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Winter fashion statement.

Columbia, MD

Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.
~ Henri Matisse

Columbia, MD

**Reunited, Chapter Two!**

[see Reunited (Chapter One)]

Back in the early 70s, my mother got our family involved at International House in Philadelphia. Of the many different programs hosted at International House, the most life-changing one for the Fogartys was the "host family" program. My mom's decision to sign us up to be a host family brought the Kakiuchis into our lives.

Dr. Yoshihiro Kakiuchi came to Philadelphia with his family to do some work at the University of Pennsylvania. He was joined by his wife Fukuko, his daughter Yukie, and his son Taro (Jiro, the baby, was born here in the USA.) As host family, we welcomed the Kakiuchis to our home for occasional dinners and for us kids to just play around. We also went to the Kakiuchis' house for traditional Japanese dinners (I especially recall dipping skewered pieces of meat into a pot to cook, then dipping the cooked meat into some raw egg. And I liked it!) My mom also helped the Kakiuchis shop for American bedding. They wanted to live like Americans during their time here (I think it was two years.) It was quite an education for them, and I think for my mom too. "A mattress on top of another mattress? A sheet underneath and another one on top? But WHY?" (Why indeed?)

My sister Peggy had a very special experience one time. She was probably about 8 or 9. She got to wear one of Yukie's kimonos! It was a very official Japanese kimono, and getting Peggy into the outfit (from the authentic hairstyle right down to the toe-separating socks and sandals) was quite the ceremony.

Fast forward roughly 40 years. About two weeks ago, I once again went on the hunt to find one of the Kakiuchis so we could re-connect. I had tried several years earlier to track down Dr. Kakiuchi through his professional connections at Japanese hospitals and universities, but I never received a reply to my messages. Finally, I decided to try finding Yukie on Facebook. I found a person with the right name and took a chance. A very amazed Yukie ("This is miraculous, because I thought of you and your family just a few weeks ago!") replied. She got me caught up on the 4 decades of happenings in her family, and we reminisced a little about the past. She remembered coming to one of Peggy's birthday parties (my mom reminded me that Yukie taught origami to the girls at the party.)

That's when I got an amazing idea! Peggy's birthday was coming up. I should have Yukie call Peggy out of the blue. And not only call, but call on SKYPE! I imagined my sister answering a Skype call from some random-seeming Asian woman and saying "Who are YOU? Do I KNOW you?" And then hearing (and seeing) the reply: "Yes! I'm Yukie!"

Well, today is my sister's birthday. And, as I write this, my sister is Skyping away with our dear little friend from so many years ago.

I am deeply grateful for the existence of the technology that makes this all possible. And intensely thankful to my brother-in-law for setting things up on his end (I gave him no clue just HOW dramatic this phone call might be!)

お誕生日おめでとうございます (Happy birthday) to my sister Peggy! And many happy returns.

By the light of the silvery screen...

***Re-posting this because it just got featured on This American Life's website!***

(I am such a rabid fan of the show. This is a moment of sheer giddiness for me, almost as cool as meeting (and interpreting for) Mike Birbiglia!)

A prism casts a rainbow on the floor of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Washington, DC