August 9

Dan and I got up at 7:00/7:30am.  Right now he is helping the Ono mom make breakfast - he is peeling eggplant.  Good.  I’m a little hungry.  

It is weird because it seems like everyone keeps trying to feed us here but I don’t want to eat because it is so darn hot.  I’m trying to figure out if I am gaining or losing weight, but I have no clue.  We eat a lot, but sometimes it doesn’t seem like so much so I don’t know really what amount I’m eating.  Then we are walking so much, but I’m so swollen and puffy - I don’t know if it is weight gain, water retention or just swelling from all the heat and salty food.  Oh well - it is still fun! 

I have no clue what we’ll be doing today.  Who care?  It’s in Japan!   

New words I have learned today:
きもい
(kimoi) slang for 気持ち悪い(kimochi warui); example: Yohei’s sweatiness
(su) - nest; example: Yohei’s hair 

* * * * * 

Okay - today we packed a lot in!  Here’s what we did:
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Bought dango in different flavors: strawberry, green tea, sesame, & cherry blossom.
-         Akiu Otaki (waterfall)
-         Akiu Temple (and Japanese religion lecture)
-         Played in the water (Dan fell L)
-         Bought a new digital camera
-         Purchased books
-         Bought souvenirs at Shimanuki
-        
Returned to the Onos’ home
-        
Made okonomiyaki
-         Drank beer
-        
Made more okonomiyaki
-         Drank more beer
-        
Wrote in journal 

At Akiu Otaki, Dan slipped when we were walking on the rocks in the river at the bottom of the falls.  He landed on his wrist while trying to protect the digital camera, which is now defunct.  That is why we bought a new camera - I wanted a digital SLR and since the digital broke, we got a new camera.  Dan also wrenched his hand falling, so we stopped by a drug store to get him a “cool-down” patch for his wrist.   

At Shimanuki we got things for my parents, my grandma, Dan’s parents, and Dan’s sister.  I think that takes care of everyone.   

Ryoko cooked okonomiyaki and it was so very wonderful.  I miss real okonomiyaki.  There is something about Japanese mayonnaise on okonomiyaki that really makes the meal.  American mayonnaise just doesn’t do it.  While we were eating, Ryoko, Yohei and Dan were drinking up some Dan’s beers since he wasn’t planning on taking them home.  There was even one beer that I tried that I didn’t think was all that horrible.  It was pretty decent, actually.  I didn’t drink much of it though.  Dan, Ryoko and Yohei killed several bottles and cans but no one seemed any the worse for wear. 

* * * * * 

Tomorrow, Oshima is going to pick us up at 9:30/10:00am tomorrow.  Then, we will drop our stuff at their house and we will go to the Sendai Rotary Club meeting.  I’m not really looking forward to it for one reason.  Well, it will also be a bit boring but a ROTEX’s job is never done!  So we get to try to fit all of our stuff in our suitcase - イヤだ!  Yuck! 

 

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