Christmas is Coming

Ohayo!

It has been a busy month. FUN, but busy.

We didn't have a very spectacular fall colour show, but there were some nice trees in the National Park for Nature Study, which is a 50 acre natural park, only a 10 minute walk from our place! (well, the top end is only a five minute walk, but we have to walk around to the bottom part to get in).

A few weeks ago we had OUR FIRST VISITOR! It was Kyla, from France (originally from Canada, but currently studying in France). Along with her wide-eyed wonderment and energetic curiosity, Kyla brought delicious French cheeses and wine. Unfortunately I had to go to a conference in Osaka for a few days, so I missed out on half of her visit, but Ross stepped up to the plate and played host. We had lots of fun during the time we were together. There was lots of shopping, noodle-eating, karaoke, visits to robot and automated car displays, and a failed attempt to visit the fish market at 4:30 a.m. (it was closed for the holiday Friday- AUGHHHHH!), and of course a visit to Cats LiviN.

Cats LiviN is a place where you pay 8 bucks to go into a bunch of rooms that are set up to look like a house- a house with 20 cats! The cats wander around or sleep and sometimes they deign to play with you. But in general they are extremely aloof. None of them responded to my patting. I suppose it has to be that way to avoid masses of scratched and bitten children. I took many flash photos until I noticed the "no flash photography" sign. Nobody ever said anything! Japanese people are SO polite. I love them.

After I returned from Osaka there was a nice reception at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo to celebrate "Bombardier's increased presence in Japan" due to the opening of the Bombardier Spares Depot at Narita and the continued existence of our Regional Support Office (where I work). It was a very nice function and I had good chats with many of our customers. The catering was awesome. There was a cool ice sculpture (a big block with "BOMBARDIER" carved on the INSIDE) and waiters were walking around serving ryes and cokes and Canadian wine!

The next week Ross and I went to Seoul. I took part in a visit to our customer airline there. I had to work every day, but we had an afternoon to visit my favourite part of Seoul where we enjoyed such attractions as the Seoul Museum of Chicken Art, the Owl Museum, and my favourite reflexology foot path. We had some really good Korean barbeque during our visit (I chewed very carefully). In Korea knives are not used to cut food at the table. They use scissors, which is kind of weird but seems to work well.

Ross and I also had a couple of really nice meals with the airline guys. One night we went to an amazing fish place where we had all kinds of sushi and sashimi. The highlight was octopus so freshly chopped that the tentacles were still moving! I did not know that this was a feature of the octopus, but apparently they wriggle around for some time after they are chopped up. The plate was a seething mass of tentacles. It was hard to pick the pieces up, as they would stick to the plate with their little suction cup thingies. One almost got away! I ate a few small pieces and chewed them very quickly so that none of the suckers would stick to the inside of my mouth. I really hope that octopi have small, primitive brains.






Another night we went out with a larger group to a restaurant specializing in deer meat. We had a three-course meal. First we started with "deer sashimi" (a pile of raw deer meat; it was delicious!). Next we had "deer bulgogi" which was also very nice. We finished off with "deer shabu shabu". As with all Korean food, it was claimed that deer meat is very "good for health". It seems that every Korean food is either "good for health" or "good for men's stamina". I have even heard that kimchee "cleans your blood".

After the trip to Osaka, a whirlwind few days at home, and then over a week in Korea, I am so happy to be "home" in Tokyo. I am now preparing for Christmas. While it is quite mild (highs of 11 to 14 degrees) it is easy to feel Christmassy as there are Christmas decorations everywhere and all the stores are playing (nice) Christmas music. The Christmas lights are quite spectacular. At Ebisu Garden Place (the shopping and entertainment complex next to us), the big "Christmas Illumination" display is centred on a giant Baccarat crystal chandelier. It is hanging in a glassed-in gazebo type thing and at night there are always a billion people taking photos of it. You can't really tell from the photo, but it is HUGE.

We are having a little Christmas party next weekend (you are all invited) and after that we will be looking forward to receiving Ross's sister and her husband as our guests over Christmas! I have booked Christmas dinner at a nice French restaurant in Shibuya. We know the piano player there. Hopefully (for our sake, not hers) the 25th will be her night to work.

In the meantime, Mike the singer/simulator instructor is in town and we are looking forward to some more good times with him!