Good day all blog readers.  Welcome to Japan, this is Jeff, not Carolyn.  I will be posting the lighter of Japan, without all the kaizen and kimonos.  Since we are definitely not indigenous to the archipelago, we have been having a blast with all the funny things we've been seeing.
Erin has serious concerns about her accent being corrupted into some canadian hybrid american accent with lots "hai! hai! hai!" and lots of bowing.
Some of the words I've been enjoying are "zo zo zo zo zo zo zo zo" which means "don't worry/it's okay/never mind" and "to-To-TO?" which means "is this taken?"......so it's lotsa fun. 
One of our universal dislikes was served a couple days ago, this darling little harvest gold cup that looked liked a golf ball and had grassy like stuff with white stuff on the other stuff, and tasted like yak, dirty dirty yak.......it even beat out the egg-goo that has been terrorizing us in these little lided cups.

The above picture is not a meal that had golf balls, but in the upper left hand corner, in the adorable little cream coloured UFO shaped piece of pottery, is the egg-goo of doom.  Consider yourself warned.
Every chance I've got, I've collaborated with the others to great scene of hilarity, and the locals love it.  It gives them another reason to stare!  Below are some of the highlights........

Stacy considered these for a purchase, but then turned them down....



The choices for Indian in Japan are very interesting.........



This is me, riding on top of the Kumamoto-jo mascot, enjoying my visit to the most famous landmark in the city of Kumamoto. The locals thought I'd escaped from the Special Olympics....if I bump my head one more time, I will be eligible for the Special Olympics.  Being your run of the mill farmboy, I am a freakin' GIANT and have hit my head everyday, at least once, on something and the comment "beeeeg!" is usually illicited from the locals when they see my shoes or boots. 

Stacy and Erin were fighting over who could turn this frog into a Samruai Prince, no winners.  Lucky frog.  We did decide that the next one who gets a dog, should name it Kermit, as in "Kermit the Dog."

Stacy met her true love, Colonel Sanders, in a Santa suit no less.  You can tell from her million dollar smile, that she's in love.  He was kinda rigid at first, but I'm sure he'll warm up.

Not all the monkeys are in Beppu, at least not the big ones.

Some of the statues were interesting, and suggestive..........this was a fertility shrine.

This collection was just the start, there are tons and tons more pictures that are lively and fun.......I will be sure to post them.  Have a pleasant day.