| The international organization known as Rotary | | | | kind of a nice conversation when one person |
| promotes yearly travel that all people between | | | | makes a comment, then translation, and then |
| the ages of 26 and 40, male and female, and of | | | | another. I met the second women Rotarian that |
| all backgrounds - should know about - because it | | | | I've met here - she's in Hiroshi's Club - where |
| is a Rotary-funded six week study aboard and | | | | there are three women. She had lots of questions |
| anyone can apply to be a part of this significant | | | | about the experience of women in Rotary in my |
| life experience. If you are this age group - you | | | | country - and was it difficult for women there. I |
| could enjoy the kind of experience that is | | | | noticed that the men all sat at the tables, mostly |
| described in my notes in this article. To find out | | | | by themselves (except I joined in), and the |
| more about the program go to the international | | | | women did all the work. The women joined the |
| Rotary website and search for GSE - Group | | | | table when the work was done. One of the men |
| Study Exchange - and contact your local Rotary | | | | wanted to know if I was a natural blonde - and |
| Club for more information. | | | | wasn't blonde a movie star (a compliment). The |
| Our adventures continued: | | | | women laughed that the "dumb blonde" joke was |
| April 15th -- Friday: | | | | the same the world over - and in Japan too (a |
| Antonio San went off to Kyushu University in | | | | similarity). My experience here is that people are |
| Fukuoka today, Monica San to Fukuoka Parish | | | | so generous, and I had several invitations for |
| Priest Center, Julia San to Kyusyu Keiso Inc., and | | | | sightseeing and dinner - and one to visit a |
| Harry San to Kurume Fire Station. | | | | company where they make fine women's clothing |
| It was a day of similarities for me. Teiko dawned | | | | - stitched by hand - for famous labels - that |
| her leather jacket (as I would from my closet), | | | | should be fun. |
| walked with me into town (as I would in our little | | | | April 16th - Saturday: |
| town), stopped at the hair salon for a quick wash | | | | We we began our travels we landed in Fukuoka |
| and dry (as I would in town) and when we | | | | and went by train to Omuta - this route was |
| arrived for our shopping trip we immediately liked | | | | from north to south - with Omuta relatively in the |
| the same things - without much language | | | | middle of the island - and our travels have taken |
| communication - it was easy to have a fun day. | | | | us to points in between, including Ogori. Today we |
| We boarded the train in the middle of the small | | | | were headed to Yanagawa - between Kurume |
| town, about four blocks walk (as if you were on | | | | City and Omuta. Yanagawa is where Mr. |
| the main line in the Philadelphia area) - and arrived | | | | Tachibana (he's the Rotary District Governor - |
| in Fukuoka in a big new underground shopping mall | | | | and a direct descendant of the Shogun) and his |
| (looking like Valley Fair) - about 30 minutes on the | | | | wife own a hotel - where the Rotary District |
| train. We breezed through there, and up on the | | | | Conference is being held. Hiroshi drove us there |
| street found lunch on a side street - entering | | | | with GPS in his car ( it's voice activated and you |
| through the sliding doors to a Japanese style bar | | | | can also put in a phone number to plot your |
| and a lovely sushi lunch. We took our shoes off | | | | destination). Chizuka, the Tachibana's daughter, |
| every where - including here for lunch. Teiko said | | | | greeted us at the door of the hotel - and the |
| that the best stores were across the street - | | | | others of my team were soon to arrive. It's a |
| Daimaru and L'Equipe Yoshie Inaba (Neiman | | | | really picturesque spot - with canals running |
| Marcus and Saks of Fukuoka). We cruzed the | | | | through the gardens -that they used to use to |
| designer departments - names that we both | | | | deliver sake and soy sauce - and tomorrow night |
| knew of famous Italian, American and French | | | | we'll have a party on the canal boats. I'm staying |
| designers. Teiko headed for her favorite | | | | at the Tachibana's house (they're my host family |
| department - yep I like that one too - and we | | | | now) - and it's a big modern house behind the |
| both made a purchase, a pretty silk skirt for me. | | | | hotel. |
| Teiko's daughter, Miki joined us with her daughter | | | | We're the GSE team - decked out in our blue |
| (Teiko's grandchildren are very sweet and well | | | | blazers - and it's the opening night of the District |
| mannered) - and we stopped on the lower floor | | | | Conference - and a ceremonial party. The flowers |
| to buy some chicken for later (it looked like the | | | | on the table and the place settings reflect the high |
| amazing food shopping at Harrods in London (only | | | | class status of Rotary in Japan. We're seated right |
| Japanese selections that made you stop in | | | | in front of the stage with Izumi, Mika, Hisa and |
| amazement to take it all in). Quickly we were | | | | Kenji (GSE leaders) at our table. We all comment |
| back on the train - off at the stop in Ogori - and | | | | as the dinner service begins - because there are |
| picked up some fresh vegetables from the | | | | five glasses set - and they poured each of us |
| farmer's market (like in Los Gatos, my home) and | | | | champagne, beer, sake, red wine, white wine (we |
| stopped at the fish store - for the party that | | | | wondered which to drink) - along with another |
| night. | | | | intricately prepared dinner. Various people spoke, |
| Hiroshi and Teiko have a beautiful Japanese | | | | and then we got up to greet each other. A |
| garden outside their back door. There house is | | | | famous movie director in Japan was there to |
| ample but not big - and there is a lot of clever | | | | speak in the afternoon and was there for the |
| storage area, like cabinets all around the top of | | | | dinner - Obayashi Nobuhiko. When I chatted with |
| the kitchen and a shed area on the back porch to | | | | him, he told me that George Lucas wrote nine |
| store kitchen items. Their office is a front building | | | | sequels for Star Wars, but stopped after six - |
| that sits on the street - and the house sits in | | | | because he determined that he needed to create |
| back. People from Hiroshi's Rotary Club started to | | | | movies called Star Peace (Rotary has stood |
| arrive and a barbeque - like none that I'd seen | | | | world-wide for 'peace') - and that his movies were |
| before - was created in my honor. It's not true - | | | | also about Japanese culture, nature and people |
| I'm not getting skinnier here - there is an endless | | | | living together in harmony. Then there was magic |
| selection of fish (raw and cooked), meats, | | | | - yes, the entertainment was a magician who we |
| vegetables, ice cream, cakes - it was a very | | | | all enjoyed. Many people throughout the evening |
| festive occasion out in their back yard garden. | | | | recognized the GSE team - we stood for |
| The people at the party seem to really enjoy one | | | | recognition, the magician was playful with us, the |
| another - and the Japanese men love magic. Each | | | | RI representative acknowledged us - and we |
| of the men in turn had magic tricks and we all | | | | received the "happi kimono" from the District |
| ohhed and ahhed and wondered how they did | | | | Governor. |
| that. We sat for a long time at the picnic table | | | | This article is a series -- so read on -- and many |
| and talked about our lives - and Ai translated. It's | | | | days follow in our splendid adventure! |