Japan and PPF

Today is Friday, so it's time once again for Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristin,  and Darcy's Postcard Challenge, which is all about Japan this week.

This last week the family has been enjoying being together again, having the usual discussions, and of course, eating – especially their daily fish-and-chips. Shannon and Jason tell about their all the wonderful sights they saw in Malta.
‘You mean you actually left your room now and then?’ Queenie asks. ‘Of course they did!’ says Thelma, ‘They had to buy us our presents!’ Each of the ladies got a glass vase from Malta, and Queenie got a beautiful glass mobile with birds to hang in her new shop. Next week she will be opening it. Jason and Shannon have started getting their new shop organised, too. Jason is selling vintage comics, magazines, newspapers and toys. He has given up on finding a real Picasso! Shannon keeps sorting out things that she considers as junk, and Jason sneaks to the dustbins every time to salvage them when she is not looking. ‘Bloody ‘ell!’ he says, ‘Typical woman! Throwing away things that will bring good money!’ Shannon laughs. ‘You would have to pay good money to get people to take  them!’
‘You ain’t got no idea about antiques’, he says. ‘Just leave it to me! You’ll soon be occupied with other things!’
Cissie and Thelma are off for a day out with their friends to tell them all about South Africa, and Queenie, Jason and Shannon decide to visit the Japanese Garden in Holland Park. The weather is lovely. They have a quick breakfast at home – tea, cereals, rolls, toast, eggs and bacon, and then set off to the Tube Station. They don’t want to eat too much as they are planning to have a Japanese breakfast at a restaurant near the park before they go exploring. Queenie sits between them on the tube, as she does not like them snogging non-stop in public. But they at least manage to hold hands behind her back.
The breakfast is quite different to what they had expected. They are served grilled mackerel, dashimaki eggs, and tofu in kaminabe ( a paper pot), and of course rice, and Japanese tea.

Shannon says she prefers their usual breakfast at home, but loves the tea. Jason does not like the tea, he compares it to ‘horses’ p*ddle’, which makes both ladies make furious grimaces and tell him to shut up….
Thus fortified, they stroll through the beautiful park till they come to the ‘Kyoto Garden’. It is quiet and green, and very beautiful. They sit at different places to admire the views, the lakes, the waterfall, and of course, the fish pond. Jason is impressed that the  fish are so large. ‘Bet they wouldn’t taste bad fried!’ he says, and is once again told to shut up by the ladies. ‘What have I got myself into?’ he thinks. ‘Four women to boss me about, I need an evening out with my mates!’ But he doesn’t dare to mention it.

In the evening they go to an elegant restaurant, where they enjoy a selection of sushi, tempura - battered and deep fried seafood and vegetables, and yakitori – grilled chicken. The ladies drink tea again, and Jason enjoys sake. They set out for home feeling very full up, tired, and happy.

(Photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

This is the postcard they send to Cissie and Thelma:

(The postcard shows a card I made for a challenge 'staged' on my balcony)

 For Paint Party Friday I have lost my marbles!  I spent an afternoon this week trying heads in marble technique. This one fell back into the paint after it was finished, and got a second layer through the middle. I didn't like it at first, but now my 'accident' has grown on me. The marbles have been cut from marbled scraps.

Here I was just cleaning my paint-roller. I think I was working off some frustrations with it, this has not been a good week.  I added the stamped tulips to soften it a bit.

Have a good day you all, take care, and thanks for visiting!