Pics #18



Sad

We are on our way to the airport. My sister, Sally just died. She had a heart attack and was improving until she wasn't. My heart is breaking for her 3 kids and 3 young gkids. Sally is 5 years younger than me. It makes me realize how quickly things can change.

Update #18

We got off the train in Asa. Gotta be honest, after walking around a bit and getting blank stares when we tried to ask about attractions, we wondered why we'd reserved 2 nights here. The hotel room was ok & we did each to to the onsen in the hotel (men/women separate). Since you don't wear bathing suits, I was glad I was the only one in mine! We found a local place to eat where an older woman was working as fast as she could making okonomiyaki…a traditional dish that combines noodles, cabbage, eggs, bread crumbs & shrimp. On the hot griddle at our table, she cook the bacon for short minute and then poured the mixture on top of it. After 10-15 min, she flipped it and cooked the other side another 10 minutes. Then she brushed it with a thick sweet sauce (like Hoisin) & sprinkled spices on it and tada…ready to eat. We'd had this once before so we knew it'd be good. Back in our room, we played some cards & tried to figure out how we'd fill the next day. Thought we'd hop the train & head to a nearby town. Our hotel had a huge buffet breakfast (think dinner). Rog filled up on a variety of local foods while I ate some yogurt. Then we headed to the train station. On the way, I noticed a group of men setting up what looked like a stage. I went over & a sky why & thanks to Goggle translator and a guy who spoke some English, found out there was going to be a Hina Doll Festival starting in an hour. So we scrapped the train plans. Rog had noticed some bikes by our hotel, so inquired about renting one & for $1.50, he was a happy biker! The town ladies were setting up bazaar & food tables so I checked that out. One table was set up so kids could do origami art. As I looked on, I was given the materials and thanks to the kids around me, I now have one myself. Around 11, Rog came back and the drumming started…loud & with a great beat. Most of the drummers were young & the guy setting up who knew some English, well he was the drum teacher. As we were watching the performance, a young lady who heard us speaking English approached us and introduced herself, Juicy Mae (Jumae Lina's). Soon we were best friends. She is from the Philippines and is here teaching English. She hung with us the next couple hours often introducing her students to us and encouraging them to practice their English with us. We were in lots of selfies! After the drumming ended, about 20 girls (3-18 yrs old) dressed in elegant kimonos lined up and after lots of pictures, paraded single file to the shrine that overlooked the river. Once there, a prayer for good health was said & then each girl was given a paper boat with an emperor & an empress inside. One by one, the boats were lowered into the river. Because Juicy & I were standing close, we were each given a boat too! We trailed ours as they went down the river & over small waterfalls cheering when they popped up after each. We both were happy that our boats were still afloat for as far as we could see! Surely good health for all my girls…the symbolic meaning of the event! We then headed back to the center of the festival & Juicy got a bowl of noodle soup & I got popcorn!! It wasn't buttered or salted rather peppered & sprinkled with ground parsley but close enough and since there was a Coke machine close by (which there is on most every corner), I got my Coke Lite and I was a happy girl. We sat chatting about school. Juicy says she loved teaching here as she has NO discipline issues and pay is much better. She said the Japanese are taught young to live in harmony. Harmony-what a beautiful word. Rog joined us after a bit and caught the tail end of a group of kids dancing to hip-hop music. Juicy had to leave to teach an online class but first we exchanged contact info. Spending time with her had been such a lucky experience! Rog then went to buy some soup & the women were so excited they bowed & laughed like teenagers. Around 2, clean up began so we were finishing up when the drummer teacher came over to introduce us to his young son. We gave him a balloon & he just belly laughed & started blowing it up. With just a few more hrs of daylight, I also rented a bike & off we rode through several neighborhoods getting an up close look. Rog spotted a barber so we stopped in as his hair needed a trim. An hour later, after a major trim, hot lather shave of his neck, chin & forehead and a massage of his head & shoulders…he was a new man and just $23 less in his wallet. Today was a great example of the reason we don't get too rigid in our planning & just grab on to whatever pops up!!

Update #17

Our next train ride took us to Iwakuni. As we stood talking about how we'd get to our hotel, a man came over & after chatting a bit, we were in his car headed to our hotel. Thanks Brian from Indiana! We picked this stop mostly because we wanted to stay in a shipping container. Called The Yard, there were two rows of 15 each facing each other and about 2 ft between them. These shipping containers were still on wheels with the trailer hitch. There were called Rescue Containers and designed to be moved quickly to any disaster location. There are about 25 similar set-ups in Japan. Great idea! Inside was amazingly spacious with double bed, narrow desk with chair, small frig, microwave & what seems the usual tiny bathrooms we've had almost everywhere. It even had a window! When we checked in, we were given two frozen dinners. Bonus!
We had arrived much before check in time so went in search of lunch & found an Indian restaurant with naan that melted in your mouth. Next we headed toward the 3rd most beautiful bridge in Japan, Kintaikyo with its 5 stone arches. As you cross, you climb up & over the arches enjoying the fast running river below. On top of a mountain overlooking it, sits the castle, of course. We rode a tram up the mountain getting a great view of the bridge & valley below. We skipped the castle. Kinda castled out. Back at The Yard, we popped our frozen dinner in the microwave and called it a day…a good day!
Back on the train @ 9:30, we slowly passed through mostly small town & fields with mountains on one side & ocean on the other. It was an easy way round get a glimpse of the lives of people outside a big city. Gardens, cloth lines & the occasional person going in or out of their home or store gave me a tiny window into their lives…which I love.


Pics for #17

Update #16

Hiroshima Peace Museum. It's hard to put into words how I felt today as we moved slowly & silently shoulder to shoulder along the route that took us past first a large wall showing Hiroshima before 1945…and then after Aug 6, 1945. The pictures were gruesome and horrifying. The photographers who took them told how their tears made it hard to focus their cameras but felt the world needed to see this. The extreme pain & fear in the eyes of the victims bore a hole in me and the words of the survivors tore at my heart. Why keep looking, I kept asking myself. But it seemed so disrespectful, so unfair to the victims for me to walk away. Also, most of the crowd around me were Japanese. How would they feel if I just walked away? Like I didn't care? The museum honored the victims by not only displaying photos & film and plaques with explanations…but also clothing, personal items, parts of buildings & bridges found in the rubble. The stories of the survivors were raw with pain. One section traced the life of Sadako. I had read that story to my students many times. I knew it well. But seeing pictures of her when she was 2…at the time of the explosion and then several before she died of leukemia at 12…made it so much more real. Many of the tiny cranes she had folded were also there. She had so hoped that the folklore that said a person who folds 1000 cranes would be granted a wish was true. We have seen so many strings of folded cranes in windows, shrines, temples & in displays. Her spirit is so alive still. The numbers of others who died on Aug 6 and later as a result, is staggering. It's important to note the Japanese did not portray the US in a negative light. In fact, they stated that "their country initiated hostilities against the US and other countries." The final area of the museum was dedicated to the need to reduce the number of nuclear bombs and in hope to eliminate them totally. It was a strong cry for peace.
As we excited the museum, it was raining. Really the first rain we've had in Japan. It seemed so appropriate & symbolic like walking through the tears that have fallen in this city.
The next day, the sun came out so we headed for Peace Park filled with memorials: the cenotaph with the names of known victims, eternal flame, praying family, Children's Peace statue of Sadako, Peace Bell, a pillar ( which was the only remains of their school) with the names of the 650+ students & teachers who were killed there were etched, several trees that survived and fountains representing the thirst of those burned. Looming in the background is the skeleton of the A-Bomb Dome. As I approached the center of cenotaph for the victims, about 40 very young Japanese students stood in front of it singing a sweet song. Though I'll never know the lyrics of the song, I'll never forget the moment.
From there we went down into the National Peace Memorial Hall where pictures of the victims & stories of the hibakusha (explosion-affected person) were stored. One huge, round room had a 360 picture of the destroyed city with a waterfall in the center as the cry for water was heard throughout the city on Aug 6. Sobering…and yet we had been approached twice today by excited students wanting to practice their English by interviewing us. They laughed & were having a great time & then let us take their pictures before giving us origami gifts with thank you neatly printed on them. They gave me a generous dose of hope for the future. As you look around Hiroshima, it's quite astonishing to see how they've rebuilt this city which now looks like so many other modern cities. They also rebuilt the castle originally built in 1590 & the Shukkeien gardens. Visiting them was soothing. Lots of blooming cherry & plum trees greeted us there. Here also, hope bloomed in my heart!!

Update #15

We took the train from Nara to Himeji. When we came to one of the stops on the way to Himeji, everyone got off which clued us in that we should get off. We noticed most crossed to the other side of the platform, so we did too & after questioning someone, found out that the train we were on would be going back to Nara. This happened one more time before we finally arrived in Himeji. We dropped our bags off at our hotel & then headed to the Himeji History Museum…but one the way, we found ourselves in the middle of a crowd where we saw all these people dressed up in elaborate costumes! We started snapping pictures which they seemed to encourage. Imagine seeing kids dressed in outrageous, darling, clever, silly, scary, remarkable and darn right funny costumes. We did not recognize most of the characters they were dressed like but it was sure entertaining!! (Later I looked it up & they were a cosplay mix of a popular anime movies). There was a two stage shows with performers singing & dancing. And a parking lot full of cars also "dressed" up! Just a unique spot to just happen to run into. To top it off, they sold those most delicious waffles mothered in whip cream & chocolate! The History Museum was not nearly as exciting but we did learn more about this area especially the 1995 earthquake. Next morning we headed out to see why we came to Himeji, the castle. Who doesn't want to see the castle known as the White Heron Castle?? It 's perched on the top of the highest point around & surrounded by a moat. After being asked to take our shoes off, in our stocking feet, we climbed up seven narrow & steep staircases with each floor empty but it you sure got the feel of the vastness of each floor. From the top you got a bird's eye view of the city and the castle garden, which is where we headed next. Known as the Koko-en, it was designed with lots of benches where you could rest and take in the beauty…which after climbing up & down 7 stories, we thoroughly enjoyed. the garden was just ready to fully pop with just the daffodils & camellia bushes blooming. The many stone pathways led you by manicured trees & bushes and over & around a fast moving stream which dumped into a large pond where colorful carp were swimming. Lovely hardly describes it. In the exit building, we were treated to several blossoming cherry & plum bonsai trees!! So we did all that we came to Himeji for…and more…so tomorrow we're taking the bullet train to Hiroshima.

Update 14

You might be getting this twice?!

Nara was the first capital of Japan in 700 AD so it is filled with ancient buildings most of which have been or are being reconstructed. Original audience hall, shrines & temples galore to see. All humongous, decorative with traditional curved roofs. Unfortunately the palace & 5 story pagoda were tented & being worked on so we didn't get to see them. We stayed 3 days so we visited most of the rest of them. The Todaiji Temple was the most impressive with its 17' tall bronze Buddha flanked by two bodhisttua (soon to be Buddhas). The temple is the largest wooden structure in the world. In 728 AD, the emperor decreed that everyone was to help build it so over 1/2 the population at the time (2 1/2 million) worked on it! Long ago someone gifted deers to the emperor so today hundreds of them roam freely over the large grounds. Somehow they keep the poop cleaned up. While we were there, a group of elementary school kids with their clipboards interviewed us and we in turn, interviewed them. Great way to practice English! Close by was the lovely Isuien Gardens. Peaceful, well groomed green space with a frolicking stream running through it which has stone bridges you could cross on. Our next stop was to admire a display of darling porcelain face dolls dressed in traditional clothing. Some serving tea and others playing instruments. The cultural center was our next stop which was home to several statues & articles found during the excavation around this area. Yakushiji Temple was another temple in the area which has been around for just 1300 yrs. It was flanked by two 3 story pagodas. I love seeing pagodas! That temple also had a huge Buddha and had recently been restored. The building next to it was set up for monks to copy sutras (sacred Buddha teachings) which they sell and use the money to pay for restoration. It was time for another view of the area so we just walked around a small town just outside the temple. It appeared to have lots of nice single family homes with just a few unkept apartment buildings. There were several large gardens which seemed to be for the community surrounding it. The gardens had onions & lettuce growing and lots of space for more spring planting. Also we saw several rice paddies with cement sides not in use. Maybe later?? We had one more shrine to see, Kasugataisha Shrine famous for the thousands of bronze & golden lanterns that adorn it. Walking up the hill to it you pass hundreds of cement pillars with lanterns on top that are covered in moss and have plants growing out of them. The whole temple is surrounded by a dense forest. Here too deer roam freely as they are believed to be messengers of deities. Each year in December since 1136 AD there is a huge festival with dancers, monks & horses. That's one long time tradition!
Just a quick side note: our Airbnb is like living in a RV! Just a little space on the side of the bed, TV trays to set up next to bed, and the smallest, shortest frig I've ever seen. The bathroom sink faucet can be turned to fill the half size tub & turn on the shower. You can brush your teeth sitting on the heated toilet seat! It's close to the bus stops & train station so it's been a fun little, truly little place to be!




Update #14

Nara was the first capital of Japan in 700 AD so it is filled with ancient buildings most of which have been or are being reconstructed. Original audience hall, shrines & temples galore to see. All humongous, decorative with traditional curved roofs. Unfortunately the palace & 5 story pagoda were tented & being worked on so we didn't get to see them. We stayed 3 days so we visited most of the rest of them. The Todaiji Temple was the most impressive with its 17' tall bronze Buddha flanked by two bodhisttua (soon to be Buddhas). The temple is the largest wooden structure in the world. In 728 AD, the emperor decreed that everyone was to help build it so over 1/2 the population at the time (2 1/2 million) worked on it! Long ago someone gifted deers to the emperor so today hundreds of them roam freely over the large grounds. Somehow they keep the poop cleaned up. While we were there, a group of elementary school kids with their clipboards interviewed us and we in turn, interviewed them. Great way to practice English! Close by was the lovely Isuien Gardens. Peaceful, well groomed green space with a frolicking stream running through it which has stone bridges you could cross on. Our next stop was to admire a display of darling porcelain face dolls dressed in traditional clothing. Some serving tea and others playing instruments. The cultural center was our next stop which was home to several statues & articles found during the excavation around this area. Yakushiji Temple was another temple in the area which has been around for just 1300 yrs. It was flanked by two 3 story pagodas. I love seeing pagodas! That temple also had a huge Buddha and had recently been restored. The building next to it was set up for monks to copy sutras (sacred Buddha teachings) which they sell and use the money to pay for restoration. It was time for another view of the area so we just walked around a small town just outside the temple. It appeared to have lots of nice single family homes with just a few unkept apartment buildings. There were several large gardens which seemed to be for the community surrounding it. The gardens had onions & lettuce growing and lots of space for more spring planting. Also we saw several rice paddies with cement sides not in use. Maybe later?? We had one more shrine to see, Kasugataisha Shrine famous for the thousands of bronze & golden lanterns that adorn it. Walking up the hill to it you pass hundreds of cement pillars with lanterns on top that are covered in moss and have plants growing out of them. The whole temple is surrounded by a dense forest. Here too deer roam freely as they are believed to be messengers of deities. Each year in December since 1136 AD there is a huge festival with dancers, monks & horses. That's one long time tradition!
Just a quick side note: our Airbnb is like living in a RV! Just a little space on the side of the bed, TV trays to set up next to bed, and the smallest, shortest frig I've ever seen. The bathroom sink faucet can be turned to fill the half size tub & turn on the shower. You can brush your teeth sitting on the heated toilet seat! It's close to the bus stops & train station so it's been a fun little, truly little place to be!




Update 13

Well we're off the floor and in a bed and also sitting down to go to the bathroom! The traditional Japanese bed is a 1-2" pad called a futon rolled out on a matted floor. That's been our bed since we got to Japan…which we both admit we slept fine on and we got lots of laughs out of how comical it was trying to get down & up from them! Traditional toilet is the squat type. We were glad that once we flew into Osaka, we had both a "real" bed and sit down toilet which also had a seat warmer & a bidet!
The flight was easy and since we arrived hungry, we ate at the first place we found, McD! My hamburger was similar to US but meat not quite the same and they only had Coke Zero. I ordered a large and it was almost as big as our medium. Rog got a Terriyaki chicken sandwich. We ate this like everyone else in the restaurant was eating, standing up next to a counter. Later we'd see a McD that advertised how many chairs it had! Rog then did his magic to get us to our hotel first taking the monorail, then train, then DiDi (like Uber). We just laid on our real beds for the rest of the night watching some TV (in Japanese) except for a quick trip to a Lawson's which is a small convenient store that's on most every corner!
Next morning we set out to find the National Museum of Ethnology. We took several twist & turn around a before we found it but we did. It's located on the Expo '70 grounds so we saw the huge Ferris wheel and Tower of the Sun too. The museum was huge and jam-packed with cultural artifacts from all over the world. The plaques had very little English but who reads all them anyways! We sure recognized lots from other countries we've visited. We spent extra time in the Japanese section. Actually were there over 3 hours. By the time we got back near our hotel, it was time to find dinner which we did in an Okinawa restaurant for a dish called taco salad —taco meat sauce over rice with a bit of greens. We were ready to just read our guide book & plan the next day when we got back.
Next day we were able to get around pretty efficiently! We started by going to the Osaka Castle. It was originally built in 1583 & is surrounded by a moat with massive stone wall. One of the stone used was about 12' x 20'. Imagine moving that! The castle was filled with ancient painted hangings and 20 dioramas that included holograms. They are so amazing to watch as they told some of the history of the time. Rog decided to sit out going inside the castle so just walked around the beautiful grounds until he found a good bench. A Japanese man, Takashi Saito sat down next to him and of course, they started to talk. He then handed him a folded paper parrot that he'd made. As they continued talking, he folded a butterfly, samaurin hat then peacock. He told him this was his hobby. Finally he gave him a card he'd painted Mt Fuji on that had his name on it. Rog was happy he'd found that bench. Next to the castle was a Shinto Shrine similar to the one we'd seen in Naha except filled with cherry blossoms in bloom!
Back on the subway, we headed to where we had reservations for a later show. With time to spare, we wandered around this part of town until we found a local restaurant serving squid, shrimp & egg rolls. Not the best but okay. We got to the auditorium where we had reservations for a show about 1/2 hour early hoping to get good seats. Well, all 20+ of the audience had good seats! the show, Osaka Night Fusion was pretty radical with a mix between very cultural dancing to very risqué dancing. Traditional Japanese instruments were played beautifully along with lots of loud & rapid drumming. Songs switched between more current Western music to traditional songs. Flashing lights and a constant changing video screen in the background lit up the stage vibrantly! A sword swallower, yo-yo expert, several tumblers & lots of dancing filled the one hour show. Pretty overwhelming! But guess we didn't get enough as we headed to the canal strip to see the ultimate flashing light ads. Sensory overloaded, we headed back to our hotel around 7:30. Osaka is certainly the modern, flashy Japan! We have to say it's striking how orderly the Japanese are. Everyone lines up single file to get on elevators & subways. They wait patiently for people to exit before getting on. This happened on our flights too. Never been on a flight that loaded & unloaded so quickly! Also the streets are clean as a whistle. Almost 3 million people live in Osaka but no trash anywhere. Pretty incredible. This city is filled with tall apartment buildings but the traffic is so light thanks to their excellent public transportation. And finally, another amazing thing is we see lots of bikes parked & not locked. Chris told us that many times if someone does commit a crime, he will turn himself into the police rather than bring more embarrassment to his family. We're pretty impressed!

Update 12

 Our last day in Okinawa was a chill day…both the weather which is about 50-60 F and our activity level. We were staying at a place near the beach so we could walk the beach…in our coats. We also walked to the nearest town and ate a most delicious meal of fried fish & chicken, French fries, rice and an unidentifiable soup. The town was actually a small island so we walked all around it and discovered a shop selling a waffle on a stick covered in whip cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup & chocolate chips. Best treat so far!! I spent the last hour of sunshine sitting on a lounge chair reading. The next morning, the owners & their daughter warmly hugged us & waved goodbye as we got we drove off with their friend who took us to the airport for our flight to Osaka. That seemed very fitting as we'd found all the people in Okinawa to be so friendly and kind!

Update#11

We were surprised when Chris said he wanted to take a day off and take us around Okinawa. We told hime he really didn't need to do that but he insisted saying he was a workaholic & we were a good excuse to enjoy a day off. So he picked us up and off we went. First to the Naminoue Shrine, a most sacred Shinto site. Chris carefully instructed us on what we needed to do to enter. At a water stand, we washed our hands, first the left,then right and then took a drink from our cupped hands & spit it out…to rinse our mouth of any thing bad. Next at a sort of altar, we tossed a coin with a hole in it into a bin, bowed twice, then clapped twice, then bowed twice again finally with praying hands, stand silently for a short time. Then we entered the main room where the altar was loaded with golden statues & decorative items. Chris's filled us with many details about the history of the Shinto religion. Next he took us to meet the local Monk, who was his friend. The shrine is being renovated and plagues were going to be displayed with donated names on it. Chris made a donation on our behalf and we were asked to write down our names. Chris told us now a piece of us would always remain in Okinawa. That pulled my heartstrings! Next we bought a taiyaki-a fish shape waffle filled with a sweet bean filling. Actually pretty good! Next we went to the former WWII Japanese Navy Underground headquarters—a massive underground tunnel system. It was eerie walking through the dirt tunnel where thousands of of boulders had been & so many had died. One room was where after realizing they were defeated, many had committed suicide by smashing loaded grenade to their heads. The walls were all pitted leaving the evidence. Losing the battle was a disgrace to their Emperor. Better to die. Our next stop was the Okinawa Peace Memorial & Museum. A massive greens lined with stones where the names of those who died in the Battle of Okinawa were etched. Japanese, American, UK & Irish. Total 200,000+ —15,500 of them American. Okinawa was the only Japanese island to experience a land battle. It was the largest Pacific battle of WW!!. The Japanese had staged the war there to delay the Americans from attacking the mainland. The island was sacrificed for this stall plan. It was left totally burned & destroyed. US fired almost 3 million shells…almost 5 per Okinawa. It was called the Typhoon of Steel. Starvation & malaria took another heavy toll. Looking out the window, you could see the cliffs where many women threw their babies & then jumped themselves. They had been told if they became prisoners, Americans would rape them and eat their babies. This unfortunate island was caught in the middle. And it was here my dad was also caught in the middle. As we walked through the museum & looked at the many pictures and watched the films, I felt the need to see if my dad was in them. What an internal wound this must of left in him. He never ever wanted to tell us anything. I can now see why. The last display was a poem:
Whenever we look at the truth of the Battle of Okinawa, we think there is nothing as brutal, nothing as dishonorable as war. In the face of this traumatic experience, no one will be able to speak out for or idealize war. To be sure it is human beings who start wars. But more than that, isn't it we human beings who must also prevent wars? Since the end of the war, we have anchored all wars, long yearning to create a peaceful island. In our unwavering devotion to this principle, we have paid a heavy price.
There was one more museums Chris wanted us to see…too often overlooked he said. Himeyuri Peace Museum…also called the Nurse Museum. It told the story of the school girls (ages 13-18) who were given a short course in nursing and then sent into the caves to serve the soilders. Many pictures of the girls dressed in nice uniforms in classrooms or playing on campus were in the first sections…then the same girls covered with blood, filthy and stressed inside the caves. The survivors testimony videos told stories of how difficult it was to dig maggots out ears, how heavy the amputated legs were and how hard to watch hysterical wounded men get eliminated. From just this one school, 240 girls went in but only 136 survived. Most were killed when they were forced to leave after defeat was imminent. In the 1980's the survivors of this one school gathered and decided to tell their stories. Gruesome as they were but important for the world to know the horrors of war. They were but one of the many island schools forced to send their students to war.
Japan's constitution now states: "Japan forever renounces war…and the threat of use of force as a means of settling international disputes." Why doesn't every nation renounce war?? Why??

Update#10

The last couple days we spent mostly at HelpOki. Chris needed to make a detailed inventory of all the items in the personal care section and the pampers. I can tell you they definitely have enough toothbrushes but need combs! We also put lots of clothes on hangers, vacuumed, washed mirrors & did some dusting. Rog sprayed weed-killer along the fence. As we worked, we chatted with the other volunteers several who spoke some English. A group of 2nd graders came through on a tour bringing donations with them and many questions. Most spoke English so that was fun. At 1:30, Chris picked us up & we met his wife, Yuku and her friend at a shopping mall. We'd told Chris a few days ago that friends of ours had donated $410 & asked him to decide the best way to spend it. He contacted one of the orphanages he helps with and found out they were setting up a practice kitchen for kids graduating who would soon be needing to fend for themselves. Each graduate would get 2 weeks to practice living on his own. The kitchen needed to be stocked so that's how the $$ could be spent. Also, the orphanage housed 80 kids so laundry soap was a huge expense. It was comical watching Yuku & her friend discuss what to buy. They filled the basket with pots, pans, bowls, strainer, cutting boards, knives, etc. etc. Then they filled another basket with laundry soap. Everyone was pretty excited when we got to the orphanage to drop off the donations. The director posed for pictures with us and profusely thanked us. I thanked him for caring for these kids all the time. He said he was touched that I realized and appreciated what he did. It was an honor to accept a framed thank you note on behalf of the donations we received from those attending our CFUMC presentation & Shan. Sure wish they could have felt the love and appreciation! We were then given a tour of the "practice apartment" where the grads will spend 2 weeks. Kids crowded around us as we got in our car waving and smiling…obviously well cared for.
Back story: There are 8 orphanages in Okinawa. When I asked why so many, I was told 3 reasons-military base, island mentality of doing whatever, and talking about sex was taboo so kids got no sex ed. HelpOki has been a big donator to all the orphanages but Chris wanted to do more than just give them stuff. He made it his mission to get involved directly. His offer to have holiday parties, sporting events, etc. were denied time after time. Finally one of them said HelpOki could mow the grass and cut down the weeds. They did this for 2 years before finally they were told they could have a BBQ for the kids. Finally they trusted HelpOki. Since then they've have lots of events like trunk or treat, graduation parties, summer fun events, etc. at most of the orphanages. Building trust took 2 years but now love flows freely back & forth. We left there feeling pretty happy…but also hungry so we went to a Steak House which served the meat on a sizzling black stone. Delicious! Yuku said she was so glad that Chris was getting to spend time with midwesterners cause he missed being home and for him, we felt like family. Of course, we invited them to come to stay with us anytime and I think they just might!

Update #9

We left Naha and headed to Uruma where HelpOki is located. Since it's not a tourist area, it was tricky to find a place to stay. When the older lady showed us the room, we were happy to see a frig, microwave, rice maker and totally blue bathroom. But when she showed us the bedroom, it was perfectly empty with just the traditional rice mat flooring (tatami). No bed. After some confusing hand gestures, we used the Google translator and she smiled and opened a cupboard where 2 thin mats, pillows & blankets were stored. Not what we call beds but when in Japan, sleep like the Japanese. Our Airbnb is near town so we walked around but didn't find much for us to see or do. We took an Uber to locate HelpOki & talked to a few volunteers. Luckily, one had an American parent so spoke English welcomed us. We had arranged to meet Chris the next day. I have been communicating with Chris via Messenger and following them on facebook for about 4 months. It was great to finally meet him in person. Chris is an ex-marine married to a local girl. He started HelpOki in 2011 and has been the director since then. It was the first place in the area to serve the poor, homeless, shelters, orphanages…who ever needs help. It has a food bank, clothing, household items, washer, shower, computer, WiFi, printer, showers, emergency shelter room and even offers classes in self care and confidence. Little doubt that Chris loves what he does and who he does it for. After a quick tour, Chris gave us a list of things we could work on so we lost no time and got busy organizing clothing, toys, books …most of which were really nice as had been donated by US service families when they packed to return to US. Rog did some general cleaning while I checked expiration dates of newly donated food. My FIA experience really came in handy! Chris was working the whole time too. As I watched him work, I was in awe to see his diligence & energy level. It's meeting people like him that make volunteering such an incredible experience!!
At 4, it was time to quit and Chris insisted on taking us to our room but we suggested stopping at A&W so we could buy him & his wife burgers to go…and we could grab dinner too.
Evening found us hunting for our next stay…closer to beach in spite of the fact that it's the coldest week they have had in 20 years!! It's in the 60's! What's up with that!!

A food update: we've had several bowls of the traditional Ramon soup bowl full of sprouts, leafy greens, noodles and a few bites of beef. It comes with rice and once we got a grilled chicken with it. One night we went to place where you cook your own food over a hibachi…can't really say you cook your own supper as the meal included 4 bites of beef, 4 slices of egg plants and about 1/4 ear of corn for $20. Luckily, we passed by a 7/11 so we could get Rog some sweet bread and me a Coke Zero & since I had a microwave popcorn with me…we didn't have to go to bed hungry! Here in Uruma where we are now staying, can you believe there is an A & W right down the road! Yup! Guess who's been there twice??




Pics #8









Update #8



We slept well & were ready to take off about 10 the next morning.  Our Airbnb host, suggested we go to the Shurijo Castle & the Udon Palace gardens.  We always like to get recommendations from the locals.  The castle had been the home to the reigning kings from the early 1400's until almost 1900's.  It had been almost completely destroyed during WWII.  It is currently being rebuilt…again.  It had been almost done several years ago when it was destroyed by a fire.  It was very similar to the castles we've seen in China & VietNam.  The gardens that surrounded the very simple & sparse Udon palace were lush. A pond with stone bridges was the centerpiece.  I could just picture elegant ladies in bright kimonos crossing the bridges.  We still had some sunlight & so we hopped on the monorail to see a bit more of the city of Nana.  It is full of tall apartment & office buildings as far as you can see.  I'm struck by the simplicity of buildings.  Usually cement & boxy with little to no decorative detail.  The cars too are simple & boxy and small.  Traffic was steady but hardly heavy.  Streets were clean but did see some storefronts that were not well kept.  It's hard to imagine what this island looked like just 75 years ago.  Virtually flattened.  We've only seen a small pockets of prewar buildings.  A big part of our draw to Okinawa was that my Dad was here during WWII.  I thought of him a lot today.  Especially when we saw the remains of a dug out tunnel used by the Japs (as he called them).  The tunnels were almost impossible to see dug into the roots & plants.  It's hard to wrap my head around what my Dad probably experienced here.  History books say it was the largest & most deadly in the Pacific front.  The castle we visited as tourist was actually the main fortress used by the Japanese in WWII.  My dad was also on Iwo Jima…where they famous picture showing the US flag being hoisted happened.  So imagine how strange it was to see the US flag flying next to the Japanese flag?  It's so difficult to see anything but politeness, kindness & peacefulness in the eyes of the Japanese people that surround us now.  How is it possible?

 

Update#7

We took a pause in our travels to visit with Jake's family near Pittsburg for a few days. We'd rented a room in a hotel with a pool & hot tub waiting to be used…which the kids sure did. For afternoon fun, we strolled around Cosco munching on the samples & then ate lunch there. Who knew that's what they'd want to do?? Sun night we took the kids home so they could get ready for Mon. Addie had to go to the hospital for her monthly infusion (to treat MOGAD) so Rog dropped us off around 7:30 & then took off to do some errands. He meet us back at the hospital around 1. Addie was finished an hour later & we all went back to Jake's so she could rest. We spent the next several days doing odd jobs & evenings enjoying Jake's family. It has seemed really weird to still be in USA this time of year! We are ready to dive into a new country!
On Valentine's' day, we were up at 3:00 to catch our 6:30 flight to Chicago. From there we climbed aboard our 13 hr flight to Tokyo. It was long…but fairly easy. That's when the craziness started. First our tickets to Okinawa did not show a gate number so we waited for the Departure board to tell us. An hour before our flight, we finally headed toward security. They said we needed to go to another terminal via a shuttle bus. Got there and up to security and found out our luggage, (which was clearly marked Okinawa) had been sent to customs in the first terminal. (Somebody should have mentioned to us that the bags would need to go through customers in Tokyo when they put the tags on our bags!). So back on the bus where we were went to info counter to help us. Luckily, two clerks walked us the back way to customs so we could get our luggage. By then of course, we'd missed our flight so we had to go to the airline counter to get new tickets. It happened but took another hour. Off to our gate we headed. Whew. Finally. Nope. Gate was changed so off we went again. We were exhausted by the time we loaded for the final less than 2 hour flight. Our Airbnb host picked us up promptly and soon we were in our room in his home. Two mats, low table, lower chairs & two kimonos. We definitely were dropped into real Japan…exhausted!
It was a Valentine's Day to remember cause it lasted over 30 hours!




Update #6

Charleston…once the richest port in US, birth place of the Civil War and now getting polished up to be a beautiful tourist town. It's full of old, stately, 3 story homes with huge porches in multiple pastels or brick with rod iron fences surrounding their well manicured gardens. We toured one stilled filled with the original furniture and learned about the families that lived there…and the one still living on the 3rd floor. There are several magnificent plantation tours here but the McLeod Plantation seemed to be the most authentic so that's where we went. Our guide, Harriet indeed said the other plantations glorified the rich white masters and their wealth. McLoad's tour told the story of the enslaved. Harriet was black and actually related to some who had lived & worked on this plantation. She told us many stories about the slaves who worked here. With tears in her eyes, she showed us pictures of a man who had visited this plantation in 2015 and then went to her church & killed 9…6 of them were her friends. She was a guide as a way to honor the enslaved & her murdered friends. Her final words were "Make no mistake, there is still hatred in this soil we stand on." That sunk in deep. Another place we checked out was the old city of Dorchester which thrived for about 100 years and then was abandoned during the Revolutionary War. Only the church bell tower, a few gravestones and some crumbling walls of the fort remain. Lesson: no guarantees your footprint will last. The sun was shining as we boarded a ferry that took us all around the harbor giving us a great vantage point to see Ft Sumpter and the WWII aircraft carrier, Yorktown. Finally, the Charleston Museum did an excellent job giving us a thorough history of this area.
And one can't come to Charleston and not feast on she-clam soup & hush puppies served with bacon jam! It's been an interesting & enjoyable visit!

Update #5

After more than 1000 phone calls, almost 100 home visits and upteen logs sawed, we took off our Inspiritus volunteer Tshirts and headed to Charleston. There we found a big soft bed, real shower and a slower pace.
We left knowing many people's yards were cleared up…but many more were not. A couple large groups of volunteers are coming mid Feb and we truly hope that they will be able to clean up lots more of the storm damage so the large pile of assessments will dwindle rapidly. I can only hope!
It has been a unique experience to spend so much time with locals. To sit on their couches, get shown family pictures, hear about their health issues & how hard it is for them to do anything and their hurricane stories. One of the questions on the assessment is "Are you over 65?" So many of them who can barely walk to the door or get up out of the chair, said "No.". I looked around at their home which often was in huge disarray and in need of so much TLC. We've always felt blessed to be as healthy & active as we are BUT meeting so many 9 or more years younger who struggle to do anything and have the minimum, just made our lives feel even more amazing. I will never understand the why us/why them question but without a doubt, I will appreciate our lives more. I can't imagine being as miserable as Mr. Thorne who is so angry at the world and wanted to tell us all about it, often crying & quoting the Bible. He asked us for a hug saying it had been months since he was touched. We spent an hour there and still had to back ourselves to our car in order to finally leave.
We are also leaving behind the Garden City Methodist Church who generously gave us a nice room to sleep in and use of their huge kitchen…even got some left over funeral food! We did attend their Sunday church services which was a total throw-back to the 60-70's. Sang only from the hymnals and the kids danced in the aisles & one even joined the 7 member choir. Babies were being passed around and made to laugh. Matt called on people by name to hear prayer requests. Then the kids were called up for a children's time before taken out. Pastor Matt's sermon seemed to be personal for the 50+ in the pews. The kids then came back to be part of the communion as we knelt at the railing and were given a small piece of bread (which actually was from a loaf of bread Kenny, a day volunteer had made for us.) Matt's wife followed him and held out a gold carrier filled with tiny cups of grape juice. Remember that?
Speaking of church, there's one on most every block around here. Many huge with gorgeous stain-glass windows, large awnings & tall steeples…others very simple. I must confess, it actually makes me mad. Also in town on many busy sidewalks, there are stands filled with bibles & other religious books manned by people who ask if you want to hear about Jesus. I was so tempted so say, "Wouldn't it make Jesus so much happier if you were helping the many people who need help??" I know that's a bias of mine—not walking the talk. I know…I know…I don't know if they do reach out & help others?? Still I wonder if the $$ that goes into building & maintaining all these churches that are only used a couple hours a week could be used instead to make people's lives better?? Isn't that what Jesus wanted??
I also wonder what some of these people who wanted to teach us more about the Bible would have said to Shannon (another volunteer) who feels like the Bible story that blames the first sin on Eve was the authors way of making sure women were the lesser of the two. Without a doubt, our time in Savannah (and earlier in Valdosta) broadened my perspective and understanding of people who live in Georgia and those who Helene impacted. It will not be forgotten.


Update #4

The stories are endless and the last 4 days, Chan, my niece got to hear them too. She lives just 5 hours from here so she drove up and within an hour was on the phone calling people to arrange assessments…and listen to their stories. Next 3 days, Chan and I headed to homes to check out their damage. You never know what you'll find. There was the lady who wanted help picking up pine cones & the man who wondered if we mowed lawns vs the extremely handicapped lady who needed help adjusting the seat on her electric chair. She insisted on helping and ended up falling on the floor so getting her up was a feat in itself! The whole time she was telling us all about all her family members who had been in the army and about how her mom (who was in the bed just around the corner) was dying. We backed out the door as she shouted how thrilled she was to have her freedom again and couldn't wait to drive her new scooter to Walmart! The many trees down in her yard seemed like the least of her problems. That assessment stop took a while! Next stop we got a belly laugh out of the lady who told us that she had to rush out of her house when the hurricane was knocking down trees all around her and all she had time to grab was her medicines, purse, puppy and wig! At another home, Chan noticed a Billly Graham book displayed on the coffee table & when she asked about it—the lady beamed & told us how she had met BG and he had saved her then they had exchanged letters for years.
Usually we appreciate GPS but did it really need to take us down a slushy, muddy Georgia clay road with huge ruts and deep ditches!? I could feel our little car bogging down so I did what my Dancer Rd experience taught me…gunned it!!! As we slipped & slid back & forth for about 2 miles, mud was flying everywhere. Chan was roaring with laughter. The final stretch was the most challenging as our back tires sunk in and the front tires were weaving back & forth. I floored it and we finally hit pavement. Relief. Our guts were hurting from laughing & the car was covered with orange mud. At our next stop, the homeowner asked, "Are you guys alright?" That got us laughing again.
Early am and later pm is the best times to make phone calls. People are so excited to hear from us? Helene was in early October & many of the people we call have not heard from anyone since they requested help. They live more than an hour from the major cities where volunteers & relief organizations have been based. Our calls are a beacon of hope and you can hear the joy in their voices! Of course, we have to tell them we can't assure them they'll get help as that depends on the funding and number of volunteers…but they smile and thank us profusely anyways. Their names make us smile: Willie Mae, Johnny Fye, Gracie, Lillie, Thelma Lou.
A local man has been coming to chainsaw with Rog a few days which means a little less chainsawing for Rog. He got a chuckle out of the lady who asked him not to cut up a down tree because she wanted to create a Babylon setting under it. He continues to sleep soundly.
I have to tell on Chan…she is a strong believer in eating healthy…but was drinking McD Diet Coke with me several times. She even ate a McD hamburger to celebrate my birthday. Chan left after 5 days with a big smile and a happy heart. Our days are full and rewarding.