I am pretty proud of myself. It needs a few tweaks, but it stands as yet another reminder of how much I have grown since I moved to Japan. Before Japan, I had to have a recipe (as I have mentioned). I could never create a dish like this. Not just because I wasn’t brave enough, though. Before Japan, I didn’t know what paella was!
And I wouldn’t know what paella was if it wasn’t for a certain seaside adventure in Wakayama.
“OK: Which sounds like more fun
Digging for clams or Oktoberfest in Sakai,” Ling’s message read.
It was late afternoon on a Friday, and we were trying to decide what to do with the approaching weekend.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Oktoberfest with lots of bratwurst and lederhosen, but I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe it was because Japan isn't always good at international festivals. They tend to revolve around what Japanese people believe happens in those cultures. Or maybe it was because drinking beer isn't my thing and I was assuming that would be the main focus of a German themed event in Sakai (see hesitation one). Either way, digging for clams just seemed like way more fun! Ling thought so too.
It sounded like an amazing afternoon. Plans were made, train schedules checked, and supplies purchased. We hadn't had too many adventures like this before, so there was a need to purchase a cooler and the cookout goodies to fill it – drinks, mushrooms, corn, green peppers, and watermelon.
At the appointed time, loaded with food and smelling of sunscreen, we departed for our unique adventure.
The beach was already crowded when we got there in the late morning. Tents and grills were already up. We were amazed at the amount and quality of the Japanese beach gear. These people did not mess around when it came to beach time fun!
You know the tents in Harry Potter? The ones where Mr. Weasley fits like the whole house in his bag? This wasn’t just going to the beach, this was making the beach your b***h. People had set up whole living rooms. There were tables, chairs, and very well stocked coolers.
The amount and range of grillables roasting over charcoal were astounding. We saw prawns, meat, hamburgers, hot dogs. There were veggies I hadn’t ever seen in the grocery here. And more of it than I had seen at any event sort of school lunch!
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| Not that I am all that dark myself... |
Perhaps the second greatest shock was the fashion choices. There was almost no skin! I was wearing a thin shirt over a swimsuit top and felt so completely naked next to people in hoodies, sweaters, long pants, and high boots. You’d have thought it was still winter rather than full on summer! Some people had shed a layer or two, one guy was already turning red from the sun, but for the most part, it seemed Japanese people must be a nation of mildly UV tolerant vampires.
Ling and I found a bare spot of sand among the Bedouin palaces of the other beach goers. We didn't have an umbrella, a pop-up picnic table, or any of the bells and whistles our Japanese neighbors did, but we still got big smiles as we spread out our towels.
Smaller children were already laughing and squealing at the water’s edge. The adults were a little further out, knee-deep in the cold water. Everyone was bent double, bucket in on hand, the other sifting through the sand at their feet for the elusive seafood prize. Eager to try our own luck, Ling and I charged in, buckets and rakes ready. The water was still very cold, but the sand felt good, and soon we were literally raking in the clams.
It was an interesting experience - the cool water on your legs, the warm sun on your back. You rake through the sand, desperate for that slight bit of resistance. Ling was off to a good start. But since I brought the veggies, he agreed to share. Our buckets were soon half full and our legs and muscles burning from the back breaking labor.
We decided to take a brief rest to soak up some of the sun.
As we watched the incredibly clothed Japanese people still at it, we realized why there were so many clams. Turns out they seeded the beach. A little john boat puttered by with a man throwing out clams by the handful. The hunters swarmed, catching the clams before they even had a chance to bury themselves. It was like a maritime version of Mardi Gras. But knowing why there were so many clams in this little area didn’t diminish the thrill as we waded back into the hunt a little while later. The eager diggers hadn’t captured all of our prey.
After another twenty minutes, Ling and I had filled our daily quota (and even given some away to the children like gaijin clam fairies). Triumphant, we traded our catch for a large bag of cleaned clams.
The next part was what we had both been anticipating and dreading since we decided to try this adventure. Neither of us had been clamming before, but we knew even less about how to cook our catch. Ling claimed he understood the gist of it, he had even googled it just to make sure, but I wasn't convinced. I have no experience grilling (a skill I am content not to level up in), and when the grill turned out to be charcoal, I gave up any pretense of helping.
Ling soldiered on and, despite the fear of food poisoning, we took our first slurp of our hard won lunch.
It was far from the best bbq I have ever had. The clams were super salty, the veggies needed some kind of marinade, and the charcoal was difficult. But for a first run, it was great. Grabbing clams hot off the grill with pilfered chopsticks. Laughing as we ate our prizes. It was a great end to a wonderful adventure.
Smelling of sun and surf, we returned home. We were sandy and exhausted, but also incredibly happy. We had spent an amazing afternoon doing something we had never dreamed of doing in Japan. Something we couldn't wait to do again.
But with more friends and preparation. Our packing list for next time…
-umbrella or other shade
-chopsticks
-plates
-MEAT, MEAT, and more MEAT
-speakers and tunes
-volleyball or other toys
While there were many things I missed about Osaka, I realized that Wakayama would be filled with quiet, low-key adventures I would never find in the big city. Afternoons lounging on the beach, hiking through cool, shady forests, enjoying friends and nature simultaneously. It made me glad to know I had a year for all kinds of adventures.
Wait, great story, but what does it have to do with paella? Well, I’m not done yet.
Ling and I couldn’t possibly eat 1400 grams of clams in one afternoon. We were both still dubious of food poisoning, too, so we decided to take our maritime bounty home and deal with it later. Fresh clams are easy to freeze.
When I got off at Kinokawa Eki, tired and a little sunburned, I walked away with all the clams! Now with double the haul (Ling didn’t want them back), I needed to figure out double the recipes! And that is how I learned about paella.
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