Daren, That was a fascinating video. The swordsmith is Gassan Satatoshi and has been designated a Living Cultural Heritage by the government. Years ago, I read about the process, but watching in on video was really cool. It was unfortunate that the US Army destroyed so many katana after WWII.
Texas, it sounds like you had quite the experience. That’s really great. Have you been back since then?
Since you asked about it, here’s my life story, or at least a short version of it.
I first came to in 81 as a Mormon missionary. I’m from Salt Lake City, and while I’m not affiliated with the Mormon church anymore, I was an “old generation” Mormon, with both parents descendants of pioneer stock who came over in covered wagons or pushed handcarts. One great-great-great grandmother had both legs amputated at the knees because of frostbite and then still had and raised 8 children. Tough people.
Anyway, I came over to Japan, fell in love with the culture and the people. After my mission was finished, I went back to Utah and started school, working nights to support myself. Somehow got through an electrical engineering program, but discovered along the way that I didn’t want to be an engineer; but finished my last year since that was the fasted way though a degree.
Met and married a Japanese woman, and moved back over here in ’90 but that didn’t work out. (The marriage, not the Japan part.) A couple of years ago, I was ready to move back, but then I met a really special Taiwanese woman. Beautiful, funny and smart, any man would be a damn fool to not chase her. Hell, I may not be as smart as I like to pretend, but even I was able to recognize a gem when I saw it.
I put a full-court press on, and we were engaged a few months after we met, and married a few months after that. No sense giving anyone else a chance to slip in.
We decided to live here until retirement, where we plan on splitting our time between the States and Taiwan, so we started looking for a place to call our own. I like doing things my own way, so I wanted to have something built instead of getting something designed for someone else.
We searched for months, until I had a feel for what I wanted and didn’t want. One Sunday we got a call from an agent about a nice (tiny) plot with a contract to build a house. We looked at it on Monday, talked to the builders on Tuesday and signed on Wednesday. Once you do your homework and find something (or someone) you like, then there isn’t much point in dallying around.
They start in February and should finish in June. I’ll post more about it later.