ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Sunday night Sadie and I went out to eat. We went to a restaurant called Yakiniku. I'm sure most of the readers know this restaurant so I will simply focus on my experience. The price was, in my opinion, expensive. We spent about 6,000 Yen. The variety in meat was nice and we enjoyed the various flavors. The experience as a whole was very tasteful and the customer service was exactly what we expect in Japan. In the US there is a similar restaurant called Texas de Brazil.

Texas de Brazil is far more expensive it's usually 6,000 yen per person. This is a buffet style restaurant where servers bring different meats to your table. You are given a chip when you sit down. If the chip is facing red side up it means you are full. As long as the chip is green side up servers will continue to offer you different cuts of meat cooked to different degrees. The restaurant offers about 30-40 different meats and 50 salad items. A family mean can easily run you about 75,000 yen.

Eating at Yakiniku brought back memories of Texas de Brazil and my family in America. I treated my parents and grandparents to dinner at the restaurant, something they would never be able to afford.  

Last Monday, I did something very crazy and spontaneous! I got up early, went to the station, bought several tickets and went to....OSAKA!

I was missing Osaka a little bit, I used to go there all the time when I studied at Kansai Gaidai. I wanted to buy recycled clothes from my favorite store and do something a little adventurous. The shinkansen was kinda expensive but I didn't want to take a bus.

None of my friends could come, so I was suddenly standing in Shin-Osaka station, marveling at my crazy plans. I had a big fear that I would somehow be unable to get home to Kagawa in time to go to work (the next day) but after an hour I calmed down. I reminded myself that I spent good money traveling to get here and that I'd better make it count!

I was scared I'd get lost trying to get to the subway. I'd navigated it several times and it usually ended in terrible confusion. I got in a taxi but it was so expensive that I thought "no way, I'll take the subway back."

I went to Amemura and all of my favorite shops over there. I didn't find any clothing that I really wanted but it felt good to take my time deciding. I did get some great discounted art books in the Mandarake.

I was tired quickly from walking many hours (and I had done yosakoi Sunday night) so I went back to the station. I bought my sister a present from the Pokemon Center and wandered around a craft store. Pictured above is the scrapbook pieces that I was shocked to find, of Kochi and Shikoku! The yosakoi dancer and pieces had me THRILLED! I will take care to put them in the best pages of my book this year.

I navigated Shin Osaka and Umeda station like a PRO. I didn't get lost or wander too far from where I needed to be going. This was a real first! I went home with heavy bags and a very pleased feeling of confidence.   

I don't know if I stated this before, but I sort of have a hobby with cooking. I always thought it was fun and interesting, but never really made much time for it. Due to recent events, I have decided to try my hand again at becoming a capable cook. So I recently purchased a cook book called "Yaseru Okazu Tsukuri Oki". The plus side of using this cookbook is that it involves a lot of meals that will help with slimming down, which is also something I am trying to do.
Anyway, I bought this book, and am pleased to see how relatively simple the recipes are. I can read about half of it, having the most difficulty with the kanji, but have been able to successfully recreate at least two dishes! The dish I have already done twice now is called "Toridango to Hakusai no Monde Chin". Here is a picture:



I can't wait to try out the other recipes!