Tama, Tama, Tama

Two curious boys wondering about the Americans in their park.

Hey All...I just got fairly reliable internet, so I just posted yesterday's blog a few minutes ago. Please check it out...it took me hours! Last night, we supposedly had "free internet." The front desk sent someone up to my itty-bitty room to hook me up with the gazillion wires. I could get the email, but not send the blog. My husband will be really proud of me that I read all the "help" information, did a few things, and didn't dork the whole thing up. Come to find out, everyone had the same problem. So, I spent way too much time trying to save the pictures last night. Please read my EARTHQUAKE blog!!!!

Today, we started the morning with a visit to the most prestigious university in Japan...Tokyo University. It was pretty cool. The dean of education talked to us and filled us in on the teacher training.

From there, we had a "box lunch" and went to Tama City Hall. We met with the mayor, members of the school board, a professor (he went to UNC Chapel Hill in 1963 to study Computer Science - can you imagine - computer science in 1963! He must be a genius. He went to Stanford after UNC) and a potter. They gave us gifts first. I received a pin with a cherry blossom on it. Very nice. Later, a potter gave us a cool little clay pot that he made (with the help of school children) from clay that is 1 and 1/2 million years old. It is pretty cool.

We went to a Shinto Shrine and we were able to go into the temple area....take off your shoes first! I participated in the ceremony. The shoes in the picture were from an office in the City Hall Building.

After that, we went to an archealogical museum. We saw some old, old stuff. We pieced together old pots and dug in the dirt. I did learn that if you were buried in Japan, you were buried in a big pot (urn). The interpreter didn't know if it was still done that way, because 98% of Japanese people are cremated now. We went out to the park, where they had huts built like ones they would have had hundreds of years ago. We were taught how to make fire. We were in four teams and it was relatively easy...I know I could make it on SURVIVOR now.

We are now at the best hotel in Tama. The lobby is beautiful and the rooms are dinky. Dinky doesn't mean icky...just small. I had to go beg for a cable to allow me to use the internet. So, I will be off and on over the next few days.

Tonight, three of us went exploring and looking for food. We went up and down a few streets and found a little Japanese restaurant. When we first went in, we were immediately given a small bowl of fish and seaweed. Of course, I just pushed it aside. We thought it was the "chips and salsa" of Japan. WRONG! We were charged 220 yen for it (each) and we didn't order or eat it. Of course, the waiter spoke no English and had no clue what we were complaining about. We paid the 220 (about $2.2o) and left. Lesson learned. The rest of my meal was fine. Small, but fine.

Tomorrow, we start looking at the schools. I have to make a speech to the parents on Thursday. Should I use the Mission Impossible music?