Reiji--I was very interested in your musical choices. The Beethoven Archduke Trio was the first music my husband and I listened to together. The following week, we went to a performance of the Bach B-Minor Mass and I always said that that was "our song". Bob was also very fond of the later Beethoven quartettes, and we used to have them on the old 33 1/3 records.

However, I gave away my collection of those records when I was in California. I just got tired of moving 17 boxes of them every time I moved. And the, they began recording everything on CDs, and I have decided that at my age (74) it doesn't make sense to start collecting again. My kids don't care for that kind of music, so I listen to the radio for my music. When I was in High school I played the violin in our school orchestra. I was in the 2nd violin section, and my brother was in the first violins. He used to embarass me so much because when the conductor signaled for the orchestra to stop playing, he would just keep right on. I was mortified.

I have always been very fond of opera, and have recorded VCR tapes of most of the ones that appear on TV.

Mutsumi--
I was interested in what you said about girls not wanting to get married in Japan; many girls don't marry here, either. However, I do have some grandchildren (3 boys and 2 girls, plus the daughter of my youngest son's wife).

Families tend to get a bit mixed up these days. The guide I hired when I was in Tokyo was very 'liberated'. However, she was having problems with the man she was engaged to about her 'liberation'. We corresponded for a few years, and then she stopped. I've always wondered what happened to her. She was a very nice person.

Looking foward to hearing from all of you.
Jean L.