First Real Day Out With Mia -- Farewell to Tokyo

Ten is off at the gym right now for one of his final personal training sessions, and I am trying to get Mia to sleep for the night (she isn't having it might I add), so I figure it is a good time to type up what we did over the weekend. 

First, the weekend started and ended with gifts! Yay! It is always so much fun to get unexpected gifts...not going to lie.

On Friday we got a package from Australia, and we opened it to find a pair of little red Uggs. Really cute...did you know Uggs were invented in Australia? Well that's what we were told. These were from Ten's coworker for Mia for the New York winters. How thoughtful!... especially since we have never even met him! Also, the necklace below was given to Ten on Sunday night as a gift for me. This came from the most unexpected person....our dry cleaner as a gift for having Mia. Really sweet of her. Once she found out that I could speak English (odd story in itself there), we started having small talk when I went to pick up Ten's clothes. Must get a thank you note for her!

On Saturday, Ten made us lunch reservations at Gonpachi in Azabu. It is an American/Japanese fusion restaurant...and famous for being the inspiration for a huge fight scene in Kill Bill.

Lots of famous people have eaten here like George Bush and Stevie Wonder...and best of all...

...Johnny Depp...my sister's celebrity obsession...though I will admit he is mighty fine!

Anyway, we chose this restaurant because I had never been...and didn't want to miss out before we left...Also, we called beforehand and were told that it was baby friendly and was non-smoking throughout. When we arrived, the staff actually carried our stroller up all of the steps for us...so I definitely agree...baby friendly in that sense.

Here is a pic of me and Mia...and that pink thing hanging off of me is my super hero cape (aka nursing cover).

We had a lot of really nice food. I ordered the lunch course and Ten had the oyakodon set plus he ordered some yakitori. 

Starting with a salad...tasted better than the picture looks.

Sweet and sour and spicy shrimp dumpling...I loved this thing...and the best part is they accidentally brought Ten one too...and when we told them that we didn't order it...they told us to keep it...so I ate two of them...I know...bad since the top part is all fried...but couldn't help it.

Cold tofu with baby anchovies...I just can't stomach the baby fish looking at me...so I had to pass this one over to Ten.

Ten's food. He has been on a strict diet...like really strict...so he devoured this...plus some yakitori...

We also had more yakitori, grilled fish, and tempura with sea salt (I am a convert to tempura with salt). I thought I took pics but I guess not....and finally dessert...vanilla ice cream with brown sugar.

And finally, a few pics of the restaurant...very empty since we got there right when it opened to avoid a crowd.

And Mia...she did really well. She was all smiles when we walked in and was checking everything out...So it has definitely boosted our confidence for more outings. 

Cherry Blossoms are Here

One of my absolute favorite times in Japan is cherry blossom season. They have finally bloomed near our apartment, so here is a quick look. Pics are from my phone, so not the greatest.

They are truly impressive every time they bloom.

MLB at Tokyo Dome

Last week, the Mariners and A's came to Tokyo for their Opening Game. Ten and I went to the Boston/A's game 4 years ago and had a great time, so we got tickets as soon as they started selling them.

Here are a few random pics of the game....Ten has a bunch on his phone that are way better but oh well.

First, they did the opening ceremony (pics above). They brought out the U.S. and Japanese flags and did a tribute to the victims/volunteers/survivors of the earthquake. This was really nice, but it really was quite a downer. For the rest of the game between innings they also did something earthquake related.....showing images, people speaking, etc. I kind of think MLB was off on this decision. It just made the whole atmosphere so gloomy and depressing. Those of us living in Tokyo definitely have not forgotten March 11, so I wasn't sure why we needed the constant reminder. I think most people wanted to have a good time and escape reality a little...not relive it.... anyway rant over.

Our seats were actually really nice, and we had a great view of the field. However, they had no backs!! Oh Lord I thought. In all honestly, we only made it to the middle of the 6th inning before I was too tired and we had to leave. Ten was also exhausted since he had just gotten back from Hong Kong a few hours before, so he didn't mind.

I think the funniest part of the game was that none of the fans were cheering for a particular team...instead they were just cheering for Ichiro...haha. I mean it was nice to see him play (since he probably won't be for too much longer), but it was so hilarious that he was the only one to receive any applause. We felt kind of bad for the rest of the players.

Other aspects that I love about baseball games in Japan...the food they sell. Curry, ramen, bentos, etc. It is amazing that people eat these things in the packed seats without spilling it on their neighbor. I so would have made Ten get me something if I hadn't been so tired. ;-)

Also, maybe the most exciting part was that Ten almost caught a ball! He just barely missed...and probably would have gotten it if he hadn't had the camera in his hand....really sad.

Overall, the experience was kind of bleh this year. It was fun, but not quite the same as being back home and cheering for your home team. However, a night out is always a good time! 

Another one of these...

I really hate to do so many of these posts where I just bullet point everything and throw it together, but here goes another one. There are just too many things going on to make it into one cohesive post....and I'm too lazy to blog every day. So....here it goes:

• Biggest News of the Week: We are going to be having another little nephew or niece welcomed into the family at the end of this year. This is really exciting!! I can't wait to go home to visit in December so that we can all get together!!
• Biggest Stress at the Moment: This is nothing to be extremely stressed about, but this year I have to buy gifts for 3 of my cousins' baby showers along with the above mentioned nephew or niece. Plus our nephew's birthday is next month. Yikes this is a lot of gifts, but I know everyone else is in the same situation. I really don't mind it, but it is a lot to consider...plus we haven't bought anything for our baby yet...hahaha!!
• We came up on the one year anniversary of the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster here in Japan. A lot of people have shared this video, but I will here again. It is well worth watching.

So many people were affected by the tsunami in one way or the other. In Tokyo we were so lucky, but it definitely wasn't the easiest of times.

• Also, I attended a meeting with the Tokyo Pregnancy Group to learn about some baby related things. Really nice ladies, and I highly recommend this group to those having babies in the Tokyo area!! There is also no pressure to join every meeting, so that is really nice.
• Finally, we have started to go to our bi-weekly checkups for the baby and will soon go on our hospital tour. Getting very close to the time where we can start really counting down.

Anyway, I think that I will leave it at that for now. I really hope to start actually writing regular posts again soon! I just get so caught up in the mornings with Skype chats and then before your know it I have to rush around our apartment cleaning it up so I can start dinner before Ten gets home...yes, I need a time management intervention...this I know.

Out with the old....in with the ramen?

So, today Ten and I headed over to the Book Off (used book shop) in Gotanda to try to unload some of our books. I think we sold about 8 or 9 books and got paid a grand total of...wait are you ready?....350 yen (or about $4.50)...hahahaha. I was just relieved that they took all of them. Before I would just give my books away...or even worse throw them out....so making any money at all is GREAT!! We were so happy with our 350 yen...hahaha.


Also, we found out that tomorrow they are having a half off sale on all English books...yay!!....50 yen for a book ($0.65), can't beat that. We will probably go and buy the same amount of books that we sold....so, so much for getting rid of stuff....:(....but who can pass up that deal...really....especially since we checked the prices of the books on Amazon...and they are cheaper to buy at Book Off...


And now....here is maybe my most favorite ramen shop...loved this place....

This type of ramen comes from Ten's hometown, and it was our first time to try this place together....and worth waiting in line....

I loved all of the toppings that are at your table that you can add to the ramen...I didn't snap pics of all of them, but here are the ones that we love.

Ginger and Garlic Cloves

Spicy Takana (mustard greens)...Ten's favorite

Spicy Bean Sprouts...my favorite

And then after waiting for a few minutes....out came our ramen....heavenly.....

Slices of pork with spice, green onion, noodles, and more

....with toppings...

We also got greedy and ordered gyoza (dumplings) and Ten got a noodle refill (kaedama)...hahaha...but that was long gone before I could take a pic.

After eating, we walked back home and used YouTube to do karaoke....one of our guilty pleasures....hahahaha....and we are terrible....and the neighbors probably think was are nuts (especially since we dance with the blinds wide open)....but we have a lot of fun... :)

Festival...Take 2

After the gym today, we headed back to the festival, and I'm so glad that we did because we missed a few small details the night before. 

Like neighborhood decorations....

...the beginning of the procession

...and some not so small things.

We also got to eat some great festival food. I will admit that if you are reading from the U.S., then these dishes could take some getting used to. Some examples are:

Osakayaki: This is like a fritter filled with egg, ham, onion, ginger, and more...topped with mayo

Kakigori: like a snow cone

You can also chow down on things like takoyaki (octopus dumplings), yakitori (skewers of grilled meat), chocolate covered bananas, skewered grilled baby octopus, and much more!!

Note to self....take more food photos next time :)

Matsuri!!...or...Festivals!!

I love, love, love festivals in Japan. Today was our neighborhood's fall festival, and I just love the sense of community that festivals and celebrations bring out in people!!

Our local shrine is Otori Shrine. It was established in 806, and they have been having festivals there for the past 300 years. Isn't that amazing!! 

Here are a few of the highlights from the evening....

Carrying the small shrine through the neighborhood.

 

Lanterns around the entrance gate

Traditional Dancing

Yummy Food Stalls

Big Drums

Cute Games

....and...more games.

We had such a great time strolling around the festival tonight...tomorrow will sooo be taking advantage of all the good food!!

Taking the Day Off from Housewife Life....

Today I attended my first event as a member of the...are you ready for this because it's a long one....Tokyo Union Church Women's Society (or TUCWS). I decided to join this group because honestly there are few groups in Tokyo for foreign people that aren't shockingly expensive. For instance...always debating to join the Tokyo American Club...but at a $36,000 entrance fee and then monthly fee of $420...it just doesn't seem worth it.

There were two parts to the event. First was class registration where I signed up for two courses: (1)Making obi covered photo frames and (2) Traditional Japanese Wrapping. If you are reading this from outside of Japan, I will explain later what these are when I actually take the courses.
Pictures are always better than words anyway in these situations.


The second part was a ballet performance by the Austrian Ballet Company Tokyo. It was really hard to catch these spindly ballerinas as they twirled around the stage, but here are the best shots that I could get....with the help of a friend might I add

Love these sparkly outfits...though you can't tell from the pictures

dark skies and small respites

This has been what the sky in Tokyo has looked like for the past...hmmm...I don't know...week or so:

Taken around 3:00 p.m.

Say hello to Typhoon Talas (well more like goodbye) and a little bit of tropical storm Noru. This has been the worst typhoon to hit Japan in the past 7 years and has left us with more than 50 people missing, more than a hundred injured, and almost 40 dead.

This coming at a time when we still have so many people displaced because of the earthquake/tsunami on March 11 and the continuing battle against radiation...oh how I miss eating things like lettuce, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes...hopefully I will be able to enjoy these again one day soon.

I really wonder when Japan will catch a break...but until then it's important to find the sweetness in little things like:

Small flowers

Nice scenery (the river near our apartment)

...and unexpected cuteness...

I hope that everyone will continue to keep Japan in their thoughts.