, we're going bowling now! We'll just have that dessert another time," Danil said, clapping his hands.
Danil looked very happy and eager to make the rest of the day fun for the whole family. But Nicholas knew now that everything that was happening had to be his fault. Danil seemed to be changing his plans because of what had just happened with the gifts.
His thoughts were confirmed when, while all the guests prepared to leave, Danil took him aside, into the hallway.
"You don't have to keep that music if you feel it could not be appreciated because of your disability. I'm truly sorry for that, Nic my friend. I honestly did not know that my brother and father were getting you that. My nephew can feel the vibrations, and I suppose my brother and father thought you could too. They have a lot to learn... They meant well, I'm sure you understand that. It's up to you, Nic. They don't have to know if you choose to give the music away. I completely understand how it must feel. I am sorry for my family's lack of thought on the matter. I hope you are not too upset by this. You will still come bowling with us, won't you?" he asked, keeping his voice down.
Nicholas could see the concerned look in Danil's eyes and felt downright awful. Only minutes before, he had felt utterly embarrassed, being given a gift in front of so many people that seemed to point out one thing about him only--his deafness. Of course, he hadn't thought that the gift had been given maliciously. He had been confused though, that he would receive such a gift. He'd wondered if maybe the family had been joking with him. But now, things made more sense because of Danil's explanation. And yet, even though Danil had explained the situation to him, he actually felt worse than he had before. He was, once again, embarrassed, though now it was because he had seemed to misjudge the situation. Of course, he also felt extremely bad for all the people he might have hurt unintentionally. It looked like he had really messed up the day.
"No, no, I..." Nicholas paused, looking away from Danil for a moment. His chest hurt from the thought of how many people he had made feel bad in the course of a few minutes. He felt awful. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to react the way I did...I..."
He couldn't seem to find a way to explain himself, so he stopped trying. Sighing, he continued. "I won't get rid of the CDs. If anything, maybe you would enjoy them. Maybe Kyo. And if not, I can give them to my father." He paused. "And...of course...I still want to go bowling with everyone."
Looking up and seeing the concerned look on Danil's face still lingering, he ran a hand anxiously through his hair and then pressed the tips of his fingers to his temples. "I'm so sorry," he said again. He began to wonder if maybe it would be better for him to stay home, instead of making things awkward for everyone else.
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Post by Angela on Feb 15, 2009 1:52:11 GMT -5
"Oh, Nic, it's all right,"he said gently. "You did not react in any way that might have bothered anyone. It was just a matter of making sure you understood that my family did not mean to upset you, if they did. Why don't you keep the music, see if you are able to enjoy them, and if not, then honestly it would be a beautifulgift idea for your father. I know he must miss you very much. I remember when I first left my father to come to a new place... I was scared out of my mind. But I percervered, and now here I am."
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 15, 2009 2:44:52 GMT -5
"Oh, Nic, it's all right,"he said gently. "You did not react in any way that might have bothered anyone. It was just a matter of making sure you understood that my family did not mean to upset you, if they did. Why don't you keep the music, see if you are able to enjoy them, and if not, then honestly it would be a beautiful gift idea for your father. I know he must miss you very much. I remember when I first left my father to come to a new place... I was scared out of my mind. But I persevered, and now here I am."
Nicholas watched carefully as Danil spoke comforting words to him. He knew that, at the very least, Danil's change in plans was his fault, but he decided not to dwell on it. Though he felt extremely upset with what he had managed to do, Danil seemed to be fine with everything, so he figured perhaps he had better forget that anything had happened and at least pretend he was having a good time.
"Okay," he nodded, his heart heavy. The thought of his father, alone, made him feel a little more anxious. He had not wanted to leave James, but they both had decided he needed to take another try at college. At the very least, going to college would soothe his father's nerves.
While he was feeling this way, thinking about his father, he also knew that he could not possibly compare himself to Danil. Danil might be an immigrant to America like Nicholas was, but the similarities ended there. Danil was an accomplished skater. He had done so much in his life already, even though he was only a few years older than Nicholas. The only thing Nicholas had succeeded in thus far was graduating from high school. He was a completely normal, unextraordinary young man. He knew he could never be what Danil was and wasn't planning on pretending he could be.
Still, he felt that Danil's taking the time to actually share his experience with him was a truly kind gesture, and he accepted it whole-heartedly. "Thank you," he said, nodding his acknowledgment. He looked down at the floor, feeling strangely like a little boy being given a pep-talk by his big brother.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 15, 2009 2:47:35 GMT -5
Kyo had his preferences for the sports, but he wasn't all that picky, and he had come to the United States to try new things. If badminton wasn't picked, so be it. He didn't mind. He even laughed a little when he found that he was the only one who raised his hand for the sport. Everyone else had their choices, and of course Nicholas--who seemed like the quiet type right from the get-go--wasn't about to be choosy either. Danil smiled. "Bowling it is. We will have a nice game at the nearest alley, the Sons of Italy, and come back, and we can play Ghost in the Graveyard!""Thank-ah you!" Kyo smiled. He had done bowling before, many times. It was a good thing to do with family and friends. He would feel very much at home playing this with Danil and his family. When it came to the gifts, Kyo was actually a little nervous. He could see that there were far too many for him, far more than he had ever received, ever expected to receive, or ever wanted to receive...Thinking about it, his gifts to Danil and Peter seemed a little measly in comparison. He felt embarrassed. Even more so as he was opening the gifts, which, he discovered, were not only extremely thoughtful and obviously carefully put together, but also (in many cases) rare finds. Lifting up some of the original comics, he gasped. His eyes must have looked as wide as saucers. He had not read many English-language comics back in his homeland, but there had been a few, all of which he had enjoyed. Of course, his parents would be pleased by these gifts--they would want him to begin reading in English. He was super grateful. Even looking at Nicholas' gifts, he was shocked. So many! However, though he was a little surprised by the music--Nicholas was deaf, right?--Kyo refrained from saying anything outlandish. He stood up, a number of his new gifts tumbling from his lap. He went crazy trying to catch all of them, and ultimately failing, decided to just say what he had to say, even though he was semi-embarrassed to give out the gifts he had for his hosts. His weren't...well, he felt very inconsiderate after this. He hadn't expected such an overwhelming number of presents, otherwise he would have tried to bring the whole of Mount Fuji with him from Japan. "Ano....please excuse me! I...must give you your gifts, as well." Kyo caught the very large M & M before it tumbled to the floor with many of the other things. He began to make his way out of the living room for the guest bedroom, and had to catch himself after slipping on one of the many comics. Gah...he was being far too clumsy too. He imagined how disrespectful he looked. As he left the room, Kyo saw Danil take Nicholas aside. He wasn't sure, but he got the feeling they were talking about what had happened with Nicholas' gifts. Kyo sympathized with poor Nicholas. It must have been equally awkward to open a gift that highlighted one of his physical weaknesses. Even Kyo had cringed at the look on the other boy's face at that moment. He returned to the guest bedroom and set some of his own new gifts down--those that hadn't fallen from his grasp--neatly upon the bed. Later, he had to admit, it would be fun to organize them within the room, decorate the place a little more to make it his own. And he would certainly start those comics...the sooner he began to get used to reading English, the better. Kyo retrieved Danil and Peter's gifts from his carry-on (he had held onto them to ensure they did not break in the baggage compartment) and then searched avidly for something he could give Nicholas. He wasn't sure the other guest would mind not getting something, not after getting a wagon-load of gifts from his generous hosts, but he still thought it would be rude not to do so. Besides, he had already promised he had something in mind. Kyo dug hastily through his carry-on for something else, but when he could find nothing of good enough value for the other guest, he went on to his suitcase. After some careful rummaging, he found something semi-decent for a gift. A Domo-kun boy's T-shirt. Kyo studied it for a moment. He hadn't yet worn the shirt and it looked large enough to fit Nicholas. He folded it neatly and put it on top of the pile with Danil and Peter's gifts. Then, afraid to hold the group up from bowling any further, he nabbed a "Soot-Covered" Totoro-keychain that he had always claimed to be his "lucky charm". For now, that would complete Nicholas' gift. He would make up the rest to him when he could. As for Danil and Peter...Well, he hoped they liked their gifts, though they really seemed sort of goofy to him now. A "Fat White Lucky Cat" Tea Set, a large book (in English and Japanese) about his hometown, Odaiba, and a crystal figurine of a skater in the elegant Bielman position. Kyo wrinkled his nose. Yes...definitely not good enough. But there was nothing for it. He didn't have another Domo-kun T-shirt stashed away somewhere, and he only had one lucky charm. 'Will have to do!" Kyo returned back to the living room with the gifts behind his back. He cleared his throat lightly, bowed again to his hosts, and said, "I am sorry my gifts are not so many as yours, but if I knew the extent of this...I would have brought more. Please accept my humble gifts." Kyo held the wrapped presents out to his two hosts with one hand (they were in a very large gift bag). The other hid poor Nicholas' far-too-simple gifts. He waited until Danil and Peter had accepted the presents before he turned to Nicholas and bowed once more. "Fellow guest, I so sorry am to not have known you would be here also. Please accept these gifts from me, please do. I promise I will make this event up to you." OOCFat Cat Tea Set: 1: www.jbox.com/IMAGE/kKumq2: www.jbox.com/IMAGE/jQDBkDomo-kun T-shirt: rumplo.com/assets/contrib/tees/0000/2131/2131-0.jpgSoot-Covered Totoro Keychain: www.jbox.com/IMAGE/JD94y
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 16, 2009 1:26:41 GMT -5
As if on cue, Kyo appeared, stopping Danil and Nicholas’ private discussion. In a way, Nicholas was relieved. While he couldn’t possibly deny how understanding Danil was trying to be, he was greatly uncomfortable in such a situation—being the center of attention. The fact that his deafness was the topic made things even worse. He felt like retreating to his room, where he wouldn’t have to be surrounded by a lot of people he didn’t really know—even if they did seem kind. He just wasn’t much of a people person.
"I am sorry my gifts are not so many as yours, but if I knew the extent of this...I would have brought more. Please accept my humble gifts." Kyo was saying.
He held out some wrapped gifts to Danil and Peter, who had returned to the room also, and then turned to Nicholas.
He bowed. "Fellow guest, I so sorry am to not have known you would be here also. Please accept these gifts from me, please do. I promise I will make this event up to you."
Nicholas was a little taken aback. More gifts? But…he hadn’t even gotten Kyo something, and he, at least, had known there would be another guest in the house! He took a step back.
“I…I can’t accept any gifts,” he said shyly, feeling awful that the younger boy wanted to get him even more things! “I…I have nothing for you….”
But at the look on the other boy’s face, he shut his mouth. “…OK…” He stepped forward and gratefully accepted the gifts from Kyo’s hands. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Kyo had given him a Domo-kun T-shirt—a famous character in Japan, as well as a keychain of a Soot Sprite, which Nicholas was pretty sure was from “Totoro”, a Japanese TV show that had been popular in China when he was younger, and one that he had always been fond of.
He looked at the gifts, then at Kyo, and automatically felt guilty. “I…thank you, very much. I wish I had something to give you in return…” He looked down at the ground, trying to rack his brain for a good gift. He couldn’t think of anything of his that a boy as wild as Kyo would like—all he really had was books—but it occurred to him that the next time he went out, he could buy a nice gift for Kyo.
Deciding this was exactly what he would do, he looked up again, to see what was being said.
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