~ Osaka ~
I had one day in Osaka, and I was determined to make the most of it. At the station, I bought a pass that allowed me to go to any of the tourist spots on the list. I first stopped at a history museum by the Osaka Castle, but since the articles were mainly in Japanese, it wasn't very exciting for me. My stay wasn't long and I went to the castle afterward.
I also met a couch surfer there. What is a couch surfer you ask? Couchsurfing.com is a website that a friend that I met at a hostel in Kyoto told me about. The entire concept of meeting someone you contact on a website (or stay at the couch surfer's house!) was quite scary. However, I figured since I was not staying at her house, if, when I met her, she ended up being a 40 year old man, I could just run away. I also figured that Japan is the safest place to couch surf in. Luckily, she was neither male nor obese! And she was even prettier in person than in her photos.
After, my new couchsurfing friend, Hitomi, took me to Nanba, close to where she and her family lives. Dotonbori is one of the most famous streets in Nanba, running alongside a canal between the Dotonboribashi and Nipponbashi Bridges. It is lined with famous food shops, neon signs, and in the past, historic theatres.
In front of Kani Doraku is a six and a half meter crab. echanized, it moves its arms and eyestalks, wriggling to entice customers. Since 1960, many imitators have been born.
In front of the restaurant, we bought some crab legs, as well as crab miso. She told me crab miso is her favorite, and since then, it has become one of mine!
Since 1935, a Glico Man has lit the streets. The neon athlete is a symbol of Glico candy and during big events, such as the World Cup or Hanshin Tiger baseball games, the sign changes slightly.
Osaka is known for many different famous foods. Although you can get it throughout Japan, Takoyaki was first made popular in Osaka. We enjoyed the small round dumplings filled with egg batter and octopus right off the street, although I forgot to take a picture!
After the takoyaki and crab, we went to an okonomiyaki restaurant. Like takoyaki, okonomiyaki can be eaten throughout Japan. Although many versions exist, Osaka (or Kansai) style is the most predominant version. The batter has flour, grated nagaimo (yam), water or dashi, eggs, shredded cabbage, and whatever else you like! This can include meat, octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, kimchi, mochi, or cheese. Okonomiyaki sauce, aonori (seawood flakes), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), ginger, and mayo top it off. (I of course didn't choose mayo!) I prefer Osaka style of Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. Hiroshima style doesn't mix the ingredients but layers them on top of each other. Noodles are also added to the mix.
Our next stop: a kushikatsu restaurant! (This day was very similar to my Hong Kong vacation of delicious food constantly.) Hitomi and I actually got our dinners paid for at the okonomiyaki and kushikatsu restaurant. We were eating together, minding our business, when a drunk guy started to talk to Hitomi. Long story short, we ended up making conversation and he offered to pay for our meals! We got very lucky!
Kushikatsu is yet another delicious famous food that I hadn't heard of until I arrived that day! A variety of ingredients, such as pork, chicken, onion, pumpkin, potato, mushroom, fish, shellfish, mochi, and cheese, are battered, deep fried, and served on bamboo skewers. If you desire, a special sauce is served with the fried goods, which you can dip your skewer into. Although I tend to dislike fried food, it was delicious! My favorites were probably the onion and hotate (scallop).
I wasn't expecting Osaka to be great. Everyone told me that it is nothing more than a city. On the contrary, I loved it! I thought the people were outspoken, the food was delicious, and the train to be much easier to navigate than Tokyo's. I may even prefer it to Tokyo, it's bitter rival. Although I didn't have time to experience the difference, the cost of living is supposed to be more affordable as well. Osaka is one city that I wish I had more time in.
~ Hong Kong ~
When I decided to extend my trip in Japan by one month, I had one problem: my visitor's visa was only 90 days. My solution: leave the country and go to Hong Kong and come back to Japan so I could renew my visa. My flight left Osaka in the evening, so I arrived right around midnight at the airport. My friend, Adrienne, and her cousin picked me up, and we took the bus from the airport to Causeway Bay, where it wasn't hard for me to fall asleep.
Since I studied abroad in Hong Kong and made friends during my stay, I contacted my friend, Cecilia (who goes by C), before I arrived and made plans for my first full day back in the city. After meeting her at the station, we took the tram to the Chinese Tea House for some dim sum. Actually, we took the tram in the wrong direction for about fifteen minutes before realizing we were not headed where we wanted to go.
I have eaten dim sum countless times, but it was the first time I had steamed cake. I didn't like it at first, but after a few bites I got used to it and ended up eating more than half!
Among many other dishes, we of course order the traditional siu mai.
I love the Chinese architecture.
We then headed to the pier to take the ferry to Lamma Island, a place I never visited during my first five month stay.
Lamma Island's boardwalk was lined with tons of bicycles, giving an interesting entrance to the quite deserted get-a-way.
For just 5HKD we shared a pineapple bun and egg tart. (Ok, I'll be honest, I ate the egg tart alone. And it was delicious.)
We hiked around the island, taking in the amazing views, walking along the beaches, and viewing the famous windmill.
Before leaving, she introduced me to a tofu dessert that we shared while waiting on the pier.
After the traumatizingly sea-sickness inducing ferry back to the big city, we headed to Yau Ma Tei. Technically eating on the MTR (what they call the subway or metro) is illegal, but we each had an ice moon cake on the way. Eating was definitely an essential part of this trip... Moon cakes are a traditonal dessert eaten during the Mid-Autumn festival. My friend told me that they have come out with lots of new versions of mooncakes, including the type that we had, which is kept in the refrigerator doesn't resemble a mooncake at all! There are also tons of different flavors; we enjoyed 'custard.' More on mooncakes.
Once we arrived, she took me to the place that she always gets her haircut. For 110 HKD (if I remember correctly,) I got my split-ends cut for the first time in months. In Japan, most haircuts are around $50USD at minimum, so I was waiting until I got back to the states. Just a short walk away, we entered Mong Kong, my friend's favorite place in Hong Kong. Filled with street vendors, ladies' market, and tons of stores, it's popular for tourists looking for good deals. By no surprise, we focused on the food vendors.
The first thing we ate was a delicious bun filled with what I believe to be pork, vegetables, and a delicious tasting sauce. I remembered the exact vendor I bought it at a year back and in fact introduced my friend to the place! It is greasy and juicy and absolutely delectable. I have no idea what it is called.
We also got glutinous sticky rice; my friend loved the big pieces of meat, which I allowed her to devour...
We also went to the same bakery I used to always go to last year.
The next day, I hung out with Adrienne, the girl whose apartment I was staying at. We started off the morning with the food that I most wanted to eat while in Hong Kong: xiao long bao, a Shanghai dish. We also had wonton soup.
After, she took me to a Chinese noodle shop that she loves. The soup was enormous.
Although it looked like vomit, the ground pork that was served with the soup was amazingly delicious.
I didn't really like the soup, however. In addition, it was extremely spicy, so much so that my lips turned red!
We spent the day walking around Causeway Bay and she showed me many different things that I would never have noticed without a local. For example, a mini ladies market runs along one of the alleys. I ended up getting yet another scarf there.
For dinner, we had dim sum again. (I can never complain when it comes to dim sum in Hong Kong.) The pastry below is something I had never had before, and I believe it is specific to the restaurant that we went to (Dim Dim Sum). It was an apple pork pastry. Different, but tasty.
After dinner, she took me to get a traditional Chinese dessert. I'm not sure what it was, but the texture was bizarre. I believe it was some sort of fruit, although appearing like ice cream.
My third and final day in Hong Kong, I had a traditional Chinese breakfast with Adrienne, which included noodles, a fried egg, and toast.
She had to leave for school, so I said goodbye to her in the early morning. (Although, her class ended early and I was able to see her later in the day.)
I headed the bakeries, something I dearly miss. Despite most people thinking the opposite, I like Hong Kong bakeries more than Japanese ones.
This time, I got a egg white tart and pineapple tart. And although not picture, I got 2 other egg tarts to compare and decide my favorite. I love egg tarts.
In the afternoon, I took the Star Ferry for the first time to Tsim Sha Tsui.
First, I met up with one of my professors from last year. It was great to catch up and hear about what she has been up to since teaching Inter-Asia Culture Studies.
After a good hourlong chat, I met up with two of my friends, Sandy and Angelica, at Chungking Mansions, known for delicious Indian food.
We got garlic and butter naan, original naan, vegetarian samosas, lamb samosas, and three different types of curry.
The Indian food here is famous, but I think I I'll stick with Chinese food in Hong Kong. I was definitely underwhelmed.
I raced back to Causeway Bay, got my bags, and headed off for the airport. Delicious second trip to Hong Kong.
~ Wakayama ~
I flew into Kansai Airport on my way back from Hong Kong. My grandpa has cousins in Wakayama, about an hour from Kansai Airport and Osaka. A few weeks prior, my grandpa contacted them, and I made plans to visit them for two days.
The flight back was traumatic. The Peach Airline employees were extremely had no compassion and would not allow me to bring my carry-on because of the size. Not wanting to pay the exorbitant fee, I was forced to leave my bag at the airport and carry my crap in essentially grocery bags. Leaving around midnight, I arrived in Japan early in the morning after losing an hour due to the time change. When I reached the airport, I had a long wait at the immigration; they questioned my return to Japan and wanted to make sure I had a flight home. Long story short, by the time I exited the airport, I was tired and stressed. However, as soon as I met the Nishida's, my mood completely changed.
Wearing a light pink Virginia Tech hat and JMJC t-shirts and waiting right outside the gate for me, I don't know how I didn't recognize Akio and Kimio sooner. From the moment we introduced ourselves, though, I knew I was going to have a great trip. They are the some of the kindness people ever; all my flight worries went away.
After dropping my luggage off at the house, they showed me the family tree. It was crazy to see the connection and the fact that grandpa had stayed in touch with them after all this time.
They also showed me the room (their daughter's old room) that I would be staying in for the two days.
We then headed to McDonald's for some breakfast. It was the first time I had eaten anything other than a soft-serve cone at a Japanese McDonald's. I got some traditional pancakes and ate them with unexciting syrup. A typical American breakfast. What I found more bizarre is that Akio had a hot dog. Apparently, McDonald's only sells hot dogs for breakfast as well! I find it not only bizarre that hot dogs are sold at McDonalds, but that they are breakfast! I would never wake up in the morning wanting to eat a hot dog. All of Asia seems to love hot dogs (as I noticed in my experience in Hong Kong), but Japanese people actually eat them the American way with ketchup and a bun.
Akio, Kimio, and I then headed to Wakayama Castle. Originally built in 1585, it was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt in 1958. I'll spare you the horrendous history introduction to the castle and refer you to it's website.
An adorable old couple from Europe took our picture; it may be the only one that I have with all three of us! Akio always insisted on taking the photos. I am by no means fluent, so of course there were communication issues, but I always used the dictionary on my iphone, while Akio had a dictionary that looked like a miniature laptop. We walked around the exhibits in the castle and saw the view of the city from the top.
For lunch, they took me to a kaiten sushi restaurant, the type where sushi runs around on a conveyor belt. I unfortunately have no pictures, but the food was absolutely delicious. Kimiyo and I then went to the grocery store, where I learned a few new things about Japanese cuisine. After returning to the house, exhausted, I took a long nap.
In the evening, their family came over. When I was two, Akio, Kimiyo, and their daughter, Haduki, came to America to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Washington D.C. Of course, I don't remember, but they had pictures and stories to show and tell me. Both of their children are married. Their daughter, Haduki, is married to Shiji, and they have a seven-year-old son, Koharu, and newborn baby girl, Kona. Their son, Kazusa, is married to Ai has three kids, Chiune, Mutuke, and Ryunosuke, who is also still less than a year old. For dinner, they made sukiyaki, a hotpot like dish where meat, konyaku, tofu, and various vegetables are simmered in a broth with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Before devouring the simmering goodness inside the nabemono, you dip the meat or vegetables or whatever is in between your hashi into a raw egg. Americans seem to fear raw food, but it is delicious!
They emphasize the fact that the meat needs to be sliced very thin, and said that when they visited grandpa (or Jimmy as they always referred to him), the meat was very thick! They found this mistake to be very funny. There were many side dishes accompanying the meal (and unfortunately, I have since forgotten what they were), as well as tiny delicious desserts afterward.
The next day, I went for a run in the morning; I usually go for about an hour or so, which they were unaware of. When I returned, they were very concerned and must have thought I got lost! I quickly reassured them, but I felt bad that I made them worry! There isn't much around the area that they live in, but the scenery is beautiful.
That day we went out for more sightseeing during the afternoon to Kongobuji, the headquarters of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism. The photo below is the Daimon, or 'Great Gate.' It marks the main entrance to Koyasan, and is 21.4x7.9x25.1 meters tall.
We then walked around the many areas of the Buddhist temple.
Before leaving, we ate some matcha (green tea) soft cream, my favorite. On the way back home, we stopped at their daughter's house, picked up Koharu (their grandson), and went to another shrine with a gorgeous orange bridge.
Akio and Koharo walking down the bridge. :)
For dinner we went to an izakaya and ate a variety of different dishes. Not all of them were photographed, but in order of what is below: tamagoyaki (sweet omelette like egg that most people know as the egg sushi), tempura, sashimi, sweet potato with maple syrup, and kamameshi. It was the first time that I ate raw shrimp, as well as kamameshi. Kamameshi, or 'kettle rice,' is given its name because the iron pot it is cooked in is called a kama. Rice, various ingredients (such as meat, seafood, vegetables,) and soy sauce, sake, or mirin is cooked together, allowing the rice on the bottom of the pot to get slightly burned. It reminded me of the clay pot I ate with my friend C on temple street; that dish is called 'bo jai fan.' I also had my first potato croquette; it was fried, but along with the sauce it is served with, it was delicious. (I definitely overuse the word 'delicious,' but the food is almost always truly amazing.) If I remember correctly, the potato was actually a Japanese sweet potato, much more sweet and delicious. (Again, delicious.)
I left the restaurant, literally filled to the brim.
With my flight in the afternoon, the next day was slow moving, lazy, and just what I needed. I went for a run, ate breakfast, and just relaxed in their house before we had to leave. We met their daughter, her husband, and two kids for lunch at the mall nearby the airport; their daughter lives just a few minutes away from the Nishida's house, whereas their son lives about an hour away. Koharu rode in the car with me, and he loved taking pictures with my iPhone. We chatted a bit and two of the things that I remember is that the food he doesn't like is goya, and that there is such a thing as hamburger sushi. I was shocked, but I have since seen it at a kaiten sushi restaurant.
My last meal in Wakayama was chirashizushi and zaru soba. I watched as Koharu slurped down his soba beside me.
We took a picture at the airport before they sent me off to Hokkaido. Haduki is holding Kona, her husband is wearing glasses to the right of me, Akio is wearing the hat all the way to the right, and Kimiyo is holding Koharu in the front.
It was a last minute trip, but I am so glad I met them. It was crazy to meet relatives across the globe, especially when they are as nice and compassionate as the Nishida's are.
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