Well, I've enjoyed being sick all week. One night I had rectal bleeding, another night it was abdomenal pain, another night back pain, another night shortness of breath! Each episode only lasted one hour and my husband was by my side the whole time! Before you think I am a hypochondriac, let me tell you about my new job. Akihiro met a doctor on a south island who wants to go for a year of training to the U.S. In order to do that, he needs to pass a clinical skills test in America--in English (obviously). Instead of traveling to the U.S. for a review course, he is reviewing by practicing with me and getting feedback from Akihiro and myself. We do this via web camera. It is fun to use my medical background and to see his English skills and technique improve. I had a hard time maintaining my professional patient role when he (trying to use common terms) told me he was going to punch my back! We have had some good laughs! He takes the test the end of October, so we will be continuing our practice sessions--may even put my cousin Carol to work being a patient!
You may remember that I mentioned a few weeks ago that I met a woman at the grocery store who was interested in trying to speak English? Well, we met at Mos Burger at the station last Friday. We had a fun time and lots of laughs, but both of our heads really hurt by the time we got done! We would try to speak it in English first, but when we couldn't get it, we would switch to Japanese, which most of the time, didn't help at all. Finally we would do hand motions or draw pictures! What a deal! I am eagerly awaiting a better dicitionary coming in a suitcase from mom! I bought an electronic one, but it is a piece of junk! One of the funniest moments was when I said something in Japanese (sorry, I forget what) and she started laughing and said, "You're pretty!" Hmm, I thought. It didn't seem like the right context for that comment and I don't exactly think myself to be pretty, but I wasn't quite sure how to check it out. We kept talking and then she said it again. Ah, then I figured out how to determine what she meant. She said the word for "cute" in Japanese! Ahhh, so she too thinks that my Japanese is cute (Akihiro has already informed me!). Oh well-at least if I'm not "pretty," at least my Japanese is cute! She would like to meet a couple of times a month to practice, so we'll see how it goes! It was good practice for my Japanese!
I am very excited about my cousin Carol coming on Tuesday for about 9 days! I can hardly wait! (Thus, maybe not very many blog entries then!) I hope to show her a bit of Tokyo, Mt. Fuji area, Shioda church, and have lunch with some of my church friends. I am also looking forward to an extra suitcase that my mom is sending with her--carrying not only a dictionary, but Graham Crackers! Somehow I had a craving for those the other night (can't get them around here that I know of!) I guess it was all those years of eating graham crackers and milk for a bedtime snack!
Tonight I felt like I was in America for supper--something like Ruby Tuesdays or Cracker Barrel! The place is called Bikuri Donkey--which means "Suprised" Donkey (I think). The outside is very rustic with boards going every which way and the inside is decorated with old American stuff--California license plate, etc. It is a hamburger place, but of course we are still in Japan, so my hamburger came with a yummy sauce, rice, salad, no bun, and of course chopsticks to eat it with! It was very good!