Survived an Earthquake and out of clean clothes....time to go home!

I checked out of my hotel on the 30th floor and went to the airport. I waited a while in the sky lounge until my flight was called. I ran into James Fox, the program coordinator in Davao, at the gate. He was on another flight leaving right after mine.
I entered the plane and we taxied down the runway. Just as we were making the corner of the runway another plane was landing. The wings started bouncing up and down and I said to my seat mate, "Wow , that plane made a lot of jet wash." Then the plane really started shaking and bouncing and luggage started falling out of the bins. It went on a long time and we did think it was the jet wash or a really windy day.

After a few minutes, the pilot announced we had just been through an earthquake. Several more minutes passed and there were some really significant after shocks. About 30 minutes later, the pilot said that the tower had been abandoned and the airport evacuated. So, we had to sit on the runway and wait. Everyone got out their phones and computers to check the news. The cell towers were down, so we had no idea what was going on until the pilot said it was an 8.9 earthquake.

This is the view from my seat just as the earthquake was ending. My seat mate, who lives in Japan, told me it was not wind but an earthquake and a big one. She was right!

So, we sat on the runway 6 hours, then were towed back to the gate. I texted James to see if he got on his plane, but he was still in the airport. He evacuated to the shelter area of the airport and couldn't get a flight out until the next day or so. I also heard that the sky lounge had windows broken out and the tiles from the ceiling were falling in the terminal.

After the 7 hour wait, it was decided we could leave because there was no available shelter for us. So, our flight left and 22 hours after boarding I arrived in Detroit.

When I got off the plane reporters and camera crews were there to interview passengers. Evidently , we were the only flight that got back to the U.S. from Japan that day. I was interviewed by a local fox stations. It wasn't until I arrived in the hotel that I saw the news about the earthquake. That was crazy!

Thanks everyone for the prayers, texts, and phone calls.  It was so nice to know everyone was thinking of me. I had to post the message on facebook because the cell lines were down and that is the only way I could get the info to John. I flew home the next day from Detroit back to Jackson. Yipee!


This is my seat on the plane  overlooking the wing.  I wish a still picture could show how much we were bouncing. Our plane and the one behind us were the only ones that got out of Japan that day. Here is the sake we needed after that trip.

Another country, more weird money

I arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon and took the bus to my hotel. I walked around the Ginzo district near my hotel. The Ginzo area looks like 5th avenue in New York. All the famous stores...Louis Vuitton, Mikimoto, Cartier, Rolex...you get the idea.

As I walked down the street, I felt like I was trapped in one huge Japanese tour group, then I realized that I was the tourist. Everyone is so nice when they see the hopelessly lost American who doesn't know what to eat, where to go , or how to count the darn money. I am the typical tourist who just holds out my hand with a bunch of coins in it, then the checker has pity on me and gets what is needed to pay the bill.

I was walking along the street and noticed bikes parked everywhere, and then it took a minute and I saw that none had locks. Evidently theft is virtually unheard of here, so you just leave the bike on the sidewalk and come back to get it later. There is also not a speck of trash or gum anywhere.
So, since I'm going down that road here's what else I've noticed the past two days...

*Japanese people are extremely polite and bow like crazy. I'm bobbing up and down all the time! You just can't help it, when they bow it is just automatic to do it right back.
*They stand on the escalator to the left and walk up the right, I almost got creamed by getting this wrong.
*They love crazy weird toys
*They buy stuff out of vending machines, but drink it right next to the machine and never walk around with food or drinks in their hands.
*Absolutely no one is fat and they walk very very quickly
* They are quick to help lost pitiful Americans

I went on an all day city tour today and enjoyed the new friends on the tour. I bought dinner at the local market after a late lunch and enjoyed it in my room looking at the lights twinkling in Tokyo.

My hotel room and the weird toilet. It took me a few minutes to figure out all the buttons. I do love the "hot" seat.

Many of the restaurants have plastic food displays in the windows. I actually like the point and eat method. This guy made me some sort of sushi omelet. It was good, until I ate a bite with a tentacle coming out of the side, yikes!

I loved the dumplings below. I was walking around the big food halls and got a sample of these morsels of goodness. They were delicious! Toys everywhere that all ages seem to always be buying.

Unlocked bikes....see I told you...it is true!

Weird money, I especially liked the coin with a hole in the middle of it .Would make a cute necklace.

Shogun temple, I've got to watch that Tom Cruise movie, "Samurai" when I get home.

This was so fortunate- a wedding passed by as were were visiting the temple. The bride and groom are under the unbrella. The bridesmaids are in front then the Priests. 

This was kind of neat, you made a donation then could write your wish on these tablets. I really loved looking at all the different languages and found several in English.

My first glimpse of a Japanese "squatty potty"

The oldest Buddhist temple in Japan founded in the 7th century.

Read that again...the year 650. 

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Pretty cool to be waiting in line for a snack behind a traditionally dressed woman. Made me feel slumpy in my cargo pants!

Cruise of Tokyo bay, we were fortunate to have really nice weather. One of the ladies on the trip said they had snow last week. 

I sure didn't know Tokyo had a statue of Liberty just the size of the one in France.

Everyone on the bus wanted a picture with the American in front of Lady Liberty, I only wish I had a hair brush and lipstick!

WWII and the American Cemetery

The team arrived at the Manila airport after leaving Davao very early. At the airport we said goodbye to many of the team members as everyone flew to different parts of the world....
Egypt, Russia, Italy, USA, Vietnam and other areas in Asia.

The girls and I, along with Huong and Shawna, went to the Marriott. The girls and I had a room on the club floor and were whisked to the executive check in desk. Hana and Shawna went along for a shower and the club floor snacks since their plane didn't leave until 10 pm.

We had a wonderful spread of scrumptious food and we really dug in... the dragon fruit and shrimp on lemon grass was delicious. After getting our fill we were picked up by Juan. Juan and Mimi live in Manila. He is an OB/GYN and Mimi is an anesthesiologist. She met my sister, Jane, on a mission in Egypt a few years ago. Mimi was busy in a case, so Juan had taken the day off to take care of us...the American Op Smile visitors. It was so great, he picked us up and took us to the cemetery then later shopping at the local "let's make a deal" mall.

I'm buying pearls in Davao. They are known for their high quality South Sea pearls. Gerald, one of the local surgeons, had us all buy from this shop. I think everyone on the mission came home with beautiful pearls thanks to him. I wonder if it was Gerald's aunt that owned the shop? Kidding....

 Good friends, Susan- Shawna- Regina at the final party

This is James Fox the program coordinator. His mother, Jane, was on the trip too and was just lovely!
Also pictured above is Morag (UAE sponsor) with Andy, the child live coordinator.

Leaving Davao on the way to Manila.
This is the American cemetery dedicated to those who died in WWII.

Standing in the midst of the monuments of those 50,000 who lost their lives in the Pacific during WWII is a very humbling and sobering experience.

17, 206 graves are marked with the remains of someone buried there, but the walls have the engraved names of 36,279 listed as missing in action.

As we walked along the walls and read the names and jobs they did we found many medal of honor winners. There were also at least 3 admirals listed along with cooks, first mates, and many many others. The entire ship would go down with all lost at sea. The walls listed the Sailor or Marines name, rank , job and state.

It is well worth the trip to honor those who are buried here who died protecting the freedom that we all enjoy, but especially the Philippinos.

On the walls encircling the memorial are more than 36,000 MIA. Juan said some were still being buried as their remains are found and identified.



Wendy, Susan, Emily, Shawna, Hana and Juan our Doctor tour guide while Mimi was working.
He was just great and took all these women shopping...see our bags.

Mimi joined us for dinner at a Japanese sushi place near the hotel. She had car snacks while we shopped,  treated us to dinner and bought us gifts. Gee...what a day. She and Juan are great and I hope they can visit Memphis one day. I'll take her to Graceland!

Happy team Op Smile members to finally have a hot shower and Marriott club floor treats!

Leaving Davao heading to Manila

Last night we had the final group party at a local hotel. Each group performed a song and dance routine. The surgeons did a stick dance, the anesthesiologists a song to the tune of "Breaking up is hard to do...Waking up is hard to do" and we did a rendition of "Celebrate good times- Davao."

It was one of those times the worse the skit and singer the better the show....and we did have some funny shows! It is 5 am on Monday morning and we leave the hotel at 7:30 for a flight to Manila. Mimi Reyes is meeting me and the girls at the hotel to take us on a shopping and sightseeing excursion. Then we leave Manila for Tokyo.

What will I miss the least? The humidity and bad hair days
What will I miss the most? The kids and the friends I made so quickly.

 This grandmother takes care of her grandson, since his parents have died. She was so caring and loved having his picture taken. She was beyond pleased to have such a good surgery result and was ready to go home.

 Goodbye from Davao

A new experience....Blind Man Massage

You can't leave the Philippines without being massaged by a blind man. It took me two days to understand that when you heard "Have you had the blind man massage" they really meant....a blind man massages you.
After dinner at the hotel, these two men offered a massage. The little boy led his Dad and Uncle around and was so sweet to them.  He would stay with them during the massage and sit quietly for an hour. Shawna, my friend the post-op nurse, and I opted to do this together. We couldn't decide whether to leave the lights on or off and then laughed....who cares they wouldn't know.

Shawna and I thought it was great and I never thought that I'd be massaged by a blind man after singing Karaoke with an Egyptian and Russian surgeon at dinner.  The girls had a blast.

 The blind men and the little boy- Susan, Emily and Shauna

 Tamer , Egyptian surgeon, and Luca, Italian surgeon. They were singing the Aladdin theme song...badly.

 Ceres, pediatrician, birthday cake. She is so cute and has kids that are my kids age.
Shawna is pictured below happy after the massage.

Happy kids are going home today

We went to post -op after breakfast to say goodbye to the kids going home today. Jovan was going home with his mom and he looked so happy. We loaded him up with a few toys and a new Smile baseball cap.

The simplest thing can make a little one so happy. It has struck me again and again how the kids are thrilled with one toy. I've given a child a bouncy ball and much later passed by again and handed out a toy car. The child will run to his mattress on the floor and hand me back the first toy I gave him. The kids share and  are satisfied for hours and I mean hours sitting with one thing on a mat in a hot room.

 I had a globe ball we have to Jovan. We marked where we were from in the US and where he lives in the Philippines. He also loved his Dr's hat we decorated with smiley stickers.

 The kids wait from morning till the next morning in they gym with little to do. We gave out construction paper strips and markers to make a long chain.

 Julia, Wendy, Emily and I had a cooking lesson making spring rolls. Wendy is Vietnamese and Julia is a writer living in Vietnam. They taught Emily and me how to roll a perfect spring roll. The mangos here are delicious, unlike the variety we can get in the U.S.

 This little girl was so cute and loved the beads we brought. She made a beautiful necklace. Pipe cleaners and beads also worked really well and were fun. One of the nurses brought a pump and balloons to make balloon animals. I can make a mean balloon weiner dog.

 The scrub hats were a real hit in Post-op

 These boys got get well cards from kids in the U.S.

 The post-op area was crowded so they moved some patients into this room. We took the chain the kids made and decorated the room.

**We were driving out in the countryside and stopped to get on a boat. There was a little boy about 3 years old with his brother playing near a hut. He was naked and his toy was an old paint roller on a string. He was running around with that old paint roller having a ball.
How's that grab ya?