Good Afternoon--Konnichiwa
It is almost noon and a gray and cloudy day here in Yokohama. Looks like rain, but the skies haven't let loose yet.
Had an early meeting at the Yokohama Int'l school to try and get more new parents to join the Woman's Club. Met lots of new ladies from Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, ... Some are interested in my work with the Kofu Kids, so who knows what might come of that.
Back home and waiting for my friend Shohei to show up for a visit. He just got back from Manitoba, Canada where he spent the month of August studying English. He is coming to share his Canadian stories and adventures.
I never did get out of the house Monday for the Kofu kids and I must say I miss them. It was just too darn wet and windy and I emailed them and they told me to stay home. SO I did and enjoyed reading a book and chillaxin on the couch. Good thing I had a day off as I have been busy and walking every since.
Tuesday Sept 1, 2009 the Jay Walking Int'l girls and I went north west to Machida and made our way to the Temple flea market. It was fun to look at all the old Japanese things and to see what items caught other folks eyes. I found a few little Japanese treasures, wooden doll, some wood candy molds and think I am now going to buy some old yukatas and make a quilt. I learned from the other ladies that they are only 500yen or $5.00 a piece and I'm thinking you probably can get quite a few squares out of one big one and so I think I will look the next time I go for a certain color scheme perhaps? Maybe when I am older and have time to sit... I can piece one together. I know it won't be while I am here In Japan, as I have too much to see and do and also my machine is back in MN. It will be fun searching out the fabric I think.
After the flea market 9 of us squeezed ourselves into a little tatami table room and around 2 grill tables to make our own egg omelets( okonomi-yaki)for lunch. This was a new experience for me and it was fun, tasty and quite filling as well. They gave each of us a bowl with chopped cabbage, egg, some batter, dried shrimp, pickled garlic, onion and then you stir it up in your bowl and then pour it onto the grill and shape it into a circle with your two spatulas. Once it is cooked on one side you flip it over and do the other. Then we cut it into 1/4s and shared while the next person's bowl of veggie batter was poured onto the grill and cooked. They had mayonnaise and a brown hosien like sauce to top it with and dried bonito fish flakes if you like as well. The other table of girls got pork and raw shrimp in theirs as well. Our table had the veggie version. We had lettuce salad to and then mango pudding or ice cream sundaes for dessert. One lady had black sesame ice cream ? while others had melon, blueberry, chocolate or vanilla. I enjoyed the mango pudding. We made our way to the 100 yen shop and all went our separate ways to gather the needed items . It was a 6 floor 100 yen shop. I got a headache actually looking at all the stuff.
Back on the train and home again to relax and read another book.
Wednesday Sept 2nd, 2009
Got up early and met the Jay walking girls for another walk this time we took the train to Chigasaki and walked along the beach boardwalk. There were many a surfer out there waiting to catch a wave. It was a cloudy day with cool breeze in the air. Not much wave action as we walked along. Three of the girls got into a good conversation and groove and took off. I on the other hand was into taking photos as this was a place I had not been before. Two other ladies walked at a slower pace as well. I have only been on strolls with these ladies prior to today I found out, and so I realize I must not wear my flip flops next time. I had a hard time keeping up with them walking that fast in the wrong kind of shoes. I leisurely enjoyed my walk along the beach boardwalk stopping to take pics of surfers, shore fisherman, some kids on a field trip and then before we stopped for lunch I watched a few girl beach volleyball players doing some bump and serve drills. I wanted to sit outside and watch them as I ate, but the ladies who had been there before, said the birds are too bad and will swoop down and eat your food, so we sat in the building. :-(
After lunch we made our way further along the beach and into the town of Enoshima where many guys and gals were busy taking down all the portable beach restaurants. It was the a definite sign of the end of summer at the beach for another year.
We walked a little further along as the traffic jam began as beach goers and rush hour traffic merged together. We caught up with the little electric train back to Kamakura where we stopped to have a fancy honey vanilla ice cream cone with chocolate and almonds. Very tasty. It is Setsuco's favorite place and she was very sad to hear it will be closing in October due to poor sales. I suggested they move it to a higher end type area such at Motomachi...shoppers there would not have a problem paying 570yen for a cone as good as that.
Back on the train and home once again where I decided to stop and get a much need oil massage. I have sadly only have had one other shiatsu massage in the year I have been here. I always have plans to go and then something else comes up that I don't want to miss and I by pass it. Needless to say after my fast walk in flip flops I thought this was the best day of any to treat my stiff and aching body to a nice relaxing hour. I was very happy to find they had a shower so I could first clean all the sweat and sand from my body before relaxing and thoroughly enjoying her strong fingers working out all the kinks and numbness from my overly ignored body. Yes I waited much too long for this treatment and about went thought the roof when she hit a few spots on my feet arches and shoulders. I vowed right then to myself that I must get back on my monthly massage schedule. I still need to find a chiropractor too. They gave me a glass of ice tea before my shower and massage and then a nice cup of hot tea and a few little pieces of cake after. My what treatment. When realized I could take a shower and got all those goodies too,it was well worth the 9000yen. I did sign up for a membership card too, so they gave me 10 percent off.
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