Yokohama Navy Exchange was where?

Everything's OK here at Lake of the Ozarks. South of us, around Springfield, MO., tornadoes and a lot of damage including fatalities. We had four inches of rain in about an hour. I understand the emergency gates are open on Bagnel Dam. The lake was built by Union Electric in 1930 as a hydropower facility.

I seem to remember the word is "benjy", not benjo. I remember being amused when I came here to the US and met my first Benjamin, and heard the nickname. Or, I may be wrong.

Sorry Steffi, but it is benjo, and to ask for the bathroom you had to say benjo-wa doko-desuka? Also, �gtake it easy�h I think began with a �gt�h and �gs�h and you pronounced them both at the same time-- tseosketi ne.

We had lots of rain here, but no high winds.

Dave-san What a wonderful story. I suspect that english and most other languages have these same mis-directed phrases. Since we've digressed into these types of stories heres mine.
My wife and I were changing trains somewhere [Gotemba?] anyway standing there we said.. got to hit the head.. so we walked to the toilet area that was a barrier that was well marked in Japanese and english.. men to the left and women to the right.. I went left and she went right.. went around the barrier and there we were walking toward each other, it was a unisex arrangement! When in Rome ... I used to think of it as O Banjo like in Earl Scruggs, no idea why.. word association I guess. There is a pamphlet somewhere that has all of the words that have the same meaning in both languages. When my parents came to visit, the only thing that my mother wanted to learn to say was ikura desu-ka.. how much is it. Didn't care about anything else. Shop till you drop. Oh.. and happy mothers day to Steffi and perhaps Lori. Been thinking.. don't think that mothers day greetings might apply to SrCath ? Am I right about that ?

Thank you for the Mother's Day greeting. It does apply to me; I have a 22-yr. old son. Happy Mother's Day to all moms who look in on this forum!

To Lori and all the other mothers who read this forum.
Dave-san

Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes - and the same to the other Moms on this post. My son is now 36, and my stepson is 29 - we're getting up there. Glorious sunny spring day in NYC today - really nice to wake up to.
Does anyone remember when is the Japanese Boys' Day and Girls' Day? It's celebrated in the spring, with picnics, relay races, and other sporting events out in the parks. We used to see it in Riverdale at a time when there was a huge Japanese community here.

Steffi-san,
Children's Day was last week, May 5.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holidays_of_Japan
Dave-san

You're quite right, Peter, I'm not a mother -- I'm a religious sister. There are some in our order who came later in life and do have children, but I'm not among them. I'm a caregiver, but for the elderly.

I'm reading Japanese Inn and find it utterly charming. I generally tend towards murder and mayhem in my reading preferences, but I'm totally into this book.

And I downloaded Japanese Topsy-turveydom. That is such a great book, I only wish I had a color printer.

Our pink cherry trees are in bloom and the darker ones are about to bloom. The forsythia is on its way out, but the lilacs should be out soon. It's a beautiful, cool, sunny day and a couple of us are packing a picnic lunch, going to Wellfleet to the Audubon preserve, and going for a walk.
Should be nice.

I'm so glad that you and your family are safe, Eric!

Hi everyone, Beautiful here in New Hampshire, If I could freeze a day I would do it today.. Freeze!! what am I thinking !!
Hi SrCath,! I had a sneeking suspision, with the help of a very smart person, I thought I'd ask.. good for you! What order are you with ? Nice you could get out today for a picnic. WE had mothers day here, My mom died years ago but Janets mom is 88 and doing pretty well, went out to dinner, along with a million other people. Just got back, no blood shed so were happy.
Wally.. Sr Cath got your book! and likes it! So your recommendations are taken seriously.. thats ok.. she doesn't know you very well yet. Tales of a Japanese Inn. Or in Wallys' case Tales in a Yokohama Hotel.
[ side note to SrCath just so you know, We do a lot of kiddin around here] and it can get a little rowdy] Like the time Wally got toasted at the Peanut club and got all lit up and walked home in the dark, and made it. How did he do that?..luminous mystery..

I always remember Boy's day in Yokohama when the neighborhood would be filled with gray fish streamers on the roof tops. Girl's day featured pink fish (carp)...
Seems like boy's day was in early May.

Japanese boys and girls day is Children's day, 5th May.
There are houses who decorate "Koinobori".

From wiki;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodomo_no_hi

Okay, I looked this up to reconcile things. March 3rd is Japanese Girl's Day called hina-matsuri (Japanese doll festival.) It's a celebration for Japanese girls, and Japanese Boy's Day is May 5th in Japan. People display a set of hina dolls and props in the house, wishing girls' healthy growth and happiness. Parents or grand parents of a newborn girl buy a set of gorgeous hina dolls unless they have special dolls, which are inherited from generation to generation.

Hina dolls are dressed in Japanese ancient costumes and are displayed on the shelves of a stand covered with a red carpet from the end of February to March 3rd. It is believed that any hina doll display should be taken down soon after the festival day; otherwise girls might have to wait to get married.

Also, Boys' Day was changed in 1948 to the politically correct�gChildren's Day�h (kodomo-no-hi kids day). Carp-shaped Koinobori flags are raised on poles for the boys of the family.

I was about seven or eight years old in Yokohama when my Japanese pals next door invited me to the matsuri being held at a local park. I asked my parents' permission and my mom was concerned that I might stand out in a sea of Japanese (I didn't appreciate having green eyes and white blond hair as "different.")
"Don't worry," I told my mother. "I'll wear my kimono."

So - don't keep us in suspense - did your Mom let you attend the matsuri, and how was it? Did you wear your kimono? That is a lovely story, Eric.

Yeah, I went. Masako our maid, interpreter and all around guide to the Orient, went with me. I was seated with a group of boys my age and clapped when they clapped and got along fine.
My adoptive uncle most surely was nearby.

How did I make it home after getting toasted at the Peanut Club? I wore a little label on my coat, that said in Japanese, "Please deliver to Hakuraku Mansion." Also, Peter-san, I was frequently a patron at the Noter-ru Hoter-ru. (Figure that one out!)

Wally -san No-tell Motel. Yes ?

Hi SrCath
Have you finished the book ? How was it ?

I am a sister of the Community of Jesus, and have been for 33 years now. I have lived more than half of my life in one place and it is a really strange thing to contemplate. If you want to look us up on the web we're at www.communityofjesus.org.

I haven't finished the book yet -- I usually have several books going at the same time, and truthfully, this is one that I want to savor. It really is very good.

Have a great weekend, everybody!