I keep this blog for friends, family and students in Japan& the U.S.

Since Spring '07, Zen and Taka moved to California full time for Zen's basketball career. I'm in California most of the time right now too. Almost every day I go to help my Grandmom. She was born in 1919. Taka and I also get to work for Uncle Lynn's landscaping company. Santa Cruz, California. As beautiful as ever. However I still feel homesick for Japan~~

Monday, August 31, 2009

Persistence Pays!!! and an Epilogue added


I kept after my the kids to get a photo of them all together in Japan~ and they pulled it off! Along with dear friend Sayoko!!
Zen, Naomi, Sheon and Ischin and Sayoko at Kayaking in Mikawa-wan
But what I also mean by "persistence pays" really is this story following~
Zen went to Japan for the whole month of August (Taka for two weeks)
We messed up the return tickets for Zen, his school started up again the 26th but Zen's return wasn't until the 31st.
The night of the 30th when Zen was supposed to be getting on his plane from Nagoya Japan, we were in bed in California.
His flight was cancelled because of a storming typhoon, when he got to the gate.
He had to call Hiromi to return to give him a ride back home, along with his luggage.
They couldn't get him him a flight again until two days later. Sept. 2nd from Japan.
When we found out in California it was too late at night.
But the morning of the 31st when I was supposed to have gone to pick him up and deliver him to school, I started making phone calls.
Cause Zen said he wanted to be on his way back to California ALREADY. He'd done said his good-byes.
So I started calling. NWAirlines, and the travel agency... they all said the same thing. No other seats any sooner. Since it was due to weather, "sorry" they couldn't help.
But I didn't give up.
Finally the fourth NWAirlines agent I spoke with the evening of the 31st ( in California), I asked him whether I could use our mileage points to pay for an upgrade and get Zen into a seat... the man switched me to Mileage people and THAT man said, with a deep voice all calm and cool, he seemed to be as a GOD. He said "No, you needn't use miles, I have a seat for him".
HE could make the almighty decisions. There in the "WorldPerks" section. And he waited patiently and VERY quietly on the phone
while I began to e-mailed, and try to Skype call frantically.
Mailing-texting to Zen, who I hoped had awaken in Japan- "CAN YOU LEAVE IN AN HOUR??? THERE'S A SEAT FOR YOU!!!" I e-mailed my manager, (Wait- let me say- when I e-mail all these people in Japan from my computer, it's going to their CELL PHONES) I e-mailed Ischin's phone (Can you Drive???) I tried Skype calling Zen's phone, and Hiromi's house, and Sheon's where Zen was staying... but I was at Grandmom's where the wireless was borrowed from neighbors and my phoning couldn't be heard through Skype...FINALLY (cause maybe Zen had forewarned his dad the night before that I'd be trying to change his flight to 24 hours earlier- he was READY!!) Zen e-mailed back to me and said "Oto-san can drive me-OKAY!" and I could reserve the seat with the NWA WorldPerks Almighty Man ~who never shared my enthusiasm, but had sat "with me" through that.
Still after hanging up I worried whether Zen could really make it to the airport in an hour... I skype called him once again and got through. His dad had JUST gotten to him to take Zen from Sheon's and they were off. ON TIME!
That's where the PERSISTENCE WORKED!!
....
Now if only Zen manages to make the two connections~ One in Tokyo for Portland (he didn't originally have to do THAT) He has to go through Immigration in Portland then change to a domestic flight...I wondered how well we'd sleep that night, with my phone by the bed.... The "baby" of the family flies alone for the first time. Of couse he should be so perfectly fine but...but another mama was here trying not to imagine the worst!

Is this where I can plug in- it's called an "Epilogue"?
The plane from Japan to Portland WAS delayed an hour.
Zen told me after he arrived, he wondered "WHY ME? Me? who's traveling internationally alone for the FIRST TIME having to deal with all of this?"
Zen's flight from Portland was changed and he ended up waiting there three more hours. We did have sudden hope he could switch to a flight to San Jose but it would involve Zen's literally running, and rechecking in bags within ten minutes from deboarding in Portland so... one NWA woman who even remembered us from my phone calls the day before!... advised Zen not...push it. And Zen agreed to sit and wait it out. He got to SFO looking dazed and confused but the fresh air seemed to revive him. Once home, and unpacked a tad, he got started at more of his homework. Tomorrow, it will have been a week of missing classes, but he's just about as ready as he can be for school! THANK YOU EVERYONE here and there and everywhere, for helping Zen have a safe and truly wonderful looking trip!

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