Happy New Year

明けましておめでとう

ございます

(Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu)

Happy New Year!!

It’s the year of the Rabbit.

Metal Rabbit year will give us a year devoted to calm… so goes the predictions.

As I had said we planned a lot for the holidays and a lot we have done!

(And we are not done!!)

It has been legitimately one of the best winter vacations I have ever had and one that I will always remember. In doing so much I will split my recount of it all in three parts.

PART I: 22/Dec to 25/Dec

The 22^nd was when we got off for winter break. We gave the C.E.I.L.D office (the office responsible for us and other exchange students and programs) a cake and card for Christmas because they are great to us.

I planned a Dinner&Movie event that was followed by a Girls’ Slumber party. It didn’t turn out quite as planned. Definitely not as smoothly as I hoped but I think every one had a great time and I think it was worth the trouble lol.

The Dinner&Movie turned into a party basically. I have planned it for about 12 people to come—more than 12 people came. The movie was hard to follow with some many people so we put on music instead and wah-lah: Party.

… we got yelled at and written up for being too loud lol (not alcohol or having a party)… being loud.

We ladies did proceed to our planned sleepover (with a chocolate fondue) and watched a movie…part of a movie rather as sleep right away lol.

All in all a great night really.

........>

The 23^rd we went to watch fireworks!! (I think in honor of the Emperor’s Birthday).

They were spectacular.

fun photos on the path to/from the fireworks area.



Photos hardly show how cold the weather can be... I was freezing!

......>

The 24^th we returned to see the Christmas lights at Gotenba. It was the same as the first time lol But we spent a 円1000 yen to see a laser show on a water fountain (the water acted as the screen for the laser to be projected on to). It was cold but it was cool.

There was music to go along with the moving images, and unfortunately the pictures can't show how the water was creatively used to make the images pop... it was lovely actually.

......>

The 25^th we went to Yokohama, more specifically with the aim of going the China Town of Yokohama. We ended up staying most of our stay at the mall (Bay Quarter) by the station. We ate at a Hawaiian restaurant. It had a nice view and though a bit pricey the food was nice… minus the fact that I order the wrong thing and ended up with raw tuna. Terrific. I ended up donating my Tuna to everyone else and sharing chicken with Damien, oh and the cocktail that I order was bitterer than I intended. Don’t get me wrong it was a good restaurant.

When we finally got to the Chinatown we ate so more! lol

it's a GIANT 肉まん nikuman (it's like a bread filled usually with pork meat)

The architecture of this Chinatown is really nice and I like it more than New York's Chinatown.

After a long day we head back and rested for Part II: my Birthday and trip to Hakone (famous for hotsprings)

Ok that's the update for now.

Fun Fact:

I did learn that Christmas is a bit of a lover's holidays and well, Christmas eve and Christmas day you see A LOT of couples! ... wow.

Later.