Japan
I love Japan. I had such a good time and didn't want to come back. This of course was exhibited when I slept through my alarm by 1.5hrs and almost missed my flight!
The people at the office are great and I had a number of very fun nights out with them (including the night before my flight!).
In an amazing bit of random timing, my drinking buddy Virginia was in Tokyo the second wk I was there. For those who keep up with the blog - Virginia was the girl I discovered ladies night here in HK with. She lives in Aus, but was on holiday in Tokyo the same time I was there. We had a couple of fun nights out, including going to a yakitori bar, where they spoke no english and had no pictures of food. Made ordering difficult (even with my phrase book!) - thankfully the guy next to us spoke really really dodge english but helped us order [Although we later found out the cook and his wife spoke some english - he gave some charcoal sticks to take home and make our own yakitori with - was soo funny!]
Over the weekend I left Tokyo and went to the Hakone Region - beautiful area, lots of onsens (spas) and yummy food. I stayed at a Ryoken (a typical Japanese hotel), where they spoke no english and had typical japanese rooms such as these:
So here's some notes from when I was in the Ryoken.
After first arriving and being shown to my room, I decided to search for the baths to cleanup before dinner (as I believe that was what I was being told (in Japanese)). I walked out of my room (dressed in jeans) looking for the bathroom and scared a little old man & woman, they saw me and laughed (continuously!)- they were wearing their yukatas (little japanese robes). So I returned to my room and put on my yukata (very comfy things).I then found my way to the bath area but there were 2 doors with 2 signs on them. They were in Japanese and I had no idea what they said (although i guessed one said man and one said woman). I returned to my room to get my phrase book and then stood there trying to decipher the 2 signs! My book had 1 symbol for female, the sign was all swirly and had about 3 symbols. Finally I took a guess and managed to find the females baths (thankfully!).
After my bath I went back to my room and started writing done my initial impressions of the ryoken. (Amazing customer service, beautiful place, hot baths, all without understanding a word!) Not long after music started playing through the room - and then the announcement began. No idea what was going on, but I had an idea it could be dinner so I started looking up the word for dinner. Almost instantly the little woman knocked on my door, gave me a big smile and started going on about something (in japanese). She obviously realised I understood nothing, so she motioned me to follow her. I followed her (still in my robe) and she led me to the dining room (small japanese tables and pillows) and sat me at a table for 1. To my left was a massive table for 20. I had a terrible thought that they sat me by myself b/c I didnt speak japanese. Thankfully that wasnt the case, the table for 20 was a big family group - very amusing to watch. There was another small table of 3.
Dinner: (ive made my best guess at what i was eating)
Miso Soup with little mussels
Egg custard with crab meat, chicken, chives & orange rind
Sashimi (the yummiest!) - prawn (raw!), scallops & 2 sorts of fish
charcoal sardine (wierd filling on slightly stringy things maybe octopus)
brown scary tough thing, looks like shitake mushroom but not (i tried a bite but no)
smoked haddock sushi (or some smoked fish)
scallops & crab claw - yummo
light wonton in yummy pastry with light filling prob seafood with egg or tofu
cooked fish fillet (trout?) in miso & sweet sauce
tempura prawn (linguistine) with cabbage & pasta salad, and mandarin
vegetables (carrot, grn beans, lotus veg) & tofu omlet
& tea
When I got back from my room, my little table and pillow was put away, and my bed (futon) was out on the straw mat. I read for a while and figured I might as well get to sleep - was very comfy and I slept great, until I was awoken by a very insistent friendly knocking on my door "Ohayou gozaimasu" (good morning). 8am PEOPLE!
This, as you may have guessed, was breakfast. I went back to the tea room and ate:
Japanese rice pudding thing (I tried a bit but it was like eating glue)
Dried fish (nicer than i expected, although bloody hard to fillet with chopsticks)
crab miso soup
egg omlette thing with chives
liver with onion
little brown things that i thought was ginger and mince, but seemed to have a very strange consistency
salad - brocolli, tomato, lettuce, beans, piece of ham?
No Sashimi :(
So I enjoyed brekkie although not as much as dinner (which was yummo) and it was too early. I figured id go back to my room and sleep some more, but when i returned they had put my bed away! I was forced to have a productive day!
So Japan was lovely and I didnt want to come back, oh and sushi tastes soo much better there - all food is yummo! I'm definately going to go back to Japan before I leave Asia.
Hong Kong
Arrived back in HK, and had Hayleys hens night - which was the best night I had out in HK for ages (or maybe ever). We started with a lovely lamb roast at my place, and then apple crumble (which basically no one ate as they were all dieting! oh well more for me!) Then we all got ready together, and the girls did my makeup! I looked very pretty and boys chatted me up - unfortunatly no cute ones (or none that were cute enough ). But we were out til after 4, and loads of laughs - photos to follow.
Work this wk was hellish but I'm off to Singapore on sunday for 5 days, so that should be fun. And then next wkend Mandy moves out so I'll be alone again. Oh and Hayley leaves Sunday :( Everyones leaving - im going to have to make an effort to meet more ppl, hopefully a hot boy too. Oh cause I won a prize! and I really need a boy to share it with. As a backup ill take PL (or if RM comes to town ill take her).
I bought a charity raffle ticket at work and won the 14th prize ->
14th PRIZE:
Winning Ticket :
05993
FLY INTO MACAU BY HELICOPTER AND STAYOVER AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL MACAU
I picked up the ticket today and it has to be used before february and mid week! Which really limits when i can use it. So im thinking the week between xmas and new yr - any hot boys want to volunteer to join me? (oh and straight - and not annoying)
