Japan Day 2

Ok I guess I should start off by saying sorry there is a crack in my camera lens so sometimes there is a little blur or big blur on the picture....Ok off to Day 2

John tried his hand at an elevator picture, and there is Tim's breakfast...on the go he didn't get up in time to eat before we had to leave ;o)  Oh by the way this was Trip's Birthday!

 Waiting for the train...it was very quite this morning, but it was really, really early like 6:30-6:45.

 We even got seats on the train, but not all together.

 I can't remember why I took this one...I think it is because the train tracks go right down the middle of the road.  Who knows so long ago.

 Bikes are a big thing too.  You see them parked everywhere.  Like under the green bridge in the above picture.

 Did we say that the sidewalk is the road, everyone walk right down the middle

 Cute little red road...

 Oh look some stairs!!!!  Up we go to catch the bus to go to the grand kids school for Parent-Teacher conferences.

 The bus for the school.  Yes they ride a bus like this everyday.  It is crazy!

 This is outside the middle school part of the school...and the cafeteria...microwaves so the students can heat up their lunches

 This is the school store.  Total craziness.   They have everything from pencils to breakfast or lunch items.  We got hot chocolate, bagels and pretzels.

The clock in the middle of the High School and Middle School garden area.

 The walkway to the garden area

Cubbies

 The round building is the Elementary part of the school, well the K-3 I believe.

 The neighborhood surrounding the school

 Trips locker

 Tim playing football with Trip and his friends.

 Tatem playing

 The boys got kicked off the playground so we went to the Middle school field, and they played soccer.

 Back to the playground

 Who's that cute couple?

 Leaving the school...Tim was fascinated by the delivery trucks.  Here is him taking a picture of a Coke Truck.

 The entrance to the school

 They have these cute little Family Marts all over the place...plus 7-11's everywhere.  We stopped for a snack and found these yummy treats.  They were really good

 Train ride again...no seats this time.  Tatem taking pictures

 Our other bag of yummy treats....not near as good as the first bag.

 Headed to China Town....yes there is a real China Town in Japan...Crazy!

 This is the place with the best Chinese food in Japan...so we heard.  If you double click the pictures will get bigger, and then you can see that the stuff on the left is a display of the food they serve.  All restaurants have these....kinda weird, but helpful!

 Here in China Town in a Chinese Restaurant is the only place we had to sit on the floor!

Tatem wanted to take a picture of her feet!  What a dope!

 Yes even in China town there is a Shrine!

 We had to stop for ice-cream at the best ice-cream place in Japan....Wondering now if it's because the girls behind the counter always give him the bigger cone ;o)

 Back to the train station....you have to walk on the left all the time.  I found it funny that they put a yellow line down the middle to remind you!

 Mike and Sully at one of the stations!!!  Yahoo!!!  I love them!

 Christmas is a big thing in Japan....well not the religious side but the commercial.  They start decoration and playing Christmas music in English on November 1st.  And they decorate BIG time.

 Oh next it was off the the biggest Farris Wheel in the World if I'm right

 A view of the ocean.

 Yep we had to stop and get our reservation at CupNoodles Museum to make our own cup of Noodles!

 Then back for the ride.  It was amazing and the view was incredible.

 Back to the  Museum

 If you look close you can find some familiar faces!

 Making out our cup of noodles

 More vending machines.

 More Christmas lights

 The statue of the dog that went to the train station to meet his master every day after his master had died.  I have a book about that but my book took place in Montana.  So must be a different story.  Pretty cool though...gotta love those dogs!

More lights 

 Trip got to pick dinner as it was his birthday and all and he pick Conveyor belt Sushi.  We could not all sit together, so we split up girls and boys.   You order from these computer menus.  Then your food comes down the conveyor belt and stops right in front of you.  then you order something else and when your done you said check out and it tells you how much you owe.  Pretty cool

 Here comes my fries!!!   The people sitting next to me laughed when my second order came!!!  I'm not kidding when I say this place has the best fries in the world!!  They were so good!~

 Our Cup of Noodles

Now that we are finally home, Trip can open his presents....

 And we all got cupcakes for his birthday...no candles to blow out though....and the lucky kid got to celebrate all over again the next day, when all the relatives from home called to wish him Happy Birthday...since Japan is a day a head of us he kinda got two birthday!  Fun!

Can't believe this kid is 12!!!   Amazing where the time goes!!

We are glad we got to spend your 12th birthday with you Trip.  Thanks for a fun filled day!!!