Fumi was here!

Fumi got here just in time! July Fourth had gone by, and summer was feeling half over, yet like we hadn't begun to take advantage of it. So it was supreme to have her here; just the catalyst we needed to do some of the things we couldn't be bothered to get to with just us.

By the way, if you don't know Fumi, she was my roommate in Tokorozawa, near Kotesashi station if you want to be specific, for the last year and a half of my single life. Ah, those were the days! The point here though is, now that she lives in Omiya and we're here, we don't have nearly the time with her that we'd like. So finally having the opportunity to show her our "American life" was exciting. Here are some of the things we did together during the five days she was here.
Fumi used to love coffee and even dream of opening her own cafe but lately she's become more devoted to tea. So we went to Argo Tea for lunch and a fancy tea drink. Mine was a little too fancy and it didn't taste much like tea.
After Koji finished summer school for the day, the weather looked ominous so we decided to take in Kung Fu Panda. Do I need to tell you that Koji loved it?
We were suprised to emerge from the movie theatre into a fine summer afternoon. So we tried to make up for the time we'd "wasted" inside by playing at a nearby park for a while.
Koji didn't have school the next day, so we embarked on a downtown Chicago outing via the Metra.
First stop, Sears Tower. Good news, it was a clear day. Good news, we actually happened to walk in just as the movie was starting! Not waiting in that lobby for 20 minutes to watch the movie and then get on the elevator was a great boon. But bad news, lots of people were out that day, so it wasn't easy to study the views at will. And final blow, the kids weren't very into it. I spent most of the time chasing them down and threatening them in an attempt to buy Fumi and myself more time to take in the view. Oh well. We did get this photo.
We walked over to Millennium Park and enjoyed a picnic lunch inside the kids tent, where Koji also made the hat you see pictured here. It later functioned as a fine garbage receptacle inside our van, but please don't tell him.
No need to tell you that this is the Bean.
If you look closely, you should see Koji; he's in an orange shirt and swim shorts, getting ready to plunge into the spittle, I mean, fountain.
While Koji was at school the next day, we made a run to Trader Joe's so Fumi could stock up on unique souvenirs. Our best purchase, in my opinion, was the chocolate covered edamame. Try it if you have a chance!
On Fumi's last night with us, Aogu took charge of the home front and Fumi and I took off on another train ride in the opposite direction, to land at Ravinia. In retrospect--yes, I'm writing this two months later and flagrantly back dating--I'm so glad we went, because that ended up being my only trip to Ravinia all summer. It was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's opening night, and we quite enjoyed it, but not as much as the woman on the next blanket over who shushed us...
Thanks for coming to visit, Fumi! It was a highlight of our summer to have you here, and I loved catching up with you in person. The kids and I both missed you a lot after you left, and we can't wait to see you again!