Japanese is my favourite food!

Seriously! It is the best! I didn't even think I felt like Japanese tonight, but just had the yummiest udon noodle soup with the most tasty lightly battered and crisp tempura! Soo good! And I got to sit at the bar and watched the chefs. I wanna work in a japanese kitchen! I was just sitting there with a big grin on my face watching the open kitchen. Heres some interesting things I noticed about the chefs (and kitchen)
* They are all men
* They are all wearing clean chefs clothes (no spills)
* They have loads of different types of fresh noodles - homemade and soo good
* The pots are huge that the soup is cooked in and instead of using a ladel to get the soup out, they use small saucepans.
* For the tempura, they have 2 lots of oil, 1 is for the veg and 1 for the meat
* They put the tempura into (and out of ) the oil with chopsticks (very cool, and means that the oil drains off)
* They only use the big drainy spoon to clear out the oil of the extra batter
* The tempura I had was - prawns, pumpkin, eggplant, seaweed, a leaf (very pretty and tasted good), mushroom and maybe some other stuff
* The bowl of noodles was bigger than my head but thankfully they didnt fill it (yet i am still stuffed)
* I am learning to slurp, but I still eat noodles like a foreigner
* After I ordered (involving pointing to the menu) the waitress asked me something, along the lines of big or small. I thought she was talking about the portion so I said small (as the people next to me had buckets rather than bowels!) but it turns out she meant the size of the udon noodle, mine were the thiner variety - but still yummo.

Was great! I told the restaurant guy - oyshikata (and he understood me - oh it means, delicious!)

I keep forgeting to bring my camera - there are so many things I want to take a picture of! Tomorrow definitely!

Heres an email from my observations at work on monday. I arrived in Tokyo around 7pm sunday night, Monday night went home and ate sushi, edamame and gyoza from the supermarket (yum), Tuesday I taught all day then went out for drinks with work ppl which turned into 4 of us girls, continuing our drinking (gin & tonics) and ending up singing kareoke in a kareoke cube (little room with couches and soundproof) Very Fun. Too many G& Ts and no dinner makes Natty a hangover girl. Teaching today was painful. Off to a girl from work's place to pick up a warm jumper and then home for an early night.

Oh heres the monday email....

So work is not exciting and I had lunch by myself but it was both yummo and
fun!

I went downstairs and got told there are loads of restaurants and places
that do bento boxes. so I figured I could point and buy one.
I found myself a little place and was about to point and get a bento box,
when I noticed the people to my right putting money into a machine and
getting tickets for food. Well that sounded fun. so there were a few
pictures with names in japanese. So i picked a picture that didnt look too
scary and matched up the japanese symbols with those on the (coke like)
machine - and yes it took a while. I got my ticket and went into the
restaurant and put the ticket in front of the cook and she started asking
me something in japanese. I got all freaked but managed to pick out
soba...udon. I replied with "udon". I ended up with a very yummy meal of
rice with katsu curry sauce, and a big bowl of udon noodles and soup -
yummo and all for 500 yen (which i have since found out is about $5)

Other amusing things about tokyo
- the toilets are heated (speaking of toilets - the bus driver stopped the
bus yesterday so he could use the toilet at the back of the bus - very
amusing, we were all wondering why he was stopping - this was during the 2
hr bus ride to town)
- the only restaurants open last night (sunday night) were indian and
korean (I ended up joining 3 random american businessmen for a korean
dinner)
- men bow their heads to you when entering lifts (beats hk where they snort
and smell ;)
- After the fireman stopped ppl walking past (as the firetruck was turning in) he bowed to us! So cute!
- Oh did I mention some japanese men are cute (unlike the chinese ones!) and some are tall!

Thats all so far....

Nat




*

Almost a week has passed..

apologies for the lack of updates - I have pictures and movies to upload, details to spill and the best you guys are going to get is brief as hell. You may be asking yourself - why oh why has Nat cut down on her blogging? {although I should point out I haven't received any emails begging for more entries - maybe this is a sign I should stop?}
Reasons Why:
1. Work has been busy (in an annoying way) so when I get home I'm super tired (and often moody!
2. I have gone out quite a bit and had big nights (Tues night - Mandys birthday - Rocky Horror Show & many drinks, Thurs night - Pub Quiz with yummy indian - and many drinks (we came second last and won many shots ;)
3. Mandy is staying with me so I have someone to talk to when I get home instead of write on the blog. (BTW to clarify for ms Scruffy - Mandy has temp. moved in while searching for a place to live. My place is too small for 2 ppl to permanantly live, but its fun to have her around!)
4. I am addicted to Veronica Mars (Seriously, its getting serious, I think the only way im going to cure myself is to watch all the episodes ;)

Other things worth mentioning:
- Clairs in town for a week for work (YaY!) - I saw her Thurs night and catching up again this avo
- Ms Scruffy (Amy) is back in town so hopefully we'll finally see each other this avo
- I'm heading to Hayleys place in Sai Kung (vaguely country meant to be really beautiful) for girlie night and sleepover. I'm making choc beer cake, but I left my whisk and measuring thingy in Mandys room - so have to wait til she wakes up to make it. Although I have done washing while waiting (and blogging). I woke up too early (and went to bed late :(
- Next Sunday I head to Tokyo for work for 2 wks. I still hate work (I dont play well with others), but looking forward to Tokyo.

Hopefully at somepoint I'll update photos.....

I should not be called Grace...

One thing I have never been and will never be is graceful. This wont come as a surprise to most of you - but was hammered into to me on Friday, at a work team building day. The morning involved rock climbing, jumping over streams, walking on wet rocks and climbing up a ladder on a waterfall. I spent the whole time falling down, am covered with cuts and bruises (and achs)and was helped by the boys. I am so unco. I have absolutely no balance, and I suck at all things involving activity. So yes it was kinda traumatic. It would have been less so if it wasn't a work do. I may have even slightly enjoyed a day of activity and making a fool out of myself if it was with my friends. But unfortunatly it wasnt :(

Yes it was nice of them to invite me, and better than work, but I am now in a world of pain. (and humilated). I have only been at work 2 days so far, but I have a full busy week next week!

Mandy and I spent yesterday (saturday) watching dvds and eating bagels - very nice! Last night I went to a gorgeous restaurant for a friends birthday. For only $300 (AUD$50) we had loads of very yummy food and byo wine. Check out what I ate -
* Bread & Pate
* Goats cheese & Tomato Tart
* Tomato & Orange soup (wierd)
* Duck breast with pear
* Eggplant & tomato gratin (yummo)
* Warm Chocolate cake
* Cappucino

All in all very nice - and home by midnight (no one was out for a big one). Would be great for a dinner party with my load and rowdy friends, and a bottle of wine each ;)

Its nice having a roomie, came home for a chat with Mandy and then I ended up watching the rest of Veronica Mars season 1. I wasn't tired and I just kept watching. So I ended up watching the remaining 5 hours and got to bed at 5am. Yay for sundays.

The End is Nigh....

My final hours of freedom....
A lovely morning in dublin, no rain, not too cold and this internet cafe gave me free coffee - so today will be a good day. Soon I will be heading to Dublin airport for my flight back to London (luton), where I will then make my way to Paddington. Dump my bag for a few hours and wander round Maida Vale (hopefully with Will - there was a slight miscommunication problem the last couple of times we attempted to catch up). Then my 10pm flight back to HK, arriving Tuesd 5pm. Back to work wednesday - bright and early! Do I need to mention that I dont want to go back???

Had a lovely weekend in Dublin with Roxie Mae & Beth - and was kindly put up by RM's irish friend Darah. So we did wandering, lots of eating and drinking. Yesterday was rainy hangover day, so after a gorgeous brunch we headed back to the couch for many episodes of Angel (many many episodes - not my idea seriously ;)

Jen's moving to Tampa with RM & Beth soon, I'm tempted to visit. Damn work gets in the way. Oh and I have to go home to visit Dee too!! Still trying to get hold of the girl - between time differences and whatever else, shes impossible to reach.

Oh book recommendation - Shantaram! It's massive (900+ pages) but great. I've been reading it the whole trip!! Should finish it on the way back...

Did I mention I'm not at all excited to head back, but I am looking forward to seeing Mandy, Amy and Hayley (even though she will be going on about the Sydney Swans loss ;). I have a few things planned for when I get back, so should make reality a bit more bearable. I'm going to try and not drink for a few days, so that my throat recovers (finally). Although I did buy some more drugs in boots!

OK need to write a couple of postcards and then head to the airport. Oh and maybe try and reach Dee again....

Dee & Dragi Engaged!

Yay!! I just found out - checking my email in dublin airport! No one texted me, I assumed they tried to call, but I aint picking up my phone. So if you want to contact me text or email!

I'm back in HK tuesday night, but first have a lovely weekend in dublin to go. Meeting RM & Beth in a couple of hours at some restaurant - here's hoping I can find it. Had a great day with Struth, bit of shopping, eating and dvds. Oh and the best strawberries I've had in a long while...

Alright off to try and contact Dee! I cant wait! Guess I'll be coming back to sydney for a visit....Its only money right ;)