REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD !!
Mark (my husband) joined me in Japan two weeks ago yesterday! When he let Brayden and Carter (our sons) know he had arrived safely, they asked him if we had had a fight yet - LOL! Sure - but retirement, an empty nest and a new opportunity has mellowed both of us!
It took a good week for Mark to start to get used to the new time zone but we are good! Figured out a routine, made compromises on the layout of our place (I am keeping the candles) and looking forward to some adventures!
Covid has been trending up in Japan so a few things we were looking forward to had ro be cancelled but that just gave him more time to settle in? And besides when the Town Hall BBQ was cancelled they did a draw for the Wagyu Beef and we won! It is pricey stuff! Fatty and amazingly tender!
We are walking every day - Mark walks me to work every day… but does quite a bit more than me and is quite a bit faster!
Since my last major update, I have lost my credit card in a train station, gotten drenched in a mall parking lot, and given Mark the wrong directions on a road trip (costing us an extra 30 minutes of driving) but I haven't even come close to Mark’s first big blunder in Japan (I am laughing again as I think about it).
I have written about my rafting experience in some fashion but I need to mention Alpine River Guides again! I cannot say enough about my experience! Rafting down the Ishikari River with TOSHINARI OTA as my guide was an experience I will never forget. He made me feel safe and he also made sure I had a fabulous time! And I did! For anyone who does get a chance to visit - I highly recommend the experience! I left the day feeling completely different than when I first arrived.
And yes - the same weekend that I left my hazards on, got my car boosted and left my phone in 7 Eleven, I lost my VISA at the bank machine in Asahikawa Station (after I wrote my entry). As I was sitting listening to bands on that Sunday afternoon, I realised it had fallen out of a small purse (I have since packed it away and will never use it again). I returned to the mall and checked the two stores I had been in - no luck! So I ventured into the train station and headed to the first official place I saw and they sent me to another place (and I actually found it). And indeed - they had my VISA!! So - am I still lucky? I think so!
The next weekend I left home without my umbrella and learned the meaning of “soaked to the bone” in another mall parking lot in Asahikawa. Lesson from this was to never leave home without an umbrella - no matter how sunny it is…
And when Mark decided he was ready to get behind the wheel on the way to Asahikawa and back last weekend, I assumed he knew where the turn was on the way home. When I realised he had missed it (I was the navigator) I checked Google Maps - and - no getting off the highway we were on - for 17 kms!!?? So we drove for 30 minutes and then finally got to our place….
Even though school is out, I have been busy hanging out with preschoolers and elementary students - having fun with English!! Love the energy! I am also finishing up an online Junior High English Camp tonight - it has been fun and reminded me that I loved teaching English with VIP KID in the fall - just not at 4am!
Coffee Talk resumes next week and I am excited for Mark to come and meet some of my regulars!
BUT - the story you have all been waiting for…. The reason for the title of this entry “Under Arrest”...
I arranged for Mark to get a massage with a woman I know in Kamikawa, Erika. I have been to her place twice. Mark mentioned that he was pretty sure he passed it one day walking and knew where it was. I drove him past it on the way to work yesterday - like I said - been there twice before. And he had looked at an image on Google Maps the night before.
When it was time for his massage later that morning he headed out walking (did I mention how humid it is here?) and opened the door to the salon when he arrived. Only - it wasn’t the salon - it was an older Japanese man’s house - an older - small - Japanese - man….
He sprang to his feet when he saw the giant, foreboding, white guy standing in his doorway and started yelling at him and gesturing for him to get out… Mark meekly said Erika’s name and “massage” but the man continued gesturing wildly. At lunch he told me the story and we had a good laugh.
In the meantime, mail had come and as per usual - we had no idea what to do with it. We arranged to meet at the post office after an afternoon English class I was doing, with a coworker who could help us with the English. And it is also worth mentioning that the post office is near the little Japanese man’s home. By the way, when Mark left his massage, the man was sitting in his window watching Mark leave.
After we figured everything out we determined that Mark had to pop by Town Hall to fill out some forms. As we headed to the lower level of Town Hall, my supervisor stopped me and using his phone translator (not the greatest) asked if Mark had mistakenly gone to our house and broken in. I told him he had a key so of course he didn’t break in. Still he asked us to follow him so we could figure it out.
We walked down the hall and when Ikehata san opened the door, there were two police officers sitting at a table with a large map. None of my colleagues with good English skills were at work yesterday.
I told the police we had an upstairs neighbour who had not met Mark and maybe she was concerned when he went into our apartment. That’s where the map comes in. The police officer stats asking if we had been at the post office together and almost at the same time Mark and I figured out what happened! Keep in mind, we are with my supervisor and the head of the department that I work in.
So it seems that the small - somewhat grumpy - Japanese man who had a giant white stranger (there are no white people here) “break into his house” and then saw him “wandering” again later that day, decided to “call the cops”! I am sorry - but I burst out laughing - I just couldn’t help myself!!!!!! Eventually, the police decided everything was okay - they took down Mark’s name and asked to see ID - they told him to “do his research” and let us be. The head of the department definitely joined us in seeing the humour in the situation. I took the opportunity to tell my supervisor that we were going to cause him nothing but trouble over the next three years… I think he smiled???
Off for a weekend of School Band Festival “geeking out” tomorrow!
Matane (See You)
PS
We are watching the Blue Bomber games live in Japan and gaining some notoriety on the Blue and Gold page on Facebook!! 9 and 0!!
PSS
I GOT MAIL!! Real mail from Lorelie and "cheat mail" from Lori and Kerry (was wonderful)
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