I woke up at 6.30 although we sent to bed at 2.30 a.m.

At 9.55 a.m., we went to Tobu Store. When we reached the Store, it had just opened for business. After buying our breakfast, we went back to the apartment.

At 11.30, we went to Ikebukuro with the note we took when Mrs. Toyoda brought us there yesterday. By 12.20, we managed to get to Ikebukuro by train.

In order to find the way for taking train to Disneyland as we planned to go tomorrow, we moved around the underground station. When we got to the ground exit, it was a different exit as yesterday. We had to walk quite a distance to find our way to the Toyota Showroom. By then, it was 1.15 p.m.

The Toyota Showroom was one of the places of interest for Solomon.
Although it was lunchtime, we did not go for lunch immediately. It was because we took our breakfast in the late morning and we were still not hungry. In order to save time in traveling between the restaurant and the Showroom, I decided to let Solomon to enjoy himself in the Showroom.

Tourists might not be interested in the vehicle showroom, there was little visitors. There were some potential buyers who were keen in the Toyoda motorcars. We hardly see any children in the Showroom. It was good for Solomon. He could observe the vehicles he was interested thoroughly without any interruption. He also got an opportunity to do a test drive with the simulation machine.

After spending almost two hours in the Showroom, we went to the shopping mall from the exit at the basement.

After taking our lunch, we walked to the station. On the way, we saw a shop that selling Disneyland products and entrance tickets. We bought the tickets for tomorrow. Mama also bought a luggage that was very light.

At every entrance of the stations, we asked the guides where was the station that we could get back to Tokiwadai. They were very polite and try to tell us the direction in simple English.

We took a train traveled from Ikebukuro to Tokiwadai. After getting out of the Tokiwadai Station, we went to the small restaurant where we have to use the coupon vending machine. Although it was a 24-hour restaurant, it closed for their resting hours and would re-open at 5 p.m.

At the Meeting of Rotary Club of Tokyo Asuka

Mr. Toyoda came to the lobby of the apartment to bring me to attend the weekly meeting of his Rotary Club of Tokyo Asuka. We walked to the opposite of Tokiwadai Post Office and took a bus to the Prince Station. The meeting place was at the 14th floor of a building and we could see the Tokyo City from there.

The members of the Rotary Club put on their suits. I did not bring my suits along, but I put on the Orchard Shirt. Mr. Toyoda was considerate. He photocopied many copies of my "name card" that I gave him last year. There were mailing address, contact telephone number, e-mail address and my home page. With those printed "name cards", I could exchange them with their members.

Mr.Toyoda introduced me to his friends. They were surprise when they came to know that Mr. Toyoda had known me for 25 years. Many of them admired our long-last friendship. We exchanged name cards and took photos. Majority of the members was elders, but there was a "younger" member. He was Mr. Phan from Beijing, China. Mr. Toyoda said that Mr. Phan was the first Chinese who joined as a member of Japanese Rotary Club. Mr. Toyoda called him to attend the meeting and be the interpreter for me to understand what was going on at the meeting.

We sang a song at the starting of the meeting. It should be the creeds of the Rotary Club. During the days when I was with Jaycees International, we also recited the Creeds. After that, the Council members made their reports and a guest gave a talk on Japanese tea.

During the meeting, we took our dinner. It was a bowl of curry rice with a big plate of vegetable salad.

The meeting started at 6.30 and ended at 8 p.m. After the meeting, Mr. Phan asked me whether I would follow Mr. Toyoda. I came to the meeting with Mr. Toyoda. It I did not follow him, how could I go back to the apartment. Then Mr. Phan let Mr. Toyoda and myself take his car to a place seemed mystery.

After we got out of Mr. Phan's car, I realised that he brought us to the nightclub owned by him. There were another two members drove there too. When we entered the lift of the nightclub, I told Mr. Toyoda that I would take any wine, but Coca Cola only. When we got out of the lift, a few European ladies welcome us. We went to the sofa and Mr. Toyoda sat beside me. Then the few ladies came to us. Each one of them sat next to each one of us. They sat very close to us and held on to our arms.

I asked Mr. Phan where we would go to when we were in his car. He told me that we were going to the "Foreigner's House". I thought it would be a certain museum. I wondered why the museum was open at night. I did not expect that he brought us to his nightclub.

That was the first time I visited a nightclub. I did not know that that was the culture of Japanese to pass time in the nightclub and to entertain guests in the nightclub. Until when I was back to Singapore and went for my Japanese Class, my teacher said that it was the Japanese culture. When Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda sent us back to the apartment after taking dinner in Shinjuku, Mrs. Toyoda told me that I would be able to go back to the apartment around 8 p.m. after the meeting.

The girl sat next to me was from Russia. She spoke to me in English. She found that it was the first time for me to visit a nightclub, she then sat properly and started to chat with me. We talked to each other frankly, and for some of the questions, we were just heaved a sigh as we were far away from home.

I kept looking at my watch after an hour. The Russian girl asked me if I am "thinking of home"? I told her that firstly I was not used to be in the nightclub. Secondly, my son was waiting in the apartment. My son heard Mrs. Toyoda said that I should be able to go back to the apartment by 8 p.m. last night when we were on the way back. Therefore, he asked me whether I was sure I would be back by 8 p.m. before leaving for the meeting. We had to get up early the next morning because we would be going to Disneyland.

I told Mr. Toyoda that I would like to "go home" when it was 10 p.m. I told him that I had to wake up early to go to Disneyland with the family. Mr. Toyoda requested one of his friends to drive us home. On the way, he asked the friend to stop and told me that that was his house. It was too dark for me to see. I also did not know how to go there from the apartment. Then they sent me back to the apartment. I did not know that Mr. Toyoda would go home or go to the nightclub again.

When taking the lift to the unit we stayed, I suddenly felt the culture shock.
The last two times when we visited Tokyo, I told him to go home early at night when we were at his house.
As a close friend, we would certainly be concerned of their way of life.
But, would our concern be the interference in another person's life?