Eyes Open...

So for those who actually read my blog, I'm sure you noticed I haven't been on here in a while. I've been going through and dealing with some things I'd rather not get into but I heard this song a couple of weeks ago and I've been thinking of it a lot.
Now to be honest, I have never been much of a Taylor Swift fan but this song speaks volumes to me. I've read mixed reviews on it, mostly because it is the theme song to The Hunger Games, so a lot of people don't understand it.
I however can actually relate to it.

¶ Everybody's waiting; Everybody's watching; Even when you're sleeping;

Keep your eyes open.

The tricky thing is yesterday we were just children, Playing soldiers, Just pretending.
Dreaming dreams with happy endings. ♫
 
♪  In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords.
 But now we've stepped into a cruel world; 
Where everybody stands and keeps score; Keep your eyes open. ♪

♫ Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown. Everybody's watching to see the fallout.
Even when you're sleeping, sleeping:
Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. ♫

♪ So here you are, two steps ahead and staying on guard.
Every lesson forms a new scar. They never thought you'd make it this far.  ♪

♪ But turn around (turn around), oh they've surrounded you;
It's a showdown (showdown) and nobody comes to save you now;
But you've got something they don't, Yeah you've got something they don't
You've just gotta keep your eyes open.  ♪

♫ Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown. Everybody's watching to see the fallout.
Even when you're sleeping, sleeping:
Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes... ♫

♪ Keep your feet ready, Heartbeat steady, Keep your eyes open.
Keep your aim locked; The night goes dark, Keep your eyes open.
Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. ♪

♫ Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown. Everybody's watching to see the fallout.

Even when you're sleeping, sleeping:
Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open.
Keep your eyes open... ¶

Sweets Paradise

Sweets Paradise

A place found on the 8th floor in the West Parco shopping mall in Sakae, that only serves dessert! And not just one dessert, a dessert buffett!! :) My kind of place.
My friend Asuka had been hinting about going to this place for a while now since she knows how much I love sweets. So we decided to head there on Tuesday.

When you enter the doors, you pay right at the entrance before being sat. The entire buffet is ¥ 1480 and that includes dessert and drinks. C.J. was free. (One thing I really like about a lot of restaurants here is that if the child is 3 or under, you don't have to pay for anything for them.)
When you recieve your reciept a time is automatically printed to let you know what time you must leave. Every patron is given an hour and a half of indulgence. :) After that it's either leave or pay again.

As I made my way past the buffet I was amazed by everything that was available. The buffet did include a couple choices of soup, salad, and pasta. But considering that we had already had lunch earlier, we were there for dessert. :)   There were so many cakes, pies, puddings, gelatins, and ice cream to choose from I didn't know where to start! Drinks consisted of coffee, a variety of teas, juices and water of course. 

One pie I really enjoyed was a pistachio and lime cheesecake. Definitely something I have never tried before but was extremely delicious.

With everything you can reach for while visiting here, this is one place that should only be a once in a while occasion. I'm thinking once a month - if that!
As soon as I got back home, after everything I ate, I doubled my daily workout and have not had a sweet since Tuesday! :)

監獄ＩＮ食41房

We had a great night out this past weekend. Erick and I wanted some grown up time so we got a friend to watch C.J. and we headed out to what we call "The Jailhouse." Only here it is known as :  監獄ＩＮ食41房. (I think it is loosely translated to Prison IN 41). It was very interesting to take in as soon as I stepped foot in the door. The guys had all been here before so they knew what to expect.

So for starters this is by reservation only and because of how the business is run, even if one person does not show up with the party you are still required to pay for them. The entrance is pretty dark and creepy and as you walk in there are jail doors and bars around the walking area. It is a two story restaurant and the bars are also placed upstairs. There is an undead prisoner in one corner and creepy vampire and zombie posters throughout the entire restaurant, even in the bathroom!

The hostess led us to the back where our table was located in a slightly open area. Another thing that was interesting to look at was the waitstaff. Everyone and I do mean everyone is pierced in any and all orifices (visible) with an underground grunge vibe. I'm sure you have to be a special type of person to work here. :) Anyway after we were seated our waitress came over to take our order. (Our friend Mike had brought his friend Fumika out with us so she could help with translation). So since we were all of age and all planning on drinking we ordered the "nomihoudai" which is translated into "all you care to drink" in reference to alcohol. That was about ¥ 1,050 per person. (Once again, because of the way the business is run if one person is underage, or one person is not drinking, then no one can order the nomihoudai).

We also ordered their simplest meal choice on the menu which consits of a 6 course meal that goes about ¥ 2,100 per person. Everything is brought out obviously, one course at a time throughout the 2 hours we were there. We started with a house salad and a small sliced chicken breast appetizer. Later we had fried chicken, a stuffed omelet, fried rice and finally at the end had an orange sorbet. The entire meal was full of flavor and all very delicious!

When we received our first course a dark and creepy robotic voice came out over the loudspeaker and was basically letting us know that the show was about to begin. It was all in Japanese so Fumika could only pick up some since it was a little distorted. The just of it was to be prepared to be frightened, no walking around, no flash photography, etc...

So, they basically turn out all the lights, it is pitch black so you can't even see the person in front or beside you. (And of course do not even attempt to reach for your glass or food!) Then from the darkness comes eerie music and loud banging noises, chains, doors slamming and lots and lots of smoke. Then after a couple of minutes a man dressed in black with a glow in the dark mask appears and gets uncomfortably close, (laugh). They are mostly trying to give everyone a little fright. For us it is all funny and not really scary but we go along with it and let them complete their show. I think in completion the show is about 10 minutes long. When they are done, the lights come back on and we continue with our meal. It was definitely a fun experience and I'm glad we were able to have the night out. It had been a very long while since Erick and I had had a grown-up night together. I would gladly go back to "the Jailhouse."

Erick, Me, Eleazar, Fumika, Mike & Mike

Tabemono....

FOOD!!

So we've been here over a month now and I've come to find some great places to eat and shop. I wanted to share a little bit about the food here with you. So far everything has been extremely appetizing. There is so much diversity!

I wanted to start with my local grocery store. I have to admit how impressed I was with the amount of organic vegetables and fruit I've been able to find for C.J. Everything is always so fresh and I don't have to worry about scourging through piles of fruit or veggies to find a ripe one or one that isn't going bad already. The selection is not as vast as back in the States but I can still find the "necessities" for C.J. - Apples, bananas, and strawberries. Everything is priced about the same except for the more foreign/exotic fruits and veggies.



I saw a cantaloupe last week that costs ¥2940, that's about $32. It's a good thing C.J. and I don't like cantaloupe or honeydew. :) Watermelon is priced about the same as back in the U.S. I usually run to the grocery store about twice a week for any ingredients or groceries I am lacking or about to tap off. I can buy ground beef, chicken, pork, seafood, milk, juice, water and bread. I can also get some baking supplies as well. If we want steaks or beef, I hed to the Aeon Mall that is about 15 minutes from our apartment, on foot. The grocery store there is much bigger, 2 floors, and their meat department has more variety as well. I can get cheeses and yogurts there as well. (This particular mall is much, much smaller than the others by the Nagoya Dome and in Kanayama.These two other malls have department stores as well as bakeries and grocery stores.) Either way, I have had no trouble finding groceries for the boys.

My addiction

Then there's the one really bad thing about Japan: (I keep telling Erick, this is totally the wrong country for me to move to) Bakeries - my huge weakness!! The Quality of Life has a sweet little bakery that makes delicious breads and sweet cakes. I find myself walking through there every time I go. C.J. also has a favorite sponge cake he gets from there and a cupcake that's about the size of Ericks' fist. (Laugh) It is a simple cake recipe but it is filled with a pudding. It is tasty!

I also have a homemade donut shop a few blocks from the apartment as well. Everything is made from scratch and they have so many selections, like an orange créme and even a mocha donut. Sooo much better than Krispy Kreme, Shipley's, or Dunkin combined! I've put myself on strict restrictions from pastries though, after the first couple of weeks of being here, I noticed my little habit and put an end to it. I do not want to gain 100 pounds here by eating sweets! :)

C.J. has found a lot of new juices he really loves here. We have the basic apple juice we pick up anywhere but the Minute Maid Aloe & White Grape is only found in a few vending machines. Vending machines are found in every block all over the city as well so whenever he does see one, he asks for it right away. One he recently found is another juice blend of vegetables and fruits. The ingredients contain about 21 vegetables with lemons, apples, and oranges also. C.J. is already great about eating his veggies but this just really helps with his daily intake.

Sweet Goodness!!!

So my absolute favorite restaurant to go to is Mozart. It is a small café in the underground mall in Sakae. (One stop off the train from our apartment.) I LOVE this place! They serve salads, sandwiches, pastas, and of course desserts. C.J. and I have gone there a couple of times for lunch. We order off the pasta menu - we get the pasta, cake, and drink set about ¥1450. My favorite pasta is a shrimp and avocado in an oil sauce. It is amazing! The portions here are actually quite nice so C.J. and I have more than enough to share. We usually take a minute to decide on what dessert we would like. They have a wide assortment of yummy little cakes. We usually end up getting one with strawberries because C.J. loves them. :) I order coffee with my cake as well and next to Starbucks, Mozart coffee is so rich and tasteful - I could go there every day for cake and coffee but we all know the consequences to that as well....

I was super impressed with the Domino's Pizza here! I'm going to be sad when I go back to the States and won't be able to order it anymore. Just like the States, we order online and there is a lot to choose from. Wings, fries, salads, pastas, sandwiches, and the obvious: pizza. My favorite pizza is a pepperoni double thin layer stuffed with cheese. Mouthwatering!! I have to order this every time. Erick usually orders a regular thin crust for him and C.J. and he orders this especially for me.


International stores are found through many parts of the city And I go to 3 different local ones to find the different food and snacks we want. I get our pastas, sauces, chips, cookies, C.J.'s gummy bears, and our coffee's. (They all have a large variety of blended and flavored coffees that I can get as whole bean.) I can also get my Mexican spices and cooking ingredients between the shops, including tortillas.
--> I found these at one of them. :) Just like Flaming Hot Cheetos!!! LOVE them! I was so happy!!!









Next to 7/11's and Circle K's every couple of blocks, there is my lovely Starbucks every block or so! Seriously, they are ALL over the place. I can find really delicious snacks and small to-go lunches at these places. One of my favorite, filling snacks here are the sticky-rice balls. They come in many different flavors. Some have fruit, others meat, some are plain with spice for flavor, and only some come with the seaweed wrap but they are all yummy and a quick fix for when you're hungry in between meals and only for ¥80.

Yamachan is an awesome little wing place found all over Japan as well. They are absolutely delicious but soooo tiny. (We joke they are pigeon not chicken wings.) ;)  The order is sold by 5 but I always get 15. (Laugh) They have a nice pepper kick to them but we order some plain for C.J. as well. And apparently Japan is known for this little restaurant so if you ever find yourself over here definitely look them up. You won't be disappointed.




That's another thing we've been trying to adjust to here in Japan, portions are so much smaller than what we are used to in America. Everything is like a third of the size! There is no "large" order here and definitely no "44oz" anything. This isn't necessarily a bad thing of course, it is okay for us to eat less but sometimes, especially when I've gone to McDonald's, I'd like a bigger Coke Zero than the Small size (that is the Medium, here).

Fun Weekend!

So this past weekend we had our first real outings in Japan. On Saturday we had a baseball game and then on Sunday we had a wedding party to attend. They were both wonderful experiences! We had a great time. I'm glad we were able to partake in these events.

Nagoya Dome

The Baseball Game : So to get to the game we had to get on the purple line train. (Trains and lines are color-coded. Ours is usually the yellow line.) And of course because it is on the other side of town, it took about 8 stops to get to. Then more walking. :) The Chunichi Dragons are a professional baseball team here in the city of Nagoya. The Nagoya Dome is an indoors baseball field and is gorgeous! Just like any other stadium, they take your tickets at the entrance and guide you to your assigned seats. They even handed out baseball caps to the kids for free. There is food and drinks and memorabilia stands before you enter the seating area as well.  Of course we purchased some tiny bats used for noise-makers during the game, for C.J. to play with. The game reminded me the entire time of being back home at a high school football game. There were cheerleaders and bands and half-time shows! It was amazing!

Go Dragons!

The pre-game show consisted of the cheerleaders getting the crowd riled up and performing a dance to the team song. The mascots would join them as well. (Really not sure what they were. There was a pink one and a blue one. They kind of looked like Yoshi from Super Mario.) Each team had their own band that would play throughout the game and would play the team song when someone would get a run. Through the entire game, there were many vendors walking up and down the stands with refreshments and food and snacks. I felt so bad for some of the girls! They carry mini pony-kegs on their backs the entire time!! Talk about a work out. It was easier for all of us being lazy not wanting to walk down to the concession stands to get a beer. (Laugh) We had a great time! And the Dragons won, 4 - 1! C.J. has been asking to go back so we will definitely make it to another one soon.

With the Bride & Groom

The Wedding Party: May I say, weddings in Japan are extremely expensive and extravagant! We were only invited to the wedding party but the bride and groom had the ceremony a day before and then had a formal dinner with family at the Tokyo Hotel a few hours before the party. Mariko wore 3 different gowns, I noticed this while we watched a video compiled of all three events up on a projector. Each more stunning than the one before. We were not required to bring gifts because according to the bride, gifts are given at the actually wedding ceremony and she did not invite us to that because "traditional" Japanese wedding gifts are priced at $2000 and more!!!! (Insane!)
So the party was actually at the Saru Cafe Aoi right downstairs from our apartment. (Literally, as you exit our building it is right next door.) You pay a certain price per male/female and it is for all you can drink for two hours. We were each also handed a Bingo card for a game played later in the party. The Bride and Groom were seated in a love seat at the entrance for guests to greet them as they arrived. We said hello and Erick introduced me. They were both super polite and they looked extremely happy - I LOVE Weddings! There was a variety of finger foods brought in throughout the night by waitstaff and the bar was open for anything your mind could think of. :)
After a couple of toasts, they brought in a large flat sheet cake for the couple to take photos with. Instead of a bouquet toss, the Bride got a few of her female friends, I think 7, to the front and they were each handed a pink ribbon attached to the bouquet. After the ribbons were unwound, the person with the longest ribbon gets the bouquet - very cute. We then played Bingo. The bride called out only numbers and once you got 5 in a row in any direction, you of course, called Bingo and then went to the front were you picked a number from a box. The number you got would then be the gift you received. They had over 20 gifts ranging from a $100 gift card to even snack foods. It was really fun! I won a toy set. :)
When all the prizes had been won, the game ended and we saw a few more videos of the bride and groom and the family and mostly just mingled with the other guests. We really enjoyed ourselves. The party only lasted a few hours but was a nice night out for Erick and myself.

P.S. I'm sure you are wondering where C.J. was through all this. He was with his "Uncle" Mike at the movies. :) Mike is one of Erick's work friends. He's a great guy who has nephews he can't spoil so he's taken a liking to C.J. and C.J. loves him! He took him to see Battleship, then to the toy store, and then to get a late dinner after their first dinner...hahaha They returned to the apartment just as the party was ending. C.J. asks to see "Uncle" Mike all the time now. It's sweet.

Konnichiwa :)

... Means "Good Afternoon."

So we've been in Japan for a week now and things are well. It's odd....I honestly don't feel like I'm in a whole other place. I feel just like I was back in the states. I know it's a whole other country, I know it's a way different time zone, (I'm 13 hours ahead to my friends on the East Coast back in the states), but it feels just the same to me. I will have to say one thing, this time change has definitely made me a morning person. Feels like I should have been here all along. :) This most certainly is the "Land of the Rising Sun." Sun is up and shining by 4:30 am and I am up about 5/5:30 every morning. I make my coffee, watch a little TV and I still feel perfectly fine throughout the day. I am neither tired or groggy.



Our apartment is simple but quite nice. We have everything we need and more. Being on the 12 floor is pretty high up but it is nice to look outside from time to time :) We have wood flooring through the entire apartment, C.J. finally has his own room again, and I love our sliding doors. They really add space and growth to the apartment. (View my Webshots page so you can see all my photos.)






I have used my washer/dryer on a daily basis. (It is a two-in-one but a little too compact for my liking.) The dryer does not work as well as I would like and it takes about 5 hours to actually dry a load of wet laundry, so I use our shower room. I can hang clothes in there and there is a dryer button that blows out hot air and dries the clothes a little faster. (It is also a steam room, Love that!)

Remotes for EVERYTHING!!!

One thing I am still trying to learn and adjust to is our microwave/toaster/oven. (Laugh)
I have the microwave and toaster features down but I still don't understand how to bake in it!!! I want to make cookies dang it! I told Erick he has to call his friends to come and explain it more to me. :)


Erick leaves for work about 6:30 am and is back just before 6:00 pm on most days. C.J. and I spend our days about the same as always. We still practice letters, numbers, writing and now we've put Italian lessons and Sign Language on hold. Erick has gotten me the Rosetta Stone in Japanese now so we are practicing that. We don't need to become fluent, but I'd like to at least be able to communicate somewhat with the people here. Especially when I am at the grocery store, the mall, the train station, etc... I think it is important for us to make the effort and learn the language here. Some people do speak English but not everyone of course. I've done a couple of lessons and it is difficult but I think I can pick a little of it up soon.

My phone is not working as I expected it to. I cannot get texts and phone calls are not coming through either. I have the Wi-Fi on at all times but for some reason, I cannot connect anywhere other than the apartment. So as long as I am at home I get my emails, Facebook and Twitter feeds. I have the Tango App so anyone who has an IPhone or the like, please upload it so we can video chat from time to time. :)
I've met a few of Erick's work friends already and so far everyone has been really great. I even have someone to do my mani's, pedi's, and eyebrow waxing.
My local grocery store is about 2 blocks down the left of the apartment and they have a nice selection and variety of supplies - as far as groceries go. We have to head down to the 100 Yen store (our version of the Dollar General) for all my cleaning supplies. We've taken the train a couple of times as well, something else I need to get used to and actually need to pay attention to. But as much time as we are planning to be here, I'm sure I will get the hang of everything soon enough.
I've visited the Aeon Mall, two of them, great places to shop! But there is definitely so much more to see and visit. We had dinner last night at a Turkish pub that was absolutely delish!! That is certainly going to be a regular for us. (Erick and his work friends have already been going there a lot.)
All the places and the food are things we are going to have to get accustomed to, after all it is really different. :) I have no worries that it will all begin to feel like "home."
I will keep everyone posted on any new findings and adventures :)

Timeout for now Houston

Today is my last day in Houston... Before these plans began to take place, I did not know when this day would come. I have to admit, and I've told a few people my opinion, I do not like this city. After just a few months of being here, I was ready to leave. This city is most definitely not a place I would like to settle into. I do not want C.J. to attend school here; I don't want our family to grow here. Almost everything about this place, screams to me to get out. Maybe this seems a little harsh, not everyone will understand. Now that this day is here, I am more than ready to move on. But before I do head out, I would like to take the time to talk about a few people that have made our stay here bearable ;)

Shara:

My 30th Birthday dinner at Outback

Although Shara and I didn't start off on the right foot, our friendship has truly blossomed into something wonderful. In the beginning, with everything going on a work, we were both a little uncertain as to whether we could trust each other or not. But as we slowly opened up and began to actually talk to one another we began to see that we both had so much in common. It didn't take long after that for both of us to realize we had found a confidant in each other. Shara was super supportive the rest of our days at the bank and she not only helped me through rough times at work, but through some personal ones as well. She was super sweet and always offered a listening ear. She was kind enough to let C.J. and I stay with her when we were in between places and for that week and a half - we had the best time. :) You've truly been an excellent friend Shara and I wish you all the best! Thank you for everything you have done for both C.J. and me!!

Jessica, Greg, & Jake :

Three of the best people I have had the opportunity of getting to know. Jessica and I became instant buddies at the bank, pretty much from day one. I met the rest of the entourage through her. :) Although there is somewhat of an age difference between us, it has never been an issue. We bonded instantly over our love for the office Keurig machine and the wonderful variety of flavored coffees. And of course there was also the fact that we despised our job...(you were one of two good things I got from that place.) In our chats, there was never a dull moment. We've had so many long conversations, interesting dinners, and fun get together's...I'm going to miss them all. I'm going to miss hanging out with you on a weekly basis. I'm going to miss my workout buddy. I'm going to miss our coffee time too. I could go on and on but mostly, thank you for always being there for me. You've never judged, you've never strayed, you've been someone I could rely on from the very beginning. Thank you for being the epitome of a great friend. And thank you (again) for always looking into my condo while I was out of town. ;) 

A night out!

As for Greg and Jake, what can I say, you two or some of the sweetest and funniest guys I have ever met. Being around you all has always been fun! Thanks for taking me (and C.J.) in without any hesitations. I will miss our witty banter. Take care of each other.
To our new friend, Brent: Thanks for all your help with the move buddy. :) Couldn't have done it without you. I wish you all the best in your new life here in Texas!


Finally to my cousin Monica:

Christmas 2011

We've been through so much together through our lives. You are my family, my friend, my blessing. Thank you for everything you continue to do for me and for your God-son, C.J. :) Thank you, to both you and Robert for letting us into your home. Thank you for looking out for us. I will miss our nights' out (or in), our festive family talks over cocktails, our dinner get together's, and basically just being close to you again. Thank you for your help and guidance through the tough times and for your never ending support through it all. I am so thankful to always have you in my life. You have always been and forever will be my favorite cousin. I love you!

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." ~ Richard Bach