Habu is the name of a poisinous snake in Okinawa and also the name of the PE teacher I worked with at Shibata HS. He met me at the Disney Store which seems to be the only landmark I know now. We walked to the pub that had Van halen blaring out of the outside speakers so I was curious as to what was inside. It was a spacious place with lots of lighting and apparently, the Beatles were going to be the musical theme for the night as that was the only group that got played. I had fallen out of contact with Mr. Habu but was happy to see he was alive and well. I had run around the department store looking for some sort of gift but came up emptyhanded. I apologized for this as I left the house before knowing I was going to meet him. I'll have to send something from Canada now. His wife soon joined us and we talked and updated each other on our lives. They were surprised that after 10 years, I was still able to converse well (good?) (ok?) in Japanese. They filled me in on their earthquake stories and were ok in Sendai but had to use water from the pool and things were tough for about a month after. Mrs. Habu had lost 3 students from the Sendai University in the disaster. I always liked Mr. Habu because he was a gym teacher but always spoke such good English and wasn't one of these guys who studies it, he just had a natural way of talking. When I begin to learn Japanese, he was the same way, never talking down to me but always accessing the vocabulary to my level. When I didn't understand, he was quick to substitute words or explain clearly. A great communicator! They had 3 children and Mrs. Habu had braved a trip to Disneyworld while Mr. Habu begged off. Mr. Habu also has a role in the 2020 Olympics which might be coming to Tokyo. I wish them luck. The evening ended quickly and they walked me back to the station. It was so nice to have been able to meet them again. I had startled Mr. Habu a week ago when I suddenly called him on his cell phone. I had gotten the number from Hachiya sensei. Just as we parted, they laid a bunch of presents on me and I swore that I would send something back. My worst Omiyagae moment ever. You always have something to give when meeting someone from a long time ago. lessons learned. We parted and I promised to keep in touch. This year is the year of the snake so I hope life is good to them this year.
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David SchulteBon vivant and internationally acclaimed recording musician and preoducer. ArchivesCategories |