Junko san is the silliest and sweetest person and one can't help but crack up when around her. Not that she is funny "haha" a jokester she is not, but if there was ever a blonde japanese woman, she is definitely it! On top of her many "blonde" moments she is probably the most truthfully blunt person I've ever met. She means no harm in her bluntness but it's so funny that she is so completely honest on what she thinks or feels. She does not beat around the bush. Kae, her daughter, says its her blood type and she can't help it. The japanese believe that blood type drives the personality. For instance, I walk Oliver several times a day here I've run into many, many people inquiring about him. She's curious to know who all I have met or talked to, which ususally ends with me describing them because she doesn't recognize their name...I have to laugh because almost everyone I describe to her upon recognition she tells me to be careful because their crazy, and I hate to say it, she's right. (smile) Another example is, I started training for a half marathon in August and around October she tells me, "Lori San, you look good. When I first met you when you sit down your belly would stick out (as she gestures with her hands)!" Yikes! Junko san, be gentle! LOL I was a size 12 to which I'm a proud size 10 working towards an 8. She can't believe how "fat" americans are. You see there are very few "heavy" japanese which is mostly due to them eating every kind of vegetable imaginable with very little meat...but I can't help but think that their thin because they WALK and BICYCLE everywhere!! Nonetheless, she worries about me being alone all day, about me walking barefoot all the time - it's not good for woman to have cold feet; and she's always surprising me with little things she's found at the store. I couldn't ask for a better friend, or mother...she's always feeding us.
Mr. Nakamura - Oto san. His english is much better than Junko sans and when I first met them he did all of our translating for us. I give him alot of credit because it was mostly girl talk! You know, "where do you shop?, Who cuts your hair?, etc " He even drives us shopping and waits in the mall lounge. He is a good man. He is also a force to be reckoned with, and I suspect a very shrewd businessman. He once worked for a large printing company here and retired 10 yrs. ago. Last spring I decided to try the japanese version of the "Schwann" man. This was fine and dandy except that every time I received a bill it was higher and higher..so I went to him for an explanation as I can't read kanji. He was not a happy man because upon answering several questions he told me I should cancel my business with them and demand a refund. His reason, because all my catalogs and order forms were in japanese and they were charging me for them, along with hidden "fees" that I actually had the option of declining - this was NOT explained to me. He immediately set up a meeting with the company and it was not like anything I've seen before. I thought I'd just sign a few papers to close my account and they would act as my interpreter. Instead, we had formal tea with the gentleman and got the niceties out of the way he immediately started talking with him harshly. I immediately felt like I was 12 yrs old and knew that this was a scolding - Kae and I locked eyes and we just sat there with our hands folded. I was too scared to move! I don't know exactly what he said but whatever it was the gentlemen immediately bowed the lowest bow I had ever witnessed along with a very earnest and repeated "Gomenasai" -I'm sorry then turned and repeated it to me. This meeting not only cancelled my account but also had the company return to me all hidden fees and reimbursement for weekly papers and order forms. His reason? If they are going to have american customers then they need to have all paperwork in english. I felt bad for the man!
On the non-business side, he now keeps himself busy gardening, or as the japanese call themselves, "Farmers". I laugh because its really just a small, small, small garden. I will not knock it though because he grows everything under the sun. I am very grateful that he shares his garden with David and I. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, eggplant, sky beans(kinda like edamame) snow peas, green beans, watermelon, corn...I'm sure there's more but that's all I can remember right now. Everything from his garden is fresh, delicious, sweet and juicy...it reminds me of my grandma's and the Bruning's garden. Yum!
I am glad that Junko san was brave enough to speak to me last February, my life here and my experiences would not have been the same. I have seen and done more things with them that I would not have been able to experience had David and I lived on base instead of out in town. Because of them, I now know where to go for all the best deals on food, shopping, furniture outside of the "mainstream". I have friends that I can pop in unannounced for a cup of tea. I no longer have formal tea with them in the living room and have moved into the kitchen. This gesture alone made me feel part of the family! However, we still have our tea in proper cups and saucers, it makes me wish that I had brought mine that my great aunt and grandma had given me (they are in storage)...they would definitely been put to good use!
