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Weather: Sunny, summer like
Lunch and dinner @ friend's home

We went out to Oto City see our friends from Chicago days (1984) to; we met the couple when Mark and our friends were still struggling graduate students at the University of Chicago. Actually he is the professor at Rikkyo University now, who kindly arranged for Mark to stay in this apartment during this grant period. Also present were our other friends: a couple who stayed in Cambridge a few years ago.

He was as wonderful a cook as he was over 20 years ago: white radish soup; fresh salad with tomatoes, new onions, and green asparagus; seared bonito; fresh tuna; beef filet; ganmodoki (special tofu dumpling mixed with vegetables), and Koshihikari rice balls with Konomemiso. Also, another coupe brought a tasty quiche and pickled vegetable.

Each ingredient, vegetable, and seasoning was so carefully selected that every bite gave me pleasure. It was worth coming to Japan! (I am not exaggerating.)

We started eating about 2:00 and kept eating and drinking wine till about 6:00. If I kept eating like this, I would gain weight in no time! Also the conversation at the table was a wonderful mixture of reflection of the past and positive outlook on the future, the kind that only longstanding friends can share; very nourishing dialogue that I need most at this juncture in my life.