7/22-25/08 Reebok Las Vegas Basketball Tournament

Click on the photos and you can see them lots closer!!
Well, this isn't very pretty! Taka and I stayed at a hotel in Las Vegas- and like many hotels, the first floor is the casino.

It's about holding your nose and getting through to the exit as fast as possible! This photo was taken at 8am. The parking lots are already full by then- my flash mistakenly was set and went off, and a cop was right on me telling me I couldn't take photographs! "oops" I said! I smiled, he smiled and I was out of there! I got my "evidence"!

Taka and I did absolutely nothing on "The Strip" except drive in to drop off the ball players, drive out, then in and out a few days later to say "bye" to them. They have continued on to Los Angeles for their next tournament from 7/27.


It's sincerely hard to "do justice" taking photographs of the players working so hard at their games. But I love photography, and Zen does appreciate nice shots too~ so, I hope you can enjoy- and don't forget to double click on the photos and see Zen up close (#22). He's the Captain, and "a natural born Point Guard" his Coach told me.
People are talking!!!

Ahhh, and of course, not forgetting- Zen's team, West Valley, they lost the 2nd place tournament- but they played so well, and Coaches and players alike were happy.



Nevada is a hot, stark reality. A strange place. One neighborhood Taka and I found a man-made lake on- though there were no people the whole hour we were there. It reminded me of the movie "The Freeman Show" with Jim Carey!


We were very happy to head back into California. These wind... what are they called?! Not windmills! Energy producing wind-fans?! are also an odd sight, but somehow VERY much better feeling than where we stayed for three nights in Las Vegas.

Santa Cruz BBQ~ing

Sean and Sheena's mom, Takako~~
I've been aiming to get out to try beach volleyball- at least we got the basketball kids out doing it!!

Joe and Zen


The Mama's and Papa's of the ball players!!

Back in California~ July 9th~

California coastal skies~ between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Foggy and awesome sights
I put this on my desktop for now~



Two days after I got back from Japan to Santa Cruz, Stacey came to visit. My "friend from Japan", well, from New Zealand via Japan and now en route around the world!

And driving Stace back to the airport I saw many many rabbits. She told me about a Japanese? saying? That rabbits are symbolic of always going forward, never backwards, and are a positive omen to see in that way. So I got LOTS of "going forward" messages on this drive!

Stacey got us out and around~ thank you darlin'!!!

>We also got to get in two of four weekend games Zen played in in Carmel~ Carmel by the Sea.

Yes, Zen's shooting, #22

!

.

. 

Last days in Japan~ for now

Hey- if no one leaves any comments.....

I feel like noone's reading or cares.

No inspiration.

PLEASE , please leave a message and

 say you've been able to see, and

 enjoy? these photos and news.

Please?!

But here are THE DAUGHTERS!!

Naomi and Sheon~

One night we were out for dinner 

with Sheon and while we drove she 

rode her scooter. 

I couldn't help but want to 

photograph her she was so cute!!

And as she sped away~~

Many people ask what I've been doing in Japan. SO besides "the books" and hanging out with old students and friends, and teachers and managers, and also working out developing a WEBSITE for our New Age Connection English Conversation School~ 

...AND getting that new flooring in~(photos below!)

I continue to CLEAN HOUSE! It IS an old house. (50 years old?) But STUFF. The storage space looked like this. (above)

I cleaned "house" there.

And I had to send my treasured bicycle to the graveyard. I'd lent it to a young man, who- I'm afraid raced the rice field roads at night and crashed it- into a car. Terribly hurting himself. He lives but the bike I rode Sheon and Zen around town on, as well as Helen's boy- I lent them the bike for more than a year and they loved it as well. I had to say "bye" to that dear bike.

And... life moves on!!!

One finished piece of Japan~

This is the classroom in our school in Japan.
Well, minus the chairs. We took up the tatami mat on the floor. Actually one cover, then the 30 year old tatamis underneath as well.











We employed our friend's friend Sadao-san, a professional woodworker to refloor the classroom.

Cool truck- no?

The sign on his truck reads "Green Art"






Sadao-san worked all Saturday in our front yard- and putting in the floor.


















The next day Ischin painted on two coats of finish.








And the "finished product". Flooring that adds wonderful air to our 50? year old house/school.
(This photo is looking in from the other end of the classroom).








Finally, I add this photo of half of my nice looking kids!! (Two out of four kids I mean!)

Ischin was off to a wedding that night- with a great pink tie!

And Naomi, the darling was just hanging out with me~~

More serious singing and ~ Compare these!!

Recently I went to this Public T.V. singing event where they were choosing twenty singers from 250... in Nishio, near home.

Good friend Elena Tanaka was chosen to show off her fantastic singing abilities! Elena is from Romania, often we talk in Japanese with each other, but her English is pretty good! Her Japanese is awesome though- and her singing too, which she does in Japanese too! Elena and her hubby are Taka and my tennis buddies too.

Oh, but check out Elena's hand, she had the lyrics written out in case nervousness made her draw a blank!


I finally go to to go back to one of my favorite IZAKAYA's. It's the ATMOSPHERE of the place. And the prices are right! But I've been meaning to show the service they provide, which is not always typical of Japanese drinking establishments (where foods totally hit the spot as well)...

Check out the mouth wash....

and the little cups they provide...

then in the little box wrapped in red plastic are TOOTHPICKS...

and behind them.........

Q-TIPS!!! now is that SERVICE or what?!

They EVEN provide sanitary napkins for free!

Oh, Japan~~

It's "little" but finally a big difference for people who care about having comfortably clean ears. This is one thing Taka hates too! It's funny- but I really understand- cause check it out. Guess which Q-tips are from the U.S. and which are from Japan?! This is how they are always bought- as far as I've ever found. Who wants cotton possibly left behind in their ears? Who cares about how well such a "little" thing is made?

Ahhh, well maybe many foreigners don't know how almost fanatical Japanese have been- with mothers/wives cleaning their kids/husbands ears FOR them!! Not with Q-Tips, but with little ear shovels! Sorry- Taka- that's just one thing I can't get into!!!