Dan
and I woke up at 7:00am - one hour before our alarm.
As hot as it is in the day, it was very cool and comfortable last night.
We
got up, dressed, did our morning routine then had breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, a sausage/hot dog link thing,
tomatoes (grown at the Oshimas’), broccoli and toast with homemade plum jam.
After
breakfast, Oto-san (Dad) went to the convenience store (conbini) to make copies
and Dan and I went with him. We
wandered around the conbini and the 99 Yen Shop next door before returning home.
Wow, it is already very hot!
Right
now we are at the table - Dan is “reading” the newspaper ads, Oto-san is
still talking about our schedule (and also something about some people from
Peking, China - no clue). Oka-san
(Mom) is reading the paper and I am writing in my journal.
Oto-san
just let some gas. At least he
apologized. Dan just looked at me.
Yeah, that sound wasn’t his chair.
Hehe!
My
Japanese is doing okay. I haven’t
understood everything (and even answered the wrong question last night) but it
is nothing too horrible. Yet.
Dan
said “Thank you” in Japanese to Oka-san for breakfast.
She was surprised, pleased and impressed.
He is making a good impression and it is wonderful to have him here.
*
* * * *
3:05pm
Today
we went to the following places:
-
Aoba-Sendai
Castle Site
-
Zuihoden (Date
Masamune’s Mausoleum)
-
Rinnoji
(Japanese garden)
In
between Zuihoden and Rinnoji, we went to lunch in Sendai’s “highest
restaurant.” Dan had tempura and
sashimi, Oka-san and I had sashimi and Oto-san had soba.
Oto-san,
after Rinnoji, went to pick up 2 Americans (from the Wings of Rotary program)
and Oka-san, Dan and I took a cab (which Dan got for us).
Now we are getting our things ready to go to see the fireworks that will
kick off Tanabata, then go to the Arais. The
Oshimas will take rest of our belongings to the Onos.
I
think that I want to go back to the 99 Yen Shop to buy some hair things.
It is so very hot in humid here - I had forgotten!
*
* * * *
Okay,
we have been busy. After getting
back to the Oshimas, we got to meet the two people that are staying with them
for the next few days - Terry and Walter Corbett from Oklahoma.
We all hung around the house and discussed a problem they were having
that their group would be going on a tour day after tomorrow that they had
already been on with a different Rotary club.
Also, they aren’t going to have enough time for everyone to change that
day for a Rotary dinner after the tour. It
is a number of high school students and the Corbetts are the group leaders.
I don’t think the problem was solved, but it was neat to try to help by
translating.
At
about 5:30, Dan, Terry and I went down to the 99 Yen Shop and picked up some
food and kitty treats. I also got
some hairpins. We got back to the
Oshimas’ at 6:15pm and left for the fireworks at 6:30pm via 2 taxis.
At
the fireworks, we were in a meeting room with 2 Rotaries and then Miho (Arai)
and Kei (her fiancée) came. The
fireworks started at 7:30pm and went until right before 9:00pm.
It was very neat, though to stand for so long outside was hard (we left
the meeting room for a better view). But
Mr. Oshima kept bringing Dan and Kei beer and a weird hard lemonade. Miho and I found a vending machine that I got carbonated
plum-flavored Hi-C from.
After
the fireworks, we walked to a place several blocks away where we would meet
Nobuaki. Then, off to the Arais’ house where we had a bite to eat
and exchanged gifts. Then it was
bath time - Dan, me, Kei and then Miho.
We
have to be at Sendai Station’s West Entrance at 7:10am tomorrow morning for
the bus trip. It is 11:58pm as I write this, so I think we will be a bit
tired. Should still be fun.
Oh,
about the gifts… Miho gave us plastic sushi roll magnets (too cool!) and a
pair of Tanabata earrings. We also
got a black and white cow print apron.
*
* * * *
Yurika,
Oka-san and Oto-san are actually not staying in their house - they are staying
at Oka-san’s Kumon building down the street!
Miho and Kei are taking Yurika’s room (which used to be Oka-san and
Oto-san’s room when I was here last) and Dan and I are staying in the master
bedroom (which was the room I shared with Yurika seven years ago).
We feel bad about that, but they insist.
Dan says the main reason he wants to know how to speak Japanese right now
is so he can argue with them.
Well,
it really is about bedtime. It is
now 5 after midnight. Though we
might be up a bit longer perhaps. Tomorrow
will be tired, but it will be fun so it’ll be okay.
Oh
yeah, I almost forgot. Almost
everything at the Arais’ has changed. Yurika
and her parents have switched rooms, the bath is new, the living room furniture
is different - nice, though! The
door from the hall to the living room is new, they have a new TV, Oka-san has a
laptop and printer next to the fax now. Oh,
and I met Kuuya, the new kitty. He
isn’t very stranger-friendly. Doesn’t
even like Miho! But he’s a cutie.
On to August 6 Journal Entry
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