Japan_Bound
Thursday, January 27, 2005
The dreaded Japanese plague strikes again . . .
That's right folks, yours truly is sick a-gain. And sick of being sick! I've spent the last two days, not working, but rather face-down in a bucket, alternatively shivering then sweating, not sleeping, not eating, and not even keeping water down. Yep, it's been a real hoot. Wednesday I was supposed to have been at my old school for a big meeting and today I was supposed to have been making up my half of a shift swap. Here's to making good impressions with the company. Jesse has been wonderful; emptying buckets, going out at 2,3 sometimes 4 in the morning to find ginger ale, holding my hair, providing cold cloths - you name it. And I myself am more than ready to come home. Tired of getting sicker than I've ever been. Don't know if it's the flu I've got or a case of food poisoning (can't even think about Tuesday's lunch without feeling ill, so I know I'll never be eating at that convenience store again). All I know is that this country has done wonders for my mental health but nothing for my physical health.
Other than this incredibly uplifting and enthralling news, we have nothing new to report. Things have been pretty uneventful since M&D left, hence the lack of updates since then. Jesse's big staff party is coming up this Sunday and I won't expect him home before I head off to work the next day - all drinks are on the house and karaoke is free so it sounds like he's going to have alot of fun. I'm very much looking forward to talking to my boss about being sick and missing work yet again - that's about all I'll have going on!
As some of you already know, life at my new school has been pretty difficult at times due to the Japanese manager who doesn't like me and makes my life miserable whenever possible. Well, on Monday we had our weekly meeting and she took me aside and, in confidence, told me that she's leaving the company and the country at the end of January, which means we're getting a new Japanese manager on February 1st. Of course I acted as though I was completely shocked and dismayed at the news, but inside I was thrilled and still am if I'm honest. Perhaps things will be a little better around there for me. I'm excited about the change, nonetheless and will keep you all informed as things progress.
That's about all for now. I'm off to drown my sorrows in some ginger ale and perhaps hit the hay ASAP - I've turned pretty hardcore in Japan, I know. ;)
That's right folks, yours truly is sick a-gain. And sick of being sick! I've spent the last two days, not working, but rather face-down in a bucket, alternatively shivering then sweating, not sleeping, not eating, and not even keeping water down. Yep, it's been a real hoot. Wednesday I was supposed to have been at my old school for a big meeting and today I was supposed to have been making up my half of a shift swap. Here's to making good impressions with the company. Jesse has been wonderful; emptying buckets, going out at 2,3 sometimes 4 in the morning to find ginger ale, holding my hair, providing cold cloths - you name it. And I myself am more than ready to come home. Tired of getting sicker than I've ever been. Don't know if it's the flu I've got or a case of food poisoning (can't even think about Tuesday's lunch without feeling ill, so I know I'll never be eating at that convenience store again). All I know is that this country has done wonders for my mental health but nothing for my physical health.
Other than this incredibly uplifting and enthralling news, we have nothing new to report. Things have been pretty uneventful since M&D left, hence the lack of updates since then. Jesse's big staff party is coming up this Sunday and I won't expect him home before I head off to work the next day - all drinks are on the house and karaoke is free so it sounds like he's going to have alot of fun. I'm very much looking forward to talking to my boss about being sick and missing work yet again - that's about all I'll have going on!
As some of you already know, life at my new school has been pretty difficult at times due to the Japanese manager who doesn't like me and makes my life miserable whenever possible. Well, on Monday we had our weekly meeting and she took me aside and, in confidence, told me that she's leaving the company and the country at the end of January, which means we're getting a new Japanese manager on February 1st. Of course I acted as though I was completely shocked and dismayed at the news, but inside I was thrilled and still am if I'm honest. Perhaps things will be a little better around there for me. I'm excited about the change, nonetheless and will keep you all informed as things progress.
That's about all for now. I'm off to drown my sorrows in some ginger ale and perhaps hit the hay ASAP - I've turned pretty hardcore in Japan, I know. ;)
Monday, January 10, 2005
All good things . . .
Well, MD are off. Jess and I just got back from taking them to the airport. I'm really bummed and tired so this is going to be a very short blog today.
Yesterday David went in to Kyoto and mom and I went out for lunch together and spent the day shopping. It was really nice to spend the afternoon with her; as I've mentioned before we didn't spend alot of one-on-one time because we were always so busy sight seeing as a group. Later we all met up at the house and went to have L.A. Mart pasta one last time, then came home and watched a movie (The Stepford Housewives; we all thought it would suck but it was quite funny and actually had us all gutting ourselves a few times). I curled up with mom and chatted for a bit before heading off to bed.
Today I got up extra early to spend time with MD which is partly why I'm so tired right now, but it was worth it. David went out to get some oranges and Mr. Donuts - a ritual at this point - and we shared breakfast together before heading off to the station with all the luggage (Jess rode in the cab with all the luggage and MD and I walked). Yumi and Natsue met us at the airport and gave MD a gift! We all sat down together and had a snack and then it was time for the dreaded good-bye. Obviously there were lots of tears and hugs - I've said it before and I'll say it again, good-byes suck. Full stop.
Jess and I caught a train home and are about to eat dinner (a package of Lipton carbanera MD brought for us - yum!). After eating I'm off to bed. I'm sad and have to go back to work tomorrow so I'm going to turn in early.
PS: Mom and David, when you get home and read this, just wanted to let you know that my apple is great now!!!
Well, MD are off. Jess and I just got back from taking them to the airport. I'm really bummed and tired so this is going to be a very short blog today.
Yesterday David went in to Kyoto and mom and I went out for lunch together and spent the day shopping. It was really nice to spend the afternoon with her; as I've mentioned before we didn't spend alot of one-on-one time because we were always so busy sight seeing as a group. Later we all met up at the house and went to have L.A. Mart pasta one last time, then came home and watched a movie (The Stepford Housewives; we all thought it would suck but it was quite funny and actually had us all gutting ourselves a few times). I curled up with mom and chatted for a bit before heading off to bed.
Today I got up extra early to spend time with MD which is partly why I'm so tired right now, but it was worth it. David went out to get some oranges and Mr. Donuts - a ritual at this point - and we shared breakfast together before heading off to the station with all the luggage (Jess rode in the cab with all the luggage and MD and I walked). Yumi and Natsue met us at the airport and gave MD a gift! We all sat down together and had a snack and then it was time for the dreaded good-bye. Obviously there were lots of tears and hugs - I've said it before and I'll say it again, good-byes suck. Full stop.
Jess and I caught a train home and are about to eat dinner (a package of Lipton carbanera MD brought for us - yum!). After eating I'm off to bed. I'm sad and have to go back to work tomorrow so I'm going to turn in early.
PS: Mom and David, when you get home and read this, just wanted to let you know that my apple is great now!!!
Sunday, January 09, 2005
The benefits of citrus fruit . . .
So here I am in Kyoto, Japan; a place renowned for its winter snowfall. But is there any snow on the ground? Noooooo. Of course they've been calling for it every day for the past week and it has snowed a couple of times - lightly, and not for very long. Now I hear Victoria has been getting constant snow for the past few days. How many cm's do you have now? 25? I just knew you'd have a great snow storm during a winter that I was away. However, due to the fact that we saw on the news how Victoria airport is shut down we're a little concerned about the fact that MD have to fly home tomorrow and may get stuck in San Francisco airport waiting for things to clear up. Guess we'll find out when we get to the airport.
As for things on our end, we've been keeping busy as I said, as MD want to pack in and absorb as much as possible before leaving tomorrow. On the 6th we had our yummy perogie feast; as always, mom made FANTASTIC homemade perogies and we all sat down to a home cooked meal on Ukrainian Christmas. Home made perogies smothered with sour cream and fried bacon and onions - what could be better? We really appreciated mom's hard work and sitting down with family for a home cooked meal. It's funny how wonderful it can be just to sit around the table together; I'd forgotten how nice it is but really appreciated being able to experience it again after so long without.
Yesterday we got up early and caught a train to Kobe where we had a beautiful, sunny day, which made it a perfect day for wandering around the harbour. We also had a great buffet lunch at Harbor Land (a very modern area of shops and restaurants). MD really loved Kobe and were impressed with how great the city looks despite its HUGE earthquake 10 years ago (that earthquake demolished the city which makes it doubly amazing to see how beautiful it is now). We even toured around one of the huge hotels and checked out all its wedding services. You know how I am about weddings! Anyway, looking at how beautifully everything was set up got me to thinking about how I've always wanted to be a wedding co-ordinator. I know it's not a serious career or anything, but I know doing it would make me happy every day. So I've really been giving it some serious thought and would really like to see this come to fruition. If I'm honest it's what I really, really, really want to do. Anyway, after a great day in Kobe MD decided to toodle around some more, so Jess and I caught a train home and left them to their own devices. By the way, they've become quite the independent travelers and seem to really be enjoying themselves. I'm impressed with how quickly they figured out all the trains and such!
Today we got up early again and headed into Kyoto. We started by having breakfast at the station and then caught a bus to Kiyomizu temple (I've mentioned that one before in my blog as Jess and I went there shortly after he came in September). We spent the day wandering around the mountainside - even had a few sporadic snow showers! - and again MD really enjoyed themselves there. On our descent from the mountain we found a group of five girls dressed as Geisha (they weren't real Geisha; for about $100 you can get done up like one and take a tour of Kyoto). Even though they weren't real Geisha we got some great pics and mom fell in love with their beautiful and elaborate kimono. Once in Kyoto city again we made our way to Gion for lunch. I have to say again how impressed I am with David's navigation skills; as he usually heads in to Kyoto every day for a looonnng walk he now knows the city better than Jesse and I and usually ends up directing us! Case-in-point: he led us all over today and totally knew what he was doing. But when Jess and I decided to head back home and leave MD to do some shopping, we actually got lost and had to catch a cab to Kyoto station! Go figure!
On his first morning here, David went to the supermarket and bought some delicious Japanese oranges; we all loved them so much that he has continued to buy them and we all have amazing Japanese oranges every day. The problem is that David has become a little obsessed about the oranges and offers them to us or forces them on us at totally random points throughout the day. It's kind of become a joke as his favourite saying every day is "have an orange" (or some variation thereof, like "would you like an orange" or "have you had an orange yet" but usually it's just a command to "have an orange.") I'm actually going to really miss having those oranges around every day and will have to make a concerted effort to purchase them regularly as I've become quite fond of them, and the ritual of having D mention them all the time. I mention this because MD are going to come home and tell all of you about Jesse's and my habitual sayings (apparently we say "dude," "seriously," and "crap" alot). So when you see David, tell him to "have an orange."
I'm really sad that MD are leaving tomorrow, obviously. As I mentioned earlier it's been really wonderful to have family around again, and I am starting to feel a little homesick. I miss all of you and being with you all the time! So we've decided to come home in the summer. I'm ready to come home! We'll stay about another 6 months so Jess can enjoy his experience, but we've decided together and agreed to come home in the summer. So there you have it. We've officially chosen a time! And we'll be sticking around Canada for several months because I want to spend some quality time with all of you before we head off for Phase 2 of the World Tour - "Meegan and Jesse Do Europe." Spread the word if you want to - it won't be long before I'm home. Yayyyy!!!
So here I am in Kyoto, Japan; a place renowned for its winter snowfall. But is there any snow on the ground? Noooooo. Of course they've been calling for it every day for the past week and it has snowed a couple of times - lightly, and not for very long. Now I hear Victoria has been getting constant snow for the past few days. How many cm's do you have now? 25? I just knew you'd have a great snow storm during a winter that I was away. However, due to the fact that we saw on the news how Victoria airport is shut down we're a little concerned about the fact that MD have to fly home tomorrow and may get stuck in San Francisco airport waiting for things to clear up. Guess we'll find out when we get to the airport.
As for things on our end, we've been keeping busy as I said, as MD want to pack in and absorb as much as possible before leaving tomorrow. On the 6th we had our yummy perogie feast; as always, mom made FANTASTIC homemade perogies and we all sat down to a home cooked meal on Ukrainian Christmas. Home made perogies smothered with sour cream and fried bacon and onions - what could be better? We really appreciated mom's hard work and sitting down with family for a home cooked meal. It's funny how wonderful it can be just to sit around the table together; I'd forgotten how nice it is but really appreciated being able to experience it again after so long without.
Yesterday we got up early and caught a train to Kobe where we had a beautiful, sunny day, which made it a perfect day for wandering around the harbour. We also had a great buffet lunch at Harbor Land (a very modern area of shops and restaurants). MD really loved Kobe and were impressed with how great the city looks despite its HUGE earthquake 10 years ago (that earthquake demolished the city which makes it doubly amazing to see how beautiful it is now). We even toured around one of the huge hotels and checked out all its wedding services. You know how I am about weddings! Anyway, looking at how beautifully everything was set up got me to thinking about how I've always wanted to be a wedding co-ordinator. I know it's not a serious career or anything, but I know doing it would make me happy every day. So I've really been giving it some serious thought and would really like to see this come to fruition. If I'm honest it's what I really, really, really want to do. Anyway, after a great day in Kobe MD decided to toodle around some more, so Jess and I caught a train home and left them to their own devices. By the way, they've become quite the independent travelers and seem to really be enjoying themselves. I'm impressed with how quickly they figured out all the trains and such!
Today we got up early again and headed into Kyoto. We started by having breakfast at the station and then caught a bus to Kiyomizu temple (I've mentioned that one before in my blog as Jess and I went there shortly after he came in September). We spent the day wandering around the mountainside - even had a few sporadic snow showers! - and again MD really enjoyed themselves there. On our descent from the mountain we found a group of five girls dressed as Geisha (they weren't real Geisha; for about $100 you can get done up like one and take a tour of Kyoto). Even though they weren't real Geisha we got some great pics and mom fell in love with their beautiful and elaborate kimono. Once in Kyoto city again we made our way to Gion for lunch. I have to say again how impressed I am with David's navigation skills; as he usually heads in to Kyoto every day for a looonnng walk he now knows the city better than Jesse and I and usually ends up directing us! Case-in-point: he led us all over today and totally knew what he was doing. But when Jess and I decided to head back home and leave MD to do some shopping, we actually got lost and had to catch a cab to Kyoto station! Go figure!
On his first morning here, David went to the supermarket and bought some delicious Japanese oranges; we all loved them so much that he has continued to buy them and we all have amazing Japanese oranges every day. The problem is that David has become a little obsessed about the oranges and offers them to us or forces them on us at totally random points throughout the day. It's kind of become a joke as his favourite saying every day is "have an orange" (or some variation thereof, like "would you like an orange" or "have you had an orange yet" but usually it's just a command to "have an orange.") I'm actually going to really miss having those oranges around every day and will have to make a concerted effort to purchase them regularly as I've become quite fond of them, and the ritual of having D mention them all the time. I mention this because MD are going to come home and tell all of you about Jesse's and my habitual sayings (apparently we say "dude," "seriously," and "crap" alot). So when you see David, tell him to "have an orange."
I'm really sad that MD are leaving tomorrow, obviously. As I mentioned earlier it's been really wonderful to have family around again, and I am starting to feel a little homesick. I miss all of you and being with you all the time! So we've decided to come home in the summer. I'm ready to come home! We'll stay about another 6 months so Jess can enjoy his experience, but we've decided together and agreed to come home in the summer. So there you have it. We've officially chosen a time! And we'll be sticking around Canada for several months because I want to spend some quality time with all of you before we head off for Phase 2 of the World Tour - "Meegan and Jesse Do Europe." Spread the word if you want to - it won't be long before I'm home. Yayyyy!!!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Time Flies When . . .
We've been trying to stay busy as everyone is starting to feel January 10th creeping up, which is MD's departure date (don't want to talk about it).
On the 1st we met David at Kyoto station for lunch. While eating, a strange Japanese man sat down with us and started chatting away, eventually giving each of us a page to edit from the Japanese/English dictionary he's working on. He told us he's a professor, told us all about Canadian history, and several times told us "I know everything." We had a good chuckle when he finally left! Later we ventured into Gion (Kyoto's geisha district) and looked at a bunch of temples on a nearby hillside. It was SOOOO incredibly packed with people that day that we shuffled along at about 1 KM per century (it took about half an hour to go about a block). When Jess and I had had enough with the shopping we left MD and came home. Apparently while shopping in Gion MD saw a geisha who agreed to pose for a picture with them; they were thrilled and now have a great picture of the experience. When MD got back we all headed out to LA Mart for dinner, but it was closed, so we found a little diner and ate dinner, came home to watch a movie, then went to bed.
Yesterday Jess and I slept until 2!! MD had left a note saying that they were heading to Kyoto to do more shopping and would be back in time for dinner; I must have needed the sleep as I didn't even hear them leave. When they did get back no one was all that hungry so we decided to mix a few drinks instead. A few drinks turned into an impromptu piss-up, so we headed out to get up to no good. We ended up wasting more money at the slots in our local pachinko parlour and then headed next door to the karaoke place where Jess works and hung out there drinking and singing for a few hours. I think MD are really starting to enjoy karaoke cause they were singing away last night and seemed to be having a lot of fun. On the way home David, Jess and I were singing and fooling around, trying to embarrass mom as much as possible, which seemed to have worked as she chastised us repeatedly (to no avail, and we probably woke up the entire neighborhood).
Today mom and I finally spent our first afternoon just-the-two-of-us and went out to have lunch and do some shopping. When we were finished with that we bought everything we'd need to make perogies (David is Ukrainian, we ALL love mom's perogies, and, since Ukrainian Christmas is on the 6th, we decided to make a batch). Mom swears I was trying to get her killed coming back from the grocery store as we had taken the bikes; I tend to whip around, dodging in and out of traffic because I'm used to it, but I'd forgotten how daunting and frightening it can seem your first time on a bike around here. Plus, the bikes were laden down with all our parcels and bags which made them even more difficult to ride without falling over. Anyway, somehow we managed to get home safely. We spent the afternoon making the perogies, David came back from Kyoto not too long ago, Jess is curled up in bed reading, and since mom and I are now exhausted we've decided to lie down and have a rest too. Which is exactly what I'm about to do. TTYL!
We've been trying to stay busy as everyone is starting to feel January 10th creeping up, which is MD's departure date (don't want to talk about it).
On the 1st we met David at Kyoto station for lunch. While eating, a strange Japanese man sat down with us and started chatting away, eventually giving each of us a page to edit from the Japanese/English dictionary he's working on. He told us he's a professor, told us all about Canadian history, and several times told us "I know everything." We had a good chuckle when he finally left! Later we ventured into Gion (Kyoto's geisha district) and looked at a bunch of temples on a nearby hillside. It was SOOOO incredibly packed with people that day that we shuffled along at about 1 KM per century (it took about half an hour to go about a block). When Jess and I had had enough with the shopping we left MD and came home. Apparently while shopping in Gion MD saw a geisha who agreed to pose for a picture with them; they were thrilled and now have a great picture of the experience. When MD got back we all headed out to LA Mart for dinner, but it was closed, so we found a little diner and ate dinner, came home to watch a movie, then went to bed.
Yesterday Jess and I slept until 2!! MD had left a note saying that they were heading to Kyoto to do more shopping and would be back in time for dinner; I must have needed the sleep as I didn't even hear them leave. When they did get back no one was all that hungry so we decided to mix a few drinks instead. A few drinks turned into an impromptu piss-up, so we headed out to get up to no good. We ended up wasting more money at the slots in our local pachinko parlour and then headed next door to the karaoke place where Jess works and hung out there drinking and singing for a few hours. I think MD are really starting to enjoy karaoke cause they were singing away last night and seemed to be having a lot of fun. On the way home David, Jess and I were singing and fooling around, trying to embarrass mom as much as possible, which seemed to have worked as she chastised us repeatedly (to no avail, and we probably woke up the entire neighborhood).
Today mom and I finally spent our first afternoon just-the-two-of-us and went out to have lunch and do some shopping. When we were finished with that we bought everything we'd need to make perogies (David is Ukrainian, we ALL love mom's perogies, and, since Ukrainian Christmas is on the 6th, we decided to make a batch). Mom swears I was trying to get her killed coming back from the grocery store as we had taken the bikes; I tend to whip around, dodging in and out of traffic because I'm used to it, but I'd forgotten how daunting and frightening it can seem your first time on a bike around here. Plus, the bikes were laden down with all our parcels and bags which made them even more difficult to ride without falling over. Anyway, somehow we managed to get home safely. We spent the afternoon making the perogies, David came back from Kyoto not too long ago, Jess is curled up in bed reading, and since mom and I are now exhausted we've decided to lie down and have a rest too. Which is exactly what I'm about to do. TTYL!
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Auld Lang Syne . . .
Happy 2005 everyone! As I write this it actually isn't 2005 for you yet; we're 17 hours ahead. We've had a great, but exhausting past few days, and are taking it easy today!
On the 30th we headed out early to do some shopping and wandering in Kyoto. While Jess and Mom stopped at our local vending machines for their morning coffees we noticed a family standing in their driveway, taking turns pounding something with a large wooden mallet. It turns out they were making mochi, a traditional Japanese New Year food, and they invited us to come and watch. They even let David try pounding the rice, which we got a great picture of, and the women who were rolling the mochi balls gave us each our own mochi to try. It wasn't great - just rice pounded into a doughy substance - but we all ate it and really appreciated getting to see and share part of the Japanese culture. Later we wandered all over Kyoto for several hours and Jess and I left MD to do more shopping as we were exhausted and wanted to come home. On the way we stopped at Kyoto station and bought a cake to give to that family - it's common to give a gift when someone does something for you. It turns out that New Year's in Japan is a really big deal, with many traditions and customs that I didn't know about while living in Osaka because the big city is less traditional these days.
Yesterday Mom, Jess and I got up and met David at Kyoto station, having planned to spend the day in Gion searching for Geisha (MD haven't seen any yet). However, it had been snowing all morning and was very cold so we decided not to do any sightseeing but rather to head straight into Osaka for our New Year's Eve debauchery. We napped on the train and when we got to Osaka MD spent time looking in the big electronics shop while Jess and I wandered around the bookstore. Then we met up and caught the subway to Shinsaibashi where we started at the Pig & Whistle; had fish and chips for dinner and several drinks, before moving on to our next location. Our next location was a gaming arcade where we won some stuffed animals and played a really fun racing game; the gaming arcades here are really fun but I had never been to one before. They have arcade games, video games, interactive games (like the one where Jess & I were playing the drums), games where you try to pick up stuffed animals etc. After wasting alot of money there we moved on to a pachinko parlour where we wasted even more money on the slot machines and later, on the pachinko machines, which we still have no understanding of.
After that we moved on and spent a few hours drinking and singing at a karaoke place. It was sooooo much fun! MD had never gone to karaoke before so it took them a while to warm up, but once they did they had a blast. We ran around like maniacs at midnight, shouting Happy New Year to anyone we happened to run into, and finally got kicked out at 1 AM because another group of people had reserved our room. From there we went to a Royal Host restaurant (like an upscale Denny's) in downtown Osaka where we enjoyed a great meal. Later, exhausted, we caught the subway and then our train (these run all night on New Year's Eve) home, finally rolling in at the old homestead at 3:45 AM. I was really impressed that MD made it that long. We had a great time and are sleepy today so we probably won't be up to much today that doesn't involve relaxation.
Happy New Year!!!!!
Happy 2005 everyone! As I write this it actually isn't 2005 for you yet; we're 17 hours ahead. We've had a great, but exhausting past few days, and are taking it easy today!
On the 30th we headed out early to do some shopping and wandering in Kyoto. While Jess and Mom stopped at our local vending machines for their morning coffees we noticed a family standing in their driveway, taking turns pounding something with a large wooden mallet. It turns out they were making mochi, a traditional Japanese New Year food, and they invited us to come and watch. They even let David try pounding the rice, which we got a great picture of, and the women who were rolling the mochi balls gave us each our own mochi to try. It wasn't great - just rice pounded into a doughy substance - but we all ate it and really appreciated getting to see and share part of the Japanese culture. Later we wandered all over Kyoto for several hours and Jess and I left MD to do more shopping as we were exhausted and wanted to come home. On the way we stopped at Kyoto station and bought a cake to give to that family - it's common to give a gift when someone does something for you. It turns out that New Year's in Japan is a really big deal, with many traditions and customs that I didn't know about while living in Osaka because the big city is less traditional these days.
Yesterday Mom, Jess and I got up and met David at Kyoto station, having planned to spend the day in Gion searching for Geisha (MD haven't seen any yet). However, it had been snowing all morning and was very cold so we decided not to do any sightseeing but rather to head straight into Osaka for our New Year's Eve debauchery. We napped on the train and when we got to Osaka MD spent time looking in the big electronics shop while Jess and I wandered around the bookstore. Then we met up and caught the subway to Shinsaibashi where we started at the Pig & Whistle; had fish and chips for dinner and several drinks, before moving on to our next location. Our next location was a gaming arcade where we won some stuffed animals and played a really fun racing game; the gaming arcades here are really fun but I had never been to one before. They have arcade games, video games, interactive games (like the one where Jess & I were playing the drums), games where you try to pick up stuffed animals etc. After wasting alot of money there we moved on to a pachinko parlour where we wasted even more money on the slot machines and later, on the pachinko machines, which we still have no understanding of.
After that we moved on and spent a few hours drinking and singing at a karaoke place. It was sooooo much fun! MD had never gone to karaoke before so it took them a while to warm up, but once they did they had a blast. We ran around like maniacs at midnight, shouting Happy New Year to anyone we happened to run into, and finally got kicked out at 1 AM because another group of people had reserved our room. From there we went to a Royal Host restaurant (like an upscale Denny's) in downtown Osaka where we enjoyed a great meal. Later, exhausted, we caught the subway and then our train (these run all night on New Year's Eve) home, finally rolling in at the old homestead at 3:45 AM. I was really impressed that MD made it that long. We had a great time and are sleepy today so we probably won't be up to much today that doesn't involve relaxation.
Happy New Year!!!!!
