Where's Ron?
Japan, 1 December 2015 - 24 February 2016
Ron near Rotarua, NZ, January 2015
Pole Dancer Teacher, Vietnamese Restaurant in Doi, Beginning Train Yravels
28 December 2015
Afton, Virginia, USADear family and friends,
Here's the latest in Ron's adventures. I'm still glad I'm at home, where I had a fine Christmas with family and friends.
Love to all,
Ellen
Pole Dancer Teacher, Vietnamese Restaurant in Doi, Teginning Train Travels
28 December 2015
Fukuoka, JapanHello, my dear,
The last bar I discovered in my apartment building is just outside the entrance to my little lobby with the keyed door and the mailboxes. While the front is glass, it has a stripe painted across the glass allowing one to look in below and above the stripe but not get a view of the inside from eye level. But at one point the door was open and I realized it was a bar.
I went in and introduced myself and met a few people including the hostess. So as nights went by I would stop in and say hello on my way home. She was taking lessons on pole dancing and her teacher was having a show and she invited me to attend. So on Saturday she closed the bar, and she and the guy she works with, took me with them to see the show. My friend's husband did not attend and I have no idea what he thinks about his wife taking pole dancing lessons.
We went down the street to the high rise building I had been in the Saturday before, but this time on the other side using a different elevator. Another Italian restaurant had been cleared for the event with all the tables removed and a dance area prepared including a small stand with a pole attached to the stand and the ceiling. The pole dance teacher was joined by another classical dance teacher and they were both quite good, and did three shows. I filmed some of the dances for my friend to give to the teacher.
Last night I met a woman from New Jersey who has been working in Japan for 8 years, teaching other English teachers how to teach English to Japanese for a large teaching company she works for. She explained that pole dancing was becoming an art form in Japan. So now I have met hip hop and pole dancing teachers. Everyone has a job.
I have learned to use the subway system and also made my first independent train trip. I went to Hakata Station to activate my train pass and book a trip to Hiroshima for Wednesday. I met my Chinese friend from the Meet Up for a cup of coffee in the station a couple of days earlier and she showed me the roof top with a spectacular view of city at night and also a pleasant formal Japanese garden on the roof. Being in the station again, I decided to take a train to some close place so I pulled out my phone and looked at where the train tracks went to from Hakata Station and found a place called Doi. Interesting name and it looked like it was located where two train tracks intersected. Wrong. Had to take one train and then transfer to another. Got off and the area was rather dark, but followed one guy with a suitcase out and then walked up the main road towards some lights. Came to an intersection and could see lights to the left, right, and straight ahead. I normally prefer to walk a straight line so I don't get lost, so I went straight and discovered a well lit Vietnamese restaurant. What a surprise - so I went in and had a wonderful time as well as pho, spring rolls and Vietnamese tea.
The owners are a Japanese man and his Vietnamese wife. He went to Vietnam in '98 and met her and they lived in Saigon for 20 years before returning to Japan. His wife's sister, was also working in the restaurant while she and her husband wait for their immigration papers to the US. The Japanese man could speak English, but his wife could not, but her sister could. So we all had a wonderful conversation telling Vietnam stories. A very pleasant evening, with a wonderful meal and I hope to return again. When it was time for me to leave, he drove me, maybe 5 miles to a train station with more frequent trains. I must admit, I still know nothing about Doi.
While I am typing this in my apartment, drinking my hot black tea, I am watching a live ice skating presentation on TV featuring those who represented Japan in the World Figure Skating competition. Excellent show. And in a bit I will go down to the mailboxes in my lobby which are located next to the bar to send this message using the bar's free wifi through the wall with the agreement of the bar hostess who took me to the pole dancing show. What a life - a bit different from Afton. But I wish I had our unlimited fiber Internet connection and my home computer without the touch pad that does strange things if I drag my finger across it.
Tomorrow I will start my travels by train. Stay tuned for a different kind of report.
Love and miss you,
Ron
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Last updated: 23 January 2016
