Konichiwa!
It’s got really cold here over the last few weeks. The water freezes at night and there are often patches of ice on the ground in the morning. We even had snow on 3 December! Everyone was delighted, especially the participants from tropical countries.
On Wednesday, 10 December, our monthly community event took place – this time in the snow! There is an event like this almost every month for all members of the ARI community. We go out into nature together, play games, and enjoy a delicious lunch. These days are always a lovely change from the daily routine.
For this event, we travelled to the Nasu Mountains, which have plenty of snow. After gathering in the morning, we all boarded the bus and drove for about an hour and a half. When we arrived, we got off the bus on a small mountain plateau amidst light snowfall. A snowball fight immediately began. Some went for a walk in the snow while others held a mini photoshoot. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful. After a while, we were given hot chocolate to warm up with, and to finish off, we took a group photo.
Then we took the bus down into the valley. There, we ate adobo, a Filipino dish of meat and vegetables. Sarah, one of the participants, had cooked it herself. It was delicious. Next, we chose which group to join: one group visited an onsen (a hot volcanic spring), while another went on a guided tour of a temple. Another group went hiking and heard the story of the nine-tailed fox. Yet another group went to a foot onsen, a public, free volcanic spring where you only bathe your feet.
I opted for the hike with the fox story. It was very interesting. According to legend, several centuries ago, a nine-tailed fox transformed into a beautiful woman. Through seduction, she supposedly killed many people in the region, including a king. One day, an exorcist arrived and banished the fox’s spirit into a boulder. However, the fox’s power was so great that, one day, it managed to free itself when the stone shattered and the spirit escaped. (This is, of course, just a condensed retelling.)
Today, you can still see the broken stone. Thanks to modern technology, we now know that the people back then probably died from highly concentrated sulphur seeping out of the ground.
After the hike, I walked through the temple next door and was able to dip my feet briefly in the outdoor hot spring before we drove back to ARI. Overall, the community event was lovely, and I think everyone had a lot of fun. We had to be back before four o’clock to look after the animals. They need to be fed and cared for twice a day.
Every month, the volunteers switch groups. Currently, I’m in Group One, which looks after the pigs. Group Two looks after the goats, while Groups Three and Four are in charge of the chicken coops. When we enter the pigsty, we have to follow lots of hygiene rules. We change into rubber boots and overalls, and disinfect our hands. We also have to walk through a footbath every time we enter either of the two pens. All these measures are designed to prevent swine fever infection. If the pigs were to catch this disease, all the animals would have to be slaughtered, as would the pigs on farms within a radius of several kilometres.
ARI breeds pigs solely for slaughter and consumption. This is particularly difficult for me as a vegetarian. It feels contradictory to feed the pigs, observe them and look after them every day, knowing that they will eventually be slaughtered. The piglets, who are only a few weeks old, are particularly hard for me to deal with emotionally.
We have three sows, all of whom are surprisingly large. I wouldn’t have thought pigs could grow so big. As well as the piglets, there are also pigs that are several months old. In total, there are around 40 pigs, all of which were born at the beginning of the year. They live together in groups of five to eight pigs per pen.
Last weekend, we had to weigh all the pigs to recalculate their feed rations. The heaviest pig weighed 91 kilograms. I sometimes find it difficult to enter the pens to feed the pigs or loosen up the ground. The pigs are very strong and curious, and they like to nibble on everything — especially my legs! It doesn’t hurt, but it still feels a bit strange.
Having now worked with every group, I can say that I liked group two with the goats best. The six goats are very cute and enjoy being stroked.
In mid-December, the participants returned to their home countries. The ARI programme has now come to an end, and at the commencement celebration, everyone received a certificate confirming that they had successfully completed it. Saying goodbye to the participants was very sad. Of course, we are delighted that they can now see their families and friends again and share their newfound knowledge with their communities. Nevertheless, it was hard for us volunteers to say goodbye. Close friendships had developed over the last nine months, and we may never see each other again. That’s why the mood is a bit subdued at the moment. My roommate left with the participants. Now I have the room to myself, but it’s still a shame she’s gone. We became good friends in the end.
However, Christmas is just a few days away, and new participants will be arriving in March.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
See you soon!
This text was automatically translated using an AI-powered translation system.
