Sasaki Reunion in Reno

We had our 1st annual "Sasaki" Reunion in Reno this past week. The "Sasaki" is in quotes because it was supposed to include the entire Sasaki clan of my Dad's side of the family. He comes from a family of 5 boys (2 of which have passed) with 15 kids (my cousins), but it ended up being just my immediate family, plus one uncle, one cousin and his fiancee. I think being a male-dominated family makes for a large group of people who don't like to commit and/or flake out at the last minute.

Our immediate family, however, is massive (11 adults and 11 grandkids) so that made up for it. We considered it just our family's reunion with some bonuses!

Gus and I spent the first few days at the Grand Sierra Resort and were quite happy with the digs (thanks, Shelley!). Our previous experiences with Reno hotels were smokey, tacky, cheap rooms that we used simply for the kids to crash (while we took turns sneaking downstairs to the casino). The GSR is large, modern, has a great pool, clean, and the room had plasma TVs, a fridge, and microwave..all for just $64! I even had time to play blackjack most nites. It was fun, but I didn't come home with extra spending cash. :(

Mitchell chillin' at the GSR pool


I would have stayed at the GSR longer, but it was time to move on to the big house rental in Reno. Again, we were pleasantly surprised with our huge house, backyard, and great layout - perfect for our big family! We made a Costco run, got breakfast, lunch, and BBQ dinner supplies, and enjoyed a rare weekend just hangin' with the family. We went to a buffet dinner (not very tasty but great that they could accommodate all 24 of us), spent one day at King's Beach in Tahoe, gambled a bit, shopped a bit, played "Password", let the kids run wild, and crashed the GSR pool (the boys loved that we just happened to be there when the table-dancing Go Go dancers showed up!). I think the best parts of the weekend were just sitting around the dining room table munching on snacks and catching up with everyone.

We were all sad when the weekend was over, but look forward to next year's reunion!!!

Obon Time!

Molly and Mitchell love to take pictures!
Mitchie looooves his Jichan!
Katsuyuki and Yukiko
Rina and Me
The whole Maseba family...I can't believe we got a picture with everyone looking!

So, Obon time is when families are supposed to return to their "homelands", visit the cemetary, and remember those who have passed in the last year. We mostly just use it as an excuse to get dressed up, dance odori, and eat shaved ice.

Field Trip to Oto's

Today our class went to Oto's - THE Japanese grocery store in Sacramento. Some of the kids immediately said, "Can I have one? Can I have one?" as we passed the bubble gum machines outside; I guess I'm truly a surrrogate mama when classs is in session.

The kids loved that during the tour of the store, our guide pulled items off the shelf for them to sample. All I really had to do was prevent some of my "curious" kids from poking holes through the Saran-wrapped mochi and sashimi items. We also got yummy bentos at the end - that's my kind of field trip!

Lindsey's class got to go to a "garage" at Sac State that had taiko drums in it; sorry, Linds, but at least I saved you some of my bento!

My Very First Blog!

Okay, so I'm a total rookie at this, but after seeing the cool blogs that Auntie Shelley and friends have created, I just have to give it a try.

The past 2 weeks have been busy with Jan Ken Po Gakko, a Japanese culture school for kids from 1st through 6th grade. Not only do Lindsey (3rd grade) and Emily (1st grade) attend, but I was somehow persuaded to be one of the teachers! The first week was rough, but now that we are approaching the end of the 2nd week I am really enjoying the students and their cute little personalities. We've learned Japanese words and songs, made tons of origami, participated in a fun "Undokai" (sports festival), enjoyed Japanese folktales read by "bachan" storytellers, and have cooked and tasted new Japanese food every day at recess time. The only real tough part has been bearing the 108 degree temperatures in a classroom WITHOUT A/C. I think today is the end of the heat wave, so the last week should be smooth sailing. I know I'm going to miss my little students, so I guess the "teacher " in me will never go away.