(Day 8) メリークリスマス

Christmas morning didn’t bring that usual elation a small mountain of presents does. Because there wasn’t a small mountain waiting. Because of my trip, the wonderful gift-givers around me imparted me with ca$hola…which is perfectly awesome but significantly less thrilling. But I put on my best game face for the occasion.



After opening our gift(s) (“s” for Janelle, not me – boo!), we readied ourselves and headed to Starbucks to laze around, Christmas-style. It’s Christmasssss!





After a lonnnng discussion about where we should spend Christmas, we decided, for no real good reason, to head up to Ikebukuro and mill about. So we got on the subway…and then got off to change and guess what?? I spotted some guy wearing a pair of heeled silver ladies strappy sandals! The major crime here is not that he was wearing them – it was that they were ridiculously hideous and he was wearing black socks. WORST.


OOOOOH Janelle and I laughed. Sorry I couldn’t get a better picture for you.





There was soooo nothing special in Ikebukuro today. Just herds and herds of people/couples walking around, long lineups for purikura, and intense heat inside of Sunshine City. We did get to see this gaudy pink tree though:





For Christmas dinner we picked Nakamuraya’s Racontez curry buffet in Shinjuku to celebrate Christ’s birth. Yum!






On the right: My sad re-creation of the menu board’s picture.

After dinner we decided to muscle our way into an arcade and get some Christmas purikura done. Some Thriller-esque poster-girl awaited us.




Creepy.



Of course, we did a bit of poking around the “Juku, and ended up finding a store I wanted to visit, Komehyo. It was only okay, but they did have a boatload of crap for sale.


No Christmas is complete without a trip to Isetan.





Just, you know, your run-of-the-mill average stuff – Rolexes, Tiffany jewellery, a large metal bin filled with LV bags, Chanel suits, etc etc etc. Nothing to see here.

We headed for home and a session of karaoke at our local Utahiroba.


Dancing Queen needs tambourine.



On the walk home I was feeling especially daring and bought a corn soup can from the vending machine. Mmm…potage!


Hot and tasty.

When Janelle is prepping for sleep, she can don the silliest of things. One of my favourites is her shower cap. Hee hee!



Tomorrow we are joining Maya and her Mom at the Isetan sale at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku. Deals to be had? Japanese women in a flurry of wild purchasing (beyond the usual?) We shall see. Oh yeah…

メリークリスマス!!