Weekends

Sat., Feb 22  
   We visited the Washington State History Museum and the Glass Museum in Tacoma. The glass art was very beautiful and colorful. The explanations in the museums were a bit difficult to understand, but there was a Japanese interpreter who gave me simple explanations.
   After that, I went to a pottery studio called The Painting Panda Pottery Studio and tried painting pottery with Lori. I focused on painting for a long time, so I got really hungry.
   For lunch, we went to a seafood restaurant and bought clam chowder. We ate it in the car. Compared with the clam chowder in Japan, this one was much richer and tasted really delicious.

It's Complete!

Sun., Feb 23
   On most holidays, for breakfast, Richard made waffles and Lori cooked scrambled eggs and bacon. I helped carry the dishes and spent some time reading the newspaper while the washing machine was running. The newspaper had a manga section written in easy English, and it was really interesting.
   In the afternoon, I went shopping with Lori. We stopped by a hamburger place called Jack in the Box and  I ate a really big burger. Then, we went to a supermarket called Fred Meyer to do some shopping. I was surprised that the product sizes were much bigger compared to Japan. Lori said, “You can put anything you want in the basket,” so I bought some snacks.
   After we got home, Richard showed me his model train. It was fun to watch the train move when I turned on the power.

Choo Choo!

Sat., Mar 1
   In the morning, I went hiking with Lori. We walked through the forest for about an hour. The weather was nice, and I was able to breathe in the fresh air. At the end of the trail, there was a bay with a beautiful view.
   In the afternoon, we visited Lori’s sister Dana’s house near Mount Rainier. We played hockey in the yard. After that, we had dinner together. Lori’s sister’s husband, Brian, grilled salmon, potatoes, asparagus, and more on the barbecue in the yard. It was so delicious that when I asked, “Can I eat more?” he said, “Of course!” I ate until I was completely full.
   After dinner, we played a game called Mexican Train. The rules were a little difficult at first, but I got used to them and really enjoyed playing. For dessert, we had fruit cheesecake. It wasn’t too sweet and tasted just right. I really liked it.

Perfect Day for Hiking	Wild Cooking

Sun., Mar 2 
   After breakfast, Lori and I went to a movie theater in Tacoma. We watched a movie called A Complete Unknown while eating popcorn and drinking cola. The movie had English subtitles, so I understood about half of it. There was a lot of music in the film, which made it really enjoyable.
   When we got home, my host sister and her partner came over, and we had dinner together. We used knives to eat chicken and beef, which was a little difficult for me since I’m not used to using knives much in Japan.
   After dinner, we played a card game called Phase 10. Richard and Lori love games, so I got to try many fun ones.

At the Movie theater	Host Sister

Sat., Mar 8
   When Lori asked me, “What do you want to do?” I said shopping, so she took me to a town called Gig Harbor. We went to some cute shops, and I bought a few souvenirs. Then, we went to Lori and Richard’s favorite doughnut shop and had doughnuts for a snack. There was a beautiful bay nearby, so Lori and I walked there.
   For lunch, we went to a restaurant where I had a sandwich and clam chowder.
   For dinner, Lori made tacos. There were lots of ingredients like lettuce, cheese, avocado, and tomatoes, so I was excited to build my own.

Doughnuts	Lunch at a Restaurant

Sun., Mar  9
   That day, Lori drove us far again. We went to a town called Bellevue, which had a vibe similar to Seattle. For lunch, I bought and ate a sandwich.
   After that, we went to a nearby arcade and played a game called Monster Golf. It was like mini-golf in a dark room, which was really exciting. Richard was good at it and finished first.
   When we got home, we had dinner and then played a domino game. Mexican Train became one of my favorite games.

Cute Souvenirs	Mexican Train

Go to the Next Page

Back to the Contents