The International Potluck Dinner

While at the town festival last week, we saw some people we knew and were invited to a potluck dinner on the Monday holiday. We didn’t know who would be there, but we are always happy to meet new people (and eat new things!) It turned out to be a very international party.  In addition to the people from Hokkaido, there was a woman from Canada who taught English here several years ago and was visiting for a week, an English teacher from South Africa who has been here four years, a couple who moved here from California last fall, and a Ph.D. candidate from Stanford who was doing research in Hokkaido several years ago and is also back here to visit. We enjoyed talking with everyone and hope to get together again soon.

There was a great choice of food and all of it was delicious. I was very impressed with two things – watermelon and cake.  Watermelon is very expensive here, unlike the two dollar mega-melons we used to get on the side of the road in North Carolina. I’ve commented on the lack of ovens before, so you will understand I was surprised to see home baked cake.  It was made in a rice cooker! Oishii desu!