Brewster USA
@Jun/'01 USA
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Brewster: Farming machine shop
I came to Brewster Washington in USA, after finishing my job at Ujingen Germany
spending two days stop-over in Japan. In Japan,
it was terribly busy having tele-conference with K manager in London office,
arranging my continued business trip for another 3 months,
and having final meeting with Tiger Team members that had mission to launch the satellite successfully.
I hardly got into the plane at Narita Airport heading to Seattle
received the necessary foreign currency to spend my next three month in USA and other countries.
At my house in Sagamihara, I found two new cats had become as family member.
One is gray colored one and the other was black and white colored. The
gray one was hurt in her left leg and drag it whenever she moved, so the
injured part rubbed with earth and its part never got well. I felt little
relieved seeing the gray was not thinner at all, instead it looked rather
fat and not lost her weight. I heard that in the later day, one of the
animal volunteer took her to the animal hospital and asked the treatment.
I could not meet with black and white one during my short stay at my house.
Check in terminal for American Air was terminal 1 instead of usual terminal
2 I often use. Terminal 1 had long been under renovation works and had
completed recently a half part of it. Departure lobby had become considerably
larger than previous one. Desks for rap-top PC were prepared with AC power
source but without analogue or LAN connection terminal. At AA counter,
emergency contact address was asked and a name tag on all luggage was required.
Group boarding system was employed. I was in group 2. According to the
company regulation of our Australian branch, business class ticket could
be provided if the flight was more than 12 hours. The flight time between
Narita and Seattle was 7 hours and half, so we missed business class ticket
but got economy class ticket. My seat was in window side I always request,
but in the far rear law where engine noise was much louder than the front
law seat. We departed Narita 16:55 on 13/Jun, arrived Seattle in the morning
of the same date, since passing international date line during the flight.
The plane arrived south wing of SeaTac Airport. The immigration control
was extremely crowded. It took an hour and half just to pass the immigration
control. I was little surprised that many people who were behind the immigration
control officer did not speak well and had difficulties to communicate
with immigration officer. Those were not Japanese but other Asia and other
countries people. That was the fact not everybody could speak fluent English
on earth. We had to fill in the address in States and hold a return ticket.
Finally we passed through the immigration control and proceeded to baggage
claim area. We could pick up our luggage straight away since we spend a
good long time at immigration. Another gate were waiting us, the customs
clearance. I was asked few simple questions from customs officer, and replied
as usual. I had never expect that customs officer said to me "Good
English". So, many people who pass through this gate could not speak
understandable English at least.
Now, we moved to Gate-C where flights of Horizon Air depart by airport
bus. Arrived to Gate-C I had been in about an year ago. There were plenty
of time until the flight to Wenatchee departs. Changed the TC to US Dollar
cash. Handling charge was high as 15 dollars per 500 Dollars. Before going
on board, lets have some some snacks at airport restaurant Samuel &
Adams in Gate-C area. I ordered Submarine Sandwich, I do not know why this
name was put to the menu till today. It cost 9.27 dollars, a bit expensive
for snack. The volume was really big, but I ate all of them leaving nothing,
since I was grown up in farmer's house where foods was handled very special
and should not be spoiled at all.
Colombia River along route 97 Wenatchee: Pangborn Airport
Arrived Wenatchee by Turbo-Prop Plain of Horizon Air in about 40 minutes.
Got a rent-a-car at Hertz airport branch. We drove up R-97 along the Colombia
river. American routes are all free, so great many people move by car dragging
huge camping car behind. Some Camping cars are extremely large, so they
dragged the normal car behind camping car.The cars dragged behind camping
car were as large as full size car in Japan. The size of the camping car
is twice as large of the European one. By one hour drive, we reached Brewster
where we were going to stay another few weeks. Apple Inn Motel was the
lodge we took as same as before. It located along the route 97 on the edge
of the town. The price of the lodging was slightly raised because of the
top season of people moving.
The owner of the whole facilities had been changed. It became VERESTAR
instead of USEI. The access road to the facilities was also had been changed
from 66C USEI drive to 66C VERESTAR drive. I was little surprised when
I saw the leaflet placed in the information board. The leaflet said that
VERESTAR also owns Leuk Earth Station in Switzerland that I had engaged
heavily on its construction works in 1973 for #1 Station, 1993 for #3 Station,
1985 for #4 Station and many others. I remembered that my close friend
of SWISS Telecom said one day, the whole of the beautiful Leuk Earth Station
had been sold out to one of the American Telecommunications Company. At
that time I did not noticed the name of the American Company, now it recognized
that the name of the Company was VERESTAR where I am working for. Horse
cottage, and ranch style large farm house, all had been demolished and
no more existed, only the field had been stretching in front of the station
facilities. A large white dog used to lay down his big body in the corner
of the station was also not seen anymore. He also moved together with the
family of the former owner.
Having tired of eating Mexican foods everyday, one day, we went to Campbell
in Chelan 20 miles away from Brewster. The bar lounge was so crowded when
I visited last year, and we were introduced to the salon room, instead,
the bar lounge was sparsely populated and could get our seats in it. The
Bar was made by dark colored wooden wall and floor that I liked it very
much. There was a scripture on the wall saying, "To fit into society,
one must go to church or to the Pub." There were two big TV sets above
the two corners of the Bar lounge, so that people can watch sports event
like soccer or baseball game, it is like sports bar. On the TV screen,
baseball match of Seattle Mariners was on. Many local people seemed enthusiastic
fans of Mariners, two men in front wearing Mariner's Cap gazing the screen
putting beer and wine glass on the table. A loud and bursting voices were
heard intermittently. Mr friend ordered beer before the meal. Then a waitress
of the restaurant said to him, "ID please". He was little surprised,
since he never expect that kind of question in the restaurant. Probably,
he seemed so young, I mean, below 18 years old, in this state, one who
is under 18 years could not drink alcohol in public. This is the country
of law and contract. People tend to keep it as much as possible. Unfortunately,
at that moment, he did not any identification of his age, no beer was served.
We Japanese is usually short and looked younger as he actually is, so this
kind of things may happen in US sometimes. Poor my friend had to remember
to carry his ID whenever he goes out.
Brewster is the apple storage center in triangular land developed along
the Colombia River connected to Okanogan River coming from north, Canadian
border. A big storage house of Dole and Magi located close to the state
high way. A big sixteen wheels truck could be accessed directly to these
storage houses. Many Mexican people would help cropping apple in end summer
each year, so Mexican people were seen in wide area of this area along
the Colombia river. Street signs were sometimes written in Spanish together
with English. It was our saying that only one Mexican restaurant and one
Mac in the town. We were so pleased when we found another small sandwich
restaurant in the town.
17/Jun/'01 Rinzo@Brewster USA (Updated on 22/Dec/'05)
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