We managed to make it through the night, though rumor has it most of us woke up at 5am. Not me. I slept in until 6am. Either way, someone had to get to church early to move all of the folding chairs in the sanctuary. Thirty minutes later, we had nearly thirty kids ranging from four years old to eight years old, running around and dancing the Hokey Pokey and attempting to match recently learned body parts according to name.
Things settled down once Isaiah started the Bible time story of Peter and Jesus walking on water. But after that, we managed to get parents involved by doing the most difficult of our gambit of crafts first. That’s right, thirty some-odd peices to a foam picture of Jesus walking on water. I personally had to cut out replacement sandals for Jesus in Yuki’s craft, but it turned out alright, save for the liberal use of bondo, kid slang for glue. Wako, on the other hand, did quite well.
Just prior to this, I had a class of first graders full of shy, quiet girls and Yuki , the not so quiet, all to active, don’t-speak-much-English, boy. Hopefully tomorrow goes a bit better during English group time.
Wrap things up with a quick meeting, more prep work and a lunch at Matsuya, and I think we were all ready to go home. But, what’s lunch without a little karaoke afterwards? Yes, there’s video. No, you may not see it. But let’s just say I rocked YAMAZAKI Masuyoshi’s “Celery” and there were a few duets. So awesome.
After that things got more exciting for Carolyn, because she had to ride the bus home, for the first time, with zilch Japanese bus experience. Though I hadn’t ridden one myself in five years, I directed her home.
First, we had to survive getting on the right train out of Tachikawa to Hino Station. Then from there, we quizzed a bus driver for the right bus line. After attempting to call her homestay mom on my rental cell phone, it sounded like my carrier couldn’t connect me with her homestay mom’s carrier’s cell phones or land lines. We gave Yoshie a call, then got a callback from Carolyn’s homestay mom. I attempted to articulate that we were on the bus, but that it hadn’t yet left the station and neither of us knew how long the ride was. But instead, Yoshie called back, asking us to give Megumi a call and let her know when we were leaving the train station. Okay, scratch that, we’re just going to show up now.
It all got sorted out, and Carolyn was there, in time, to meet her “mom”. And I was lucky enough to be asked why I didn’t give her a hug when I went to take the bus back to my homestay. I guess it’s okay for foreigners to hug goodbye when travelling abroad? Sweet, I’ll take it.
Then dinner at home (finally) and a lengthy discussion about the inconvenience of procuring a Seibu Lions baseball hat. Apparently, one can only buy ballcaps at games, and only get to the dome by bus on game days. You’d think they have some sort of league store. I think the Hosokawa’s might just order one online for me. That’d certainly be up their alley.
