The First 2016 Italian Night Out in Tokyo

This was the first of a regular, monthly get-together with a couple of friends that was my turn to organize during the first business week of the year.

We all seem to like Italian the most so I chose one near my office where I had visited once before for a party.  Service was good, the wines fine, the food, generally good but maybe inconsistent at times, but I got very upset and complained to the restaurant for serving the pasta after the main dish.

I don’t think it was the first time that happened but for the life of me, I don’t know why people do this…!

Braceria La Fame

A Belated Post About Music, Sushi, Soft Serves and Nails in the Month of December, 2015

The musical activities.

One sushi night at my fave sushi joint.

A couple of soft serves to satisfy my addiction.

And nails for the holiday season.

 

A Trip to Nagoya, the First Job of the New Year

The only time I had ever been to Nagoya in my life was when I was in high school to participate in a softball game.  And we went on a school bus lent out to us by another school (as we didn’t own one).  We “home-stayed” in our opponent’s homes.  We lost.

So the trip on January 4th before work resumed seemed like I was visiting the city for the first time and I was going to enjoy it.

First the shinkansen travel.  Yay.

I went prepared.

And had the view.

Arrived!

And out to work in the evening.

The following morning was free time.  More yay.

Wandered into a Hokkaido food fair in a department store.

Tried one of the three soft serves offered with a slightly disappointing result.

Time to go home.

The Nagoya specialty “Hitsumabushi” on the ride home.

Domestic travel ain’t bad.

Hakusan Shrine in the New Year

One of the more well-known shrines in my neighborhood is the Hakusan Shrine, a popular destination for its annual “Hydrangea Festival“.

I walked through it on January 3rd while we were still celebrating the arrival of the new year (typically between January 1st and 3rd) and found it busy with a much bigger crowd than normal.

And I was happy that this wine shop right by the shrine was open.  The sign even said that they had been open throughout the new year holidays.  I hope they had good business.

Random Nouméa, New Caledonia

From my very brief trip to the Southern Hemisphere France at the end of 2015.