Maggie and Dad: Part Two

So the next few days were quite laid back with my sister gone and with me back at work.  My dad walked around town and hung out with my dog while I was at work, and we got dinner together at night.  Maggie came back from Korea and they spent the next day at the mall.  They were going to go to a park and different places, but it was pouring down rain all day.

That night we got dinner with Motoaki's family and then went to Karaoke.  That is always fun, although I feel bad because Maggie and I are such Mic Hogs.

The next morning we got up early and headed to Shikoku, an island of Japan that Maggie and Dad had never been to.  To get there we had to pass the Seto Ohashi, or a really long bridge.  Actually, I checked wiki and it is the world's largest two-tiered bridge.  I had been over it a lot of times but for some reason never realized how close it was to our house.

Shikoku is known for udon noodles, a thick noodle usually paired with tempura or a soy sauce-type broth.  We went to an "Udon Making School," where we made noodles and then ate them.  I had done this before and it is a lot of fun.  The presenters are very energetic and at one point you are made to "dance" on the noodles.  They play J-Pop and the whole room really gets into the art of stomping on dough that is in a plastic bag.

I didn't get pictures of us making the dough, but this is Maggie and Motoaki cooking the noodles.

The school is at the base of flights and flights of stone steps that take you up to a temple.  All along the steps are shops with all sorts of souvenirs.  I wish I remembered the name of it, but that is the problem of going around with my Japanese husband- I don't actually have to know where we are going.  We had a nice bit of exercise and enjoyed looking in the shops.

All of us climbing the stairs.

 I was very surprised when I ran into my coworker from my Jr high school.  I was surprised because we were a little far from home and because teachers are usually busy on weekends with club and things.  He was also surprised to see me, and we got a picture to document our meeting.

With my coworker and his family.

And, not to be mean, but Maggie and I were delighted to get a glimpse of this fashionable young Japanese boy.  Seriously, this boy has fabulous written all over him.  Can you tell which one I am talking about??

That is a boy and yes, his bag is rainbow and his BRIGHT blue jeans are tucked into his brown leather boots!  FABULOUS!!!  I am not really that big of a stalker so I refrained from taking the picture of him smiling, jutting his hip out, and throwing up peace signs while he posed for a picture taken by his mom.

After all of that we headed back to Okayama and made a quick stop at the mall for last minute souvenirs (tea and stuff from the dollar store as well as a quick stop at G.U.- the discount version of UniQlo).  We were going to try and make it back for Karaoke in Yubara, but Maggie and Dad still had to pack and they had to be up EARLY the next day to catch a train to Narita, so sadly our last night was kind of boring.  We visited Motoaki's family and then just went back to our house.

The next morning we went to the Okayama train station, and after getting tickets and a quick McDonald's breakfast (we didn't have time for anything else) they were off and the trip was over.  I might have been sad but a) they are coming again in June and then I am going home in August for my brother's wedding, and b) I get to go to Vietnam in two days!!!  I think Finn will miss them the most as he got a lot of attention and snacks from them.

Motoaki's sister, mother, father, my father, Motoaki, Maggie, and Finn