I arrived at Machiko-san's house for the Japanese cooking class. I left a bit early and was glad as addresses in Japan can be confusing. The Google coordinates given in the Traveling Spoon email were way off but I already was familiar with the area and had seen the picture of Machiko-san's house online. Anyway, it was all uphill from there! First, I sat with Machiko-san and her husband Daishi-san and had tea and told them about my home state (Louisiana) in the U.S. Although they both speak good English, at my request we spoke mostly Japanese since my goal this trip is to improve my speaking. Then we went to the kitchen, where Machiko-san had me cutting cabbage and chicken. She showed me how to make the Hiroshima specialty "okonomiyaki" as well as "karaage" (Japanese fried chicken). Then we had lunch with their two sons. It was great fun and I learned a lot. I was glad I'd brought a small gift from America (Louisiana pecans--the best!) and would recommend bringing a gift to anyone who has the the chance to visit Japanese people in their homes as it is culturally correct and always appreciated. Afterwards, I was so glad I'd signed up for this class. It was one of my best experiences so far in Japan!