An Architect in Japan

Sunday was my last day with the Hamatani family. I had a bit of free time before lunch and decided to go for a stroll. The park was in full hanami swing, with hundreds of families in the park to grill, picnic and look at the cherry blossoms.

Beautiful spring weather! There was a group of older ladies practicing hula, other groups doing tai chi, kids playing soccer... I decided I would have my own little hanami, so I stopped by 7-11 to get a snack.

I wasn't in the mood to get Crunky...

And Cream Collon didn't seem quite right...

So I opted for a taste of my youth, with Aquarius and Baby Ramen. Good choice!

After my hanami, I headed back to the Hamatani house for lunch before leaving for my next host family's house. I spent a few nice minutes with Hamatani-san in his rooftop garden. He now has a "Texas section" where he planted the bluebonnet seeds I brought!

We arrived at the Minagawa home mid-afternoon, and after I settled into my room, Jun-san took me for a walk in Mino City Park.

I was expecting an urban park, but it was a 3-km forested mountain trail that ended at a waterfall. On the way up, we passed a shrine dedicated to a samurai warrior. There was a small statue with the characters "Ishi no ue ni mo san nen" inscribed on a rock. I started laughing when Jun-san read the kanji to me-- it's what my old boss at Mitsubishi told me when I explained that I was hoping for more of a challenge in my job. The literal translation is "three years on a rock," a suggestion that patience is rewarded. I left Mitsubishi after three years...

Anyway, the mountain stroll was quite peaceful until... MONKEY ATTACK! At dusk, groups of wild monkeys wreak havoc on weekend strollers, molesting them for scraps of food. The family right in front of us had their bag snatched from their hands and watched helplessly as the monkeys tore it to shreds...