In Honor of Father's Day

I learned an interesting fact yesterday.  I was talking about golf with one of my English students and discovered "hole-in-one insurance."  I've never gotten a hole-in-one but I assume that in America, if you do get one, your buddies buy your drinks.  In Japan it is the exact opposite.  If you get a hole-in-one here you buy the drinks.  Seriously, you are expected to put on a party for your close friends and all the people with whom you play golf.  This isn't just a round of drinks at the club, either.  So people can buy hole-in-one insurance just in case they are "lucky" enough to get one and have to put on a party.

I talked to my dad on Father's Day and asked him what happened when he shot a hole-in-one.  Turns out he did have to buy the drinks (that's what happens when you assume) but it wasn't an all out party and just was the guys at the club house.

Baby Shower - American Style

Yesterday two of my sisters from the Kansai Branch threw me a baby shower. Baby showers are not something people do in Japan so all of the Japanese women who came got to experience one for the first time. We had a brunch, which was delicious and featured actual breakfast sausage that Rachel had to specially order (I know, back to food but it was a real treat) and then played some games.

 Here we are flashing peace signs, there was some Japanese influence at the event.  Left to right, in the front row is Setsuko-san, me, Lisa, back row is Rachel (our host for the shower), Sister Zinke, Sakamoto-sensei, Ayumi-san, Sister Dalling, Sherilyn, Hazel, and Stephenie (who not only did a lot of the organizing but built the diaper "cake").

 One of the gifts was a baby yukata, sort of like a kimono but meant for warm weather.  Kim, the woman the gift was from, stated that every baby born in Japan needs to have one.

 I would have to say the most entertaining game involved everyone using toilet paper to guess how big around I am.

 Lisa made the best guess.

 Everyone else guessed a little big - I've still got two months but I don't think I'll grow another two feet in circumference.

I'm very grateful for all the friends I've made here.  It has and will definitely make it easier to have a baby so far away from family.  In Japan women usually have their moms present at the delivery, instead of husbands, and then go back home for a month so their moms can take care of them.  There are many things I've seen here that I think my mom would love, I know this is one of them.  She's got all her passport paperwork submitted and, even though she won't be here for the birth, I'm sure she'll make it here within the next two years now that she's got a grandbaby on the way.