I think most of you who know me know who Yumi is. But just in case I will tell you! After my friend Hiromi, who was a Japanese exchange student at my high school, left Kentucky I really wanted to learn Japanese. Through a friend of my mom’s friend I got in touch with Yumi who was willing to teach me Japanese once a week. Yumi had been living in the U.S. for a while in both California and Kentucky with her husband Masaru. They were in the U.S. for Masaru’s job, but Yumi was studying to get her bachelors and later masters in psychology. Yumi is extremely intelligent, an AMAZING cook, and fluent in English. It didn’t take long after she started teaching me for us to become good friends. I am so grateful to Hiromi for giving me the desire to learn Japanese and meet Yumi.
When I visited Japan 2 years ago. I visited both Hiromi and Yumi who gave me such a wonderful experiences of Japan. I obviously decided to come back ☺. Two years ago Yumi and I had adventures like: art museums, Kyoto, fabric dying, delicious eating, hot springs, shopping, maiko pictures, movies and more!
Last year I was devastated when Yumi and Masaru had to move back to Japan for Masaru’s job. But then I was so excited when I found out I was placed in Japan just 45 min from Yumi.
Yumi and Masaru have been SO kind to me since I have been here. They have been like my family to me. The first weekend I was in Gifu they drove down to where I live (a little over an hour drive) to help me get big things that I needed (things I couldn’t get on my bike). We went out to a kaiten sushi restaurant (I love kaiten or conveyer belt sushi), and they just helped me settle in. I love hanging out with Yumi AND Masaru because I think they are such an amazing married couple. They are like best friends and they are so considerate of each other.
Then I was supposed to visit Yumi on a different weekend, but there was a situation where some of my money disappeared. I was pretty upset, and I had to call Yumi to tell her I could not come to visit her. Again she drove all the way from her city just outside of Nagoya with Masaru to take care of me. She brought me a bentou diner, a 30 pack of my favorite snack, and many little gifts of things she knew I would love. Then she took me to go get coffee with her and Masaru. She basically drove all that way to make sure I was ok and make me smile ☺. Yumi really understands my situation, because when she first moved to the U.S. she didn’t speak any English and had a hard time at first. I am so lucky to have such a caring friend!
The next time I got to see Yumi she helped me go to the chiropractor. I’m sure most of you know my neck was injured at birth and it locks up a couple of times a year. It is very painful and usually the only thing that helps is a chiropractor. But not all chiropractors here have to have a license or education to practice. So my mom called my chiropractor (in Kentucky)’s college to see if any of their graduates were practicing in Japan. It would just so have it that 2 were practicing in Nagoya. So Yumi made an appointment, and her and Masaru showed me how to get there. You won’t believe this but not only did the chiropractor speak fluent English, HE USED TO PRACTICE IN FLORENCE KENTUCKY!!! What a small world!
After the Chiropractor Yumi and Masaru took me to lunch and then the Boston/ Nagoya Art Museum. There was a Monet show there. It was so interesting because the works were not his usually famous works that I have seen in museums like his lily pad paintings. So I had not seen most of the work. The show also compared his work to many other artists working at the same time. I was really impressed with how the impressionists manipulated color sometimes to cerate space and illusions. But also I was very taken with how bright they could make some of their colors. Then at the end of the show it showed how Monet and other impressionists were inspired and influenced by Japan. Being an artist in Japan and inspired by Japan, I was glad to be in the company of such artists!
After the art museum the 3 of us went to Nagoya station to go to a bookstore and then we later got coffee at DEAN AND DELUCA!!! I couldn’t believe it a Dean and Deluca in Japan!
Here are some pictures from that day:
A couple weeks later, Yumi invited me to stay at her house. I met Yumi at the station and we went to her house for dinner and relaxing. That weekend was a little strange because a famous psychic had predicted an earthquake for that weekend for the area where Yumi lived. So the whole weekend in the back of our minds we were wondering “Is there really going to be an earthquake?” I have never been in an earthquake so the idea of one really freaks me out. I am happy to say no there wasn’t one (laugh). Yumi cooked DELICIOUS curry for me! She knows I love curry. After dinner Yumi and I ate cake with her parents. (Yumi’s house is connected with her parents house it’s really neat) Then in the morning I went with Yumi, Masaru, and Yumi’s parents for chestnut picking. It reminded me of the U.S. in October when you go to pumpkin patches to pick pumpkins. It was so fun and relaxing. We walked all around these mountains in the woods picking chestnuts, while the farm owners played gentle traditional Japanese music over loud speakers. At one point Yumi’s dad even climbed a tree to try and get chestnuts!
Here is a picture of him in the tree, and other pictures of that day!
After picking chestnuts we went to a park to enjoy a chestnut bentou and some more of Yumi’s delicious cooking! Then we walked around the park looking at animals and scenery! So much fun! On the way home from the park and chestnut picking we stopped to eat peach parfait ice cream! YUM! Peaches are much sweeter here – they are very good!
Later that day Yumi had a barbeque for her parents and myself on her deck. At one point she openly proclaimed that she, “LOVED BEEF.” It was so funny! I love Yumi! Here are some pictures of the barbeque, and Yumi’s apartment. I love her apartment. It is a perfect combination of East and West. It is so hip and colorful. Also her toilet is amazing. It opens the toilet seat when you walk into the bathroom by itself!
I left Yumi’s on Sunday morning and went to church in Gifu city. After mass I walked back to the station observing the city and eating some of the delicious chestnut cakes that Yumi and her parents made after we picked the chestnuts. It was a wonderful weekend!
By the way if I ever post something about anyone that they don’t want on my blog – please let me know I will take it off 
I write this blog to share with people all of my exciting adventures, but I never want to offend anyone.
