CJ and I visited the immigration office yesterday to see if we could get our re-entry pass to return to Japan after Harley's funeral. We are still waiting for our Alien registration cards to come the first week in August and so we were NOT sure if we were gonna have trouble getting them or not. Thankfully we had no trouble what so ever and were in and out of there in less than 1/2 hour. I think our MN DMV could take some lessons in efficiency from them. It was a breeze. Yeah! It was interesting I thought how they made us go around the corner and buy our stamps at the local 7-11 like store. CJ said that is to prevent the government workers from taking money ? Y Then CJ was off to work and I went on the subway all by my big self to the 3rd subway station up the road and the Jack Mall where the y1 or $1 store is. Had to get a few little treats to take back for the relatives when we go home tommorrow and some more blue and white potttery dishes for us. CJ is sick of eating on all the plastic plates I bought from home.
When I was walking from the subway station to the mall it was quite intriguing to watch about 50 different people, all wearing blue polo shirts and each carrying a plastic bag and long handle tongs. They were all walking around pulling piece by piece paper and litter that had flown up and was stuck in the bushes all along this business complex. Incredible! See, that is why it feels like Disneyland here to me.
I then went into Sports Authority to look for a Bay Stars jersey or baseball hat for CJ but had no luck. They were all sold out. They must be quite a popular team here. I did have fun chatting with the young sales clerk Hanaoka. He was very helpful in trying to explain sizes to me. 2 extra large is O or LL here in Japan. They did have other team stuff and he explained to me what some of the names stand for. FUN! We had lots of laughs as we tried to talk in Japlish and charades, because when I reached in my purse for my phrase book I found I had left it at home in the office Darn! I thne bid my new friend farewell and told him I would most likely see him another day.
Nexyt I went upsatirs and found my $1 store and spent well over and hour or 2 there I am sure. It was fun to look at all the different packaging and of course everything was in line and organized on all the shelves and displays. I noticed the clerks all say things out loud while they are busy cleaning areas up. I wonder what they are saying ?
When I went to pay I forgot to ask if they took credit cards and before she starting ringing up my basket full of pottery pices I thought about it, and found they did NOT. So I had her stop as I only had a small amount of cash. Yikes, I hope I had enough to cover what she had already rung up.I would have hated for her to have to go back and delete it all.
I gave her all the money I had (or thought I had) and she added up what I still needed. I was short and so I told her I would need to go to an ATM machine and get some more yen. I asked her if she could please hold the stuff for me, as I did not want them to put it all back on the shelves and then I would have to go pick it out again.I gave her one of my HTS/TSSI business cards with my home phone number on it as insurance as well. I asked if there was an ATM machine close and she said yes and would walk me to it if I needed her to. CJ is always getting money on the way home from work, so I have never had to do that here yet. I told her I only had a card from a US bank and she didn't think it would work here so then I went to call CJ and of course my cell phone didn't work. UGH! I dug deeper in my purse and found some money I forgot I had tucked away for emergency and so I ended up using almost every last coin and yen I had in my wallet to make up the difference. YEAh, but now the next problem wass how was I going to get it all home.
I must have looked quite interesting to many I am sure, when I walked along with 5 BIG bags of stuff. Two bags on each shoulder and one in front. Do I even need to say how soaking wet I was once I made it back up those damn steps and into the house.Ay caramba!
Then I sorted, and started to pack and get things organized to go home. CJ worked late and then he came home for supper and we got to bed early. We were both very tired.
Wednesday July 23, 2008
Today I was up early and saw CJ off to work and his day trip to Nagoya. I then kept myself busy by cleaning and packing for our trip to the US.
Have a couple loads of laundry going, dusted and cleaned the wood floors, cleaned all the bathrooms and toilets. Took up all the futons off the tatami floors, vacumned them and hung the futons out to air off the upper balcony porch. Now I feel like a real Japanese lady.:-) The cute little gardener man "Sigimoat" came today and he is busy pulling all the weeds on the sides of the house out to the back garden area. It was getting a bit jungle like and I had wanted to do it myself, but was afraid I would pull something up that was a plant or flower. Now I see he just raked and hoed it all up, so I will be able to help with some of that from now on. I have been keeping up the back garden area by picking up all the dead leaves and pulling the stray weeds that pop up in the rocks. It would be nice if they just had put rocks all the way around the house. Would be easier to maintain that's for sure
Then the road construction crews came to start their work on the new water lines. I too,am waiting for the delivery man and hope he can get in here on this one lane dead end street. Oh, hold on the door bell rang just now, it must be him with our dining room table and chairs and the shoe box which we will use to put all the electrical boxes in.....Yes it is him, and I will to put the box together myself, but he is down stairs right now putting together and setting the table and chairs up.
Once he leaves I will get to my packing and then off to the store for a couple last minute errands and then back to the house to finish packing, fold the clean clothes and remake the beds with clean sheets.
We are looking forward to seeing all the family again, taking my folks out for an anniversary dinner, having lunch with a few of my friends and I can't wait for my massage from Sylvia and a chiro adjustment before I head back here on the 31st. My shoulders, back and legs could use a bit of tender care, as they are a bit sore after getting used to carrying and walking everywhere with these bags of stuff.
So I will close this for now and write again when I can
Thanks again for all your support and love. We appreciate your letters of sympathy.
Karla and CJ
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