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On Saturday, Mizue-san, Nobara-san and Sakura-san came to pick us up at our hotel to take us to karaoke and dinner. Our first meeing was warm and relaxed. Before going to karaoke, Nobara-san drove us to the house in Hagashinada where Mizue-san lived for many years until just last year. This photo is of Mizue-san's back yard. |
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I got Mizue-san to pause at her gate for a photo as we were leaving. This is where Mizue-san lived for most of her life. There is a story behind this house. It dates from the post-war era, but was completely destroyed by the Great Hanshin Quake in 1995. (Mizue-san was out of town at the time, whew!) She had the house rebuilt almost exactly as it was before. She continued to sleep on tatami and futon as she always had. But as you can see behind the house, the neighborhood has changed. There are big apartment buildings all around. Last year she moved to a new apartment building. Her family still owns this house. |
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Here we are, Christeen and me, at the karaoke box for the first time ever. The place is a fancy karaoke-kan called "Cote d'Azur". Mizue-san took this picture of us. |
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These are our hosts, the "itsumo no san-nin gumi" as they call themselves. The usual group of three. That's Sakura-san on the left, Nobara-san in the middle, and Mizue-san on the right. They are such fun together! They often do things together, and go places together - - out to eat, to a concert, etc. They even went to Hawaii recently. |
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Mizue-san, performing. I think this may have been Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling in Love" (but I can't be sure). |
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...and me, listening. (I sang some, too. Both Japanese songs and English songs.) |
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The next day, Sunday, Mizue-san gave a party in our honor at her new apartment. Look at these tables full of food! All delicious. I was reminded of holidays at Christeen's grandmother's house, but the recipes were a little different, and the vegetables used were completely different. Clockwise around the table from the left, that's Fumiko-san, wearing the kimono is Yukiko-san who perform the tea ceremony for us, Nobara-san hamming it up as usual, Mizue-san and Wadatchi and Megumi-san preparing foods at the table, Shirukku-san (Silk) drinking tea, and that's Maya-san smiling for my camera. |
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Same group as above, but Nobara-san is back in the kitchen, and Sakura-san has appeared next to Mizue-san. |
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Here is Christeen with my net-friend Midori-san and Kingo-san (Mizue-san's niece's husband). Midori-san came the farthest, I think. She lives near Nagoya. She lived in Canada for a few years, so she speaks very good English. |
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Now Christeen, Midori and Kingo are joined by Megumi-san, on the left, and Sakura-san on the right. Megumi-san is a college friend of Midori-san. We met on Midori-san's BBS. Now that Mizue-san has moved to this new apartment, she is living quite close now to Midor-san's mother! So they all manage to get together once in a while. |
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Another of my blurry snapshots... Is Yukiko-san adjusting her sash? But I posted it because Nobara-san is mugging again, and flashing those V fingers. She's so funny! |
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This photo came from Maya-san's cell phone. It might be the best picture I have of Wadatchi ,even though it is a scan of a printout of a cell phone snap shot. On the larger version (click) there is also a photo of the dessert table. |
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Here's my shot of the dessert table. Colorful, eh? It's manju, in spring colors. (See the little pile of sticks in the middle of the table? Some sort of implement used for eating manju!) |
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The view from Mizue-san's 14th floor balcony. |
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Wadatchi-sensei seems to be wondering why I cannot perform the tea ceremony properly. She showed me how to hold the cup, and how to turn it in my hand. And I thought I was doing it just as she had shown me. But it's obvious from her look that I'm doing it wrong. Nobara-san's impish smile seems to re-enforce that I am not doing it right. Haha. |
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Several interesting things are visible in this snapshot: You can see Yukiko-san's kimono fairly well. And notice how everyone is eating manju with those tiny pointed sticks. (We've always just eaten them like a cookie, holding them in our hands and taking a bite. Who knew there was a proper way to do it?) Standing near the left is Hiroko-chan, Mizue-san's niece who gave us a beautifully glazed ceramic plate that she made herself. |
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Christeen and Megumi-san. I wish I could remember what Meme-chan was saying at that moment, but I know she made us all laugh! It was a fun party. Thank you Mizue-san, and thank you, everybody. Afterwards several of us went to karaoke in Sannomiya and then to a restaurant. There was Midori-san, Maya-san, Fumi-chan, of course Mizue-san, Christeen(-san), and me. No photos? Midori-san is a big fan of Peter, Paul and Mary, and she can really sound like Mary when she sings. |