2017.05.21
シレロのウーフィング1
佐藤賢太郎 

5月10日(水)、今年2回目のアメリカ人ウファー(25歳の男性)がやって来ることになった。私が車で家に帰ろうとしたとき、何と伊藤屋の前で外人が立っているのを発見、直ぐに彼だと思った。

事前に送られてきた写真と違っていた。彼はメキシコで生まれ、アメリカ国籍をもっているようです。それはともかく、どうも彼の英語の発音が聞き取れないのであった。

どういう人柄なのか解らないのはお互い様である。高度な話になって、英語でレポートを書いていただいた。それでも理解し難く、グーグル翻訳を使ったが、わからない日本語になっていた。 

彼の滞在は、体験教育の中学生3校と重なった。ともかく、私は忙しい毎日であった。自然と暮らす田植えや畑仕事は待ったなしである。

前回の明るいイタリア人とは全然違う性格で、シャイな感じがするが、仕事の取り組みはとても真面目である。何といっても、私のやることを敏感に感じとるところが素晴らしいと思った。

私が一人でトラックから荷物を降ろしていると、手伝ってと言わなくとも自分から進んで荷物を降ろしていた。

桐の木をチェーンソーで切り倒していたところ、まさかの出来事で、電話線に倒れてしまった。草刈りをしていた彼は、気が付いたのかすぐ助けに来てくれた。勿論どうすることもできなかったが、気が付くのがすごかった。私は彼の気配りに感心した。日本人より気働きがするとさえ思ってしまう。「あなたと一緒に仕事をすることが楽しい」と言うと、彼も嬉しそうであった。

彼は私の生き方を毎日見て、私の手伝いをしている。自然を相手に農業をする暮らしぶり、リサイクルを心掛ける私に感心しているように思えた。毎日、一日の終わりに共に風呂に入るが、「いい湯だね」と私が言うと彼も大満足であった。もちろん家内の作る料理にも感心していた。

気が付けば、世界各国の若者と共に過疎の豊実で汗を流し、言葉が解らないながらも共感しあう暮らしをしている日々である。

 

Cirilo Castandeda Jr

My very first day helping out Kantaro went amazing, I knew I was going to experience something new, but I didn’t expect it to be so different. In the morning we went to his studio with the high school girls who are also staying with him almost similar to the wwoffing program, to help him build a space for fire wood. While the girls where in the bottom breaking rocks I was the roof nailing sheet metal, although I am scared of heights I was able to overcome my fear and finish the roof. I went back to the bottom and helped the girls finish breaking rocks. After we ate the girls and I headed to the rice field where we helped out another group of high school students to plant the rice. Most of the girls from both group had a hard time since the field was made of mud and they all kept falling in to the mud, most of them had a hard time getting out and I would just hear them yell out from the other side of the field Shilo help!!! So I would try to get there as fast as possible but the mud was so deep that I would sink in all the way past my knees everyone was full of mud all the way to their knees. Finally we went back to the studio where we all started to cut wood and also get the fire going to heat up the water to shower. Kantaro wanted to know what Mexican food tasted like so I offered to make a dish. With the help of his wife I was able to make picadillo with rice and tortillas. After a long day of helping out Kantaro we all sat around and enjoyed the meal.


 
                    Cirilo Castaneda Jr 2  

Today Kentaro and I went to his studio where I and a couple of his friends helped improved the pit where we load the wood to heat up the water in the bath house. While his friends helped finish with the pit Kentaro and I went to add more to the shack that he is building. We were able to add more sheet metal to the roof when it started to rain, although the rain made it difficult to work in since it was also cold, but we were able to finish most of the roof before lunch time. Kentaro`s wife cooked up some delicious spaghetti which amazes because I never thought that I would be able to eat such amazing organic food. Her cooking really is good and I hope I get the chance to see her cook so I can go home and cook for my family. After lunch we went back to the studio to finish the days work. Kentaro and I kept trying to figure out how he can put the sheet metal on the side. It took me three times before it came out nice. The main problem was the placement of wood, Kentaro being the smart man he is he was able to instruct me where to cut the wood and where to place it with nails. Once done with the shack we went to start the fire for the bath it took us a while to get it going but eventually we got it started. While the water was warming up we headed into the next town to pick up the bikes that Kentaro left for repair and then we went into the store where I was able to get me some socks that separate my toes. Once we were done we headed back to take a bath and get ready to eat some more of his wife`s delicious food. She made some fish which had an amazing flavor to it. I honestly can’t get over how amazing her food is.