(Day 16) A Madhouse

How is it that I’ve come to the last day of the trip and I still haven’t got a lick of the souvenirs I’m supposed to buy? Worst. Oh yeah, I haven’t because I never know what to buy people. Why do I still bring souvenirs from Japan anyway? I’ve been here five times in four years. I set a bad precedent. Lame.

Today we were meeting up with Maya in Omiya, wayyy wayyy up in Saitama. We grabbed lunch at our local CoCo Ichi and it was, as usual, delicious.



Omiya was uneventful except that everyone and their dog was out shopping for fukubukuro and new years items. You see, all of Japan pretty much is on holidays the first few days of January. Get ready for sardine ni kanjiru (feel like a sardine.)



We shopped a bit more at the Parco in Urawa before heading to Maya’s homestead for dinner, provided by her gracious Mother, Tomoko.




Kind of after the fury…I know that plates drizzled with puddles of soy sauce isn’t exactly picturesque.


The bizarre little fishes that Japanese people eat. I don’t get it.



After dinner at Maya’s, we always watch some TV. And it’s strangely addictive. Janelle just made herself right at home and curled up on the couch for a nap…and she tends to sleep with her mouth open, so naturally I assume there was some drooling…?



We partook in some chocolates that I had brought over as a gift – so…this picture isn’t actually Japanese anything at all, as the chocolates were made in Coquitlam.



We eventually bid our hosts adieu and headed back into the big city. Next, we powerhoused ourselves into looking right fit for our last night on the town. Roppongi, here we come for the last hurrah…

Our last night was full of drinks and dancing and me, kind of singing all loud-like against the back wall of the VIP. Strange. Janelle got all strange and huffy and I had to go look for her outside, huddled against the wall in the alley. Some shacho bought her a hot coffee from the machine. Uneventful, sadly. We headed for our last nani ramen and called it a night. Oh yeah! Some blonde Australian boy snuck into the VIP to talk to me too. That was kind of hot or whatever. HA HA! He said he had a “real job” and I was like, “me too!” And he was totally in Finance too. We must have looked funny.

So that was it. Bye Lex.