Dad and Sherri's visit marked the start of our tenth month in Japan. The summer heat and humidity has begun to subside and we've survived the rainiest September that I've ever experienced. The fall foliage hasn't quite begun; however, the cooler nights and mornings are reminders that fall is upon us! Fall is my absolute favorite season - and I am curious to see what fall is like in Japan. I've heard that foliage tends to peak around the first or second week of December...shouldn't it be snowing?!
Instead of telling you all about Dad and Sherri's 12-day adventure in Japan...they decided that it might be fun for them to tell you about their trip...so you can get a different perspective than mine for a change. They put together a PowerPoint movie with pictures, happenings, and reflections on their time in Japan. Click on the link below and ENJOY!
CLICK HERE! :)
Places Visited and Activities
-Dad and Sherri Visit - see above!
-Celebrated our Second Anniversary - On October 18th, Kaz and I celebrated our second anniversary. We enjoyed a nice quiet dinner at home - which was much needed and enjoyed. I successfully made a caprese chicken dish with a cheese/cracker appetizer, an asparagus caesar salad, and cheese bread. We decided that the theme of the meal was "cheese" - and who doesn't like cheese? I really do think it should be a food group of its own!
Our friend, Inga, sent us a text commenting on how it seemed as though we'd been married for more than two years...with all the adventures and happenings we've been through together. I have to say that her text matched my thoughts exactly. The past year has been filled with lots of transitions, changes, and adventures...and I'm lucky that Kaz is (and has been) by my side every step of the way.
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| 20,000 Leagues under the Sea |
-Tokyo Disney Sea - One of the things I quickly learned about Japan is that they love Disney! At least daily, I see kids and adults wearing clothes covered with various Disney characters. When dad and Sherri were here, we visited Universal Studios Japan...so that we could check "listening to Harry Potter speak Japanese" off of our "To-Do" list. In addition to USJ, Japan has both Disney World and Disney Sea in Tokyo. Both parks are within walking distance from each other - and the area feels similar to Orlando.
Since Kaz and I have been to Disney World before, we didn't feel like fighting the crowds again in Japan. However, I was excited to visit Tokyo Disney Sea since it isn't a theme park that we have in the States. We'd heard that the park is packed on the weekends...so it's best to go during the week. We'd also heard that the Halloween season tends to be the busiest time...so it's best to avoid that time of year - if you don't want to wait hours in line. SO...naturally - we went on a Saturday during the Halloween season. |
| LINES?! |
We got to the park early...right around the time it opened...and as we waited to get in, we made a plan about which "Fast Pass" to get first. At Disney Sea, you can get a Fast Pass every hour for a particular ride. Then, when you come back at the designated time listed on your pass - you don't have to wait in the long line. Randomly, we decided we'd get the Fast Pass for the newest ride...Toy Story. When we arrived at the ride, we were greeted by pure craziness...there was an hour wait JUST to get a Fast Pass for the ride?! The line literally looked to me like the beginning of a marathon - all you could see in front and behind you were people. To make a long story short, we did not get a Fast Pass...and we never rode the ride because there was a three-hour wait all day long. This was the case for many rides. |
| Aladdin |
In addition to Mickey and Minnie, Japan has another Disney mascot...a bear named Duffy. And, not only were all the shops selling the bears - people were dressed like the bear and also carrying giant stuffed bears around with them. And it wasn't just kids...it was adults too! In fact, more adults were dressed like bears than kids!
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| Little Mermaid |
Regardless, we had a great time - and were able to ride some rides. We also watched a show in which all of the Disney villains fought each other in the middle of the water...the villains were featured for Halloween. To those who plan to visit - go early and possibly on a week day. Oh, and be sure to eat at the Mexican restaurant in the park...we had the best Mexican food we've had since coming to Japan. Kaz's rice even looked like Donald Duck.
-Halloween - While Japan doesn't have the same holidays as the United States - they sure seem to enjoy celebrating our holidays! Leading up to Halloween - the stores were full of decorations and candy. And, we saw many children, teens, and adults dressed up in costumes. Upon asking some
Cafes Enjoyed
- Cawaii Bread and Coffee - Tokyo
- Chocolate by the Bald Man: Max Brenner - Tokyo
Kit Kat Flavors Tasted
- Chocolate by the Bald Man: Max Brenner - Tokyo
-Daily Indulgence
-Momiji Manju
-Momiji Manju
-Although dad and Sherri were our third set of visitors in Japan - I still consider successfully showing them around Japan to be a success! On a day to day basis, I think I often lose sight of the fact that I have learned a lot about Japan in the past ten months. I really enjoyed getting the chance to show dad and Sherri a little bit of what my life is like here. Plus...it was really fun to see Japan through their eyes...the things they found similar, different, and also just plain odd!
Goals
-Last month, one of the goals that I wanted to work on for myself was getting back into running. Even with the set back of withdrawing from my first half-marathon ever (which ended up being a good decision)...I've started the process. And, during the second half of this month, I've managed to run about three days per week. Step by step...I'll get there.
-Continue to work on my class; and prep for my upcoming presentation in Tokyo
-Step up my Japanese language learning...as I have set a challenge for myself at the beginning of December related to this process (more about this in Month 11)
-Channel the Thanksgiving holiday in Japan...since it's not recognized or celebrated here :(
Sunny Moments
-Visiting new places with dad and Sherri - Universal Studios Japan, Nikko
-Celebrating dad's retirement in person with a yummy shabu shabu dinner - Congratulations, Dad!
-Winning free beer! Kaz collected stickers off of his beer cans and sent them in to a contest. Four months later - without any notice - a case of beer was hand delivered to our door! :)
-Taking a huge fall while running
-Spiders, spiders, spiders...need I say more?! (There is something about Japan...and spiders that just seem to hang from the air)
~Jaime
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