Sunday, October 1, 2017 - Nagoya

We’ve been awake long enough to stretch and greet the morning when Iori comes over to check on us!  We gather our things for the day and head next door to say, “Good morning”, to Tae and Sakurako.  There is no school today and no work for Andy, so it’s a family day!  Tae fixes us all toast with butter and homemade strawberry jelly on the world’s thickest bread!  The jelly is so flavorful! We play with the kids and enjoy being grandma (or aunt!).  Iori is four now and Sakurako is two;  boy it’s been a long time since I had little ones that size!

Andy caught the pop-up thingie that Ginger brought.

After a while Andy rejoins the living, slowly!  We decide to all take a walk to the local temple. We run into Iori’s friend and his mother and they join us on the expedition.  It turns out that another of their friends is the son of the priest at the temple and they all go to preschool together.  Very often after school the kids all play on the temple grounds.  After the temple we walk along the river – well Iori and his friend run but the rest of us walk!  And then return home.

Such a lovely neighborhood!

Here's the explanation - they are supposed to keep the dogs and cats from urinating on the post.  We're told that it doesn't work!

Using iPhone to translate an unusual word.  Turns out it means "filial piety"!!

Tae has packed us all a picnic lunch that we take to one of their favorite parks.  Along the way we stop to see a model home.  Tae has been researching architects who build American style homes.  This one has already been sold and the new owners are there with the contractor.  We remove our shoes and are given white gloves to protect the interior.  It is a strange design, with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living room, kitchen , and dining room, along with several small and oddly-purposed rooms upstairs.

On to the park!  It’s quite large and has a pond with a fountain, lots of green space and an amusement park! It also has aan unusual trampoline and that’s where Iori broke his leg several months ago.  He’s completely healed and shows no ill effects whatsoever.

Iori tapped in the pegs.

Here's the infamous trampoline!  Never saw one like it before!

Thanks, Andy, for these two!

Tae’s picnic is great with roast beef, and egg sandwiches.  The ground cover is plastic with a thermal backing and holes in the four corners for plastic pegs to go through.  After lunch the kids take us to the amusement park.  We ride the ferris wheel and the train and then the kids go down the slides, and down the slides, and down the slides!!  I’m exhausted from watching!  There’s even a “grassy” slope to ride down in a sled!

Across the street is another model home.  This one is much more traditional with the bedrooms upstairs and is quite beautiful.  Tae loves it!  But houses in this style are really expensive, and you have to buy the land, as well, of course. 

We stop by the house for just a few minutes to freshen up and we’re off to dinner at a yaki niku restaurant.  It means “roast meat” and it’s a most marvelous way to eat! Tae is in charge of ordering and we start with tongue appetizers, kimchi, rice, and salad. The way this works is that there is a hibachi-like device in the center of the table and platters of thinly-sliced meat keep appearing!  Tae is the master chef!  She keeps everyone in perfectly-cooked delectables, while also finding time to eat herself.  Andy and Ginger keep the kids’ rice bowls supplied with their share of the goodies, which usually involves Andy holding a slice with chopsticks while Ginger uses the scissors which are provided to cut off child-size pieces.  Each platter seems to hold an even-more delicious treat.  Meat is a wonderful thing and life is really good!!  We have a local beer to go with dinner that is quite tasty.

When everyone is filled beyond belief, Tae orders a bowl of noodles!  Where does she put it?  Andy says we have been "sedated by meat"!!

Back home the kids have their baths and put on their PJs.  Ginger and I are still a bit jet-lagged and we turn in early, making our way next door to our waiting futons and duvets.