It Takes A Village

Early on September 11, we flew to Oakland to attend a funeral Mass for our dear friend Ernesto “Raul” Lopez.

Raul (he was never called Ernesto) was our neighbor when we bought our first home in Arcadia in 1970. He and his family lived across the street, and we became good friends. Although their last name was Lopez, they were Japanese. Raul’s ancestor was one of the Portuguese sailors who came to Kobe to trade with the Japanese. When the country was isolated for about 200 years, Raul’s ancestor married a Japanese woman and stayed in Kobe. He was a sweet, gentle man and a dear friend.

His wife, Kay, (Keiko), became one of my closest friends. We never spoke in complete sentences and finished each other’s thoughts. We were having a conversation in front of another friend one day. When we finished, she shook her head. “Would you mind telling me what that was all about?” Neither of us realized that half the conversation had been unspoken. We understood each other perfectly.

They had two children. Their son, Jose, had been born in Japan and moved to the US with them. Their daughter, Patricia, was born in California.

Jose was a year older than Kim. Another family who lived on the next street over from them had a daughter Kim’s age, Cheryl. Another family in the neighborhood had a son Jose’s age, Steve.

Jose started school and met a friend, Flint. When I met his mother, Dee, I realized we had gone to grammar school together. She also had a daughter Patricia’s age, Laura.

They say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In our case, this was certainly true! This group of neighbors became our “village.”

Laura, Kim, Tricia, Flint, Jose. Missing: Steve & Cheryl

Through the years, we got to know each others’ families. I loved seeing Raul’s sisters and other family members at the Mass and the reception afterward. They knew our family members as well.

When Tricia was small, Kay worked as a translator for groups of Japanese businessmen. She met their plane, stayed with them for the duration of their trip, and only came home when their trip was completed. During this time, I took care of Tricia.

Raul made sure Jose got off to kindergarten. Then he brought Tricia to my house and went on to work. I kept her all day. When Jose returned from school, he came to my house as well. Both stayed until Raul got home from work. I had her with me so much that people would come up to me in the store. “Isn’t she cute! Is she yours?” Of course, I always answered, “Yes.”

When we attended Raul’s service, she introduced me as her “other mother.” Kim calls Kay the same thing.

When Kay would get annoyed with Patricia, she would call me, “Do you know what YOUR kid did today?” They lived in Hong Kong for a couple of years. While they were there, her kids participated in competitive swimming. Once, Tricia’s picture was in the newspaper. Kay sent me a copy. On it she wrote, “Look what your kid did.”

Kay joined the PTA. She got involved in making items for the school carnival. The funds we raised were used to purchase sports equipment. Of course, she involved me, too.

The first year she was in charge of the booth, we doubled the amount raised the previous year.

Raul’s cousin, Mana, worked for a company that imported beautiful fabrics. At the end of the year, they disposed of the sample books. These were full of large pieces of gorgeous printed cotton. One day, she arrived and opened the trunk of her car. She had brought all the lovely fabric samples to us. We made lots of aprons and other items, which we sold at the boutique.

We kept a few pieces with tropical cotton prints and made swimsuits for the little girls with them.

At the time, we had a 3’ deep above-ground pool in our backyard. They spent the whole summer at our house swimming in their matching suits.

The following year, we more than doubled the amount made the previous year.

I found other sources of free materials to save us money.

We also made homemade Play-Doh and fashioned pins and other items from it. We dried them and then decorated them. In addition to jewelry, we made finger puppets (Goldilocks and the three bears, the wolf and the three pigs, etc.). We also made yardstick holders from some of the free felt we received from the bolt ends from the felt factory. The local hardware store gave us dozens of yardsticks. I still have mine.

Pin, puppet, and yardstick holder

We spent most of our time together with our kids. This is a photo from a day spent at my in-laws’ mobile home in Dana Point.

L-R: Dee, Kay, me, Tricia in front, Kim

Our neighborhood contained families of various ethnicities. We took advantage of all the unique holidays. We celebrated Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day (Japan), Cinco de Mayo (Mexico), Hannukah (Jewish), and Christmas, all with equal enthusiasm. We also celebrated every birthday. Larry’s birthday was quite near Jerry Applebaum’s, so several years we celebrated them both together.

Every summer, Kay’s parents visited from Japan for a couple of months. Our kids spent quite a lot of their time at Kay’s house with “Ojiichan” and “Obaachan.” Even though they didn’t speak much English, and the kids spoke no Japanese, they all seemed to understand each other perfectly.

The kids loved having Japanese grandparents, and Kay’s folks treated them all as their own.

For several years, lovely Christmas gifts arrived from Japan for each of our kids. And we all got together to create small gifts to send to them (usually photo albums and pictures drawn by the kids).

Kay and Raul moved to Garden Grove. We drove past there most weeks on the way to Larry’s folks’ mobile home where we spent our weekends, so we often stopped by to see them.

They later moved to Danville in the Bay area. My aunt and uncle lived in San Mateo. We visited them a couple of times each year. And we always crossed the bay to see Kay and Raul.

In 1987, Kay planned a surprise party for Raul’s birthday. At the time, we had our first foreign student, Silvia, from Spain. She came with us. We stayed with my aunt and uncle and surprised him by attending the party.

Silvia dancing with Larry

Kay & Raul

Silvia remembers this very fondly.

Even though we didn’t see each other very often, we managed to connect every few years, and we phoned and wrote.

A couple of weeks after Raul’s service, we met Tricia and her older daughter, Katelyn, at Disney’s California Adventure for the day. Many years ago, Katelyn was in a competition at Disneyland, so we joined them for the day. She still remembers it. This was a bit like reliving that special time, and we all enjoyed it so much.

Me, Larry, Katelyn, Patricia

Tricia, Katelyn, me, Larry

Yep. Tricia is still “my kid” and her girls are “ours” too. The friends and neighbors from so long ago remain extended family, and we couldn’t love them more.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 10 - Return From Japan

 

April 2, 2026

The night before, we had sorted and re-packed our suitcases for the trip home. We put the dirty clothes in one and the few remaining clean ones in the other. We also tried to even out the weight. We took ten books. Two were for the raffle at the party. Noriko ordered one. We gave another to one of our Japanese “kids.” We still had six, so we split them between our two suitcases.

Our sweet room support clerk, Setsuko Washio, had been off the previous two days, so we hadn’t seen her. However, she was supposed to be back on this day, so we left one out and signed it for her.

We savored one last breakfast and watched all the families preparing for their day in the park.

As we walked toward the elevator, I spotted Setsuko. She saw me about the same time and ran over to say hello. We talked for a couple of minutes while Larry went upstairs to pick up the book we had signed for her. When we gave it to her, she said, “Oh, thank you! I was going to ask where I could get a copy.” Sadly, we did not take a picture of her.

We spoke for a while longer, and then we returned to the room to complete our last preparations. We had to check out by 11:30, so we took the bags downstairs, checked out, and left our bags in the storage area. We would not be picked up until about 3:00 by the airport transportation company.

We took a last, long walk around CityWalk and over to the front of the park. We hadn’t planned to go into the park on this trip. Two years before, we had gone with friends and had seen all the new rides. We’d also checked to be sure our names were still on the windows above the candy store next to the main lagoon. They were.

Many of the original attractions (like E.T., Backdraft, T-2, Animal Actors Stage, the Western Stunt Show—in fact the whole Western area) were gone. The team windows, which had been on those buildings, were also gone. Larry’s major attractions—JAWS, WaterWorld, and Jurassic Park—as well as the rest of his area, were still intact. On that trip, Jurassic Park was closed for refurbishment, and we couldn’t get to the WaterWorld show, but we did ride on JAWS and saw his “footprints” on the beach of Amity Island.

This trip was about people. Our days were packed with visits with our Japanese “kids,” good friends, and teammates. I loved every minute of it!

We walked around the Universal Store once more, but we didn’t see anything else we needed to buy.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Starbucks. I didn’t need any more mugs. We already had two from Osaka (one from our original stay there and another from the 10^th anniversary trip in 2011), but I had seen a Japan mug with the sakura (cherry blossoms) on it. Since our return trips had all occurred in March, they had been in bloom for each trip. This one was no exception. Besides, I wanted another memento from this trip…

When we entered, we saw Lou Noy. We had met him and his family there on the morning of the party, too.

I had just bought my mug when Atsuko Sera stopped by. So, another mini-reunion.

Atsuko Sera, me, Lou

She had to catch a train, and Lou was waiting for his wife and daughter. Larry brought our cappuccinos just before they arrived. Lou said they were making one more pass at the stores to be sure they hadn’t missed a retail opportunity!

They were leaving at the same time we were, so we all walked back to the hotel and sat in the lobby. He said he thought he should read our book again and asked if he could buy one.

Larry got one out of his bag in the storage area and brought it over to us.

When it was close to time for our pick-up, we got our bags and made our way out to the front waiting area. Setsuko was working there, so we had a couple of minutes to spend with her before our car showed up. Lou’s arrived just ahead of ours.

We made good time getting to the airport, checked in, and then headed for our gate. When we got there, we were surprised to see George and Donna Johnson. Turned out, they were on the same flight. We had a wait since the plane didn’t leave until close to six, so we sat and talked.

Finally, it was time to board. The process went smoothly. We waved good-bye to the Johnsons since they were in a different area of the plane. Our flight ended in L.A., and they had a connecting flight to catch once we landed.

The trip home was uneventful. I watched a couple of movies, but then I plugged in my iPod and listened to music. I think I dozed for a while.

Since we were now headed east, we picked up the day we had lost on the way over and landed in the morning of the same day.

Customs was easy, and it didn’t take long to leave the airport. Chris (our driver) was there waiting for us.

On the way home, we told him all about our trip.

Once we got inside the house, Larry took the bag with our dirty laundry to the garage and started a load.

I took the other bag upstairs on the lift. Best investment we’ve made in the house in years.

I unloaded the toiletries and other items we would need but left the rest for the morning.

There wasn’t much to eat in the house since had tried to use up everything before we left. Larry got some fast food, and we had a small meal.

It wasn’t yet time to sleep, but the time change had caught up to us. We went to bed early.

April 3, 2026

This was Larry’s birthday, but we spent it unpacking and putting things away. Got most everything done.

I put on my new USJ 25^th Anniversary shirt, and Larry took a picture. I look like I’m frowning, but it was bright in the sunshine.

That evening was Flick Fellowship, where we meet with a group and discuss a movie. Since we had left the house clean before we left, and the cleaners had come on the 1^st, we didn’t have to do much except set out the extra chairs and get our food for the potluck meal. I also bought a small ice cream cake for Larry’s birthday. For this meeting, we had decided to show the DVD of a movie I loved, Rental Family. I had watched it again a couple of times on the plane and still loved it. So did the rest of the group.

But our day wasn’t quite over.

We had to drive to San Juan to pick up my cousins, Linda & David Salmon, who live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They had spent the previous week with their son and his family seeing Disneyland and Universal. That day was their Universal day, and they caught the Metro train from there to San Juan. They got in around eleven p.m.

Larry drove around while I waited for their train. It wasn’t a long wait.

We were so glad to see them.

They were tired from their busy week and day, and we hadn’t quite adjusted to the time change, so we all went to bed as soon as we got home.

April 4, 2026

Spent the day with the cousins catching up. Lots to talk about. They were about to undertake a foreign mission. Dave explained it to us. He is an attorney, so he would be helping expats deal with legal issues. Turns out, one of my dear high school friends had done exactly the same thing a couple of years earlier. I decided to call him, and I did.

As always, I loved hearing his voice and knowing he was well and happy. I asked if he would talk to Linda and David and answer their questions. Because he genuinely is one of the nice guys, he said he’d be glad to, so they went into the next room and talked with him for a while. Very grateful for terrific friends!

That night, I had made reservations at the Wind and Sea Restaurant for the four of us to celebrate Larry’s birthday together. We had a terrific meal (as always).

David, Linda, me and Larry. Happy birthday!

We didn’t cut his cake until the next day. They stayed a couple more days, including Easter Sunday. We always enjoy being with them.

Their visit was the perfect way to end a great trip.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 9 - Closing a Circle

 April 1, 2026

We ate breakfast at the hotel as usual, and as usual, loved watching all the kids excited about going to the park. This had become one of my very favorite parts of our day.

Afterward, we walked around CityWalk, visited the USJ store, and picked up a few gift items to take home with us.

We had made arrangements for our #2 Japanese daughter, Yasuko, and her husband, Toshiyuki, to meet us for dinner in Lounge 6 at our hotel. This was like another closing of a chapter in Japan for me.

On the first night I arrived in Japan, Yasuko and Toshi met us at the Hilton, where we were staying. Larry had made a very big deal about how the Japanese did NOT appreciate public displays of affection. He’d said, “I know you always greet everyone with a hug and kiss, but please don’t do it in Japan. I’m going to be working with these people for several years, and I don’t want to be embarrassed.”

He was right to mention this, since anyone who knows me knows I am a hugger. All our kids know this, too. However, I was determined not to knowingly break any local taboos while we lived there. (I removed my shoes when entering buildings. I didn’t blow my nose in public. Etc.)

From the moment I got on the plane, I kept reminding myself that I couldn’t greet anyone with a hug or kiss in public—even Larry. So, when I got off the plane, I refrained from my usual greeting and even holding hands (which we did all the time.)

We arrived at the hotel and took my bags to our room. (Larry had been there for about a week for a business trip before I arrived.)

Then we went to the lobby to await our “kids’” arrival.

Before too long, I looked down the long side hallway and spotted Yasuko. Toshi (whom we had not met yet) followed her carrying their two-year-old son, Daisuke.

As soon as she spotted me, she began to run toward me with open arms, grinning like crazy. When she reached me, she gave me a huge hug. Of course, I responded in kind. And suddenly I knew I’d be just fine! Then she hugged her “dad.” He had no choice and even looked pleased.

We met Toshi, who also hugged both of us. In public, where everyone could see.

I think we must have looked a bit scary to Daisuke. He had no idea who these strange people were and clung to his parents.

We went to dinner at a terrific Brazilian restaurant. Then we walked around the Asian Trade Center.

When he got outside, Daisuke ran around and seemed more comfortable with us. He finally let me hold him, and Yasuko took a photo of Larry and Toshi with me holding the little guy.

When we returned to Hollywood, I was asked to write an article about the trip for the USJ newsletter to prepare those who were to come afterward. (I was the first spouse to visit Japan before the big move.)

Article from the May 1998 Universal Japan newsletter

Larry, Daisuke, me, Toshiyuki

During our time in Japan, we saw Yasuko and Toshi often. They visited our home in Takarazuka, and Daisuke always had a blast. I called him my “wild man.” A hallway ran through the front of the unit. He started in the entry, raced through the living room and kitchen and into the hall, then through the hall back to the entry. All the while, he chortled and tried to get one of us to chase him. Sometimes we obliged. When our daughter, Kim, visited, she had fun chasing him and then doubling back to head him off as he came around the corner.

He was crazy about trains, and from our balcony, two train stations were visible below. The balcony had a glass-topped railing, so he could look down through it. He stood there for a long time waiting for the trains to arrive, which they did quite often. Then he would crow, “Densha! Densha! (Train! Train).

When we came home for Christmas the first year, we remembered a cartoon cell Larry had gotten at an employee sale while he worked in Hollywood. It was from the cartoon, The Little Engine That Could. It had the register holes and came with a background and a certificate of authenticity. We both knew where it had to go. We also bought him a copy of the book and video to go with it.

One of the last visits we made before we left Japan in 2001 was to their home in Nishinomia. By then, they had a second son, Yusuke.

Larry, Toshi, me, Daisuke, Yusuke, Yasuko

Now, in 2026, both boys had graduated from college, moved out of the house, and were working at good jobs. Daisuke had just gotten married, and I asked them to bring wedding photos.

A little before they were scheduled to arrive, we went to the lobby to wait for them. Just like in 1998, I spotted them coming through the door about the same time as Yasuko saw me. And, once again, she started to run to me with her arms open. This time, I met her halfway for a long-overdue hug. We had not been able to see them on either of our previous visits in 2021 or 2024.

For a moment, time stood still. Suddenly, I was back in a hotel lobby greeting our beloved “kids.” It felt like closing a circle and filled me with joy.

We went to the restaurant and enjoyed a nice meal, talking the whole time. Toshi had his Google Translate queued up in case we need a word or two, but we managed quite well.

I was stunned to see pictures of a now-grown-up Daisuke. He is the absolute image of his father when we first met him. We saw photos of Yusuke, too. “Our boys” were now grown men. Yasuko and Toshi like their new daughter-in-love, and the bride and groom looked very happy.

Toshi, Yasuko, Larry, and me

Our coupons for drinks came in handy again, and we enjoyed a lovely time with them.

Sadly, all too soon, it was time for them to leave. We hugged again in the lobby before they left. And, as always, we invited them to visit us in California. This time, I have hope they may finally come!

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 8 - Not Quite Over

 March 31, 2026 – Continued

After the party, quite a few people didn’t want it to end, so they agreed to meet at the Hard Rock Café at CityWalk to continue the celebration.

I had to stay with Atsuko Sera to settle the hotel bill. She had to total all the receipts. Then she met with the banquet manager. It took some time.

Quite a few people who had said they were coming didn’t at the last minute, so we had committed to more people than actually attended. Fortunately, a few others had not RSVP’d, but were able to be there. So, they made up for some of those who were missing. (The war in Iran had just begun, and we knew of a couple of people who were overseas and couldn’t get out. Still others were just afraid to travel.)

I had said we would cover the cost for those who did not come, so I couldn’t leave until I got my credit card back. Therefore, I waited…

Atsuko returned with good news. The hotel had given us a reduced rate for those who had not come, so the amount was less than we had anticipated. And the exchange rate was far more favorable than it had been two years earlier. Bottom line: the total wasn’t as much as we had feared. And the party itself and being able to see everyone was well worth whatever it cost. So grateful for her managing all the negotiations! Without her, none of it would have happened.

While I was still waiting at the hotel for the bill to be settled, Toshi and Larry took all our bags and other items back to our room before joining the group. When I didn’t arrive right away, they set out in search of me. They were concerned because it had taken so long. Fortunately they found me on the way.

We finally reached the Hard Rock. Thankfully, most of our friends were still there.

On the way in, we saw Mike Davis and Shinkawa-san sitting together at a front table and waved hello. Shinkawa-san won one of our books as a door prize. Lovely to see him again.

At last, we joined the group.

Chie Yoshimi, Jim Kriss, Ritsuko Oki Onishi

Left side back-to-front: David & Sharon Streshinski, Karen Chrapeck & Janice Gerry, Ritsuko’s head

Right side: Donna & George Johnson, Lou & Cecilia Noy. Some others were missing from the photos.

Toshi, Larry and I joined the group at the back table. Everyone had already ordered by the time we got there, but we placed our orders. A few others stopped by to say hello. None of us wanted to leave, but the time had come at last.

We were exhausted after a busy and eventful day, but so grateful for the opportunity to share the time with good friends and colleagues.

Next time: Our final days in Osaka.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 7 - The Reunion Party

 March 31, 2026

The day of the 25^th anniversary arrived at last!

After breakfast, we gathered up all the things we had to take with us and arrived at the Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, where the party would be held.

This is the same location where we’d held the delayed 20^th anniversary party two years before. Atsuko Sera did a terrific job of making the arrangements using basically the same information as the last party.

Signs were posted around the hotel showing the way.

We had to set up some things and get ready for registration. Atsuko, two of her friends, and I would be checking people in. She had already printed blank nametags and had them ready for attendees to add their names.

Larry was helping with the setup inside the room where we would meet and eat our lunch.

Atsuko also had two of her friends from the A/V team with her to set up the microphones and queue up a video she had brought to show.

Before long, other guests started to arrive. So many familiar faces! It was great to see them all again—Americans and Japanese.

We had agreed that I would give the opening remarks with Atsuko translating. I provided her with the text ahead of time.

Several people spoke, including Mike Davis, who was involved with USJ from the very beginning, and Dave Froelich, the A&E Director during construction. He shared a message from Dave Burkhart. Again, Arsuko translated. Also, Shinkawa-san spoke with Masa Suzuki translating. Funny moments!

Mike Davis sharing memories

Masa Suzuki translating for Shinkawa-san.

Some folks returned to Japan for the first time since we finished the park.

Sharon Kawamoto, David Streshinski (Stresh-san), returning for the first time.
With Ritzuko Oki Onishi (who still lives there).

Front: Returning team members Cecelia & Lou Noy.
Back row: Chie Yoshimi (Document Control) Ritzuko Oki Onish (translator),
David Streshinski (FDM Area 3).

George & Donna Johnson with Lou Noy

We enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch

And lots of great conversation

Me with “my girls” and Dote-san photobombing our picture

Noriko, Atsuko, and I handing out door prizes

Ann & Jim Kriss with Cecelia & Lou Noy

Ann & Jim had visited with friends, and their 90-year-old grandmother sent lots of lovely bags she had made with kimono fabric. Ann & Jim shared them with us.

Larry and I with Janet & Masa Suzuki and Dave & Joyce Froelich

Jim Kriss, Karen Chrepeck, and Terumi Igarashi

The team—united again

But the party wasn’t completely over. Next time: The party continues.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 6 - Meeting With More Friends and Family

 

March 30, 2026

After breakfast, I caught up on some email and prepared the gifts for the day.

Then we walked over to CityWalk to meet Maki and Yumi for lunch.

Maki was our head translator. I always thought she was the most beautiful girl on the project―and the single guys agreed. They practically fell over themselves trying to date her. However, she was from Kyoto, and her father was a famous artist. Kyoto is the old capital and the most traditional city in Japan.

Since most women were still entering into arranged marriages at the time, we assumed she would be, too. (And she was.)

She was an amazing translator, who could do simultaneous translations. (Very difficult in Japanese.)

Yuri was one of our other translators, and she still works for USJ. It was fun to see her again.

We had agreed to meet at Hard Rock Café, so we walked over at 11:30 for lunch.

We got there a little early and looked for Maki. We didn’t see her, so we took a table. Before long, we spotted her. I swear, this woman has a painting hidden somewhere in her attic! She hasn’t changed a bit since we first met her in 1998! For a woman with nearly grown children, she looks amazingly young.

What a joy to see her again!

Soon, Yuri joined us.

We gave them our gifts, and both of them loved what we had brought.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and a great conversation, sharing lots of great memories. And many laughs.

Yuri had to get back to work, and we were sorry to see her go. Unfortunately, we forget to take pictures with her. ☹

We stayed with Maki for a while longer. Then we asked the waitress to take our photo.

Me with Larry and Maki

Then we walked over to the USJ Globe and took another photo.

Me with Larry and Maki

Maki had to leave, so we wandered around CityWalk for a bit and checked out the USJ Studio Store, making notes of things we might want to take back with us.

Back at the hotel, we rested and prepared for our dinner appointment.

Toshi Komiyama was to arrive that afternoon, and Ayumi was coming after work. She put in several hours, and left work around noon. Then she took the shinkansen from Nagoya to Osaka (about a 4-hour trip).

We met them for dinner in Lounge R in our hotel.

We had been given tickets for free drinks as one of the perks of staying on the top floor. (One for each of us for each day.) Since we don’t drink, we hadn’t used them. So, on this night, Toshi and Ayumi used them!

Ayumi liked her gifts very much. She wore the gold angel earrings I had given her when she visited us last. These were very precious to me, and they looked lovely on her. I was pleased to see her wearing them.

We had a nice, relaxed meal and caught up with both of them. Loved seeing Ayumi again. Toshi was staying in Osaka to attend the USJ reunion party with us, but Ayumi was leaving the next morning to return to Nagoya. She planned to go back to work the next afternoon.

After dinner, we walked through the lobby, and Toshi made friends with Minion Bob.

Toshi and his friend

So did we.

We sat and talked for a while longer, but they needed to go. So, we said good-bye for now, and they went on their way.

The next day was the big celebration party, so we put together all the things we had to take with us and got ready for bed. Such a wonderful day spent with people we love.