Tｈｅ ｔrip to Sendai was smooth, bullet-train fast. City itself is nice, larger than expected. Host family incredibly warm and generous. Husband loves an excuse to drink beer and ｍａｋｅ ｌｏｕｄ ｃｏｎｖｅｒｓａｔｉｏｎ ｂｕｔ always with a huge smile - I like him a lot!
Ｏｎ Ｆｒｉｄａｙ ｔｈｅｙ ｂｒｏｕｇｈｔ ｕｓ ｔｏ ｈｉｓ ｗｏｒｋｐｌａｃｅ， ａ Ｃｈｒｉｓｔｉａｎ ｋｉｎｄｅｒｇａｒｔｅｎ． Ｗｈａｔ ａ ｔｒｉｐ － ｔｈｅｙ ｆｏｕｎｄ ｕｓ ｆａｓｃｉｎａｔｉｎｇ， Ｉ ｗｏｕｎｄ ｕｐ ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ ｓｔｏｒｉｅｓ ｔｏ ａ ｇａｎｇ ｏｆ ｌｉｔｔｌｅ ｋｉｄｓ ｗｈｏ ｏｆ ｃｏｕｒｓｅ ｄｉｄ ｎｏｔ ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄ ａ ｗｏｒｄ ｂｕｔ ｔｈｅｙ ｓｅｅｍｅｄ ｔｏ ｇｅｔ ａ ｋｉｃｋ ｏｕｔ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｆａｃｔ ｔｈａｔ Ｉ ｃｏｕｌｄ ｒｅａｄ ｔｈｅ ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ ａｎｄ ｗｈｅｎ Ｉ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｓａｙ ｃｅｒｔａｉｎ ｗｏｒｄｓ ｔｈｅｙ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｒｅｐｅａｔ ｔｈｅｍ
Ｔｈａｔ ａｆｔｅｒｎｏｏｎ ｗ
ｅ ｃｌｉｍｂｅｄ ｉｎｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｒｅｎｔｅｄ ｃａｒ ａｎｄ ｄｒｏｖｅ ａｂｏｕｔ ａｎ ｈｏｕｒ to a nearby resort hotel in Matsushima. Ｗｅ ｔｏｏｋ ａ ｃｒｕｉｓｅ ａｒｏｕｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｂａｙ， ｗｈｉｃｈ ｗａｓ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ， ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｒａｉｎ ｂｒｏｋｅ ａｎｄ ｒｅｖｅａｌｅｄ ａ ｓｕｐｅｒｂ ｒａｉｎｂｏｗ． Ｔｈｅ ｇｉｒｌｓ ｗｅｒｅ ｅｎｔｈｒａｌｌｅｄ ｂｙ ｔｈｅ ｓｅａｇｕｌｌｓ ｗｈｏ ｈｏｖｅｒｅｄ ｏｖｅｒ ｔｈｅ ｂｏａｔ ａｎｄ ａｔｅ ｃｒａｃｋｅｒｓ ｏｕｔ ｏｆ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｈａｎｄｓ．
Ｔｈｅｎ ｗｅ ｒｅｔｕｒｎｅｄ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｈｏｔｅｌ．．．．．．
This will be very hard to top. Ａ ｔｒｕｅ ５－ｓｔａｒhotel experience, from the parking lot greeter who took our bags to the staff who laid out our futon beds while we soaked in the hot spring. Dinner was unbelievable - a buffet with Chinese and Japanese delicacies, including Sushi that was so fresh, they were carving not a hunk of fish but the actual gigantic tuna right there. Gigantic oysters that were ｐractically still moving. Fresh ramen and udon mａｄｅ ｔｏ ｏｒｄｅｒ． Ｃｈｏｃｏｌａｔｅ ｃｒｅｐｅｓ ｆｏｒ ｄｅｓｓｅｒｔ， ｆｒｅｓｈ ｌｅｅｃｈｅｅ ａｎｄ ｉｃｅ ｃｒｅａｍ．Ｌｉｖｅ ｅｎｔｅｒｔａｉｎｍｅｎｔ ａｎｄ ｏｆ ｃｏｕｒｓｅ ｂｏｔｔｏｍｌｅｓｓ ｇｌａｓｓｅｓ ｏｆ ｄｒａｆｔ ｂｅｅｒ． Ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｋｓ．
Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ， ｗｅ ｗａｌｋｅｄ ａｒｏｕｎｄ Ｍａｔｓｕｓｈｉｍａ ｔｏｗｎ． Ｗｅ ｓｐｅｎｔ ａ ｂｕｎｃｈ ｏｆ ｔｉｍｅ ａｔ ｔｈｅ ａｑｕａｒｉｕｍ， ｗｈｉｃｈ ｗａｓ ｓｍａｌｌ ｂｕｔ ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ ｐｅｒｆｅｃｔ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅ ｋｉｄｓ． Ｔｈｅｙ ｈａｄ ａ ｓｅａ ｌｉｏｎ ｓｈｏｗ ａｎｄ ａ ｎｉｃｅ ｃｏｌｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ ｏｆ ｅｘｏｔｉｃ ｆｉｓｈ． Ａｌｅｅｚａ ｔｏｏｋ ａ ｌｏｔ ｏｆ ｎｏｔｅｓ ｏｆ ｆｉｓｈ ｓｈｅ ｗａｎｔｓ ｔｏ ｌｅａｒｎ ａｂｏｕｔ．Ｗｅ ｈａｄ ｌｕｎｃｈ ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｃａｆｅｔｅｒｉａ， ｗｈｉｃｈ ｆｅａｔｕｒｅｄ．．．ｓｅａｆｏｏｄ ｐｒｅｐａｒｅｄ ｍａｎｙ ｗａｙｓ． Ｈｏｗ ｉｒｏｎｉｃ！
Ｗｅ ｔｏｐｐｅｄ ｉｔ ｏｆｆ ｗｉｔｈ ｌｏｃａｌ ｉｃｅ ｃｒｅａｍ， Ｊａｎａ ｈａｄ ｇｒｅｅｎ ｔｅａ ｆｌａｖｏｒ， Ｉ ｈａｄ ｐｕｍｐｋｉｎ， ｔｈｅ ｇｉｒｌｓ ｈａｄ ｃｈｏｃｏｌａｔｅ ａｎｄ ｃｈｏｃｏｌａｔｅ ｃｈｉｐ． （Ａｒｅ ｔｈｅｓｅ ＭＹ ｋｉｄｓ？）
Ｎｏｗ ｗｅ ａｒｅ ｂａｃｋ ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｈｏｕｓｅ． Ｗｅ ｗｅｎｔ ｏｕｔ ａｎｄ ｂｏｕｇｈｔ ｂｅｅｒ ａｎｄ ｆｒｏｚｅｎ ｐｉｚｚａ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅ ｇｉｒｌｓ． Ａｍａｚｉｎｇｌｙ， Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｑｕｉｃｋｌｙ ｌｏｓｔ ａｌｌ ｉｎｈｉｂｉｔｉｏｎ ａｂｏｕｔ shopping ｏｒ ｇｏｉｎｇ ｏｕｔ ｏｎ ｍｙ ｏｗｎ． Ｍｙ ｂｉｔｓ ｏｆ ｂｒｏｋｅｎ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ， ｔｈｅｉｒ ｂｉｔｓ ｏｆ Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ， ａｎｄ ｇｅｓｔｕｒｉｎｇ ａｌｌ ａｒｏｕｎｄ ａｒｅ ｍｏｒｅ ｔｈａｎ ｅｎｏｕｇｈ！Ｍａｎｙ ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ ｔｏ ｆｏｌｌｏｗ ｓｈｏｒｔｌｙ． Ｈｏｍｅｓｉｃｋｎｅｓｓ ｂｅｇｉｎｎｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｃｒｅｅｐ ｉｎ． Ｍｉｓｓｉｎｇ ｆａｍｉｌｙ ａｎｄ ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ．
Aaron - What a wonderful account of your stay in Sendai and Matsushima. I really felt I was back in Japan and the feelings I remember of our trip the the hot springs around Mt. Fuji after a visit and seminar at a university in Tokyo. While I don't think we had such wonderful sushi, I do remember the great feelings of the hot soaks in mineral baths and the wonderfully relaxing accommodations. It's great to hear that the family you are staying with in Sendai are so compatible and warm. When we hadn't heard from you for several days I was worried that your visit might have turned into a bust. But what a relief that it is as friendly and satisfying as you could have hoped for. All is well here, except for the hot weather. Noel and Judy are in Hungarian dance camp in Michigan and are especially relaxed without having to worry about their girls who seem to be having a good time at camp. Next week I and them will drive up to camp where they'll pick up Sophie and Dalia and I'll drive your car to Logan with Mark and then drive back to Amherst. Keep enjoying your visit there, as you seem to be doing very nicely. Love and many hugs from me a mom to all of you.
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