That Trip to DC

Landed in DC.
Yes, the capital of the United States.
It’s not really a popular destination among Japanese people.
Which was great because my flight wasn’t as crowded.
I’d been here once before when I was younger.
My family took a road trip from Michigan in the winter.
But I didn’t really remember much about it
so I was excited to be here.

DC is filled with old brick buildings and it was beautiful.
Also can we talk about the Smithsonian? Free museums are amazing!

My grade school friends were also in town
and we decided to go out to eat.
There are so many different types of cuisine to choose from here!
A taxi driver recommended an Ethiopian restauraunt
so we went there and it was delicious!
I had no idea what we were eating
but I loved it.
And weirdly, we were all vegetarian.
(I was thinking in my head…so American! haha)
We were so far from Michigan, and yet
we managed round up a handful of our grade school friends
for a night out in DC.
We had the best time!

Next…onto the real reason we were in DC 😀

That Tennis Tournament in Ariake

Every fall since my first year of college
I’ve been here in Ariake, helping out with the tennis tournament.
And every year without fail…it rains.
The minute the rain lets up
we rush out to the courts with wipers and towels.
Even though it sometimes just rains again
we do this over and over throughout the tournament.
Some of the other things we do:
We check if there are enough drinks, bananas, and towels
for the players as well as the chair umpire.
We look for missing cellphones.
We work with the referees in announcing
changes in the order of play.
We determine when to turn the night lights on.
We hand out coffee and snacks to
the off duty umpires and ball kids who drop by.
We oversee every court keep updated on the status of the game.
We run with the doctor to the court
in case of a medical emergency.
We set up the court for singles and doubles matches.
We fill in for the campaign girls
who hand over the drinks to the players.
Pretty much anything and everything to keep the tournament running smoothly.

There are food trucks around the main stadium every year.
My favorite is the Okinawan soba.
This year something was different though.
My sister was there, too!
The players lounge was looking for someone to help out
so I offered my sister to them. haha.
It was a lot of fun having her here.
Another thing that happens every year.
The one day you want to go home early?
The players end up hashing it out past midnight.
Thanks guys.
But it’s all good, we make do.
By taking silly pictures, of course!
The final game this year was
Nadal vs Monfils.
The crowd was loving it.
But by the end of the tournament
everyone is pretty tired.
Especially the ball kids who run around under the sun all day.
They get their zzz’s where ever they can.

Nadal won the tournament!
And we all sighed with relief
as another tournament came to an end.
See you all again next year! x
(We did not win the pair tickets to Johannesburg…we were helping out the event!)

That Afternoon Picking Pears and Grapes

My first time u-picking in Japan!
We used to do it all the time in Michigan.
Apples, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, even corn.
But it’s a very different game in Japan.
For one, it’s not all-you-can-eat.
You can only pick the fruits.
And for another, it’s not really that cheap.
Also, everything is very professional.
Every fruit looked perfect!

That Afternoon at the Mosque in Yoyogi

One of the most peaceful places I’ve been to.
Who knew there was a mosque in Tokyo?




My first time inside a mosque.
The design and colors were so stunning.
I wonder if all mosques are like this?
We just sat there
drinking in every detail.
The stained-glass windows were amazing.
I would love to see that up close.

Someone came to pray while we were in the prayer hall.
I didn’t know what he was saying
or why he was doing what he was doing
but it was beautiful all the same.
Something about prayer, in any religion.
I sometimes feel like those that are able and willing to
give themselves over to a certain belief
are the strongest of them all.