Last year at this time, I posted a blog about entertaining my two nieces from Michigan who were visiting their Favorite Aunt Marilyn (that’s me). This time, it’s a visit from another niece, Seiko, from Japan.

My younger brother, Ron, moved to Shikoku Island, Japan in 1991 to teach English for a year. He’s still there! To his great credit, he’s managed to find a way to bring his daughter, Seiko, to the U.S. for at least a couple of weeks in August/September of nearly every one of her almost-16 years.

She doesn’t remember the first time she ever came to California to meet me. It was the occasion of the “Murphy Millenium Reunion” over New Year’s in 1999/2000. She was just three months old.

Seiko and I have shared some great memories during her summertime visits. Especially when she was going through her “pink phase.” For two consecutive years, we painted and decorated giant cardboard boxes to make unforgettable pink playhouses. Not sure which of us enjoyed it more!

Our first Pink House was quite a production! Heart-shaped windows, arched doors . . .

Pink house in year #2 was upgraded with a tea table and polkadots. Curtains too!

That was the summer of dress up, too.

Seiko grew up fast in that year . . . she was into dressing up and trotting around in my shoes. (Did I really own that many fancy shoes?)

A shopping outing is a traditional ritual. There were a few consecutive years when she tried on anything and everything in Ross Dress for Less, as long as it was pink. Her fascination with pink has evolved into a preference for the Victoria’s Secret brand, Pink, instead!

We went to the mall on Sunday, and she wanted to try on some fancy dresses. They don’t have any school dances or proms in Japan – so there’s no opportunity for girls to dress up as princesses (unless she happens to have a Favorite Aunt Marilyn to take her shopping!).

The first dress she chose was a stunner. She was SO excited to see herself in this gown!

Some of her favorite moments and favorite things from this visit: Taco Bell, Mooney’s Ice Cream (a Saginaw institution), big dogs, grass lawns (they were probably green in Michigan, at least), jumping on a trampoline, horseback riding, Magic Mountain, a candy store with a million choices and, of course, shopping!

We had time to talk about teenage life in Japan, which is far different from here. All kids wear uniforms to school – every day (no exceptions). They spend every other Saturday morning in school. When they go “out” to socialize, it often includes karaoke. Boys are very shy (in fact a survey, conducted by the Japan Family Planning Association, found that 36% of males aged 16 to 19, and 59% of girls of the same age said they had “no interest” in sex). Japanese teens don’t do Facebook. She does have an iPhone but I didn’t see Seiko take a single selfie. She won’t get her driver’s license until she’s 18. Nobody in her town has purple (or blue or teal) colored hair. She does, however, love the boy-band, One Direction.

I asked about some of her impressions:

• [As she was shopping for self-tanning cream], “I like how you can open and test things here. Everything in Japan is sealed up.”
• “Bathing suits are very different in America. Much more colorful. And much less fabric!”
• “Everything is so big in America!”
  

  Everything really IS big in America: Two girls barely made a dent in this funnel cake from Magic Mountain.

She’s on her way back home today. I miss her already . . . Thanks, Seiko – for a great vacation and more great memories of time spent together. I loved it as much as you did!

The many sweet faces of Seiko.

Dressing up and shopping will always be among our most treasured memories!

Thanks again, Seiko, for making wonderful memories with me!

Do you have a special visitor who fills YOUR summertime with joy?