<Begin Segment 15>

Masako H: How do you spend your time now?

Mae H: Well, I already told you what I did yesterday.

Masako H: Do you take exercise classes, anything like that?

Mae H: I like to read, but my eyes get tired a lot at night, and so I've got books I haven't read. I just borrowed my first Harry Potter book I'm going to get into. I like all kinds of reading. But if it's not dull, I like history. I like true events that I read on. And of course, I'll let a lot of my magazines run out because maybe I won't need them anymore, but I like to read. As I say, go to concerts when I can, but I can't drive at night. That's a handicap. I don't want to because it's dangerous. My daughter, the older daughter, tells me more what I should do than I, we're reverse, of course, now. She's, Mother, you have one infraction, say good-bye to your keys.

Masako H: Do you do any kind of exercise, go to classes?

Mae H: Oh, yes, twice a week, uh-huh. It takes some of my mornings. I go to tai chi class. It's at the senior center. I can still drive there which is not far away, and I enjoy that because it's, it's not only spiritual, but it helps you in your balance and it's slow and it's not too hard on the body, mainly leg muscles and arm, slow, and I, when I read that article, the ad in the local paper, I said, I'm going to ask about that, so I went there. I enjoy it.

Masako H: And have you kept up with your painting and haiku?

Mae H: I need to get back to my painting. All the tubes are dried up. I got to soften the paint. I got to get to it, but I haven't yet. I've been too busy, so I will. I've got all the equipment.

Masako H: You showed me a card that you did last time, and you had a painting on it and a haiku, and I copied that haiku down because I thought it was really wonderful.

Mae H: Well, I made friends easily. And of course, I wanted to immediately with the neighbors on both sides of me. And the one lady on my left looking out the door, she's just a wonderful lady, and she showed me her apartment, and that's what's interesting. Every apartment is different, how they decorate it, mostly women here, some men. But when she said she's moving because she needs to be closer to her family, daughter in Washington and one closer to the West Hills of Portland, and she will live in a similar apartment, I assume. But I was so sad because I hate to see her go. I only had known her well for about a month. Anyway, so I thought since she had given me something she can't take with her, I thought well, I just want her to know how I feel about her going, and so I wrote a short haiku. I never had any formal education. All I know is the seventeen syllables, and of course, it isn't like Japanese. They use their own language for the haiku, you know. So anyway, I wrote one for her on a piece of paper. I had painted something on small I could cut to size how I felt about her going, and so I gave it to her.

Masako H: Could you read that for me? This is a haiku that you wrote right here.

Mae H: Well, whatever happens to us, we have all shared an adventure. We go through many paths. So this is what I'm reflecting in this haiku. The river of life flows steadily with bumps, time. Jane is a sparkle. This had to be, what did I say, seventeen syllables, but a sparkle in the river of my life. She was a real wonderful person.

Masako H: We're nearing the end of this interview. Is there anything you would like, anything more you would like to say, or do you have any questions?

Mae H: Well, I still like to travel. I just got back from seeing my grandson celebrate his master's degree in communication technology, and that little drive up to Puyallup was wonderful. The scenery is so nice. It always has to do with beauty, what I like. So whatever I do, I think painting, I could probably do for a long time. And I like to collect things that other people have done, and I surround myself with handiwork of people's art. So I can't hear well, so I can't enjoy music like I used to. I need to drop that because I can't participate anymore much in the music myself, yeah.

Masako H: Well, thank you, Mae, for sharing your story with us. I appreciate it very much.

Mae H: You're welcome, and I thank you.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.