On Saturday, our dear friend Hiromi, whom we met at church, invited us to her house so we could celebrate her 59th birthday with her! She loves cats, and she has one black cat, name, Bon-chan. So, we bought her a mug that had watercolor black cats on it, in addition to a pot of flowers, and a tin of Almond Roca (which we brought with us from home). The stereotype of Americans eating a lot of food, particularly sugary foods, is strong here. When we arrived, the table was all prepared for us. Each of us had a full sized chocolate bar, and a plate of candy in front of our plates. Two cakes were set on the table, which had been pre-cut into the largest servings of cake I have ever seen! Hiromi is an amazing host, and she made sure we felt welcome and comfortable. In addition to the sweets, she served us some of the best hot chocolate we have ever had. Bayus thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate overload!
In preparation for Hiromi’s birthday, Mom and Dad had us practice how to say “happy birthday” in Japanese. When Hiromi opened the door, we all said, “O tanjobi omedeto gozaimasu!” She was very excited that we were able to wish her happy birthday, in Japanese. On Friday, at Uncle Yoshio and Aunt Tamiko’s house, Yoshio had taught us some magic card tricks. I practiced them all day, so I could perform them for Hiromi. She was very impressed, and insisted that I go to Las Vegas. Like I said before, Hiromi is very, very kind, and we really enjoy being able to spend time with her.
Hiromi showed us a program that she watches, to practice her English, but us kids ended up watching it ourselves. It looked like a TED talk, and it was featuring Elon Musk. Bayus (our robot, engineer, business guy), found it particularly interesting.
We were able to meet Hiromi’s husband, when he came home from work. We had seen him before, at church, but we had not been properly introduced. Hiromi had me show him my magic tricks, and he enjoyed them as well. He does not speak very much English, but we were still able to have a pleasant time with him.
It is exactly two weeks until we arrive home! This has been, and still is, a chance in a lifetime trip, that none of us will ever forget.
Hannah
Great job learning the magic tricks! They are great ice breakers in many situations.
They are fun to perform as well! My favorite part about the card tricks, is that my Uncle Yoshio taught them to me. That will be a fond memory of mine.