October 10, 2006 9:00 p.m.

Konnichi wa!
This morning we met the mayor of Joyo. It was all very official. We sat around a very big conference table in his office building, and he and a few other city officials came in. They were wearing dark business suits, of course, but he had a little red feather pinned to his lapel. I don’t know what that means, but I’ll try and find out. He made a speech, another man made a speech, and official gifts were exchanged. A special locally grown green tea was served to all of us and then he came up to each of us and bowed and offered us his business card. We each gave him one of our cards in exchange. This exchange of cards is a bid deal here, and it has to be done with the proper ceremony. And official photos were taken. I hope I get a copy.

Then he answered a few questions and left. A few other education officials came in and answered our questions about the school system in Joyo. It was all very official, and they all sounded a lot like politicians. I guess politicians sound the same in almost any country, in any language.

Then we went into Kyoto for lunch (Italian pasta and garlic bread!) and a visit to the Kyoto University of Education. We had a chance to hear from the president of the university and then we talked in small groups with the students. I spoke to a very nice young woman for over an hour. We asked each other lots of questions and talked about school, teaching, our families and our homes. It was great. I think we all learned a lot.

We came back to Joyo, and had dinner at a sushi train restaurant. Little plates of sushi, fruit, desserts and drinks sit on a moving conveyer belt and you just take off the plates you want as they pass by. (There is a sushi train restaurant in Tulsa, but this one is a little better.) Moko was with us so she could tell us all about the food as it passed by.

We ended the evening with a quick trip to a mall, yes, a mall, right down the street from the hotel.

Sayonara.