Christmas!

Well, Christmas is almost here again!  That's right, Santa Claus will visit us all next Tuesday night, Christmas Eve.  He is most certainly now busy making toys for good girls and boys in his workshop at the North Pole.  I think the elves are so busy as well, scattering to and fro, assembling bicycles, painting doll houses, testing train motors.  Of course he is making sure the sleigh is in good order and fit for the global journey.  I think he's probably already contacted Rudolph and discussed the terms and conditions of the Christmas holiday, 2013.  Although all at the North Pole still have another week before Christmas Day arrives, now is definitely crunch time and I'm sure the letters from good girls and boys across the world are pouring in. 

The meaning of Christmas, of course, has a religious context.  The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, or in other words, a church service for Christ.  The holiday is celebrated religiously by Christians around the world, but around this time other religions have a special holiday time as well, such as in the Judaism's Hannukah, otherwise known as the Festival of Lights which is a rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.  Another holiday celebrated in Britain is Boxing Day, which dates back to the days of exploration.  A priest placed a wooden box on ships, and each crew member dropped coins into the box as good luck for its safe return.  The box remained on the ship until it returned to port.  At this time the priest would say a prayer and keep the box until Christmas when it was opened and the coins were shared with the poor.  I heard from a friend that Boxing Day was a day to take empty boxes back to the store after opening presents.  I was glad to find that Boxing Day has a deeper and much more important meaning.

Regardless of which religion one is, the Christmas holiday season has become an amazing feat of business and marketing.  The actual marketing was helped along by the Coca Cola company which depicted Santa as a jolly white-bearded man in a red suit cheering with a cold Coke!

Winter ain'T BAd!

It's getting colder out there...and I'm not sure if I'm really that much of a COLD person (not a pun), but there are several things I like bout winter. First, you can cover up in sweaters and jackets and kind of hide a bit. Hey,don't shrug it off, you know what I'm talking about!  It's kind of nice to cozy up after being in the hot sweltering mug of southern Japan. Second, you got the vacations coming up...Christmas, New Years's, etc., and in Japan that means final exams 'n spring vaca are right around the corner.  Bit of a break. Third, and my favorite, skiiiiiing! Yep, I love the thrill of jetting down the slopes using your body and mind to physically slolum your way down the mountain. It's especially fun on new runs, coz ya never know how it turns up. But the burning wind across your face and the freezing of your hands as you get to the bottom just want to make you go do it again. And when you stumble in to the lodge clomping in your ski boots for a nice hot toddy or jaeger bomb and hot food...nothing like it.

Winter Vacation Plans

This winter vacation my family and I are going to Hokkaido to go skiing.  It will cost a lot of money, but it will be worth it because we all love skiing.  I have been a skiier since I was about 8 years old as I am from Pennsylvania and we got a lot of snow when I was young.  When I was a teenager, the large snowfalls we used to get stopped.  We didn't know why, but the ski slopes made snow.  It was not the same as the natural snow, so we didn't ski very much for around 6 or 7 years.  Then, the snows started up again, and we soon had too much snow once again!

We are planning to go to Kiroro, a lovely ski resort not far from Sapporo.  It is a huge resort and covers much land in Hokkaido.  They have about 5 or 6 hotels, each one different, and they have many different slopes ranging in difficulty from kiddie to beginner to intermediate to advanced.  I've challenged the advanced courses before, but it was too difficult and therefore not enough fun.  I decided to stick to the intermediate courses and to get good on those.  This would be naturally encouraging for me to develop my skills more.  This became my new endeavor, and because the slopes are not too difficult nor too easy, it's fun and always a pleasure to go skiing!  Energize me!

Wild Airplane Rides!

I've been to several countries, as you can see in the previous post.  The most time-saving method of travel is of course, the airplane.  You just can't get to some places without one, and some places aren't even accessible except by plane.  Having said that, I've been on a plane more than once, and I can't say that I haven't not had a wild ride.  Several times, really wild.  I've never been in danger, been in a crash, or even had the oxegen fall down from the ceiling.  I know people who have, though, and they related that it was not a fun experience.  One time traveling to Europe, our plane dropped so far I thought I would lose my dinner...my inside sense of stability was beyond safe.  I felt dizzy, nauseous, and like my stomach was spinning out of control.  Then the plane started to shake from side to side.  Oh man! I was glad when the pilot came on and gave a big phweew!

Another time flying to Thailand, the flight attendant came on and wondered if anyone was smoking in the bathroom.  She said it was an international law offense and that policemen would be waiting on the tarmac when we got to Bangkok.  I was thinking, "holy shirt, what's this all about?"  Well, the flight went on, and a slight smell of smoke appeared.  I was happy they had tons of booze on board...I drank about 3 whiskey's likkety split.  We all were wondering what was going on, and looked around for the perpetrator(s)...if there were...didn't see anyone or anything suspicious.  She never said another word about it, and the smell dissipated...not another word was said.  And the police weren't waiting for us on the tarmac.  My friend and I thought that she thought that someome was smoking, but in actuality it smoke from the plane, and we were on fire, but it was probably a small one and we weren't in serious danger.  Guess we'll never know.

Places I Have Visited

I've been to many countries in my life: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Egypt, Turkey, Austria, Slovenia, Canada, Mexico, Palau, Caribbean, England, Taiwan, China...but these are just a fraction of the countries on the earth, and a fraction of the places I want to visit someday.  It's really hard to pinpoint the best of these countries, since they are all different in nature.  They all have interesting and unique qualities and are worth seeing in one's life, just for the fact that they are there.  Of course, seeing manmade wonders like the Giza Pyramids, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall, leaves one with a true connection to others who came before us.  We find ourselves (at least I did) becoming fascinated with the history during the particular time.  Cultural places I tend to enjoy encapsulate history, culture, food, knowledge, and the overall feeling of both ancient cultures and modern inhabitants.

On a different note, there are amazing natural places too, such as the rainforests of Borneo, the European Alps, the Rocky Mountains in the American west, the deserts of Africa, and turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean sea.  The South Pacific is dotted with tiny islands strewn across the water like diamonds on blue blanket...I can never seem to get enough.  My next trip? Hmmm, I think it must be Nepal, or India.  How about Australia? Never been there...New Zealand too is wondrous I hear.  It's only a matter of time before I'll be off into the wild blue yonder...heading up...heading away...

My 3 Favorite Chain Restaurants in Kumamoto

My 3 favorite restaurants in Kumamoto are Sushi-Ichiba, Royal Host, and Gusto.  like these restaurants because they are good quality at at low price.  They are chain restaurants and have branches all throughout Japan. 

I usually go to the Sushi-Ichiba near Kumamoto Red Cross Hospital because it is close to my work areas.  I can get there quite easily and park soon.  Once inside, you are seated at either the counter, where you can take sushi off of the moving belt or order, or in a booth if you are eating with family and friends.  My favorite kinds of sushi are salmon, tuna, and yellowtail.  In addition, I sometimes have shrimp tempura and french fries.

Another of my favorite restaurants is Royal Host.  Royal Host is a bit more expensive, but it certainly has good quality and prompt service.  I usually eat at the RH on Hakuzan Street beause it is close to my home.  I often go there for their specials, which include curry fairs, Italian food line-ups, and healthy meal selections.  I enjoy eating their steak from time to time, but I also really enjoy their Clubhouse Sandwich...chicken, bacon, lettuce, and tomato on toast with fries.

My third favorite restaurant in Kumamoto is Gusto.  I sometimes eat at the Gusto near Obiyama because it is near my work.  I enjoy their hamburg selection, and I often order the Mountain Fries as well.  They have a good drink bar too, and the service is quite good.  In some restaurants the smoking section is bigger than the non-smoking section.  I don't like this, because I don't smoke and I feel cramped.  I want to eat in comfortable space!  Other than that, their dishes are reasonably priced at a good level of quality.

My 3 Favorite Restaurants in Kumamoto!

My 3 Favorite Restaurants in Kumamoto are Singkham, Portage, and Sri Lanka.  I like these restaurants because I like spicy food and cultural experiences.  Singkham is a Thai and Laos restaurant located in Oe, in Kumamoto.  They have very tasty Labb, fried rice, fried chicken, Tom Yan Kun soup, and Thai coffee.  In addition, their prices are very reasonable -  only ￥1,100 gets you a wonderful buffet lunch in a cozy atmosphere.  They are closed on Mondays, but otherwise are open for lunch from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, and offer the buffet on weekdays only.

My second favorite restaurant is Portage.  Portage is located on international road, on the way to the driver's license center in Kumamoto.  They also have a buffet lunch, and this will cost you only ￥1,050.  Their food selection ranges from a variety of pasta, curry, salads with home-made dressing, tasty fried chicken, goya, fish with lovely tartar sauce, and desserts.  They also have the normal additions - a drink bar, a soup bar, and more.  They are closed on Tuesdays, but open other days from 11:30 - 15:00.  On weekends they offer a steak additional service and you can always enjoy pleasant, relaxing music throughout your meal.

My third favorite restaurant is Sri Lanka, located on Shiromicho Street in downtown Kumamoto, Shimotori.  They are on the second floor of the Kumamoto Building, and offer a variety of spicy foods from Sri Lanka.  Many people equate Sri Lankan food with Indian food, but they are vey different.  Sri Lanka has no naan as is found in India, and the curry itself is different.  They instead have a round type of bread called lati which is dipped in a curry sauce.  Their prinjrol salad (deep fried eggplant and onions in a spicy dressing) is out of this world.  In addition, they have mutton, fish, and pork curry, and offer other kinds of meals.  Look for their lunch plate special, which includes Sri Lanka Curry, rice, salad, soup, and drink for only ￥750 on weekdays.