Back from Takasaki

Well on Sunday I came back from a week-ish long visit to Gunma (about 100km northwest of Tokyo) to see my grandparents. Glad to say that they are happy and healthy (as old people can be). My grandad picked us up from the train station and on the way home he started telling us to be careful of the bears and monkeys cuz they can come in the house if u leave the doors and windows open 0_0 (They live in the mountains). After a little panicking, and a chat with my grandmother, we were reassured that there would be no bears or monkeys attacking us in the middle of the night. So sorry to say that I have no exciting stories about any encounters with wild animals...

The week was spent lounging around and doing not much at all, which was nice after the busy Kyoto trip. What was especially nice was their massage chair...... oh it is the best invention in the world. It's not just any old massage chair, it has multiple massage settings that feel like someone is giving you a massage. This is something I am going to get for my new apartment... The toilet was so high tech as well! I never once had to lift the toilet lid while i was there - i just pushed a button and it went up automatically. For the boys there is a button that lifts both the lid and the seat. and of course there was a close button too. Plus the usual bum-washer and heater etc. It took a little while to get used to pushing a button to lift the toilet lid. Apparently it used to be sensered (so the toilet would open when you got near it, and the lid would close when u got off the seat), but it was too quick for old people and the seat closed on them cuz they couldn't get up quickly enough!

On the Saturday the folks and I went to do a little shopping at Takasaki train station, and I was able to buy 2 suit sets (one with jacket and skirt and pants, and the other with jacket and skirt) for less than the price of one suit at home! And these weren't cheapy s***ty suits either! What a bargain. I think I'm going to do some more suit shopping before I have to start work next year! Some things can be soooo cheap, but then other things just ridiculously expensive. For example: On the way home, I met up with my aunty and uncle in Tokyo (to see my counsin's play - contemporary drama is almost impossible to understand in any language!!), where I saw a melon selling for ¥10,500 (over AUD$100!!!!) What kind of people buy a piece of fruit for over $100? You'd hope it was the most mouthwatering irresistable thing u'd ever eaten!!! I think I'd be too scared to eat it... I think melons are the absolute most gourmet fruit you can get over there.

Anyway, even though I didn't do much except pretty much eat, it was a nice little rest before uni!