Merry Christmas Eve to all of you...it is Dec 24th here in Japan
I am once again awake early and the "young adults" are all still nestled asleep on their Japanese futon beds with visions of more Jumbo-cho's I'm sure, dancing in their heads... They were up late waiting for CJ to return from a very important work party at Asia's biggest distributor for Graco here in Japan. It was a GREAT HONOR for CJ to be invited and so he and Tad from work did not pass on the opportunity.
Monday CJ and Graham got up early and ran down by Yokohama harbor and Yamashita park before CJ headed to work.Later Graham and I went on a shopping spree to buy him a futon bed and to stock up on food for when we all gather together on Wednesday night. We had quite a work out carrying all the goodies up the big long sets of steps. My legs,lower back and shoulders I'm finding this morning are a bit out of shape. I can tell my body has missed the daily walking/carrying I get here, while I rode in the car for the last 2 months back in MN. UGH!
Who knows...perhaps if I am a good BIG Momma...Kalen who is now an offical Graduate from Cortiva Institute of Massage might give me a little body massage? Now that I think,... would be the best Christmas present ever, besides my family all being here together after one long year apart...hint...hint.
Graham has been in hog heaven as he watches many a Rugby match on TV while chillin and getting caught up on his jet lag. I too got through a bunch of paperwork and mail that had accumulated over the last 2 months and it felt good to get a bit organized once again. Monday night CJ made Graham one of his favorite potsticker and sticky white rice meals and they washed it down with a few different Japanese beers.
Tuesday the guys went for another morning run through Chinatown and past Yokohama Stadium. After breakfast we all headed in a different direction and down to the Canterbury store so Grambo could look over all the Rugby jerseys, hats, balls, shirts... We then made our way down the very busy and festive Motomachi shopping street where many a Japanese shopper was out and about on this National Holiday. You see the Japanese folks are BIG savers of their money, and so the govt has made many a National Holiday so that people will get out and spend their money. December 23rd is the Emperor's Birthday and many were doing just that buying stuff left and right.
Next we found ourselves at Don Quixotes so the guys could stock up on a variety of Japanese Beers and Sake. Graham thought parts of the "fully loaded with inventory" shop looked like a Japanese Spencer Gifts type store. I get dizzy just looking at all the stuff in there, but the prices are good though,and so I do go there quite often.
We then made our way back home and up another new set of steps, ate some lunch before CJ was off on the Shinkansen Bullet Train with Tad to the party down south in Nagoya. After the rugby game was over, Graham and I took another walk down the other side of the bluff to do more shopping and to see the mom and pop district of shops. He met my pal Charlie the produce man while I loaded up on a bunch of different veggies and then got some rice crackers at the Gruppe Honomoku store.
We walked back through the side streets and took pics of Holiday decorations, flowers, architecture and then caught a little bit of an outdoor Holiday concert at one of the western mansions in the park at the end of our street. Back home Graham watched more Rugby and I made some dinner preparations for when Kalen and Mike showed up later in the eve.
Kalen called to tell us she made it throught customs and that they were now getting on the 5:20pm Narita Express. Graham and I made our way back to Canterbury's so he could get his rugby ball. Yep, he couldn't even wait till Christmas. We then walked through a very busy and colorful Chinatown, bought Kalen some delicious coconut macaroon tarts and then we were off to the subway to go meet her and Michael at the RR station. More Jumbo-cho's were purchased for dessert and reward after a very looooooooong travel day.
Back home we had spaghetti dinner. Ok so it isn't really a Japanese meal, but it does have noodles. haha CJ will be the cook of more traditional Japanese fare while the kids are here, I will keep with my American style and flava. For dessert we had a ZEN like moment when eating the Jumbo-cho's we always talk about and happily the kids agreed they are Delicious !!! YUM YUM YUM !!
Then I was off to bed and the youngin's waited for CJ to return home. The kids are now all waking up on the morn of the 24th and CJ is back to work for 1/2 a day. We will have some breakfast and then make our way to see his work, the Ramen Museum for lunch and then up to see Cos play and Manga dressed folks in the Akihabara area of Tokyo. We too hope to see holiday decorations before they are all taken down and preparations for the NEW YEAR are made after Christmas.
More soon about our advenutures in Colorful Tokyo
Karla and family
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