August 7, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Glen Rock Japanese visitors encounter pizza, sushi, and love by John Koster “In this town there is nothing but love,” said Kristen Stewart O’Brien. “You think that after 21 years it would fade -- wear off, but it doesn’t. This room and its people are just about love.” O’Brien was speaking about the Glen Rock Annex, which was filled to capacity with borough families and the Japanese students and officials from Onomachi they had volunteered to host. Everyone gathered for a feast of Miki Watanabe, Hiroyoshi Yoshida, and Miki Suzuki with Mayor John van Keuren. Sena Iwatsuki and Chisa Hirokawa enjoy pizza and sushi at the Glen Rock Annex. pizza, sushi, and cookies. “The houses are colorful and looked like the houses from a fairy tale book,” said Sena Iwatsuki, 14, of her first impression of Glen Rock after the bus drive from the air- port, where the visitors were held up in Customs. “Glen Rock is very pretty with an abundance of green trees and pretty houses among them in an orderly way,” said her friend Chisa Hirakawa, speaking in Japanese. Ryuya Yoshida said he was happy and uplifted to see America, “...but it is strange that the cars drive on the left side with a left wheel. When I saw a yellow taxi, which I hadn’t seen in Japan, but had seen in American movies, I felt delighted to see yellow taxis in America with my own eyes.” “I was thrilled to see the cheerful, delightful people of Glen Rock,” said his buddy, Yuga Aida. “They were all so nice.” Three Onomachi adults -- board of education official Hiroyoshi Yoshida, local official Miki Watanabe, and Eng- lish teacher Miki Suzuki -- came along as chaperones. The three adults and the 15 middle school students were all (continued on page 33)