Home for Christmas

It's about that time of year.  Only three sleeps before I hop on a plane back to Kentucky.  I'm getting really excited and I wish I could go ahead and fly out today.  However, it probably is a good idea to wait until this weekend when Drew can show me how to get to the airport.  On the way back to Japan I will be navigating the way home by myself so I'll need to pay attention.  I am the WORST with directions, if you didn't know that already.  The journey requires getting off one train, leaving that train station, walking to a different train station, and getting on another train.  It's the walking to a different train station that has the potential to cause problems for me.  At least we finally got a cell phone so I can call Drew from a payphone if I get completely lost.

I'll be returning to Japan Dec. 18, which gives me a nice window to decorate our apartment before Christmas.  Here is what we have so far.

This was a gift to Drew from one of his students.  We currently have it hanging over our unused TV.  We have plans to purchase a 100 Yen ($1) tree and ornament set.  It will be tiny but it will have spirit!  

See you soon America!

Ne-Ne-Ya

Right after I arrived in Japan, Drew and I noticed workers at the restaurant outside our window dragging a bunch of items out the back door.  At first we thought maybe they were performing an annual cleaning, but then the dumpsters arrived, as well as trucks to haul off wood and metal, and we decided it was much more serious.  We continued to watch (playing out our own version of Rear Window) and took bets on whether the whole building would be torn down, the restaurant was being remolded, or the building had been sold to another company.  

Turns out the same company that owned the original restaurant was turning this building into a different restaurant that they also own.  The new restaurant opened in mid-November and has been hopping ever since.  On the day of the opening we witnessed this ceremony.

The ceremony consisted of speeches, clapping, and chanting back and forth between the management and the waitstaff.  Everyone got in a big circle and did some sort of a cheer at the end.  It was very enthusiastic.  For some reason I don't think this is going on at an Applebee's opening back in America.

Drew and I visited Ne-Ne-Ya early on a Monday evening to get in before the crowds.  It is set up with little private dining rooms, sectioned off by sliding doors.  Half of the menu was drinks, so I think we annoyed our waitress when we only ordered water.  I would categorize most of the food options as appetizers and all of them are expensive for their size.

The taco rolls were our favorite item.

You also can't go wrong with cheese fondue.

It was a fun experience, however, I think what we will mostly get out of this new restaurant is the opportunity to listen to all of the drunk people yelling right outside our window each night.  Joy!

Christmas in Tokyo

We took a trip to Tokyo to do a little Christmas shopping and I was happy to see holiday spirit all around.  It's good to know that I'm not falling behind in getting pumped for Christmas while in Japan.

There are endless shopping spots in Tokyo so we thought it would be the best place to get our gift giving juices flowing.  Here you can find anything you've ever imagined.  Like these ear muffs that I made Drew try on.  They just fit onto your ear without any head band.  I guess Drew isn't convinced.

We also stopped by the Tower Records store, which quite possibly is the largest record store in the world.  Each floor was a different genre of music.  It was strange to see a country/bluegrass section.  I guess I can't imagine Japanese people jamming to Wynonna.

There was a LEGO exhibit set up in one of the stores.  It cost money to go in but luckily they had a few outside on display to satisfy our curiously.  Only free LEGOs for us!

Suga Shrine

Drew didn't have to work last Friday so we visited the main shrine in our town.  There is actually a really nice path up to the gate.  This may be the shrine that we visit for the New Year's celebration, which is the major holiday in Japan.  We can't go too far because the trains shut down at midnight and we would be stranded.

Always seems to be raining on Drew's free days

Signs of Christmas are beginning to pop up all over town, including Christmas music in every store.  While on our way to the train station we ran into a hand bell concert in one of the shopping centers.  Very festive! 

Warm and Snuggly

I am always very cold and, with winter approaching, I've been worrying about how to stay warm while sleeping in our partially heated/unheated apartment.  Apparently, Japan has the answer.  A yutanpo!  These are little (or big) hot water bottles in a flat stone shape that usually come with some sort of soft cover.  You fill them up with boiling water, slip them into their cover, and place them in your bed.  Drew and I picked up a small one for me the other day.

We still aren't sure what it is- a bear perhaps??  But he's soft and fuzzy and I love him!  Now at night I fill him up and carry him around wherever I go.  Surprisingly, he stays very warm for hours.  It has been a big help for my extra cold feet.  This guy will be coming home with me.

Real Thanksgiving

Drew has been adamant that it doesn't count until it is actually Thanksgiving Day back in America.  This is why I get a look from him when he comes home to find me listening to Christmas music already.  Well, now it's official!  To celebrate "real" Thanksgiving I made an all American meal.

Homemade hamburgers, french fries, and corn on the cob.  Here we are enjoying it over Drew's dinner break.  He was so happy to see tomatoes and ketchup waiting for him (not things I usually keep around).

For dessert I made "cookies" out of bananas, oatmeal, raisins, vanilla, and olive oil.  Wasn't sure how it would turn out in the toaster over but it seemed to work just fine.

Kiryu Festival

On Monday we headed to Kiryu in Gunma prefecture for their Ebisuko festival held at the Nishinomiya Shrine.  This festival has been taking place since 1901 and is in honor of the god Ebisu, god of commerce and prosperity.

People come to the festival to pray for business success and to buy an amulet (these look similar to a wreath) to hang for good fortune. There was also a station to drop off the one you bought last year so that it can be burned.   Here is a whole wall of them.  

There was a very long line to get up to the shrine to make an offering.

Of course the food stalls were endless.  We settled on bacon and pepper flavored french fries.  I did make Drew take a quick picture (excuse the blurriness) of this hot dog stand.  The hot dogs were twice as long as the bun!

Overall, I think we mostly enjoyed people watching.  Especially when someone would make an expensive purchase and we were able to witness the complimentary dance and shout that was subsequently performed.

Thanksgiving Feast

Drew and I were invited to join his boss, family, and a few friends for a Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.  There were about 7 adults and 5 children in total, making for a nice celebration.  We even met an older gentleman from Kentucky who grew up in Owensboro like Drew.  It was a real treat to celebrate this holiday with fellow Americans while so far away from home.

My contribution to the feast was my Grandma's no-bake cookies and my Aunt Billie's macaroni and cheese. To Drew's dismay no macaroni and cheese was left for us to take home.

Surprisingly, my favorite part of the meal was the turkey and gravy.  It must be because we don't get as much meat here as we normally do at home.

Butterball picked up from our Costco trip

Corn, gravy, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.

The dessert table was out of control.  We had homemade apple pie, brownies, cinnamon rolls, my no-bakes, Japanese cake rolls, and a cannelloni dessert.  I think I ate more of the sweets than I did the actual meal.  Drew and I felt full for two whole days after this.  Fantastic!

Pocky Day

There is a Japanese snack called Pocky that is a long, crunchy biscuit-like stick that is dipped in chocolate.  It is likely that you may have even seen them before in some of the international aisles at the grocery.  One of their great marketing schemes was to declare November 11 Pocky Day since 11/11 looks like sticks of pocky.  Can't miss out on that!  We made our purchase last Sunday night, going with the chocolate rolled in almonds variety.

Puzzles!

I have always loved puzzles but it has been a long time since I've had time to mess with one.  Turns out I was in luck on Monday because Drew was busy, all my normal cooking/cleaning was finished, and it was gloomy outside.  What was I to do?  Take a trip to Toys R Us of course!  We actually have one just a few buildings over from our apartment.

I can't actually remember what size puzzle I've normally completed in the past, but 1000 pieces seems to be the most popular type here.  Drew found that one of the cheapest options happened to be a picture of Cinque Terra, Italy, where we traveled one summer.  My only problem with the puzzle was that it had 1000 pieces but was only going to be 38 x 26 cm in size.  Compared to the other puzzles it seemed very small.    Drew investigated the box further and found that it was a micro puzzle.  He assured me that the puzzle pieces would only be about half the size of a normal puzzle piece.  Wrong!

I put my hand in this picture so that you can see just how tiny these pieces are.  I find that it is very difficult for me to even handle a single piece.  So this may be a long project.  

This is as far as I got on that rainy day.  It is now stored under the couch for a similar occasion to arise.

Tochigi Autumn Festival

Drew and I attended the Tochigi Autumn Festival on Sunday.  I always find it interesting to check out the food stalls.  Drew ended up ordering takoyaki (octopus dumpling balls), while I stuck with the more familiar yakisoba (noodle/veggie dish).  He later ate a chocolate covered banana and I found a tasty churro for dessert.

Look at these meat spirals!

We wandered up and down the street in search of our favorite float.  It ended up being the chicken float for both of us.  

A close runner up was this guy, wielding a large sword.

Drew got the most excited when he spotted the children's games.  I'm pretty sure he was disappointed he didn't get to play.  I was a little worried we would somehow end up with a prize goldfish.

Oyama Balloon Festival

While Drew was at work on Saturday, I rode my bike to a nearby park where a hot air balloon festival was being held.  There is something about those colorful balloons in the sky that make it impossible not to stop and check it out, no matter how many times you've seen them before.  Too bad Drew had to miss out.  It was the perfect day for it.

Tidbits

One of our more recent, interesting purchases was to keep our coffee table from scratching the floor.  I assumed we would find some sort of felt pad to stick on the bottom of each foot.  Turns out, unsurprisingly, that Japan has something much more unnecessary than that.

No, these are not baby booties, Japan actually sells these little socks specifically to cover the feet of tables and chairs to prevent scratching.  They come in all different sizes and patterns.  Drew liked these blue ones the best.  I mean, I could really get carried away with changing these up for each season.  Now we can't help but find our little table to be cute and stylish.

We were also happy to find a Budweiser and some "American" popcorn in the grocery store Tuesday night to consume in honor of the election.  It just so happened that Drew's boss had an extra cake sitting around that Drew was sent home with as well.  Not a bad treat.

Now that it's getting dark out earlier and turning cold, my SAD seems to be kicking in. At least that it what I'm blaming it on. :)  As you may know, I hate the winter and the cold.  If it is a rainy or gloomy day on top of that I barely have enough motivation to get out of bed.  Blah!  It's much harder here while living in a tiny little space.  So far I haven't minded our one room apartment, but it may start driving me crazy when I'm stuck in here for gloomy days on end.  Guess I'll be picking up some new indoor hobbies soon.  Anyone want a hand knitted scarf for Christmas???  

Shabu-shabu

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time.  It specializes in shabu-shabu and sukiyaki.  Drew's favorite Japanese dish is sukiyaki, which is prepared by grilling meat and vegetables on an electric skillet, adding in a sweet soy sauce concoction, and dipping the meat in raw egg.  Very tasty!  Neither of us had ever tried shabu-shabu, however, so that was our dish of choice.  Turns out the waiter brings you a bunch of dishes, sauces, a bowl of sesame seeds, a bowl of rice, a cup with a tiny soup packet, and your meat and veggie tray.  We weren't exactly sure what to do with it all.  In the middle of the table is the boiling hot pot where you swish the meat around for a few seconds before dipping it in one of the sauces and eating.

Drew grinding his sesame seeds

The spread

It was a great meal for a cold day.  There is something about getting to eat a bunch of little things that makes it very filling but never heavy.  I enjoyed learning that shabu-shabu translates to "swish-swish" from the sound the meat makes while being cooked when swishing it around in the hot pot.  Fun fact!  Next time we'll have to try the sukiyaki.

Lake Chuzenji

One of Drew's students, and his wife, took us on a trip to Lake Chuzenji, in Nikko, on Sunday.  Nikko is THE place to see the fall colors in this region and we were warned that there would be traffic.  Thus, we left at 8:00 am to try to miss some of it.  Well.....what should have been a 2 hour trip turned into a 4 hour trip.  Wow!  I was not expecting that big of a delay.  Luckily, we were in good company and the scenery was worth it.

Lake Chuzenji

View from inside Italian Embassy Villa

Fall colors at the Embassy

On the dock at the Embassy

Marshland

Ryuzu Waterfall

For lunch we ate at a restaurant that specialized in yuba, a tofu byproduct.  I was a little skeptical because I don't really care for tofu, and I doubted that its byproduct could be much better, but it turned out not to be so bad.

I ordered the Yuba Tempura Udon

Drew was stuck with the fish.

One of my favorite sights of the day...

Monkey crossing!