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Back to Nagoya, back to home for Miko and Meg, back to Shinji with his right arm in a cast after his wrist operation; back for Sophie's 19th birthday on the 25th and Miko's 6 months the day after.

A trip to Nagoya Castle, a coffee in town and a stomach turning elevator ride up the Toyota building for an impressive view of the third largest city in Japan. And Bam! It was time to sing happy birthday to me. Meg spoiled me with a new haircut as a present, I was thrilled and delighted by the sheer brilliance of Japanese haircutting skillz, very impressive. We went out for teriyaki chicken and other little appies at a Japanese pub, which was so much nicer than our pubs. It was pretty and cool and full of shouting uni students, we drank Suntory beers because they didn't have asahi and the others all ate my free banana split due to current attempts to eradicate the dairy that has taken over my life, the waiters sang happy birthday and I blew out three candles. It was a wonderful birthday.

Shinji's uncle is a famous potter, and we were lucky enough to visit him and his wife in their studio/house and by george was it amazing. Wooden floors covered in plates and bowls and cups and platters and saucers, some painted and some not yet, some wobbly and some golden and some leafy and some silvery and others covered in dots. I have never seen such beautifully designed ceramics before. I almost cried when they gave us 2 pieces EACH as presents, just "because you are our cute nephew's wife's friends", and gave us like an 80% discount on the two cups we fell in love with. Gosh we have been shown kindness I can't even believe.

Thankyou to Meg for making our Japanese adventures so memoreable. They would not have been so full without you and your sweet sweet Shinji and Miko. I wish I could think of something memorable to say, something sentimental and quippy and full of hidden meanings and/or excellent puns. But all I can think of is the quotation on the baby rug on the floor of their loungeroom, telling me that "today I went for a picnic with my friend, and we walked the long long." It just makes me laugh and I don't know what it means.