Drenched, Japanese Pop-Rock

Things are going OK in Shanghai but let's just put Shanghai aside for a moment.

Last Saturday we had an awesome day together -- Drew, Jonathon, Mike & me.

*This was all made possible by Drew now being HOME on Saturdays!

The morning was clear and sunny, not too hot, so we had to hike up the mountain. Passing through our neighborhood Yang Cong and her son Rui Rui (previously featured on this blog) caught up and decided to hike with us! On the mountain it started to mist and then drizzle a bit so our friends scurried back, but not us! We were determined to reach the peak and descend the on the other side. It poured, ya'll. Drenched we were, and happy. Jonathon was on my back bouncing in the carrier and singing! singing! in the rain, marvelous fun. There were other (regretful) hikers... with umbrellas, or hunkered under rooftops waiting it out. Down the incline, suddenly! Out of the mist appeared a group of friends who frequent our Tuesday night discussion at Mama's Cafe. They were on a sort of "outreach outing"-- we all laughed about running into each other in torrential rain on the mountain slope.

I just have to say. We thought of Titus while this was happening. He would have DESPISED the experience. Lucky ya missed this one bud. ;)

Eventually we made it home, completely soaked. But we conquered that soppy mountain.

After we dried off at home (and it stopped raining) we decided to walk 30 minutes down to Mama's Cafe for drinks and desserts. On the way there we bumped into some of our favoritest buddies, who pretty seldom visit the area, so that was a happy surprise. Mama's Cafe was crowded because a Japanese "band" was playing starting in a hour! Definitely, spontaneously, wanted to catch that. So we had a leisurely supper a couple shops down at Drew's classmate's dumpling restaurant. Then back to Mama's Cafe for the show. Please note that that electric guitarist is dressed as a sailor and the ukulele player girl is actually Korean. I really can't explain how merry I felt sitting in a room of Japanese foreign exchange students, listening to them clap and sing along with live Japanese pop-rock, word-for-word, while girl-in-Kimono served orange juice. (She was actually Chinese though.)

Why is Japan so cool!?!!

counting the graces

thank you Father for

soft clean guest bed

darling mature polite 10 & 11 year-old girls to stay with

sandwich for breakfast, Mike's first taste of American cheese

hospitality unparalleled: kind, generous, thoughtful hosts who have a comfy home, a cook, a driver, time to help

Jonathon's big genuine smile

Mike sleeping on my chest

long conversation with Drew on the phone

pictures of Titus smiling and exploring on the other side of the world