Toys R Us

On a recent Hiroshima adventure with my friends Jackie and Malania, we shopped in "thrift stores" that have designer handbag sections! Jackie and Malania are connoisseurs of quality leather and taught me how to inspect a bag to ensure it's authenticity and how to appreciate a good bag!  I was thinking the designer bags would be under $100 since they're used and in a thrift store, but I was surprised to find them in glass display cases with price tags of up to $1000! Wow!

We found so many cute shops on this adventure and tried some real Hiroshima okonomiyaki (layers of egg, cabbage, and other veggies grilled in front of you) for lunch. 

The only picture I thought to take was at Toys R Us. I'm really interested in games kids play and the cultural significance of them. I didn't see any dollhouses in the store, but did see these: 

The pricetags on these were in the $500-700 range, so don't expect any as souvenirs. :) Isn't that a strange doll house though? I'm not sure how to play with them, but I did notice that the flowers are removable, maybe for kids to practice ikebana (flower arranging)?

MCCS Spouse Meet & Greet

A great part of being a military wife is that you keep making friends even though you're out of school and oftentimes, not working. One way I've met some great people in Iwakuni is by attending the Spouse Meet & Greet events. Last week, MCCS (Marine Corps Community Services) hosted a sushi class for us and I had a great time making California rolls and spicy tuna rolls.

Lay out your bamboo mat, measure your seaweed, pat down your sticky rice

Roll it up and press hard on the sushi roll. Also, smile for a picture :)

California rolls have seaweed inside because Americans typically don't like seaweed.

My finished California roll! The saran wrap over the bamboo keeps the rice from sticking.

I'm excited to start making sushi at home now! I think Joe will be excited too.

L Style Cafe

One of my favorite dates in Iwakuni is going to L Style Cafe with Joe to chat, have a cappuccino, and be surprised by what kind of design will show up in my coffee. 

Tilt your head to the right to see a sleeping bear

 Joe got a fun design too: 

Classic latte art

I'm always on the lookout for cafes in within driving distance of Iwakuni. If you're reading this and have found a good one, please leave a comment so I can visit too!

Back in Iwakuni

We've made a few resolutions for the new year and one of them includes taking trips every other week - even just day trips! It's too easy to stay in Iwakuni all the time and feel trapped when you're accustomed to being a short trip from a thriving metropolis. Anyway, we've been seeking out more day trips and enjoying the mild winter here.

We had a chance to check out the Otake Oyster Festival two weeks ago, but got a late start that Saturday morning. The festival was advertised as being held from 10am to 3pm, so we arrived at about 2pm hoping to catch the tail end. Well, we showed up and all the fried food was cold and every other vendor was packing up. The oysters had run out already! Lesson learned: show up early or on time even for Japanese festivals!

I think this is an interesting Japanese festival food. From what I understand (PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong!), these little white blobs over the fire pit are mashed sticky rice that is shaped into balls, skewered, and then roasted. I've seen colorful balls in the summertime, but just plain ones at this festival. Personally, I'm not a huge fan. They taste bland and somehow dry and too sticky at the same time. I'd recommend trying it once because it's a big Japanese tradition, but I've never been too thrilled with them.

Russians!

I was so happy to see two of my favorite Russians! Jenya and Kathy met me at another one of my favorite hometown bars, Uptown, and it was the first time I felt 100% okay to drive home after spending time with them. :) It was so good catching up with them and seeing Jenya for the first time since she got married! Congrats again, Jenya and Ryan!

Love you girls!

JDs Key Club in Pontiac

Somehow JDs has become a ritual experience for my friends back in Michigan. The appeal is not just for a great bar; it's for drunken debauchery and sing-alongs. All you have to do is tip the singers/pianists with a few dollars and a song request, and they will belt it out for you. You might also be insulted/embarrassed/forced to sit on the stage, but that's part of the fun. 

It was awesome to see this group at JDs right before Gloria (and Josh!) left for Minnesota. 

Katie, Katy, and Glo!

Josh astounding us with his vocal skills right before his British Turret's outburst

Joe was there too!

 I also got to see Danielle and hear lots of juicy stories! Thanks for making it such a fun night!

Cookies!

Shea was leaving just after I arrived, so we squeezed in one more date: cookie decorating! Shea's family has a tradition of decorating cookies and was so sweet to let me join! We were decorating them after the New Year because their Christmas stash had already been eaten and they wanted to send some beautiful and fresh treats to the Philippines with Shea!

Here we are being incredibly goofy: 

Not posed. At all.

Christmas in America!

I miss you already, Shea!! I hope we don't have to wait too long before our next big adventure.