Traveling with Ellen

Eric is at school until 6 today, Monica has the day off. I need to find a pool because my back is so sore I can hardly stand without excrutiating pain. So babysitter Monica, is going to take me to the pool and I have to remember how to get there! Then I can go all by myself when they are at work or school. I am hoping to teach Monica how to knit in the round so she can combine her hand felting with knitting to felt and make some other interesting things. We are going to meet Eric at Tokyo Tower at 6 and explore some. Here is what Fodor's says about Tokyo tower: Fodor's Review: In 1958 Tokyo's fledgling TV networks needed a tall antenna array to transmit signals. Trying to emerge from the devastation of World War II, the nation's capital was also hungry for a landmark—a symbol for the aspirations of a city still without a skyline. The result was the 1,093-foot-high Tokyo Tower, an unabashed knockoff of Paris's Eiffel Tower, but with great views of the city. The ...

On the road to Eric's house from the train station, there is a small triangular Ramen Shop. The kids told me about it on my first trek home to Eric's. I have been wanting to go ever since. Here you will see the menu posted on teh wall (those strips of Japanese are the menu). The shop had about ten counter seats and one table for three. How lucky could we get! The food turned out to be so so. But I do like local culture!

Yesterday, Monday May 30 is NOT a holiday in Japan. It was a regular day, Eric had to work at 9am and Monica at 12 noon. I feel like Monica has gotten stuck with the job of Mommysitting, or as I like to call it: Adult Day Care. Anyway, I walked up to work with her (see I keep leading the way, so we all know I will be able to make it home by myself). She, both fortunately and unfortunately, works at a larger then life craft store. OMG, I wish I had endless amounts of money. This is only some of what is there: Basement floor: crafts such as making wallets (I bought one to make 750 yen and so we can copy the pattern), hand felting equipment and roving, leather crafting materials, fat quarter type fabric of beautiful colors (I almost bought Melanie one to go with her blues and yellows), quilting books: which I could only read the pictures of, and much more. First floor has all sorts of artist supplies and stationary. Second floor: only COTTON fabrics. I lusted after everything ...

This morning I had a few errands to run. I was going to go to the Market street and buy things for dinner. I walked part way with Monica because I had to get more yen. The ATM was closed today because it was Sunday. So I had to get money from Monica. Also the markets on market street were closed so I had to go to Parco mall where there is a gourmet type of grocery store. I was wondering around the store wanting to take more pictures but I felt so touristy and didnt like that feeling. I went to the fish counter and admired everything. I asked the woman if she had unigi (fresh water eel) she said no in English. Then she told me I should try this type fish, she pointed at because it was delicious. I got a small piece. She loved talking English to me. Here is what else I found:

From Parco: Turn left at yellow awning building/dry cleaners Go past the little shrine Turn right at the cows Pass where the cats live Pass the Big Red Shrine Turn left at the parking lot

Today, we stayed close to home. Monica and her friend and I sewed a bit, shared craft ideas, etc. i had a really good time and will post pics tomorrow as I am exhausted. We went out to dinner at a place where we made out own food, pancakes Here are a few pics.

Last night, we went to try to go to dinner at a place Eric has never been to. We waited for almost 2 hours and then left. The place we went to was serving something like Japanese bar food. We had a order pad (like ipad) and Monica's friend kept the food coming and the variety strong as well as the alcohol. At dinner, was Monica's female friend, who's name I cant remember but Monica went to college with her, Chester, Chinese American, who also went to college with her, Jeffery, half Japanese, half British, who taught English in Japan and Eric met him at Language School and Eriko, who Eric met in Charlotte at the university. She is full Japanese and when Eric met her, she was a full time exchange student. They have kept in touch and see each other very once in a while. Eriko lived in Los Angeles for 1 1/2 years with a job she got and is now back living with her parents about 2 hours south of Tokyo. It was a nice mix of 27+ people. I find it interesting how they foun...

I went for a walk alone this morning and when I left I told Eric I would be back in 20 minutes. I walked straight up from his house, turned left, got to the fires station, came back. Made a little oopsie, and couldn't remember where to turn right to get back home. So I walked and walked and nothing seemed familiar yet everything looked familiar. I finally took out my "I AM LOST" card that the kids made me, and asked a woman who showed me how to read the street signs. She took me one block and left me on my own. She spoke no English. I walked a little further and met a man who was taking out the trash and then going on to work. I showed him the I AM LOST card and he walked with me a few blocks (he spoke a little English). Left me on the street corner, and said wait here. He ran down the street but by that time, I did recognize where I was, which was one block away. I started walking towards the apartment and he came back and said I found it. I think he was glad...