The Entertainer

Our little pianist! This is the first song he learned.

Only in Japan...

....do you see a Japanese Robot Pop Star. Go ahead and watch....it's pretty cool actually!

Check it out!

http://video.yahoo.com/network/101149635?v=8416665&l=5144210

Bike Ride Through the Oirase Gorge

Last weekend, Eddie and I joined a group of avid cyclers (both American and Japanese), rode about 45 minutes up the rode, passed Towada City to the entrance of the Oirase Gorge. In order to appreciate the love I have for my husband, please understand that cycling is HIS thing .... not so much mine! I would MUCH rather put on a pair of Adidas running shoes (I prefer those b/c they have high arch supports) and go jogging.

So like I was saying, he LOVES cycling, has a world-class bike (not Lance Armstrong, but pretty close - we don't have Lance Armstrong money!!) and mine.....uh.....well...mine is probably 2 steps up from a 1980's ten speed. Whatever! So basically the ride is easier and smoother for better bikes......hmmm.... I have better running shoes than him! HA take that, Eddie!

So we found out about this annual bike ride through the gorge and afterwards some Japanese people were going to cook us lunch! The lunch won me over! I was GAME! I am one gal that truly appreciates F-O-O-D.

For the record, we were biking for 2 1/2 hours up and down hills with cars within 24 inches of us...that is the reason Elijah did not come.

It really was a beautiful ride with a ferry, waterfalls, lakes and rivers. Here are some pics from the ride:

This was 1/4 of the people that went on the ride

Doesn't it look difficult to write those characters?

YES! We made it and all I had to do now is sit back and wait for lunch to be cooked for me :) He is making vegetable yakisoba! Yummers! I had 2 helpings....which pretty much equates to 1/2 an American-sized helping! After almost 3 years here - it is clear to me, in general, why the ladies here are smaller than American ladies.

She is grilling up some teriyaki chicken skewers.

So here I have some vegetable soup. All freshly cut veggies (mushrooms, carrots, cabbage and the other 3 veggies were some Japanese veggies -- couldn't tell you what they were but they were tasty) Oh yeah....it also included some cooked eggs too. Notice the chopsticks....would have been totally out of luck if you didn't know how to use them - there was not a fork or spoon in site! Even the cooks were using chopsticks when they were cooking the food :)