Miharu - STILL Our Home

From July of 2000 to March of 2007, we lived in a bed and breakfast called the "Rice Lake Int'l House" in the town of Miharu-machi in Japan. We shared a large room on the second floor. Miharu spent about $500,000 building it and most of the interior was imported from Wisconsin and Rice Lake.

If you want to know more about the RLH or Miharu check out the Link below and check out the Rice Lake House web site (If one exists anyway. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't deleted the homepage already. They deleted it for about a week after we left, then it appeared back up again. Hmmmm. ).

We left the Rice Lake House and the employ of the Miharu Board of Education and MIFA (Miharu International Friendship Association) after nearly a 20 year affliation under very acrimonious circumstances. Things culminated with them refusing my request to allow us to stay even ONE more night (since Kevin had a fever of almost 103 degrees the day we were supposed to move out). They REFUSED, and I can never forgive them! Hey, they can be as rude and horrible to me as they want to, but when they treat my SICK KID like that, it is unforgiveable! Don't you agree?

Nevertheless, while we no longer work for Miharu (officially), I continue to support the Miharu ABC Kids English Immersion Preschool program and Miharu Ensemble Foundation, and I will continue to consider Miharu to be my hometown in Japan. (They can't get rid of me that easily.....ha,ha,ha,ha!)

I do NOT hate the current administration of MIFA nor the Board of Education or current administration, I certainly do not LOVE them they way that I used to. Oh, well. I put MOST of what happened down to cultural differences and misunderstandings, but the fact is that THEY BROKE MY HEART with the way things were handled. Probably I did the same to them (but THEY STARTED IT). In any case, I don't hate them, I just don't KNOW them - they are all strangers to me!

Hopefully one day there will be an evolution that will allow me to return to serve the people and town that I love(d). I received support (albeit totally ineffectual support for all intensive purposes) from many good citizens and friends. So, I will try to find some perspective over time and perhaps, one day I might even LOVE Miharu again the way I used to.