Vancouver xmas

Flying to Vancouver for an impromptu visit courtesy of my cousin and United Airlines. First class all the way and back - travel has never been this good. Thank you Go-chan!

If I had thoughts of returning, this trip helped to put things in perspective for me. It was great to chat with complete strangers about nothing in particular. Casual conversation was something I missed as well as eye contact. I eyed up as many people as I could. It was a mixed bag of emotions, dutiful daughter work, and hooking up with good friends. I clubbed as much as I could and got brainwashed by the music.

xmas Fav hit by Beyonce:
Irreplaceable

FOOD

Food Edition (and long overdue)

What better way to cope with the cold weather (actually the weather is so beautifully sunny with a brisk wind, I cannot complain) than with a chortling Nabe. And you would not believe all the yummy stuff you can find to put in them. I don't know what they are called, but they are good. I like that inflatable, marshmallowy triangle thing that you can see in the picture. But my favorite, is the little fried tofu bags with mochi in them. Now you cannot find these treats in Canada, sad to say. I guess I will have to stay here and get my fill of them! And so Cheap! I have managed to find these little packages for two people (like above) that sells for 3 bucks Canadian. Yahooooo

OK here is my supermarket special I have been dying to share with you all.

Ok, there is sushi and sashimi. yummmmmmm
I love going to supermarkets in Japan. So much food begging to be eaten!

Is is no wonder that one can easily spend an hour in the supermarket trying to make a decision. Sushi? Sashimi? Fried clams? Bento?

Who needs restaurants or kitchens?

And the endless variations of tempura. hmmmmmm











I have been eyeing up Kakegawa's Jolly Pasta's crab special. It sounds so mouth watering delicious.

Hamamatsu Xmas Lights

Hamamatsu and Mal's Bar


I had a lovely trip into Hamamatsu for some shopping and found the city aglow in Xmas lights. And music of course. There were a few bands performing at the time, as usual. This square would not be its characteristic self, if there were not some live music taking place.

I don't know if this is a version of a Happy Face as Santa Claus.








I believe this is my cousin's camera store. It is shut at this moment and will remain so until further notice. I was here about 20 years ago and it does seem a bit familiar......









I was invited down to Mal's Bar by my pal Will and decided to go despite a cold. Because I have intensified my job search, it is my hope that I will be moving in the New Year. As such, I wanted to visit Mal's and say my potential farewell. Here is Mal (so far he holds the record for a foreigner living in Japan - 30 + years) and his wife Kimie.









And here is Will, the social hub at Mal's. He has clocked in 13 years in Japan, if I remember correctly. Now, he has an insane schedule and manages to live in New York, Kakegawa, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Bangkok.....all at once. Engineer on the run!

Good-Bye Mal's Bar