Thank you for coming to Hiroko’s empty blog last three weeks. A girl named Mikichan stayed with Hiroko since July 28. Hiroko posted everyday activities with lots of photos on Japanese blog, http://Ishimasu92.blog105.fc2.com.
This is Mikichan from Hokkaido, Japan. The photo sent by her mother saying Mikichan would be coming to Chicago wearing this kind of clothing. She is 14 years old and belongs to her Jr. High School Basketball Team. So she was looking for someone who can play basketball with. There wasn’t even the basketball court with the ring and net on the board in Chicago Parks.
She arrived at O’Hare exactly wearing the same clothing as photo on July 28. She went to jogging with Elsa, soon after she put her suitcase in her bedroom, but when she come back from jogging she was so tired that she wanted to sleep. She slept and slept. Well, wake her up for dinner otherwise she can’t sleep at night. Hiroko served pork chop. Mikichan said she love it.
After the dinner she was sitting on the computer for 4 hours. Since the first night she was using computer to talk with her friends in Hokkaido, Japan every night. We don’t have too much chance to talk to her
She was up since 3 o’clock, she said. About 3 nights she had problem with jet lag.
Sunday, we all went to church and she attended Devon Church’s Sunday School. The afternoon the visitation group visited to the Grove Nursing Home. Mikichan helped to do the puppet.
Hiroko had no energy to cook, so Dan-san took us to SunShine Café. Mikichan ate Japanese food on the 2nd day in Chicago.
She was complaining ankle pain. It must have caused the pain carrying her heavy, heavy suitcase from the Dan-san’s car in the garage and tripped at the little steps by the garage entrance.
After shopping at the Sam’s club, Mikichan stayed home to rest her ankle on the 3rd day. Hiroko would like Mikichan to have her own shower-jel, shampoo/conditioner, tooth paste and brush, so took her to Jewel. But she brought her own tooth past and brush because her father is a dentist.
Hamberger was served 3rd day of Mikichan
Mikichan’s 4th day is Hiroko’s washing day. Mikichan washed her own clothes. Her ankle had no pain, Mikichan said.
After washing, Hiroko took her shopping to downtown at Disney and Water Tower Place. She was spending hours and hours for shopping. Hiroko was now getting used to spend the time for shopping with these teens. Taro-kun made Hiroko realize shopping freak teen.
Hiroko took Mikichan to Italian restaurant. She loved the break. It was very good break. It was very interesting happened at the restaurant. The restaurant manager paid for their lunch.
She complained the pain on her ankle on the way home. She had this pain before so it would be gone soon, she said.
Chicken was served. Mikichan said she can’t eat any hot stuff. She said the chicken was very hot and spices.
Hiroko worried Mikichan’s pain on her ankle, but she kept saying don’t worry, it would be gone soon. The 5th day plan which is picnic was carried on the Evanston Beach with Amy’s family. Mikichan swam in the Michigan Lake. Everyone loved eating Onigiri, Spam Musubi, Hot dog, and vegetables at the picnic.
Tacos was served for the dinner.
On the 5th day, Dan-san and Hiroko took Mikichan to the AAYU clinic for ankle pain. Many X-ray was taken and treated very kindly and thoroughly. The kind doctor said her ankle was fine. It was relieved to know she was O.K. So Mikichan’s plan to stay overnight at the house of Okinawa-san was carried. Thanks to Okinawa-san for giving one free night to Hiroko.
Eating Chicago Pizza was one of Mikichan’s request, so she was happy and enjoyed the delicious Chicago Pizza with Okinawa-san. Okinawa-san took all four children to the Pizza.
No worrying about ankle pain any more, Hiroko took Mikichan and other two girls to Navy Pier on the 7th day. Oh, spending hours, and hours for shopping again. Between shopping they enjoyed the Ferris wheel and boat ride. One of Tanaka’s girl complained of her stomachache, so Hiroko shorten the day’s outing. For dinner, Hiroko took them to SunShine Café because the girls complained stomachache said she would like to eat Udon. It is very good for stomachache. Before the Café those girls made shrimp and vegetable tempura for Dan-san and Elsa.
7 o’clock Mikichan had to wake up and went to church cleaning on the 8th day. After the church cleaning, Mikichan went to jogging with Elsa.
The SNAL (Saturday Night Alive) was held and many children and adult came to decorate church for VBS. Devon Church No. 1 cook, Aileen cooked barbecue pork and Spanish rice for the dinner. It was very, very good dinner. Mikichan enjoyed eating the food.
On the 9th day, Mikichan attended Devon Church Sunday Worship Service in the morning. After the church Hiroko and Dan-san took her shopping at Target. Dan-san suffered for waiting and waiting for her to finish shopping. Hiroko told him we should walk, but it was hot day so he drove Mikichan and Hiroko to the store.
She was so happy to eat the steak for dinner.
Tanaka family took Mikichan to the Great America with No-no-Hana-san on the 10th day. Mikichan enjoyed all those high and fast rides. She was very much appreciated to Tanaka family. She loved to go there again.
Satchan took them to Mexican food for their dinner.
Dan-san gave the spending money to Mikichan, so she wanted to buy something for her dog. Shopping on the Clark Street on the 11th day morning.
Diane needed some help to decorate church more. Eliza, Mikichan and Hiroko helped her.
After helping Diane, Hiroko asked Eliza to play basketball with Mikican, and took them nearby Chicago Park District. The basketball court was under construction. Mikichan had no luck with Basketball.
Spaghetti was served. Mikichan liked it.
Devon church VBS started on Mikichan’s 12th day. Hiroko didn’t know how much she understood, so wanted to help her, but she closed her mind. She couldn’t talk about serious matter.
She said she had problem eating habit, so Hiroko started to talk about problem of over eating. Hiroko asked her, she night have unsatisfied feeling for something in her life. She had some problems with among her friends, but her mother was taking care of her, so everything is O.K. She seems to be very much in trust with her mother and her older brother. What they are saying to her has been her daily guideline.
She has been talking to her friends on the computer every night, but when Hiroko tried to talk to her, she was covered with her ear-phone and denied to listen. Hiroko didn’t know how to talk to these teens.
Dan-san and Hiroko took Mikichan and Rebecca and Zeporah to Mitsuwa. They enjoyed the visit to Mitsuwa..
After Mitsuwa Hiroko took Mikichan to the Hollywood Beach basketball court. Mikichan said she didn’t want to play with all those boys. They were playing very rough.
The 2nd day of VBS was Mikichan 13th day.. The day’s lesson was very important, and memory verse was John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Hiroko asked Mikichan to memorize this verse to remember God always loves you. Mikichan said she didn’t want to memorize any English words right now, because she had English phrases memorization homework, so she didn’t want to mix up with the words. She said she had no interest to go to church, too.
Hiroko took Mikichan, Eliza and her sister to Millennium Park and at Macy’s basement food corner for lunch, and Willies Tower. Hiroko waited at the down stair in the Willies Tower, so Eliza took care of those both girls. Thanks Eliza. They enjoyed to walk and to sit on the Skydeck.
The 3rd day of VBS was Mikichan’s 14th day. Mikichan seemed to listen to Amy, so Hiroko gave Mikichan to Amy. Thanks Amy.
Amy invited Mikichan to play basketball at Evanston Park.
Before going to the park, Hiroko took them for their lunch to KFC which Mikichan wanted to eat. Mikichan said the chicken was greasy.
Amy used to play basketball, but now she couldn’t play anymore. So Mikichan played by herself. Amy picked up the ball for Mikichan. Thanks to Amy for her hospitality.
The 4th Day of VBS was Mikichan’s 15th day.
Mikichan went to jogging and nail with Elsa. Japanese school, including Jr. High and High School are of strict to nail coloring and hair die. Hiroko wasn’t sure how to change died hair to original color hair. Elsa took Mikichan to nail coloring and bought remover.
It was late, late Elsa’s Birthday celebration day. The Doi family with Mikichan went to Fillipino Café on Caldwell. It is family oriented restaurant, and all the dishes Steven ordered were very delicious, especially not salty.
This is the restaurant parking area and inside of restaurant.
Attendees for the dinner
Two different kinds of pancit. As usual, Hiroko forgot to take photo of the dishes.
Happy Birthday to Elsa. Elsa’s idea to go to Philippine cuisine, and Steven picked this restaurant.
The last day of VBS was Mikichan’s 16th day. Sunday Worship Service held by VBS song leaders. It was very good service. The song leader is Missionary, and she was preaching the Worship Service using the VBS daily Bible words and subject to everyday practical use, and questioned how the words means.
Mikichan was asked to read one Bible verse Philippians 4:6 in Japanese during the Worship Service. Phili 4:4 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
She didn’t understand what the Japanese sentence was saying. She was very amazed all those children in her class understand the meaning of the sentence in English. Hiroko wondered if there is special Bible for Jr. High in Japan.
Afternoon the day, Hiroko took Mikichan to “Ginza Holiday” held at Buddhist Temple. Mikichan was laughing that we went to Christian Church in the morning and Buddhist Temple in the afternoon.
The famous Teriyaki Chicken from the “Ginza Holiday” was served as the dinner.
On the 17th day, Mikichan went to play bowling all by herself with Shizuko Hidaka and her grand-daughters. Hiroko met Shizuko Hidaka at Ginza Holiday who was interested to have Mikichan. Especially one of her grand-daughters has always been very much interested in everything connected to Japanese and would like to have pen-pal. She exchanged email addresses with the girl to become pen-pal.
On the 18th day of Mikichan was Hiroko’s washing day. Mikichan was happy to wash all her dirty clothes.
She requested to eat some food not in Japan, so Hiroko cooked Corn Beef for the previous day’s dinner, but Shizuko-san treated Mikichan for dinner. For her lunch Corn Beef was served. Mikichan said it was delicious.
She wanted to go to Navy Pier for shopping, so spend shopping at Navy Pier all afternoon.
Last dinner was Chicago Hot Dog which Mikichan requested. What is Chicago Hot Dog? No tomato ketchup, and lots of vegetables, chopped tomato, onion and hot pepper. On the Mikichan’s hot dog was tons of ketchup only.
Well, Mikichan spent hours and hours for packing, and computer last night of Chicago.
Bye, bye! Mikichan’s airplane left O’Hare on time, so she arrived in her parents arms on time. She said even though she had to give up Basketball Training Camp during her staying Chicago, it was worth to stay in Chicago. She had good time, she said.
Thank you for reading this 19 days Mikichan’s photo diary in Chicago.
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