The biggest parfait you'll ever see...

Last weekend was pretty eventful: I took a half-day holiday from work on Saturday because my littlest Japanese friends, Keita and Kanta, invited me to watch their soccer tournament. (They are twin brothers who are 1st-graders on the team that my host family coaches.)

Followed that up the next day with a birthday celebration for my friend Char at one of my fave restaurants--Asian Kitchen. This place serves absolutely enormous parfaits for birthdays; so big, in fact, that they have to be ordered ahead of time. You may have already seen what Char and I managed to get last year, but that pales in comparison to what we got this time. (Check out last year's post here.) I guess I'll have to refer to the latest one as the "Super-uber parfait"?

Check out my weekend:

• Left: the team I came to watch is wearing green. This is the schoolyard where they practice every weekend, which also happens to be the same elementary school where my host mom works as a cook. Note that in addition to the lack of greenery throughout the entirety of Tokyo, they have also apparently decided that children would be better off playing on a gravel/sand mix rather than grass at school, too. This is what pretty much every school and park I have ever seen in Japan looks like.
• Right: Kanta got to be goalie for a little while! We won't talk in detail about how that turned out, though... :)

• Left: at the end of soccer games, instead of doing the high-five-"good game" thing that American children do, the players line up and bow to each other. Here is a shot of my little guys bowing to the coaches of the opposing team, which is also done at the end of every game. Got to give the Japanese credit for the extreme politeness...
• Right: and here they are after their third and final game in the tournament. Unfortunately, the two that I came to watch have their heads turned, otherwise I'd tell you who they are...

• Left: Char (L) and Maki (R) were the birthday girls (Maki's was the Tuesday before). No joke, ladies and gentlemen, the parfait really was as enjoyable as they make it look. The picture doesn't do it justice, either; it was bigger than it looks here. Check out the spoons that came with the parfait, too.
• Right: I, of course, was delighted to be able to join in the consumption of such deliciousness, even though it's nowhere close to my birthday. (No, I didn't get my own parfait, it's the same one from the other picture...)

• Left: This is what it looked like after we'd inflicted as much damage as our stomachs could tolerate. Not bad for just three girls, huh? This moment documents the end of nearly 45 minutes of stuffing our faces with bananas, strawberries, cherries, kiwi, mango, pineapple, whip cream, pudding, cake, ice cream, chou pastries, chocolate syrup, cornflakes, sprinkles...well, you get the idea.
• Right: Nothing to do with the other pictures from the restaurant, but this is the sign near the entrance. It's just saying that you have to go down the hall if you want to buy cigarettes or use the restroom, but that explanation still doesn't make it any less odd.

Ever wonder what little Japanese boys wear at soccer practice?

Basically it's the same as what you'd see in America...only looking a little more like a girl's uniform:
Make no mistake--there's not a single girl on that team. Ahhh, the wonders of living in Japan.
More to come in the near future...

It wouldn't be spring in Japan without...

CHERRY BLOSSOMS!!

This year, I am ashamed to admit that I let my responsibilities at work get the better of me, meaning that I lost track of time and missed Sakura season at its peak. Thankfully, I was able to take a day and go back to Shinjuku Gyo-en for my annual "hanami" (blossom-viewing). I was disappointed to see that many of the trees were nearly done blooming and were instead shedding petals everywhere, but I still enjoyed the visit.




Photos:

• Top left: the petals covering the ground near the entrance looked like snow. All afternoon, I was brushing them off myself--it was a breezy day!
  
• Top right: close up
  
• Bottom left: view from the window of the Chinese tea house
  
• Bottom right: This photo cannot do it true justice: the blue sky that day was by far the best I've seen during a visit to this garden. *Almost* equally as spectacular as the pink. :)

Back from a three-month hiatus...

I have finally finished my stint of working 6-day weeks (every week since last September). My hope is to now have more of a life, which will potentially translate into more blog posts. But for now, here's another "catch-up" session:

My mom came for a visit during the second week of March. Here's a little of what we did.

• Left: we made a trip to Hakone (see pix here of my last visit), and took the ropeway car down the mountain. Gave me the absolute best views I've had of Mt.Fuji yet!
• Right: also during the ropeway ride, we passed over an area where they mine for sulfur. Not a pretty smell, but I think it's interesting to look at.

• Left: we visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices, an extremely tall building in Shinjuku with an elevator that takes guests up near the top for some pretty spectacular views of the city. The garden in the center is Yoyogi Park.
• Right: after the government building we made our way over to Shinjuku Gyo-en. I go here every year during cherry blossom season...it's gorgeous! (Check my archives from spring 2007 and spring 2008 if you want to see photos.) This time we were a little too early for the blossoms, but it's still a nice looking garden.

• Left: On Sunday, we went to Yoyogi Park to see the dancing Elvises. (No, not dancing elves...) Every Sunday these men, all done-up in their best rockabilly attire, come out and get stared at by tourists. They have also been known to dance, although my mom and I had to leave before that part of the festivities had begun. :( Also, if you look on the far left, the second guy in, you'll see what I deem to be the biggest possible Elvis hair ever. He must be the king of all the Japanese Elvises...pun intended.
• Right: Unlike the last time I came here on a Sunday, this time the Elvises brought their entourage of girls in poodle-skirts with them.

• Left: took a moment at one of the train stations to get a snapshot of the newest item at McDonalds all across Japan. By the way, it's only available on the breakfast menu.
• Right: my mom's last night here, we had dinner with a few of my favorite students!

The Duck's Nest

As part of a project at my school, my students are preparing a presentation on Sugamo, which is an area of Tokyo with a famous shopping street. This area is known for being popular particularly among the elderly. Consequently, there are a lot of drug stores and shops selling everything from hot water bottles to traditional snack foods and...red underwear. (More on that later.) One of the students in my class is also a professional photographer, so she gracefully volunteered her time and talents and came with us to take some pictures. The first two images here are from her. Take a look:

• Left: In Maruji, one of the shops famous for selling the red underwear. Red underwear is supposed to be lucky and also keep you warmer (but why or how is beyond me...). This is me trying to show my excitement about my first trip to the shop.
• Right: Some of my students were even more excited than I was...

• Left: One of the traditional snacks available in Sugamo is grasshoppers. It took me a few minutes, but I eventually worked up enough nerve to try it. But a VERY small piece only. All of the other students in my group had tried it before and really enjoy it. My opinion: not as bad as I was afraid it would be, but not a particular texture that I care to ever have in my mouth again.
• Right: (Most of) my students outside Maruji. I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all. Even Elmo. :)

Another autumn in Tokyo

I'm long overdue for an update! Here are some photos of events over the last month:


Last year I went back to the States for Thanksgiving, but this year I returned to my tradition from my first year in Tokyo and hosted a Thanksgiving dinner party at my house in Haneda. As luck would have it, nearly all my guests had to cancel the night before. I was still able to celebrate with my host family, though.

• Left: Since I am not a great cook, a large portion of the meal was purchased at Costco. (I couldn't have made a pumpkin pie that good myself, anyways...). I did, however, make "smashed" potatoes entirely on my own for the first time, though.
• Right: After dinner we all played a rousing game of Skip-bo.

• Left: The head teacher at my school is leaving and this past Saturday I joined him and about 20 of our students for a Farewell party in Ginza. (One of my students called it a "welfare" party by accident!) Here is a shot of the dinner that was held in an izakaya, which is a traditional type of Japanese restaurant.
• Right: Another year of Christmas lights near Roppongi Hills (see this post for last year's lights). I go to this spot every year, and every year it's still beautiful.

• Left: Down the street from Roppongi Hills is another major shopping area, called Tokyo Midtown. These trucks are always parked outside selling things to shoppers (the first one sells souvenirs and the other one sells snacks), and the signs on the trucks never fail to make me laugh!
• Right: Once again, the lawn at Tokyo Midtown was beautifully lit. You can't tell from the picture but the lights here were actually changing colors and shapes and they even included advertisements for the sponsors!

Beer and bento boxes

I love this poster because he looks seriously angry that someone just tried to steal his beer...so he's hiding behind those other cans of beer.

And this is my new bento box (like Japanese tupperware for lunches). It's got my name on it! Also, the extra bonus is that you get to see what my underpants would look like if I was a cartoon. :)