Word: stratmans
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...town visitors can test any expat's patience, and none more so than parents. Deciphering mom and dad's interests and energy levels can be difficult at best. Sometimes it's a matter of pure luck. Kelly Stratman's parents were in Tokyo for a week, and to keep them entertained, she and her husband, Stephen, transformed themselves into tour-guide extraordinaires. They planned visits to the Meiji Shrine, Kamakura's Great Buddha and the Yokohama waterfront, rented a car for an overnight trip to the Izu peninsula, and even scheduled a New Year's Day viewing of the Emperor...
...Stratman's parents were unimpressed. Stephen recalls, "We might as well have been giving a tour of a dentist's waiting room." Then, two days before departure, Kelly's mother chanced upon the New Year sales at a Yokohama shopping mall, where discounts were as high as 80%. "She immediately lit up," says Stephen. By the next day, the family had canceled their original plans and decided to spend their last day together scouring for bargains. Mom had finally found her element, and the Stratmans had learned a vital lesson: gear your parents' itinerary to their preferences, regardless of what...