Ukusuka e-East Devon kuya e-East Asia, Umkhankaso wethu we-Real Vanilla usunqamule amazwekazi futhi kule nyanga. Lijabulele ukuphinde lihlanganiswe no-Yumi-san kanye no-Otayo-san, ithimba le-LittlePod libe nesikhathi esiningi e-Tokyo, libamba iqhaza kwiFoodex Japan 2024 nokwenza abangane abasha babe baningi, njengoba uJanet echaza engxoxweni noPaul kuleli sonto. Nanka amazwi akhe:

Ngisanda kufika ekhaya ngivela eJapan. Mina noLaura sichithe isonto eledlule eFoodex eTokyo. Foodex Japan iwumbukiso omkhulu wokuhweba ngokudla e-Asia futhi umcimbi omkhulu kunayo yonke i-LittlePod eyake yaba nengxenye kuwo. Wawumkhulu, usabalele ochungechungeni lwamahholo, ngalinye ligcwele ababukisi abavela kuwo wonke amazwe ongawacabanga. Sibukise ngaphansi kwesibhengezo se- Inhlangano Yabathengisi Bokudla Neziphuzo yase-UK. Kwakujabulisa ukuba yingxenye yento ethile yomhlaba wonke, enabantu abanomqondo ofanayo nezinkampani ezivela kuwo wonke umhlaba. Uma kubhekwa konke okwenzekile ngobhubhane, kuzwakale sengathi umhlaba usuvuleke futhi. Sekunesikhathi eside singakwazi ukwenza into efana nalena. Lokhu kwaba ukuxhumana okuhle kwabantu abavela kuwo wonke umhlaba.  

Bekufanele siye eFodex Japan ngo-2020. Sasitshale kukho konke futhi konke kwahlelwa. Kwabe sekufika uCovid futhi umbukiso, ngokuqondakalayo, ukhanseliwe. Ngaya eJapane noma kunjalo, ukuze ngibone ukuthi yini engingayenza. Yayingenalutho, ingenalutho, kungekho muntu futhi sathola ukuthi singaya kuzo zonke lezi zindawo futhi sibe nazo. Saze sadla endaweni yokudlela edumile i-Bird Land. Ezimweni ezijwayelekile, kuthatha iminyaka emine ukuthola itafula, kodwa sivele sangena. Bekuhluke kakhulu kulokhu.

Umugqa wesiliva ngo-2020 wawuhlangana no-Yumi no-Otayo, asebephenduke abasabalalisi nabangenisa kwamanye amazwe abamele i-LittlePod eJapan. Ngaleso sikhathi, nganginekilasi lokupheka no-Yumi, lapho ngimethula ku-LittlePod. Isizinda sika-Yumi sikwezokumaketha futhi wabona ithuba futhi wakha isu lokuyisa i-LittlePod e-Japan. Ngathi, 'Kuhle lokho, kodwa into eyodwa esiyidingayo ukungenisa kwamanye amazwe'. U-Yumi waphendula wathi, 'Hlangana no-Otayo, umyeni wami, oseneminyaka engama-20 ethenga kwamanye amazwe'. Ngibuyele ku-LittlePod ngigcwele injabulo kodwa kungekudala, yonke into yavalwa ngenxa ye-Covid. IJapan yahlala ivaliwe kwaze kwaba ngoMashi odlule kodwa uYumi wayehlala eqhubeka nokusebenza ngemuva, enza okusemandleni. Okwenzeke ngesonto eledlule kwaba umvuzo omkhulu ngomsebenzi wakhe onzima. Esithombeni esingenhla, u-Otayo no-Yumi baphathe isidlo esikhethekile endaweni yokudlela edumile yase-Tofuya Ukai ngobusuku bangaphambi kwe-Foodox ukumaka uSuku Lwamantombazane. Lesi kwakuyisiqalo esihle sesonto lethu sindawonye e-Tokyo.

Kwakuyinjabulo ukubona u-Yumi no-Otayo futhi. Basijoyine esitendini Foodex Japan nsuku zonke futhi wasebenza kanzima. Bekumatasa, akukaze kube namzuzu lapho kungekho muntu khona, olangazelela ukubona imikhiqizo yethu nokufunda nge-LittlePod. U-Yumi no-Otayo babecwile futhi bajabulela okuhlangenwe nakho kakhulu. Babonile ukuthi abantu bahlobana kanjani ne-LittlePod futhi bakuthola kujabulisa ukubona ukusabela kwezivakashi endaweni yokuma. Abantu babemagange futhi bejabule, befuna ukukhuluma futhi bathole ngezimiso zethu zokuziphatha. Othile wakuchaza 'njengefilosofi enhle ye-LittlePod', obekuyindlela enhle yokukusho. Sasijabulile abantu bathakazelelwa yi-LittlePod, esikwenzayo nesikwenzayo.

Sahlangana nabantu abaningi abathakazelayo eFoodex Japan. Kwakukhona izivakashi ezivela kuwo wonke umhlaba, ezivela kumasiko nezizinda ezihlukahlukene, nokho kunokuningi esifana ngakho, nokufana okuningi namafilosofi esabelana ngawo. Sahlangana nendoda eyodwa inkampani yayo isineminyaka engu-60 ithenga i-vanilla kwamanye amazwe nenye emele imboni yokutshala i-vanilla eJapane. Kunengxenye encane yaseJapane lapho i-vanilla ikhula khona futhi wajabula lapho ngithembisa ukuthenga ezinye ze-pods zakhe. Sihlangane neqembu labafundi bakahulumeni abacwaningayo abavela eTaiwan, abebesebenzela ukukhiqiza ama-vanilla pod. Baye bangibuza ukuthi ngingeza yini eTaiwan ngizonikeza inkulumo emnyangweni wabo wocwaningo. Kwakukhona uMpheki uCatapila Nevin (osesithombeni ngenhla kwesobunxele), ongathula kuShorna-Kay Richards (osesithombeni ngenhla, phakathi), oyinxusa laseJamaica eJapane. UShorna wangitshela ukuthi uJanet igama elidume kakhulu e-Jamaica. Lokho okokuqala kimi! Ngokuphambene nokuma kwethu kwase-UK eFoodex Japan kwakuyisitendi sase-Ukraine esasixhaswe uhulumeni wase-Japan. Ngahlangana nombhangqwana (okufanekiselwe ngezansi) abenza i-mead e-Ukraine futhi ngabatshela ngakho i-vanilla mead siyenze ngeMenna lapha. Bathathe ama-vanilla pods ukuze bawazame. Ngahlabeka umxhwele kakhulu. Ngabatshela, 'Angazi ukuthi nikwazi kanjani ukuqhubeka, njengoba konke okwenzeka lapho'.

Khumbula ngenkathi u-Lord Lieutenant wase-Devon ethi, 'Akujabulisi yini ukuthi inkampani encane edolobhaneni lase-East Devon ingakwazi ukufinyelela futhi ibe nomthelela emhlabeni ngenkathi yenza okuhle komphakathi ekhaya?' Hhayi-ke, besikwenza lokho e-Japan, enhliziyweni yento ethile yomhlaba wonke futhi enkulu kunathi.

Into ethokozisayo ngokubamba iqhaza embukisweni wezohwebo ukuthi awukwazi ukuthi ungahlangana nobani. Ngosuku lwethu lokuqala e-Foodex Japan, sahlangana no-Eugene Yamada (okufanekiselwe ngezansi no-Otayo no-Yumi), ongumnikazi odumile. Barakura English Garden e Tateshina. I-Barakura iyingadi yokuqala e-Asia ukuqinisekiswa yi-Royal Horticultural Society. Sithole kuningi esifana ngakho. UEugene ungumbungazi ohamba phambili I-Chelsea Physic Garden eLondon, lapho ngingumxhasi, futhi ngemva kokuvakashela indawo yethu no-Ariana, umkakhe, wayebuya nsuku zonke namalungu ahlukene eqembu lakhe. U-Eugene usethandane ne-LittlePod futhi siyajabula ukuthi imikhiqizo yethu izosetshenziswa endaweni yokudlela nesitolo esihle sase-Barakura, lapho itiye lantambama lihlala likumenyu. Nganikeza u-Eugene ikhophi yencwadi yami yokupheka yeVanilla, athi yayinhle, futhi ngamtshela ukuthi uyikhasimende lethu elihamba phambili eJapane. Ngaphambi kokuthi sihambe, wabuya ukuzovala isivumelwano neqembu lakhe lonke laseBarakura. U-Eugene wafaka umunwe emoyeni wathi kithi, 'number one'. Kwangijabulisa ukuthi useyikhasimende lokuqala lika-Yumi no-Otayo.

Ngiyayithanda iJapan - indawo kanye nabantu. Ilingana kahle ne-LittlePod. Abantu baseJapan bayathanda manje. Bakhona ngaso sonke isikhathi futhi baqaphela ezinkulu ezintweni ezincane. Kukhona ukuqapha njalo, ukuqaphela izinga lezinto kanye nesifiso sokwenza yonke into ngendlela efanele. Angiyena umuntu othanda ukuphelela, kodwa uma ngenza okuthile, ngithanda ukukwenza kahle. Ngithanda ukufunda ngezinto ezintsha, ngaphandle kwalokho bengingeke ngiqale i-LittlePod. Kuningi engifana ngakho nabantu baseJapane, nakuba ngangingaqondi ukuthi kungani wonke umuntu ehleka yonke into engangiyisho. Ngolunye usuku, ngabuza uYumi wathi, ‘Janet, abamjwayele nje umuntu onjengawe’. Bathola ukushuba kwentshiseko yami engajwayelekile esikweni labo futhi babonakala becabanga ukuthi ngiyahlekisa. Uma kwenzeka ngehlelwa yinhlanhla, mhlawumbe ngizothuthela eJapane ngiyoba usomahlaya!

Nginothando lwakudala lwe-Noh Theatre. Kuyiqiniso elaziwa kancane, kodwa ngake ngadlala emdlalweni we-Yeats, Calvary, e-Hawk's Well Theatre e-Sligo. Bengilokhu ngibamba iqhaza kushabhu yedrama esikoleni sasehlobo sase-Yeats futhi angikaze ngikhohlwe isipiliyoni. U-Yeats wayethanda i-Noh Theatre futhi abantu baseJapane bathanda u-Yeats futhi njengoba ngizenzele mina lokhu, bengihlala ngilangazelela ukuyobona ukukhiqizwa okufanele. Angikwazanga ukwenza lokhu ngo-2020 ngakho ngangizimisele ukuhamba kulokhu. Ngibhalisele ukubuka umdlalo eNoh National Theatre eTokyo. Akuzange kuphoxe.

Ngibonga wonke umuntu. Eqenjini le-FDEA, uSandra, uKaren noKevin, kuLaura, ogama lakhe le-vanilla bean fudge lalidume KAKHULU, kuwo wonke umuntu owayeze ukuzovakashela indawo yethu e-Foodex Japan futhi, ngaphezu kwakho konke, ku-Yumi no-Otayo, abaye basebenza kanzima futhi banokholo olukhulu ku-LittlePod. U-Yumi uchithe isikhathi esiningi enza ucwaningo ngemikhiqizo futhi etshela abantu nge-REAL vanilla nokubaluleka kwayo. Useze wahumusha incwadi yami yokupheka wayibeka ku-Instagram ngesiJapane. Akumangalisi lokho?

Ngaphambi nje kokuthi sihambe, u-Yumi wathi, 'Janet, angikwazi ukukutshela ukuthi sihlonipheke kangakanani ngokuthi usikhethe ukuthi sethule imikhiqizo ye-LittlePod e-Japan'. Injabulo enginayo manje isemvuzweni u-Yumi no-Otayo abawutholile ngayo yonke imizamo yabo. Sebeneminyaka emine bengama-LittlePodders afanele, besebenza kanzima ngemuva kwezigcawu, futhi manje njengoba izinto sezivuleke futhi kahle, bayakujabulela ukubona ukusabela kwabantu futhi bajabule ngalokho ikusasa elikuphethe. Ukuhlonishwa kuyinto enkulu e-Japan, futhi u-Yumi no-Otayo bebelokhu behloniphekile ebudlelwaneni babo nathi. Abakaze balahlekelwe ukholo ohambweni lwe-LittlePod oluya eJapan. Ngijabule futhi nginokubonga okukhulu ngokubekezela nokuphikelela kwabo, kanye nokuqhubeka nokuthembela kwabo ku-LittlePod kanye Nomkhankaso wethu weVanilla Yangempela.