Consulate-General of Japan in Los Angeles provides a visit service for Japanese residents who reside far away from their office. Today they came to my state to accept application form for passport.

The venue was the hotel where we stayed. Their service was scheduled from 8 am to 1 pm.

When I went down to the venue of the lobby floor before 8 am, there was already a slightly long waiting line. The staff member gave out the number ticket. I was number 70. There were more people behind me. Probably, they had around 200 people.   

There were three staff members who dealt with checking our application form. I felt very comfortable with their polite and quick correspondence. My application process was done by 9 am. It was quicker than I thought. I appreciate for their visit service.

***

After my pass port renewal appreciation was done, we went to IKEA. It was our first time to be there. Since my in-laws had been there several times, they were our guide to show us around the store. It was a huge building with three storied floors.  We stayed there only three hours. It was new and fun experience to explore the store. It made me exhausted about being with many other people, though.

I remember I used to work as a store clerk in this type of huge department store. I wonder how I could survive for eight hours work shift, with so many people packed.

***

Visiting a huge city is fun. But I don’t feel comfortable with so many other people. After we came back home in this small hometown, I finally could breeze normally.

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We drove to the state capital city and stayed one night there. My in-laws met us there and stayed with us for one night at the same hotel. We requested the hotel receptionist to have our hotel rooms close to each other. Our rooms are just next to each other. It made us to visit each other’s room easily, with our privacy intact. It went very well.

My daughter enjoyed spending lots of time with her grandma. I believe it is the best treat for grandparents to spend time with their grandkids.

We went to the aquarium. The aquarium here was rather small. They don’t have dolphins, whales, or penguins, which I feel them as the main stars in aquarium.

I love watching sea creatures. It is relaxing to watch them swimming peacefully. I enjoyed visiting the aquarium. It was worth driving. 

***

After visiting aquarium, we visited my husband’s sibling and his family. Even though we live only three hours’ drive away from each other, we don’t see them often. As a matter of fact, it was their first time to see my daughter in person.

While we were staying at their apartment, I felt isolated. While we were having dinner together at the restaurant, nobody had any conversation. Although my in-laws and my husband tried to have some conversation with them, nobody could successfully break the ice between us.

Since it was very awkward time, I came back to the hotel room with stiff shoulder.

I guess it was good for my husband and daughter, though. At least my husband saw them again after 10 years plus no-see.       

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I went to the mall for some chores. I was surprised to see Food court was almost empty. There are five tenant space available, but only one tenant, Subway, stays their business. They had a Chinese fast food restaurant next to Subway, but it was out of business. In the other lane, three tenants were already out of business.

In the shopping area too, you can see many businesses are out of business and closed their stores. It is not only in the mall. The same conditions can be seen everywhere in the entire city.

On this land, for some reasons, not many business can go flow. I have seen many local small businesses were closed.

If you are the residence on this land and had tried some business, you will know what I am talking about, right? If you want your business flourish, you have to get out from this land.   

My business is the same. It doesn’t go anywhere.

Today I closed my Facebook business account. I have been thinking about closing this website and my business bank account too.

I hope I will get some advice or guidance about that.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I receive ideas from my family spirits. They usually give me ideas through my dreams. Sometimes they give me ideas all of a sudden. I cannot expect when and where. The ideas came suddenly.

So, it was my habit to bring a small notebook and a pen so that I can take notes of the ideas. Unless I don’t take notes, the ideas will be forgotten. Nowadays I don’t carry about a notebook and a pen. I use my cell phone’s notebook app instead.

Recently I found out my daughter takes my old habit too. She carries a notebook and a pen whenever she can, and takes notes.

I asked her what she is taking notes. She said she takes notes of ideas about a creative story or a drawing, on whatever she receives ideas from her angels.

At the summer school, she has a favorite activity time. They have a presentation opportunity of their creative short story. On the certain day and time, the student stands in front of other students and reads their created fiction story.

My daughter created a short story of fairies and humans. Fairies calls humans as “big friends” because humans are bigger than fairies. It is a story of one fairy meets one human, a young girl. They became friends and share their ways of living and thinking.

It was a beautiful story. The other students liked my daughter’s story and gave her a big round of applause.

I didn’t know my daughter has a gift in creating stories. It is nice to know and I am happy for that. 

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While I was chatting with my new friend, she asked about me. She was not sure what nationality I was. She was curious how long I have been in America. After a couple of questions, she asked me if I am a US citizen or not.

I answered her I am still Japanese. She suggested I should take the American citizenship as soon as possible.

She concerns about the current president. Daily news tell his sudden actions. She fears he might suddenly do something bad to immigrants.

She is around my mom’s age. I felt she suggested me that for my goodness, just like a mother suggests something to her daughter.

This question is not new to me. I have been thinking about it for recent years. It is always tough decision for me between becoming an American citizen or staying as a Japanese immigrant.    

My greencard expires in 2021. By then, I will need to think hard to which option I should take.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

For my daughter’s summer school, we used to walk to school every morning. It is a 20-minutes’ walk one way. After I drop my daughter off at the school, I would walk back home. So, I had 40 minutes in the morning every day.

While walking, I could have a good and long conversation with my daughter. It is also good for her to exercise.

Although we enjoyed this walking, neighbors might feel the different way. They might think I don’t have a car and that is why we are walking. When my neighbors drive by us, they ask us if we need a ride to school. I would thank them for the offer and politely refuse the offer.

When my neighbors drive by us, they ask us if we need a ride to school. I would thank them for the offer and politely refuse the offer.

This morning I changed my mind. I thankfully accepted the lift offer from one of my daughter’s school mates. My daughter was happy to get a ride and sit with her school mates. This boy is one year younger than my daughter. They are good friends.  

I used to greet with her, but never had a conversation with her until today. It was nice to get to know her. She is a grandma of the boy. She is slightly younger than my parents. She has a joint custody for the boy with her daughter. I never met her daughter and don’t know the details of their situation. Her daughter is lucky to have her mom to fully support on raising kids.

It is not just getting a ride. It is nice to get to know somebody and their story.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I went to the local pharmacy store to take a photo for my passport renewing. The store clerk took my picture with a digital camera, and showed it to me in the small monitor of the camera. It looked okay. To be honest, I could not see clearly because of my age related farsighted. But I told her okay anyway.

When she transferred the digital data of my photo to a bigger screen to process it, I wanted to turn away from my face in the photo. My face in the picture looked very old. Still, I didn’t ask her to retake a picture. I was embarrassed to ask.

At the last moment when I was about to pay for the photo, my husband and daughter joined me at the cashier’s counter and took a look of my photo. They both said to me “this does not look like you. You look old in this photo. You should retake it.”  

I didn’t think the store clerk could retake for free. Since it was already printed out, she will charge for retaking a photo.

I accepted the photo as it was. I agree I looked old and tired in the photo. It is me anyway. I accept my aging. The new passport will be made with this photo. The new passport will stay for 10 years from now on.

I might like this photo after 10 years. At least at this moment, I still have black hair, not covered by gray hair. My face does not have any wrinkles.

Aging happens to everybody. I decide to accept the process of aging. I don’t mind if I look older or younger. It is up to other people, and I cannot control what other people think of me. And I don’t care what others think of me.

The most important thing for me is to be me who accepts the natural process of aging.     

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

This morning we went to the swimming pool. As soon as we started enjoying being in the pool water, big thunderstorm clouds started forming. The clear blue sky was soon taken over by gray clouds.

The life guard blew the whistle on everybody in the pool. This pool has the rule about thunder. When we hear a thunder, everybody in the pool has to come out for our safety. If we don’t hear another thunder in another 30 minutes, the pool reopens. Today the sly was already covered by grey clouds, it seemed we would have more thunder in the afternoon.

For some reason, most of this weekdays, we had rain clouds. It seemed the monsoon had started earlier than usual. Previously the monsoon stars around the day of July 4th.

According to the long term weather report, though, this week was just a bonus for us. We had cloudy days with slightly cooler temperature for this past week, but starting from tomorrow, the Arizona strong sun will come back and keeps the temperature very high as normal years.      

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I found a nice house for sale in our neighborhood. We had an opportunity to take a look inside of the house.

There are the nice things about the house.

It is located closer to my daughter’s elementary school. It is only 7 minute walking to school.

I am looking for a house that the entrance door facing east. This house fits my desire.

Very spacious house. The residence space of approximately 2,000 sqft. The lot size of more than 8,000 sqft.

4 bed rooms and 2 bath rooms. Extra room that can be used for an office. Plus it has a spacious living room, as well as a family room separately.

The garage is spacious too. Four cars can be parked under the shade.

Spacious front yard and back yard. The entire house is thoroughly fenced that gives the complete privacy and safety.

Many trees that give cool shades. They are old trees. Big and tall, and healthy looking. 

The backyard has a two story shed which is pretty good condition.

The list price is affordable.

This house has so many attractive points for us.

However…

Here is some aspects that we don’t like.

It is an old house. 54 years old. Older than I am. As typical for old houses, the ceilings are extremely low. The two bathrooms are very small. They don’t have a window and stay dark in daytime. The kitchen does not have window and it stays dark. I like high ceilings. I want to have my kitchen sink and bathrooms have a small window.

 ***

We enjoyed the house tour very much. But when we came back to our current home, which has high ceilings and bathrooms with windows, we love this current house even more than before.

I guess we will keep looking for our dream house to buy. I know we will eventually meet the right one.

 Any feedback? (^^♪

Today is my dad’s birthday. I sent a birthday wish message through my mom’s cell phone.

In her reply, my mom mentioned about little bit of their recent life.

Since my dad retired from working, he stays home all day. He lost his eye visions on both eyes. He is now considered as blind. He cannot go for a wall alone. He cannot read newspapers nor check the Internet pages.

My mom still goes to work in the morning on weekdays. She cooks every meal; breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my dad. She cleans the house and goes to grocery shopping. She seems to have no time for herself. She wants to go to a get together with her friends like having a tea or lunch, but she cannot go.

I suggested my parents to hire a house maid whom they can trust to come to their house to clean and cook. Just one or two days in a week will be helpful. Even for two hours or so will do.

My dad refused this idea, though. He feels ashamed of his current situation and does not want anybody to come to their house. He wants my mom to do everything for him.

I feel sorry that I cannot do anything for them. That being said, if I lived closed to them, I would spent most of my time for them. I appreciate this situation, living far away from them, so that I can spend my time for my family, especially taking care of my young daughter.

***

Back in my elementary school days, my mom was so kind and nice to everybody so that she could not refuse any favors from her relatives. In my elementary school days, I don’t remember my mom staying at home, even though she was a homemaker. She constantly went somewhere, talking care of her relatives.

My dad’s side of relatives lived in another prefecture. When my dad’s mom (my paternal grandma) was very sick being hospitalized for more than one year, my mom would go there taking care of her. She would stay several days in the hospital and didn’t come back home.

After my paternal grandma passed away, my maternal grandpa got sick and hospitalized. My mom did the same. She stayed several nights in the hospital, taking care of her dad.

Along with that, my mom was taking care of my classmate who lived with her grandparents. I didn’t like my mom always spending her time for somebody else, not for her own children.

***  

I started worrying about my parents. I wanted to be help for them. I didn’t know what they want me to do. So, I called my parents to ask them directly. 

I talked to both of my dad and mom. Both of them sounded healthy and happy to hear my voice.  

When it came to my mom’s turn to talk to me, she told me not to worry about them.

After the conversation, I felt relieved. My mom told me something like this.

They have spent more than 50 years as a married couple. Even though my mom complains about my dad, she is happy about taking care of my dad. There should be very strong spiritual connection between them. There should be strong love between them. They are fine by themselves. I should not worry about them. They want me to stay being happy and to take good care of my family; my husband and daughter.

Besides, both of my parents have been trustworthy and kind to relatives and others. They have accumulated good deeds to others. Whenever they need help, their family spirits and angels are always there for them to send necessary support to them.

All I can do for them is to keep sending good thoughts about them. Everything should go well for them.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪