Saturday, August 27th, 1988

Note:  This is a series of journal entries from my two years living in Himeji, Japan (1988-1990).  I'm archiving them electronically through my blog.  Last names have been deleted and replaced with first initial only.  For details on this series of blog entries, see this post.

Well, it's been a long time since I've written, but only a few things have happened since then.

Now it's August 29th and I'm going to finish this....

The farthest thing back that was exciting that I can remember is staying with Nobu and Carol for a couple of days.  I went on a Monday and returned on Wednesday.  During my stay we went to Port Island and shopped and had dinner.

Nobu took me to the port on another day and we caught a crab for Becky.  We went to a sports/shopping area, and I found squares of obi fabric.  I bought 2.  I also found really good apricot, and strawberry tea.

The thing that sticks out the most, however, was going to a Japanese restaurant Nobu and Carol know.  It was good, but I couldn't eat all of the dishes, of which the most repulsive were raw horse meat, and barbecued sparrow yakitori.  Ugh!  

Kim stayed over the last night, too.  It was really fun.  Becky & I got to know each other better.  We caught frogs, did hanabe, and played the piano.  She also taught me some kanji.

On Thursday of that week, I went with Kim to Osaka and got a job at OTC.  We ate at a place called Studebakers, which was a 50's American type place.  At OTC I met Mr. M., who I'd heard a lot about, and he hired me on the spot.  I'll make 4,000 yen an hour there.  Of course the added stress may kill me.  My class meets on Wednesdays at 5:30, and I'm not sure I can get there on time, especially on the nights I have marathon faculty meetings during the day.  Ugh!  I'll give it a month though.

Kim and I have found an English church that we like very much.  It's in Rokko, and has bible study, church, and fellowship all on Sunday evening.  The people are very nice, and I think we'll go there a lot, especially since Kim will only live a few minutes away.  It's so nice to understand everything again.  The place is technically Southern Baptist, so it's okay, even though I don't know the hymns!

Kim and I bop to Sannomiya a lot, and this past Friday took Jenny along too.  It was a fun day.  We hit Maruzen, and I bought yet more books.  We also went to a spaghetti place called Hole in the Wall Spaghetti, which was really good.  I had potato bacon spaghetti.

We hit a coffee shop, and went to Kobe Grocers for the first of many to come visits.  They are an international market, with such things as Campbells Soup, Grape Nuts, Hormel Chili, Wheatsworth, Jelly Belly, etc.  What a place.  You can even takubin your stuff home so you don't have to carry it!  We passed an American pub on the way there- Danny Boys, which we're going to take Mike & Resa to next week.  They have lasagna!

Last Saturday Kim and I went to Hamasaka on the coast of the Sea of Japan.  My ear (gland) was giving me trouble so I was in pain most of the trip up & back, but it was a beautiful place, once we finally headed in the right direction.  After laying on the beach for a few hours...

 Squid drying in the sun

...we went on a 1 hour boat ride along the coast & saw lots of neat views of caves, etc. along the coast.

That night, however, I couldn't take it anymore & had Kim call Mike B. to take me to the hospital.  He brought his neighbor and they took me to an ear, nose, throat hospital.  The doctor stuck numerous things in my mouth & down my throat.  I almost threw up twice.  He said I have a throat infection.  All 7 nurses stood around me because I was the only one there.  How embarrassing!  He gave me pills, for which I've gone back once to get a refill of.  So far my throat is better, but the glands in the right sided of my neck are still swollen, and my right ear has been ringing for 4 days now.

Kim & I made a trip to the gomi pile this past Thursday.  She really raked in the loot.  She came away with a t.v., a bicycle, a toaster oven, a hot pot, a tin, a basket, and some dishes.  I got some dishes too- only in Japan!

Saturday Kim & I went to B's for dinner and Trivial Pursuit.  We also played Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy on his laptop computer.  I won at Trivial Pursuit, which was a really long game, because we'd break off into conversations throughout the game, and not get anywhere!

Resa made a fabulous dinner again with okra, steak, homemade biscuits, and a wonderful peanut butter pie for dessert.  We looked through gospel recordings catalogs and I got some new accompaniment tapes ordered.

Sunday Kim & I met Yukieh at McDonalds and went to watch Satoko perform in a traditional dance concert.  It was very interesting, and we got to see some kabuki beforehand.

We then went to Yukieh's for dinner.  What a trip!  We watched 6 short stories in "The Storyteller" series, and met most of the clan living in Himeji.  My favorite was Yukieh's aunt.  She was really sweet.  I even tried eel at dinner, but ate chicken mostly!  Yukieh's family reminds me of Masano's family.

Monday, August 8th, 1988

Note:  This is a series of journal entries from my two years living in Himeji, Japan (1988-1990).  I'm archiving them electronically through my blog.  Last names have been deleted and replaced with first initial only.  For details on this series of blog entries, see this post.

Saturday I met Kim and Jenny at 31.  We shopped for awhile, then ate at McDonalds.  Then we went to the castle.  Jenny left to watch fireworks at Tegarayama & Kim & I met Barrett & watched classical Noh theater by firelight in front of the castle.  It is the Castle Festival now, or was Saturday & Sunday.  After watching Noh for awhile I came home.

Yesterday I met Kim and her friend Gary at 1 at Himeji Station.  We toured the castle & shopped.  Chinatsu was playing taiko in the parade, so we watched her for awhile and were leered at & "accosted" by a bunch of men wearing diapers (men in a float wearing traditional clothes, or lack thereof).

We went to a shrine and joined the gaijin portion of the parade.  Kim didn't register, so they only had Canada t-shirts left & we didn't want to be separated, so I held a fan over my American flag t-shirt & rode in the Canada jeep with her and a lady from Himeji & Chinastu, who jumped on later.  It was fun.  We were on the news as Canadians & followed a group of wild Brazilian dancers.  They were great, gorgeous, and really nice.

As we rode down Miyuki Dori, all of the shop keepers of stores I frequent waved.  They guys at the coffee shop even ran out with ice cream for us.  Daiei tourist shop, Maruzen, Pizzeria Miyuki, the coffee shop & a clothing store all waved.  Afterwards we ran into Aya & a friend.  They tagged along for awhile & then Kim & I left.  We went to K's & watched "Somewhere in Time" complete with dumb ending.

Today Michiyo took Kim & I to a yukata/kimono exhibit.  Kim bought material & "making" and I bought an obi & under tie.  The cloth for kimono & obi was beautiful, and I wanted to buy one to drape over a stand in my apartment in America, but the one I wanted cost 450,000 yen- expensive!  It was really fun though.

Today is a momentous occasion...8/8/88.  That won't happen again for 100 years.

Kim, Michiyo & I also shopped.  Kim was the big buyer with a 28,000 yen yukata, a 10,000 yen chair & table set, and a 3,000 yen clothes rack.  I got off cheap with an 8,500 yen obi & a 3,000 yen t-shirt.

I don't think I'm going to Hong Kong because M. still hasn't called & I don't know if I have enough money now!

Thursday, August 4th, 1988

Note:  This is a series of journal entries from my two years living in Himeji, Japan (1988-1990).  I'm archiving them electronically through my blog.  Last names have been deleted and replaced with first initial only.  For details on this series of blog entries, see this post.

Tuesday, August 2nd Brenda called and I met caravan at the dorm after Misuzu's English lesson.  We all went to Miyuki Dori for the last of our shopping sprees together (for them to buy any last minute things).  We split up, and Kim and I went to a coffee shop.  We all met at 3:00 and went to Pizzeria Miyuki for dinner.  Caravan presented me with the tea kettle I showed them on a previous trip and said that I was going to buy after Hong Kong.  How sweet!

After shopping we went back to the dorm, after a strange ride with an even stranger old man bothering us.  The farewell party was fun.  Misuzu sprayed my hair black to see what I'd look like Japanese...strange!  I had to ride the train home like that, too.

Wednesday was very sad.  F., Y., M., Barrett, and I took caravan to Osaka airport.  We parted at 1:15 and I'll never see some of them again.  I feel so utterly deserted!

Kim & I rode back with M. and Y., stopped at Kobe-Nishi Church, where Kim is living for a month, then came back to Himeji.

Kim picked up her 16 rolls of film that were developed, at a whopping 27,000 yen.  We ate at Conservo, then went to my apartment to watch movies & be together.  She stayed at K's & today I saw her off to Osaka.  I don't know why I let myself get so close!  I needed their friendship.  God sent them to me, and now I miss them terribly!  Terribly!  Terribly!!!

Sunday, July 31st, 1988

Note:  This is a series of journal entries from my two years living in Himeji, Japan (1988-1990).  I'm archiving them electronically through my blog.  Last names have been deleted and replaced with first initial only.  For details on this series of blog entries, see this post.

It's been a really long time since I've written, but every day is so much like the next during summer break, that it's really not worth the paper to write about them.  So, I'll write now, I guess, when something happens.

On Saturday the 23rd caravan went shopping with Mr. M. and I (plus Ree, Misuzu, and some high school girls), then caravan came over here for a chili dinner.  We watched a couple of movies, ate, & talked, looked through my photos, and Yukari came over too.  It was fun.

Monday and Tuesday, the 25th & 26th, caravan, Mr. F., Barrett and I went to Hiroshima by bullet train.  Hiroshima is so sad- I'd forgotten how sad, and gross the museum was.  What a testament to anti-nuclear war!

We also went shopping.  I bought some hot stretch pants for aerobics.  Maruzen there was great, and I found some more Ukiyo-e postcards.  We ate at Shakey's Pizza, and stayed at the Garden Palace, a great hotel.  The keys to the doors were computer cards.  "Top Gun" was on, so I finally got to see it.

Tuesday we left Hiroshima and went to Okayama.  We were met by Gary B. and went to his house/church.

 Corn in front of Gary's house/church!!!!

After a briefing on the church situation there, we went to see Seto Ohashi Bridge and walked along the shore at the inland sea...beautiful.  One of Denise's college friends met us at Hiroshima Station and was with us until we left Okayama.  She's here alone on a similar caravan program- Sarah.

Mr. F!!!!

I had my first experience with a Japanese doctor.  The gland behind my right ear is giving me problems again.  Brenda and Sarah had to go to the doctor with Mrs. K. for their ears, so I went too.  It was nice to have a translator.  The doctor said it was nothing though. (I think I waited too long to go).

They gave me pills for 3 days, put me under a heat lamp for 5 minutes (and put these strange wire mesh glasses on me) and that was that.  This way I found out that I have health insurance though.  I went back to the office at tendai to ask & they said they put the card in my box in May, but nobody bothered to tell me, so I came home, dug through my papers, found it, and took it back to school to give to Mrs. K. to give to the doctor.

Yesterday (and the day before) I spent with Brenda and Michiyo.  On Friday Brenda came over while Michiyo went to driving school.  We met Michiyo at McDonalds after watching "A Chorus Line" here, then went to Pizzaria Miyuki for a late lunch, shopping, then came back here & watched English news.

Jokingly Brenda asked me to go with them on Saturday to Amanohashidate, a resort area near Kyoto, and later Michiyo called to ask if I really wanted to go- so I did.  We left here at about 8, and picked up Chinatsu (we surprised her then that I was going) and proceeded to the place.

Along the way we stopped at the truck stop with the waterfall that we stopped at 4 years ago on a high school retreat.  It was strange to pull in and recognize the place!  We stopped at a grocery store and "lunched in the car" then went to this place.

We rode up the side of a mountain in one seater chair lifts- it was great- to a lookout place where we could see the bay swimming area with a line of trees dividing it. (You were supposed to get on this bench and look upside down through your legs to make it appear that the sea was the sky & the line of trees a bridge in the sky- pretty weird!).  We could also see the open Pacific through a gap in a few islands- cool.

After climbing & looking around there we went to a beach & swam for a few hours.  Everybody who stopped to talk to the "gaijin" was fooled by Chinatsu into thinking Michiyo was from America & couldn't speak any Japanese.

After the beach we went to a temple where you were to clap at the altar to get a girlfriend or boyfriend.  I said "no thanks, I already have one".  Brenda declined the invitation anyway.

We shopped a little at various places throughout the day, then came back to Himeji where I was invited to F's for yakiniku, karaoke, and, when I said I wanted to see patterns to have a yukata made- a present of  a yukata from Michiyo's father (he owns a kimono shop).  F's paid for everything & even bought me a present at a tourist stand.