Day 3 with the book group.  All about the book.

We read The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.  A sweetly written story about a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl during the time of the WWII internments.  After breakfast we took a bus to the international district and went to the Panama Hotel tea room to have tea and discuss the book.  The hotel still possesses items left by Japanese families for safe keeping but never claimed.  We all liked the book although some plot twists were contrived.  We especially liked the way the book tied in the jazz scene of the time which added an extra dimension to the story.

Next we walked to the Wing Luke Museum which was built in memory of a Chinese American but which illustrates the various Asian and Pacific peoples who have come to the Pacific Northwest.  Videos of Japanese adults who were interred with their parents and siblings were especially touching.  One man talked about how the Jews remind us year after year of the holocaust.  He said that one gets tired of hearing about it but appreciated the value of insuring that no one forgets.  He suggested that the Japanese should do the same.  Hear, hear!

Our Taiwanese tour guide at Wing Luke suggested a dim sum restaurant nearby.  We happily took her advice and it was good advice.  Harbor restaurant had excellent dim sum for the grand price of $15 each including tip.  Lots of tea today.

Our next destination was Smith Tower but some of us wanted to return to the museum.  We divided and arranged to meet at Smith Tower for happy hour.  On the way we found some wonderful shops which always makes for time well spent.  Smith Tower was at one time the tallest building west of the Mississippi.  It is no longer but it has great classic design.

From Smith Tower (after 2 rounds of drinks) Janet and Monika went to the large Ferris wheel and the rest of us headed home.  Robert made a huge salad from leftover tomatoes and cucumbers and avocado.  We had salmon left from Monday and assorted other items which all together made a perfect 5th meal of the day.  We discussed life and death, cars and kids, friends and wills.  Just a typical book group discussion.  Sandy pointed out that this was a safe place to work through things.