NISSAN Car Factory tour

Nissan has a factory about 20 minutes from our place.  I wanted to do a tour.  If you remember the blog from November, when we went to the Nissan Factory Tour, and it turned out to be a festival, we were told to book a time to come on-line.  

When I tried, bookings were 3 months out.  So, I waited and got a date the kids wouldn't be in school.  They called to re-schedule, and I chose a half-day.

This is the Oppama plant.  Yokohama is to the left.  So, when they said, "It's in Yokohama," we were cool with that.  Well, they have a motor factory in Yokohama, and that is where we were to go.

But, they took pity on us, and since they had room and we had an interpreter, they let us go see the line.

They gave us all radios, so we could hear in the plant.  Then they gave our interpreter the radio that would broadcast to our radios, while she listened to what the Japanese lady was saying.

So many things were automated.  This is not the clock I saw (we couldn't take pictures inside, these are the Nissan pics from their wall where we could take pics), but they showed how many were expected to be complete, and how many were completed.

This is a Juke.  They make Leaf, Cubes, Jukes and .... here.  Left side, right side, all different as they come down the line.

That paper hanging in the hood tells them what to put in the car.  It also is in roman alphabet letters.  The little cart on wheels to the left, is an automated cart.  It follows a magnetic line on the floor.  It contains all the parts needed for the guys on this car to finish all the specs on that sheet.

The are places that guys fill up those carts.  A computer tells them what to do, and a light comes on above each bin they need something from before they pluck it out.

We're back in the show room.

Liam and William

William was in the back!  

The Leaf (they make it here, and when they check the exhaust, and speed/brakes, etc (which was fun to watch), they don't have to raise the exhaust sucker-upper unit!

No gas!

Tim and I.

They gave us all little Leaf cars to take home.  This is Brennan and Sean playing on one of their demonstration computers.

This showed how the steering works.

This how the brakes work.

Both pedals at one time?  The accelerator to go and spin the disk, the brake to clamp down on it and stop it.  So cool for the kids!

 To sign up, look for the jp page online, and good luck going to the correct plant!  :)

The kids had fun in the cars and with the hands-on demonstration stuff they had there.

Italian Food with a View

 When Reina wanted to go to Italian, we said yes.  I'm glad she was with us.  Do you see a sign that this goes to a restaurant?

I mean, seriously.  It looks like house steps to me!

But at the top is the Della Sera Amalfi Italian place.

http://www.be-value.co.jp/index.files/amalfiDELLASERA.htm

The view at the top was beautiful.  Mount Fuji was out.

Enoshima Island and the coastline (and someone's private very nice house).

Reina and Jun-yi with the salad and bread.

Avacado and salmon.  It was really good.

We did their 'set' lunch.  But I added this.  It just cracked me up that I could read the Italian.  Carpaccio Pesca HAD to be sushi.  And it was!  :)  The orange colored sauce is a sweet apricot, and the wasabi one was really good, too.

This is octapus, and I found that the sauce was runny.  Did I mention the view?

Jun-yi liked her shrimp alfredo.  The sauce looked runny.  But the view was wonderful!

Dessert was good.  I loved the marscapone mousse.  

And here we are, on a sunny afternoon.  While Jun-yi had the best view, she didn't have the best sunblock, and got a burn.  She has a tan-line where her necklace was!

Reina is leaving for Hawaii.  I am so happy for her (she's a surfer) but so sad to say good-bye to our guide and ambassador to Japan.

She has been a friend and a joy.  Her zeal for life and experience is fun to be around.  She has such a great sense of humor.  Her broad experiences give her a unique take on things.  She was open to sharing herself and her culture with us.  She was a foodie, like us.  I am a dedicated gastronomical tourist.  :)  She also gives the BEST massages, and made me feel so comfortable, since she is a warm and open person.  I will so incredibly miss her sweet smile and sunny outlook.   :(

If the blue light is strobing, a train is coming.  Do not cross the tracks.  The gaijin test is to get across the tracks as fast as you can, since you can't read the sign!

The enoden line is just so cute!

You have to cross these tracks before going up the hill (this is us coming down).

Here is where you park.

There's the sweet shop, the cafe and the restaurant.  Then DELLA SERRA is up on the hill.  To get here, take 134 through Kamakura and keep going until you see the 7-11 on the right (it is unique in that it carries local foods -- and is the ONLY 7-11 out there on the right!)  Make that right turn at the light.  Take an immediate left over a bridge thing.  The parking is half-way up that narrow street on the left.

What's new in Caroline's life

People ask what's new.  Besides hand-washing dishes, doing the laundry, micro-loads at a time and being a volunteer, I am now in a book club.  It's an awesome group with great insights.  

When they decided the next book would also be a movie, they didn't like my 'The Lorax' suggestion.

I am also taking water zumba.  It is Zumba, done in the water.  I am loving it, and sometimes come out so sore!  It is definitely better on my knees.  My feet still kill me, but oh well.

This was the base's pic of the day.  One lady (Alice) didn't want to be in it.  The instructor, Sam said, "Hey, you never know where you'll end up.  My husband is on some lady's facebook!"

I said, "Is your husband an ENT?"

She said, "Yes, he's one of 2 on base."

I said, "Were the pictures really fuzzy?"

Yep!  Her husband took the plastic out of William's ear. 

Small, small world!

I've lost 10 lbs. so far.  I am working out to try and be in better shape for my niece, Jennifer Rigoni's wedding in June.  I was so honored and deeply touched that she asked me to be a part of the party.  And then I worried.  I know that if you want to look good in pictures, you stand next to someone older and heavier, but DANG!  These are her wedding pictures!

And she said, "If I wanted skinny bitches, I could have those.  I'd rather have those who I love around me."

Wow.  Deeply touched again.

St. Pat's Party

 I do my corned beef in crock pots, since I don't have that much space on my stove.  The Japanese think the number 4 is unlucky, therefore I only have three burners.

I always go for green.  Except for the carrot 'gold coins.'  The carrots are HUGE here at this time of year.  They're the size of a silver dollar!  The olives were for the little kids.  But, grapes, kiwi and melon are the green fruits; broccoli, celery and cucumbers are the green veggies.

Everyone showed up in greens!  William and Ethan went to pre-school together.

Jennifer Mason was amazing to bring so many things, including these favors!

Twizlers licorice with rolo gold. So cute!

Jennifer Mason, Jun-yi Welch, Hallie Anthony and Jaye Sullivan.  These are some of the folks I rely on over here!

Jennifer also did Guiness cupcakes with Bailey's frosting, kid-friendly cupcakes and mint brownies.  She is DEFINITELY invited back again!!!!  But she's PCSing out, that is the down-side of living in Japan.  You get to know great people, and then you say good-bye.

Mikaela and Mylie made it to the party (it was a windy, rainy night).

Annie, and Lily (the cutest crawler in the world) came as well.

Allie hamming it up with the corned beef, red potatoes, and the whiskey sauce is in the third crock-pot.

Mansons always bring Irish stew, which I'm grateful for, so people can have a choice.

Some of us are dressed to the socks!

Love the Japanese party house shoe pit.

The poker table is green!

Our neighbor, Chris and Gavin.  Gavin speaks so well and has the cutest voice.  We so enjoy having them as neighbors.

Tim's taking a shot of Irish whiskey.  I'd purchased some more for the sauce, and thought it made a good decoration until I needed it.  Well, the guys decided it would be fun to take shots.  Dwayne and Tim were the ones caught on camera.

Eric and Ian.  I just love folks dressing up!

Jon and Jun-yi.  Cute@

Some even had green nails!

Bedlam upstairs, but the kids had fun, as well.  LOVED the party and all our friends.  We are so blessed!