I thought I'd relate a part of last week with you folks.

Last week Thursday night, I attended a dinner at the Willows restaurant. My club, Urasoe shijin kai, hosted several visiting officials from the city of Urasoe, in town for the festival. As I am going to Okinawa soon, the club officers sat me at the vistors' table. I was the only person on the table that didn't speak Japanese. I used up all my phrases and the little Japanese I know in the first five minutes.

A woman at the table agreed to interpret for me and I was able to ask and answer questions posed by the vistors. I told them that I had visited the Urasoe city website and wrote to their international relations section about my impending visit. I reiterated my desire to visit their city during my trip. The gentleman sitting next to me pointed to the guy at the far end and said, through the interpretor, that I should speak with "him". Several minutes later, as I was talking to club members, the gentleman formerly sitting at the far end came up to me with a folder and pointed to a page in it. It was my e-mail! I said, "yes, that's me!" We agreed that I would write again before my trip and try to set up a time for me visit the city.

Friday night, I attended a family reunion at the Natsunoya tea house. Several family members from Okinawa flew to Hawaii for the festival, including the family that David Tokuda and I will stay with during the trip. The dinner was to welcome them. After a brief program, several young girl cousins danced the hula. After each performance, one of the visiting family members would hand them a small envelope as thanks. I presume it was money.

My dad, who emceed the event, then called David and me to the stage. After several minutes of heming and hawing, we both got up. Here's what happened:

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=173079...

David is asking for his gift from the relative at the end, in case it isn't clear what's going on.

Our family had a good laugh and it was all in fun, so I don't mind the embarrasment.

See you folks on Thursday.

R-