Dinner at Shou-chan's

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Wednesday 7/26/06

This is just a little update to tell everyone about our dinner party last night. After work Ko-san and I went to Apita (the grocery store) to get what we needed for dinner. I bought the ingredients for Israeli salad and mac and cheese (of course!). When we got to Shou-chan’s house, only Shou-chan was there because her dad had to work late. Shou-chan lives together with her father. Her sister recently married and her mother died when she was in elementary school, so it’s just the two of them in the house. Anyway, when we arrived, Shou-chan had already made potato salad and the rice so I set to work on the salad and mac and cheese, which, as you know, are 2 very simple dishes. I have never seen 2 people more in awe of something so ridiculously easy. It was so cute, the were both like “wow!” and “incredible!”, and practically went into raptures when they tried the mac and cheese for the first time! I find it amazing that there are people on this earth who have never heard of macaroni and cheese, a staple American food… ha ha ha ! I know I know, the culturally educated part of me says, Jenn you’re in Japan, why would they know about this dish? But then there’s just that other little part of me that say…aww come on!! Its mac and cheese!! Hehehe!! Anyway, I finished cooking and the three of us had sat and talked and ate for like an hour and a half. You know, having some down time is really nice when you’re so busy all the time, and it was great because we could just be goofy and relaxed. After dinner we cleaned up and Ko-san went to pick Kaki-chan up from juku. I stayed with Shou-chan however, and we just talked some more in the living room until her dad came home. It was really fun getting to meet her dad, he was so nice and really shy!! Shou-chan says he actually knows quite a bit of English but he was too embarrassed to use it…kawaii!!! Then we went upstairs to Shou-chan’s room and she showed me pictures of herself, her family and the people from the office she had taken over the years. There was one with Masenori-kun and Oshio-san from about 5 -8 years ago, and they looked SO young!!! I can’t believe it. Oshio-san had her hair really long then and was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous!! Masenori-kun looked completely different!! His hair was lots shorter and he was quite a bit heavier, but in no means heavy!! He looked normal actually instead of being so thin like he is now. But so cute! Everyone looked so different! We stayed up till like 11:30 just hanging out and looking at pics. The cutest ones were of Shou-chan in her high school uniform, she looked just like a manga character!! I finally got home around midnight exhausted from all the cooking, cleaning, shopping and laughing, but I slept well, that’s for sure!

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