October 27, 2024
Day 32: Off day in Sakai
It's hard to believe we've been on our bikes for seven days straight. This off day has been scheduled ever since we made arrangements with our hosts, Emi and Koji, to participate in the annual Halloween party they hold for Emi's English language students. It just so happens to almost align with our desired riding schedule of six days on, one day off.
It was so kind of Emi to take us on when there was so much work to do. We were eager to help, and we did our best. Did we help more than we got in the way? That's not a question I can answer.
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My wife and I mingled among the guests. They were a little bit shy, and so were we. We started out only speaking English with the children, but a mix of Japanese (not me) and English proved to be the magic formula. The more outgoing children began to approach us, and after a while, many of the kids started to engage with us in a myriad of playful ways.
Soon it was time for the kids to show off what they've been learning in their English sessions. I was proud of each and every one of them, even though they were practically strangers. You could tell that they worked hard. It was a pleasure to be able to understand every word as the students introduced themselves and shared their interests.
You may be as confused about Emi's costume as we were. It's Myaku-Myaku (of course!), the lovable mascot of Expo 2025 Osaka.
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Soon it was time for us to introduce ourselves, and to quiz the kids on spooky Halloween words spoken by a genuine native English speaker. Hopefully we provided a good memory for the students.
All work and all play makes Jack (o' lantern) a dull boy, so Emi planned some fun games for all of us to enjoy.
As the festivities wound down, there was a long goodbye as families departed on their mamacharis.
It was a day of great fun. It was also quite exhausting. We helped put the decorations away, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, happy that all went well. Emi, the person who worked so hard to prepare for this big day, and then worked even harder as the master of ceremonies, prepared a nice meal for us and her visiting friends Emiko and Tomoko. When we expressed concern that she continued to be on her feet after such a long day, she cheerfully explained that she has the next three days off. Still, she really went above and beyond for us, and we are both in awe and extraordinarily grateful for her hospitality.
We have another social call tomorrow that will bring us to the city of Takarazuka, which coincidentally is Tomoko's home town. The distance will be short, the terrain mostly flat, but it will be city riding most of the way. Because of this, we'd like to get ahead of some of the traffic by starting early.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
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