Weekend

This weekend we where out and about in our new environment. On Friday we went to a company dinner to welcome new people to the section (Orlando included) and to say good bye to a few people. Ok so how do I know this if everyone was speaking Japanese? Luckily we sat next to an American who had a translator and we just listened to her. So the party started at exactly 7 pm (no Puerto Rican time here) with an opening statement from the boss. Then the people whom the activity was for stood up one by one and said something (thank you for all your hard work etc.). Finally it was Orlando's turn to talk and he had prepared something in Japanese to read (I look forward to working with all of you etc.) I thought he said it very well. Good job Orlan!!! The unexpected part was that after he sat down one of the gentleman there stood up and said "Now a few words from Orlando's wife". I was completely unprepared, if I would have known I would have tried to say something in Japanese, but since I'm so shy I just stood up and talked in English (most of them understood). All I said was "thank you for accepting Orlando into your group and yelling him get adjusted", what else was I gong to say? I keep getting lost? Later I found out that it was a Japanese custom for a new person to stand up and introduce themselves when it's there first time in a new group - very valuable information that I wish some one would have told me on hour before we got there. The party ended exactly at 9:30 pm again with a closing statement (no "asopao" - soup - at 4 am here). It was very well organized.
On Saturday we went to the modern art museum and to a soccer game. The art museum was very cool and had an animation exhibition (my friends Hector and Karin would be lost in there for hours). The museum was on top of a very steep hill that reminded me of driving to Maricao (where my mom works in Puerto Rico) with a very narrow road and blind curves. Later that day we went to the season opener of the Hiroshima soccer team. The interesting part was that the stadium was outside of the city so we had to drive there. Luckily we followed our neighbors who have been here two years. To take the toll for the highway we had to pay $4 US dollars to get out and another $4 to get back, so now I know why all the public transportation is full. The game was fun luckily we sat by the hard core fans who had a giant banner that we got to hold on to and wave a few times. All I understood while I was there was "Hiroshima something something Hiroshima" so we basically clapped. It's rainy season here and it has been raining all day!!! As a result we already have 6 umbrellas. There will be enough of them to go around when someone visits. Rain Rain go away!!!!