Wrapping up 2013

The last couple days of the year were celebrated with many bonenkais! On the Sunday before New years Asia and I met up with Yama-chan for another wonderful road trip! This time we went to Odawara Castle and visited a couple little stops along the way.

This is proof that I have seen snow this year! Plus I really like this story I wonder if there is an anime about it. Either way remember May 5th!

Asia and I just goofing around!

Nabe!!

We had a wonderful dinner with some very wonderful people! I really love the idea of bonenkais since it is such a better way of ending year and a good reason for a get together!

Top it off with some Sashimi!

PART 2: The following day it was another work party, I guess this is benefit of working so many jobs!

This isn't just astroboy being really random and angry, he was at the izakaya!

Christmas in Tokyo

Heather  and I at a Christmas party!

Here in Tokyo or should I say Japan they don't celebrate Christmas like we do at home. Everyone needs to go to work and it really a special day for kids and couples. They buy Christmas cake and eat KFC (instead of turkey?) I had to work on Christmas day and Boxing day as well so it really didn't feel like Christmas to me.

There was even a gingerbread house. A real one!

The 'gingerbread' house we made after Thanksgiving.

Heather picked up this Christmas cake for the party, I still have the ax.  Such a yummy cake.

A group picture that I nicked off of facebook.

I am really thankful that I was invited to the party since I met some really amazing people, ate a lot of food and felt like I had a real Christmas so far away from home.

Asia made candy grams for everyone!

Tsukiji Market

I thought it was time to write a post,'Sashi buri' (means long time, no see)  I have been extermely busy trying to keep up with Japanese life. Working many jobs trying to fit in time to hang out with friends and make plans for the upcoming time off. Tis the season.

I have been meaning to write about Tsukiji market (the infamous fish market in Tokyo), I had gone once before but admittedly forgot to write anything about it. So get ready.

A friend and I had made plans to go there for early in the morning about 5:30am since that is when we can get there going aboard the first train. From there we pushed it back until 9am since that when they let 'Gaijin' in (outsiders). We arrived shortly after 9:30am and everything was already set up, there are two markets and the fish market itself. We went straight to the market to grab some dashiyaki tamago and we were off to take pictures of the fish being sold.

The market itself is vast in size and to walk all of it without stopping would take a good hour, I think. From there we were amazed with the variety of sea life being sold here. I wondered to myself how soon the ocean would be emptied by Japanese fish culture let alone the rest of the worlds consumption. 

Here is a picture of me taken by Misaki- I was feeling bad for a crab bubbling from the mouth.

There were so many things being sold here that I couldn't even comprehend how this whole place gets it stock into such a sight spaced area. then again there are fishermen and chefs all around with trucks moving from the smallest to the largest of fish around. Piles and buckets of ice were everywhere keeping the fish fresh as possible. 

In the morning from 3-4am there is an auction that takes place for the best and most expensive fish sold. It seems unlikely that I will will ever see it. Just last Friday I went there again catching the first train in hopes to witness the auction but sadly missed it arriving at 5am. 

Yes I ate Dango there since the market kind of put me off of fish for the day.

When we were walking through the market we even got stopped by a lady telling us that foreigners were not allowed inside the market until 9am. Very inadvertently told us to vacate, we just took a couple lefts and rights until we were out of her sight. 

Nama Basashi and Ungai (Raw horse meat and eel)

Our last stop was a sushi restaurant, a man which seemed very angry to serve us made us some of the most delicious sushi I have ever had the chance to experience. The individual pieces ranged from $150-$500, but it was well worth it since we got to see the man prepare it in front of us. 

All in all it was quite the experience, give it a go. If you don't like the smell of fish I wouldn't recommend it :P

Bonenkai - Forget the year gathering

It is an end of year party usually with colleges and friends, I have been invited to three this year but have only attended one. The one I missed was one free drink at a pub in Shinjuku, sounded quite pricey from what I heard.

This one that I attended was the best one, we were able to make requests for food and all got free drinks since it was held at the izakaya that I work at part time.

There was no shortage of food since there were three tables that looked like this. 

This is a party for everyone to drink and not worry about being so polite unlike other work gatherings, where people don't have to dress up and just be themselves. In this case we were no different just a little bit more drunk. I really love the people I work with and we were able to invite close friends to the party as well. Damn I have a wonderful boss.

On top of that we wrote Kanji the proper way with ink and the fancy calligraphy brush, learning how to use this was pain in the butt but it was tonnes of fun. We are suppose to write something that we wanted for the upcoming year on these papers. I don't know what happened to them but there were many written this evening.

I would have posted my two Kanji that I wrote but they were horrific in comparison to the more professional calligraphy writers.   Yushii = wanderer, traveler It is terrible but I thought I would share my dream for my year. I also wrote Friendship Yujo

Kris showing off his skills : A picture of Hanya

Asia's picture of the newspaper neko found while were drawing. This is by far the best one.

I had so much fun, I don't know about the other ones but this one is definitely a memorable end of year party.

Thanksgiving Potato Party

A picture that I nicked of all of us off of facebook. 

Turkey? Where? In Japan turkey is stupidly expensive and isn't easy to find. I found a smoked turkey thigh in an import market for $21 and that was only one leg. So instead we did a collaborative pot luck in out guest house. I wanted to write about it mostly for myself since most of you reading this didn't get the chance to celebrate it here with me. I just wanted to make sure a couple years down the road I will remember what I did for thanksgiving after I have long gone.

Chicken, roasted potatoes, mash, veggie sticks, homemade hummus. 

After we were all done eating it was Shisha Time! Off to Vang Vieng in Takananobaba  (click link for facebook page) where we all got dressed up and had a blast.

I couldn't think of a better way to unwind and laugh off all the food. <3

Please watch the video Potato day @ vangvieng

Beautiful hookas!!!

Please watch the video of how we made this 'gingerbread' house. Which was more like a poptart with icing. We were going to make this but I didn't know when I bought it that it was from scratch. So this came a couple days later. (Heather I stole this picture cause my ipod died and I didn't get any photos :()

Also FYI: the reason this is was called Potato Day because people just kept bring potatoes to the potluck.

1. Mash Potatoes
2. Roasted Potatoes
3. Chips
4. Potato Salad
5. French Fries
6. I'm sure there was more.....

Happy Thanksgiving.