Well we are here! Flight in a word...Long!!! I think all of us were so excited that we did not sleep a wink! The above picture is all ice...taken as we flew over northern Canada/Alaska near the Great Bearing Straight. Its all ice!!!! We were met at the airport by 6 very excited GSE comittee members. I am sure people standing around thought we were celebreties arriving. We were wisked away through the counｔryside in a chartered bus....big chartered bus, where we introduced ourselves ( in japanese of course) and the comittee members, introduced themselves. We arrived in Sano after 2 1/2 more hours....rewind here. Ｗｅ ｈａｄ ａ ｐｉｔｓｔｏｐ ｉｎ ｗｈｉｃｈ ｗｅ ｗｅｒｅ ｉｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｅｄ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｗａｓｈｒｏｏｍ． Ｉ ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ， ｂｅｉｎｇ ａ ｍｕｓｉｃｉａｎ Ｉ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｓｅｅ ｗｈａｔ ｔｈｅ ｍｕｓｉｃ ｎｏｔｅｓ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｓｉｄｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｔｏｉｌｅｔ ｄｉｄ（ｔｈｅｒｅ ｗｅｒｅ ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ ｍｕｌｔｉｐｌｅ ｂｕｔｔｏｎｓ）．．ｗｅｌｌ．．．ｔｈｅｙ ｐｌａｙｅｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｏｕｎｄ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｔｏｉｌｅｔ ｆｌｕｓｈｉｎｇ ｏｆ ｃｏｕｒｓｅ！！！！ Ｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｉｎｇ！！！ Ｗｅ ａｒｒｉｖｅｄ ｉｎ Ｓａｎｏ ａｎｄ ｗｅｒｅ ｔａｋｅｎ ｏｕｔ ｆｏｒ ｄｉｎｎｅｒ．．．ｗｅｌｌ ｂｒｅａｋｆａｓｔ ｔｏ ｕｓ．．．ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｄｅｌｉｃｉｏｕｓ！！！ Ｙｏｕ ｗｉｌｌ ｈａｖｅ ｔｏ ｅｘｃｕｓｅ ｍｅ．．．Ｉ ａｍ ｈａｖｉｎｇ ｓｏｍｅ ｆｏｎｔ ｉｓｓｕｅｓ ａｓ ｔｈｅ ｌｅｔｔｅｒｓ ａｒｅ ａｌｌ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｓａｍｅ ｐｌａｃｅ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｋｅｙｂｏａｒｄ ｂｕｔ ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ ｅｌｓｅ ｉｓ ｉｎ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｐｏｓｉｔｉｏｎｓ！ Ｗｅ ａｒｅ ａｌｌ ｓｔａｙｉｎｇ ｉｎ ｓｅｐａｒａｔｅ ｒｏｏｍｓ ａｔ ｔｈａｔ Ｓｕｎ ｒｏｕｔｅ ｈｏｔｅｋ ｉｎ ａｓ Ｊｅｎ ｅｘｃｌａｉｍｅｄ ” ｔｈｅ ｓｍａｌｌｅｓｔ ｈｏｔｅｌ ｒｏｏｍ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｅｖｅｒ ｓｅｅｎ！” ｂｕｔ ａ ｖｅｒｙ ｎｉｃｅ ｒｏｏｍ ａｓ ｗｅ ｈａｖｅ ｓｏｍｅ ｐｒｉｖａｃｙ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ａｂｉｌｉｔｙ ｔｏ ｂｅ ｕｐ ａｔ ４３０ ａｍ ｂｌｏｇｇｉｎｇ ａｓ ｍｙ ｂｏｄｙ ｔｈｉｎｋｓ ｉｔｓ ｔｈｅ ａｆｔｅｒｎｏｏｎ！ Ｔｈｅ ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ａｒｅ ｓｏ ｅｘｃｉｔｅｄ ｔｏ ｈａｖｅ ｕｓ ａｎｄ ｉｔ ｈａｓ ａｌｌ ｂｅｅｎ ａ ｌｉｔｔｌｅ ｏｖｅｒｗｈｅｌｍｉｎｇ ａｌｒｅａｄｙ ｔｒｙｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｔａｋｅ ｉｔ ａｌｌ ｉｎ． Ｗｅ ｈａｖｅ ｏｒｉｅｎｔａｔｉｏｎ ｔｏｄａｙ ｔｈｅ ｈｏｔｅｌ， ｆｏｌｌｏｗｅｄ ｂｙ ｆｒｅｅ ｔｉｍｅ， ａｓ Ｉ ａｍ ｓｕｒｅ ｏｕｒ ｂｏｄｉｅｓ ｗｉｌｌ ｎｅｅｄ ｔｏ ｎａｐ！ Ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ ｗｅ ｗｉｌｌ ａｒｒｉｖｅ ａｔ ｏｕｒ ｆｉｒｓｔ ｈｏｓｔ ｆａｍｉｌｉｅｓ ａｎｄ ｈａｖｅ ｏｕｒ Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ Ｐａｒｔｙ！
Ｊｅｎ Ｐｌａｙｉｎｇ ｂａｃｋｇａｍｍｏｎ．．．ｆｏｒ ｔｈｏｓｅ ｏｆ ｙｏｕ ｗｈｏ ｋｎｏｗ Ｊｅｎ ｙｏｕ ｗｉｌｌ ｒｅａｌｉｚｅ ｈｏｗ ｅｘｃｉｔｅｄ ｓｈｅ ｗａｓ ｗｈｅｎ ｓｈｅ ｆｏｕｎｄ ｏｕｔ ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｏｎｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｇａｍｅｓ ｏｆｆｅｒｅｄ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｐｌａｎｅ！！！Ｓｈｅ ｐｌａｙｅｄ ｆｏｒ ｈｏｕｒｓ！！！Ｏｕｒ ｂｕｓ ｒｉｄｅ ｔｏ ｓａｎｏ， ｏｎ ｖｅｒｙ ｓｋｉｎｎｙ ｒｏａｄｓ！！！
Ｔｈｉｓ ｗａｓ ａ ｓｔａｔｕｅ ｏｆ ａ ｂｕｄｄｈａ ａｌｏｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｈｉｇｈｗａｙ． Ｉ ｔｈｉｎｋ ｔｈｅｙ ｓａｉｄ ｔｈａｔ ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｔｈｅ ｈｅｉｇｈｔ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｓｔａｔｕｅ ｏｆ ｌｉｂｅｒｔｙ ａｎｄ ｙｏｕ ｃａｎ ｃｌｉｍｂ ｔｈｅ ｓｔａｉｒｓ ｉｎｓｉｄｅ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｔｏｐ． Ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ ａｇａｉｎｓｔ ｏｕｒ ｆｉｒｓｔ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｓｕｎｓｅｔ！ 
This ｉｓ ｏｕｒ ｆｉｒｓｔ ｍｅａｌ ｉｎ Ｊａｐａｎ！ Ｏｉｓｈｉｉ！！！Ｄｅｌｉｃｉｏｕｓ！！ Ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ Ｍａｓａｋｏ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｒｉｇｈｔ （ｓｈｅ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ＧＳＥ ｃｈａｉｒ ） ａｎｄ Ｔｏｍｏｙａ （ｖｅｒｙ ｆｕｎｎｙ ｍａｎ） ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｌｅｆｔ． Ｔｏｍｏｙａ ａｓｋｅｄ ｕｓ ｉｆ ｗｅ ｋｎｅｗ ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｄ．．．ＡＢＢ ａｎｄ ｈｅ ｃｈｕｃｋｌｅｄ ａｓ ｈｅ ｔｏｌｄ ｕｓ ｉｔ ｍｅａｎｔ Ａｎｙｔｈｉｎｇ ｂｕｔ Ｂｕｄｗｅｉｓｅｒ．．．ｉｎ Ｊａｐａｎ！！！
Ｊｅｎ ｅｎｊｏｙｉｎｇ ｈｅｒ ｓａｌａｄａ ａｎｄ ｖｅｇｅｔａｂｌｅ ｔｅｍｐｕｒａ ａｎｄ Ｈｅａｔｈｅｒ ｓ ｍｅａｌ ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｂｏｔｔｏｍ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅ ｏｆ ｓｈｒｉｍｐ ｔｅｍｐｕｒａ ｔｈａｔ ｃａｍｅ ｉｎ ｌｏｖｅｌｙ ｂｏｘ ｗｉｔｈ ａ ｌｉｄ， ｒｉｃｅ ａｎｄ ｓｏｂａ ｎｏｏｄｌｅ ｓｏｕｐ！ Ｗｅ ａｌｓｏ ｅｎｊｏｙｅｄ ｓｏｍｅ ｇｒｅａｔ Ｂｅｅｒｕ ａｎｄ ｇｒｅｅｎ ｔｅａ． Ｉ ｔｈｉｎｋ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｈａｄ ５ ｃｕｐｓ ａｎｄ ｈａｖｅ ｏｎｌｙ ｂｅｅｎ ｈｅｒｅ ｆｏｒ １２ ｈｏｕｒｓ！！！
I'm so excited for you and your team! What a great welcome and I wish you many wonderful days of excellent experiences ahead. Take it all in...it goes by too fast.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're figuring out the keyboard though; I remember that challenge well.
And P.S. - Super jealous of the tempura right now as I'm stuck at my desk. ;)
jim sprague translation of heather's garbled unicode from day of arrival:
ReplyDeleterewind here. We had a pitstop in which
we were introduced to the Japanese
washroom. I decided, being a musician
I would see what the music notes on the
side of the toilet did(there were
actually multiple
buttons)..well...they played the
sound of the toilet flushing of
course!!!! Interesting!!! We arrived
in Sano and were taken out for
dinner...well breakfast to us...it
was delicous!!! You will have to
excuse me...I am having some font
issues as the letters are all in the
same place on the keyboard but
everything else is in other positions!
We are all staying in separate rooms at
that Sun route hotek in as Jen
exclaimed ” the smallest hotel room I
have ever seen!” but a very nice room as
we have some privacy and the ability to
be up at 430 am blogging as my body
thinks its the afternoon! The japanese
are so excited to have us and it has all
been a little overwhelming already
trying to take it all in. We have
orientation today the hotel followed
by free time, as I am sure our bodies
will need to nap! Tomorrow we will
arrive at our first host families and
have our Welcome Party!Jen Playing
backgammon...for those of you who know
Jen you will realize how excited she
was when she found out it was one of the
games offered on the plane!!!She
played for hours!!!
Our bus ride to sano, on very skinny
roads!!!This was a statue of a buddha
along the highway. I think they said
that it was the height of the statue of
liberty and you can climb the stairs
inside to the top. It was beautiful
against our frst Japanese sunset!
This is our first meal in Japan!
Oishii!!!Delicious!! This is Masako
on the right (she is the GSE chair ) and
Tomoya (very funny man) on the left.
Tomoya asked us if we knew the
word...ABB and he chuckled as he told
us it meant Anything but
Budweiser...in Japan!!!
Jen enjoying her salada and vegetable
tempura and Heather s meal at the
bottom of the picture of shrimp
tempura that came in lovely box with a
lid, rice and soba noodle soup! We also
enjoyed some great Beeru and green
tea. I think I have had 5 cups and have
only been here for 12 hours!!!
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Posted By Heather S. to Rotary GSE Japan 2009 at 10/01/2009 12:54:00 PM