Visitors from Japan

When I first heard that my former co-worker in Japan was going to visit with her family, I was so excited!! She's from the U.S. but has been living in Japan for the past 10 or more years. I first met her at Temple University, Japan where I had also just started working. This woman can talk, read and write Japanese fluently!! Way better than me! She did study it and lived their for a long time but still, I was very impressed. We quickly became very good friends and would take the 1 hour and 20 minute commute back home together since we were on the same train line. We would go out after work on some nights to our favorite yakiniku (Korean bbq) place called AnAn which was a very cheap place to eat and drink. Nicole and I have kept in touch and she was bringing her son that just turned 14 months that I had never met with her.

We met on Saturday and the plan was to have lunch and go to the Waikiki Aquarium. I met Nicole, her sister, dad and mom and we had lunch at Halekulani's House Without a Key (one of my favorite places to take out of town visitors). Her son's name is Oscar Kenzo Anzai and he is adorable. He's a big hapa (half Japanese, half Caucasian) boy who weighs 25 pounds! He was a cutie pie and a very smiley, happy baby! After lunch, we went back to their hotel so that Oscar could take a shower since he was getting heat rash. Then Nicole decided to give him a nap because he was tired. I didn't mind hanging out in her room at all. We just talked and talked and talked for the next few hours catching up on the last 2 years that we hadn't seen each other. When Oscar woke up, we played and then it was dinner time. Her family ordered pizza and we ate it oudoors by the pool and tennis courts. Then we went back upstairs and hung out until Wes came around 8pm. Nicole put Oscar down for the night and we went out to Tiki's Bar and Grill for a few drinks. It was so much fun to hang out with them all day and I was so happy that we were able to do that. It sounds like Nicole and her family plan to make this a tradition and meet in Hawaii as a half-way point for the holidays. Yay, that means I get to see her again! Nicole - I hope you had a great time here with your family! I enjoyed hanging out and look forward to more visits! Kentaro - we missed you but hope you come too the next time. Maybe we will see you in Japan!!



Many attempts to get Oscar to look at the camera!

Not this time...

Yay! Finally a good shot!!