Still not in the house.....

Hey Everyone,

We had a great, busy weekend! We went to see Wayne and Debbie on Saturday. They are both incredibly sweet, and adored by the girls. We also went to pick out our TV and vacumn. Then we went to the Korean BBQ (Chilis and Garlic).

Sunday, we went to FuKui (foo-koo-ee). It is on the west side of the island, which all the Japanese told us is much nicer than the east side. It was really pretty! We got to drive through some beautiful mountains on the way, and the beach is actually surrounded by lush, green mountains. The majority of the mountains are covered in beautiful pine trees. It was a fun day, and the girls got to swim in the ocean. They got in too deep a couple of times because they have no fear - LOL. Sam and I had to stay right beside them, which just thrilled Gracie who is 4-going-on-14. The highlight was the girls getting to catch some beautiful minnows. They were about the size of a fishing minnow, and they would swim into the shallow water to escape the "larger" things chasing them. They would just look at the girls and kill over :) They were not very resilient, but very pretty, with a blue-green stripe on their back. Sam wanted me to add the kamikaze motorcyclists. We were on the expressway, so we, and the other cars were going about 110 km/hr. These guys would pass everyone on the shoulder or just go between us and the car beside us. We're used to them doing it in the city, but everyone is going pretty slow. There were a few that went between us and a bus - way too trusting of us crazy, American drivers.

We topped off the day at a Brazilian Churrascaria. They had a scrumptious buffet, and the meat was wonderful! They also had a live band, and the girls danced with Gi-Gi, who is an older Brazilian man. I'm not sure if he is the owner, or just the churrascaria cook :) Another girl came by and danced with them for a few minutes, as well. Sam classified it as the "Perfect Day!"

Monday, the girls and I went to the Robot Museum. The girls had been dying to go. The girls were a little young for most of the activities, but enjoyed looking around.

Monday's dining experience was not quite so "smokin'." We went to Uno's, which is a Mexican restaurant. The girls ordered Cheddar Chicken, which was like a chicken flauta, EXCEPT they put COLD nacho cheese sauce and ketchup on it. Even my tacos had mayonnaise and ketchup on them. Now, the chips and salsa were actually pretty good, but the girls ate them all :(

Tuesday, Diana came and picked up the girls and me. She showed me the Daiei (die-ay) by our house. It has an awesome 100 yen store! Sophie LOVES Marie from the Aristocats, and we have found everything you could possibly imagine, MARIE! She took us to a park, and we took a small nature hike. She also cooked fajitas, spanish rice, refried beans, and guacamole for us - Yummmmm! It was a wonderful evening spent with new friends.

Today, the girls and I walked the area. Eri-san showed us where a 100 yen store was by us(on the 7th floor), and I also went to the book store which has one floor with "foreign books." The girls got a couple of new books. They are able to really stick with a story now, and enjoy reading time. Diana also showed me some Japanese "ABC" books, which will be good for me and the girls. Diana actually can read some Japanese, so I'm looking even more forward to having the tutor teach me to speak AND read the language.

We met Sam back at the hotel at 2:00 today, so we could go get our alien registration cards. Fortunately, we have a wonderful lady who fills out all our registration stuff. The funny part is: Sophie has been obsessing about E.T. lately(we don't own the movie - she's just obsessing). The past few nights, we've had to remind Sophie that E.T. was a nice "Alien." And, E.T. is just pretend, and Jesus lives in our heart, so we don't need to be afraid. It works, Thank You, God! Anyway, today, I was telling the girls that we are going to get our alien registration cards...Doh!....

Gracie: "What you say 'bout aliens?!"

Me: "Uhhhh, we are considered aliens in Japan because we're not from here."

Can you picture what they are picturing???

Gracie: "I DON'T WANT TO BE AN ALIEN!!!" (enter tears and hysterics).

Sam and I begin back-peddling at this point, and finally tell Gracie she doesn't have to be an "alien" if she doesn't want to be one. After the not-so-painful procedure of becoming "Official Aliens," I try to explain it to the girls again. This time I explained that they didn't have to be from outer space to be an alien (I gave them the definition). They were fine with THAT. So, now, we are proud "Aliens" of Japan! The only questions they had registering us were the girls' birthdate being the same, and me being born in Japan. They totally got when we told them "Tachikawa" (where I was born).

I'll proof-read this tomorrow, and try to make corrections, but this alien is tired :)

Love, Hugs, and Prayers for all of you, our family and friends.

HOPEFULLY, the next time I "blog" it will be to tell you we're getting in the house :)

~Michelle

Another typhoon, and a big day at the port...

http://www.imageevent.com/tri_pod

We went to the port today to experience some of the other things it has to offer. We toured the Antarctica Explorer ship, the Fuji. It was really interesting, and I kept thinking how our dads and nephews would have loved it. They had some taxidermied penguins and some mannequins to show what certain rooms and areas were for. I have to add that because the girls, Izzy especially, kept asking if the people used to be real, too. I'm trying to keep from laughing, as she still isn't buying the concept of the people being made of plastic, and asks me if the people are "stuffed." They really don't want to stay on the ship - I think mainly because of the "stuffed" people - LOL :) They loved the navigation room and "drove" that ship all over the place. They also made a few important phone calls (pics on imageevent) :)


You will notice in the pictures that their hair was all over the place. Typhoon Usagi is not going to directly impact us, but because Japan is so small, and it's a pretty powerful typhoon, we are going to get some wind and rain from it. We are planning on seeing Ratatouille tomorrow since it is supposed to be windy and stormy. Ai was helping me find out the times for it, and wanted to go with us. She dropped by the room tonight to bring the girls some MORE candy :) Everyone here is spoiling my girls rotten!! Last night I took them to the liquor store with me, and the guys working there gave them each a cute little yellow apron. It had "Smirnoff Ice" on it, but hey, they can't read yet, and they had a great time playing "store" before bedtime.


We went to the People's Park and Italio Villagio, which is a replica of Italy (also in the port). They actually have little canals and gondolas throughout. It's funny because most of the people working in "Little Italy" were Japanese :) They do have an opera, which appeared to have caucasian-type performers. Sam and I have learned to not stereotype people as "American." We now say "Western" or "Caucasian."

The girls loved the petting zoo! They had the usual goats, pigs, rabbits, more guinea pigs, and DOGS. The girls miss Bandit so much, so they loved getting to pet and love on all these different breeds of dogs. Of course, me being the animal lover, I was a little concerned about the welfare of these puppies, until I saw them chowing down on ice cubes. They seemed very fat and happy. There are some strays here, but for the most part, it is very expensive, from what I've been told, to try and buy an animal like a dog or cat. There was one shop I saw selling Venecian glass - very pretty! I may have to go back. There was also a Ferrari store, selling lots of racing stuff - again, I thought of my nephews!


We also visited the Observatory. I teased the girls about being able to see Granny and Pa Pa's house from there :) It was a spectacular view of everything, and we could even see "Ku" performing at the aquarium. Ku is Japan's Shamu :)


Sounds like a big day, huh?? Well, Gracie is actually asleep and it's ONLY 9:30! We topped off the day at The Hard Rock Cafe. Two girls (20-something) wanted their picture with the girls. The girls are so good about being "celebrities" and went over to the big stuffed bear and posed for SEVERAL pictures. They are even getting good about flashing the "peace sign," which is big in Japan. Most of the younger Japanese make the peace sign when getting their picture taken. Anyway, when the girls brought our girls back, I told them "Mitsugo," which means triplets (no, I'm not at all proud). They thanked us over and over - so sweet, but Sam and I were thankful for 2 minutes of peace :) I just laughed and asked Sam if he could imagine the "attention" that our adorable nephews and nieces would get?!?

I guess that's about it. We just have to add that we are so thankful to God for so many miraculous prayers answered: Malorrie feeling well enough to go out and live-it-up with friends, Lorrie and the "guys" doing better, Phil, Kristy, and the boys getting to be together again and free of house woes, and my parents, Chris, and the kids gaining some peace. I hope you join me in thanking God for all his blessings, guidance, and wisdom. We are truly thankful and blessed!

Shall I leave you with a laugh (I told a few of you already)?.....We were coming back from breakfast yesterday, and I told the girls they needed to go in and pick up their room before the cleaning staff showed up. I got the usual, "Why do we have to do all the hard work (their new saying)?!? I replied with my scripted, "Who goes to work and misses spending time with you EVERY DAY, so that you have food, toys, (and don't have to walk three miles in the snow without shoes)!?! Of course, I get the remorseful, "DADDY." And then I ask, "And WHO cooks for you, does the dishes, your laundry, and cleans up after you?" They pause, and reply, "THEY do." "They" being the wonderful hotel staff - LOL :) It's time to get into a house so my children appreciate me again :)

Love and Hugs to you all!
~Michelle

No tipping, full-service gasoline, And a good eating experience!

I keep forgetting to tell you all that little tidbit. It is not customary to tip in Japan, so there is never a need to tip at dinner, meals, or other places you might ordinarily. The service is still incredible, though. Also, most gas stations are full-service. They fill 'er up, clean the windows, and you never have to leave your car! There are a few self-serve places we've seen, but they were the same price or MORE than the full-service places. Of course, the problem lies in communicating what you need to the attendant, but Sam has it down, and I should be able to get the phrases pretty easily.

We ate at a wonderful place on Sunday! We call it "Chili's and Garlic," but that's just because the sign on the restaurant has two red chilis and a clove of garlic - it's got to be good, right? We looked at the outside menu, and it showed all these different cuts of RED MEAT - another good sign. We went in, and there were rows and rows of lockers. Huh? Ohhhhh, to put your shoes in! So we put our shoes in a locker and pulled out the piece of wood that serves as a lock and number reminder. They then showed us to our "table." Sam and I were concerned we were going to have to sit on the floor, but the tables were actually sunken, so we stepped on our seats, and sat down. In the middle of the table is a small grill. We ordered a plate of miscellaneous meats and grilled them ourselves. There was garlic, and several other sauces to flavor with. It was scrumptious, AND none of the girls got burned!

Yesterday, Ai, one of the girls who works at the Tokyu met us at the hotel and went to the aquarium with us. She called ahead to make arrangements for us. When we got there, two men greeted us at the entrance with some little souvenirs for the girls. They told us to meet at the penguin encounter at 1:00 to meet the penguins. When we arrived, they brought the girls another bag of souvenirs. We weren't able to see the penguins up close and personal, but they let Gracie ask the keeper a question. She was soooo cute, and I was so proud of her. As we were leaving, we met a group of men and told them thank you, and they gave us another bag of souvenirs. I'm not sure who Ai told them we were, but the girls really got the royal treatment. It was a very special day, and we really enjoyed Ai's company!

Today, we went to Higashiyama Park for a picnic. The girls had more of the peanut butter sandwiches they like, and I had one of the sandwiches I like. We fed the HUGE crows and pigeons. The girls bought fish food, but ended up feeding the pigeons instead. We also got to hold guinea pigs (they now want one as a pet)! I'm not sure what they sedated the guinea pigs with, but they were VERY calm and docile - LOL :) I will add pictures tonight or tomorrow.

The house is ready, but all the paperwork and "stuff" is still in the works, so still no immediate sign of getting into the house. We're very ready!!

Love and Hugs to you all!
~Michelle

The Beach and Shopping

Thursday, we went to Minamichita and that area. It was about an hour drive to the tip of what I guess we'd call the penninsula. It was just a string of little fishing villages, but we found a decent beach, which is what we were looking for.

It cost us about $40 in toll fares, roundtrip. I took some pictures of the mountains on the side of the road. They use different "structures" to keep rocks from falling. It was very beautiful and lush! The beach and water we finally settled on were OK. There was a drainage pipe, with a little "creek" draining into the ocean, so we didn't swim in it. There were also what I would call Sand Fleas. They live right at the edge of the water and the sand. There were also some jellyfish. We've been told that the west side of the penninsula is much nicer - away from the port. I did see a HUGE, sea turtle washed up on the shore (I'm guessing it wasn't alive). We also found 3 small sand dollars and some pretty shells.

We ate lunch in the car at Circle K. Circle K, 7-Eleven, and Lawsons are the "big" convenience stores here :) I found the girls some peanut butter sandwiches, a can of Pringles, a ham and cucumber sandwich (cucumbers are big here, too), corndogs, some yogurt drinks, Kit-Kats, Snickers, yogurt drinks, and a Fanta Orange and Coke. I figured the sandwiches and corn dogs would be trial-and-error, but you can't lose with Pringles and chocolate -LOL :)

It's hard to find bread here that is not filled with something. I bought some fish/pigeon bread one day, and it was filled with a creme filling, SO the girls licked all the filling off and then fed it to the critters :)

Last night, we went to Todd and Sue's house for ribs, potato salad, beans, cucumbers and onions, home-grown tomotoes, cantelope, and pumpkin bread for desert. Todd smoked the ribs, and Sue fixed all the yummy other stuff - it was heavenly!!!! They also fixed hot dogs for the girls, and the girls LOVED the pumpkin bread!

Today, Sam and the girls spent the day at Todd and Sue's swimming and playing, while Sue took me to a resale shop, Nitori, and uuugghhh, I can't remember the name, but it's a clothing, grocery store-type place.

The resale store was awesome! They had a ton of misc. dishes, etc. I bought a tea set, with a cute little cast-iron tea pot. The sets are sold with 5 cups, not 6, not 4, but 5 :) I also bought a little, yellow bowl. Once we get into the house, and get furniture set up, I'll know more what I want/need to buy. I also found Izzy a cute little Stitch bag - she loves to keep all her little animals in something. She likes Stitch because he's blue :)

Then we went to Nitori. It's kind of like Ikea and Container Store combined. I bought some penguin ice trays for the girls and a cute stained-glass picture. It's three bathhouses on the beach - of course, I love anything with "3." I have to say the Japanese think of so many things that we should have thought of. They are the tops when it comes to organizational gadgets, and just gadgets in general (those who know me well, know I'm in Heaven with all the cool organizational stuff :).

Finally, we went to the grocery store, where I found 1.5 liter diet cokes - woo hoo!!! For the most part, I can find most of what I would want.

And last, but not least (in the girls' minds), the 2 Belugas at the aquarium had their babies!! We got to see them, and they are adorable. We've been watching them swim as two pregnant mommas, since we got here, and when we went yesterday, they had them each separated with their babies.

I miss you all so much!
~Michelle

Thanks, Mom for the Care Package!

We got it today! The girls loved all the treats! I don't think they're going to eat much dinner now, but as Aunt Ruth said, "Sometimes it's fun to be naughty." :)

Thanks again!!!

Sam is off this week, so we have been playing hard - having lots of fun!

I've been driving some, and we got our van today (a Toyota Wish). I think Sam is going to end up with a Rav-4, which I love ;) After about 3 weeks, we finally had to fill up the rental van. It cost $65.00. I think we are going to save a ton just in our gas budget :) I spent more than that in a week on the 'Burb, which I still do miss.

The girls and I got to see the house yesterday, and it was beautiful! We should be in soon - woohoo! We met the owners, and they fell in love with the girls, offering to babysit, and wanting me to teach their daughter English when she gets back from France - very nice people.

I have to thank my husband again for working so hard to give us this wonderful opportunity - we are having the time of our lives, but truly miss you all!

Finally, we took Gracie to the clinic yesterday. Pretty sure she has impetigo, but the doctor wasn't so sure. It went much better than we thought it would. It cost about $45 for the doctor, and $26 for some ointment and antibiotic. Those were both WITHOUT insurance!!! That amazed me :) He was a dermatologist, so I'm hoping he can get her cleared up.

Almost time for dinner! Love you all!
~Michelle

Nagoya Castle

We went back to the zoo yesterday. I will post some pics. Sam took the girls for a ride in this huge pink swan paddleboat. The girls got to feed the sea lions, and didn't blink twice about getting to hold huge, dead fish. Of course, after they fed them, they turned around and wiped their hands off on their shirts.

Today, we went to Nagoya Castle. Sam was telling me that they rebuilt it in 1945. It took me a minute to figure out why. They had pictures of the fire bombings - war is very sad. The walls of the castle are amazing. I now understand why the Japanese are so skinny - they have an obsession with stairs. I am loving it though, I'm getting quite the workout. There was also a Sumo tournament going on at the theatre next to the castle, so we got to see a lot of the wrestlers leaving. We wanted to get one of them to take a picture with the girls, but neither of us was brave enough to ask - LOL :)

Write more later!
~Michelle

We ate eel tonight!

Don't think we're brave - we didn't know it was eel until the end of the meal when they gave us their little flyer. I'm all smiles, and open it up to this pile of snake-looking creatures. I shrieked, and the man next to me laughed and said, "You eat!" I have to say that it was pretty good, and Gracie ate quite a bit, until she fell out of the chair. Poor thing busted her mouth and nose, but ate more eel. Miss Ito was so proud of us! And, we used chopsticks! I had wanted to go to this restaurant because it smelled like barbecue - such a wonderful smell. Oh well, when in Japan, eat eel :) I'll scan in the picture when I get my other computer and scanner hooked up.
~Michelle

Our first encounter with the Japanese police....

was wonderful! Long story short - OK, you all know I'm not capable of that :) Anyway we went to the zoo today, and as we were leaving, decided to ride the monorail. We paid our money, leaving just enough to get back on the subway. Weeellllll, I don't read Japanese yet, so I didn't know that the monorail only took you to the other end of the park. So, instead of walking back to the entrance, AGAIN, I thought we would exit at this end and "find" a subway. We walked and walked, and yes, the girls were griping at me the whole time. They didn't appreciate the work-out. Oh, did I mention the guy gave me directions when we left the park, but they were in Japanese (apparently I don't understand pointing as well as I thought I did). So, we came to a work place with a guard. He was even so nice as to give me a map (in Japanese), and marked on it, again, some pointing, and AGAIN, we were lost. BUT, as we are making our way back to where I think the subway is (and I think it would have taken me there), we meet the nicest policeman. He turns us around, and is personally going to escort us. Weeellll, he gets us lost, too. He keeps apologizing, and I'm telling him it is OK. The girls....are still griping, except Izzy, who seems to really like him. After at least 30 minutes of walking, he does get us back to the subway, and was the sweetest thing. I asked him if he had children, and he said no - he wasn't married yet. He told me he wanted children, looked at the girls, and said, "but just one." And they were actually being good. He spoke very little English, but did really well, and I finally had to tell him that I see the subway and that we would be OK. Such a nice guy!!!!

The zoo was fun. I was prepared for the worst, but overall, it was pretty nice. They have a lot of animals that I've never seen in the states. I felt sorry for the elephant, because she is all alone. No other elephants. Some of the cages were small and lacked decor, but some of them were really nice. I took some pictures of the animals and the food - not at all what we're used to, but the girls had ice cream cones :) We played with lots of Japanese children, and I was very proud of my girls. They had such a good time. Again, I'll post videos and pictures.

Finally, we took the subway from Higashiyama Koen to Sakae, where we "live." I got lost, again, trying to find the #12 exit. I've never missed it before - done it several times. The girls and I were exhausted by the time we made it back to the hotel, but today was another amazing adventure.

Love and Hugs to all!
~Michelle

Went to the aquarium, saw one of the PRINCESSES of Japan...

OK, I think I was way more excited about this than the staff at the hotel, and EVEN the girls. When we were leaving the aquarium, I could see that everyone had been stopped. We walked on a little closer, and this huge motorcade came through right in front of us. I was wondering if it wasn't the prime minister. Anyway, after asking someone who jokingly said, "I don't speak much English at all!" I found out it was Princess Kiko!! I did take time to tease the guy about how great his English was for someone who doesn't speak it. He and his co-worker just laughed. There were TONS of security people!

I have pictures, but Sam will have to help me upload them from the camera. Fortunately, I had a little bit of battery left to snap a picture of the Princess.

Today was very interesting...we were watching Ku (Shamu) and his dolphin buddies swimming underwater. I was taking pictures, enjoying the view......I notice this guy to the left of us, lying down (first sign something is wrong), with his hand down his pants - and he wasn't just scratching. What is WRONG with these people!!! Here I have my three, very innocent girls, who THANK GOD, are watching Ku and the dolphins within feet of some pervert!!! We quickly left, and I wished I would have said something to the many security guards, but I wasn't sure how to mime (with my luck they would have misinterpreted it as a proposition) that there was a pervert down there doing perverted things. OK, I'm over it now - PERVERT!!!

Other than the pervert (no, really I'm over it), today was a good day. We are getting so good at the subway. We also saw a huge, beautiful ship sailing in the port. Again, I have lots of pictures to post.

Two of the girls used the Japanese-style potties, and we didn't get it everywhere - woohoo! They still freak me out though -LOL :)

I guess that's it for now. We are going to the Outback again tonight. Gracie and Izzy need some red meat -LOL :) I'm kind of looking forward to a Bloomin' Onion. We love per diem!

One more thing...if you're reading this, please take a moment to pray for Malorrie - may God continue to heal her, give her strength and hope, and provide strength and hope for Lorrie, Robert, Josh, and Jordan.

Also, please pray for my baby brother, Chris. May God do what's best for Dylan, Marah, and Livvy, and help Chris and Cari keep the children's best interest at heart.

God can work miracles! I have three angels to prove it!

Love and Hugs!
~Michelle

We're not "shaken" up

Thank you all for your thoughts of concern and prayers! The earthquakes were both in Niigita, which is on the west coast, north of Tokyo. Some in Nagoya said they felt it, but I didn't feel a thing. We aren't too worried about them. It can get a little creepy thinking about them when you're on the subway, but usually I am way too busy to think about much, except keeping up with the girls.

We met another couple, Wayne and Debbie, on Sunday. They live in an apartment. It is much more traditional Japanese decor - very beautiful. So we now know Todd and Sue and Wayne and Debbie. Both couples have been so sweet and taken us under their wings. It's nice to have fellow Fort Worthians to visit with and show us the ropes.

We went to Meijo Koen (koen means park) yesterday. It was very hot, so the girls were all red-faced. That concerned everyone but me :) They got to play ball and run around a bit, which they needed badly. They had been pretty confined from the rain off the typhoon. We met a man walking a little foofy dog. It was black and white, so it reminded them of Bandit. He was so nice and gave each of them a treat to give it. The people, for the most part, are so kind. I have had some wonderful conversations, even though we don't speak much of each other's language. Corny as it is, smiles are universal. We occasionally have run-ins with some cranky elderly people, but it's actually quite amusing.

Often for lunch, we get ramen noodles and fruit from the 99 yen store. I have found diet coke a few places, and it's pretty easy to identify fruit juice and yogurt for the girls. We eat our ramen with our Hello Kitty chopsticks. The only problem is we don't always know what flavor we're getting. The girls have been great about trying new things. Sophie was eating little fish slices (looked like tiny pieces of pink bubble gum) and shrimps from the ramen. She was doing great picking them up with her chopsticks.

Mom is sending us our first care package. Bless her heart, she said it cost Daddy about $80 to ship things. We are looking forward to getting the Aquaphor for Gracie! Sam found some Japanese antibiotic ointment, and it seems to be working pretty well. I tried to ask for some and got home with some menthol smelling stuff - I still need to ask the front desk what it is - LOL :) I found some Neutrogena Hand Cream, which has an Aquaphor-type base. It's quite pricey, but is keeping the moisture in her hands and feet somewhat. I thought we were going to have to go to the doctor on Monday, but her flare-up seems to be calming down. So, thanks Mom and Dad for the goodies!!!!

Sam brought us some gorgeous lilies last night. The staff brought up two vases for me to choose from - as I said, the customer service is tops! The girls loved them, and they smell heavenly. Then he took us to a Brazilian Churrascaria. It wasn't as good as Texas De Brazil, but we all got our meat fix. The owner is Brazilian/Italian. I asked if he was married (thinking lucky woman eats good), and he said his wife lives in Milan. He was very intrigued with the girls, and we later found out that he too has a 4 year-old little girl. He showed us a picture - she was gorgeous. The waitress was Brazilian. Her parents moved here several years ago and work in the factories. She is going to school to be a pastry chef. Sam is so good about striking up conversations with everyone he meets :) All that to show you how amazing the cultural diversity is here. It just makes us feel so blessed to get to experience it, and be able to offer it to our girls. On the way out of the restaurant, a man from a group eating there, gave one of the girls a rose - so sweet.

On the way home yesterday, a group of young women stopped us on the street - I mean they weren't going to let us by :) They had their hands all over the girls wanting to know all about them. They said they didn't speak English, but they did pretty well. Japanese women, in my opinion, are some of the most stunning, beautiful women! Of course, they think Americans are :) I swear some of them could wear the girls clothes, but our friend Sue said there is a huge problem with anorexia here. They really are a tiny society though.

Hopefully, we will be in our house in 2-3 weeks. We were hoping next week, because Sam is off for the week (MHI holiday) (MHI=Mitsubishi Heavy Industries- I think). Anyway, we'll see. Our shipment should get here by mid August, but again, I'm hoping it will be sooner.

I guess that's about it. I will work posting some more pics on here or imageevent.com. I guess I need to post a link to it on here.

Love and Hugs to you all!
~Michelle

Typhoon = Toys 'R Us

It was a very rainy day, so we took the girls to TRU today. It was really nice - lots of cute toys - some you would find in America, but some I've never seen. All of the baby dolls were American looking. I didn't see any Asian dolls. That totally surprised me, but I've been told by several people here that the Japanese think blonde, blue-eyed people are the most beautiful :) Ai, one of the girls working at the Tokyu, wants to babysit the girls. She told me she loves children, especially American children. I laughed and told her that would get her in trouble :)

Toys 'R Us had these HUGE beetles, like we would have Hermit Crabs, in these little cages for sale - did I mention they were H-U-G-E!!! Of course, they also sold food, etc. for them. Of course, Izzy wants one.

After TRU, Sam drove us to Halo 2, which is an international food/misc. store. There wasn't a lot of American brands, but here is what I really noticed:

Small jar Old El Paso Picante Sauce=5.00
Small jar Ragu=5.00
Small jar of Smucker's Strawberry Jam=5.00
Square, yes SQUARE, watermelon=210.00 (I'll take a picture the next time I go).
1. Who would buy it?
2. What if you buy it, and it's not any good?
3. What will they do with it in a week? 50% off???
4. It had better be seedless for that price.

Most watermelons are going for around $9.00 right now for a small one - they are in season.

And the "Ewwww!" for the night - a packaged fish that was still breathing - very sad :(

We ate at the Hard Rock, Nagoya last night and Da Carlo's tonight. Da Carlo's honestly has the best pizza I've ever had. It is run by an Italian who speaks Japanese and Italian, but very little English. Sam also took us to a Mexican "place," which HE likes. The food was pretty good, but it made "hole-in-the-wall" look big.

I'm still amazed by the potty situation each day. Seems that there is always something new. I've been in several now that have a silver button on the floor - you just step on it to flush. Ok, why haven't all us American germ-phobes thought of this?!?

Izzy has been excited about all the cabs we've been taking. She told me a few weeks ago that she wanted to drive a cab when she grew up. So where do kids get these crazy ideas?? Anyway, you would be horrified, but they don't wear seat belts. I feel like a horrible mother, BUT it takes about 30 minutes to go 3 miles :)- honestly. When we're in the rental car, we wear them, but the cabs have these pretty, white lace seat covers, which cover the seat belts in back. The four Glenn girls can fit in the back, but there are only two seatbelts. So, of course I have my arm across the three of them the whole time.

And finally, they drive in the left side of the car, on the left side of the road. You probably knew this, BUT, did you know that their magazines open from the left side?? Just noticed this tonight :)

Of all the places to be, I'm so glad this is where God decided to put us. The Japanese are a very kind, helpful, and technologically advanced society - gadgets everywhere for everything. I'm proud to be American, but feel blessed to experience this culture. I have seen lots of Japanese wearing clothing with American flags - one guy was wearing jeans that were American flag. The Bon Jovi "look" is alive and well in Nagoya ;)

Loving it here, but missing you all.
~Michelle

Expecting our first typhoon

Typhoon (same thing as a hurricane) Man-yi should be to us sometime Sunday morning. Hopefully, by then, it will be just a catogory 1.

We've never been through a hurricane, so this should be interesting. It's kind of intimidating when you see how small Japan is on the map :)

No one here seems too worked up about it, so I'm not stressing about it.

Keep you posted....

Here's a tracking system I found, if you're interested:
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp200704.html

Love and Hugs!
~Michelle

Thanks Cindy!

Thanks so much Cindy for finding and setting up this blog for us! It will be nice to have a record of our adventures :) I know it was a lot of work, and we really appreciate all the time you put into it.

Love,
The Glenns

Sam's Traffic Report

No wrecks on my part, the guy that went with me to
lunch said he thought I lost a mirror at one point.
There are roads here that should NOT be 2 way!

Today's Adventure

Hi all!

We went to the movies today to see Shrek 3. I had to ask the staff at the Tokyu, and they helped me find an English showing. We took the subway (and got it right!!!) to Midway Station, which is a shopping mall. I tried to ask a Japanese couple where the theatre was, but they could not get what I was asking - charades at its best, I promise - LOL :)

I finally asked a security officer, and he walked us to the elevator and told me floor 5. It cost the girls and me about $60.00 (concessions are much cheaper here, so I guess it evens out), but it was so worth it :) (sorry, Sam)

The movie featured the original voices and sounds with Japanese subtitles. The theatre is a lot like the ones here, but the seats are a little larger and a leather-type material. When buying tickets, you have to choose a seat section and numbers like a concert-type show. We were seated in F15-18, which fortunately is on the end. Four girls+soda=lots of bathroom breaks :)

OK, here's the big kicker - caramel popcorn!!! Yes, you have the choice of salty popcorn or caramel corn, and yes, it was scrumptious!

It's the rainy season, and Okinawa was expecting a Typhoon, which means we will be getting a lot more rain. We were fortunate to be out of the subway during breaks, but got quite soaked going to the 99 yen store this morning. The bell hop just looked at me and shook his head - crazy Americans :)

Missing you all!~Michelle