Goodbye and goodbye again!

 

Saying goodbye in Japan is sometimes a long process.  I will leave here on September 25, but the first special goodbye event for me was held last Sunday. My quilting teacher and her husband invited some people to gather at their summer house in Karuizawa where we had a lunch together which included my version of Taco Rice among other things including a cake (always a good idea to my way of thinking!)





I was given the center seat at the table and was asked to say a few words about going home and future plans before we ate.

Yesterday I was asked to the regular monthly meeting of IVIS (Ichikawa Volunteer Interpreter's Society) where I have often encouraged their English speaking ability and shared views and ideas.  This time they were given free reign to ask me "anything!" The questions ranged from what my plans were to what do the initials O. M. F. stand for to who I'll vote for in November's election. This was followed by a "pot luck lunch."  Foods ranged from pizza to sushi to potato salad to nashi. It was a nice thing to do.  Some of these folks have known me since 1999 when I first came to Japan and some I met for the first time yesterday.  Many are convinced I will be back.

On the Downhill Stretch

Over the past few days I have said goodbye to numerous guests and washed sheets and towels and cleaned bathrooms and remade beds.  Today there remains one couple - here to next Wednesday and one Serve Japan worker who is spending one more night before he flies home, and a family of 5.  It sounds like a lot when I put it on paper, but compared to last week's mob it's really light duty.

After a couple of weeks with temperatures less than 30 degrees, Celsius it's starting to get warmer again.  I turned the air conditioning on in the office this afternoon to see if it would render me more alert and less sleepy.  The jury is still out. However, I do feel like the burden of the summer Guest Home schedule is lifting.

Tomorrow I will go lead the Free Discussion time for IVIS.  I haven't been able to do that for several months, and have heard that they have found some other people from some countries, where English is a second language, to converse with.  I plan to see what their plans are for their summer vacation or what their "dream vacation" would be. My job is to see that everyone has a chance to speak and express their ideas on the subject. 

Next week I will have a visitor from California! Yay! Visitors are good.  She is one of my Prayer Partners and has been doing some short term missions work in several places in Japan over the last month.  She'll stay with me for about 5 days and I hope to be able to show her some interesting things in and around Tokyo.

I've got some fabric and patterns waiting for me too, so it looks like it's goodbye drudgery, hello fun during the summer season at the OMF Ichikawa Guest Home.

Free Discussion

Sometimes on a Saturday morning my friends at the Ichikawa Volunteer Interpreter Society (IVIS) ask me to moderate a two hour session called "Free Discussion". The participants are Japanese and the session is conducted in English. My job is to set the topic and make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Today the planned Cherry Blossom Viewing Picnic was canceled and we had free discussion instead. Springboarding from recent events in Japan I asked them to tell me something they learned or something they planned to do as a result of Japan's triple disaster. There were around 16 people there this morning so I learned a lot. Oh, did I mention that I usually learn as much or than anyone?

1. A reason for not having Cherry Blossom Viewing Parties this year is that people in Tohoku would see it  in the media and feel really bad.

2. One woman said several times that everyone she knows is depressed.

3. The Japanese Self Defence Force helicopters can't land anywhere that isn't authorized for their use, but American Forces could land anywhere they deemed safe and convenient.

4. One member had been on a plane flying to Osaka on 3/11, and was surprised when he finally found there had been an earthquake that they hadn't had ant kind of turbulence.

5. Part of the training for earthquake preparedness is figuring out the best route from your workplace to your home on foot which helped explain why so many people chose to walk when the trains weren't running.

6. If Japan can build a robot that can play the violin why did they have to borrow a remote control bulldozer from France.

7. Saving power is relatively easy now, but no one is looking forward to Tokyo summer without air conditioning.

I was able to tell this group how much I admire the Japanese People. It was a good session, and truth be told, the cherry trees won't really be at their best till later in the week.