I am back in Ota, kicking back with my Japanese aunt and uncle after a day’s journey from Hiroshima. I am staying with them tonight and the power is out, so we are lounging around with flashlights and entertaining ourselves by playing Scrabble with Edif Piaf providing a soundtrack from my laptop speakers. It is like a sleepover but without the retainers and lesbian experimentation. I brought my hosts a pair of baguettes and some batteries from Hiroshima since both are scarce in Ota. Not having electricity forces us to be creative with our time but the food shortages make me feel like I am in the London Blitz and I am scavenging for supplies for my destitute family.
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