From Japan to Costa Mesa, via Missouri

Emiko Schowengerdt doesn’t like to talk much about her contributions

to the Costa Mesa Senior Center, but that’s about the only thing she

won’t talk about.

The Japanese native isn’t shy about sharing her opinions, whether

it’s about life in Missouri, her religious faith, or the joys of

playing bingo at the center. And she’s also quick to point out her

correct age -- it’s 71 1/2, she’ll remind you.

She sat down with the Daily Pilot’s Jeff Benson at the Costa Mesa

Senior Center to talk about life in another country and here in

Orange County.

How old are you, and how long have you lived here?

My son is 41, so I’ve lived here about 42 years. That would make

me in my seventies. I’ll be 72 in February, so that would make me a

year younger now. We’ll say 71 1/2.

Were you born here or in Japan?

I was born in south Japan, in Sasebo. It’s a big city in Japan.

It’s good sized, but of course, we don’t have any big buildings like

Costa Mesa.

Did you move to Costa Mesa right after growing up in Japan?

The thing I remember about Costa Mesa is that there was nothing

here before. But first, I came to St. Louis, Mo. I call it “Misery.”

It’s hot in the summer and in the wintertime, cold. Ten years ago, I

moved to California because it was so cold. Thirty-below is too cold,

but it was a nice place.

You don’t look like a Schowengerdt. Your husband is German, is he

not?

His great-grandfather is. I should’ve married a Smith.

What brings you down to the Costa Mesa Senior Center?

I come here to play bingo. It’s really good for exercising the

brain. You can memorize four cards or two cards, either way, bingo is

good for the old folks. I play here Tuesdays and Thursdays. We never

really have the money to play, but it’s only 25 cents per card. Only

a quarter per card. Some people only play one card, and some people

walk two miles each way to play. I’m somewhere in between.

I tell people they should enjoy the old age. Sometimes people can

be so mean. At least you can be nice to them.

At the Senior Center’s Donor Wall, you showed that you’ve

contributed, but you wouldn’t say how much. You’re too modest.

I give and no one needs to know how much I give. The Lord knows

how much I help out.

What do you enjoy doing nowadays?

I go to church every week. And I took guitar lessons at OCC

[Orange Coast College], and I love watching karaoke. People should

come down to the center and sing sometime, and I’ll only charge you a

nickel.