05/23/06: Minasan, konnichi wa! Hello everyone! We are one week into our Japan adventure and doing well. Aside from tremendous jet lag that the girls have experienced, we are almost on a sleep schedule. They've been waking up in the morning anywhere from 2AM to 5AM, but it's getting better day by day. We had a full air travel day and then a full train travel day before reaching Mutsu City in Aomori Prefecture, the northern most part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. We've settled into our friends' house and they've been wonderful hosts. Tokyo was miserably hot and rainy when we arrived, but traveling north we have experienced much more comfortable temperatures and sunny days. The girls have eaten everything from miso soup and salad for breakfast everyday, to Pokemon bento lunch boxes and all the wonderful snack foods and candy Japan has to offer! Erin has had two days of kindergarten so far and is doing very well. Her language skills are growing already and she reported that she made two more friends when I picked her up Tuesday. Erin was alone at school from 10:30 until 2 PM so lunch was without anyone and she's still smiling. Tuesday was extremely wet-- umbrellas in a downpour to and from school. Erin got through an inspection by a Japanese dentist who came to school to check the teeth of all the kids. She has a school uniform complete with navy skirt, white shirt, navy wool beret style cap, overcoat, and yellow bags. She has inside shoes for school that she changes into when she arrives each day. Today we bought some for Anne for when she visits. Anne is finally understanding all the shoe rules that Japan has--it's hard for any normal adult to learn the shoe rules, let alone a just-turned-two-year old. Erin has a surprising 42 students in her class! And just a head teacher and an assistant. It's so interesting to watch. Walking is standard fair here, so anyone who knows about my jogger stroller decision, I definitely am glad to have a big stroller with me. Our friend Akiharu Muraguchi apparently has some bicycles that he will loan to us during our stay. We are looking forward to having another means of transportation and Erin can't wait to get on a bike!

05/28/06: We are off to a very rainy and windy start for our second week here and Erin's second week of school. I only hope tomorrow morning (Monday) is not so wet as we walk to school at 8:50 AM. School starts at 9 AM and it's just a couple of minutes away, but we will be soaked even with umbrellas if it rains as hard in the morning as it has all day today... For those of you who don't know, we are 16 hours ahead of you time wise. As I write this email, it is 8:30 PM Sunday and the girls are tucked in their futons sleeping upstairs--I hope, soundly. For you it is 4:30 AM, Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend. (Enjoy the day off for those of you who get it...) We had a wonderful weekend visiting the home of our friend Emiko Kawasaki. She and her husband are middle school teachers and they have two sons, 15 and 12 years old. Erin and Anne were entertained by them most of the weekend playing hide and seek (with English and Japanese) in their beautiful new home. It was sunny yesterday, so we had a chance to visit the beach near their house and put our toes in the water. We were also able to visit Shiriya Lighthouse which is on the very most northeastern tip of Honshu island. As we looked out to sea, we imagined being able to see Port Angeles on the almost northwestern tip of Washington... I think Erin almost thought she might be able to see it. At Shiriya Lighthouse we also saw the Kandachime wild horses. There were many, at least a dozen there, grazing on the short grasses and purple flowers. The Japanese news was even reporting that there were baby horses recently born and we felt lucky enough to see one. We ate local blueberry ice cream and found our way back to make peanut butter cookies together. This week promises to be eventful for all of us. Monday, they will have a birthday party at school for all the May birthdays, and Friday is a picnic and hike that we will go to by bus for the whole school (3-6 year olds) Tuesday night there will be a small welcome party put on by some members of MIRA for me and the girls. And next weekend we will go with the Kawasaki family again to the city of Hakodate in Hokkaido. We will take a ferry there and then have a rental car for the day. Should be a new adventure because in all my many times to northern Japan I have never had a chance to visit Hokkaido.

06/05/06: Hello, everyone! It's been three weeks now and our weather has been pretty chilly and cloudy this past week, although we were lucky on our day to Hokkaido last Saturday--it was sunny and warm, and the rain did hold off while we were having our picnic outside with Erin's school on Friday. The ensoku, as they call it, consisted of the whole kindergarten, three classes of 3-5 year-olds, taking tour busses to a local park. We hiked around then had Japanese obento (picnic lunches) outside. Class pictures were taken and then we headed back. All in all, it was a fun day for the girls and another interesting cultural experience. Saturday we got up very early (4:30 AM) to catch the ferry to Hakodate. On board the boat we had breakfast, Japanese style, on the floor with shoes off, on raised, carpeted areas. It was a fabulous day. Our friends rented a car and showed us the highlights of Hakodate. The boat back was at 6:30 PM so this time we did dinner. The only difficult part about this day was the driving to and from the ferry. It is a narrow and winding road to Oma, where the ferry wharf is located. Monday, at school, Erin had another health check. This time a doctor came to checks the noses, ears, and throats of all the kids. I was happy to know Erin came out OK. Today was a traffic safety training class. The oldest class of the kindergarten participates in this training annually so that all 5 year-olds learn the traffic safety rules. For example, how to properly cross with a crosswalk and without, and the meanings of various signs they will encounter to and from school since most children in Japan walk or ride bicycles. The best part of this class was getting to drive the mini battery cars afterwards. Each pair of students took a turn going around a miniature version of a block of city streets. What an interesting experience! And Anne was very excited that they offered her a turn with me when all the kids had gone. Well, tomorrow is the big night for McDonald's! There is a super playland at this Mutsu location so the kids are really looking forward to that. It will be our first time--and KFC is across the street. We will visit our friends, Yoko and Yoshinori Kawani this weekend and stay for two nights. We are lucky to have so many good people here in Mutsu to take care of us. Erin and Anne are still doing well with the experience, although I think Anne is starting to take advantage of the fact that I carry candy in my pocket to keep her quiet when she needs to be--like during traffic safety training. Soon Rob will arrive, and that will start a whole new chapter in our adventures here. The girls and I can't wait for that! We are anxious to share everything with Daddy.

06/18/06: It's been a full month now that we have been in Mutsu City and Erin has been attending Tanabu Catholic Kindergarten. Back in Port Angeles she is now officially a 1st grader since school has gotten out, but she's gonna keep doin' the kindergarten thing Japanese style for another month. She continues to amaze me, with how she is picking up the language. It is so a matter of immersion. She is on her own all day with no one who speaks English, and the survival factor is big. Even her use of chopsticks seems very natural now and very Japanese... This past Wednesday at school Erin's class went to an elderly home to perform dances that the class had been practicing since before we arrived. Erin's group did a ''Papaya'' dance. It was a hula type dance with grass skirts and leis, to a Japanese/Hawaiian song. The groups performed wonderfully and all were in full costume. It really was a joy to see the expressions on the faces of the residents of the home. Many could not even sit up enough to fully view the dances, but managed to clap or tap a finger along with the music. After all performances and changing back into their uniforms, the children filed through the room and gave handshakes and smiles. In all, the day reminded me again, of why I'm doing what I'm doing here with my kids. This coming week holds many fun and challenging things for us. Monday, Anne and I will attend the toddler English class in which we are special guests to read English books and participate and help with English children's songs (re: Itsy-Bitsy Spider, London Bridge, etc.) It's been a really fun thing for Anne since she can actively participate, doesn't have to be quiet, and it's her own. Tuesday, Anne and I will depart early on our all day trek to Tokyo and Narita Airport to meet Rob. We will leave Erin alone here to attend school on Tuesday and Wednesday and then she will meet us at the train station Wednesday afternoon to see her daddy! Surprisingly, she is well-prepared for this and the reward is well worth it. I'm keeping my eye on the prize too as I take on the whole day of travel alone with Anne through station transfers and busy stops. I've prepared myself too, though, and I think I can make it, even without being able to read too much kanji. We will meet up with Rob late Tuesday afternoon, stay in a hotel that night, and then turn around to do the same day of travel in reverse. The shinkansen (bullet train) is an awesome way to travel though, and we will fully enjoy our time to talk. Once we are all in Mutsu City together, the fun begins again... Rob will attend school with Erin on Thursday, where he will get to witness a mini-undoukai (sports festival). The kids have been practicing running races and relays. Erin reports to me that she is the fastest in the whole school, even faster that the president! We'll see... While they are at school that day, I will be secretly baking cupcakes with a friend for Erin's surprise birthday party to be held Friday afternoon, the 23rd. A friend wanted to do this party for her, and I'll tell you what, planning a surprise party is a lot easier in Japan, where I can talk about it in Japanese in front of Erin--most of it anyway. Like I said before, she's getting pretty wise... 12 or so children that she's become friends with will attend and we will combine some Japanese and American birthday party traditions. It should be a lot of fun. Lastly, today, Erin and Anne want to report that McDonald's is really fun! We've been a few times, now since the first time our friends met us there for dinner. The super playland proves to be a good place for the kids to burn some energy and make friends, especially when the weather is less than ideal for outdoor play. No one told me June was the rainy season. Actually, I forgot... The coffee is good and reasonable too (100 yen=a little less than $1) and the kids can get the perfect sized shake for the same price. And the bike ride there is just under 15 minutes! We hope all of you have a wonderful Father's Day and enjoy the start of summer vacation for those of you getting out of school!

6/19/06 Mon: This morning we had the opportunity to make an international phone call home to Rob. We wanted to wish him a Happy Father's Day and just be sure we were all set for our individual travel days to meet up in Tokyo. The phone call made us all a little teary so it was good that we had a full schedule while we awaited Daddy's arrival. Erin had her usual day at school and Anne and I went to her toddler English class. It has been fun to introduce the really young kids to some of the songs and activities that Anne is familiar with from her Pre3 and Kindermusik classes. In the afternoon we biked to Masakari Plaza to meet a new friend before settling in for a relaxed dinner at home of pizza and soda, with ice cream bars for dessert! Erin and I then spent the evening mentally preparing for our big days--me traveling alone with Anne to Narita Airport, and Erin staying alone in Mutsu City for two days and an overnight. We are keeping our eyes on the prize, though...our family all being together again in Mutsu City. Ganbarimasu ne!

6/20/06 Tue: It was a flawless travel day for Anne and I--thank goodness! We left from Ominato station about 10 minutes drive from where we live, at 8 AM. After 2 hours on this local train, we arrived in Hachinohe for our transfer to the shinkansen (bullet train). While on this 2 1/2 hour leg of the trip we had a chance to enjoy our obento (Japanese sack lunch) and for Anne to have a short hirune (nap). Finally, we reached Tokyo station. We conveniently made sure we had an hour to navigate this station because it's the biggest and most crowded in all of Japan. From here we got on the Narita Express, an hour and a half fast train headed straight to Narita Airport. We arrived at the airport with about an hour and a half to spare, so our first stop was at Starbucks! I really enjoyed that tall latte and it was just 340 yen, not much more expensive than at home... Finally, just before 5 PM, Rob's flight arrived from Seattle. Anne fell asleep on my shoulder while waiting for him to get through customs, but when she awoke she was in Daddy's arms! She gave him a big smile and cuddle and then we were on our way. From the airport we shipped Rob's luggage to Mutsu City, keeping only backpacks with which to travel back the next day. We stayed at the Narita Airport Resthouse, a hotel just a few minutes away.

6/21/06 Wed: Ohayou gozaimasu! Rob, Anne, and I gave ourselves plenty of time to catch our airport shuttle bus to get us headed back north to Aomori Prefecture. Again, plenty of time to find our way through the maze they call Tokyo station. We bought lunch there and then ate again on the shinkansen. Anne napped too, so it gave Rob and I plenty of quiet talk time to get each other caught up on our day to day experiences. It was about 4:45 PM that we pulled into Ominato station and met an anxiously awaiting Erin! She was all smiles for Daddy and we all now had our prize--our family together in Japan! Erin wasted no time getting Rob caught up on how to do things, what to say, where things were, etc. She was quite the guide! Yoshiko prepared a delicious yakisoba dinner that night and we all enjoyed getting Rob familiar with what would be his home for the next month.

6/22/06 Thur: We wasted no time jumping right into busyness the day after Rob arrived! At school Erin had a mini undoukai (sports festival, or field day). We all walked to school together, introduced Rob to teachers, and then prepared to watch the events. Anne and I only stayed a few minutes because we had a secret mission that day to prepare for Erin's big surprise birthday party the next day. A great new group of friends got together to plan this party for Erin and I was to make American cupcakes for the event. Rob purchased all the supplies at home, complete with frosting, sprinkles, and birthday candles! Little did I know that my new friends also had a surprise for me that day... they had specially purchased ingredients to make one of my favorites, Mexican tacos! It was a wonderful treat, the homemade tortillas, and my friends truly enjoyed this new experience and sharing of international tastes. And Anne didn't miss a thing this day. She was busy learning to ride a small two-wheeler bike with training wheels--Anpanman, of course (a very popular children's character in Japan). In the meantime, Rob got to spend lunchtime catching up with Mitsuo and helping him disassemble a photo exhibition. Erin completed her first undoukai, and she and Rob got some time alone together to share an afterschool ice cream treat and to look around the neighborhood.

6/23/06 Fri: We went to school together again today and spent a little more time observing and letting Erin show Rob around. Leftover curry rice was our lunch, and Anne had a good nap before she and I left to set up for the surprise party. Rob met Erin afterschool, and came home for her to change clothes and have a quick snack before our friend Akiko came to pick them up. All of our new friends--moms, and kids, ranging in age from 3 months to 8 years old were waiting to surprise Erin. We had the room beautifully decorated with tissue paper flowers, balloons, and paper chains. My wonderful friend Tae, especially made three pinatas, Emiko baked a birthday cake, cheesecake, and pizza, and Megumi prepared oyatsu (snack) bags for all the kids. It was definitely a surprise when Erin walked in! After yelling, "Surprise!" and singing "Happy Birthday" all the kids presented Erin with a paper chain lei. Her neck was filled to her chin and we snapped many pictures! All the kids then had snacks and drinks before playing a few relay games and introducing Duck, Duck, Goose. By this time, dripping with sweat, the kids were running around, laughing, and having a good time. We started the pinata next, only to discover that Tae had mastered the "strong" pinata... After many failed attempts by the kids to break into it, Rob took the final swing and then ripped the candy balloon open. The kids scattered to retrieve the candy, everyone gathering their fair share. Next, we sang "Happy Birthday" and Tae presented Erin with her special balloon birthday cake hat. We cut into the chocolate and cheesecakes and each child shared their gift with Erin. She received many thoughtful gifts and Erin was truly surprised and appreciative of all her new Japanese friends had done to make her 6th birthday in Japan very special.

6/24/06 Sat: For Rob's first Saturday in Mutsu we had a day outing planned with the Muraguchi family to go to Kawauchi beach to enjoy a Japanese style BBQ. We did so much more than that! We were picked up about 10:30 AM to start the day. After arriving at Mura's house we were introduced to the Kato family and their two daughters, 7 and 8 years old. Both families were participating as host families for the weekend for the visiting Fulbright teachers from the U.S. We met Debra, an elementary teacher from Texas, and Anita, an elementary teacher from Washington D.C. Not only did we learn more about the Japanese culture this day, but we also got to share our own diverse American culture considering the fact that we were all from such different parts of our country. Our big group, 14 people in all, then headed out in three cars for our day-long caravan. Rob drove one of the cars! Only his 3rd day in Mutsu City and he was in the driver's seat of a Honda That's, a small white boxy car, very comfortable for our family of four! Rob had already mastered his first set of wheels here (a borrowed mountain bike from Mura) and now he was given real power and freedom! We first traveled to the Shell Museum, a beautiful sealife education facility located on the seashore in Kawauchi Village. From here we visited Fureai Spa Kawauchi for a vegetarian curry lunch with scallops for dessert! We then climbed higher into the hills to see Kawauchi Dam and Kawauchiko Lake and rest area. Finally, at our next destination, the Kawauchi riverside, we were to catch and release small fish. All the kids really got a kick out of this! An hour or so later, we gathered at some camp tables and chairs and enjoyed Japanese oyatsu (delicious snacks). We had hot coffee, matcha (green tea) flavored Kit Kat candy bars, senbei (rice crackers), and other yummy treats. After our afternoon coffee break, we packed up and our caravan headed back down into town. We made a quick stop at Ominato Air Station for a photo and then at Max Value for groceries. Our BBQ dinner was next... Back at Muraguchi's house, after a few more friends showed up, several BBQ fires were lit. We ate beef, pork, chicken, ebi (large shrimp), hotate (scallops from the shell), and baked potatoes, with green melon for dessert. Finally, after the kids lit fireworks on the sidewalk and parents had eaten their fill, we headed back on foot, about 10 minute walk. The day was complete and the girls crashed as soon as their heads hit their bean pillows.

6/25/06 Sun: Happy 6th Birthday to Erin! After a slow wake up, we geared up for another day with the Muraguchi family, the Kato family, and their American guests. We drove our Honda That's again and our first stop today was McDonald's. Here we were to pick up our lunch to go to Shiriyazaki (Shiriya Lighthouse) where we would have a picnic. Rob and I chose tomato chicken burgers with salad and the girls had the standard Happy Set (children's Happy Meal) with toys of course! They chose chocolate shakes for their drink, Rob had Coke, and I drank my favorite, iced koohi (coffee). Erin will report that things at McD's are kinda the same and kinda different... Nevertheless, we occasionally really enjoy it! Getting close to the lighthouse, we encountered the kandachime (wild horses) grazing undisturbed. We stopped for photos and even saw three babies. Once arriving at Shiriyazaki we set out the camp tables, chairs, and blankets and enjoyed our McDonald's picnic with views of the beautiful Shiriya Lighthouse, the Pacific Ocean (looking far across toward home...) and the Tsugaru Straits. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. After exploring tidepools and beachcombing, we caravaned back into town toward a creamery and dairy farm for ice cream. During this hours or so drive, both girls fell asleep, weary from the sun and all the weekend activities. Soon, we returned the visiting Fulbright teachers to their hotel, said goodbyes, and returned home to meet up with Mitsuo and Yoshiko for Erin's birthday dinner out at a family restaurant. When we got back, we had strawberries and suika (watermelon) waiting, along with Japanese cakes for dessert. We sang Happy Birthday and Erin opened a few gifts. It was definitely a busy birthday weekend with lots to celebrate!

6/26/06 Mon: The start of a new week, a very busy week behind us... This morning our friend Kato called to invite our family to dinner. We delivered Erin to school complete with 19 Port Angeles t-shirts for all the boys in her class. (The girls received t-shirts when we first arrived and then we had to have Rob order more since there are 42 kids in her class. The girls got theirs first and the boys had to wait for Rob to arrive.) This morning, Anne and I again attended the ABC toddler English class and got to sing and play with her newly made friends. Rob stayed back at the Sasaki home where he began working in the yard. After class we had lunch with a few friends and then came home for naptime. Around 5 PM Kato came to pick us up for dinner. Again, his wife had a delicious assortment of foods from which to choose, complete with somen (cold noodles), a summertime favorite. We brought Mr.Donuts for dessert, to go with the watermelon, so everyone was happy. We had a great visit, catching up, and talking with Kato about his newest position as principal of Higashidouri Elementary School. This is a very progressive, new-style school in a new community on the Shimokita Peninsula. Soon, Rob and I both hope to visit for a day. We scheduled another outing with Kato, next time to the Hotokegaura Coast, a national marine park area. In the meantime, we will see him and his wife again on July 2nd, for a reunion dinner at Emiko Kawasaki's house.

6/27/06 Tue: Today at Tanabu Catholic Kindergarten was the ceremony for all the children who celebrated a birthday in June. Erin, of course, was one of the birthday celebrants. She and I sat on stage with the other members, where she said a prayer, was presented with a cross necklace, given a special message from her teacher, and recited a short introduction, " Watashi no namae wa Erin Edwards desu. Watashi wa rokusai ni narimashita. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu." She did a great job! She was loud enough and made no mistakes. We are all so proud of how Erin has handled her whole experience here. It was a memorable birthday assembly, one we won't soon forget! Afterschool on this day, Rob and Erin experienced what's called sugoi ame (loosely translated as profound rain!) They headed out for an afternoon bike ride with high overhead clouds. Minutes later, they experienced a drenching downpour. Apparently they had gotten as far as the neighborhood park and taken a once around when the rain started.  They waited under one of the wooden structures until Rob decided it wasn't going to break for a while. They then made a dash for it! Needless to say it was another of those cultural experiences... They were soaked head to foot and Erin's shoes still were not dry the next day. The rest of the evening was spent at home while I got the chance to help Yoshiko make a delicious tempura dinner. We had awaited this opportunity for quite some time--for me to spend some time in the kitchen with Yoshiko, learning some of her Japanese cooking talents. Yum!

6/28/06 Wed: Today was the day our friend Akiko Sasaki had been waiting for since our arrival--time to have a strawberry picking party! I think today was the hottest since our arrival, about 26 degrees celsius, which is about 80 degrees farenheit. And it's been pretty humid too... Perfect weather for the strawberries to ripen. And also perfect weather to do big laundry, like sheets and towels. This chore I did in the morning, before school. That way everything would be dry almost by lunchtime. For those who don't know, Japanese people do not have clothes dryers in the home. I can't say all because I don't know that for sure, but I've never been in a home with one. Therefore, laundry is dried outside on lines and neat little clothespin hangers. If there is a chance of rain, most homes have covered areas, still outside, but safe from getting wet, in which to hang the laundry. During the winter, homes also have inside areas with high bars from which to hang the racks where they can dry by way of the kerosene heaters that are used exclusively during the winter. (A side note too, that Japanese homes do not have central heating, just the space heaters in select rooms. Dishwashers too, are an appliance Americans are used to, that are quite unique in Japanese homes. Our host family does use a dishwasher, but it is about two feet square in size and sits on a countertop.) Another chore we took care of today, given the hot weather, was changing our futon to usui futon (lightweight, summer futon). Anyway, back to the strawberries... Our friends Tae and Mieko picked us up in their cars about 3 PM, afterschool and after Erin had a chance to change clothes. We went to another friend's home where she had a gorgeous garden and yard, complete with rose garden and lots of vegetables. She also had a beautiful, well-protected strawberry patch. After picking about five full bowls of berries, we came inside to watch the preparation of dinner--okonomiyaki and yakisoba. Yum! Both dishes were prepared on a table with a hotplate/griddle built in. Okonomiyaki is almost an omelet/pancake-like thing with vegetables and meat. You then put a kind of BBQ sauce on top. Very delicious! It was a relaxing evening with good friends and good food. And the girls had a good chance to play outside with bikes--so they had lots of fun too!

6/29/06 Thur: Rob has spent a few days of good weather working in the yard. It's been warm and sunny--perfect for weeding. Mitsuo and Yoshiko have really appreciated the time he's spent and soon Rob promises the area will look like "a famous Japanese garden." After taking Erin to school today, Anne and I got some good cleaning done--we vacuumed with the "clean machine" and cleaned the bathroom. Of course, we also hung laundry to dry. Finally, we also got a suitcase out and tried to pack up some of the stuff we're not using. That really helped to pick up the room a bit. You know, with four family members now, our room space has gotten a little more tight! This afternoon we scheduled to get together with the Muraguchi kids for some play time. The Kato kids were also to be included so we figured it would be mostly an afternoon for Erin. Something got a little lost in translation because what ended up happening was an encounter with another whole group of families including one from Portland, Oregon. She is a Japanese woman originally from Mutsu and they have four children whom they try to bring back for visits and school during the summers. Dave is an elementary teacher who enjoys running so we all had so much in common. It was fun to meet and talk with them and Rob scheduled a trip to the Sports Dome and Wellness Park with Dave the very next day. Miho Kato brought along a selection of yukata (summer style cotton kimono) from which Erin got to choose one to borrow for her summer festival. Apparently, Miho's sister will have one that Anne can borrow too! Again, we are so lucky to have so many people looking out for and taking care of us. Finally, this evening I had another chance to help Yoshiko in the kitchen. Tonight we made salmon and chicken with somen (cold noodle soup) and salad.
Another delicious Japanese culinary experience!

6/30/06 Fri: Beautiful weather again today! Rob, Anne, and I took Erin to school and then he headed to Mr. Donuts for a morning treat and the Maeda hyaku en store (basically the dollar store inside a big department and grocery store--we are lucky to have this shopping area right in our neighborhood). Here he was able to find goggles and a swim cap for his recreation day with Dave. We returned to the house where Yoshiko was waiting to leave on a walk we had been planning. She, Anne, and I headed out for an hour and a half trek along the riverside trail. She also showed us a shortcut from the house we'll be able to use often. Along the way we saw a kamoshika (a wild mountain goat-type animal). This is the second encounter we've had with kamoshika. Apparently they are coming down into the city looking for food. Harmless though, we were told...In the afternoon, the girls and I had a chance to attend the Ebikawa Community Center playgroup that Tae usually leads. She had gone out of town for a balloon convention, so we filled in for her. Basically it is a chance for that group of friends to get together to sing and play English songs and games. They meet once a week from three to four. After a hot playgroup, the girls and I stopped at the store, biked home, and then I settled in to help Yoshiko with a dinner of yakisoba and clam soup--a new specialty of hers that we all love. After dinner, Mitsuo thought  the conditions seemed good to drive up Mt. Kamafuse to see the night view. We gathered some warmer evening clothes and headed out. We couldn't have picked a better night! It was a clear, beautiful red sunset and the "butterfly view" was exquisite. This was our first time to see the view at night and we were very impressed. We were even able to see Lake Usori at Osorezan and the lights of the city of Hakodate in Hokkaido. Needless to say, our photographer friend Mitsuo got some great shots!

7/01/06 Sat and 7/02/06 Sun: We had a leisurely start this morning but realized soon we'd have to pick up the pace if we were going to get everything done that we wanted to before meeting up with Emiko Kawasaki and her son, Yu, at Tanabu High School at 11 AM. His school was having its summer festival so he wanted to show us around a bit. After about an hour, we headed back to her house for an overnight. After making us a spaghetti lunch, Emiko drove us to the Yagen area, just to get out a bit and look around. Years ago when we traveled here with students we had visited Yagen Onsen. Anne napped in the car, we took a short hike around, and then ate ice cream at the rest house. The weather was changing again so it wasn't warm enough this day to do too much outside. The afternoon was spent with the computer online, making dinner together, and watching the girls ride bikes outside with Emiko's nieces and nephews. Sunday was dinner party day with this big group of our old friends. We are so thankful that Emiko had the foresight enough to schedule this get-together so well in advance. Tsugio Kato and his wife Yuko, Yoshinori and Yoko Kawani, and the entire Kawasaki family all gathered together with us to celebrate our friendships of nine years. None of us can believe so much time has passed, and all of us are glad to have kept in touch. We were all partners in working on the Junior Ambassador and International Projects and we have so many good memories. Now we are making new dreams come true--those of our family to visit Mutsu City and experience Japanese culture and friendship.

7/05/06 Wed: We have had lots of rain. Just to get the kids some playtime Monday, we rode to McD's in the wet weather and enjoyed milkshakes and coffee. (OK, Rob also got to go to his favorite electronics store and bought some new headphones.) Yesterday we then visited our friends Mura and his wife Mayumi to purchase shinkansen tickets for our return trip. We've decided to leave a day early from Mutsu so that we can stay a day with Emiko Kawasaki's sister in Tokyo to meet her family. They will send their oldest daughter to Port Angeles the second week of August to spend a week and a half sightseeing with us. Our schedule really is getting busy as we try to see everyone one more time in our final couple of weeks here. Today, we visited the Mutsu Science Museum with Yoko Iida and Tae Matsuzaki and kids. It is an incredible science museum with many hands-on/play-type exhibits, much like the Pacific Science Center. Rob even got to try the flight simulator game, while Erin climbed into the pouch of a wood-carved kangaroo! The past couple of days everyone seems to have caught a cold. (Everyone but me anyway, knock on wood...)My theory is that the fluctuation in weather temperatures is to blame.  All day Thursday we again had serious rain! After taking Erin to school Tae picked us up and we visited Yoko's house. Rob got to do some computer work, I visited with the ladies, and Anne entertained Baby Ren. Of course, we also ate some pretty yummy snacks again... After Erin returned from school we kind of had quiet time for all of us. We turned on the heater while Anne slept, Erin watched some Anpanman videos that friends have given us, Rob did some offline work on the computer, and I wrote some some thank you notes and a letter. We did all of this while listening to the rain fall steadily.

7/07/06 Fri: I got an early start this morning leaving with Emiko Kawasaki to spend the day with her at Ominato Junior High School. It was a unique experience, not traveling with a delegation, but the students and teachers all warmly welcomed me nonetheless. Her homeroom students and English classes all did self-introductions in English and I was very impressed with their confident and expressive voices. You could tell that they also worked on eye contact and smiles. In each class we discussed differences in junior high schools in Port Angeles and Japan. For example, we talked about the uniform requirement here, the fact that teachers move from class to class, not students, and that street shoes are left at the door in lockers and inside shoes are worn throughout the school. We also discussed how much choice students have with regard to their lunches in Port Angeles. Here, all students are served the same lunch (actually served by other classmates, just like in Erin's kindergarten) and everyone eats the school lunch. After lunch, teeth are brushed, everyone gargles and there is a half an hour free time. The next period allowed us a little teaching/playtime so we tried a round of Simon Says and Duck, Duck, Goose in English. I also got to attend a brass band practice performance in an assembly in the gym. That experience is also unique in Japanese schools! With 150+ bodies in the gym (137 of whom are 12-15 year olds...), you could have heard a pin drop with the quiet attention that everyone gave. The students are seated in chairs they bring from their classrooms in super straight rows, hands on lap, and facing forward. Other than the fact that a few students sometimes nod off a bit, the behavior is respectful, quiet, and dignified. Sometimes it even seems a little too quiet. In all, my day at Ominato was very worthwhile and enjoyable. My only regret is that I didn't have a chance to visit more than once during this trip.

7/08/06 Sat: Today we attended a luncheon put on my the Mutsu City Soroptimist Club. We gathered at Ohata Jinja (a Shinto shrine in the town of Ohata), our family of four, a JET English teacher, Theresa, and about a dozen or so Soroptimist Club members. After introductions we had tea time with ocha (Japanese green tea) and Japanese sweet tea cakes made with anko (sweet beans). During this time the ladies sang a Soroptimist Club song and Anne proceeded to drink 3 glasses of orange juice! We then enjoyed beautiful obento lunches from a local restaurant. The girls too, got special okasama lunches (kid's meals). It was then time for questions and answers. The ladies had a few prepared questions for us: 1) How do women in America leave their jobs to have children? Basically it was an inquiry about maternity leave--does it exist, is it a paid leave, can women return to their same jobs after time away, etc. We had a very interesting conversation and spent a good deal of time discussing our personal decision for me to leave teaching after Erin was born. 2) How do people decide to do volunteer work in America? What type of volunteerism is available? Is it common to be a volunteer? Rob addressed this question in the context of his 10+ years of involvement with Clallam County Search and Rescue. 3) Japan has had a population decline for some time now. How about America? This question led to a great discussion about generational, professional, gender, and class differences between our populations. I've personally found this to be of great interest during this trip to Japan. We have friends here spanning the gamut from retired professionals who are heavily involved in volunteerism, to Japan Self-Defense Force doctors and their wives and children who are required to move every three or so years, to elementary school principals, to late-working teachers who spend many weekends involved in club activities, to two-income working families who enjoy time off with their children, to stay-at-home moms studying English with their toddlers, etc. Just as Americans are diverse in their cultures, Japan is a homogenous culture with just as much diversity. It's been fascinating to experience this once again, and we are lucky to have so many old and new friends with whom we've been able to spend this time.

7/09/06 Sun: Today was a special event. Tsugio Kato, our friend of nine years, picked us up early at 8 AM to spend the day traveling to Hotokegaura on the west coast of Shimokita Peninsula. This is one place that Rob and I had never been to and we wanted to see. The coastal area is a national marine sanctuary and is only accessible by boat. Kato first took us to Ushitaki Village which is a coastal fishing village where he spent his first year as a principal, living away from his family. He made many friends there, however, one of which was the family who pilots the boats to the coastal rock formations and beach access area. Here is where you see the famous, unusual rock formations, some of which have flowers growing out of the barren rocky sides. We watched hermit crabs scurry, small fish swim in tidepools, and even ate fresh, raw uni (sea urchin) plucked right from the water. Anne couldn't get enough of the uni! The boat ride itself was fantastic, as it was a glass bottom boat and we were the only riders heading out. We watched for sea stars and fish, but saw mostly black, spiky sea urchin. We ate a delicious obento lunch packed by Kato's wife, Yuko, in the beach headquarters room. The weather couldn't have cooperated more as we had fair skies and seas, perfect for a day on the water. On the way back, Erin got a chance to pilot the boat. This was the day's highlight for her until after returning later that afternoon when she pulled out her loose tooth. Erin lost her 3rd tooth in Mutsu City, Japan! The tooth fairy came that night, leaving her 500 yen! What a day it was!

7/13/06Thur: Rob got to spend the morning visiting Higashidouri Elementary School. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here.

7/14/06 Fri: Just a little over a week left here in Mutsu City and already we have to start saying goodbye to our friends. The last week here is filled with many final activities for Erin's kindergarten so we will be focusing our energies and time there. Tonight we scheduled a final farewell with many of the girls' friends and families at the McDonald's playland. It seemed like kind of a funny place to hold a farewell party after the many formal farewells we've had with delegations in the past. However, it couldn't have been more fun or more appropriate for the purpose of our travels this summer. And so many of our friends we able to attend! It was a wonderful evening with lots of visiting for the grown-ups, playing for the kids, and eating for everyone...the new Chicken Salsa Sandwich is a must try! The air-conditioned playland was also a perfect place given the extremely hot weather of the day. Temperatures climbed into the 30's today--converted to a farenheit temperature it was about 95-ish degrees. And I don't think it cooled down all night...

7/16/06 Sun: Saturday and Sunday we spent with Yoko and Yoshinori Kawani at their home in Ominato. After picking us up around 10 AM we stopped into the kominkan (community center) to see the parade of the Nebuta for Ryu Iida's daycare center summer festival. They had just finished dancing when we got there, but we got to see the start-up of the next leg of their journey headed to the train station. All the kids attached themselves to a ring on a rope to pull the Nebuta float. It was quite a sight to see the 100+ kids aged 0-6 marching through the streets with their parents. A bit later we arrived at the Kawani home for a delicious lunch of soup and rice, with many side dishes. After lunch we took a short waterfront walk and let the girls play on the equipment at Ominato Elementary School. They just love the free play time--something I think they've missed most from home. Anne just runs and runs, and Erin wants to climb everything! We then made dinner together, Yoko and I, while Rob enjoyed some computer time. She taught me a delicious new recipe she has learned from her new cookbook (she even translated a copy for me).The girls watched Anpanman videos and drew pictures. The weather has still been extremely hot today, so we tried not to move too much. After dinner we headed back to Ryu's daycare center to watch fireworks and enjoy more of the natsu matsuri (summer festival). Finally, it was back to the Kawani house for some time in the ofuro (bath) and bed! It's been weeks since the girls slept so well... Sunday Yoko made a reservation at the Herb Restaurant near Hayagakenuma Park. It was a gorgeous location with delicious food. I was reminded of some of the gardens in Sequim, as we strolled through the flowers after drinking our herb tea. Thank you to Yoko and Yoshinori for another fantastic weekend! We returned to the Sasaki home around 3 PM with time to take a break before heading to an evening BBQ with the Muraguchi family and friends. This would be a multi-family event again for the purpose of saying goodbye. Mura was out early setting up the BBQ's and tarps and tents because the forecast was for rain. And it did start to rain on him! Some of the ladies, kids, and I stayed inside the house to make cookies. Mayumi's kitchen had a small oven so we had "almost homemade" oatmeal and chocolate chip to choose from. We concluded the evening with fireworks and before we biked home there was a surprise visit from our old friend Chikako Minamizawa (used to be Kawashita). She visited Port Angeles 8 years ago and had a homestay experience with our friends Lonnie and LoAnn Linn. Time sure does fly!

7/17/06 Mon: Today is a National Holiday, Umi no hi, or Sea and Beach Day. Erin had no school and so our plan was to visit Osorezan, one of three fascinating and sacred places in Japan. It is about a 40 minute drive into the mountainous area of the region. Lake Usori is there as are natural hotsprings and vents in the earth that emit steam and a strong sulphur smell. We even found one spot of bubbling water escaping from the earth, similar to something you'd see at Yellowstone National Park. The tour was conducted by Mitsuo Sasaki, our host in Mutsu City, and was perfect because he visits Osorezan a dozen times a year to shoot photographs. It was a hot morning with lots of tourists, and even a few rain squalls. We laugh often too, because Mitsuo is a great weather forecaster, and as the rain started pouring down, he predicted about a 20 minute wait in one of the covered areas. As always, he was right and about 20 minutes later, the rain stopped and the hot sun shone again. As we were leaving we stopped for blueberry ice cream, before headed down to lunch prepared by Yoshiko. Later this afternoon we visited the home of Hirofumi Sasaki, a Tanabu Junior High School teacher who visited Port Angeles in 2001, and whose son visited this past January. We visited and had dinner (complete with homemade gyoza, or potstickers) and then enjoyed fireworks once again. Fireworks in Japan during the summertime are a regular occurance. You'll see them at most summer festivals from the smallest, at kindergartens and daycares, to the biggest for cities and regions. And fireworks are handled so much differently here than in Washington State. We have many laws about when, where, and how they are sold and in Japan you can find them in toy stores, grocery stores, and department stores. Anyone can buy and use them whenever and wherever they want. Much different than in America, eh?

7/18/06 Tue: Erin has her last day of regular school today. It's pretty much a clean up day and they are only there until 11:30 AM. We made a plan  with Mitsuo and Yoshiko to go to lunch at the Mutsu Grand Hotel. It is Yoshiko's favorite and she meets here often for meetings with her retired teacher's association. Now we know why it's a favorite! The view is phenomenal as you can see from the picture at the left. We were there on a very rainy day even and still you could see a lot of the city. We missed out on seeing Mt. Kamafuse from that vantage point, however. The Grand Hotel has a French restaurant so we ate in courses which is so very different than the Japanese style. It was nice to be able to help the girls eat one portion before being distracted by all the rest. It was a wonderful farewell luncheon with our very gracious hosts of two months. We had a few busy days left before we'd be heading toward home. The afternoon was spent packing. The shipping company would come by the Sasaki home on Friday to pick up everything to take to Narita for us. And it looks like we are going to have 8 pieces to ship, including the stroller and carseat, 4 suitcases, a duffel bag, and a box. Wow! How did we get so much stuff?

7/19/06 Wed: This morning we are preparing for Erin's overnight and doing more packing at the same time. Of course we've also got laundry in the works and I'm trying to calculate our clothing needs for hot and rainy (basically unpredictable) weather for 4 days as we plan to travel into Tokyo and tour around before flying home. Needless to say, it's a little overwhelming! For the overnight there is a specific list of needed items and we want to make sure we have all that ready to go ahead of time. The big event of today now is the Natsu Matsuri, the kindergarten's summer festival. Erin has been anxiously awaiting this event as we have been assembling the girls'  yukata ensembles to wear. (By the way, we have Yui and Ami Kato to thank for the beautiful summer cotton kimono--THANK YOU) We all gathered at the school's playground area at 4:30 PM. The kids were excitedly running around greeting all their friends. Upon arrival a photographer snapped pictures of families in front of the lit up Nebuta mural. Soon, the principal gave a greeting and a group of kids carried in the float for the festival's centerpiece. Then the dancing started...  Erin's class had learned 3 traditional festival dances for this event. And even the mothers, me included, had a practice meeting to learn the dances ourselves. The kids danced and sang and then the carnival-like booths opened. I was in charge of the kujiya--I was kujiya-san with another mother. The kids got to then wander around, pay 10-50 yen per booth and play games or buy items. Yoshiko attended the matsuri with us so she was able to help Erin and Anne get to each booth they wanted. The kids got masks, water yo-yo balloons, and candy. They ate frankfurters and popcorn and drank ramune (the famous marble-bottle sodas). Then it was time for fireworks. In a circle, all the kids got sparkler-type fire starters. A group of dads led the way and began lighting everyone up. For me, it was a little unnerving to have 100+ kids in a circle waving their sparklers wildly in the air. In the end though, no one got hurt and dads then got to light the bigger ones. In all, it was a fabulous end to a fun kindergarten festival. And we all went home with bags full of trinkets and treats!

7/20/06 Thur: We started with a slow morning. I think the girls slept until 8:30 AM or so. Erin had to be at the school at 12:30 PM for the beginning of her gasshuku (school overnight). Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here.

7/21/06 Fri: Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here.

7/22/06 Sat: Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here.

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7/24/06 Mon: Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here. Info here.