Going Retro...

I have decided that due to my lack of posts lately, I should post some of the things I never got around to writing about....

Last year my sweet sweet Nanny came over to Japan. Jan is one of my oldest bestest friends and it was such a treat for her to come here. It was her first time to go across an Ocean for international travel, and she came by herself.. I love it. Jan arrived in Japan on my town matsuri day, and me being the evil friend I was, I asked her to travel from Narita to Arai to meet me. This was her first train experience. Jan tackled the adventure, made all the trains, somehow figured out how to calll my keitai to tell me she would be there earlier than we had thought... and although she arrived frustrated and tired to me drunk and clad in a yukata on the platform, she was a great sport about it. I wouldn't have put her up for anything that I didn't think she could do... and I am talking about one of the strongest most clever girls in the world here..

During her visit, we did lots of things, but being the outdoor goddess she is, at her request, we climbed several mountains...

since you couldn't be there with us, enjoy the scenic view (of a year ago)
This is of a local mountain, Yoneyama



isn't it just lovely

in the heavens

practicing my mantra~

the shrine

in the yoneyama shrine

jan and the shrine, no shirt, no shoes, no~

yoneyama summit

hot, sweaty, sexy, and on top of a mountain... one of three down... (we climbed Myoko-San and Fuji-San also)

jan kicking up her feet after the climb in the mountain hut

CHINA

back safely from china, had many great experiences... climbing the wall, dancing all night, scoping the scene with my girls, seeing the forbidden city, being held at mini-celebrity status, having my camera stolen (well not so great), talking freely in Tiananmen Square about things that Chinese people aren't even educated about such as the disaster of 1989, enjoying delecicies in street stalls, and playing drinking games with tiger penis liquor...oh what great fun it was...I will update as soon as I have pics (thanks in advance liz and tiff) and time to write out my stories....

Bai Wu Yi Shi

I leave for China with Liz and Tiff in THREE DAYS!! I am uber-excited...while reading some news and browsing some sites, I ran across this, the Chinese Idiom of the Day~ BAI WU YI SHI ~ It means ~
"~No Danger of Anything Going Wrong ~ No Risk at All ~"
I think that is a great sign!

TWISTER AND HANAMI~ who knew!!??~ Great day recap

Ohanami + Twister = loads of fun.....

I had the day off work yesterday, and it was a gorgeous day!!

I got up at 7, made breakfast, picked up Liz and took her to school from the station, took strawberries to the BOE just for the hell of it because it was such a nice day, went to lunch with Liz, got the girls to go straight from work to the park for Hanami with the three of us, (hanami is cherry blossom viewing) ....I got the beer, and for kicks I brought Scrabble and Twister, we played Scrabble when we got there while sitting under the trees and catching interesting stares from the other Hanami attendees, we got cold, debated about leaving, walked around got some food, the beer kicked in, met some new friends, talked about going to the Haunted House, drank, talked, ran into old friends, broke out the twister game, played and laughed our asses off, missed the train home, said screw it, noticed the haunted house was closed (our new friends promised they would take us), got sad, yet not deterred, snuck into said haunted house, (thanks tiff for your umai knot untying skills) ran around haunted house, safely returned from haunted house to tarp, lights of park went out, we realized how long we had been there, decided to leave~ 7 people 3 bikes..went to nakamachi, new friends got pulled over by cops (we were riding bicycles- two at a time wa dame) played a game of darts, had a night cap, got a date, retired to Tiffs house, caught early train in the morning, made it to work...and am just sitting here thinking "WOW WHAT A GREAT DAY THAT WAS...LIFE IS SWELL!!"

me getting cold at park

Liz, also cold at park, looking cute in her pigtails...

Tiff, enjoying a beer at the park, behind her you can catch a glimpse of a traditional Japanese Hanami drinking party....very different than ours....

and now....

MC Hammer has a blog . yoshi~

For Those of You Unfamiliar with the Pleasures of Sushi

How to Eat Sushi

The Truth About Sushi

check out these videos, they are sure to please....

おいしいそうだね！ doesn't this look delicious??

Last night, I got a surprise visit around midnight from my friend Takahito. He brought me this sushi that he made for me as a gift. Doesn't it look fabulous...too bad, it is sitting in my fridge until I get home this afternoon to eat it for dinner. (Well actually I have already devoured one of each for a succulent breakfast...it is melt in your mouth, sushi wonderfullness...

if you are ever in town, I will have to take you to his sushi restaraunt, he trained in and specializes in delicate japanese cuisine that is drawn out over a long relaxing meal....the place has no menu, it is always omakase, chef's choice, so you are at his mercy (and the mercy of his father and mother who also are there socializing and running the business- don't be surprised if you are handed a plethora of random treats i.e. cookies, mikans (tangerines), sake, wine) you not only will get the treat of delicious sushi made as you chat, him forming the rice in his hands and cutting up the fish, slapping it all together, and then setting it in front of you on the counter that they have cleaned off....but you can have martini glasses full of delicacies such as ikura (salmon roe)...which to be honest I can only take so much of (and not a martini glass full)....or seared tuna with wasabi...or salmon with pumpkin sauce...or mussel soup.... the food (when served) has yet to dissappoint...that and he is one of the friendliest men I have met in Japan, when Tiff and I were going through pre-HongKong missing item trauma, he was the one who helped us out by calling the police and rounding up information....even though he can't speak English, he is a joyous person who is always generous.

this photo must be credited to Tiffany, it is from a dinner we had at sushi yoshi a while back- oishisoune!

.....great friends are so important in life...and surrounding yourself by true genuine people is even more important...I am so lucky to have those luxuries in my life...this delicious surprise topped off a rockin' weekend I spent with Tiff dancing our butts off, socializing our hearts out, having stimulating conversation, enjoying each others company, and discussing the true important things in life.... (that and we missed liz a lot too, hoping for her safe return)...

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Suess

so true. so true.