We've been enjoying and benefiting from an outstanding Transportation Manager/Deputy Public Works Administrator the last four years. Peter Hahn came to Renton with a wealth of experience and boundless energy, and he has used that to make major advances for us in mega-projects such as the streets at the Landing, I-405 stage 1 and 2 widening, the widening of Duval Ave (Coal Creek Parkway), the rebuilding of BNSF railroad trestles, the planning to widen Rainier Ave, the Springbrook Wetland Mitigation Bank (which allowed I-167 to be widened), and he developed successful plans to take over Benson Hill street maintenance when we added 25,000 resident. He has also overseen countless smaller projects for us, such as new roads to support the Federal Reserve Bank, the Monster Road Bridge overhaul, street and utility upgrades to assist revitalization (such as Harrington Square), and repairs, overlays, and improvements city wide.

So Seattle's gain will be Renton's loss when Peter moves over to his important new post in Seattle, as the City's Transportation Director. Here is the story in the Seattle Times.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him through these years. Peter and I have spent much time together strategizing our approach to the projects listed above and many others. We have been close confederates in working with countless agencies, including the State DOT in the I-405 Widening Planning Committees. (Most recently, we have been coordinating with the state to ensure that any I-405 toll lanes add good value to Renton by improving linkage between I-405 and I-167.)

In all my work with Peter I have appreciated his creativity, productive approach, advocacy for our city's interests, and his marvelous sense of humor.

Seattle may a smart choice in selecting Peter Hahn as their new Transportation Director. We will miss him dearly in the City of Renton, and look forward to working with him in his new role.

41st District State Representative Marcie Maxwell administered the Oath of Office to three of us tonight, formally swearing us into our new four-year terms on Renton City Council. This was the third time for Terri Briere, the second time for Rich Zwicker, and the fifth time for me. The ceremony was festive, with many friends and family on hand. And Marcie personalized the ceremony by formally introducing each of us, and sharing inspiring words about leadership.

Thanks Renton for extending the honor to serve you for another term. Thanks Marcie for swearing us in tonight. And thanks to my fellow members of council, the Mayor, and all my other colleagues at the city for making the job so productive and fun.

Municipal Court Judge Terry Jurado was also sworn into a new four-year term, by City Clerk Bonnie Walton.

Here are some of my photos from the event.


Posing with Don Persson near our offices before the meeting (2009 Council President and 2010 Council President)



Me, Terri Briere, and Rich Zwicker, before the meeting (near Terri's office)



Mayor Law, me, Councilwoman Marcie Palmer, and Councilman Rich Zwicker



The Swearing in!



Council Members Randy Corman (me), Terri Briere, and Rich Zwicker pose with 41st District Rep Marcie Maxwell after the ceremony


Judge Terry Jurado makes some comments and introduces his family after being sworn in.



Many citizens and family members were present in the chambers

12/21/09 - Monday

Friday, I went shopping with Sarah M. so I could look for presents for Brandon. I found a couple small things (Haribo gummies and a pretty green tie) but nothing major. It was fun going on a girly shopping trip - I realized that's the furthest away I've been from Brandon while in Japan. We went to Omiya, about 40 minutes away by train.

Saturday, kind of for our anniversary, Brandon and I went to Disneyland with a stopover in Ueno for coffee. It's where we change trains. Disneyland takes a little over two hours to get to from our apartment - not bad! We'd been warned about the crowds from Sarah, who went last weekend. When she arrived, they were;'t even selling tickets anymore. But, I figured it was worth a shot, and otherwise we'd spend the day in Tokyo.

Well, they were happy to sell us tickets and let us into the park. Getting into any attraction was another matter. Plus, thinking it would be fun to eat in the park (food is the same price in or out) we'd arrived hungry, not expecting EVERY seating area to be full! It was worse than finding parking on Black Friday at the mall! People were like sharks, circling for tables. We'd gotten curry (at the hungry bear restaurant).



You know, curry, the official food of the ol' west. We finally found a bench to sit on. And then I had to use the bathroom. Uh oh…I've waited in shorter lines than that for Space Mountain! It was hard to even tell where the line was leading, but cast members were assuring the line of women "otearai, otearai!" (Restroom, restroom!)

We did happen to walk by Country Bear (Jingle Bell) Jamboree, right as they were letting people in. It was fun to see because we don't have it anymore in California, and the Christmas one is very cute. (They put a red lightbulb on the deer head's nose). The songs were a mix of English and Japanese. And the greeting? "Howdy Konnichiwa!"

There was a parade going by, so we decided to brave the queue for Thunder Mountain, my favorite ride in that park. (Space mountain lacks music, and Indiana Jones is in DisneySea. Thunder Mountain is longer here). The sign said 140 minutes. The cast member warned us in English "2 hours. Okay?" we assured her it was. (As it turns out, it was almost exactly 2 hours to the minute. I think they always add 20 minutes, whether it lists a 20-minute wait as 40 minutes, or a 2 hour wait as 140. I was people watching to pass the time, and just explaining to Brandon what a fun thing it is to do in Disney parks (plus, here, we play "spot the foreigner" and try to decide where they are from, since there are not many) when, from behind Brandon, we heard *giggle giggle* "excuse me?" *giggle giggle* We turned to see an adorable pre-teen-looking girl and her three friends. "Yes?" She said "can I ask you a question?" Brandon said "sure." She asked "Where are you from?" "Seattle" (Yes, thanks to Ichirou, all of Japan seems to know where Seattle is. We've gotten so we usually say Seattle, and don't bother telling them the country. "Good English!" I told them. (We always say that now, after making it a habit at school). They smiled, thanked us, and went back to giggling with each other. They had their phones out, and seemed to be looking up Seattle. We kept hearing them mention things like Mt. Rainier. A few minutes later, they asked Brandon "is she your girlfriend?" (*giggle giggle*). "No, she's my wife." And here we go again - "how old are you" "how long have you been married?" "Do you have kids?" and so on. Just like at school. But they were practicing their English! They were so cute and brave to practice talking with foreigners. We learned their names - Ayuuka was the most talkative one.

They found out we are studying Japanese, and said they would teach us. We spent the whole 2 hours in line talking in a mix of Japanese and English to them. They even wanted a picture with us. It turns out they are 1st year Jr. High students, the same age as my students. That would be like 7th grade, or about 12 or 13 years old.

Thunder mountain was an odd experience - it was so cold! Even in the winter I haven't been on it in near freezing temperatures. It was making me laugh that the woman behind me, rather than being scared, was screaming "Samui! Samuiiiiii" (Cold! Cooold!) the whole way. We said goodbye to the kids after that, but saw them wandering around a few times. Disneyland can be very social.

One of the main reasons I'd wanted to come was for the redecorated Haunted Mansion - It's completely changed into Nightmare Before Christmas theming. Again, the line was 2 hours, thanks to all the fastpassers (fastpass fail! There were none left when we got to the park.) But, we waited, patiently, as it got dark and cold. It was neat to see though - it was very different, from beginning to end. The stretching room had a giant Jack Skellington face instead of a hanging man, they or course used music from the movie, and even the ghosts in the ballroom had santa hats on.



After Haunted Mansion, it was so cold, yet the lines just appeared to be getting longer. We were hungr, but it just happened to be 6:20, so it was a very bad time to try to get food. We decided to call it a night, and walked around Ikspiari before returning home.

It was fun seeing the few Christmas decorations they had, but I wasn't impressed - Main Street was the only area that looked much different, with a giant Christmas Tree and Carolers.

I like DisneySea a lot, but the Magic Kingdom is a little on the small side - it was a bit strange standing in line for the haunted mansion in Fantasyland.

My son Kenny put this youtube video together, to wrap up our 2009 activities. Everyone is welcome to see it, but close friends and relatives will probably enjoy it most.

Many of the people in the photos, particularly in December, are relatives in California. We just got back from visiting My Mom, Cathy's parents, our sisters, brothers, and their many wonderful kids down in the bay area.

One final note. The dancing in the "V for Vendetta" Mask in November is Anastasia. (You can't tell because of the mask.) Anastasia helped Kenny pretty extensively with this great video.

12/18/09
We had an earthquake early this morning (about 5:30). Apparently it was registered at about 5.4, and was centered in one of the neighboring prefectures. This is only the second one I've noticed while we've been here, the other one also woke me but was much smaller. This one was a little scary, but everything stood strong, and apparently there we no damages or injuries reported.
Brandon and I looked up the word for earthquake in Japanese (jishin) in case anyone asked about it. It's a good thing we did! It was a frequent topic of discussion today, and at lunch, the teacher wanted everyone to learn the English word for it. He asked all the kids (in Japanese) "what is earthquake in English?" no one answered. "Katie-sensei, jishin in english?" I wouldn't have known the answer or what they were talking about if I hadn't looked it up. I broke it down for them. The teacher translated Earth (as the planet, not ground - I guess either works okay). And for "quake," I made a shaking motion with my hand - he seemed to get it. After lunch, during cleaning time, that's what I talked to a lot of kids about. I'd ask "what did you think of the earthquake?" which got me a lot of blank stares and nervous giggles. Then I'd say "jishin" and get very loud reactions in both Japanese and English. "I was surprised!", "It woke me up!", "I was sleeping!", etc.

Yesterday I heard the loudest excited screaming from a group of kids I'd ever heard in my life. It was ear piercing, all of them around me, screaming in unison. Here's why: We'd been talking (in English mostly) about Disneyland in Tokyo and California, and Disneyworld in Florida. I said "disneyworld de shigoto shimashita." That's all. But, it warranted quite a scream from these middle school girls. What I'd said was "I worked at Disneyworld."

My toes hurt. I think they got frostnipped, and now are very dry. Our heater dries the air terribly, so that the price of warmth is dry skin and coughing fits. I finally got some insoles though, which should help because I'm on my feet much of the day (although it's down to about 5 hours from the 8+ it used to be!)

12/18/09<<<---------Another before Christmas post - sorry!

It's been a pretty uneventful week - we've both been pretty tired, just making our way through the day and relaxing in the evenings. We have more books to read, thanks to the efficiency of Amazon.co.jp. Amazing! We ordered last Friday evening, with no special shipping, and got the books (in English) Sunday morning. Even better, we didn't have to give them any bank or credit information, because we were able to pay the delivery man at the time of delivery. It's neat to see a Seattle company maintaining high standards so far from home. Our receipt even had the Seattle address of the international accounting department on it.

Other than reading, we got a gameboy game to practice kanji (the writing system with over 2,000 characters) on, and the iPod touch has a lot of fun games and tools to learn Japanese. (Thank you Diana for telling me about Kanji flip!)

Because I have the time now, I try to prepare dinner most nights. My favorites things to cook here are curry udon, miso with konnyaku and cut mochi (mochi cut into squares), apple crisp, baked sweet potato rounds, and of course rice with anything added to it. It's hard to get away from rice and noodles, they're easy and cheap - that's why I'm glad for shirataki (the calorie free noodles made from konnyaku). Oh, and I've found that I really like natto, provided I'm in the mood for something salty. Natto is a type of fermented soybeans, usually mixed with wasabi and soy sauce, then eaten over rice (at least in our town). Many Japanese people don't like it, although Ibaraki is famous for natto, so most people I've met say they like it. The smell doesn't bother me at all (it's similar to the smell of mozzarella or cheddar cheese) although the stringy gooeyness is a little strange - although again, it reminds me of cheese. Think of the stringiest mozzarella you've ever had, then double it. To eat natto, you have to have strings of goo hanging out of your mouth - it's very entertaining.

The tea lady keeps me in good supply of coffee at work, and Ms. M even told me yesterday before a free period "you look tired. Go take a rest. With some coffee." So sweet! Oh yeah, I'd learned this with exchange students, but it's been true here, too - it's normal to tell people they look tired. It's not an insult (even in America, I don't think it is, but people take it to mean their makeup has run or their hair is messed up). It's used as a way of offering sympathy for being tired. (As everyone seems to be tired, all the time).

This is our last full week of the year! We work three days next week, broken up by the emperor's birthday on the 23rd. It's odd, as easy as work is, but I'm definitely ready for a break. I think the constant brain work of trying to decode and make sense of what is going on around me, as well as trying to fit in, wears me down. In a full week, usually I'm tired on Monday (of course - it's monday), but my best day is Tuesday. Wednesday is okay, but I come home from that so exhausted that I'm ready for the week to be done. Tuesday always seems to be the day that I'm able to understand and retain much of what I hear.

I of course have nothing to complain about - the regular teachers are at school from earlier than I get there to long after I leave (6 or 7pm, I think). I think (and hope) that they make more than we do though. But, even so, it's no wonder they are so tired sometimes.

Yesterday, for our 4th year anniversary, we went out to dinner at Maru Matsum a Japanese style restaurant. I know, it's kind of boring because it is a chain restaurant, and it's certainly nothing fancy. However, just like most places, the service was excellent, and my dinner arrived boiling over a lit burner. Our server obviously has helped foreigners before, because she spoke the slowest, simplest Japanese I've yet to hear at a restaurant. It was very easy to order and get it right. As it turned out, she knew some English, too, which she surprised us with later. While we were paying she started speaking in English to ask about where we were from, and whether or not we lived in Koga, and what are jobs were here. For all my friends working customer service, that's probably the easiest way to take service to foreigners to the next level - by speaking English slowly and clearly. They will notice and appreciate it!

We may go to Tokyo or Disneyland this weekend to celebrate our anniversary, and tonight I'm going shopping with Sarah M in a nearby town (Omiya) that has a larger selection of stores. I need to find a gift for Brandon, so he's staying home - that way he can drive us to the station. Plus, I've been dragging him on so many shopping errands, this will let him relax while I don't have to worry about him getting bored.

[Make sure to check the dates I put on my entries - these are still from before Christmas - I'm trying to catch up!]

12/17/09
I love that here, we get to see the kids in their hometown and daily life, with their friends. It's something I definitely missed with our exchange students - knowing where they're coming from. Now I'll at least have a slightly better idea. I definitely will want to host exchange students whenever we are able, especially now that the language barrier won't be as tough! (Still can't communicate great, but worlds better than when we arrived).

I just realized I heard and understood a full conversation today at work! Usually I get the gist of it, but don't know all the words, or the subject is an English loan word, like "Disneyland", "Diet", or "computer."

12/15/09
On Saturday, we spent the day with Mr. Nishiiri. He had e-mailed us to arrange everything - He was going to Ooarai, a town on the ocean, to try "anglerfish in a pot." And also to spend some time in Mito, the Prefecture's capital city (and sister city to Anaheim!).
He picked us up in the morning, for a 2-hour car ride. It was kind of him to drive - it would have required 4 trains and a bus to get to the restaurant we were going to. I like roadtrips, anyways, and the particular scenery we were seeing reminded me very much of California. I soon found out why.
About an hour into the driving, we stopped at a rest stop. Which of course did not smell. And the toilet seats were heated. And, there was a map of the bathroom. That made us laugh.
The rest stop had a room dedicated to vending machines, so we each got a cup of coffee. These machines brew the coffee and steam the milk for you. The large size was about a 12 oz. cup, but it was tasty.
We drove over some low mountains and through some tunnels, and arrived in Ooarai. (The name directly translated means "big wash"). It was exciting to see the ocean beaches again - it feels like all we ever see is Puget Sound, which isn't quite the same. We parked at one of the beaches and got out to stretch our legs and watch the waves. I was surprised to see people surfing - in December. Mr. Nishiiri explained they had wetsuits on, but it still looked pretty chilly. Looking out across the ocean, he explained we were at about the same latitude as Monterey, California. And that explains why all the scenery looked like Northern California. (And why it was a warm sunny day in December). Next we stopped at the fish market. It was fun seeing the large variety of fish available, most caught right in Ooarai. They also had a fruitstand, so I picked out kiwis and sweet potatoes, which Mr. Nishiiri then insisted on buying for us. If everyone were like the Nishiiri family, the world would be a very happy place. He manages to top even Japanese standards of hospitality!
After the fish market, we went to the Ooarai Hotel, on the beach. A group of people met us outside. Mr. Nishiiri them the PTA, although it sounded more like an alumni association, because he told us when each person had graduated, all from the same highschool.
We still had a half-hour to lunch, so we walked out to the beach, and then to a nearby "Jinja" or shrine. We walked up a large hill to get to it, and it was overlooking the ocean. There was a small ceremony taking place that we watched for a few minutes. We walked down a long steep flight of stairs to the beach.







At least in Ooarai, even though the hotels are beachfront, there was public access to the road between each one. By the time we got back, our table was ready, so they ushered us upstairs. One of the gentlemen sitting with us introduced himself as the ambassador of Ooarai (I think similar to how a chamber of commerce functions). He'd helped set up this trip. It made me realize that, especially with the way the economy is now, many cities are probably willing to offer group discounts on some of their premium services just to bring in tourism. It might be worth looking around and asking the Chamber of Commerce of say, Mt. Vernon, or Cle Elum, or any place far enough away that you'd be considered tourists, what they have to offer. In this case, it was a restaurant with a table overlooking the ocean, 7 or so courses, and a chef that cooks everything right at your table. (Oh, and fish that is known as a delicacy). I don't know how much it cost, but I doubt it was cheap - everything was absolutely delicious! Mr. Nishiiri kept making me put my wallet away. Thank you Mr. Nishiiri!
Lunch took about 2 1/2 hours and then we parted ways with the PTA group. Our next stop was Mito. There, we went to Kairakuen, one of the 3 big parks of Japan, famous for it's ume (japanese plum/apricot) trees and blossoms. It reminded me a little of a giant Tom Sawyer Island with big trees in old forests, stairs built into hillsides, fountains and streams, even a rebuilt Shogun's home, with a 3rd floor look-out where you can see the city in all directions.





After the park, we stopped in downtown Mito, and went to, where else? Starbucks! Somehow Mr. Nishiiri long ago became aware of our coffee addiction, and always makes sure we have plenty. Maybe because he did a homestay in the Seattle area when he was younger. It was a long ride home, and about 6:30 and dark when we got to Koga. I was still full from lunch, but Brandon and Mr. Nishiiri were hungry, so we stopped to get some soba (noodles). He always keeps us well fed. It is wonderful to have friends here, especially friends as kind as the Nishiiri family.

Merry Christmas Renton! Thanks for a great 2009. Special thanks to those of you who contribute to this blog, and keep the dialogue current.

(We're separated from daughter Katie and son-in-law Brandon this year, so we included a photo of them at the shore in Japan.)

There are many stories to cover in 2010, including the library, Fairwood, on-going budget decisions, and many other city activities. Also, we hope to have more good news on the economic development front, so keep checking back. It does seem like the recession is starting to lift.

Thanks for allowing me to serve as Council President in 2009. It's been an honor and privilege. I know Don Persson will be excellent in this role in 2010.

Best Wishes everyone for the happiest holiday season ever!