My Sister and Her Daughter's Visit

Visiting me means they will have to be my models. They did a fantastic job. I cannot wait to sculpt the above expressions.

"Taste good," they said with strong Japanese accent. My roommate blushed when they thanked in Japanese style for his cooking.

My sister and niece brought, from Japan, disaster-area products that I mentioned in the previous blog. The main purpose of their visit was to see if the 14-year-old niece, Hoho, would like American high school. She spent a whole day shadowing a student in middle school, and we had a tour of high school. We all were impressed by the freedom that American high school students enjoyed. The student teacher ratio was one half of that of Japan. The school facilities were too luxurious in my opinion. It scared me to imagine the world wanting five-star schools like the one we saw. The earth cannot sustain that.

Hoho, of course, fell in love with everything that she saw in the US. Anticipating her enrollment in American high school, we started her immigration paperwork. I am trying to do it without hiring an attorney, but it is like going through a maze in the darkness. If any of you have expertise in immigration or guardianship for the care of a minor, I will greatly appreciate your assist.

Four of us shared the 2-bedroom house for the last 12 days. As I have been accustomed to private living, my family's constant dependence on me as an interpreter was a little tiresome. I am telling myself that I have to be patient and understanding when Hoho comes to live with me next year. Although I feel happy for Hoho to have international experiences at such a tender age, I am scared to perform a mother's role for the teenager. I will take in any suggestions that you may have on how I should prepare myself for that.