Monday 27th July 2009
On Friday Mr K, Felicia and I went to the Art Gallery while Sharnelle went to school for a meeting about her school camp next week. When her meeting was finished we went to a restaurant for lunch. We had been there before. We cooked our own and enjoyed it.
It was a very hot day so we went back to the ryoken and had a rest. When it was cooler we caught a bus to the shopping centre. We enjoyed just walking around and we bought a few last gifts to bring home. Sharnelle had to get some shoes for camp too. We then went to a Chinese Restaurant for dinner. When we got back we packed our bags and then we played cards.
When we woke up on Saturday we finished packing our bags. We walked to the train station to catch our train. Sharnelle was very sad that we were leaving. Her host grandad and grandma were there to drive her home.
Our first train trip was 2 and a half hours. When we changed trains we saw some 5 year old school children out on an excursion even though it was Saturday. They were so cute!!
Our next train trip was for about an hour. We were then back in Tokyo. We had about 2 hours to fill in before our train to the airport. Mr K went back to the elictronic street for a third look! Felicia and I stayed at the train station and had a coffee and read our books.
Then we caught the train to the airport. We booked in and wondered around until it was time to board. When we went to our gate we had to get a shuttle across because the airport is so big.
Before we got on the plane we met a Japanese girl called Lisa. She was flying on the same plane as us and going to Redcliffe as an exchange student.
We boarded our plane at 9.30pm. We flew through the night. It was a very long, uncomfortable night. We didn't sleep very much at all.
When we landed we had to go through immigration and customs. We had to declare some of the gifts that we had brought back. We then helped Lisa find the Rotary people who were there to meet her.
Miss Byrne and another friend called Julie were their to meet us. It was so nice to see them. We felt very tired and couldn't wait to get home and have a shower.
When we got home there was a lot of mail piled up on the table to sort through. It was good to be home. There was also a lot of washing to do!!!
After showers we felt a bit better. We went to the bakery and got a pie for lunch. We enjoyed that!!!
We then went out to a Rotary afternoon tea. We had to meet My. My is an exchange student from Swedan and will be staying at our house from September to December.
We were all very happy to go to sleep in our our own bed!!!!
Our holiday was now over but we had a wonderful time.
Tomorrow Mr K and I are going out to visit my sister on her new farm. We will come home on Thursday after we collect Simba from my parents.
We will also visit Mrs Kennedy in Toowoomba too.
Hope that you are enjoying the eggs!
See you all next week.
Mrs K x
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
More things to do in Takaoka
Thursday 23rd July 2009
Yesterday we had a very formal day.
Firstly we dressed in our best clothes and went to the Rotary Meeting. It was very formal and very interesting. The District Govenor was visiting too. The club is made up of about 60 men and 1 woman. She does all of the office work for the club. We had lunch as part of the meeting. We had eel!!! I ate it but I'm not sure that I like it. I managed to spill my soup. How embarrassing!!! Mr K had to make a speech and one of the men translated it. Sharnelle also had to make a speech but she spoke in Japanese. Most of the time we did not know what was being said. After the meeting was finished they had a photo taken. It was just like having a class photo. We had to be in it as well. I thought that it was very funny and I got the giggle when it was being taken.
One of the Rotarians then drove us around sight seeing. We went up the mountain first. From ther we could look back over the city. Next we stopped at an enoumous bell. It is the biggest in this area. We got to ring it. We then went to a famous Rock Island. The people here have a legend or story about it. Sharnelle had been there before but the last time she was there it was covered in snow. Next we went to the Takaoka History Museum. It was a little bit hard to understand it all as it was all in Japanese. And finally we went to a Tea House. We sat at a Japanese table which I don't find very confortable really and had an iced coffee. Iced coffee in Japan is really just very strong iced black coffee. We had to add a lot of sugar and a lot of milk.
We were then dropped back where we are staying.
We had just enough time to get changed and ready to go out to dinner with the people who have hosted Sharnelle and the president of the club. We went to a Chinese Restaurant which was just in the next street. It was a beautiful place to eat and the food was yummy. I think that they had ordered the food just for us as there was no raw fish and we had Aussie Beef!!!! Some of the people knew some english and they helped translate for those who didn't. When we got back Mr K, Felicia, Sharnelle and I played cards for a long time. It was very late when we went to bed.
Today we slept in and then we went for a walk to the park and visited the Takaoka Museum. We went to an Italian Restaurant for lunch. There were some teenage boys who kept staring at us and took our photos. I gave them some Australian stickers!!! After lunch we went to Sharnelle's school. Mr K and I met with her home class teacher and then we all went to English Speaking Club. We talked about Australia and how to pronounce some words. The girls then taught us how to makr paper cranes.
It was a small group but they were very friendly.
At the school there is a whole room just for shoes. Each student has atleast 3 pairs of shoes at school because they have an inside pair as well as sports and then the pair that they wear to school. It was very interesting to visit the school.
Tomorrow is our last day here. We will have to pack our bags ready for our trip home. We have to some how try and fit in all of the things that Sharnelle wants us to take home.
Mrs K. x
Yesterday we had a very formal day.
Firstly we dressed in our best clothes and went to the Rotary Meeting. It was very formal and very interesting. The District Govenor was visiting too. The club is made up of about 60 men and 1 woman. She does all of the office work for the club. We had lunch as part of the meeting. We had eel!!! I ate it but I'm not sure that I like it. I managed to spill my soup. How embarrassing!!! Mr K had to make a speech and one of the men translated it. Sharnelle also had to make a speech but she spoke in Japanese. Most of the time we did not know what was being said. After the meeting was finished they had a photo taken. It was just like having a class photo. We had to be in it as well. I thought that it was very funny and I got the giggle when it was being taken.
One of the Rotarians then drove us around sight seeing. We went up the mountain first. From ther we could look back over the city. Next we stopped at an enoumous bell. It is the biggest in this area. We got to ring it. We then went to a famous Rock Island. The people here have a legend or story about it. Sharnelle had been there before but the last time she was there it was covered in snow. Next we went to the Takaoka History Museum. It was a little bit hard to understand it all as it was all in Japanese. And finally we went to a Tea House. We sat at a Japanese table which I don't find very confortable really and had an iced coffee. Iced coffee in Japan is really just very strong iced black coffee. We had to add a lot of sugar and a lot of milk.
We were then dropped back where we are staying.
We had just enough time to get changed and ready to go out to dinner with the people who have hosted Sharnelle and the president of the club. We went to a Chinese Restaurant which was just in the next street. It was a beautiful place to eat and the food was yummy. I think that they had ordered the food just for us as there was no raw fish and we had Aussie Beef!!!! Some of the people knew some english and they helped translate for those who didn't. When we got back Mr K, Felicia, Sharnelle and I played cards for a long time. It was very late when we went to bed.
Today we slept in and then we went for a walk to the park and visited the Takaoka Museum. We went to an Italian Restaurant for lunch. There were some teenage boys who kept staring at us and took our photos. I gave them some Australian stickers!!! After lunch we went to Sharnelle's school. Mr K and I met with her home class teacher and then we all went to English Speaking Club. We talked about Australia and how to pronounce some words. The girls then taught us how to makr paper cranes.
It was a small group but they were very friendly.
At the school there is a whole room just for shoes. Each student has atleast 3 pairs of shoes at school because they have an inside pair as well as sports and then the pair that they wear to school. It was very interesting to visit the school.
Tomorrow is our last day here. We will have to pack our bags ready for our trip home. We have to some how try and fit in all of the things that Sharnelle wants us to take home.
Mrs K. x
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Karaoke and Kanazawa
Tuesday 21st July 2009
Yesterday we had a lazy morning at the ryokan. Then we walked to a restaurant near Sharnelle's school. We had to cook our own meal on a hot plate in front of us.
After lunch we met 2 of Sharnelle's school friends at her school. From there we went to karaoke. It was a lot of fun. At the place they have a lot of rooms decked out with all of the karaoke equipment. You hire the room for as long as you like. We were there for 3 hours and so sang a lot of songs. The 2 Japanese girls really liked to sing and had beautiful voices. We then had a big walk back to where we are staying.
Sharnelle's host mother and brother (Yoshi) came to pick us up. We went to their house for dinner. Grandma and grandad and Yuki (Yoshi's sister) live there too. Grandma and mum had prepared sooooo much food. It was all very delicious!! We sat on the floor to eat. Some of the things were a bit hard to eat with chopsticks. Sharnelle showed us her room and we saw some other very special things in their house as well. It was a really special time. Grandad was a very cute little man. He made us laugh!!
Today we caught the train to Kanazawa. It is the capital of the next area. It took about 45 minutes to get there. Sharnelle was meeting some other exchange students there for the day as some of them go home at the end of this week.
We went to a very beautiful garden. It rained but it was still lovely to see. We also went to a Contempary Art Gallery. There were some very interesting exhibitions there. One was a huge room that had a maze made out of small mounds of salt. It was still being completed. There was another room that was being made by people who visited it. It was all being knitted and crocheted. There were lots of flower shapes. Mr K, Felicia and I sat down and hand knitted a flower each. I will have to teach my class to hand knit. You just use your fingers!!! There were also some tricycles too as part of an exhibition. (They spelt it try circles!)You were allowed to ride them around inside the gallery. Felicia rode one.
Mr K, Felicia and I then caught the train back to Takaoka. Sharnelle stayed with her friends and came home after dinner.
Tomorrow we have some formal occassions to attend. Firstly we have to go to the Rotary Meeting at lunch time and then the Rotary Club are taking us out to dinner. We are going to a Chinese Restaurant. I feel a bit nervous about these!
Mrs K. x
Yesterday we had a lazy morning at the ryokan. Then we walked to a restaurant near Sharnelle's school. We had to cook our own meal on a hot plate in front of us.
After lunch we met 2 of Sharnelle's school friends at her school. From there we went to karaoke. It was a lot of fun. At the place they have a lot of rooms decked out with all of the karaoke equipment. You hire the room for as long as you like. We were there for 3 hours and so sang a lot of songs. The 2 Japanese girls really liked to sing and had beautiful voices. We then had a big walk back to where we are staying.
Sharnelle's host mother and brother (Yoshi) came to pick us up. We went to their house for dinner. Grandma and grandad and Yuki (Yoshi's sister) live there too. Grandma and mum had prepared sooooo much food. It was all very delicious!! We sat on the floor to eat. Some of the things were a bit hard to eat with chopsticks. Sharnelle showed us her room and we saw some other very special things in their house as well. It was a really special time. Grandad was a very cute little man. He made us laugh!!
Today we caught the train to Kanazawa. It is the capital of the next area. It took about 45 minutes to get there. Sharnelle was meeting some other exchange students there for the day as some of them go home at the end of this week.
We went to a very beautiful garden. It rained but it was still lovely to see. We also went to a Contempary Art Gallery. There were some very interesting exhibitions there. One was a huge room that had a maze made out of small mounds of salt. It was still being completed. There was another room that was being made by people who visited it. It was all being knitted and crocheted. There were lots of flower shapes. Mr K, Felicia and I sat down and hand knitted a flower each. I will have to teach my class to hand knit. You just use your fingers!!! There were also some tricycles too as part of an exhibition. (They spelt it try circles!)You were allowed to ride them around inside the gallery. Felicia rode one.
Mr K, Felicia and I then caught the train back to Takaoka. Sharnelle stayed with her friends and came home after dinner.
Tomorrow we have some formal occassions to attend. Firstly we have to go to the Rotary Meeting at lunch time and then the Rotary Club are taking us out to dinner. We are going to a Chinese Restaurant. I feel a bit nervous about these!
Mrs K. x
Sunday, July 19, 2009
In and around Takaoka with Sharnelle
Sunday 19th July 2009
Yesterday we left Hiroshima on the Shinkansen.
We had an hour and a half trip to Osaka where we changed trains.
It was then a 3 hour trip to Takaoka.
I thought that I would sleep but I was too excited about seeing Sharnelle.
We arrived at Takaoka just before 3 o'clock. Sharnelle was waiting for us at the station with a sign that said "Welcome to Takaoka."
She took us to our ryokan - Japanese Guest House. Then we went for a walk through the park. There is a zoo in the park. You can just walk through the zoo. It even has an emu. We then caught a bus and went to the shopping centre. We looked around and had some dinner there too.
When we got back, Mr K and I talked with a Japanese couple who were staying at the ryokan. Mr K even tried Japanese beer!!
We slept on mattresses on the floor. They were quite comfortable and I didn't mind the pillows!
Today we caught us bus to Toyama. Toyama is the capital of this area. It took us about half an hour on the train. We haven't had to buy train tickets for every trip that we have done because we got a rail pass for the 3 weeks. That has worked very well.
We visited a castle. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant and then walked to a garden. It started to rain so we found a sheltered spot and watched the water fountain. When it stopped raining we walked back to the train station.
When we got back to Takaoka we went to the hundred yen shop. That's a cheap shop but they have so much in the shop. I could have spent ages looking at it all.
We then did some washing. Even on holidays there's washing!!!
Sharnelle then took us to a Yaki Niku restaurant for dinner. It was lovely. We even had some Aussie Beef! We had to cook it ourselves. Another lady who is staying at the Ryokan and who teaches in Thailand came to dinner with us.
After the walk back I'm ready for a sleep.
The weather is very humid and I seem to get very tired.
Tomorrow we are meeting up with some of Sharnelle's school friends for lunch and then we are going to her host family's house for dinner. That will be exciting to visit their house.
It is very interesting being here as not many tourist come to this area so the children all stare at us because we look different. Sharnelle is known by lots of people here as the exchange student. I like to listen to her speaking to the people in Japanese. It means that she can do things like ordering our food etc for us.
Mrs K. x
Yesterday we left Hiroshima on the Shinkansen.
We had an hour and a half trip to Osaka where we changed trains.
It was then a 3 hour trip to Takaoka.
I thought that I would sleep but I was too excited about seeing Sharnelle.
We arrived at Takaoka just before 3 o'clock. Sharnelle was waiting for us at the station with a sign that said "Welcome to Takaoka."
She took us to our ryokan - Japanese Guest House. Then we went for a walk through the park. There is a zoo in the park. You can just walk through the zoo. It even has an emu. We then caught a bus and went to the shopping centre. We looked around and had some dinner there too.
When we got back, Mr K and I talked with a Japanese couple who were staying at the ryokan. Mr K even tried Japanese beer!!
We slept on mattresses on the floor. They were quite comfortable and I didn't mind the pillows!
Today we caught us bus to Toyama. Toyama is the capital of this area. It took us about half an hour on the train. We haven't had to buy train tickets for every trip that we have done because we got a rail pass for the 3 weeks. That has worked very well.
We visited a castle. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant and then walked to a garden. It started to rain so we found a sheltered spot and watched the water fountain. When it stopped raining we walked back to the train station.
When we got back to Takaoka we went to the hundred yen shop. That's a cheap shop but they have so much in the shop. I could have spent ages looking at it all.
We then did some washing. Even on holidays there's washing!!!
Sharnelle then took us to a Yaki Niku restaurant for dinner. It was lovely. We even had some Aussie Beef! We had to cook it ourselves. Another lady who is staying at the Ryokan and who teaches in Thailand came to dinner with us.
After the walk back I'm ready for a sleep.
The weather is very humid and I seem to get very tired.
Tomorrow we are meeting up with some of Sharnelle's school friends for lunch and then we are going to her host family's house for dinner. That will be exciting to visit their house.
It is very interesting being here as not many tourist come to this area so the children all stare at us because we look different. Sharnelle is known by lots of people here as the exchange student. I like to listen to her speaking to the people in Japanese. It means that she can do things like ordering our food etc for us.
Mrs K. x
Friday, July 17, 2009
Peace Park Hiroshima and Miyajima Island
Friday 17th July 2009
We have now been traveling for 2 weeks.
We have done so much and seen so many things.
We miss Simba though.
Yesterday we caught a Street Car (tram) to Peace Park in Hiroshima.
It was a lovely park with a lot of memorials for victims of the bomb that was dropped there on August 6th 1945. Some of the things that we saw made us feel very sad. There was also a Memorial Hall and a Museum. It was nice to sit quietly in the Memorial Hall and just think about it all. It really must have been an awful thing for the people here to go through. I don't think that you could understand what it really was like unless you were there at the time. The story about Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes was part of one of the exhibitions as well. I bought the story book and read it yesterday afternoon. I would like to share the story when I get back to school and we could learn to make paper cranes. There is a special monument for Sadako in the park. Children take paper cranes and hang there.
We spent most of the day at the park.
Today we went on the train and then a ferry to Miyajima Island.
It was a very rainy day.
That was our first really wet day which I guess is not too bad considering we are in the wet season here.
When we got to the island we walked to a special gate which was in the sea in front of a shine.
There were lots of little shops along the way. There were also wild deer everywhere.
Next we went on a Rope Car up the mountain. Now Year 4's you need to proud of me here!! This is not something that I felt very comfortable about doing but I did it!!!! It was very high and very long. I guess it was a pity that it was so cloudy because we couldn't see very far. It did clear a little bit when we came back down.
On top of the mountain there were a lot of monkeys. Most of them seemed to have a baby too. They were very cute.
Tomorrow we catch trains to Takaoka to where Sharnelle is living. She is very excited about us coming and we are excited about seeing her after 25weeks.
I hope that you have had a great start to Term 3.
Miss Byrne told me she enjoyed doing dancing with you.
I was pleased to hear that.
Mrs K. xx
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Hiroshima
Wednesday 15th July 2009
We did manage to get out yesterday afternoon and go to a castle and gardens.
Everything here is so old especially when you think that we in QLD just celebrated 150 years. Alot of things here are 500 years old and some more like 1000.
Mr K and Felicia went out at about 8pm to find a red glass light house.
I stayed at the hotel and went to bed.
Today we went to another garden.
We caught a train that only had one carriage.
It was a very big, beautiful garden.
There were turtles and very big fish in the ponds which we fed.
We then left Takamatsu.
This time we went on a double decker train to Okayama.
We were sitting in the bottom level.
It felt a little bit like my bottom was on the ground.
We crossed over the 15km bridge again.
At Okayama we changed to a Sinkansen train for the rest of the trip to Hiroshima.
We didn't get to see very much scenery because there were so many tunnels.
When we got to Hiroshima we went to our hotel.
It is a very swish hotel.
We have bed and I love the pillows.
We had to do some washing.
There was a coin operated laundry in the hotel so that meant we didn't have to carry our dirty washing along the street to the laundry!
We went out walking to explore the area and to find somewhere for dinner.
I posted a postcard to my class.
We found a restaurant that cooked okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) and yakisoba.
They are my 2 favourite dishes.
They cook it in front of you.
Hiroshima is famous for its okonomiyaki because they put noodles in it.
It was yummy! But fun to eat with chopsticks.
Tomorrow we are going to Peace Park.
That is where we will see lots of things about the Bomb that was dropped here during World War 2. This is the place where the story of Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes comes from. I'm looking forward to this as this is the place that I wanted to visit the most. Well apart from where Sharnelle is of course.
I am having a lot of trouble remembering how to spell the names of some of the places here in Japan. Felicia keeps making fun of me when I try to spell or say things the LEM way. Japan does not use LEM.
Take care,
Mrs K. xx
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Kyoto and Takamatsu
Tuesday 14th July 2009
On Saturday we caught the train to Nara.
We did a walking trail.
We went through a park where there were many dears.
They were very cute.
We bought some wafers to feed to them.
On Sunday we caught a train to Osaka just because we could.
It was very hot so we really only checked out the train station.
All of the train stations have shopping centres attached to them.
Yesterday we caught the Shinkansen to Yokahama.
We changed to a local train then and went to Takamatsu.
Takamatsu is on an island to the southwest.
We came across a 15km bridge.
It was very spectacular.
We are staying in a hotel and it is really nice to have real beds and pillows.
It was very hot so we stayed in the hotel for a while and went out when we thought it might be cooler.
We had wanted to go to the park but realized that it would be closing soon so we just explored the local area.
Today it is very hot again.
Mr K and Felicia have been out but I stayed in the cool.
We will go out later if its not too hot to look at the park.
I hope that you are all happy to be back at school and treating Mr C with respect and not missing me toooooo much!
Mrs K xx
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Out and About in Kyoto
Saturday 11th July 2009
On Thursday we left Mt Fuji without seeing the Mt.
We traveled on the Shinkansen train for about 2 and a half hours.
The train was very fast but quiet.
I slept for some of the way.
Mr K took lots of photos and Felicia read and knitted.
When we got to Kyoto we found our accomodation which was just across the road from the main train station.
We are staying in a Ryokan which is a Traditional Japanese Guest House.
It is OK but very small.
The beds are very thin matresses on the floor.
We have actually put 4 together.
The pillows are very smalland very hard.
The bathroom is super tiny.
Mr K has managed to bump his head many times because the ceilings are low.
We went on a walking tour.
We went through what they call Kyotos pantry which was like a market place.
There were some very interesting foods to see and smell.
Yesterday we went on a bus tour around Kyoto.
We visited many temples.
There were a lot of steps to go up and down to the temples.
The weather is very humid.
It rained for some of the day yesterday.
Today we are catching a train to Nara for the day.
We will probably just do a walking tour around.
Mrs K. XX
On Thursday we left Mt Fuji without seeing the Mt.
We traveled on the Shinkansen train for about 2 and a half hours.
The train was very fast but quiet.
I slept for some of the way.
Mr K took lots of photos and Felicia read and knitted.
When we got to Kyoto we found our accomodation which was just across the road from the main train station.
We are staying in a Ryokan which is a Traditional Japanese Guest House.
It is OK but very small.
The beds are very thin matresses on the floor.
We have actually put 4 together.
The pillows are very smalland very hard.
The bathroom is super tiny.
Mr K has managed to bump his head many times because the ceilings are low.
We went on a walking tour.
We went through what they call Kyotos pantry which was like a market place.
There were some very interesting foods to see and smell.
Yesterday we went on a bus tour around Kyoto.
We visited many temples.
There were a lot of steps to go up and down to the temples.
The weather is very humid.
It rained for some of the day yesterday.
Today we are catching a train to Nara for the day.
We will probably just do a walking tour around.
Mrs K. XX
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Where is Mt Fuji?
Thursday 9th July 2009
Yesterday we left Tokyo.
We had to catch 2 different trains in the city before getting on the Shinkansen train to Fuji.
The city is overlooked by Mt Fuji.
But there were too many clouds and we only got small glimpses of the Mt.
The Sinkansen is a fast train and travels at about 200km/hour.
We were on the train for about an hour.
When we got to Fuji we were met by 4 Japanese girls. One of them Rie has been to our house twice. Her friend Haruna came with her last year. Her older sister Katsue and another friend Ayana both had cars to drive us around.
We went to a restaurant where you sit on the floor with your legs down in a small pit under the table. We had to leave our shoes in a locker near the front door. We cooked our Okonnomikayi (savoury pancakes with lots of cabbage) on a hot plate on the table.
They then took us to a shopping centre and then to our Motel.
Mt Fuji was right out of our window - if we could see it.
Mr K and I went for a walk around to see what was around.
We just went to the convenience store and got sandwiches and yogurt for dinner.
Today we catch another train and go to Kyoto but more about that once we get there.
Mrs K. xx
Interesting Things - Part 3
Thursday 9th July 2009
*Workplace, Health and Safety would have a fit here - noone wears gloves when handling food.
*Even though the city is busy it is quiet.
*Our ears perk up when we hear someone speaking English. So far we have met a guy from Sydney, 2 Americans and a guy who teaches English in China.
*There are many different kinds of locks in the toilets.
*One set of toilets even had a light panel to show which toilet was free to use.
* There was one set of toilets that were tip toilets - you put your loose change in when you exit.
*Taxis have lace seat covers.
*Pillows have some sort of "beans" in them.
*When crossing the road there is a little white man on a blue blackground light.
*Trees along the streets are supported and anchored down - to hold them up when covered in snow.
*There are many different small cars but most are very box like.
*There are shopping centres at most train stations.
*There are seats outside of cafes for you to sit and wait to be invited in.
* Haircuts cost a lot - about $70
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Out and about in Tokyo
Tuesday 7th July 2009
On Sunday we met up with Ayana. She stayed with us last year for 3 weeks.
We had some trouble finding her as we planned on meeting her at the train station but the problem was that the train station has so many exits. But we eventually found her after phoning Sharnelle to get mobile numbers.
Late in the afternoon we went to Akihibara which is known as Electric Town. Mr K wanted to go there. There were supposed to be lots of lights and shops selling electric things. It was a bit dissapointing really.We had Japanese Maccas for dinner.
On Monday we went to an Art Gallery. We saw lots of lovely ink paintings. It was a very raining day. We went into Tokyo city to 2 different shopping areas. It was interesting to see and to watch people but we didn't buy anything. Things are very expensive here. I did have an Ice Coffee that had small rice balls in the bottom. We went to an Italian Restaurant for dinner.
Today we wet to the zoo. There were a lot of interesting birds there. Then we went to Tokyo central and went on a tour of The Imperial Palace Gardens. That is where the Emperor lives. It was intersting but today was a very hot day and so walking around was not all that nice. The Emperor grows a small patch of his own rice and the Empress has silk worms. Mr K and Felicia then went to a Science Museum but I came back to our Guest House as I was so tired. I was proud of myself, I managed to find my way back on the trains! I had a sleep while I waited for Mr K and Felicia to come back. Mr K also went back to Electric Town and Felicia spent some time in the park drawing. We went out to Denny's for dinner. It is an American Family Restaurant. The food was yummy!
Tomorrow we leave Tokyo and go to Mt Fuji. We catch a train there. It will take about 2 hours. We will meet another one of our Japanese girls there.
Mrs K xx
On Sunday we met up with Ayana. She stayed with us last year for 3 weeks.
We had some trouble finding her as we planned on meeting her at the train station but the problem was that the train station has so many exits. But we eventually found her after phoning Sharnelle to get mobile numbers.
Late in the afternoon we went to Akihibara which is known as Electric Town. Mr K wanted to go there. There were supposed to be lots of lights and shops selling electric things. It was a bit dissapointing really.We had Japanese Maccas for dinner.
On Monday we went to an Art Gallery. We saw lots of lovely ink paintings. It was a very raining day. We went into Tokyo city to 2 different shopping areas. It was interesting to see and to watch people but we didn't buy anything. Things are very expensive here. I did have an Ice Coffee that had small rice balls in the bottom. We went to an Italian Restaurant for dinner.
Today we wet to the zoo. There were a lot of interesting birds there. Then we went to Tokyo central and went on a tour of The Imperial Palace Gardens. That is where the Emperor lives. It was intersting but today was a very hot day and so walking around was not all that nice. The Emperor grows a small patch of his own rice and the Empress has silk worms. Mr K and Felicia then went to a Science Museum but I came back to our Guest House as I was so tired. I was proud of myself, I managed to find my way back on the trains! I had a sleep while I waited for Mr K and Felicia to come back. Mr K also went back to Electric Town and Felicia spent some time in the park drawing. We went out to Denny's for dinner. It is an American Family Restaurant. The food was yummy!
Tomorrow we leave Tokyo and go to Mt Fuji. We catch a train there. It will take about 2 hours. We will meet another one of our Japanese girls there.
Mrs K xx
More Interesting Things that I have noticed
Tuesday 7th July 2009
*A lot of ladies wear stockings.
*Its always a challenge to get the right button to flush the toilet.
*Its always a relief when I open the toilet door and its a western toilet and not a Japanese one!
*There are not many bins around but there is no rubbish lying around.
*And when you do find a bin you have to know which one to put it into as they are big on recycling.
* There seems to be many more Japanese men than women.
*A lot of ladies wear stockings.
*Its always a challenge to get the right button to flush the toilet.
*Its always a relief when I open the toilet door and its a western toilet and not a Japanese one!
*There are not many bins around but there is no rubbish lying around.
*And when you do find a bin you have to know which one to put it into as they are big on recycling.
* There seems to be many more Japanese men than women.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Interesting Things that I have seen in Tokyo
Monday 6th July 2009
*People ride bikes and hold an umbrella up at the same time.
*Some bikes have umbrella holders.
*There are a lot of very interesting socks!
*Dogs are treated like children - they are dressed and pushed around in prams
*We saw a cavalier today - we miss Simba!
*Tokyo train line map represents a bowl of spaghetti - there are so many lines.
*Small TV screens show ads on the trains and the details of the next station including the number of minutes to the next station.
*Mobile phones are not allowed to ring on the trains.
*People read, sleep or text while traveling on the train.
*People smoke not on the streets but in cafes etc
*I don't like the smell!!!
*You can get French food in an Itailian restaurant in Tokyo.
*The food is always presented beautifully especially the cakes and it tastes even better.
*The baths are very hot in the Onsen - Japanese Bath.
*You sit down on a low stool to take a shower.
*There are a million steps everywhere.
*My knees don't like all the steps!!!
*The people are very friendly and helpful.
*People ride bikes and hold an umbrella up at the same time.
*Some bikes have umbrella holders.
*There are a lot of very interesting socks!
*Dogs are treated like children - they are dressed and pushed around in prams
*We saw a cavalier today - we miss Simba!
*Tokyo train line map represents a bowl of spaghetti - there are so many lines.
*Small TV screens show ads on the trains and the details of the next station including the number of minutes to the next station.
*Mobile phones are not allowed to ring on the trains.
*People read, sleep or text while traveling on the train.
*People smoke not on the streets but in cafes etc
*I don't like the smell!!!
*You can get French food in an Itailian restaurant in Tokyo.
*The food is always presented beautifully especially the cakes and it tastes even better.
*The baths are very hot in the Onsen - Japanese Bath.
*You sit down on a low stool to take a shower.
*There are a million steps everywhere.
*My knees don't like all the steps!!!
*The people are very friendly and helpful.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
In Japan
Saturday 4th July 2009
We arrived in Japan yesterday.
It was a very long flight.
The people on the flight were very good to us.
They gave us a snack soon after we took off, lunch and then sandwiches as well as lots of drinks.
I watched movies on the flight.
When we got to Tokyo, the airport was so big that we had to catch a bus from the plane to the terminal.
Then we got a train to the Traditional Japanese Guesthouse where we were sleeping.
When we were on the train we saw lots rice fields and small houses.
It looked like a model town.
There are no gardens.
Simba would not like to live here.
But I did see 4 dogs walking.
We left home at 5am and arrived at the guesthouse at 9pm.
We were all very tired!!!
Our bed at the guesthouse was a mattress on the floor but I was so tired I slept anyway!!!
Today we went to Central Tokyo on the trains.
There are so many trains.
Felicia and Mr K are good at organising the trains.
We met a Japanese girl - Haruka (who stayed at our house 2 years ago) and her family.
They took us to many places to see interesting things and eat lots of Japanese food.
We even saw a shop that had clothes for dogs.
We didn't buy any for Simba because they cost lots of money but we saw some jeans that would fit him!!!
Now I need to sleep and rest because tomorrow we are meeting another Japanese girl that we know.
The people here seem very kind and helpful.
Love Mrs K xx
We arrived in Japan yesterday.
It was a very long flight.
The people on the flight were very good to us.
They gave us a snack soon after we took off, lunch and then sandwiches as well as lots of drinks.
I watched movies on the flight.
When we got to Tokyo, the airport was so big that we had to catch a bus from the plane to the terminal.
Then we got a train to the Traditional Japanese Guesthouse where we were sleeping.
When we were on the train we saw lots rice fields and small houses.
It looked like a model town.
There are no gardens.
Simba would not like to live here.
But I did see 4 dogs walking.
We left home at 5am and arrived at the guesthouse at 9pm.
We were all very tired!!!
Our bed at the guesthouse was a mattress on the floor but I was so tired I slept anyway!!!
Today we went to Central Tokyo on the trains.
There are so many trains.
Felicia and Mr K are good at organising the trains.
We met a Japanese girl - Haruka (who stayed at our house 2 years ago) and her family.
They took us to many places to see interesting things and eat lots of Japanese food.
We even saw a shop that had clothes for dogs.
We didn't buy any for Simba because they cost lots of money but we saw some jeans that would fit him!!!
Now I need to sleep and rest because tomorrow we are meeting another Japanese girl that we know.
The people here seem very kind and helpful.
Love Mrs K xx
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Getting organised
Tuesday 30th June 2009
Tonight I went out to dinner and a movie with Mrs Bowman, Miss Byrne and another friend to celebrate my friend and my birthdays.
I have been getting things together so I can pack our bags. Mr K and I went shopping for presents to take to Japan for the girls that we are visiting that have been to our house and also for the families that Sharnelle has stayed with.
I also spent some time in my garden today trying to get rid of the weeds. I don't want to find a jungle in my back yard when I get home.
My sister phoned this morning to tell me that the puppies were being born. I rang her back tonight to find out how many she had. She had 5. I can't wait to see them when I get back from my holiday.
My sister and her family are sleeping at their old farm for the last time tonight. The removalist comes tomorrow to take all of the household things. My older sister has been there helping her this week. Tomorrow will be a sad day for them.
We also had some sad times today as Mr K and I went to one of our neighbours funeral. She was an old lady but still sad. We live in a very friendly street and a lot of the people who live in our street were at the funeral too.
Tomorrow I will do some house cleaning ready for the people who are staying in our house while we are away. I will also have to mow the lawn. Mr K has to go to the city so he can get some money exchanged into Japanese Yen.
I hope that you are enjoying your holidays.
Mrs K xx
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Home again home again jiggity jig!!!
Saturday 27th June 2009
It's my birthday!!!
I'm back home again after spending a few days helping my sister and her family pack up their house and farm. It was lots of work!! Firstly I packed up all my sister's things in her craft hut. She loves to sew and make things. I love looking at her quilts that she makes. I helped load all of the garden statues into the back of a truck. And then I had the fun job of packing all of the glasses and coffee mugs etc This meant using lots on newspaper and so I ended up with very black hands!!!
On Thursday, 2 very big trucks came to load up some of the farm machinery. One of the trucks had a crane that lifted the things onto the back of the truck. It was very sad watching the trucks drive away from the farm with all of the things. One of the big trucks, a smaller truck and 2 utes lift on Thursday afternoon to go to the new farm. The other big truck, a smaller truck which my brother was driving and my parents in their 4WD with some pot plants and my sister and I in her 4WD with some of her craft things and all of their hanging clothes left very early on Friday morning. It was a long drive to their new farm. it took about 3 hours. The truck that my brother was driving looked funny because it had a pot plant stand right up on top of the load with its legs sticking up in the air.
Their new farm is between Roma and Injune. You will have to look at a map! Their letter box is 11 kms from the house. My sister said that she will not be walking to collect the mail. The mail gets delivered twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday. The house is on a hill in the middle of the property. It was quite cold there. It started to rain when we were there so we had to get everything unloaded quickly because the road is not a wet weather road and the trucks wanted to get back out. My brother in law took my parents and I for a drive around some of the farm. There are many, many kangaroos on their property. We saw a lot even in the daytime!! Because it was raining we then had to drive a longer way back. When we got back to my sister's old farm it had rained there too and the road was very boggy. I had to get my car (well Mr K's car really) out. Now that was fun!!! I did get it out but nearly got bogged twice!!!! We all went out for dinner in town then. My family wanted to celebrate my birthday.
Today I drove back home to be with Mr K and Felicia for my birthday. My brother and dad had to help me wash LOTS of mud out of my wheels before I could leave. Felicia just got home from work and gave me 3 presents for my birthday; a scarf, a necklace to match my bracelet that she bought me for Mother's Day and some very special chai tea -Mmmm!!! and we ate birthday cup cakes - Yum!!!!
Now that I am home again, I'm missing Simba. He is staying with my mum and dad while we are away. He has 2 other King Charles and a Terrier to play with there and he was having so much fun. He doesn't seem to mind wearing his nice warm coat each night. At my sister's house she had a Tibetan dog that was about to have puppies. Her name is Furby. She is so fluffy and cute and fat with babies!!! I was hoping that the puppies would be born while I was there but they weren't.
I hope that you enjoy your holidays and do lots of extra special things for your parents!!!
Mrs K xx
It's my birthday!!!
I'm back home again after spending a few days helping my sister and her family pack up their house and farm. It was lots of work!! Firstly I packed up all my sister's things in her craft hut. She loves to sew and make things. I love looking at her quilts that she makes. I helped load all of the garden statues into the back of a truck. And then I had the fun job of packing all of the glasses and coffee mugs etc This meant using lots on newspaper and so I ended up with very black hands!!!
On Thursday, 2 very big trucks came to load up some of the farm machinery. One of the trucks had a crane that lifted the things onto the back of the truck. It was very sad watching the trucks drive away from the farm with all of the things. One of the big trucks, a smaller truck and 2 utes lift on Thursday afternoon to go to the new farm. The other big truck, a smaller truck which my brother was driving and my parents in their 4WD with some pot plants and my sister and I in her 4WD with some of her craft things and all of their hanging clothes left very early on Friday morning. It was a long drive to their new farm. it took about 3 hours. The truck that my brother was driving looked funny because it had a pot plant stand right up on top of the load with its legs sticking up in the air.
Their new farm is between Roma and Injune. You will have to look at a map! Their letter box is 11 kms from the house. My sister said that she will not be walking to collect the mail. The mail gets delivered twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday. The house is on a hill in the middle of the property. It was quite cold there. It started to rain when we were there so we had to get everything unloaded quickly because the road is not a wet weather road and the trucks wanted to get back out. My brother in law took my parents and I for a drive around some of the farm. There are many, many kangaroos on their property. We saw a lot even in the daytime!! Because it was raining we then had to drive a longer way back. When we got back to my sister's old farm it had rained there too and the road was very boggy. I had to get my car (well Mr K's car really) out. Now that was fun!!! I did get it out but nearly got bogged twice!!!! We all went out for dinner in town then. My family wanted to celebrate my birthday.
Today I drove back home to be with Mr K and Felicia for my birthday. My brother and dad had to help me wash LOTS of mud out of my wheels before I could leave. Felicia just got home from work and gave me 3 presents for my birthday; a scarf, a necklace to match my bracelet that she bought me for Mother's Day and some very special chai tea -Mmmm!!! and we ate birthday cup cakes - Yum!!!!
Now that I am home again, I'm missing Simba. He is staying with my mum and dad while we are away. He has 2 other King Charles and a Terrier to play with there and he was having so much fun. He doesn't seem to mind wearing his nice warm coat each night. At my sister's house she had a Tibetan dog that was about to have puppies. Her name is Furby. She is so fluffy and cute and fat with babies!!! I was hoping that the puppies would be born while I was there but they weren't.
I hope that you enjoy your holidays and do lots of extra special things for your parents!!!
Mrs K xx
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Road trip
Tuesday 23rd June
I'm heading west to help my sister for a few days. Simba is coming with me. I hope that he is going to be a good boy as we have a five hour trip together.
Monday, June 22, 2009
On holidays!
Saturday 20th June
In two weeks we will be in Japan! Most of the planning is done but we still have lots to do before we go. We have to buy some gifts to take with us for the people that we will be visiting.I came home from school camp yesterday, and I am now on holidays - whoo-hoo! It was a rushed time last night after school - dropping student teacher Miss Dutschke at her home, getting Simba to the vet to have his stitches out, getting ready to go out for the night, picking up Mrs Jones & Mrs Kennedy and going to the Woodford Hotel for Mr Heffernan's and Mrs Kennedy's farewell dinner. We had a nice dinner.Our house-sitters are coming for a visit today. They live in Northern NSW.
Monday 22nd June
Well, you will be getting ready for school now and I'm still in my PJs! I hope that you have a great day with Mr C. Today I'm getting organised for my trip out to the farm with Simba. There are a lot of things to pack for Simba! And I want to buy him a nice coat as the night will be cold. I hope that you have a lot of good memories from our camp last week. It was lots of fun!
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