Susan's Stories

 The day began early with a yummy buffet breakfast at the hotel. Karin and Kenji and I walked the neighborhood of Asakusa to the oldest temple in Tokyo, built in 628. Several hundred other people had the same plan. The huge lantern with felt-like underside was remarkable.  Four large wooden statues of deities graced the gate where the lantern hung. The walkway to the gate was filled with shops - snacks, food, beverages, souvenirs, kimonos, etc. We wandered and looked and fanned ourselves  as we walked to the temple. There were many fortune walls at which a person pays 100 yen, less than one dollar, shakes a box and removes a stick which falls from a hole in the box. The stick has a number. She then looked for a drawer in the wall with that number, opened it and removed a small piece of paper on which was written her fortune She said it was bad, so she walked to the bad fortunes wires, located around the corner and tied the paper to the wire to remove the bad fortune....

 We four had a new breakfast experience; we decided to try the hotel buffet.  The price was reasonable and the choices and tastes varied. We discussed our remaining Japanese yen and the funds still loaded our Suicacards. Karin and I shared that we had decided to cancel our visit to the Imperial Gardens due to the heat, around 95 degrees and humidity, around 70%. We ill, instead do some requisite shopping for a friend at home. The breakfast and conversations were satisfying and good.  Kenji and Leo left for a place that would develop the film in his, Leo's, camera before undergoing X Rays at the airport on Tuesday.  I told Karin that we need to be back at the hotel to watch on tv the final day of the Sumo wrestling tournament.   After resting and reading Karin and I toom the Metro to a location to make a purchase for a person back home, a d what we found was a very long line, so long that it doubled back on itself.  Talking with English speakers who jus...

The day is bright and sunny. The temperature is predicted to reach the mid nineties and the humidity to 70%. In the hotel lobby we went to Lawson convenience store to find food to bring to our rooms for breakfast. I ate  edamame and a teriyaki and egg sandwich. We ate at the low table by the large window and enjoyed watching activity around the park as well as the monorail.  Then we packed for our move, more challenging than earlier with purchases needing to be packed. With one shuttle we were at the train station. Kenji and Karin had researched our transfer stop. From that point we surfaced, and Kenji called an Uber which brought us to the Asakusa Central Hotel. Karin and Ke ji checked us in, but we needed to wait a little over an hour before accessing our rooms. We went to eat lunch at a popular restaurant down the street. Karin wrote Kenji's name on the clipboard, along with around 20 others. We noticed they were placing their orders with the clipboard manager, so Karin req...

 After a good night's rest we saw a sunny day outside our window. Getting ready for the day and eating the food we purchased yesterday Leo left his luggage at the Mira Costa and to be moved to the partner hotel at the close of the day. Kenji brought has luggage next door to our room.  They left with early entry  passes forthe Disney Sea portion of the park. I communicated with some conference friends while watching Disney cartoons on TV until Karin and Kenji arrive to check out of the room and move to the partner hotel where I plan to find a comfortable  spot in the lobby to relaxation and read. Karin and Kenji arrived before noon, and we left the Mira Costa which Kenji described as the best hotel in which he has stayed. We took the Disneyland monorail from the Disney Sea station to the Bayside station. The ride is very smooth and the train car is large and clean, plays music from Disney films as does the station. That is calming and distracting fron the high tempera...

 I packed Wednesday evening while watching weather, international news  sumo wrestling, and baseball. I shall miss the Rembrandt hotel buffet. ,lively conversation with luggage accompanied us for the final, shuttle ride to the Kogen, the conference hotel. After a few more photos were taken we brought our luggage and joined a presentation of students who volunteered in earthquake and tsunami rebuilding as well as in Cambodia. I was glad to hear and learn additional information from these students, as I attended their presentation yesterday afternoon. As we were settling in for the 9 am panel of conference speakers Jenny informed me that Leah had ordered a taxi to bring us to the Gotrmba station at 9. 10 and did I want to join them and leave the conference early.  I thought only momentarily and elected to join them and Thisbie. A,though I had wanted to remain until the end of the conference and say more goodbyes I elected to remain with Jenng and Leah. The gour Japanese of ...

 I enjoyed the usual yummy buffet seated on a stool by a window and by one of our Rembrandt seven. We communicated using Google translate which was fun. After photos of us and two more persons who came we for the day we took more photos at the hotel as well as exchanging contact information before our plenary sessions. The first of three was about virtual reality and its use teaching CPR. MG friend Maria from Indonesia volunteered to wear the visual face gear. It was fascinating.  The second speaker  described the history of school nursing in Japan. From the description Japsnese communities responded to wide spreading diseases and the two world wars when strong and healthy soldiers were needed.  Then the population increased and concern for clean water and sewage disposal were important.  Social concerns such as STDs and alcohol and drug use and HIV needed attention.  Since that time social issues such as student mental health have been added to the school ...

 It was the noodles and potatoes and  bananas that hit the spot with coffee latte this morning at our Rembrandt hotel. Our driver deliveredus seven to the conference hotel soon after 8 am, before the other 100 attendees had finished their breakfast. The surroundings outside the large were there to be admired, and I had time to do that. Our two plenary sessions were fabulous. The first speaker described her work for school health in the 37 countries of the WHO western region. Her presentation was lively as she described her work with schools to promote healthy school environments and communities.  The second speaker was a school doctor. He came costumed as he stated he often does when he is at schools. He stressed the importance of the collaboration of the school doctor,  the school yogo teacher, and the school nurse. The yogo teacher is a health teacher who may provide first aid and who collaborates with the nurse and doctor on school health concerns.  His prese...

 I slept well and really e joyed a large breakfast buffet in the hotel: country potstoes, banana pieces, noodles m spring rolls., and coffee latte. The 8 am shuttle brought us back to the Kogen. We had time to greet friends from yesterday and meet new friends, find a table in a large room with wall to ceiling windows with a view of the forested area around the hotel. The conference chair spoke to the theme of caring for children from diverse cultures and settings. I toom notes, for she had some good points to share. Our next speaker was a pediatrician who has had lengthy experience working in African communities to build up support for health promotion in locals setings. His sights were motivating.  A third presentation described working styles called North, South,  East, and West. With descriptors of each we were asked to assess ourselves and then consider positives and  negatives of each as well as  traits of other groups which would and would not work well wi...

 We traveled to the Hiroshima central train station,  a very modern and inviting site, learned our track number and had a few minutes to grab a sandwich to eat on the train. Once we passed the ticket screening machine a ticket popped up and on which was our train car number and seat number. Kenji had again had again o line purchased our tickets and reserved our seats and had that information sent our Suica cards.  Amazing technology and knowledgeable and skilled users! We rode the full bullet train two and a half hours, transfered to another train with Mishima as the destination for another hour and a half. Noteworthy was the smooth and very fast, 181 mph, journey.  Also notable was the observation that every station stop at least one crew member walked through the car a d turned and bowed before entering the next car.  We had time to look around the station, chat and find three travelers who were also attending the school nurse international (sni) conference. W...

 The sun shines through just a few rain drops on the window of our hotel room. The water appears calm. I neglected a very important part of yesterday at the tower where we viewed the atom bomb dome and city from the 13th floor. This tower is also focused on peace, and on the 12th floor we had the opportunity to  make a paper crane and deposit it in a glass tube that is attached to the outside. We had help folding the cranes, for there are many steps and turn overs and folding back. Human assistance was needed in spite of a computer screen guiding us step by step With the completed cranes the Lusters stepped onto the enclosed glass ledge and dropped them into the glass tube. It will soon be filled with overall million cranes, removed  recycled into notebooks and given to children. The same floor displayed cranes made by spouses od the G 7 leaders in. 2023. There was also a display of photos and written history of the building which was bombed in 1945. It was used as a busi...

 Wehad a late and slow start to the day. Our 16th floor hotel window was covered with raindrops. We had already purchased our breakfast yesterday at a 7 Eleven. I enoyed a cold coffee large, edamame, and a banana. I think of Ranie whenever I eat a banana.  The city bus ride into the center of the city is about 30 minutes. It was crowded immediately and continued to accept passengers at following stops. It was a relief to get off. We crossed a street by taking  down an elevator at the street corner. Underground was not only one walkway but several with signs to different destinations but also shops. Karin and Kenji found the correct exit for the building with the tower view of the city. With tickets that Kenji had purchased online we took the elevator to the 13th floor.  There we walked up and then down a wooden slope to the open air edge of the building. We looked directly down at the A Bomb Dome and the peace park, monuments and museum. We spent quite a while viewin...

 Our time to take the free hotel shuttle to transportation, central train station was 855 am.This hotel is remote from public transportation, an buses and streetcars serve the city. We each had a banana to eat before  meeting Kenji and Leo. I walked aroundthe lobby enjoying very much the sounds of the central fountain and water falling over small rocks. A city bus stop is right in front of the hotel. We rode into the center of the city to a stop near the Peace Park. We were there for the next six hours. It includes memorials to those who died in the atomic bomb attack August 6, 1945 as well as those who succumbed to the after effects - radiation, burns, I juries. There was a memorial to children killed in the attack and to the young people who volunteered to fight for Japan in WWII. And then there was the museum: video recounting some first-hand survivor stories, and more stories through photos - before and after the bombing. Moving were remembered words of victims as they res...

It was the light through the screen which awakened me today, such a gentle way to wake up. Karin was already sitting on the floor at the low table typing her blog. Interesting is that we got ready for the day as well as completed packing for our 10 am check out. It was a  beautiful lobby - a little stream, water falling over rocks and wooden furniture arranged in conversational settings.  It had rained and it was of course humid, and the streets and sidewalks were only damp as we walked to the central train station. Hundreds of people were entering and leaving. We had time to eat breakfast and took the elevator down two levels and found a French bakery cafe.  I enjoyed a crusty roll filled with chickens and mushroom and an iced lattes- both delicious.  I even picked up a large roll with tomato and avocado slices to eat on the bullet train.  We still had time to admire the modern ceiling design and pedestrian walkways above the entrance to the platform areas unti...

 We ate our breakfast in our room, having purchased it last evening at 7 Eleven. As we ate we packed for our move to a traditional Japanese hotel, still in Kyoto as well as signing up online to leave our luggage at the hotel until our late afternoon move. After checking out we walked to the us terminal at the central train station to board a bus to visit the former imperial palace. Surrounded by heavy stone walls the property of the former imperial palace is a park through which anyone may walk.  The trees, both coniferous and deciduous, are abundant. Nevertheless, it was still hot and humid, and we relished a visited to the air conditioned imperial guest house.  Both the guest house and former imperial palace had required visit and tour times which didn't fit our schedule.  It was a peaceful walk in the park, for steet sounds were distant. Kenji and Leo headed for the Buddist temple, international headquarters of the branch of Buddism, Nishi, on which he was raised....

 The shower is set in a tub with a high wall. The bathroom is infinitesimal  as is the hotel room. I crawl over Karin's bed to reach my bed and luggage, or she needs to move to let me pass. It's no surprise, for I had been told that hotel rooms in Japan are small, and yet we were surprised after our roomy and luxurious space in Osaka. Karin and I went to the next door 7 Eleven for breakfast food to eat in our roomm I chose mandarin oranges in liquid in a thick plastic bag  While we ate we enjoyed a very lengthy infomercial praising the wonders of a mattress topper.  People woith joint and body pain laid down on the topper, remained a couple minutes and stood up apparently pain free and mobile and full of smiles. The mattress topper was even demonstrated in a local park. We are enjoying the infomercials. Another good one is for either tablets or liquid which helps seniors become happily active.  From staying at home sitting to walking, hiking, playing golf these ...

 We selected breakfast items and picked up some requested items for Kenji rom the grocery store across the street. Karin had already started a load of laundry while I was still asleep. In our room we ate our purchases. I had a banana, a small bag of shelled edamame,and half a ham,cheese and llettuce. It was p,enty to hold me over four our 1130 reservation at a shabu ahabu restaurant.  Karin had researched inexpensive shabu shabu restaurants and found this one out of the main  touristy areas and in a metro mall. This meal had many parts: a choice of broth which is simmered on a burner at the table. On c houses a meat and how much  eat. One chooses  two dipping sauces and what kind of rice,  oh yes. The. There was a large bowl of fresh vegetables some of which I didn't recognize. I put them and the meat into the simmering broth.  With spoons to stir the ingredients there were lots of things on the table. The  meal was delicious,  super deliciou...

 The day began late; we slept in; we laundered some clothing; and we took our time at breakfast at the hotel bakery/cafe. I ate the chicken salad sandwich half from yesterday. It was close to noon when we followed Karin and Kenji 's guidance  throught the metro system and transfer for the local train ride to Nara. I believe that I have already mentioned that the Suica card is useful through Japan, on metro systems of cities, on busesm on local trains and at convenience stores, and probably more yet to be discovered. We used the Suica card on the local bus in Nara to the deer park. A local guide-type person reassured us at the train station bus stop that we were in the correct line to visit the deer park. What we saw of the park was mainly grass and in the sun. In the shade on the sidewalk were many deer. They are beautiful,  all with spots and some with antlers and they were very tame. Karin purchased som crackers to feed them. Made of rice bran and flour the round and th...

 Karin and I began our day blogging and checking email. Office email is still her responsibility, and we learned that Kenji had a business conference call earlier. The beginning of days with family is a distinct change from days' beginnings with Rick Steves and Road Scholar, and the hotel amenity coffee latte is respectable.  We breakfasted again at the hotel bakery/pastry cafe. This time I selected what was called a chicken salad sandwich.  It was lots of pieces of chicken with lettuce and a tasty sauce in a toasted baguette. I saved half to eat later. Leo was our metro guide today.  We had one transfer from the metro system to the local train system at the Osaka train station. What is great is that the Suica card is useful for train and bus travel throughout the country. The exception is the bullet train, the Shinkansen, for which tickets must be separately purchased. The train ride from Osaka to Kobe revealed green mountains in the distance, closely placed small o...

 We breakfasted in the hotel bakery; savory and sweet delicasies and sitting at the windowe watching people - a great start to the day PLUS I had already made a coffee latte in our room which saved me some yen. Hotel amenities are plantiful; from additional coffee and tea packages  to sunscreen and razors and even hard candy; this is a luxury. The metro ride to the location of the Osaka Expo was about 45 minutes, with one transfer.  Kenji had it all figured out.  A long walk to the entrancein the hot, moist air was unpleasant; however we were greeted with smiles and I was grateful that we four didn't have to stand in a long line, for Kenji had already purchased our tickets online Pasadena; our entrance time was 11 am, and we arrived after that time. Long lines were the story and disappointment for us.  We saw 30 plus minute waits in lines. so we looked for pavilions to visit with shorter wait times.  The national pavilions were located inside a circle const...

 We breakfasted in our hotel bakery-cafe. French pastriesas well as savory creations. I selected a toasted brioche bun a soft cheese,dill and pearl tomatoes warme alongwiths a latte. Karinhadacoup,e sweet pastries. Kenji joined us with pig in a blanket and another savory crunchy pastry, we three sat at the window and talked as we watched pedestrians and cyclists and traffic. People watching was fun. Leo slept in and had planned a day to remain in The hotel and complete a report of his June internship. We three parent types headed for the Metro by way of a shop we saw yesterday on our walkabout.  This shop sold items left behind on trains. We had seen several of these fans being used this past week, and today was already hot and humid, even before our trip to the Osaka Castle. Karin guided us through the nearby Metro station to the correct track and to the correct standing location for the correct car. Our fans blew warm air, but at least they created a breeze for our faces as ...

 Kenji arranged an Uber to bring us from the hotel to the Tokuo train station.  Once there it was a great challenge for Kenji to guide us to the correct bullet train (Shinkansen) line platform after purchasing our Bento boxes of good gor lunch on the train. On the lower level we found the choices challenging; there were so many. Karin selectedsalmon and tuna sushi, and I selected chicken in a variety of of shapes and sauces. We made it to the correct train and car sn reserved seats, all of which Kenji had reserved on line. Additionally, he had somehow, also on line, placed out ticket reservation on the Suica card, the card we use to swipe and out of metro stations and convenience stores. Amazing when knows how to make use of the internet! The ride on the Shinkansen was two and a half hours with four stops. We departed on the dot of 11 am and experienced a very very smooth ride. Noticeable were bush trees, gardens in tursl area as well as some apartment buildings and very many ...

 Well, this was a new experience - washing laundry in the hotel machine. The guys had washed their clothes and were drying  them when. Karin broughther laundry. Meanwhile we went to the local 7 Eleven, which has a great variety of food, to select items to eat for breakfast. Karin and had worked an acceptable way to eat on our beds. I washed my laundry and hung it and laid it on the bed to dry for the day. It worked,  By the time we packed for our departure for Osaka tomorrow morning the clothes were dry. We four left together for Shibuya and the famous  scrsmble square which we had seen Friday evening. It was again a crowd that crossed  the street, this time with an emergency vehicle that made its way through the intersection. Leo and Kenji went to a Pac Man store, and Karin and I found d a nearby and quiet and cool coffee shop and watched people, lots of them, too,  passing by a d we stopped our iced lattes.o It was fun comparing facial affects and dress a...

 We had already purchased our breakfast food at the local Family Mart and had agreed to eat in our respective hotel rooms. Karin had a strawberry yogurt, peach juice, an apple pastry, and a small block of scrambled eggs.  I had a banana,  a hamburger with teriyaki sauce  to which I added a couple slices of tomato from an uneaten, undressed salad, and cafe au lait. We enjoyed our breakfasts sitting on our beds.  We left time to look at the washing machines in the hotel and were unable to locate instructions in English.  From what I read there and see on the Metro trains it appears that stations are written in two of the three accepted Japanese scripts.   Nevertheless,  we decided to check out English translations later and headed by metro to St, Albans Anglican church, the only all English Anglican church in Tokyo. It is located on the campus of the cathedral,  St. Andrew. Both have interiors smaller than All Saints Pasadena. We arrived b...

 Karin and I went to bed Friday watching a newscast about residents being evacuated from a very small Japanese island near Okinawa, following an earthquake the day earlier. Saturday morning we watched a forecast of higher temps with little rain and a bit more about recent earthquakes on the outer islands, and we enjoyed our coffee and banana while listening to Japanese. Perhaps it will seep into our brains to help us understand more? With Leo Karin and I went to the nearby Family Mart to purchase additional breakfast food for the four of us to enjoy in our room. We ate and enjoyed relaxed conversations about the plans for today and train reservations for next week Tuesday to Osaka.  We then took two metro lines to the location of the digital Team Lab light show. For more than two hours we wandered in rooms large and small and corridors. Sights were flowers, figures, curved lines, abstract drawings,  birds butterflies, fish,  and small animals all moving on the walls ...

 We awakened early, before daylight. In conversation with Kenji we invited the guys to join us  for coffee at the cafe we discovered yesterday. Leo decided to join us. I drank iced cafe au lait and enjoyed a toasted chicken  sandwich and Karin shared her pizza toast[ with Kenji who had remained in the hotel room on a business calla A bit later the guys left for a Small Worlds event. I was informed  that it is similar to Legoland. Karin and I left the hotel at the end of rush hour, having received a photo of the crowded metro from Kenji. Karin had figured out metro route to the Imperial Palace where we planned to enjoy the garden. However, we two neglected to read about visitation hours before boarding the metro, and we were surprised  to read a sign that the gardens were closed Fridays and Mondays. 

 This blog will cover our travel day and our first full day in Japan. Now, it already early morning on the 4th of July. Adjusting to the humidity is a challenge. Our travel day and our first full day are behind us already. I had no energy to write when we returned to our hotel yesterday. The humidity had taken it away. Nevertheless it's a new day after a good night's rest.  Our travel day passed smoothly as did the flight. We arrived ahead of the scheduled time and then taxied more than fifteen minutes to the gate. Kenji was very helpful in leading us through immigration and customs. He had also arranged for us to be picked up and driven to our hote that was a real gift after a length mostly sleepless flight. Karin lead us to an ATM to obtain cash as well as a "Suica" card. The card is very useful for public transportation as well as purchases in some small stores. I had read that both the Suica card and cash would be most useful in meal and transportation purchases, ...