After one year in Japan, it was time to head back home for a somewhat annual family roadtrip
across the US. As my luck would have it I left Japan with acute tonsilitus and came back with a sprained toe. About a week before leaving Japan the back of my throat turned white, so I knew it was time to head back to the doctor for a magic drip and some medication. I was not about to be sick when I had to be in a car for 2 weeks. I arrived in
Tokyo on the 18th ish of July, and stayed with Fumi for a night. The next day, the 19th, the final day of the FIND STITCH event at Tokyo Disney (a much anticipated event!!!), I went to TDL and met up with Omori-sensei and her lovely babies, Will and Emma. Will was my ride buddy for the whole day. Apparently we are best friends too. And it was really weird to be with children that spoke english....(because Im always around ones that dont). We got on almost every major attraction and got to see the newly updated Pirates of the Carribean. I hadnt seen Omori sensei in a year, and it was great to spend the day with her family at Disney. Post Disney, I saw my Amy one last time before she left study abroad for gtown, and then I headed to Junkos house to do some final preparation for the trip to the states.
12-13 years ago, Junko worked in the Japan Pavillion at Epcot, for one year. This year, I decided to take her son Motoki (9), back home with me, to show him the USA, and the places his mother had been. He is pretty much my little brother anyway, so I was so excited that he could come. At Narita, we bid farewell to the japanese food we knew (tako yaki and sushi) and said hello to some skank imposterous asian cuisine provided for us on US Airways.......The flight was long and obnoxious just because it was night time for us, and the plane was not very allowing of sleep. Not to mention the man across the row from me was not the most sane of people. On the plane with his family...he turns to me at one point in some sort of drunken state..."This water is crazy...." Me..."Huh?" Man..."Im just kidding...." Me thinking...Please fall asleep man and leave me alone....
I knew I was in America the second I stepped off the plane at LAX. LAX is one of the more strict airports, in terms of things allowed in the country....plants, animals, foods....the regulations are a bit tough, so customs and immigration take a bit longer. But as soon as the plane unloaded and we ran through the glass doors (and Motoki almost broke sign in the wait area), I knew I was not in Japan...."UGH, we have to wait....blah blah blah...bitch bitch bitch..." Everyon around me started bitching about every little thing ever about the airport, immigration, customs.....But everyone had to wait. No one in that line was special. Everyone was in the same boat. Yet everyone was pissed that they had to wait. Like they were singled out to wait (like everyone else)....people were pissed about their luggage, pissed about the lines. I was trying to remember the happy times in Japan, where people wait diligently in 2-hour lines outside in Disneyland in the July heat, with not a peep out of them. And then as Motoki dropped the sign in the line, I was quickly brought back to reality, in sweaty line, for 20 minutes, between non-stop bitchers. Finally, I caught a glimpse of Mrs. Perrone and the gentlemen.....
Nick arrived at the airport at the same time, so we all piled in the car and circled around the LAX trying to find him (circling LAX is like circling around hell). Culture Shock: My mother thought she saw him outside the building so she told me to scream his name out of the window...?What? You want me to scream...isnt that a bit obnoxious.....? So as I screamed NICK NICK...out of the car....a was full of fear that a bunch of old women were going to start shaking their heads at me in disgust and outcast me....then I realized I was in the US, and could scream obscenities out the window and get a thumbs up.....
Day 1: Beverly Hills Hotel. The four of us ventured out to Hollywood where Motoki had his first meal in the states (post nap). We ate at the Disney Soda Fountain and walked the Kodak mall. Then headed back to the hotel and went to bed.
Day 2: Disneyland. We arrived early to put the dogs in the disney day kennel, only to find out that they didnt have the proper identification....and could not board. With my father, motoki and I lacking a cell phone, we had to shove $2.50 in quarters to call and tell my mother to meet us earlier....at this point we were all pissed. We ended up having to take the dogs all the way to the Katella animal hospital, so any effort trying to get into the park early, was lost. But me and the boys (nick and motoki) got into the park and hit some rides before meeting back up with Mrs. Perrone. As it became night time, we met up with Roy Rhonda and Adrianna at downtown disney, and did some pin trading. Motoki got into pin trading pretty heavy....and then had dinner. Motoki and I headed back to the park to ride NEMO (the latest attraction), at around 1130 at night.
Day 3: I woke up to a THUD....Motoki had fallen off the extra high bed onto the floor....but he was still in one piece so we headed to California Adventure. Mid-day we went to see HAIRSPRAY !!! Later in the day my friend from Georgetown, Justin, and his girlfriend Jen, joined us at the park and Justin finally got to meet Mrs. Perrone. It was really great that we got to get together, because I was at disney for such a short time, that I didnt think I would get to see him.
Day 4: La Costa....We drove down toward San Diego to Carlsbad, CA, and stayed at a golf resort called La Costa...where Motoki, at the nice restaurant proceeded to do wonderful impersonations of the poodles. I went to Starbucks....in Carlsbad. It was amazing. Motoki had his first chocolate milk. At night we went on a search for a japanese restaurant in town, and that ended in....not finding it. So we retreated to the hotel.
Day 5-6: San Fransisco Nick headed back to Vegas, as we headed to San Fransisco. It was FREEZING. And windy. But it was SF so it was nice. The first night Motoki and I went on a mission for sushi and found a lovely place with yellow tail better than japanese yellow tail....yum. The 2nd day we headed to Japan town, bought books for the car trip, had kaitenzushi....but during this whole day we had to use public transportation. In japan, no one really talks on the trains or buses....and no one really talks to you directly. Bus 1...cracked out woman in her late 40s early 50s, with a teenagers outfit on, boards the bus..."Whooo it be stanky in here. Whoo. Do you think it stinks...it stink. Whoo. Someone drop tuna on the bus. It stank. Hey hey, do you think it stink....." After about 5 minutes of her going on and on (for the record she was very accurate it did smell)...some guy finally was like..."Listen maam, its not like it used to be, people dont talk on the bus anymore." But she still rambled on. Bus 2, post Japan town....Motoki has just bought a bunch of books to read on the car ride home (the next 6 days....) and he started reading them on bus. I was pissed because if he read them then, he would have nothing to do for 6 days in the car. So I kept telling him to close the book and put it away. Finally some old man at the front of the bus...."Hey, never tell a child to close a book. Never tell a child to stop reading. You are only a kid once. You remember when you were a kid...." At this point many people were also on the bus...but the man would not leave me alone, and continued to tell me how to raise a child....5 or so minutes into his diatribe, the bus was almost empty except for us and this 14 year old boy...."You see that boy over there...." The boy and I made eye contact and I looked at him with a stare as if to say...PLEASE HELP....and finally, our stop came, and the man finally let me off the hook......and for the rest of the time I continued to tell Motoki to stop reading. Someone shoud give that man a speech about how to mind his own business, or....he could have given us more money for Japanese books for the car. Post bus experience, Motoki and I took a boat tour of the San Fransisco Bay, and we had dinner at a lovely Italian place with mother.
Day 7: Lake Tahoe.....We stayed at a ski resort in Squaw Creek, drove out to the Lake, and saw CalNeva Lodge. Motoki had chicken wings for the first time.
Day 8: Park City, Utah...We made it to a beautiful ski area called Park City, where we stayed at a Mariot (we were supposed to stay at the Stein Erickson Lodge but it was at the top of a mountain, and it was not very fun driving up...so we abandoned ship and stayed at the bottom of the mountain...). The nightlife in the middle of this nowhere was hopping. And had we discovered it earlier, the night would have taken several different turns.
Day 9: Denver....Hotel Monaco....and possibly the best night on the drive home....We arrived to the hotel with a sign greeting Sammy and Dino. Motoki and I tried to find some decent stores. But no luck. So we went to see a baseball game. LA-Dodgers v Colorado Rockies...最高だった! We say above the "mile-high" mark at the stadium, next to these lovely people. And we cheered for the Rockies, who BEAT the dodgers, one of the higher if not highest ranking teams in the MLB. Oh...and number 7, 2nd base....KAZUO MATSUI....so it was perfect. And it was my baby's first baseball game, so we had coke, cracker jacks, and a hotdog.
Day 10: St. Louis....We made it to St. Louis...very late at night, with enough time for dinner. Our hotel offered a great view of the Arch and of the Cardinals stadium.
Day 11: HOME! From early morning until about 2am, we made it from St. Louis to Celebration, with a few stops here and there...Teriyaki Experience...in Atlanta. But we made it home and it was nice to finally be in Orlando.
Day 12: Gilda came to the house early and we were all very tired. BUT...Motoki and I had a date. We were going to see Sheriann, his mother's room mate from 1995-1996, whom both Junko and I hadnt seen in 12-13 years. We met her at Epcot. Usually when you havent seen someone in so long, you like to show your best. But, naturally, as we reached the front of the park, heavy rain began falling and made my appearance less than its best. But, Sheriann and Jeret (the husband) were waiting so, rain or shine, we were going to Canada (the pavillion). Although over a decade had passed, Sheriann was unchanged. Still amazing, still vibrant and cheerful. It was the most amazing few hours. And for her to meet Junkos son was just awesome. He kept asking her about how his mother was back then etc. The time came to say our goodbyes. Motoki and I stayed for the fireworks, then headed home. I feel like Jon came over for a bit. And then we went to bed...after I tried to force Motoki to write his damn postcards (his vacation homework assignment from his mother).
Day 13: This was more of a relaxing day. Gilda Motoki and I spent most of it at home lounging around. We ended up having dinner at the Town Tavern, and then Motoki and I went to see Jerry and Brent. The four of us headed to Fantasia Mini gardens.....Hole One. My 2nd swing from the tee. Ball goes OVER the hole and into the woods. Brent runs for it. I step over the course...take the ball...decided to step on the slide for the ball (wet from rain) and flip in the air...stopping myself in flipflops, with my toe on my left foot...but hole three I was about to pass out so we had to go home....Note: Dont wear flip flops after it rains, to mini-golf.
Day 14: As my toe turned purple....Motoki and I took a water mouse out in the lake surrounding downtown disney and dixie landings....I believe we had lunch downtown at Seito. . . maybe it was tonight I FINALLY had macaroni and meatballs...!! And saw Miss Ackley!!! Also steve and jon at came to the house too.
Day 15: I limped downtown where motoki and I met up with my friend Jeff for lunch...hadnt seen him in a year or two....amazing performer...really busy...so it was really nice that we actually had time to meet up. And I tried to hide the limping. Gilda Motoki and I went on a shopping frenzy at the florida mall and target, where I convinced motoki to buy mad clothes at Abercrombie kids. He looked dazzling so he had to buy them. It was nice for me to be in a store where the close actually fit people (not these things they refer to as clothing in Japan). Then at night Charlotte Dave Em and Parker got into town so we headed to the hotel and had dinner and iced our feet. Throughout the trip, Motoki had learned a phew english words/phrases. One....Flasher, a word that appeared with a little cartoon representation in a book I had gotten him a few months earlier (so he could study english...). Phrase 2...Shut up, Angela, a phrase he picked up from my mother. Naturally that being a useful phrase, he decided to say shut up to my 6 year old cousin Emily, who, was somewhat offended, but then the two of them began scream SHUT UP, no YOU Shut up, NO YOU SHUT UP...at eachother, for 3 days. I also taugh emily how to KANCHO (the shoving up the pointed fingers in a gun-like position, up someone's bum...a custom practiced by japanese children). Hopefully, in her new kindergarden class, emily has not taken it upon her self to kancho her friends.....
Day 16: Motoki and I got up and hit the Magic Kingdom...limping...where we got on almost every big attraction before the park got crowded....and had lunch. And then decided that it was a good idea to go to Animal kingdom mid-day....clearly wasnt. Almost passed out in line at the safari, so Mrs. Perrone picked us up, and we met Cha and Em and went to see UNDERDOG! while screaming YOU SHUT UP NO YOU SHUT UP. Then Cha hung out at the house for a bit ... And then spent mad money on omiyage. And Steph came over.
Day 17: The last day. Packing. Gilda and Motoki went shoe shopping. For dinner we met up with Cha dave and the kids and ate at TGIFridays. I showed Motoki Vista Way, where his mother used to live.... I also think maybe today we did a cake thing for Parkers up and coming 2nd b-day!
Day 18-19: We arrived at Orlando, bid our farewells...and headed to Narita via Chicago. Landing in Tokyo with no sleep, was amazing...because everyone waited in line. No one pushed. No one bitched. We got our luggage...motoki fell on the floor pushing the cart from being too tired...and we made it home....I had my saori-cha and he got a pocari sweat. After arriving in japan our first stop was a convenience store...and all we could do was run around screaming at all the cool food and things they had. And we ate oden.
The trip home was successful. Not very quality. Too much to see in too little time. It was nice to go home, but, it didnt really feel like I was there. I guess I will have to go back for Christmas.....
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