Trip to Japan, 2003

Day 5, 2003/03/23

Why am I getting up this early...oh, yeah, the shuttle is coming to take us all to the airport. 4:30 AM... We all manage to wake up, pack up and get downstairs in time to settle our hotel bills and wait for the shuttle. One shuttle gets here - it's not ours, this one is headed for Dulles. The Texas contingent climbs on board, and we wave goodbye to them. Two minutes later, they're back - someone's video camera has gone missing. They find it (I think) and head out again.

Here comes another shuttle - yes, it's ours, but there are supposed to be two of them. Hmmm...we load up the first 6 people, while Rita and I confer quickly. I divide the cash for payment between us and climb aboard with the first group. The driver calls in to find out status, and heads for the airport. Good thing - turns out they are short several drivers, and he will need to go back for the second group. I call the hotel front desk and ask them to relay that message to the group remaining outside, telling them that we will await their arrival before checking in. We unload and the driver returns for the rest of the group; they arrive shortly and we all head inside.

Check-in is no problem: we receive boarding passes and luggage tags, then take our luggage over to the security folks for processing. Our departure gate is not far away; the only question is whether we should eat something before we go through security or after. A quick check with one of the security guards provides an answer; there is a bagel shop and a McDonalds at the end of the concourse, very near our assigned gate, so we head through security. Breakfast is obtained and we settle down for a wait.

FMF groups are leaving at a rate of one per hour; we wave goodbye to the South Dakota group and greet Kyoko Jones before we climb aboard our own flight. Very smooth this time: the overall weather is much better today. We get to Chicago O'Hare with plenty of time to spare. We make the switch from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, pick a spot and designate luggage watchers, then disperse to shop and/or find lunch until boarding time.

This is our smallest plane; several folks with larger carry-on bags must do a plane-side check in, since the bins and under-seat room is much smaller. We get loaded, take off and head for St. Louis with no incidents.

Arrival is straightforward and Dr. Kettenbach is there to greet us (spouses are also there). We get everyone loaded into minivans and head for the Comfort Suites hotel, where everyone gets checked in without problems. After a short consultation, it is decided that the Americans will return around 5:30 PM so that we can all go to dinner at a local restaurant, Lewis & Clark.

Dinner is wonderful; many folks decide to try some of the local brews, and we work on translating various dinner items so that everyone picks something good to eat. During dinner, the Japanese partners present us with gifts from their home city; calliography paintings created by the assistant principal of the high school, who is a noted artist, and lacquerware frames and hand mirrors from the home town of the elementary school administrator, a place noted for its use of mother-of-pearl inlays in enamel lacquerware.

Back to the hotel - time to get some sleep. We meet tomorrow to begin tours of our American schools.

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