Broken Bathtub equals unhappy Suzaki Family!

So the communal bathtub seems to have died.... I am not exactly sure what has happened to it, all I know is that the family cannot take their nightly baths... and are sad :(

A few nights ago, I was upstairs (watching Modern Family on my laptop) and the lights started flashing on and off...very odd. I wasn't too fussed as I was watching a good episode and thought Shota would come and get me if something serious had happened. They flickered on and off a few more times than seemed to stay on...so I ignored it. Later on Shota came upstairs, I asked him what was going on, he said "they'd been an accident"... I thought he meant out on the street, like someone had hit a pole and that’s why the lights were flickering....

No no there'd been an accident in the bathroom...although to me the incorrect use for the word accident had been used, as no one was hurt or broken. And the lights were flickering as they had been playing around fuse box. 

It turns out the bath is connected to the electric hot water system... which still works for Showers (thank god) but not baths...

This is the control panel for the Hot Water system in the hosue.

Two Japanese tradesmen have come to "fix" the Bath, on different nights...but with no success and they only stay for two minutes a time...as the problem is above them! So Chisa let me know that they are getting a whole new bath unit... They have had the current system for ten years, so they're not that upset about its death, more upset that they cannot have their baths of an evening....

I am yet to use that bath. But if/when I do have one, I will make sure I am the first one of the evening to use it...the thought of bathing in water after Shotas Mother, Father, Sister and Brother kind of scares me... we'll see.

These are the shoes you wear when cleaning the bathroom...I'm surpirsed they fit me!

Ramen Noodles.....Scary Helicopters & Sirens

Scary Helicopters...

Oh gosh as I am writing this post a ambulance is driving by... its got to be by far the  scariest thing I have heard yet! Kind of an eerie siren....really freaky. Then there is a mans voice on the loud speaker alerting people that they are coming and ask people to pull over....Soo scary!! Oh and another thing. There is an army base near us, so the army regularly fly their scary as helicopters over our town... They have a massive one, its the scariest... Oh and they never just fly one by itself. No they always fly 3 or 5...the other day there were 17, then ten minutes there were three more fly overhead. I fully thought we were being attacked! Then an ambulance drives by...gosh Japan can be scary!!  

Ok back to Noodles....So I have been introduced to Ramen Noodles... and I was very much impressed!

Out the front of the shop are all the "plastic models" of possible meal options. You choose from there what you would like.

 Then inside you go, to the Big vending machine looking thing. You press the button to what meal you want, mind you these are all in Japanese... so I didn't have a clue, luckily I had my tour guide/boyfriend with me. I choose the simple ramen option. You then insert the coins and a ticket pops out. The ticket gets handed to the Chefs behind the counter...then minutes later, there’s your noodles!

 We would've been there for less than fifteen minutes! Now that’s fast! And healthy? Hmm not sure how healthy, but filling anyway :)

 The above meal is Shota's, he had Sobya Noodles...and a side of egg & Japanese Mountain Yam on and rice...

Festival time in Machida

Today was the Machida Japanese Festival :)

 It started with a parade down the main streets of Machida, ending in one of the local parks.

We were conveniently positioned out the front of a cafe enjoying coffees as the parade marched by....

 Then later we joined up with them at the Park and watched the archery on horseback competition, dressed in traditional costume.

The costumes were wonderful and the archery was really interesting.... but it got a little boring after forty-five minutes of defending our position in the crowd... Japanese can be really  pushy! And I get irritated easily. Shota gets hungry easily, so we called it a day and went and found food!  

First time on a Japanese Sushi Train!!

So my first time on a Sushi Train, whilst in Japan. Originally we were going to visit the Sushi train for lunch..but when the Mei and Nobutaka heard they wanted to come to...so we went for Dinner instead.

 An Attractive shot of Shota with his mouth full!!!

It was actually a really great night! The sushi tasted lovely and fresh and the chefs making it were all very cheerful, loud and entertaining! I will be going back :)

The system is simple, stack all the plates in colour order, then at the end of the night the waitress counts them up and you pay for them... It was roughly $130 for the five of us, and takeaway for Kohei, as he was still at Uni. Not bad I think :)

Cafe on Hill...

Today was really wonderful.

To begin with Shota and I went for a run down by the river, there weren't too many people around, so wasn't stared at too much! Then Chisa, Shotas Mother, took us to a park, to look at flowers.

These were the only flowers we found....

Sadly we are in the wrong season for flowers....so we decided to go for Coffee instead. To get to the Coffee shop we had to go up a hill, a very narrow road and pray there were no cars coming the other way...which there were! Anyway we made it to the top and too the cafe. Which was actually a families house that they open up for visitors and serve coffee and cake.

We were served coffee and Cake, the cake was a simple sponge but served with homemade apple & raspberry jam :) Which was delicious!

 After our meal we headed out into their beautiful garden...

So I have had a wonderful day and am looking forward to Dinner...Sushi Train!

Cooking time in Japan!!

(This photo above is actually at the Supermarket, this is how fresh/frozen fish is displayed)

Today Shota and I thought we would begin to help out in the household a tad more, so we decided we could dinner a few times a week. Chisa, Shotas Mother was excited about the idea, as at the moment she cooks every night of the week. Yes she does only work part-time (twice a week, one full day and one half day), but still we felt that it couldn't be an easy task to cook for six people seven days a week.

To start with we visited the local Supermarket, a fifteen minute walk away... enjoyed looking at all the different products they have in Japan and settled on a Seafood Risotto, garlic bread and Caramelised Pears.

Shota Holding a frozen squid for the Risotto...images of Seafood above....

In Japan the sales assistant hands you a plastic bag and you pack your groceries yourself :)

Anyway we start cooking just after 6pm...Usually everyone is home at 6:30pm.... 8:00pm and the Risotto is pretty much ready (Shota used 4 cups of rice as usually everyone’s hungry) there is masses of food....but no one to feed it too :(

So Chisa, Shota and I sat down to a lovely meal...and the others have there’s waiting for them on their return...

 Funny little dessert Shota made :) And Caramelised pear and "hokey Pokey" Ice cream...

I was pretty impressed with the Mushroom situation here, so I decided to share with you a few pics. I know that when Mum sees these she be like "Oh Jessica we have those here" but anyway I'll risk it!

I was also pretty impressed with the amount of Rice sold in a Supermarket.... yes I know Japanese quite like rice, just had never seen in it in such a large quantity...there were sacks of rice on the ground! The aisle was PACKED full of rice!!

This bottle of Wine couldn't decide if it was a Sav or a Chardy :(