Hen na Gomi: Episode #2

So I took my new teacher friends over to my old neighborhood of Hiro-o. I led them down an alley that always had the best gomi (garbage) because its residents are so darn rich! Every gomi (garbage) day, my family would cruise the street and look for gomi. Sometimes dad would bring us in the van. Yeah, I know, pretty red-necky of us, but who could resist the gomi? My late Aunt Jean even joined in with Grandma when they visited. One time she was reaching out to grab a tanatalizing piece of gomi and the resident of the house popped their head out. She was so startled that she jumped in to our van without ducking her head and got a nasty bump!

Anyways, I took my new friends up the hill to my old house (which is gone by the way, but more on that later) and over to the gomi alley. Sure enough, within five minutes, we had some A-class gomi, this time in the form of Kabuki (Japanese comic opera) promotional ornaments! We caused quite a fuss as we walked around the Juban (the neighborhood down the hill from there). No one could believe we got such wonderful--and expensive--items in the trash! The shop ladies and the oriental bazaar couldn't believe it either and they kept prodding and studying the gomi to make sure it was the real thing.

They estimated that each ornament would bring in more than 1000 dollars at a flea market. Too bad. These gaijins are not selling. Justyna (my neighbor) and Brad and Rachel (married) are happy with their gomi-house-warming gifts!

On a sad note, our old apartment "Homat Rex" has been torn down and replaced with a stunning new white building. I preferred good old Homat Rex. I have played many road hockey games in this alley with my brothers and I remember building a snow fort here with dad one winter when it snowed a lot. We will miss you Homat Rex!

Bye for now. Double chin=must start jogging again and stop eating so much delicious food....