3. Randy and Yoshimi:

Randy appears just as I remember:over six feet tall, thin and wiry, with
unkempt longish dark hair, he has a deeply lined cowboy face with a large droopy
moustache under a large nose. Randy is only about twenty-five, but looks older.
He is big and gregarious, confident and friendly. The things I like best about
Randy are his optimism, cheerfulness, generosity, and honesty. He isn’t boastful,
doesn’t bully people and is never on the con. He’s not interested in appearances.
Randy is iconoclastic and doesn’t worry what others think, yet he’s not interested
in shocking people or “playing games with their heads.”

Randy can be trusted. What you see is what you get.

“Morley-san, it’s really good to see you! Take off your shoes and come in.”
They aren’t dirty and this request seems odd. “The first thing to remember in
Japan is to always take off your shoes when going into someone’s house. There
are never exceptions.”

I begin unlacing my boots. They rise over my ankles and I can tell right
away that boots are going to be a nuisance if they have to be taken off dozens of
times a day. I put them in the line of footwear by the door with shoes, wooden
sandals, and rubber flip-flops.

As we step inside the tiny foyer, Randy moves to one side to reveal a very
pretty Japanese girl, about five foot two, with very long black hair. She’s about
twenty three, I’d guess.

“Morley, this is my wife, Yoshimi-san.”She smiles and bows. Randy
indicates I should bow and I awkwardly do so.

“Yoshimi-san, this is my friend Morley from Regina. I’ve told you about
him.”

“How do you do, Moree-san?” Yoshimi-san asks. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Yoshimi-san.”

“Morley, we’re just about to have supper. Are you hungry?”

“Hungry and tired. We had a long flight.”

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Japanby Morley Evans

November 21, 2000