Hellooo, I am Garance #199 – from Belgium (and France ;))
Before Obubu
After having graduated from college and finished my research, ended up in January of this year with no plans. “I am giving myself one year, to do something totally different, clear my head and experience something new”.
I then started to write down ideas on how I wanted to spend my gap year. Having moved around a bit (Belgium, Spain, UK, Canada), the question was where to go next. Very luckily, my best friend Emma was living in Taipei for a few months last winter and I had the chance to visit her in December – why don’t you go to Taiwan? Maybe! Another continent, good point. We had travelled quite a bit in Asia with my family when I was young and had spent 3 months in Japan. I remember falling in love with this country and, the urge to come back never left me.
So, maybe in Asia then. Whilst brainstorming on what to do a lot came up; Antarctica missions, dog-sledding, kung-fun training camp, temple stays (my sister had gone down that road for her gap year a few years back and had quite a few cool links to share with me). It was one night talking with one of my dad’s friends who works in tea that the idea emerged. What about becoming a tea sommelier? Good idea but a bit too theoretical. What about getting some real hands-on experience. While literally searching “is it possible to work on a tea farm in Japan?” I found Obubu. It seemed to good to be true. I put it off for a few days, then asked myself why not try. I sent an email, thinking it could be a scam or an outdated website (-they do have recent posts on insta though- I thought). Quickly, I got an answer, “This batch is closed and you are quite late for the next one, would you still like to be considered?” Yes please! What seemed to be a random search was now my main quest, what if I don’t get it? I spent the next week trying not to overshare about it with my friends and family, not to jinx it. “Congratulations…” – yes!! I could not be happier when I got the email.
While telling my mom about the good news, I realized that she too had come to Japan for an internship at my age. This not only felt like a full circle moment but also that it was meant to be 🙂
During Obubu
It has not happened to me too many times that the first day I arrive somewhere I am already dreading to leave it and miss it. Our first day was quite representative of our time here at Obubu in my opinion. I got off the train at Kamo and directly bumped into Izzy, we took the bus 65 together and got drop off by the driver: “Obubu here!” he told us. By that point we had already become friends and I was glad to end up in the same house, Kyobancha. Still being constructed at that time, but already very cosy, I walked in and reassured the AMs “this is sickk” I said already wearing the smile that still has not left me to this day. Later that day, we had our welcome/goodbye to the senpais. “Here is the place where intrusive thoughts just become actions” I said joking to Jackie. Later the yelling, dancing and singing convinced me for good – I am in the right place.
There were so many good moments at Obubu that it would take a book to do them justice. To cite a few:
- Shrimping sessions with Chi-chan
- Osaka partying (play ball squad)
- Finding Houji (<3 houji moms)
- Tea Tour with Izzy-chann
- Night withering with Pau-san and Katrina
- Tea Cocktails made by Jackie and enjoyed by George
- Tenku Golfing
- My first harvesting session with Miwako-san
- Kyobancha House/Nak… House Madness (the biting Goblin)
- and many many others..
Every day felt like a week worth of adventures and side-quests. This list does not include all the recurring activities that truly made my time special here at Obubu. I will miss the processing nights, harvesting with Akky-san (special mention for backstep trimming), the tea breaks, the kei truck rides on the harvested tea bags, the morning meeting tea, the calm and relaxing labelling with Kayo-san, the Lawson trips and again many others.
At the risk of repeating what has already been said by me and every single intern here before, I will not forget the farming. Waking up a bit earlier and preparing the chabako. Supporting the harvesting/trimming machine (either in relaxxx or muscle mode). Closely paying attention to the hand gestures, the leaves being cut. Getting synchronised and moving in a tea-moonwalk (:)). Sometimes getting a thumbs up or a nice from Akky-san. Loading the tea and riding the truck home…
I am currently writing this blog, a bit late. Left it to the end because it is truly bittersweet. I am seating in my cheese president chair in the office. Everyone is working calmly with a cup of sencha brewed by Zehra by their side. I have a whole glass of cold brew Mejiro kindly donated by Mia (my fellow Mejiro lover). KD just put up a picture of him reminding us to enjoy our day (cult allegations are getting harder and harder to deny). Izzy is making what I call “British sounds”. I will miss this.
Edit: Only a few days have passed since I first wrote this blog and already so much more has happened:
I have become cheese president, we have now made the decision to make a muscle tea farmer calendar and all of us senpais are going a bit insane because of our wakoucha making…
After Obubu
I came here to Obubu without any plans afterwards. I wanted to be open to anything that might emerge from this experience. I can see now that it was the best thing I could have done. I thought my view might change on some aspects but, I did not expect such a deep shift. Spending my day without tea or without the beautiful landscape of Wazuka feels quite weird. I know I will come back :)
I still do not know where I am going to be (although Japan is definitely in the top choices) or in what field I am going to work (from cognitive science to tea there is quite a gap, maybe both?) but one thing I know for sure is how I am going to do it. I have always been surrounded by driven individuals, nonetheless it was inspiring to watch the dedication the entire team – chairmen, staff and assistant managers – puts into this farm.
I wish for this sense of closeness to nature, freedom and even a little danger not to leave me.
Thank you everyone – merci du fond de mon coeur!
