Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 6: Farewell Party
Today was the first truly free day we've had since coming to Japan. No expectations or obligations for the whole day ... well until the farewell party in the evening anyway.
I slept in, completely missing breakfast. It was nice since we'd gotten in so late the night before. I finally dragged myself out of bed around 9:30 when Amy and Sheila knocked on my door - I ran to the door with only a tiny robe provided by the hotel - Amy of course took a photo - so somewhere out there is a picture that needs to be destroyed!!!
Amy, Sheila and I decided to wander around the town a bit. We walked down to the river and took some gorgeous photos of the fish flags waving in the breeze. We also finally tried Mos Burger! Mos Burger is a burger chain that we've seen throughout Japan - the burgers looked so good and we had been wanting to try it for ages. However, it didn't live up to our expectations - it was okay - but pretty much was just a fast food burger. The onion rings were tasty though!
The Mos Burger was at the Utsunomiya train station - where we also checked out a travel store. I found a beautiful suitcase I want to buy - I should have picked it up since it was about $100 cheaper than the one I saw at Fukudaya department store! Oh well, maybe I'll find something in Tokyo.
Apparently we had decided that today was going to be a very American day. After lunch we had ice cream cones at Baskin Robbins and then later in the day coffee at Starbucks. Starbucks, in case you're interested, is EXACTLY the same as in the states. The only difference was the food they served - and that the menu was also in hiragana or katagana - I forget which one.
Before heading back to the hotel, we went to a covered shopping area on a pedestrianized walkway. It had lots of shops both for tourists and locals. We went into a few stores including a record store where I was going to buy my brother-in-law a CD of a band I had seen on TV. It seemed like something he would like, but apparently I got the name of the song mixed up with the name of the band and I couldn't find their CD (Sorry Bill!).
We made it back to the hotel in enough time to shower and head downstairs for our farewell party. We were told to be there at 5, but once we got downstairs we found out the party didn't begin until 6pm. I tell you, the Japanese like to be early everywhere. Either that or they think Americans always like to be late so they're planning ahead!
There were about 50 people at the party on the third floor of our hotel. The party was a farewell party for us and for the Japanese team who will be flying back to SF with us on Wednesday. So those in attendance were our host families and GSE committee as well as family members of the Japanese GSE team. My only host family who attended was the very last one - the Ode's. They were so awesome and I'm glad they were able to make it to the party. Sheila didn't have anyone in attendance and Geraldine had three families show up. However, she was still upset that Hisae Hirosawa didn't come. She seemed to think it had something to do with the incident over the massage parlor - but I seriously doubt it. Just be happy that three came to see you off and don't focus on the one that didn't. Hirosawa-san was a bit older and the hotel was 45 minutes away - not to mention there could have been a million other reasons why she didn't show up!
Both GSE teams gave their presentations at the party. Ours was basically the one given at the convention with a few tweaks and the Japanese team gave their first official presentation (they'll have at least a dozen times to perfect it over the next month!) My host family seemed happy that I gave them public recognition at the dinner. As things were wrapping up, my host sister, Yukako, said she liked my perfume. She liked it so much she wanted me to write down the name of it - so I ran upstairs and grabbed the bottle for her. It was a travel size and I had a bigger one at home - so I figured it would be a nice going away present (even if it was a bit used!)
We wrapped up the evening at the hotel bar - where my host family was the only one to come say goodbye with a drink. It was so funny, because I don't drink a lot and my family knew that so at one point they took a drink away from me and gave me a non-alcoholic drink. I had been enjoying the other one - but had been holding it for about 15 minutes so I'm sure they thought I didn't like it.
April 5: Final Presentations!
Today we had to give our final presentations at the District Conference. We were all pretty stressed out since we didn't have much free time to write our speeches so we are feeling very unprepared. Luckily I didn't do much on my free day, so I used that time to write my speech and have my host father translate it for me. Thank goodness, otherwise I would be freaking out too!
However, one of the GSE committee was telling us this morning that we should change some of the speeches and that we were getting too personal - most of us were thanking some specific people. I didn't change mine, because at that point it was way too late. If we were speaking in our native language we would be fine, but heck, I could barely read what I had written as it was!
About 30 minutes into the day (9:30 by now) we had to leave our study room and go into the opening ceremonies of the District Conference. There were so many people there - about 1,000 - it was pretty amazing. Governor Kondo gave a speech, they introduced all the clubs from the district and introduced both GSE teams - ours and the Japanese team.
During the opening speeches, Rotary had hired a A/V team to take pictures and put video up on large screens. However, they were so bad, it was driving me crazy. Amy said the look on my face was priceless - I kept muttering "Slow down" and "Get out of the shot" because the camera crew would get their heads in the shot from the main camera and their panning shots were horrible. Ugh!
We finally were able to head back out to finish up our speeches - we only had about an hour before we had to present. It was crazy, since I was done, it just gave me time to practice and have some of the Japanese GSE committee listen to my speech to try to perfect some of the pronunciation!
At 11:30 we marched back into the main ballroom and were almost immediately announced. All 6 of us went up onto the main stage and Roger began with a very brief speech. Unfortunately since this was our first time presenting this speech, we were all pretty rough, but we got some laughs at the right moments, so I think it went well overall. I'm sure they were thrilled when we wrapped up though - the entire presentation went 30 minutes. Amy and I were the longest - hers was about 7 minutes and mine was 5. Apparently we needed some serious editing!
At lunchtime we had what had to be the strangest meal yet. It was a box lunch, but included some bizarre foods that simply didn't taste very good. Guess bad box lunches at events like this isn't just an American trait!
We had about 2 hours to visit and wander around the Grand Hotel grounds before heading to our hotel (The Itaya Hotel) to check in. Geraldine, Sheila, Terry and I went outside, it was a beautiful, sunny day and it was nice to be outside. We ran into several Rotarians we had met over the month and one, a nice man from Nikko, gave Geraldine and I a box of what he said were the best cookies in Japan. I still haven't broken into them yet - but I'll be sure to let you know!
We also ran into our friend Kiyoshi, who told me he didn't think he looked anything like Jon Favreau. Well, Kiyoshi, is a thin, better looking, Japanese version - but the girls all agree there is still a resemblance there! But now that I'm thinking about it - maybe he does look a bit more like George Clooney (he reads this blog - so hopefully he'll find that comparison more flattering!!!)
We checked into the Itaya Hotel - this was the hotel where we met every day before heading out. Our rooms were quite nice and it was a bit of a relief to have our speeches over and be on the final stretch of our trip. It's been a lot of fun - but I think we're all about ready to go home now.
After dinner we decided we wanted to go out on the town in Utsunomiya. It was really the first chance we had to hang out alone, with just the GSE team, and without our "minders" as one of the team members lovingly calls the GSE committee. We were waiting for one of the translators we had befriended on the trip to join us, so we visited the hotel bar. There we ran into three Rotarians, one was the GM of the hotel and the other two were men we had previously met. They ended up buying us drinks - I had a midori sour (not so great here) and the bartender made us up some other drinks to try - most were pretty good. The men then suggested we head out for some Karaoke - so we jumped into some cabs and headed out.
The Japanese are pretty serious about DUI, so the man who drove me hired a driver and had a cab follow us to the Karaoke bar. It's a good idea when you want to keep your car but don't want to get arrested.
We had fun - Sheila and Amy showing off their lovely voices - until we had a bizarre incident. A man at the bar grabbed the mike and started rambling about something. He thought his song was up, but it was actually Sheila's, and she thought he was refusing to give her the mike. Apparently he then muttered something else - I didn't hear what was said - but everyone thought he was ticked off. Geraldine and one of the Rotarians went over to talk to him and it seemed cool. About 30 minutes later the man got up to sing and Sheila was going to take his picture - he shouted "NO!" and began muttering about foreigners not understanding Japanese traditions. Not sure why - because I hadn't heard nor seen anything to reflect any beliefs that the Japanese don't like having their photos taken. (My opinion was that a drunk is a drunk in any country - and some drunk man in a bar in the US probably would have reacted the same way - it had nothing to do with foreigners and/or beliefs!) It ticked Sheila off something fierce, and a few minutes after she put her camera away she took it out again and clicked off a photo. The man freaked out again - Sheila went outside to cool off - and when she came back in again he left. No major international incident - but it was weird.
We left shortly thereafter ourselves and went out for ramen and gyoza. It was fabulous - I had a bit more beer with our midnight snack (probably the most I'd had to drink since coming to Japan). I tried to chat with the men who took us out, but unfortunately none of them spoke great English so it was a good thing we had our translator friend with us! He kept trying to talk to me about television and then later said to me "Come back to me" in english - when we were talking about visiting again. He was so sweet. We had a great time and I just wish I could have communicated that a bit better to the men. (The next day I did give them some gifts - a KRON 4 t-shirt and some chocolates!)
Friday, April 4, 2008
April 4: District Convention Begins
Today had to be the busiest day yet in our Japanese adventure. The day began at 9:30 and I didn't get home until almost 10pm. Usually on these long days I am enjoying a relaxing dinner or drinks if we're out late - today we were on our toes all day long!
Before I get to our busy schedule, let me tell you about some of the folks we were with. There was one Rotarian who was cracking us up all day - he was ordering everyone around, belting our orders for taking photos and making sure we moved when it was time ... and so on. He was a nice guy, but it was hilarious! This was also the first day where we felt we were dragged around and had no idea where we were going. As usual we had a blast, but I felt a bit like a puppy dog at one point!
It began with a visit to the Mayor of Utsunomiya. We briefly met the mayor and he told us what Utsunomiya is famous for: Gyoza, jazz and cocktails. I've experienced two out of the three so far!
After the mayor it was on to the Governor of Tochigi. We had already briefly met him, but this was a more formal visit. However, first we went up, down and around the building looking at the sites and taking more photographs. We finally met the governor shortly before noon. He is such a distinguished looking, tall man. As we left, he presented us with a teacup made by one of the artists from Mashiko.
Our next stop of the day was for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and kimono fun. We tried on kimono's first - we were given a choice of several and each one of us chose a different one - no fighting. Terry tried on a samurai suit - he looked so good. It was a lot of fun getting all dressed up. We then had our tea ceremony while still dressed in kimono. However, it was more trouble for Sheila and I since we both preferred to sit cross-legged and it wasn't exactly dainty, but it was fun. Also, my dislike of beans preceeded me and instead of the bean paste treat, I was given a plate of sugary snacks.
Our long day continued with the opening ceremony of the District Conference. The kickoff began with a lovely dinner that included music from a trio, a flamenco dance exhibition and a singer. We also were able to visit with so many of the Rotarians that touched our lives over the last month. It was nice to see our host families and the people who showed us their favorite parts of Japan.
Our next stop of the day was for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and kimono fun. We tried on kimono's first - we were given a choice of several and each one of us chose a different one - no fighting. Terry tried on a samurai suit - he looked so good. It was a lot of fun getting all dressed up. We then had our tea ceremony while still dressed in kimono. However, it was more trouble for Sheila and I since we both preferred to sit cross-legged and it wasn't exactly dainty, but it was fun. Also, my dislike of beans preceeded me and instead of the bean paste treat, I was given a plate of sugary snacks.
Our long day continued with the opening ceremony of the District Conference. The kickoff began with a lovely dinner that included music from a trio, a flamenco dance exhibition and a singer. We also were able to visit with so many of the Rotarians that touched our lives over the last month. It was nice to see our host families and the people who showed us their favorite parts of Japan.
GSE Presentation
Here is the speech I am going to be giving in Japanese on Saturday. It basically is a thank you to all the Japanese Rotarians who made this trip so special. Wish me luck - it's a bit long!
Watashino namae Stacy Tiffin dess. San Francisco dess...
Nihon no bunka ya Nihon ni tsuite no iroiro ka koto o manabi mashita. Kazu ooku no nihonshoku o itadakimashita. Sore wa natto, shimotsukarei, mameruidesu, tatami no uedemo nemuru koto ga dekimashita.
Kono yonshuukan de hijooni ooku no chishiki o eteiru koto o kanji totte imasu. Wareware wa hakubutsukan ya otera byouin sakezukuri o kengaku shimashita.
Terebi producaa dearu watshini totte utsunomiya deno ichiban no kyoomi wa housoukyoku wo nikasho kengaku dekitakotodesu. Tochigi terebi, NHK ga donoyoo ni nyuusu wo seisaku shiteiruka wo misete itadaita kotodesu.
Tokuni konshuu wa kooun deshita. Radio Berry, Tochigi Shinbun ni itte kitakotodesu. Watashini totte hijooni kachinoaru houmondeshita Nihon ni kite wakatta koto wa subarashi hitobito ni aetakoto desu.
Watashi ga deatta subete no hito wa hijooni shinsetsu de yasashiku GSE wa ukeirete kuremashita.
Home Stay shiteiru aida jitakuni irutoki to onaji yoo ni rirax sasete itadakimashita.
Watashi wa yon kazoku ni osewa ni narimashita watashi wa taizai shiteiru aida juu subete no kotoni taishite kokorokara kansha shimasu. Shoshite subeteno rootarian ga wareware ni taishite. Shigoto ya kaji wo chuudan shitemade jikan wo tsukutte itadaki arigatou gozaimashita. Watashi wa itsumo omoidishiteimasu. Oowarai shita koto. Harajukuni ittakoto hajimete shimotsukarei wo. Tabetakoto mashikoyaki wo mitakoto shoshite america no seiji ni tsuite hanashitakoto desu.
Watashi wa yasahii Rotaryan wo wasuremasen ni, san, nichimae watashi no kutsu no hiilu ga toreteshimatta toki sore wo motodoorini naoshite kureta Rotarian ga imashita.
Karera wa watashino hiro desu watashiwa utsunomiyashino Rotaryan ni kansha shimasu. Konshuu tokubetsu ni kimono wo kitsukete itadakimashita arigatoo gozaimashita.
Subete no minasama, tochigi-ken no rotarian no minasama. Hontouni arigatou gozaimashita.
Watashi wa kono subarashi keiken wo wasurenai deshou.
Goseichou arigatou gozaimashita.
Watashino namae Stacy Tiffin dess. San Francisco dess...
Nihon no bunka ya Nihon ni tsuite no iroiro ka koto o manabi mashita. Kazu ooku no nihonshoku o itadakimashita. Sore wa natto, shimotsukarei, mameruidesu, tatami no uedemo nemuru koto ga dekimashita.
Kono yonshuukan de hijooni ooku no chishiki o eteiru koto o kanji totte imasu. Wareware wa hakubutsukan ya otera byouin sakezukuri o kengaku shimashita.
Terebi producaa dearu watshini totte utsunomiya deno ichiban no kyoomi wa housoukyoku wo nikasho kengaku dekitakotodesu. Tochigi terebi, NHK ga donoyoo ni nyuusu wo seisaku shiteiruka wo misete itadaita kotodesu.
Tokuni konshuu wa kooun deshita. Radio Berry, Tochigi Shinbun ni itte kitakotodesu. Watashini totte hijooni kachinoaru houmondeshita Nihon ni kite wakatta koto wa subarashi hitobito ni aetakoto desu.
Watashi ga deatta subete no hito wa hijooni shinsetsu de yasashiku GSE wa ukeirete kuremashita.
Home Stay shiteiru aida jitakuni irutoki to onaji yoo ni rirax sasete itadakimashita.
Watashi wa yon kazoku ni osewa ni narimashita watashi wa taizai shiteiru aida juu subete no kotoni taishite kokorokara kansha shimasu. Shoshite subeteno rootarian ga wareware ni taishite. Shigoto ya kaji wo chuudan shitemade jikan wo tsukutte itadaki arigatou gozaimashita. Watashi wa itsumo omoidishiteimasu. Oowarai shita koto. Harajukuni ittakoto hajimete shimotsukarei wo. Tabetakoto mashikoyaki wo mitakoto shoshite america no seiji ni tsuite hanashitakoto desu.
Watashi wa yasahii Rotaryan wo wasuremasen ni, san, nichimae watashi no kutsu no hiilu ga toreteshimatta toki sore wo motodoorini naoshite kureta Rotarian ga imashita.
Karera wa watashino hiro desu watashiwa utsunomiyashino Rotaryan ni kansha shimasu. Konshuu tokubetsu ni kimono wo kitsukete itadakimashita arigatoo gozaimashita.
Subete no minasama, tochigi-ken no rotarian no minasama. Hontouni arigatou gozaimashita.
Watashi wa kono subarashi keiken wo wasurenai deshou.
Goseichou arigatou gozaimashita.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
April 3: Rest Day
April 3: Rest Day
And on the 27th day – Stacy rested.
Today was really the first day since I arrived in Japan that I had an actual rest day. I woke up late, worked on the computer, ate lunch, wrote my speech and had a wonderful steak dinner with the family. It was so nice to be able to relax and not have every minute of my day scheduled. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change anything and I have enjoyed seeing so much. It was just nice to have a day off!
Now I’m tired and am going to bed.
Oyasumi Nasi (Good night!)
And on the 27th day – Stacy rested.
Today was really the first day since I arrived in Japan that I had an actual rest day. I woke up late, worked on the computer, ate lunch, wrote my speech and had a wonderful steak dinner with the family. It was so nice to be able to relax and not have every minute of my day scheduled. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change anything and I have enjoyed seeing so much. It was just nice to have a day off!
Now I’m tired and am going to bed.
Oyasumi Nasi (Good night!)
April 2: Stacy Gets Dressed Up!
One of the unique things about this part of the trip to Japan is that I have been taken under the wing of the Utsunomiya West Rotary Club. My host father is busy with work, so his fellow Rotarians have planned extra special events for me after everyone else heads home. Today I was taken to an Utsunomiya Kimono shop and was able to try on a beautiful Japanese kimono. Of course, it barely fit - but hey it did fit and that's what counts, right? The shop owners were clucking about me, trying to tuck all the fabric in the right spots while the two Rotarians sat watching. It was quite fun and I got a kick out of the two men sitting on the floor - I'm sure they would have rather been somewhere else, but they at least pretended to enjoy it!
The lovely shop owners gave me a fabric bag with some small gifts when we left. In return I gave them a box of chocolates. I can't believe the amount of gifts we have traded on this trip. I thought we may have had too much, but I am rapidly running out!
After the kimono shop, I was taken to a tofu restaurant for dinner. The restaurant had individual private rooms - we wound our way through the restaurant until we came to our room with a very tiny door. I felt a little bit like Alice in Wonderland - but the room was nice and it had a table with a hole so I wouldn't have to sit cross-legged (my legs ALWAYS seem to fall asleep!)
Our first course was a plate full of beans. For those who don't know me very well - I HATE beans. I never eat them, but tonight I ate them all. I wasn't going to have these men who have done so much for me think I was ungrateful! We had course after course of delicious food made mostly from tofu. (I was able to avoid beans for the rest of the meal!) I don't know how the Japanese stay so slim - there had to have been 10 different courses - each better than the last.
My dining companions were the two gentlemen Tokoi-san and Okagawa-san who had accompanied me to the kimono shop and Ito-san, the former temple chief I mentioned in a previous blog. They were all very kind and we were able to communicate very well with the help of a translator. After dinner I presented the three men with SF baseball caps. The gift paled in comparison to what they gave me, but at least it was something!
Earlier in the day we had our usual packed schedule:
9:30: Hiki Hospital: A tour of a local general welfare hospital. Mostly preventative care and nursing home facilities. Very high tech. It was interesting to hear their views of healthcare in the US. They believe Americans have several doctors and nurses for each patient in the hospital - with all the nursing strikes recently I can't believe that is the case. Here they only have about 1 nurse for every 7 patients.
12:30: Utsunomiya-Yoto Rotary Meeting: Another presentation - I haven't been keeping count, but we must be closing in on at least 15 presentations now.
2:00: Suignome Gakuin - a school and home for developmentally disabled adults. The people there were so kind and those who lived there seemed to enjoy our visit.
3:00: Sinohara Residence. This is an old home in Utsunomiya that has been turned into a museum. It is more than 100 years old and one of the few homes that survived wars, fires and modern rebuilding.
The lovely shop owners gave me a fabric bag with some small gifts when we left. In return I gave them a box of chocolates. I can't believe the amount of gifts we have traded on this trip. I thought we may have had too much, but I am rapidly running out!
After the kimono shop, I was taken to a tofu restaurant for dinner. The restaurant had individual private rooms - we wound our way through the restaurant until we came to our room with a very tiny door. I felt a little bit like Alice in Wonderland - but the room was nice and it had a table with a hole so I wouldn't have to sit cross-legged (my legs ALWAYS seem to fall asleep!)
Our first course was a plate full of beans. For those who don't know me very well - I HATE beans. I never eat them, but tonight I ate them all. I wasn't going to have these men who have done so much for me think I was ungrateful! We had course after course of delicious food made mostly from tofu. (I was able to avoid beans for the rest of the meal!) I don't know how the Japanese stay so slim - there had to have been 10 different courses - each better than the last.
My dining companions were the two gentlemen Tokoi-san and Okagawa-san who had accompanied me to the kimono shop and Ito-san, the former temple chief I mentioned in a previous blog. They were all very kind and we were able to communicate very well with the help of a translator. After dinner I presented the three men with SF baseball caps. The gift paled in comparison to what they gave me, but at least it was something!
Earlier in the day we had our usual packed schedule:
9:30: Hiki Hospital: A tour of a local general welfare hospital. Mostly preventative care and nursing home facilities. Very high tech. It was interesting to hear their views of healthcare in the US. They believe Americans have several doctors and nurses for each patient in the hospital - with all the nursing strikes recently I can't believe that is the case. Here they only have about 1 nurse for every 7 patients.
12:30: Utsunomiya-Yoto Rotary Meeting: Another presentation - I haven't been keeping count, but we must be closing in on at least 15 presentations now.
2:00: Suignome Gakuin - a school and home for developmentally disabled adults. The people there were so kind and those who lived there seemed to enjoy our visit.
3:00: Sinohara Residence. This is an old home in Utsunomiya that has been turned into a museum. It is more than 100 years old and one of the few homes that survived wars, fires and modern rebuilding.
April 1： Happy April Fool's Day!
April 1 is the beginning of a new fiscal year for Japan. April is the month school starts for all students. Today stories about gas prices were all over the news – I finally figured out it had to do with the removal of a gas tax – which then dropped gas prices about 20 cents a liter. Gas now is about 120 yen per liter – approximately $4.50 a gallon in US prices.
Today I got dropped off at the hotel in Utsunomiya around 9:30 and we were off to the Utsunomiya Prefectorial Museum. The museum featured a Nikko exhibit showing the flora and fauna at all the different parts of the National Park. We also wandered around the Japanese Garden outside the museum. I am definitely going to visit the Japanese Garden in San Francisco more often!
Our next stop was the Shimotsuke Newspaper. We spent about 15 minutes in a boardroom talking to the publisher and editor in chief before heading to the newsroom. Sheila was in heaven! She was running around checking out their cameras and archival systems and talking with everyone who could speak English. She was so unhappy when it was time to leave. Due to our schedule, we only had a little over an hour at the newspaper and had to drag her out of the building kicking and screaming.
(On a side note – they had a little blub in the paper about us the next day with a picture of Sheila and I – check it out on the photo sidebar!)
After lunch, it was all about me (and really, when isn’t it about me????) We visited the NHK Utsunomiya Bureau, Radio Berry … and later I got a personal tour of Tochigi TV! I really expected the Japanese TV stations to be very high tech – they really weren’t. Both had some of the same equipment and in some cases even older equipment than we have at KRON. NHK is a bureau, so they only produce about 30 minutes of news a day in addition to sending some pieces to Tokyo to be rebroadcast from NHK headquarters. It was hard to get some of my questions answered since there was only one employee who spoke English and the translator had a difficult time with some of the technical questions I was asking – even though they weren’t that technical I guess I was using some TV lingo!
Both Tochigi TV and NHK had the large cameras and still ran tape. I did get to speak to one reporter at Tochigi TV who told me they used the VJ format there. However, I was surprised to see how many employees were at both stations. I was able to watch part of the 6pm news at Tochigi TV and was shocked to see nearly 20 people in the control room. I was told they were training, so there were more than usual – but even if you halved that number – it’s still twice as many as we have on any given day!
I don’t think I learned anything really specific that I can bring home to the US from my time at the stations in Japan, however, I have tried to catch a lot of news and feel there area some ideas I’ll take back to work when I return on April 14th!
As I mentioned, the Tochigi TV visit was something special just for me. The Utsunomiya West Rotary club planned several special tours for me. My host father was busy with work, so he asked several of his club members to take care of me in the evenings. I was so touched by all that they did for me this week. Today, they took me to visit Tochigi TV then had a special dinner for me at a local restaurant. (Have I mentioned how well I’m being fed these days!)
It was so much fun. They had the translator come with us and she helped the evening run smoothly. They expected me to drink a lot – apparently one of the members was told that the GSE team REALLY like to drink. Apparently rumors spread like wildfire in Japan! I told them I drink, but not a lot. However, I did end up drinking a big bottle of beer and half a bottle of wine – so maybe the rumors weren’t unfounded!
Today I got dropped off at the hotel in Utsunomiya around 9:30 and we were off to the Utsunomiya Prefectorial Museum. The museum featured a Nikko exhibit showing the flora and fauna at all the different parts of the National Park. We also wandered around the Japanese Garden outside the museum. I am definitely going to visit the Japanese Garden in San Francisco more often!
Our next stop was the Shimotsuke Newspaper. We spent about 15 minutes in a boardroom talking to the publisher and editor in chief before heading to the newsroom. Sheila was in heaven! She was running around checking out their cameras and archival systems and talking with everyone who could speak English. She was so unhappy when it was time to leave. Due to our schedule, we only had a little over an hour at the newspaper and had to drag her out of the building kicking and screaming.
(On a side note – they had a little blub in the paper about us the next day with a picture of Sheila and I – check it out on the photo sidebar!)
After lunch, it was all about me (and really, when isn’t it about me????) We visited the NHK Utsunomiya Bureau, Radio Berry … and later I got a personal tour of Tochigi TV! I really expected the Japanese TV stations to be very high tech – they really weren’t. Both had some of the same equipment and in some cases even older equipment than we have at KRON. NHK is a bureau, so they only produce about 30 minutes of news a day in addition to sending some pieces to Tokyo to be rebroadcast from NHK headquarters. It was hard to get some of my questions answered since there was only one employee who spoke English and the translator had a difficult time with some of the technical questions I was asking – even though they weren’t that technical I guess I was using some TV lingo!
Both Tochigi TV and NHK had the large cameras and still ran tape. I did get to speak to one reporter at Tochigi TV who told me they used the VJ format there. However, I was surprised to see how many employees were at both stations. I was able to watch part of the 6pm news at Tochigi TV and was shocked to see nearly 20 people in the control room. I was told they were training, so there were more than usual – but even if you halved that number – it’s still twice as many as we have on any given day!
I don’t think I learned anything really specific that I can bring home to the US from my time at the stations in Japan, however, I have tried to catch a lot of news and feel there area some ideas I’ll take back to work when I return on April 14th!
As I mentioned, the Tochigi TV visit was something special just for me. The Utsunomiya West Rotary club planned several special tours for me. My host father was busy with work, so he asked several of his club members to take care of me in the evenings. I was so touched by all that they did for me this week. Today, they took me to visit Tochigi TV then had a special dinner for me at a local restaurant. (Have I mentioned how well I’m being fed these days!)
It was so much fun. They had the translator come with us and she helped the evening run smoothly. They expected me to drink a lot – apparently one of the members was told that the GSE team REALLY like to drink. Apparently rumors spread like wildfire in Japan! I told them I drink, but not a lot. However, I did end up drinking a big bottle of beer and half a bottle of wine – so maybe the rumors weren’t unfounded!
March 31: My Last Host Family
After our long day, we arrived back at the hotel in Utsunomiya to meet our host families. Three lovely women met me and took me to a small town just outside Utsunomiya called Mibu. Two of the women were part of my host family – the third was a woman named Matsuko. Matsuko is about my age, she’s 34, and came with the family since she could speak English. She lived in the US for several years – attending college in South Carolina and living and working in New York before moving back to the U.S. She was great – I really enjoyed talking and having a few drinks with her. It’s sad to think how women are viewed in Japan. We didn’t hear too much about it – since most didn’t open up to us. Matsuko is single and has some pressure from her parents to get married – it may not be anything more than many women in the U.S. see, but since I am fortunate enough to have parents that don’t bug me about marriage – it seemed like a lot of pressure. I do feel bad for some of the women – so many of the wives did so much for me during my stay in Japan – they were very kind – but I still feel like I was somehow taking advantage of them!
My host mother fixes me breakfast every morning – although I did tell her I just wanted toast and tea. It’s so much less work than having her whip up a big breakfast every day. She also has done my laundry – I need to do some more but I almost hate to ask – because she would do it for me again! My host father is an amazing doctor. He studied both in Japan and in the U.S. He used to be an anesthetist, but is now an MD specializing in pain prevention. He runs a pain clinic in Mibu and works 10 hour days 6 days a week. I hope he pays himself well!
My host mother fixes me breakfast every morning – although I did tell her I just wanted toast and tea. It’s so much less work than having her whip up a big breakfast every day. She also has done my laundry – I need to do some more but I almost hate to ask – because she would do it for me again! My host father is an amazing doctor. He studied both in Japan and in the U.S. He used to be an anesthetist, but is now an MD specializing in pain prevention. He runs a pain clinic in Mibu and works 10 hour days 6 days a week. I hope he pays himself well!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
March 31: Moving to Utsunomiya
Moving day again! We are moving to our 5th city and our 4th host family today. I hate to leave Nikko, it's so beautiful and I feel like I could spend a week here, not just one day. But alas, it's time and off we go to Utsunomiya!
Another rush-rush day. We arrived in Utsunomiya around noon and had lunch with some Rotarians at a hotel restaurant. It was the first buffet style meal I’ve had since arriving in Japan. It’s nice to know that it’s not just Americans that like all you can eat food!
After lunch we piled onto a bus and headed for the Oya-Kannon. We first stopped off at the home of one of the Rotary members – he owns one of the stone-making factories and gave each of us a beautiful vase made of stone. They are lovely, but could take us over the weight limit on the flight back to the US!!! We then stopped off at Oya-Kannon to see an amazing statue built shortly after WWII. It’s called the peace statue and is a female Buddha. The statue was in a park area that was stunning, but since it was cold we were happy to be rushed off to the next site – which turned out to be right across the street! This was the Oya-Kannon temple. It was an old oya-stone cave that had some Buddha’s carved into the wall that were nearly 1200 years old – amazing! Unfortunately, like most of the historic sites we visited, we were unable to take photographs. The temple featured a multi-armed Buddha that has links to Hinduism – as well as several other large and small Buddha’s in another room of the cavern. A temple has now been built around the opening of the cavern to both protect it from the climate changes as well as enable the owner to earn some money from tourists!
We then loaded back onto the bus and headed a few miles away to the Oya-Stone Museum. This is a museum that has a small room with artifacts – but is in fact a huge museum – once you enter the underground chamber! It was an underground stone mine that had a lot of steps – ouch! – and was stunning. It had caverns and huge rooms that are now occasionally used for concerts. I would love to have heard a concert in one of those rooms – it must sound wonderful in the cave. If we weren’t limited by the ropes and rules – it would have been fun to explore deeper into the caves as well.
Our final stop of the day was at the Tagesan Temple. This is a temple built upon the highest point in Utsunomiya. The temple itself is 160 steps on top of a hill – billowing flags flank the staircase leading up to the temple. The guide, a former chief named Ito-san gave us a tour. He is a charming man, very quick to smile. I was lucky enough to have dinner with him a few days later. He led us to the top where his son, the current chief, played a type of horn built out of a shell. He said it was his prayer for our happiness. Here’s hoping it works!
On the way down we passed a shrine with dozens of tiny babies carved out of stone or clay. Each was dressed in a scarf, many had hats and some even had baby bibs. I had seen many similar statues around Tochigi, but today I discovered that dressing statues in clothing is a way to honor babies who have died either shortly after birth or while still in the womb. So sad…
Another rush-rush day. We arrived in Utsunomiya around noon and had lunch with some Rotarians at a hotel restaurant. It was the first buffet style meal I’ve had since arriving in Japan. It’s nice to know that it’s not just Americans that like all you can eat food!
After lunch we piled onto a bus and headed for the Oya-Kannon. We first stopped off at the home of one of the Rotary members – he owns one of the stone-making factories and gave each of us a beautiful vase made of stone. They are lovely, but could take us over the weight limit on the flight back to the US!!! We then stopped off at Oya-Kannon to see an amazing statue built shortly after WWII. It’s called the peace statue and is a female Buddha. The statue was in a park area that was stunning, but since it was cold we were happy to be rushed off to the next site – which turned out to be right across the street! This was the Oya-Kannon temple. It was an old oya-stone cave that had some Buddha’s carved into the wall that were nearly 1200 years old – amazing! Unfortunately, like most of the historic sites we visited, we were unable to take photographs. The temple featured a multi-armed Buddha that has links to Hinduism – as well as several other large and small Buddha’s in another room of the cavern. A temple has now been built around the opening of the cavern to both protect it from the climate changes as well as enable the owner to earn some money from tourists!
We then loaded back onto the bus and headed a few miles away to the Oya-Stone Museum. This is a museum that has a small room with artifacts – but is in fact a huge museum – once you enter the underground chamber! It was an underground stone mine that had a lot of steps – ouch! – and was stunning. It had caverns and huge rooms that are now occasionally used for concerts. I would love to have heard a concert in one of those rooms – it must sound wonderful in the cave. If we weren’t limited by the ropes and rules – it would have been fun to explore deeper into the caves as well.
Our final stop of the day was at the Tagesan Temple. This is a temple built upon the highest point in Utsunomiya. The temple itself is 160 steps on top of a hill – billowing flags flank the staircase leading up to the temple. The guide, a former chief named Ito-san gave us a tour. He is a charming man, very quick to smile. I was lucky enough to have dinner with him a few days later. He led us to the top where his son, the current chief, played a type of horn built out of a shell. He said it was his prayer for our happiness. Here’s hoping it works!
On the way down we passed a shrine with dozens of tiny babies carved out of stone or clay. Each was dressed in a scarf, many had hats and some even had baby bibs. I had seen many similar statues around Tochigi, but today I discovered that dressing statues in clothing is a way to honor babies who have died either shortly after birth or while still in the womb. So sad…
March 30: Touring Nikko World Heritage Site
Everything in Japan has been amazing, but one of the best days yet was the tour through Nikko, a World Heritage site. Unfortunately the day began a bit late since we also had to move from Imaichi - so we only had about 3 hours to spend at the temples of Nikko!
We arrived in the town of Nikko shortly after 11am. As usual we saw horrified faces as we dragged what seemed like hundreds of suitcases into the Kanaya hotel. We couldn't check in until after 1pm, so we stored all our luggage with the desk and went on a brief tour to the famous red bridge which was right next to the hotel. We spent about 30 minutes there before rushing back to the hotel for lunch. Lunch and dinner at the Kanaya Hotel were probably the most amazing meals I've had in Japan. Not for the food so much as the elegance. Beautiful table settings and impeccable service. Wow!
Finally around 1pm, we set off to the temples of Nikko. I cannot express how simply amazing this area is. It is a Unesco World Heritage site and has multiple temples at the location. We weren't able to visit them all, but we were able to check out some of the most historical sites. One of which was the famous "Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil" monkeys. They are carved into the side of one of the temples. It was fun to watch all the tourists waiting to pose next to the monkeys covering their eyes, ears and mouths!
We were very lucky that we had such well connected guides on our tour. In two of the areas, we had some of the monks? give us special one on one information and in one of the temples we even got to go in an area roped off from the public. It was fun to see all the other tourists gawking at us wondering who we were and why we were able to get such special attention.
I have put several photos from Nikko on this website, but it's just a fraction of what I have taken. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photos inside most of the buildings.
After Nikko the original plan was to take us back to the hotel to check in, but it was only 4pm and we wanted to see more. So we convinced our Rotary tour guides to take us up into the mountains to see the National Park. It was a very windy road with 48 hairpin curves. We also saw a bunch of wild monkeys on the way up. Apparently the monkeys are very aggressive and will attack anyone they think has food, so we had to keep the windows on the bus closed - that is why the photo I posted is so bad!
Once we got to the lake near the top of the mountain, it started snowing. We were all dressed fairly warmly, but it was still freezing cold! We rushed about to a few sites including some beautiful waterfalls and then headed back down the mountain after about an hour. I could see why the driver wanted to leave so soon, once we headed down the mountain, the fog was so thick you could barely see the road. I felt like I was back home for a moment!
Once we got back to the hotel, we had about 10 minutes to change for dinner. We met with four of the members of the Nikko Rotary club and saw their large collection of banners from Rotary clubs around the world. It was so cool to see banners that were obviously more than 40 years old - one from North Oakland that looked like a 60's or 70's concert poster and an old confederate flag banner from Mississippi - I bet you don't see those anymore!
We arrived in the town of Nikko shortly after 11am. As usual we saw horrified faces as we dragged what seemed like hundreds of suitcases into the Kanaya hotel. We couldn't check in until after 1pm, so we stored all our luggage with the desk and went on a brief tour to the famous red bridge which was right next to the hotel. We spent about 30 minutes there before rushing back to the hotel for lunch. Lunch and dinner at the Kanaya Hotel were probably the most amazing meals I've had in Japan. Not for the food so much as the elegance. Beautiful table settings and impeccable service. Wow!
Finally around 1pm, we set off to the temples of Nikko. I cannot express how simply amazing this area is. It is a Unesco World Heritage site and has multiple temples at the location. We weren't able to visit them all, but we were able to check out some of the most historical sites. One of which was the famous "Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil" monkeys. They are carved into the side of one of the temples. It was fun to watch all the tourists waiting to pose next to the monkeys covering their eyes, ears and mouths!
We were very lucky that we had such well connected guides on our tour. In two of the areas, we had some of the monks? give us special one on one information and in one of the temples we even got to go in an area roped off from the public. It was fun to see all the other tourists gawking at us wondering who we were and why we were able to get such special attention.
I have put several photos from Nikko on this website, but it's just a fraction of what I have taken. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photos inside most of the buildings.
After Nikko the original plan was to take us back to the hotel to check in, but it was only 4pm and we wanted to see more. So we convinced our Rotary tour guides to take us up into the mountains to see the National Park. It was a very windy road with 48 hairpin curves. We also saw a bunch of wild monkeys on the way up. Apparently the monkeys are very aggressive and will attack anyone they think has food, so we had to keep the windows on the bus closed - that is why the photo I posted is so bad!
Once we got to the lake near the top of the mountain, it started snowing. We were all dressed fairly warmly, but it was still freezing cold! We rushed about to a few sites including some beautiful waterfalls and then headed back down the mountain after about an hour. I could see why the driver wanted to leave so soon, once we headed down the mountain, the fog was so thick you could barely see the road. I felt like I was back home for a moment!
Once we got back to the hotel, we had about 10 minutes to change for dinner. We met with four of the members of the Nikko Rotary club and saw their large collection of banners from Rotary clubs around the world. It was so cool to see banners that were obviously more than 40 years old - one from North Oakland that looked like a 60's or 70's concert poster and an old confederate flag banner from Mississippi - I bet you don't see those anymore!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
March 29: More Sake & Rice Cakes
Mmmmm sake!
Today I discovered a new kind of sake that I actually enjoy. It's called ama-sake and it's yum-mmy! It's made from the remains of the rice that are scraped from the sake tanks. You mix it with sugar, water and heat it up. It's a bit chunky since there are actual rice bits in it - but it's sweet and warm and delicious! However, I a still going to steer clear from regular sake - just a sip and I'm done!
We also paid a quick visit to a nursing home in Imaichi. It was actually an enjoyable visit - as we had a bit of interaction with some of the patients. One of the men followed us around a bit - Sheila seemed to think he had a bit of a thing for me! We then watched some of the women singing songs and playing a bit of table ball - tossing around a medium size rubber ball to each other. They got into it - even throwing the ball to me - which of course I immediately dropped as my hands were full! I put my stuff down and quickly remedied that by catching the next ball thrown my way! Whew!
Our final stop of the day was at a rice cake factory. The man giving us the tour was the cutest guy - he was 72 years old and still rode his bike 50 miles to work every day! He gave us a packet of information with a bio that included a list of his hobbies. He was by far one of the best parts of the trip. During the tour he had a bullhorn and would hollar at us if we got behind! Unfortunately once again we were denied permission to take photos in the factory - but I did get some great shots of us dressed up in our "clean" whites!
We followed the tour up with the tasting room - where we ate a ton of food - filling up on lots of tasty rice cake goodies! Again - eating way too much!
Our long day wound up with a chinese dinner at a beautiful restaurant just a few blocks away from the hotel. It was so much fun - Geraldine and I were seated a table with some of the younger men from the Rotary club. They kept giving each other a bad time = calling everyone playboys. It was hilarious! The best part was one telling Geraldine that "her parents were crying" - which we later found out was what the japanese say to someone who has had too much to drink. Geraldine had been doing sake shots with some of the men - they were having a great time. It was fun to watch - but I was steering clear of alcohol - it had been a long day and I was already beat.
Today I discovered a new kind of sake that I actually enjoy. It's called ama-sake and it's yum-mmy! It's made from the remains of the rice that are scraped from the sake tanks. You mix it with sugar, water and heat it up. It's a bit chunky since there are actual rice bits in it - but it's sweet and warm and delicious! However, I a still going to steer clear from regular sake - just a sip and I'm done!
We also paid a quick visit to a nursing home in Imaichi. It was actually an enjoyable visit - as we had a bit of interaction with some of the patients. One of the men followed us around a bit - Sheila seemed to think he had a bit of a thing for me! We then watched some of the women singing songs and playing a bit of table ball - tossing around a medium size rubber ball to each other. They got into it - even throwing the ball to me - which of course I immediately dropped as my hands were full! I put my stuff down and quickly remedied that by catching the next ball thrown my way! Whew!
Our final stop of the day was at a rice cake factory. The man giving us the tour was the cutest guy - he was 72 years old and still rode his bike 50 miles to work every day! He gave us a packet of information with a bio that included a list of his hobbies. He was by far one of the best parts of the trip. During the tour he had a bullhorn and would hollar at us if we got behind! Unfortunately once again we were denied permission to take photos in the factory - but I did get some great shots of us dressed up in our "clean" whites!
We followed the tour up with the tasting room - where we ate a ton of food - filling up on lots of tasty rice cake goodies! Again - eating way too much!
Our long day wound up with a chinese dinner at a beautiful restaurant just a few blocks away from the hotel. It was so much fun - Geraldine and I were seated a table with some of the younger men from the Rotary club. They kept giving each other a bad time = calling everyone playboys. It was hilarious! The best part was one telling Geraldine that "her parents were crying" - which we later found out was what the japanese say to someone who has had too much to drink. Geraldine had been doing sake shots with some of the men - they were having a great time. It was fun to watch - but I was steering clear of alcohol - it had been a long day and I was already beat.
Friday, March 28, 2008
March 28: Moving to Imaichi
Another day, another new town. We're now in Imaichi, near Nikko. The hotel we're here isn't quite as nice as the Chisun, but it's very comfortable and it's nice to be in a hotel for a while. Much easier to get some rest!
After checking into the hotel, we were taken to the GlaxoSmithKline phama facility in Imaichi. They produce the usual meds for use in Japan - mostly allergy medicines and anti-depressants. Their biggest seller is the anti-depressant Paxil. This tour was kind of a kick, we got to get dressed up in their "clean" clothes. Hat, shoes and jacket. Of course the shoes and jacket were about a size too small - but hey - I could get them on at least!!! That was surprising!
Our second stop of the day was the Taishi Tofu Factory. This was so much fun! We got to make our own tofu - mine turned out smooth - not so tasty - but it looked good! We also got to try a variety of foods made out of tofu. Seriously - we ate about 10 different things. From regular tofu to cheesecake and donuts (yummy!)
Luckily we had time to head back to the hotel. I desperately needed a nap - I was able to sleep for about 45 minutes before we had to head back downstairs for our welcome reception. As usual - the dinner reception included a ton of food and alcohol. I couldn't eat much - I was still too full from the tofu. We got up to introduce ourselves, but they didn't want to hear our planned out speech, so we winged it (in English of course). We were seated at three different tables, each one with our own translator, so the translations were very easy.
After checking into the hotel, we were taken to the GlaxoSmithKline phama facility in Imaichi. They produce the usual meds for use in Japan - mostly allergy medicines and anti-depressants. Their biggest seller is the anti-depressant Paxil. This tour was kind of a kick, we got to get dressed up in their "clean" clothes. Hat, shoes and jacket. Of course the shoes and jacket were about a size too small - but hey - I could get them on at least!!! That was surprising!
Our second stop of the day was the Taishi Tofu Factory. This was so much fun! We got to make our own tofu - mine turned out smooth - not so tasty - but it looked good! We also got to try a variety of foods made out of tofu. Seriously - we ate about 10 different things. From regular tofu to cheesecake and donuts (yummy!)
Luckily we had time to head back to the hotel. I desperately needed a nap - I was able to sleep for about 45 minutes before we had to head back downstairs for our welcome reception. As usual - the dinner reception included a ton of food and alcohol. I couldn't eat much - I was still too full from the tofu. We got up to introduce ourselves, but they didn't want to hear our planned out speech, so we winged it (in English of course). We were seated at three different tables, each one with our own translator, so the translations were very easy.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
March 27: Jon Favreau
We were picked up bright and early - around 9am - by our Kanuma Rotary friend we fondly call K2 - but he looks just like Jon Favreau. When I first met him, I thought he looked just like the actor, but I couldn't remember his name - it took about 48 hours before it finally came to me. It would have been simpler to just look online, but that's too easy!
We began our day at the Nakanishi Precision Rotary Equipment facility. They basically make dental equipment - it's one of the largest corporations in the area.
After the tour we had some time and headed back to Fukudaya Department store where we had met the day before - this time we had a bit of time for shopping. I picked up a couple more gifts for people - but hey - don't expect to get much. I have no room in my bags!
The lunch meeting was hilarious - we were introduced then they went on to their regular Rotary meeting schedule. They had this one guest speaker who talked for about 30 minutes - but since we couldn't understand a word he was saying it felt like the meeting went on and on...
We then split off with another group of Rotarians - this time we went for a walk around Kanuma - looking at the parade float museum - these giant caravan looking floats that the city uses during festivals. There are 27 in Kanuma alone. Apparently each neighborhood has their own that they build and take care of.
Terry had asked about the wood workers in town - so we were taken to a sawmill to see how lumber is milled. Terry seemed to get a kick out of it, but it still wasn't exactly what he was asking about... oh well. We then went to the owner's home - a beautiful home built with a lot of wood of course.
We began our day at the Nakanishi Precision Rotary Equipment facility. They basically make dental equipment - it's one of the largest corporations in the area.
After the tour we had some time and headed back to Fukudaya Department store where we had met the day before - this time we had a bit of time for shopping. I picked up a couple more gifts for people - but hey - don't expect to get much. I have no room in my bags!
The lunch meeting was hilarious - we were introduced then they went on to their regular Rotary meeting schedule. They had this one guest speaker who talked for about 30 minutes - but since we couldn't understand a word he was saying it felt like the meeting went on and on...
We then split off with another group of Rotarians - this time we went for a walk around Kanuma - looking at the parade float museum - these giant caravan looking floats that the city uses during festivals. There are 27 in Kanuma alone. Apparently each neighborhood has their own that they build and take care of.
Terry had asked about the wood workers in town - so we were taken to a sawmill to see how lumber is milled. Terry seemed to get a kick out of it, but it still wasn't exactly what he was asking about... oh well. We then went to the owner's home - a beautiful home built with a lot of wood of course.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Geraldine's Independent Streak
There are several little side stories that I don't manage to get into the blog - when I have a moment I'll be adding them...
This one is about Geraldine and our host mother...
Geraldine has traveled around the world visiting at least 60 different countries. This is her first time to Japan and she gets a kick out of heading out on her own when she gets the chance and checking things out.
Over a couple of days she tried to get our host mother to let her borrow a bicycle. She was turned down every time, but was still persistent. She turned it into a joke = and we thought the host mother got it :-)
Then Geraldine noticed a massage place across the street from the house. She talked to our host mother and sister about it - asking if they knew anything about it. The hemmed and hawwed a bit - but eventually said they didn't. Geraldine said she would go check it out later. We headed upstairs - as usual around 8pm - so she decided she wanted to check out the massage place. But when she went downstairs - our house mother seemed shocked - wondering where she was going. As Geraldine explained - our house mother seemed to get angrier and angrier - telling her she should not go and needed to check with another Rotary member before going over there. But as the conversation progressed - she changed her mind and told Geraldine (by the way this was all spoken through a translator) she could not go at all and needed to drop the subject.
Geraldine seemed a bit upset at the time, worried she had crossed a line. But the next morning everything was fine - and trust me - our host mother LOVED her. So, it was fine. But it was so funny - our host mother was so concerned about our safety - she didn't want us doing anything off the books!
This one is about Geraldine and our host mother...
Geraldine has traveled around the world visiting at least 60 different countries. This is her first time to Japan and she gets a kick out of heading out on her own when she gets the chance and checking things out.
Over a couple of days she tried to get our host mother to let her borrow a bicycle. She was turned down every time, but was still persistent. She turned it into a joke = and we thought the host mother got it :-)
Then Geraldine noticed a massage place across the street from the house. She talked to our host mother and sister about it - asking if they knew anything about it. The hemmed and hawwed a bit - but eventually said they didn't. Geraldine said she would go check it out later. We headed upstairs - as usual around 8pm - so she decided she wanted to check out the massage place. But when she went downstairs - our house mother seemed shocked - wondering where she was going. As Geraldine explained - our house mother seemed to get angrier and angrier - telling her she should not go and needed to check with another Rotary member before going over there. But as the conversation progressed - she changed her mind and told Geraldine (by the way this was all spoken through a translator) she could not go at all and needed to drop the subject.
Geraldine seemed a bit upset at the time, worried she had crossed a line. But the next morning everything was fine - and trust me - our host mother LOVED her. So, it was fine. But it was so funny - our host mother was so concerned about our safety - she didn't want us doing anything off the books!
March 26: Bathroom Humor
It's time to move again...
Today we left our third host family to head to Kanuma. This was the hardest switch for me - I have enjoyed every host family, but this last one in particular was so amazing. They were so kind and generous - even taking care of me when I was sick. (By the way, I'm finally starting to get over this cold!)
We loaded up our luggage - again making everyone laugh. On a good note, I'm giving away more gifts than I'm getting - so my luggage is getting a bit smaller. I shouldn't jinx myself though - I'm sure it's going to get worse by the end of the trip. I have already choosen a few items to toss before I head home - like my sweater that now has holes in the armpits! It's been so cold I'm now sleeping in it - and it's pretty trashed!
Okay - back to the day...
We met several Rotary members from Group 7 for lunch at a Kanuma department store. The food as usual was tasty ... but the members warned us about dinner - saying it was going to be traditional japanese food. I'm not sure why, but people keep thinking that japanese food is so foreign - hey - as far as I'm concerned it's tasty and I like just about everything except anything with beans. But hey - I'm that way in the US as well...
After lunch we took a tour of the Kanuma police and Kanuma fire department. The most interesting thing about the police station was the lack of crime in the area - they said there was only about one murder a year and maybe 10 robberies -- and only about 45 fires and 30 rescues a year. That's like a week in the bay area - heck maybe a day in some months!
Once again we have a fabulous driver - Kiyoshi-san - a dried fruit and nut importer who works out of Sacramento two months a year. He even said his first visit to California was to Fresno! Where else if he's going to be buying raisins!
We had dinner with all the big-wigs of the Nikko area Rotary clubs. This turned out to be a blast - everyone was so nice and had a great sense of humor. We were laughing all the time!!! We broke out into song again - rocking the Karoke. As usual Sheila and Amy were fabulous - I just tagged along for the ride with my bad voice. I get a kick out of singing - but I feel sorry for the dogs in the area :-)
One of the nice things about this group is that we'll be in hotels the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED being with the host families, but you have to be on the ENTIRE time and it can get exhausting. This is a nice break and is realy good for us as a team. We're at the ChiSun Hotel in Utsunomiya - it's a really nice hotel and has nice big double beds - yummmy!
Today we left our third host family to head to Kanuma. This was the hardest switch for me - I have enjoyed every host family, but this last one in particular was so amazing. They were so kind and generous - even taking care of me when I was sick. (By the way, I'm finally starting to get over this cold!)
We loaded up our luggage - again making everyone laugh. On a good note, I'm giving away more gifts than I'm getting - so my luggage is getting a bit smaller. I shouldn't jinx myself though - I'm sure it's going to get worse by the end of the trip. I have already choosen a few items to toss before I head home - like my sweater that now has holes in the armpits! It's been so cold I'm now sleeping in it - and it's pretty trashed!
Okay - back to the day...
We met several Rotary members from Group 7 for lunch at a Kanuma department store. The food as usual was tasty ... but the members warned us about dinner - saying it was going to be traditional japanese food. I'm not sure why, but people keep thinking that japanese food is so foreign - hey - as far as I'm concerned it's tasty and I like just about everything except anything with beans. But hey - I'm that way in the US as well...
After lunch we took a tour of the Kanuma police and Kanuma fire department. The most interesting thing about the police station was the lack of crime in the area - they said there was only about one murder a year and maybe 10 robberies -- and only about 45 fires and 30 rescues a year. That's like a week in the bay area - heck maybe a day in some months!
Once again we have a fabulous driver - Kiyoshi-san - a dried fruit and nut importer who works out of Sacramento two months a year. He even said his first visit to California was to Fresno! Where else if he's going to be buying raisins!
We had dinner with all the big-wigs of the Nikko area Rotary clubs. This turned out to be a blast - everyone was so nice and had a great sense of humor. We were laughing all the time!!! We broke out into song again - rocking the Karoke. As usual Sheila and Amy were fabulous - I just tagged along for the ride with my bad voice. I get a kick out of singing - but I feel sorry for the dogs in the area :-)
One of the nice things about this group is that we'll be in hotels the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED being with the host families, but you have to be on the ENTIRE time and it can get exhausting. This is a nice break and is realy good for us as a team. We're at the ChiSun Hotel in Utsunomiya - it's a really nice hotel and has nice big double beds - yummmy!
March 25: Secrets at Sharp
Today we had a very special honor - we got to tour the Sharp Electronics plant in Yaita. Apparently some local residents have asked for a tour before and were told it was impossible. We met the president of the company - who talked about how Sharp began. I had no idea it was originally a pencil company - the founder invented the mechanical pencil!!
The highlight was a visit through the plant - watching them create a TV set from scratch. It was interesting how the women wore different colored clothes from the men and up until we got to the end of the factory line on the second floor - it seemed as if the men and women were separated from each other too.
Geraldine's favorite part of the plant was the automatic shoe washed - she finally cleaned up!
The Rotary member who picked me up in the morning brought his son - a cute and funny guy named Koshi. Koshi was a hit with the GSE team - his English was great and he also speaks Portuguese fluently. He was so funny - said he loved foreign women. We thought for a minute he was going to hit on Geraldine - but nope he had eyes for everyone :-) Koshi invited me to come hang out with him at his house after the tour, but I was tired and still didn't feel good. Plus - I wasn't sure what I would do hanging out all afternoon with a teenager - I'm sure he would get bored with me in about an hour!!! He gave me a big hug when he dropped me off at my host family's house - and told me he would come visit me in San Francisco.
The rest of the day was spent blogging and sleeping! For dinner we had curry and I got a chance to chat more with my host family - we blundered through the language difficulties and had a great conversation about politics and japanese/american relations!
The highlight was a visit through the plant - watching them create a TV set from scratch. It was interesting how the women wore different colored clothes from the men and up until we got to the end of the factory line on the second floor - it seemed as if the men and women were separated from each other too.
Geraldine's favorite part of the plant was the automatic shoe washed - she finally cleaned up!
The Rotary member who picked me up in the morning brought his son - a cute and funny guy named Koshi. Koshi was a hit with the GSE team - his English was great and he also speaks Portuguese fluently. He was so funny - said he loved foreign women. We thought for a minute he was going to hit on Geraldine - but nope he had eyes for everyone :-) Koshi invited me to come hang out with him at his house after the tour, but I was tired and still didn't feel good. Plus - I wasn't sure what I would do hanging out all afternoon with a teenager - I'm sure he would get bored with me in about an hour!!! He gave me a big hug when he dropped me off at my host family's house - and told me he would come visit me in San Francisco.
The rest of the day was spent blogging and sleeping! For dinner we had curry and I got a chance to chat more with my host family - we blundered through the language difficulties and had a great conversation about politics and japanese/american relations!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
March 24: R&R
Whew - finally a day to relax!
We are now at the halfway point in our trip and the exhaustion is just setting in. It doesn't help either that I have a cold and am trying hard to keep my energy up while sniffling and blowing my nose. But, this section of the trip is actually fairly relaxing.
Today my host family gave me a choice of what to do - I could do nothing or they could plan something out for me. It ended up being a combination of the two. I went online in the morning to try to catch up on some of my blogging (thank you for your patience - I'm glad you're still checking in!) After about an hour my host sister Iyami came and got me to tell me I was going to learn calligraphy! Iyami is very good and taught me how to write my name and the city name (Sakura) in hirigana. I also learned three words in Kanji - if I remember them by the time I return to San Francisco I will be happy to share my knowledge! After the lesson I ended up with two beautiful mounted boards. Kirae!
We then jumped in the car and went out for hamburgers - which turned out to be a bit different than American hamburgers. At least at this restaurant - the hamburger is just the patty on a plate. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but unfortunately it left me craving a real juicy burger with a side of onion rings. But, I suppose it's good if halfway through the trip only now am I craving other kind of food!
My host mother took me to the post office to buy some stamps for those postcards I keep promising to send out! I hope you get them before I return!!! The funny thing is - another language issue - I ended up with enough stamps to send 40 cards! Guess I'd better get to writing quickly, eh!
The big plan for the day was visiting the onsen. Sheila and I managed to arrange to meet at an onsen in her host-family's hometown. Two of the Uiije Rotary members, Abe-san and Ono-san came to pick me up to drive me to the onsen. We stopped off first to see Abe-sans art collection. I had no idea when I walked into his home what to expect. His collection could rival any museum. Mashiko pottery, paintings, blown glass - heck - I was blown away! He had many items from artists he referred to as "Japanese living national treasures". They were all stunning - this is a man with exquisite taste. One blown-glass box was worth more than $70,000. Wow! He also has an amazing car collection - I only saw the Benz and the Porche... I asked him what he did for a living - he's retired and simply invests now. I guess so...
Abe-san also gave me a lovely gift of a tea-cup made by Mizuki-san - the Mashiko Rotary Club president we had met the week before.
The onsen was so nice. Sheila's host mother and sister and her two children came as well - which was nice to Sheila and I didn't make fools of ourselves by jumping into the wrong pool or anything - well - Sheila did anyway - but shhh - I won't say anything if you don't! The two girls were so cute - one Haruka - was a bundle of energy - jumping up and down and yelling - but in a good way ;-)
The hot water felt so good - especially since I'm fighting this cold. We went outside - which by the way - the rain finally stopped about the time we arrived at the onsen. The cold air made the hot water bearable. I'm not sure how people can sit in these baths for more than five minutes or so without passing out! The women chuckled at men when I stood up a bit and had what looked like sunburn line on my chest - from the point where the water hit I was bright red - and where the cold air hit my skin I was pale white. After a while we came inside to sit in another pool - but with the steam and hot water - we only lasted a few minutes before deciding it was time to clear out and cool off.
We had dinner at a restaurant in the onsen - where it was strange seeing everyone in their bare feet and some even in their PJ's. Guess after eating they'll just head home and go to bed - which is pretty much what I ended up doing too!
We are now at the halfway point in our trip and the exhaustion is just setting in. It doesn't help either that I have a cold and am trying hard to keep my energy up while sniffling and blowing my nose. But, this section of the trip is actually fairly relaxing.
Today my host family gave me a choice of what to do - I could do nothing or they could plan something out for me. It ended up being a combination of the two. I went online in the morning to try to catch up on some of my blogging (thank you for your patience - I'm glad you're still checking in!) After about an hour my host sister Iyami came and got me to tell me I was going to learn calligraphy! Iyami is very good and taught me how to write my name and the city name (Sakura) in hirigana. I also learned three words in Kanji - if I remember them by the time I return to San Francisco I will be happy to share my knowledge! After the lesson I ended up with two beautiful mounted boards. Kirae!
We then jumped in the car and went out for hamburgers - which turned out to be a bit different than American hamburgers. At least at this restaurant - the hamburger is just the patty on a plate. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but unfortunately it left me craving a real juicy burger with a side of onion rings. But, I suppose it's good if halfway through the trip only now am I craving other kind of food!
My host mother took me to the post office to buy some stamps for those postcards I keep promising to send out! I hope you get them before I return!!! The funny thing is - another language issue - I ended up with enough stamps to send 40 cards! Guess I'd better get to writing quickly, eh!
The big plan for the day was visiting the onsen. Sheila and I managed to arrange to meet at an onsen in her host-family's hometown. Two of the Uiije Rotary members, Abe-san and Ono-san came to pick me up to drive me to the onsen. We stopped off first to see Abe-sans art collection. I had no idea when I walked into his home what to expect. His collection could rival any museum. Mashiko pottery, paintings, blown glass - heck - I was blown away! He had many items from artists he referred to as "Japanese living national treasures". They were all stunning - this is a man with exquisite taste. One blown-glass box was worth more than $70,000. Wow! He also has an amazing car collection - I only saw the Benz and the Porche... I asked him what he did for a living - he's retired and simply invests now. I guess so...
Abe-san also gave me a lovely gift of a tea-cup made by Mizuki-san - the Mashiko Rotary Club president we had met the week before.
The onsen was so nice. Sheila's host mother and sister and her two children came as well - which was nice to Sheila and I didn't make fools of ourselves by jumping into the wrong pool or anything - well - Sheila did anyway - but shhh - I won't say anything if you don't! The two girls were so cute - one Haruka - was a bundle of energy - jumping up and down and yelling - but in a good way ;-)
The hot water felt so good - especially since I'm fighting this cold. We went outside - which by the way - the rain finally stopped about the time we arrived at the onsen. The cold air made the hot water bearable. I'm not sure how people can sit in these baths for more than five minutes or so without passing out! The women chuckled at men when I stood up a bit and had what looked like sunburn line on my chest - from the point where the water hit I was bright red - and where the cold air hit my skin I was pale white. After a while we came inside to sit in another pool - but with the steam and hot water - we only lasted a few minutes before deciding it was time to clear out and cool off.
We had dinner at a restaurant in the onsen - where it was strange seeing everyone in their bare feet and some even in their PJ's. Guess after eating they'll just head home and go to bed - which is pretty much what I ended up doing too!
Monday, March 24, 2008
March 23: Amy Gets Wet & Translator Trouble
One of the interesting things about this trip is the difficulty we've had with translators. Some of them are having trouble getting the information across - it's intersting that the best one so far was neither a native english nor native-japanese speaker.
Today's schedule was sponsored by the Bato-Ogawa Rotary and we met at the River-fish Aquarium. This was a fresh-water aquarium along one of the rivers in the area. An amazing building actually on part of the river and built to look like it is floating on the water. Terry got a kick out of seeing it - as did the rest of us. Lots of cool fish - and we took a lot of pictures. One of the best moments was when Amy was picking up a crawfish in the 'petting pool' and it snapped at her she jumped - dropped it back in the pool and got covered in water!
There was an Amazon exhibit where we saw huge fish - some as big as humans! We didn't get to learn too much about the place though - because our translator was one of the Rotarians who knew a little bit of english- but not really enough to translate to us! It didn't matter though - it was visual enough that we knew what was going on.
Our second location was the Hiroshige Art Museum. The exhibit there was all block wood paintings that were originally made for newspapers or books. Some really stunning works of art that were originally throw-away. Hard to imagine. Here too the translation was painful - we understood almost as much from the Japanese language as we did when the translator tried to tell us in english! I wanted to walk away and enjoy the museum for the beauty - but I didn't want the curator to be talking to only one person as two to three others were wandering around on their own having given up on the translation!
We finished up the trip in the gift shop where I finally picked up some postcards - yes - Mom & Dad I'm finally going to write!!! Terry once again got a bit forgetful leaving his sketch journal in the gift shop. By they way - if you ever have a chance you should take a look at some of his sketches - they are stunning!
Today's schedule was sponsored by the Bato-Ogawa Rotary and we met at the River-fish Aquarium. This was a fresh-water aquarium along one of the rivers in the area. An amazing building actually on part of the river and built to look like it is floating on the water. Terry got a kick out of seeing it - as did the rest of us. Lots of cool fish - and we took a lot of pictures. One of the best moments was when Amy was picking up a crawfish in the 'petting pool' and it snapped at her she jumped - dropped it back in the pool and got covered in water!
There was an Amazon exhibit where we saw huge fish - some as big as humans! We didn't get to learn too much about the place though - because our translator was one of the Rotarians who knew a little bit of english- but not really enough to translate to us! It didn't matter though - it was visual enough that we knew what was going on.
Our second location was the Hiroshige Art Museum. The exhibit there was all block wood paintings that were originally made for newspapers or books. Some really stunning works of art that were originally throw-away. Hard to imagine. Here too the translation was painful - we understood almost as much from the Japanese language as we did when the translator tried to tell us in english! I wanted to walk away and enjoy the museum for the beauty - but I didn't want the curator to be talking to only one person as two to three others were wandering around on their own having given up on the translation!
We finished up the trip in the gift shop where I finally picked up some postcards - yes - Mom & Dad I'm finally going to write!!! Terry once again got a bit forgetful leaving his sketch journal in the gift shop. By they way - if you ever have a chance you should take a look at some of his sketches - they are stunning!
March 22: Moving to Sakura
Ah, four nights later and it's time to move on again. This time we said goodbye to our host families jumped on the bus - once again loaded to the gills with our ever growing luggage - and headed to the country.
My host family live in Sakura - which means cherry blossom. I have the most amazing family - the Nagashimas who live on a plot of land that has been a home for more than 500 years. Iyami - is their oldest child and she goes to school in Tokyo. She is studying to be a teacher - and her english is very good. There are 8 people living in their house - parents, three children, grandparents and a great-grandmother who I still have yet to meet. She apparently has some form of dementia and lives in another house on the property.
The place is beautiful a pond and a stream runs all around the the property. An old cold storage shed made out of brick is now used for all kinds of storage - a hobby garage for the grandfather and a grove with a small shrine and bbq pit in the back. I would love to live here - so beautiful and so much to do - the family even makes their own miso and grows all their own vegetables.
The grandfather has the most amazing coin collection - coins more than 1000 years old and made out of shells or carved to look like fish. He even gave me one that is 400 years old!!! The grandfather also has written his own history book - and like my own father - is a member of the Lion's club! If they spoke the same language I'm sure he and my dad would be good friends.
The family arranged for a special tour of the Sakura museum for me - I was given a personal tour by the curator who was impressed with my knowledge of Japanese ceramics (whew - thank goodness for that trip to Mashiko) The museum was built on the grounds of an ancient castle -but most that remained was the moat - and a few rocks where a building once stood. There was also a beautiful WWII memorial - the family almost apologetic about WWII.
Later that evening I had my dinner and meeting with the Uiijie Rotary club - a great bunch of men - it was a lot of fun - except as I mentioned in an earlier blog - too much beer!
My host family live in Sakura - which means cherry blossom. I have the most amazing family - the Nagashimas who live on a plot of land that has been a home for more than 500 years. Iyami - is their oldest child and she goes to school in Tokyo. She is studying to be a teacher - and her english is very good. There are 8 people living in their house - parents, three children, grandparents and a great-grandmother who I still have yet to meet. She apparently has some form of dementia and lives in another house on the property.
The place is beautiful a pond and a stream runs all around the the property. An old cold storage shed made out of brick is now used for all kinds of storage - a hobby garage for the grandfather and a grove with a small shrine and bbq pit in the back. I would love to live here - so beautiful and so much to do - the family even makes their own miso and grows all their own vegetables.
The grandfather has the most amazing coin collection - coins more than 1000 years old and made out of shells or carved to look like fish. He even gave me one that is 400 years old!!! The grandfather also has written his own history book - and like my own father - is a member of the Lion's club! If they spoke the same language I'm sure he and my dad would be good friends.
The family arranged for a special tour of the Sakura museum for me - I was given a personal tour by the curator who was impressed with my knowledge of Japanese ceramics (whew - thank goodness for that trip to Mashiko) The museum was built on the grounds of an ancient castle -but most that remained was the moat - and a few rocks where a building once stood. There was also a beautiful WWII memorial - the family almost apologetic about WWII.
Later that evening I had my dinner and meeting with the Uiijie Rotary club - a great bunch of men - it was a lot of fun - except as I mentioned in an earlier blog - too much beer!
March 21: Amy Gets Embarrassed
We have a lot of visits to fish museums and aquariums on our schedule and we finally figured out why. Apparently when the Japanese saw that Amy worked at the Marin County History Museum - they saw Marin as marine --- so now we know!
Today we visited the Aqua World Oarai (Theme Park) in Oarai. This was a cross between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Sea World. When we arrived we were all in awe of seeing the Pacific Ocean from the other side except for one person (Roger!) who said it was the Japanese Sea. He apparently didn't realize which direction we had been driving! The ocean was rough and magnificent pounding against the rocks.
After looking around for a bit we caught the dolphin show which was a blast - watching the tricks and trying to catch some of the jumps on camera! The best part was watching the excitement on some of the little kids' faces. After the show we parted ways - Amy and I went to check out some of the exhibits. The coolest by far was seeing the shark egg sacks in development - you could see through them and see the shark baby inside. By the time it was close to hatching - if that's the right word - the sack was so tight the shark was wound up inside.
WARNING!
If you're easily offended - don't read this next part!
The best part of the day was when we got to the seals. Two of the seals were together on the ground and Amy said they were so cute, cuddling. I said, they're not cuddling they're having sex. And who do you think was right! Oh yeah, that would be me. They turned over and we saw - well - the seal's manly parts. However - the best was how embarrassed Amy got. Even now she says (jokingly) how traumatized she was!!!
WARNING OVER!
Our last stop of the day was at the Kairakuen Japanese Garden. Beautiful! All the plum trees in bloom and the Cherry Blossoms just beginning. We wandered around for about an hour taking pictures and looking at just how gorgeous everything was.
However, Amy and I got very confused towards the end. We thought we were meeting everyone at the gate at 2:30. Nope - it was at the bus at 2:30, so we kept wandering around thinking we must have had the time wrong. After about 15 minutes one of the Rotary members tracked us down - I felt soooo bad. Sheila then told me that I had told her to be at the bus - apparently my brain isn't working so well anymore!!!! But, at least they didn't leave without us!
We arrived back home at dinnertime - a lovely meal of sushi takeout. It was so good - Geraldine and I pigged out (again!) We were both tired, so when we were sent up to bed again at 8pm we didn't mind so much this time.
Today we visited the Aqua World Oarai (Theme Park) in Oarai. This was a cross between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Sea World. When we arrived we were all in awe of seeing the Pacific Ocean from the other side except for one person (Roger!) who said it was the Japanese Sea. He apparently didn't realize which direction we had been driving! The ocean was rough and magnificent pounding against the rocks.
After looking around for a bit we caught the dolphin show which was a blast - watching the tricks and trying to catch some of the jumps on camera! The best part was watching the excitement on some of the little kids' faces. After the show we parted ways - Amy and I went to check out some of the exhibits. The coolest by far was seeing the shark egg sacks in development - you could see through them and see the shark baby inside. By the time it was close to hatching - if that's the right word - the sack was so tight the shark was wound up inside.
WARNING!
If you're easily offended - don't read this next part!
The best part of the day was when we got to the seals. Two of the seals were together on the ground and Amy said they were so cute, cuddling. I said, they're not cuddling they're having sex. And who do you think was right! Oh yeah, that would be me. They turned over and we saw - well - the seal's manly parts. However - the best was how embarrassed Amy got. Even now she says (jokingly) how traumatized she was!!!
WARNING OVER!
Our last stop of the day was at the Kairakuen Japanese Garden. Beautiful! All the plum trees in bloom and the Cherry Blossoms just beginning. We wandered around for about an hour taking pictures and looking at just how gorgeous everything was.
However, Amy and I got very confused towards the end. We thought we were meeting everyone at the gate at 2:30. Nope - it was at the bus at 2:30, so we kept wandering around thinking we must have had the time wrong. After about 15 minutes one of the Rotary members tracked us down - I felt soooo bad. Sheila then told me that I had told her to be at the bus - apparently my brain isn't working so well anymore!!!! But, at least they didn't leave without us!
We arrived back home at dinnertime - a lovely meal of sushi takeout. It was so good - Geraldine and I pigged out (again!) We were both tired, so when we were sent up to bed again at 8pm we didn't mind so much this time.
March 20: Geraldine Gets Dressed Up
Today is a national holiday in Japan. We started the day with breakfast of mochi - small gooey rice cakes - not exactly my favorites! Geraldine was funny, we walked out and saw several plates covered with beans. Ugh- but I was able to make it through and eat only the items without beans. However, I did try the natto - a popular japanese dish of fermented soy beans - very gooey, sticky and nasty.
Today was originally supposed to be a tour of the Nissan Motor Company and the portable shrine workshop - but since it was a national holiday - those places were apparently closed. Instead we were to visit a Children's Hospital and see a tea ceremony. The first stop was the city's information center - which was oddly enough - closed! We stood outside in the pouring rain until one of the Rotary members told Geraldine and I to sit in his car. We waited there for a bit then someone got in and said we were going for gas - so okay - we went along. But apparently it was more than that - we ended up at the Children's Hospital. I was a bit agitated - thinking we had left our host mother at the other location and never said goodbye to her. Turns out this was a Shimotsuke Rotary club only function - so eventually I got over it and enjoyed the tour.
One of the interesting things I learned at the hospital was that you children cannot have heart transplants in Japan. It has something to do with brain death - I never quite got whether the law wouldn't allow children to be brain dead even for a moment or whether they cannot determine when someone is brain dead so they won't perform the risky surgery on children.
Our next spot was lunch at an Italian or pasta restaurant. We had a lovely translator named Uli who was the best translator so far on the trip - she's a German woman living in Japan. Fascinating person. Confusion over lunch though - we were told the meals had been ordered, but a waitress came out and kept looking at us - eventually we figured out we were supposed to tell them which pasta we wanted - everything else was taken care of. Even with a translator there is confusion!
After lunch we went to a local Rotary club member's home to learn about Ikebana and watch a tea ceremony. The Ikebana was beautiful - one of the flower arrangements looked like a gentle breeze was blowing ... amazing. We then had the chance to create our own arrangements, sort of. The instructor basically put them together while we watched then either congratulated or tore us down. I, of course, got the latter. She told me mine was bad because the piece of fern was in the way of the rose - I wanted to say "Then why did you put it there?" but I just smiled and nodded. It was hilarious.
The same sensei then took us into her home for a tea ceremony. It was beautiful watching the women in their kimono moving around and giving us tea as everything was being described to us. We even got to keep the beautiful paper they put our 'teacakes' on. However, sitting in a cross-legged position for very long makes my legs go to sleep so at one point Sheila started massaging my foot - a bit tacky I'm sure, but everyone just laughed about it.
After the tea ceremony we still had about an hour left and there was some discussion about going outside - but since the rain was still pouring down - Geraldine asked if we could learn about kimono. The teacher pulled out a kimono to let Geraldine try on. By the way this teacher was perhaps the tiniest woman I had ever seen - not just short but stick skinny. She had to have her kimono specially made!
Geraldine looked great - the kimono was purple - my favorite color - and had a painting of the gold temple in Kyoto on the back.
Today was originally supposed to be a tour of the Nissan Motor Company and the portable shrine workshop - but since it was a national holiday - those places were apparently closed. Instead we were to visit a Children's Hospital and see a tea ceremony. The first stop was the city's information center - which was oddly enough - closed! We stood outside in the pouring rain until one of the Rotary members told Geraldine and I to sit in his car. We waited there for a bit then someone got in and said we were going for gas - so okay - we went along. But apparently it was more than that - we ended up at the Children's Hospital. I was a bit agitated - thinking we had left our host mother at the other location and never said goodbye to her. Turns out this was a Shimotsuke Rotary club only function - so eventually I got over it and enjoyed the tour.
One of the interesting things I learned at the hospital was that you children cannot have heart transplants in Japan. It has something to do with brain death - I never quite got whether the law wouldn't allow children to be brain dead even for a moment or whether they cannot determine when someone is brain dead so they won't perform the risky surgery on children.
Our next spot was lunch at an Italian or pasta restaurant. We had a lovely translator named Uli who was the best translator so far on the trip - she's a German woman living in Japan. Fascinating person. Confusion over lunch though - we were told the meals had been ordered, but a waitress came out and kept looking at us - eventually we figured out we were supposed to tell them which pasta we wanted - everything else was taken care of. Even with a translator there is confusion!
After lunch we went to a local Rotary club member's home to learn about Ikebana and watch a tea ceremony. The Ikebana was beautiful - one of the flower arrangements looked like a gentle breeze was blowing ... amazing. We then had the chance to create our own arrangements, sort of. The instructor basically put them together while we watched then either congratulated or tore us down. I, of course, got the latter. She told me mine was bad because the piece of fern was in the way of the rose - I wanted to say "Then why did you put it there?" but I just smiled and nodded. It was hilarious.
The same sensei then took us into her home for a tea ceremony. It was beautiful watching the women in their kimono moving around and giving us tea as everything was being described to us. We even got to keep the beautiful paper they put our 'teacakes' on. However, sitting in a cross-legged position for very long makes my legs go to sleep so at one point Sheila started massaging my foot - a bit tacky I'm sure, but everyone just laughed about it.
After the tea ceremony we still had about an hour left and there was some discussion about going outside - but since the rain was still pouring down - Geraldine asked if we could learn about kimono. The teacher pulled out a kimono to let Geraldine try on. By the way this teacher was perhaps the tiniest woman I had ever seen - not just short but stick skinny. She had to have her kimono specially made!
Geraldine looked great - the kimono was purple - my favorite color - and had a painting of the gold temple in Kyoto on the back.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
March 19: Sheila is in Heaven, Stacy gets sick
One of the things Geraldine and I quickly picked up on about our host mother is that she likes to be early. Not just on time, but arrive before everyone else. I'm not sure if it has to do with being a woman, but as she said she has to work three times as hard as a man - so maybe she also wants to arrive three times as early!
Our ride to our first tour picked us up at 8:30. We were heading to the Pentax Camera Museum. Problem was, the tour didn't start until 10 ... and we arrived at 9:15, way before anyone else. But, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Our driver was a man named Noguchi - who turned out to be hilarious despite the language issues. I tend to laugh a lot and he quickly figured this out and decided to see how hard he could make me laugh. He started making these crazy faces and made me laugh so hard I was literally crying! He even stood behind some of the Rotary people and was making faces as the introductions were going on - I'm sure they thought I was crazy!
The Pentax Camera Museum was very cool and Sheila was in heaven. Sheila is a photographer and knows a ton about cameras and was even doing some explaining to us about the displays. The had some of the very first cameras and photos dating back to the 1800's and of course some very cool spy cameras and high tech new ones.
Our next stop was a Sake Brewery. This was lovely since the tour was a bit different from the other sake brewery we visited on Saturday. We sat in a lounge and were presented with some handmade cards from the owner's mother. (Everyone in Japan seems to be so kind!) Of course we had some tasting as well - and that's where the problem began for me. I had some kind of allergic reaction to the sake. Nothing major - but I got flushed and was feeling ill for several hours. So, no more sake for me!!!
We had lunch at a golf course with the Mashiko Rotary Club. The club was so thoughtful and provided us with an American style meal while the rest of them had bento boxes - we were all drooling over the Japanese food, but ours was still tasty. Geraldine wasn't going to drool though - she asked for a bento box and had her food sent away!
Mashiko is an artists community, many of the residents are ceramic artists so our next stop was the Pottery Art Museum. This place was very cool - we saw some amazing works of art including some plates by the Mashiko Rotary Club President (Mizumi-san). We wrapped up that segment with a cup of english tea and a walk through the town's handicraft shopping district. I was searching for a tea pot - but never did find the perfect one. I will find it before I leave Japan though!
One of the shops we visited was very cool and modern. I didn't end up buying anything, but I would have loved to. They had a vase that was white with green, blue and orange swirls... Gorgeous!
The final stop was the Indigo-dye factory. We were all looking forward to this one. This was an amazing place - very old style Japanese where they do all the dyeing in 200 year old pots buried in the grond. This very shop has been there for 200 years!!! Amazing handicrafts as well - and the color can vary from a pale blue to blue black. We also saw some beautiful pinks made out of insects and browns from brown cotton. Stunning! Of course I had to pick up a few samples - it was a good thing they only took cash otherwise I might have bought out the place!
Our ride to our first tour picked us up at 8:30. We were heading to the Pentax Camera Museum. Problem was, the tour didn't start until 10 ... and we arrived at 9:15, way before anyone else. But, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Our driver was a man named Noguchi - who turned out to be hilarious despite the language issues. I tend to laugh a lot and he quickly figured this out and decided to see how hard he could make me laugh. He started making these crazy faces and made me laugh so hard I was literally crying! He even stood behind some of the Rotary people and was making faces as the introductions were going on - I'm sure they thought I was crazy!
The Pentax Camera Museum was very cool and Sheila was in heaven. Sheila is a photographer and knows a ton about cameras and was even doing some explaining to us about the displays. The had some of the very first cameras and photos dating back to the 1800's and of course some very cool spy cameras and high tech new ones.
Our next stop was a Sake Brewery. This was lovely since the tour was a bit different from the other sake brewery we visited on Saturday. We sat in a lounge and were presented with some handmade cards from the owner's mother. (Everyone in Japan seems to be so kind!) Of course we had some tasting as well - and that's where the problem began for me. I had some kind of allergic reaction to the sake. Nothing major - but I got flushed and was feeling ill for several hours. So, no more sake for me!!!
We had lunch at a golf course with the Mashiko Rotary Club. The club was so thoughtful and provided us with an American style meal while the rest of them had bento boxes - we were all drooling over the Japanese food, but ours was still tasty. Geraldine wasn't going to drool though - she asked for a bento box and had her food sent away!
Mashiko is an artists community, many of the residents are ceramic artists so our next stop was the Pottery Art Museum. This place was very cool - we saw some amazing works of art including some plates by the Mashiko Rotary Club President (Mizumi-san). We wrapped up that segment with a cup of english tea and a walk through the town's handicraft shopping district. I was searching for a tea pot - but never did find the perfect one. I will find it before I leave Japan though!
One of the shops we visited was very cool and modern. I didn't end up buying anything, but I would have loved to. They had a vase that was white with green, blue and orange swirls... Gorgeous!
The final stop was the Indigo-dye factory. We were all looking forward to this one. This was an amazing place - very old style Japanese where they do all the dyeing in 200 year old pots buried in the grond. This very shop has been there for 200 years!!! Amazing handicrafts as well - and the color can vary from a pale blue to blue black. We also saw some beautiful pinks made out of insects and browns from brown cotton. Stunning! Of course I had to pick up a few samples - it was a good thing they only took cash otherwise I might have bought out the place!
March 18: Moving to Moka City
Today we said farewell to our first host families and moved on the the next place, which for me was Moka City. It was sad saying goodbye and some even ended up wiping tears from their eyes as the bus pulled away....
We arrived in Moka City around noon to find out we had to give a presentation to the Moka-West Rotary club. But, we were prepared and it was very smooth. At the meeting Geraldine and I met our second host mother, Hisae Hirosawa. She is a kind woman, about 63 years old. She is one of 5 female members of the Moka-West Rotary Club. (Hirosawa-san later informed us that she had to join the Moka-West club because the Moka Rotary club doesn't allow women to be members!)
After lunch we were shuttled off to meet the mayor of Moka City. This was a real honor and a real hoot. The honor part was that the mayor took time out of his busy schedule to met with us and to present us with a medallion that is somewhat akin to receiving the key to the city. It is a numbered medallion, that is appparently not easily handed out. Mine is #2716. The hoot part was the translator - oh my gosh - she was so funny! First off, she developed this spittle at the sides of her mouth as she talked - I had to turn away - I couldn't look! Then at one point she slapped herself on the face, hard! She said the wrong name and smack! Hilarious! The other funny thing was my big 'ol head. We almost couldn't get the necklace around my head - I had to take of my glasses and kind of shimmy the necklace over my face. Whoops!
The next two stops included a visit to Moka City's information center and a computer college. At the computer college we made a video letter that will be posted on the college website. I'll include a link to it on the blog. The city information center was an amazing building that looked like a train- check out the photos. This was a very cool place that included information about the city, a computer room and a place for kids to learn and play. It was very high tech.
After all that we went home (uchi) to Hirosawa-sans house. We met Megumi, her daughter, and her son whose name I don't recall. (That's the problem with posting late - I forget things!)
The son dragged our massive suitcases up the stairs to our lovely apartment unit. We had our own shower, kitchen, living room and bedroom. We were told to come down for dinner at 6pm- so we had some free time to unpack and get settled. Hirosawa-san had left us a lovely tray with candy, tea and coffee in the living room, so we had a cup of tea and chatted until it was time for dinner.
At dinner we had an amazing spread of Japanese food and followed it up with Japanese tea and a bit of chatting. However, once the clock hit 7:30 we were promptly sent up to bed. Geraldine and I were amazed - uh - "What now?" we thought. We ended up talking for quite a bit before going to bed. It was quite nice rooming with another GSE team member.
We arrived in Moka City around noon to find out we had to give a presentation to the Moka-West Rotary club. But, we were prepared and it was very smooth. At the meeting Geraldine and I met our second host mother, Hisae Hirosawa. She is a kind woman, about 63 years old. She is one of 5 female members of the Moka-West Rotary Club. (Hirosawa-san later informed us that she had to join the Moka-West club because the Moka Rotary club doesn't allow women to be members!)
After lunch we were shuttled off to meet the mayor of Moka City. This was a real honor and a real hoot. The honor part was that the mayor took time out of his busy schedule to met with us and to present us with a medallion that is somewhat akin to receiving the key to the city. It is a numbered medallion, that is appparently not easily handed out. Mine is #2716. The hoot part was the translator - oh my gosh - she was so funny! First off, she developed this spittle at the sides of her mouth as she talked - I had to turn away - I couldn't look! Then at one point she slapped herself on the face, hard! She said the wrong name and smack! Hilarious! The other funny thing was my big 'ol head. We almost couldn't get the necklace around my head - I had to take of my glasses and kind of shimmy the necklace over my face. Whoops!
The next two stops included a visit to Moka City's information center and a computer college. At the computer college we made a video letter that will be posted on the college website. I'll include a link to it on the blog. The city information center was an amazing building that looked like a train- check out the photos. This was a very cool place that included information about the city, a computer room and a place for kids to learn and play. It was very high tech.
After all that we went home (uchi) to Hirosawa-sans house. We met Megumi, her daughter, and her son whose name I don't recall. (That's the problem with posting late - I forget things!)
The son dragged our massive suitcases up the stairs to our lovely apartment unit. We had our own shower, kitchen, living room and bedroom. We were told to come down for dinner at 6pm- so we had some free time to unpack and get settled. Hirosawa-san had left us a lovely tray with candy, tea and coffee in the living room, so we had a cup of tea and chatted until it was time for dinner.
At dinner we had an amazing spread of Japanese food and followed it up with Japanese tea and a bit of chatting. However, once the clock hit 7:30 we were promptly sent up to bed. Geraldine and I were amazed - uh - "What now?" we thought. We ended up talking for quite a bit before going to bed. It was quite nice rooming with another GSE team member.
March 17: Presentations & Karaoke
I am going to backtrack a bit to fill you in on what happened while I was offline.
March 17th was our last full day with Group 9, our first group. This was also the our first presentation to the entire group. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we found out once we arrived in Japan that we were expected to give our presentations in Japanese. We jumped up onstage and hit it out of the park - so to speak. OK, so our language skills weren't perfect, but with the help of my host family, I was able to do it. Everyone did an amazing job and even some of the GSE committee members said that it was an amazing improvement over the first time they heard it!
After dinner and the banner exchange, some of the group headed over to a local Karaoke bar near the hotel. This was such a blast! Terry, Sheila, Amy and I joined about 15 Rotary members to sing the night away (well - at least an hour or so!). It was such a great time, I sang another duet with the same Rotary member as before and also sang songs with Terry and Amy. It was so much fun to watch Terry let loose. He even donned a couple of wigs! This place came with costumes for their Karaoke fans!
The evening wrapped up at 10pm (closing time for the bar) and my host father picked me up. I felt bad about abandoning them to join the others, but it was so much fun and a real bonding experience.
March 17th was our last full day with Group 9, our first group. This was also the our first presentation to the entire group. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we found out once we arrived in Japan that we were expected to give our presentations in Japanese. We jumped up onstage and hit it out of the park - so to speak. OK, so our language skills weren't perfect, but with the help of my host family, I was able to do it. Everyone did an amazing job and even some of the GSE committee members said that it was an amazing improvement over the first time they heard it!
After dinner and the banner exchange, some of the group headed over to a local Karaoke bar near the hotel. This was such a blast! Terry, Sheila, Amy and I joined about 15 Rotary members to sing the night away (well - at least an hour or so!). It was such a great time, I sang another duet with the same Rotary member as before and also sang songs with Terry and Amy. It was so much fun to watch Terry let loose. He even donned a couple of wigs! This place came with costumes for their Karaoke fans!
The evening wrapped up at 10pm (closing time for the bar) and my host father picked me up. I felt bad about abandoning them to join the others, but it was so much fun and a real bonding experience.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Biru, Biru, Biru...
Did you know that one of the customs in Japan is to never let a friend pour their own beer. It's true and it can lead to a lot of trouble. Tonight I attended the first `meeting` of the Uiije Rotary Club of my third home stay. I joined my host-father Nagashima-san (seems weird to call him a host-father when he's only 10 years older than me!!) at the hotel where they hold their regular meetings. The meetings are on Thursday nights, but since I won't be in town on a Thursday, they held a special dinner for me. About 10 members attended and they were all quite lovely. Two looked very young, but I was happy to discover they were all older than me - if only by a few months! One of the members went to college in Michigan, so he spoke wonderful english. He even bought me a book about the language and culture. A truly fantastic group of men.
Dinner was comprised of sushi, ramen, chicken and a ton of other oishee (delicious) food and lots of beer. Unfortunately my class was never empty, someone was always filling it back up, and no I was not out of control. I just had a really good time! We exchanged meishi (business card) and talked about politics, San Francisco, health issues with some kind of electric cooking mechanism I have never heard of ... it was quite fascinating. I am looking forward to this home stay and getting to know this group of Rotary members!
Dinner was comprised of sushi, ramen, chicken and a ton of other oishee (delicious) food and lots of beer. Unfortunately my class was never empty, someone was always filling it back up, and no I was not out of control. I just had a really good time! We exchanged meishi (business card) and talked about politics, San Francisco, health issues with some kind of electric cooking mechanism I have never heard of ... it was quite fascinating. I am looking forward to this home stay and getting to know this group of Rotary members!
Finally Online!
I'm baaack!
My second host family did not have a computer, so I was unable to post for five days. I apologize to those who were logging in for updates over the last few days. Now I am with my third host family and I am connected once more. Look for quite a bit of catching up over the next few days.
First some notes about my second home stay. Geraldine and I were teamed up in one home with a wonderful woman named Hisae Hirosawa. She is about 63 years old and runs several businesses. Her main focus is her rice company that she runs with her oldest son. Hirosawa-san was a fascinating blend of the old and the new. She ran her business like a modern woman - running the rice shop and owning several other stores and real estate - including a Coco's Restaurant. But at home, she was very traditional. Her youngest daughter came home after 17 years in the banking business to help take care of her mother and run their home. Megumi (the daughter) spoke wonderful english and translated all of our conversations. We had thoughtful discussions about politics, religion and women's rights. Both women were surprised to hear that some of their concerns in Japan also existed in the United States as well.
However, some of the most entertaining moments of the home stay involved my co-team member Geraldine. For those of you who don't know, Geraldine is very active and hates to just sit around, so, she asked the host family if she could borrow their bicycle. Who knew this would turn out to become a contentious issue (of sorts)! The host mother absolutely refused to let Geraldine touch the bike. She was so worried about Geraldine's safety, which was very sweet, but I'm sure it drove her mad. It became a running topic of conversation for a couple of days - Geraldine hitting them up for a chance to ride the bike around and Hirosawa-san firmly standing her ground.
I will talk more about our time in Moka City and the last home stay in the coming days. For today, it has been a long day and I have had too much biru. Time for bed!
My second host family did not have a computer, so I was unable to post for five days. I apologize to those who were logging in for updates over the last few days. Now I am with my third host family and I am connected once more. Look for quite a bit of catching up over the next few days.
First some notes about my second home stay. Geraldine and I were teamed up in one home with a wonderful woman named Hisae Hirosawa. She is about 63 years old and runs several businesses. Her main focus is her rice company that she runs with her oldest son. Hirosawa-san was a fascinating blend of the old and the new. She ran her business like a modern woman - running the rice shop and owning several other stores and real estate - including a Coco's Restaurant. But at home, she was very traditional. Her youngest daughter came home after 17 years in the banking business to help take care of her mother and run their home. Megumi (the daughter) spoke wonderful english and translated all of our conversations. We had thoughtful discussions about politics, religion and women's rights. Both women were surprised to hear that some of their concerns in Japan also existed in the United States as well.
However, some of the most entertaining moments of the home stay involved my co-team member Geraldine. For those of you who don't know, Geraldine is very active and hates to just sit around, so, she asked the host family if she could borrow their bicycle. Who knew this would turn out to become a contentious issue (of sorts)! The host mother absolutely refused to let Geraldine touch the bike. She was so worried about Geraldine's safety, which was very sweet, but I'm sure it drove her mad. It became a running topic of conversation for a couple of days - Geraldine hitting them up for a chance to ride the bike around and Hirosawa-san firmly standing her ground.
I will talk more about our time in Moka City and the last home stay in the coming days. For today, it has been a long day and I have had too much biru. Time for bed!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Harajuku Girls
My host family took me to Tokyo today. We went to Harajuku - for those who don't know this area was made famous (well to some anyway) in Gwen Stefani's song Harajuku girls. My host sister is 15 and is quite stylish (I gave her a Lucky magazine, but she dresses way cooler than anything in the mag!). She dressed in the Harajuku fashion with knee socks and a dress that looks sort of like a fancy maid - all black and white. As we were walking through Harajuku - tons of people stopped to take her picture. And she simply wanted a picture with me! She took me to a photo booth place that makes pictures really tiny on little stickers less than an inch big. I have some, so I will show you how cool I look next to her - ha!
It was a lot of fun - tons of people hard to move around - and very touristy. First time I saw people who spoke other languages... lots of Germans and Brits there.
We also went to a giant mall called *Sunshine City* where I bought some Hello Kitty stuff. However - I bought a pen that's not really a pen - not sure what the heck it's supposed to do - oh well. It's cute anyway!
We also did a bit of shopping at a department store called Seido. Very fancy - maybe like a Harrods. My host father bought me a japanese translation book - I think that was a hint ... actually it was very kind. We've both been struggling with the language although they do speak english better than I speak japanese!!!!
Ah, that reminds me. Last night I went to Cram School. That's what they call it here - it's a supplementary education course where they teach english. My family took me so I could speak to some of the students there. It was actually fun, but of course because of the language problem, I didn't know that was why I was there until the english teacher asked me to stand up in front of the class!!! Each student was told to ask me a question - and some were reprimanded for not speaking to me. The teacher said "This is a wonderful opportunity for you to speak english..." They were very shy - but those who spoke to me were wonderful with the language. English is a required subject here in Japan - I believe students have to take it for six years in school - but many don't get the opportunity to use it in real life very often.
Which reminds me - as strange as it sounds, this trip is going to make me a better spanish speaker! Every time I try to think of the word in japanese, the spanish words comes to me first!
It was a lot of fun - tons of people hard to move around - and very touristy. First time I saw people who spoke other languages... lots of Germans and Brits there.
We also went to a giant mall called *Sunshine City* where I bought some Hello Kitty stuff. However - I bought a pen that's not really a pen - not sure what the heck it's supposed to do - oh well. It's cute anyway!
We also did a bit of shopping at a department store called Seido. Very fancy - maybe like a Harrods. My host father bought me a japanese translation book - I think that was a hint ... actually it was very kind. We've both been struggling with the language although they do speak english better than I speak japanese!!!!
Ah, that reminds me. Last night I went to Cram School. That's what they call it here - it's a supplementary education course where they teach english. My family took me so I could speak to some of the students there. It was actually fun, but of course because of the language problem, I didn't know that was why I was there until the english teacher asked me to stand up in front of the class!!! Each student was told to ask me a question - and some were reprimanded for not speaking to me. The teacher said "This is a wonderful opportunity for you to speak english..." They were very shy - but those who spoke to me were wonderful with the language. English is a required subject here in Japan - I believe students have to take it for six years in school - but many don't get the opportunity to use it in real life very often.
Which reminds me - as strange as it sounds, this trip is going to make me a better spanish speaker! Every time I try to think of the word in japanese, the spanish words comes to me first!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Museums and Sake
Today I got out of bed at 6:30 day in Sano and beyond. My host family fixed me a HUGE breakfast. I swear I thought I would lose weight - but I'm going to end up gaining weight on this trip. I am eating non-stop! The breakfast was delicious - oishee - eggs, sausage, a bagel, half a doughnut and half a sweet bread. And yes, I ate it all - well most of it anyway.
After breakfast we left to meet up with the team. It was great to see everyone again - even though it had only been one night. It was as if it were a reunion - but it was nice to feel comfortable and to not have to worry about language issues. However, I must say I am learning japanese much faster now that I am being forced to use it more!
Our first stop was the Ashikaga Gakko, the oldest school in Japan. It was very beautiful and all I could think about was how much my mother would enjoy looking at the school, even though it was a university not an elementary school. Beautiful raked pepple lawns and cherry and plum blossoms just starting to bloom. Gorgeous!
Next we went to a ceramic museum which has beautiful works of art. The museum features a plate made for a king that the japanese refer to as a national treasure - worth more than 500,000 yen! The museum is privately funded and the owner spent quite a bit of time talking with our resident museum fundraiser, Amy, who offered him lots of tips on how to raise money for the museum. Let's hope he takes her up on some of the ideas!
The next museum we went to featured some beautiful works of art painted on paper. They had such a sheen to them it was as if they were painted with gold flecks or sand. There were three museums tied to this one and we flew through them all. The last one Sheila and I were finally chased out of by one of the Rotary club members. We were enjoying all of the fossils and didn' realized everyone was already gone.
Our last stop was the Sake factory. I am rapidly becoming a fan of Sake. Here I thought of my sister and how she would get a kick out of how they make sake. It was very interesting and I enjoyed how the sake brewer? was so demonstrative in his descriptions. We almost didn't need a translater.
After breakfast we left to meet up with the team. It was great to see everyone again - even though it had only been one night. It was as if it were a reunion - but it was nice to feel comfortable and to not have to worry about language issues. However, I must say I am learning japanese much faster now that I am being forced to use it more!
Our first stop was the Ashikaga Gakko, the oldest school in Japan. It was very beautiful and all I could think about was how much my mother would enjoy looking at the school, even though it was a university not an elementary school. Beautiful raked pepple lawns and cherry and plum blossoms just starting to bloom. Gorgeous!
Next we went to a ceramic museum which has beautiful works of art. The museum features a plate made for a king that the japanese refer to as a national treasure - worth more than 500,000 yen! The museum is privately funded and the owner spent quite a bit of time talking with our resident museum fundraiser, Amy, who offered him lots of tips on how to raise money for the museum. Let's hope he takes her up on some of the ideas!
The next museum we went to featured some beautiful works of art painted on paper. They had such a sheen to them it was as if they were painted with gold flecks or sand. There were three museums tied to this one and we flew through them all. The last one Sheila and I were finally chased out of by one of the Rotary club members. We were enjoying all of the fossils and didn' realized everyone was already gone.
Our last stop was the Sake factory. I am rapidly becoming a fan of Sake. Here I thought of my sister and how she would get a kick out of how they make sake. It was very interesting and I enjoyed how the sake brewer? was so demonstrative in his descriptions. We almost didn't need a translater.
Big in Japan
Okay, so first off I'm totally stealing the title from Sheila. As I mentioned in my last post - everything here is much smaller than it is in the US - from the cars to the items in the grocery store. Today Sheila and I were laughing so hard we were crying at lunch. We walked to the restroom and I stormed in without putting on the toilet slipper - yes you have to change your shoes to go to the bathroom. So I quickly ran back out to change - as I did I wacked my head on the doorway. I'm nearly six foot and most of the doorways here are about that height. Then I went to put my big 'ol clodhoppers in the slippers and they didn't fit! Too funny! I couldn't stop laughing - I had to shove my feet in them which probably stretched them out so much that no one will be able to wear them again!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Spending Time with Host Family
I am now with my first host family in Sano, Japan.
The day began with lunch at the hotel. We planned on meeting at 11am, thinking we were supposed to meet for lunch and the initial meeting at 11:30. Unfortunately we were wrong. The Rotarians arrived before 11, luckily I was ready and was downstairs shortly before 11. Whew.
Lunch was good, except for the unwanted surprise. We had to do our presentation - in Japanese! We had just received our translations when we were told we had to get up and give our speech in front of the entire group. Not to mention, the translation I had was of my old LONG speech. I stumbled through it horribly - even with Roger standing over my shoulder. On a good note, my saviour, Brody Sloan, just came through with the translation of my shorter version and I will practice, practice, practice for the next few days until I can say it in my sleep.
After lunch I visited my host family's office. Shibasan is an estate lawyer and has his own firm. I was able to meet all the wonderful people who work there and sat down with one young man (23 & speaks very good English!) until one of the workers took me out to buy stamps. That was fun - it was in an old building and the couple that live/work there were very friendly. After we returned to the office, Aki and I went to the shopping mall. It was a typical shopping mall with two stories and attached to it a giant grocery store/department store. It was funny checking out all the food - you can tell just how much more Americans eat based on the size of food in the story. The largest milk size sold was a quart and don't get me started about the size of the ice cream cartons!
After shopping, we returned home. I am staying in a lovely room with dark wood floors (now covered with my giant luggage). I practiced my japanese for about 30 minutes than we were off again to the Sano East club welcome party. Dinner, Rotary meeting and Karoke. I sang two songs including a duet of "My Heart Will Go On" with one of the members. I couldn't stop laughing. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.
The day began with lunch at the hotel. We planned on meeting at 11am, thinking we were supposed to meet for lunch and the initial meeting at 11:30. Unfortunately we were wrong. The Rotarians arrived before 11, luckily I was ready and was downstairs shortly before 11. Whew.
Lunch was good, except for the unwanted surprise. We had to do our presentation - in Japanese! We had just received our translations when we were told we had to get up and give our speech in front of the entire group. Not to mention, the translation I had was of my old LONG speech. I stumbled through it horribly - even with Roger standing over my shoulder. On a good note, my saviour, Brody Sloan, just came through with the translation of my shorter version and I will practice, practice, practice for the next few days until I can say it in my sleep.
After lunch I visited my host family's office. Shibasan is an estate lawyer and has his own firm. I was able to meet all the wonderful people who work there and sat down with one young man (23 & speaks very good English!) until one of the workers took me out to buy stamps. That was fun - it was in an old building and the couple that live/work there were very friendly. After we returned to the office, Aki and I went to the shopping mall. It was a typical shopping mall with two stories and attached to it a giant grocery store/department store. It was funny checking out all the food - you can tell just how much more Americans eat based on the size of food in the story. The largest milk size sold was a quart and don't get me started about the size of the ice cream cartons!
After shopping, we returned home. I am staying in a lovely room with dark wood floors (now covered with my giant luggage). I practiced my japanese for about 30 minutes than we were off again to the Sano East club welcome party. Dinner, Rotary meeting and Karoke. I sang two songs including a duet of "My Heart Will Go On" with one of the members. I couldn't stop laughing. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
An Evening in Sano
Thursday evening the Amy, Sheila, Geraldine and I left Roger and Terry at the hotel to get some rest and ventured out into the city of Sano. We were heading to 7/11 to get some cash from an ATM and wander around a bit.
The first store we went into was a stationary store and I made my first purchase using yen without a hitch. However, I was only saved by the fact that the cash register was visible to me as well! We then went into 7/11 were we encountered our first Japanese faux pas (that we know of!) on the trip. One of our team members purchased a soda then opened it up to take a drink when the clerk started squawking and gesturing to her. The clerk was very nice but made it clear that we were not allowed to open any items (including purchased ones!) in the store.
We then passed through several grocery and sundry stores until we hit our next problem. We entered a Walgreens-type drugstore and were unceremoniously kicked out! We weren't sure what we had done until someone later told us that it was likely simply that we were foreigners!
The first store we went into was a stationary store and I made my first purchase using yen without a hitch. However, I was only saved by the fact that the cash register was visible to me as well! We then went into 7/11 were we encountered our first Japanese faux pas (that we know of!) on the trip. One of our team members purchased a soda then opened it up to take a drink when the clerk started squawking and gesturing to her. The clerk was very nice but made it clear that we were not allowed to open any items (including purchased ones!) in the store.
We then passed through several grocery and sundry stores until we hit our next problem. We entered a Walgreens-type drugstore and were unceremoniously kicked out! We weren't sure what we had done until someone later told us that it was likely simply that we were foreigners!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Karasawa Shrine
An amazing day in Japan.
We spent the morning at GSE orientation. Which means we basically learned some of the rules of culture we need to follow (bathing and bidets!) and practiced our presentations. We're all trying to give our presentations in Japanese, which means we need A LOT of practice. I pronounced namae (name) incorrectly and the word I said means gangster - so I need to get it right or I could be carted off to jail ;-)
After orientation we went to have lunch at the Karasawa Shrine. This is a 1000+ year old Shinto Shrine outside of Sano. The lunch was fabulous, Sanosan's wife went to a lot of trouble whipping it up. We had tempura, salad, rice, chicken pot, seaweed soup ... I can't even remember what else - but about 10 different items. I can't imagine the work that went into that meal. The home was very traditional, shoji screens, tatami mats - which by the way - I'm apparently going to have trouble with all the sitting. My feet fell asleep twice during lunch!
After lunch we walked around the shrine. Lots of steps and lots of amazing views. Check out some of my photos. The shrine on top of the hill is torn down and rebuilt every 100 years or so. Part of it is what remains of the original castle built there 1000+ years ago. There's a moat around it for protection and you can see how it would be hard for invaders to attack with all those steep inclines.
Tonight the team is meeting to go over our presentations again. Tomorrow we meet our first host families and get separated for the first time. It's going to be difficult to be parted from the group, but I also can't wait to get to meet the host family!
We spent the morning at GSE orientation. Which means we basically learned some of the rules of culture we need to follow (bathing and bidets!) and practiced our presentations. We're all trying to give our presentations in Japanese, which means we need A LOT of practice. I pronounced namae (name) incorrectly and the word I said means gangster - so I need to get it right or I could be carted off to jail ;-)
After orientation we went to have lunch at the Karasawa Shrine. This is a 1000+ year old Shinto Shrine outside of Sano. The lunch was fabulous, Sanosan's wife went to a lot of trouble whipping it up. We had tempura, salad, rice, chicken pot, seaweed soup ... I can't even remember what else - but about 10 different items. I can't imagine the work that went into that meal. The home was very traditional, shoji screens, tatami mats - which by the way - I'm apparently going to have trouble with all the sitting. My feet fell asleep twice during lunch!
After lunch we walked around the shrine. Lots of steps and lots of amazing views. Check out some of my photos. The shrine on top of the hill is torn down and rebuilt every 100 years or so. Part of it is what remains of the original castle built there 1000+ years ago. There's a moat around it for protection and you can see how it would be hard for invaders to attack with all those steep inclines.
Tonight the team is meeting to go over our presentations again. Tomorrow we meet our first host families and get separated for the first time. It's going to be difficult to be parted from the group, but I also can't wait to get to meet the host family!
Finally in Japan!
Konnichiwa!
Greetings from Japan．
Whew, what a long flight. 11 hours in the air squished between two people in coach! Although, I was lucky enough to be seated next to one of my team members, so we had a good time on the team members, so we had a good time on the plane. So good, in fact, that one of the passengers told us to be quiet!
We were greeted at the airport by four GSE committee members. They took us to a bus they had rented for the day and this is where things started to get hilarious. Six Americans and all of our crazy luggage!!! We had three bags per person and only two people could fit their luggage in the compartment on the bus. The driver had to lug all of our stuff through a window on the bus and loaded up two seats with it!
We then began our three hour journey to the Tochigi prefecture. It was fun driving on the cosocudoro (ha - I knew I would find a use for that word - which means highway by the way!). We passed Tokyo Disneyland - looks just like all the others I suppose, but we will not be going there on this trip! We ended up in Sano and stopped at a restaurant for dinner - and no - I have no idea what the name of the restaurant was! Amy and I ordered a *variety* dinner. It was HUGE! We cracked up at how much food was on our plate - which in fact was a giant basket big enough for three! It was really good, although neither of us could eat it all. Sheila took some photos, so I will try to post them later on!
We arrived at the hotel a few minutes after finishing dinner. It is a nice enough place, small (which is to be expected) but we each have our own rooms. When we got off the bus, poor Terry ended up running around the corner and throwing up into a bag. He has been so sick the whole time, but he has been a trooper.
By this point, we had been up for nearly 24 hours and were exausted, so we all headed up to our rooms to crash. I was still a big jazzed, so I could not sleep right away. I ended up watching a bit of *DIRT* on my ipod. I am so glad I loaded that up with songs, shows and language courses! An interesting note about the hotel room, pretty typical, but I cannot believe how hard the beds is! It is like sleeping on the ground - okay - maybe a little better, but still... (But I realized, hard beds are probably pretty common since a lot of the japanese are used to tatami mats - a soft bed might be strange for them.) I ended up moving to the couch at about 5am. It was a bit more comfortable, but since I had been asleep for 8 hours anyway I ended up getting up and jumping on the computer anyway.
Today we have orientation from 10-12 - then off to a special lunch. I will be sure to let you know what happens...
Greetings from Japan．
Whew, what a long flight. 11 hours in the air squished between two people in coach! Although, I was lucky enough to be seated next to one of my team members, so we had a good time on the team members, so we had a good time on the plane. So good, in fact, that one of the passengers told us to be quiet!
We were greeted at the airport by four GSE committee members. They took us to a bus they had rented for the day and this is where things started to get hilarious. Six Americans and all of our crazy luggage!!! We had three bags per person and only two people could fit their luggage in the compartment on the bus. The driver had to lug all of our stuff through a window on the bus and loaded up two seats with it!
We then began our three hour journey to the Tochigi prefecture. It was fun driving on the cosocudoro (ha - I knew I would find a use for that word - which means highway by the way!). We passed Tokyo Disneyland - looks just like all the others I suppose, but we will not be going there on this trip! We ended up in Sano and stopped at a restaurant for dinner - and no - I have no idea what the name of the restaurant was! Amy and I ordered a *variety* dinner. It was HUGE! We cracked up at how much food was on our plate - which in fact was a giant basket big enough for three! It was really good, although neither of us could eat it all. Sheila took some photos, so I will try to post them later on!
We arrived at the hotel a few minutes after finishing dinner. It is a nice enough place, small (which is to be expected) but we each have our own rooms. When we got off the bus, poor Terry ended up running around the corner and throwing up into a bag. He has been so sick the whole time, but he has been a trooper.
By this point, we had been up for nearly 24 hours and were exausted, so we all headed up to our rooms to crash. I was still a big jazzed, so I could not sleep right away. I ended up watching a bit of *DIRT* on my ipod. I am so glad I loaded that up with songs, shows and language courses! An interesting note about the hotel room, pretty typical, but I cannot believe how hard the beds is! It is like sleeping on the ground - okay - maybe a little better, but still... (But I realized, hard beds are probably pretty common since a lot of the japanese are used to tatami mats - a soft bed might be strange for them.) I ended up moving to the couch at about 5am. It was a bit more comfortable, but since I had been asleep for 8 hours anyway I ended up getting up and jumping on the computer anyway.
Today we have orientation from 10-12 - then off to a special lunch. I will be sure to let you know what happens...
Monday, March 10, 2008
Still Packing!
Okay, so it's now 6pm on Monday and I'm leaving in just 18 hours. I thought I was pretty much packed and ready to go -- until I weighed my suitcase. I'm flying United and on international flights we're only allowed 50 pounds per suitcase. Mine currently weighs in at 63.9 pounds! Ah, if only 70 were still the limit.
So, I now have to unpack and repack and figure out how I'm going to get my suitcase to weigh in under 50 pounds. I feel like a boxer trying to get under that dreaded weight limit to become a lightweight or middleweight. Whatever - that's it for my sports analogies!
Wish me luck. Looks like I'll have to check two bags in addition to my carry on. Drat!
So, I now have to unpack and repack and figure out how I'm going to get my suitcase to weigh in under 50 pounds. I feel like a boxer trying to get under that dreaded weight limit to become a lightweight or middleweight. Whatever - that's it for my sports analogies!
Wish me luck. Looks like I'll have to check two bags in addition to my carry on. Drat!
GSE Team Schedule
GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR D-5150 TEAM 2008-09 GSE COMMITTEE OF DISTRICT 2550
CLUBS IN CHARGE
ARRIVAL DAY GSE Committee
March 12 Wed.
15:30 Meet at Narita Airport / Leave for District 2550
19:30 Check in Hotel (Tochigi Prefecture)
March 13 Thu.
10:00 Orientation at the hotel
12:00 Welcome Lunch Karasawa Shrine
Free Time (Hotel stay)
IST PERIOD MARCH 14-18 GROUP 9
March 14 Fri.
11:30 Transferred from GSE to Group 9
Lunch with host families
18:30 Welcome party by Group 9
March 15 Sat.
10:00 Ashikaga Gakko ( historical spot )
Kurita Ceramic Museum
Yoshizawa Art Museum, Sake (Rice-wine) brewery
March 16 Sun. Free activities with host families
March 17 Mon.
10:00 City tour / Shopping at outlet store, Movie theater
18:30 Sano Rotary meeting
Farewell party
March 18 Tue. Leave Group 9
2ND PERIOD MARCH 18-22 GROUP 4
March 18 Tues.
11:30 Transferred from Group 9 to Group 4
12:30 Moka-West Rotary Club Meeting Moka-West Rotary
14:00 Respectful Call on Mayor of Moka City
15:00 Computer Collage
16:00 City’s Information Center<>
March 19 Wed.
March 21 Fri.
March 23 Sun.
March 24 Mon. Rest Day
March 25 Tues.
March 26 Wed. 10:00 Leave Group 2
4TH PERIOD MARCH 26-MARCH 31 GROUP 7
March 26 Wed.
March 27 Thu.
March 29 Sat.
March 31 Mon. Leave Group 6
5TH PERIOD MARCH 31-APRIL 5 GROUP 3
March 31 Mon
April 1 Tues.
April 2 Wed.
6TH PERIOD APRIL 5-APRIL 9 GSE COMMITTEE
April 5 Sat.
April 6 Sun.
CLUBS IN CHARGE
ARRIVAL DAY GSE Committee
March 12 Wed.
15:30 Meet at Narita Airport / Leave for District 2550
19:30 Check in Hotel (Tochigi Prefecture)
March 13 Thu.
10:00 Orientation at the hotel
12:00 Welcome Lunch Karasawa Shrine
Free Time (Hotel stay)
IST PERIOD MARCH 14-18 GROUP 9
March 14 Fri.
11:30 Transferred from GSE to Group 9
Lunch with host families
18:30 Welcome party by Group 9
March 15 Sat.
10:00 Ashikaga Gakko ( historical spot )
Kurita Ceramic Museum
Yoshizawa Art Museum, Sake (Rice-wine) brewery
March 16 Sun. Free activities with host families
March 17 Mon.
10:00 City tour / Shopping at outlet store, Movie theater
18:30 Sano Rotary meeting
Farewell party
March 18 Tue. Leave Group 9
2ND PERIOD MARCH 18-22 GROUP 4
March 18 Tues.
11:30 Transferred from Group 9 to Group 4
12:30 Moka-West Rotary Club Meeting Moka-West Rotary
14:00 Respectful Call on Mayor of Moka City
15:00 Computer Collage
16:00 City’s Information Center<>
March 19 Wed.
10:00 Pentax Camera Museum Mashiko Rotary
11:15 Sake Brewery
11:15 Sake Brewery
12:15 Mashiko Roary Club Meeting
14:00 Pottery Art Museum
Stroll in handicraft shop district<>
16:30 Indigo-blue Dyeing workshop
14:00 Pottery Art Museum
Stroll in handicraft shop district<>
16:30 Indigo-blue Dyeing workshop
March 20 Thu.
10:00 Nissan Motor Company Tochigi Plant Shimotsuke Rotary
13:30 Portable Shrine Workshop
13:30 Portable Shrine Workshop
March 21 Fri.
09:30 Aqua World Oarai (Theme park ) Moka Rotary
13:30 Japanese garden KAIRAKUEN <>
Plum-blossom Festival <>
16:00 Commercial district / Shopping
13:30 Japanese garden KAIRAKUEN <>
Plum-blossom Festival <>
16:00 Commercial district / Shopping
March 22 Sat. 10:00 Leave Group 4
3RD PERIOD MARCH 22-MARCH 26 GROUP 2
March 22 Sat.
3RD PERIOD MARCH 22-MARCH 26 GROUP 2
March 22 Sat.
11:30 Transferred from Group 4 to Group 2
March 23 Sun.
10:00 River-fish aquarium Bato-Ogawa Rotary
Hiroshige Art Museum
Hiroshige Art Museum
March 24 Mon. Rest Day
March 25 Tues.
10:00 SHARP Electronics Yaita Plant Yaita Rotary
12:00 Yaita Rotary Club meeting
14:00 Tobu World Square (Miniature building Park )
Wake memorial Museum
12:00 Yaita Rotary Club meeting
14:00 Tobu World Square (Miniature building Park )
Wake memorial Museum
March 26 Wed. 10:00 Leave Group 2
4TH PERIOD MARCH 26-MARCH 31 GROUP 7
March 26 Wed.
Transferred from Group 6 to Group 7 Kanuma Rotary
13:30 Police Station
14:40 Firehouse
16:10 Hotel check-in at Utsunomiya Chisan hotel (Tel: 028-632-8211)
18:30 Dinner with Kanuma,K-East,K-Central & Awano-Nishikata RCs
13:30 Police Station
14:40 Firehouse
16:10 Hotel check-in at Utsunomiya Chisan hotel (Tel: 028-632-8211)
18:30 Dinner with Kanuma,K-East,K-Central & Awano-Nishikata RCs
March 27 Thu.
10:30 Nakanishi Inc.(Precision rotary equipments) Kanuma-Central RC
12:30 Kanuma Rotary Meeting
14:00 Parade-Float Museums
16:00 Shopping
12:30 Kanuma Rotary Meeting
14:00 Parade-Float Museums
16:00 Shopping
March 28 Fri.
11:00 Meeting Imaich-Kinu Rotary
13:30 Glaxo SmithKline Co.( Pharmaceutical manufacturer)
14:45 Taishi Shokuhin Kogyo (Tofu maker ) / Noguchi Hospital
18:30 Reception by Imaichi-Kinu,Imaichi & Nikko RCs
20:00 Meeting with host families
13:30 Glaxo SmithKline Co.( Pharmaceutical manufacturer)
14:45 Taishi Shokuhin Kogyo (Tofu maker ) / Noguchi Hospital
18:30 Reception by Imaichi-Kinu,Imaichi & Nikko RCs
20:00 Meeting with host families
March 29 Sat.
10:00 Nursing-care facilities / Sake brewery / Rice-cake maker
March 30 Sun.
Sightseeing tour to Nikko (World Heritage) <>
March 31 Mon. Leave Group 6
5TH PERIOD MARCH 31-APRIL 5 GROUP 3
March 31 Mon
Transferred from Group 6 to Group 3
13:00 Oya-Kannon/Takiyama Temple Utsunomiya-South& U-Yonan RC
16:30 Meeting with host families
13:00 Oya-Kannon/Takiyama Temple Utsunomiya-South& U-Yonan RC
16:30 Meeting with host families
April 1 Tues.
09:30 Prefectural Museum Utsunomiya & U-West RC
Shimotsuke Newspaper Co.<>
12:30 Utsunomiya Rotary Meeting
14:00 NHK( Japan Broadcasts Association)/ FM Radio Berry
Shimotsuke Newspaper Co.<>
12:30 Utsunomiya Rotary Meeting
14:00 NHK( Japan Broadcasts Association)/ FM Radio Berry
April 2 Wed.
09:30 Hiki Hospital <> Utsunomiya-Yoto & U-90 RC
12:30 Utsunomiya-Yoto Rotary meeting
14:00 Sinohara Residence .
15:00 Suginome Gakuin ( School for children with learning difficulties)
12:30 Utsunomiya-Yoto Rotary meeting
14:00 Sinohara Residence .
15:00 Suginome Gakuin ( School for children with learning difficulties)
April 3 Thu. Rest Day
April 4 Fri
10:00 Respectful call on City Mayor U-East,U-North & U-Yohoku RC
12:00 Dainty and refined Japanese dishes
Tea Ceremony / Japanese clothing
17:00 Invited to Grand Dinner / District Convention Eve
12:00 Dainty and refined Japanese dishes
Tea Ceremony / Japanese clothing
17:00 Invited to Grand Dinner / District Convention Eve
April 5 Sat.
09:00 DISTRICT CONVENTION at Utsunomiya Grand Hotel
Presentation by District 5150 GSE Team
Presentation by District 5150 GSE Team
6TH PERIOD APRIL 5-APRIL 9 GSE COMMITTEE
April 5 Sat.
Transferred from Group 3 to GSE Committee
April 6 Sun.
Free Time until Evening (Luggage-Packing)
17:00 Farewell Party by D-2550 Governor
17:00 Farewell Party by D-2550 Governor
April 7 Mon.
Leave District 2550
Sightseeing in Tokyo
Sightseeing in Tokyo
April 8 Tues.
Sight-seeing in Tokyo
April 9 Wed.
Arrive at Narita
SAYONARA Japan for San Francisco
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Sayonara!
For those of you who don't know, I am heading to Japan for four weeks as part of a Group Study Exchange. It's a vocational project through Rotary International. I am not a member of Rotary, but after applying and interviewing I was asked to join the GSE team on the trip to Japan. While in Japan, touring various sites and attractions in the Tochigi prefecture (and yes we'll be spending a few days in Tokyo!). In addition each team member will be going on vocational visits. My vocational visits will consist of touring a TV station, radio station and newspaper. I'm setting up this blog (my first!) to keep you up to date about all of my adventures. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post - but I'll give it a shot!Please check it out while I'm gone! I'm leaving on Tuesday, March 11 and will return to the US on Thursday, April 10. I'm very excited about this adventure and I look forward to sharing it with you.
Sayonara!
Stacy Tiffin
Sayonara!
Stacy Tiffin
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