Okaasan is going to Tokyo!
Well, actually Saitama...but still....airports! airplanes! trains! family wedding! oh MY!
After 2 years of sitting in Sapporo and watching TV, she is escaping and heading back to her roots in Kawagoe for the wedding of a nephew at the end of September.
It was a busy day here: Yujiro worked overtime sorting out Okaasan's life.
They spent about 45 minutes searching for missing Hula Dance event tickets in Okaasan's room, and then searching for the dance accessories, and trying to find out why Okaasan has two sets of tickets etc etc
And then planning the nephew's wedding.
Yes, there is a nephew. Yes, there is a wedding. Yes, Okaasan is invited. and YES! She will go!
She'll stay 2 nights in hotel in Kawagoe near her brother's home.
And....this is hilarious....the Useless Brother will finally DO something for his mother. Yujiro has arranged that he will take Okaasan to Chitose Airport (our local airport), hand her over to a caring stewardess who will make sure she gets on the right plane and doesn't disappear in the airport shops forever, and then Useless Brother will be waiting at Tokyo to pick her up and take her to Kawagoe etc etc.
And look after her for the weekend. And deal with: "I need to go to my old house and get a LOAD of stuff to bring back to Sapporo!!"
Yujiro - sensible man - will stay in Sapporo with the TV/sofa/beer/cats/and girlfriend in hospital demanding chocolate.
Useless Brother will have a tough weekend. Of course Okaasan will want to go to her old house. And once there I can't imagine what games she'll get up to...probably get all the kimono out for drying and insist on packing up all sorts of crap to bring back here.
Ho, ho, ho. All very funny. But of course I'll be in hospital with a stitched stomach.
So, I won't be here to appreciate a home-with-no-Okaasan.
Okaasan will have a great time in her childhood city, with family members and memories. Hey ! She might decide to stay and never come back to Sapporo!
Meanwhile: I decided to go to Tokyo THIS weekend and attend the funeral of my first boss in Japan. All expensive with suddenly bought airtickets etc, but that's life. Flemming is the reason I stayed in Japan: working as an English teacher at his little English conversation school in the Tokyo suburbs 17 years ago, living with his family for a few months, drinking/singing/laughing/eating together - I worked for him for 3 years and somehow he made me into an English language teacher. So I am going.
A week ago I don't think I could have physically done it. Get on a plane and go to Tokyo. But this tumor thing IS getting smaller, I am sure of it, and I actually feel I can do the trip ok. My knee (remember that?!) is also stronger, so maybe I can walk the airports unaided.
Tomorrow is the hospital checks.
Wouldn't it be amazing if the doctor says I don't need the big operation, but just the laproscoptomy? Just the tumor pricking and sucking out. Wouldn't THAT be amazing?!
My Christian friends will claim it for Jesus. Yujiro and Okaasan will claim it for Nishi-sensei..
I will just be very, very happy.
We'll see.
Wow!! Go Okaaasan. Very impressed she is actually going. Slightly not so impressed it happens to be the same time you will be in hospital so you and Y can't run round the house naked like teenagers.
ReplyDeleteGlad the 'thing' is getting smaller and hope the doctor has good news for you tomorrow - or at least Okays the trip to Tokyo. That's sad - about your first boss. But I agree, somethings we just have to do and if we didn't we'd feel bad. He is after all the reason you are where you are now. Whether that means you have to curse him for making you stay in Japan, fall in love with a man and then choose to live with his mother - while lighting incense and what not....
Safe travels and fingers crossed for tomorrow.
I KNOW!
ReplyDeleteThe horrible irony of that fact didn't escape me either - SHE will be away and I can't be here to run around naked and eat cheese fondue and steaks dripping with blood....and all the other fun things we imagine we could do.....
But, I am happy that the knee is strong enough to take me to hot sweaty Tokyo...although I am fed yup of climbing on airplanes for this kind of trip...roll on October 7th when I will flying to Adam Lambert!!!!!!!!!!
(Ps. Maybe Okaasan would enjoy naked-with-fondue?)