Part 2: Celebrating the New Year
Lilja: Fuwaah… Good morning.
Ramona: Morning, Lilja. Today youʼre up pretty early.
Hikari: Morning, Lilja-san! Happy New Year!
Lilja: Happy New Year. Hikari, you’re greeting new year full of energy.
Hikari: Yeah! Iʼm always full of energy! Lilja-san, would you like to have a specially made osechi too?
Lilja: Yes. If you’d be so kind. What are the dishes?
Hikari: This is rafute*! Here are sata andagi**! And hereʼs something from Ramo-san: the special Wurst!
Lilja: Is this what you call osechi?
Ramona: No, this is nothing like the traditional Japanese osechi. But itʼs nice to have something like this once in a while too, don’t you agree?
Lilja: Hmm. If itʼs fine for you, Ramo, then itʼs fine.
Ramo: For me?
Lilja: It’s your first New Year in Japan, right? Thatʼs why.
Ramona: Oh, so thatʼs what you mean. Iʼm enjoying it a lot, so donʼt worry.
Lilja: That’s good. And what about Xue? Is she still asleep?
Hikari: Sheʼs working!
Hikari: “Holidays are a perfect time to make money! My New Year is in February anyway!”
Hikari: Or so she said. She left early in the morning.
Ramona: Haha, thatʼs so like her.
Hikari: So what are we gonna do? Koyomi-san must be busy at home, so itʼs just the three of us, but maybe we can come up with something?
Lilja: For example?
Hikari: Well… Maybe letʼs go play in the snow? We had a lot of fun with Panda-san and Kamira-san when it was snowing the other day.
Lilja: But the snow has already melted since then, hasnʼt it?
Hikari: Youʼre right… Then, maybe letʼs visit a shrine?
Ramona: A shrine! Thatʼs a perfect idea! I wanted to visit one ever since coming to Japan. If weʼre doing it, we should draw omikuji as well!
Lilja: Omikuji?
Ramona: It’s fortunes you draw to see what the year has in store for you. You try your luck. I heard some shrines also offer a variety of goods.
Lilja: Hmm.
Hikari: Lilja-san, could it be that you aren’t very fond of the idea?
Hikari: If you’re worried about getting tired of the crowd, maybe letʼs choose a shrine thatʼs not very popular? Probably, this time it’s gonna be even more crowded than at the summer festival.
Lilja: No. If there are many people, it means Iʼll be seen by many, too. It would actually make me feel good.
Lilja: Iʼd love to start the year with showing myself to as many people as possible.
Hikari: Alright! Then, let’s go!
TL note
* Rafute is a traditional braised pork belly dish in the Okinawan cuisine.
** Sata andagi are sweet deep-fried buns of dough in the Okinawan and Southern-Chinese cuisine.