And before you know it it's mid December!

After getting back from Tokyo I caught a bit of a cold (no surprises there) and have had quite a bit to do the last month at work getting everything finished and out of work booking a lot of things for my brothers trip - crazy to think they will be here on Saturday morning!

Food

Lately Ive been able to get out with and try a few different restaurants around the area - so much food album on facebook is now bursting at the seams http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026477&id=220000480&l=00a42d4377. One of the guys at work treated me to a tompeiyaki lunch to say thanks for all my work with the Foreign Affiars Presentation and I went with some of the girls at work to a fancy Italian place (that does a very reasonably priced set pasta lunch)

Unsure whether to put this under "Food" or "Work" but I think it was more about the food! At the end of Nov I taught 20 Japanese people "Kiwi Cooking" Im not sure exactly what that means because they said no pav and no lamb (because its been done and its too expensive and they hold the class twice a year)... but I decided on a couscous and salmon salad, apricot pork and kumara mash and pineapple upside down cake for dessert. It was a bit of a mission with people working at different paces (and needing different amounts of help) but we got it all done in the time we had and it was pretty delicious. It was actually pretty nice to be back in a real kitchen with an oven and cook some real meat!

I also went out with Tsuda-san (my supervisor) and Pi-chan (her husband) for a couple of dinners of tonkatsu and yakiniku - theyre so lovely to me and have become like an older brother and sister.

And of course, we cant forget thanksgiving at this time of year. Enjoyed it at Mindys house - big thanks to all the chefs and helpers - it was a delicious way to spend a chilly Sunday afternoon

Work

Thanks to the season there hasnt been too much translating to do lately which is nice but there have been a lot of events going on and this is my first weekend that in a month that I wont have work on either Saturday and Sunday (because my brothers are here). But the events are much more fun that sitting at a desk doing translation work and because they"re out of work hours I earn time-in-lieu and have already taken 12 days holiday and not used any of my four weeks leave yet...

Dec 1 - Sister Cities End of Year Function

Sakai has two sister cities (Wellington, Berkely) and a Chinese Friendship City so we were all together for the International Salon in November and gathered again for an end of year party. It was at our big hotel (Rihga Royal) and a great chance to mingle, eat and drink and at the end everyone (all in suits) made a big circle and sung "If you're happy and you know it" in Japanese which was a hilarious way to end!

Dec 4 - English Rakugo and Incense Experience
On Saturday afternoon we put on an event aimed at the International Students in Sakai. Even though I had a cold I had to be genki and translate but it was a fun day. Someta Hayashiya gave us a taste of Rakugo (Japanese sit-down comedy) in English, we went to a small local incense making factory and then came back and made our own to take home - it was such a fun afternoon, hard to believe I can call it work!

Dec 12- Kids Christmas
Tim does some work on the side for Yamaha English School and they suddenly had someone pull out of a Christmas Party and asked him if he knew anyone. So last Sunday morning (after my football team's end of year drinks on Saturday night) I headed north for an hour to Takatsuki and spend the day playing sensei and Santa to a group of kids from the English school - tiring but fun!

Getting out and about

So most weekends lately Ive only had one day off work but have still made the most of it as theres a lot going on this time of year.


Dec 5 - Kobe Luminarie
Kohei was back from Thailand just for the weekend and Colleen had just finished sitting the JLPT so it seems like the perfect excuse to go and visit. I actually headed out early for morning cake set with Leina (originally from Hawaii, but now a CIR in Kobe who I had meet at the MOFA presentation in Tokyo). It was a beautiful day in Kobe so spent it wandering around town (as the ropeway is closed for maintenance over the winter season) did a bit of shopping and went out to the Hakatsuru Sake Brewery before meeting up with Colleen and Kohei for an izakaya-esque dinner including cheese fondue, the big drawcard Luminarie and of course more cake for dessert - when in Kobe! Luminarie has been held in Kobe every December since 1995 commemorating the Great Hanshin Earthquake of that year. The lights were donated by the Italian government and each one is hand painted! This is just a taster picture but if you want to see more, check out

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2028124&id=220000480&l=d306208c28

Dec 11 - Tennoji Zoo
Finally caught up with Satomi (who had struck up a conversation with me at Fuji-onsen when I was in Yamanashi-ken in September) and we headed to Shinsekai for the day. Had Kushi-katsu at Daruma for lunch and spent the afternoon at Tennoji Zoo (a little outdated but still had all the animals and was amazing value for only Y500 especially because they have Japan's only Kiwi). That night headed into Namba for my football team's end of year dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant (all you can eat and drink) and of course Indian Gift Giving styled Secret Santa- which was mental! My small kiwi espresso cups were very popular but I didnt have the heart to steal the rainbow pocky and edamame keitai strap off the girl who had bought them so ended up with a hilarious cork screw - dont have one of those anyway!

Dec 14 - Yassai Hossai Festival
I had written about it in my December / January edition of City Life (English newsletter I put out for the City Council, online at http://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/city/info/_kokusai/citylife/top.html) so figured I should make the effort to go and check it out and had an amazing time! It is held every year on December 14 and is associated with a legend of a fisherman who warmed up an image of the deiry Ebisu who had drifted ashore near Iwatsuta Shrine, by burning 108 bundles of firewood. After the fire had died down a bit and been spread out using huge bamboo pools the men hoist a man dressed as Ebisu on their shoulders and run through the embers cheering "Yassai Hossai" - check out my friends video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv9flaYWSb8 and afterwards the crowd is invited to give it a go - one of the best things about Japan is local festivals!

And just like that suddenly its mid December and getting colder here very quickly - the Christmas cards are all sent and next on the list is writing Japanese New Years cards, my brothers will be here in two sleeps for their first trip to Japan so looking forward to lots of adventures with them. Hope you all have a Happy Christmas with your families and an awesome New Years wth your friends! I doubt I'll have time for another blog post this year so will catch you in 2011