Cause Baby you're a Firewooork

Fireworks in the winter? Fireworks in Odaiba, my favourite place in Tokyo? Fireworks on the night of my first day of winter vacay?

Yes Please!

A facebook event group was made, and off we went after class to the man made island of Odaiba. 

  The rainbow bridge on our way there, picturesque at sunset time

Call me Auntie Anne, I make wonderful pretzels. Especially the maple one. 

The gundam statue moves every hour, but don't get your hopes up. It doesn't fly, walk, or even move its arms. The only thing that moves is the head. 

The fireworks were right by rainbow bridge, and although it was only for 10 minutes (short by Japanese standards-Some go for 2 hours!) it was incredible. Lots of ooohs and aaaahs were leaked and the final seconds were ofcourse the best. 

Originally I left Takadanobaba with a group of roughly 7 people and by the time the fireworks were over it grew to around 20+ from people who met up with us afterwards. Since we all couldn't fit in one restaurant, we split up at DiverCity (a shopping complex). Some went for Chinese, and some for Thai. My group however, wanted to save money for bowling afterwards so we went economical and chose Subway. 

Bowling pin costumes! We weren't allowed to bowl with them..but we got one bowl in before we were told it was not allowed.

We paid for unlimited rounds of bowling for 1,800 yen and ended up playing 4 rounds. I love bowling, and definitely could have played for longer but it was nearing 12 am and the last train would be leaving soon. I finally (finally!) found friends that love bowling as much as I do, and plan to make use of the free bowling after 12 am for ladies near takadanobaba station. 

But too much bowling combined with long nails...

And voila. Sorry I didn't end on a prettier note.

Winter Vacation time!

Two days ago we had the language exchange run by a few niji and exchange students (which I get to be a part of starting the next meeting!). 

60 students came, and there are 6 people in each group. We talked in English for one hour and Japanese in the next. It was a lot harder than I thought to try and carry a conversation in Japanese with people I just met, but since this will be a once in two weeks thing, I'm sure I'll get lots of practice!

Afterwards a group of appr. 20 people stuck around to go for dinner. There aren't many restaurants that can seat our large group all together at once so we went to Saizerya. 

It was a lot of fun, and we ended up continuing our topics from the language exchange which was mainly on the love/relationship topic (First Love, How you'd like to be proposed to..etc). We pried quality information out of a few people and even got to facebook stalk some of their past loves. I love how open everyone is in Japan...

We even got into a deep conversation with one exchange student about a tragedy he experienced back in America when he was in middle school and things got emotional pretty fast. I really wish that someday I could be the person that can console people going through hard times without struggling for words. A pat in the back and a few words were all I could muster. 

Our dishes came out, lighter topics were introduced, and at 10:30 pm a lot of us headed home. A few people still wanted to go out for a drink, and they convinced me to stick around for awhile longer. It was mostly Japanese students and another exchange student and I. We went to the Cantina and stayed until 1 am. By that time the last train had already stopped running so people were desperately messaging their friends to see who's house they could stay over at. My dorm was only 10 minutes away but I seized the opportunity to have a little sleepover with my friends for the night. 

On our way there, there was apparently a pretty big earthquake (5.0-ish) but since we were walking we didn't feel anything.

There are no working lights at our friends place so we bought candles as souvenirs.

        I felt like we were in a weird cult

It was basically like our own karaoke room. We played club music and christmas music and sang for...3 hours?! We also had the usual sleepover conversation too, and I got a few good tips on how to flirt :P

Not like I'm gonna use any of them, flirting just feels so unnatural to me..

I think we slept at around 4:30, and when I woke up I couldn't feel my cheeks it was so cold. 6 people ended up sleeping at my friend's place and we shared one futon mat and two blankets. In the middle of wintertime and no heater on. It's a wonder I didn't get a cold.

That morning I had my last day of class before Winter Vacation. It was brutal. My professor has too much energy for me to keep up with her at 10:40 am..

But here it is, my beloved vacation! 

The entire 4 months I've been here have I already felt like a vacation on its own, but boy I'm glad this christmas break is here. 

Quil Fait Bon

Quil Fait Bon. You make me want to skip breakfast lunch and dinner all together so that I can replace all those meals with tarts. And have a different tart for every meal of the week because DAYUM look at all the selections that I can choose from!

The queen bee of tarts: the strawberry

The one my friend got: Citrus Friit Gratin Tart

              Sweet, Sweet Potato

The first floor is where all the luscious tarts and various sweets souvenirs are. Up the stairs you go, and this is where you can sit for hours on end sipping on coffee and reminicsing about the tart that you gobbled down only 5 minutes after sitting. Beware: Coffee or any Tea is pretty expensive. Around 500 yen for a regular brewed coffee, which is almost the same price as their tart. So this can easily turn into a 1000+ yen tea time.

Our orders also come with a cube of pound cake! We each got a different piece, but mine was yuzu flavoured and very good. This was only a teasing piece in case you want to buy the full cake downstairs where the merchandise is.

My tart! This was a limited edition tart only available at this Daikanyama location. This is the cake that is displayed outside of the cafe in my first picture. The Apple and GreenTea Souffle Cheesecake Tart. 

Wow that was a mouthful! There was a lot going on in this tart. Who would have thought that the bitter green tea would go good with apple and cream cheese. It was strange at first, but the more you got the different layers, the more you felt like you weren't enjoying just one tart but many different ones. I think this what the Japanese people call 大人の味 (Adult's taste). 

I'm a big kid now (^o^)

Niji no Kai

Over the past few days I've thought lots about what to cover in my latest blog post, with the last of my post being almost 2 weeks ago. Thinking back, the only memories I have worth writing about are the ones I made with niji no kai members. So I'm going to dedicate this post to them, and everything they've done for us greatful exchange students. 

Recently, the third year niji members retired/graduated from niji no kai. An entire day was dedicated to organizing the election and the transfer of leadership from the third years to the second years. It started at around 10 am but because I had class I waited until 4:45 just in time for the monthly General Meeting. When I arrived at the lecture hall where they were conducting the meeting, I noticed that this year's great nine (new leaders of niji no kai) were all either in crisp suits or dresses. I didnt know all of who the new leaders would be, but i was delighted to see that some of the leaders were the people I talk to the most. 

The retired Niji members. There were lots of tears shed that day..and many, many great speeches by each and every one of them. Over the past few months, the people I have gotten close to were mostly third years. It was hard to see them cry, and one of them was even able to look into the crowd and acknowledge every exchange student there by name. The anticipation before he reached me, fearing that he had forgotten my name almost killed me. Thankfully he got it right with not even a moment's hesitation. 

The new leader. I only recently noticed, but he was actually there the first day I ate out with two other niji's at my first izakaya experience. Other than that, I've never talked to him until this very night, although how coherent he was I'm not quite sure. But it's okay, I still have 8 months here! Lots of time to get to know everyone. 

The nomikai was rightfully deserved for the members as I'm sure their day was long and stressful. As for us exchange students, another reason to drink! Well, maybe not for me. It was oolong tea for a very good half of the night. Besides, the night was long. The first nomikai lasted from 9-11, while the second one was from 11:30-5 am. I've gotta pace myself y'know? The same could not have been said for some other people however, but it made for very good entertainment. One of the guys there was desperate to kiss someone, as long as it was a girl. What made it funnier was that he kept proclaiming he's never kissed anyone. Don't waste that first kiss while you're drunk! 

I had such a nice time that night, and I got to talk with so many niji members that I've always seen but never got the chance to talk to. I even arranged a day trip to Yokohama for next week with some people when I have a day off school. 

For future exchange students thinking about what school to choose for exchange in Japan, not only does Waseda have a great academic program for international students through SILS, it is home to the best international circle in Japan. There are niji members from all over Tokyo, whether it be women's colleges or even Keio. If it wasn't for Niji no Kai, my days here would be a complete bore. I look forward to their events every week as well as the big nomikais they have AT LEAST once a month. 

Tomorrow is Niji Olympic Games, and I'm looking forward to wearing my never worn-in-Japan sneakers, and putting my game face on. 

Oh and one thing I forgot to mention: During the nomikai, it is apparently tradition for one WIC representive (a rival/not rival international club also from Waseda) to pay a visit sometime during the party. The guy from WIC pelted us with hamburgers and cheeseburgers from Mcdonalds and even managed to knock over some drinks. It was raining burgers, and boy it was bliss. 

Ricotta Pancakes at the Royal Garden Cafe in Shibuya

Wait, so it's been 3 months and I haven't eaten a single pancake? How preposterous! Well thank goodness I'm in the right place, Japan seems to be undergoing a pancake boom for the past 2 years and everywhere I look I see thin dutch style pancakes, fluffy souffle pancakes, pancakes with whipped cream to the ceiling..
No complaints at all. It certainly looks better than IHOP.

Since I had class until 6 pm today, Joanna, Joey, Hinako, and Yui joined me at the rotary at 6:30. I swear everytime I go there I see someone I know. It's like the Hachiko of Shibuya, a popular meeting spot.
This dinner was also a congratulatory dinner for finishing all of my midterms, the last of which ended today.

The restaurant is called Royal Garden Cafe, and its actually pretty fancy shmancy. At one point during dinner, the staff turned all the lights off in the restaurant, blasted the happy birthday music, and brought out a birthday cake with sparkling candles. Well its my UnBirthday today, shouldn't that guarantee me a birthday cake too?

Hinako with our mushroom/prosciutto pizza. It's weird to be saying this but eating this actually made me miss pizza. I'm not even a pizza person. But the ooey gooey cheese..I've been eating too much japanese food I suppose. To the point where I forgot cheese even existed.

and dun dun dun dun. The ricotta pancake. 

Sounds simple on the menu, but actually so much more than a regular pancake. This was the only pancake in the restaurant, but only one is really needed. 

The pancake was so fluffy, my knife felt useless. They even gave us an entire banana! 

The three girls that I went with couldn't finish their pancake dish so Joey and I got to polish the remaining pancakes off. I love dining with people that have small stomachs. 

While I'm in the topic of food (wait but that's every post), I'll introduce you to my favourite food store near Waseda..Don Maru! 525 yen for any combination of sushi donburi. This one right here is the manpuku don, which basically translates to the Fulfilling Don? It just means you'll get full off of it haha

http://www.sasafune.co.jp/menu/index.html

The Happiest Place on Earth

This entire week has been so much fun, I don't even know what the meaning of work is. What is work? What is study? I feel like I've heard of it before...please someone give me the definition for it.

A rundown of my week..
Monday: School, and then Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) in Shinjuku.
Tuesday: School
Wednesday: School and then an all you can eat and drink party
Thursday: DISNEYSEA!!
Friday: Climbing Mount Takao and first Yakiniku in Japan
Saturday: Waseda Sai
Sunday: Keio vs Waseda Baseball game

Disneysea, as you can tell is definitely the highlight. When people tell you that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, it's not true. Disneysea is. A group of my friends and I were there for 10 hours and a half, and it was not enough time. By 9:30, half an hour before the park closed it hit me that there were all these places I wanted to explore more and shops that I wanted to visit. But no matter, I'll go again for Christmas with my sister when she visits :D

We got to catch the noon parade as soon as we got in at 11:30. Because we went on the day of Halloween, we got to catch the very last day of the Halloween themed park

My purple teriyaki chicken hamburger bun at the Old America theme section. The entire restaurant was a replica of a New York cafe, and although Jay (who is going to school in New York) says it doesnt exactly capture the look of New York, I would like to believe that this is what New York cafes look like.

One of my favourites of Disneysea: The Tower of Terror. 

I have a lot of great memories on this cruise boat in the American section. The view is spectacular from the deck, and the swing/jazz music that plays from the speakers really adds to the atmosphere. Like last year, I bought the apple cinnamon popcorn and lounged here for awhile. There are always only one or two groups of people up here, so its nice and quiet. 

My entire group on the Indiana Jones ride. This picture was taken right before the Giant Ball looked as though it was gonna crash into our car, so I have my hands up to protect my head. Obviously it didnt fall...stupid me.

No filter needed. Disneysea at night is absolutely GORGEOUS.

and right before we left the park. It was a very sad moment for all of us.

PS: I finally had my first Tim Tam Slam. I've always looked at my sister in disgust when she did it....But boy its goooood

Shinjuku Government Building

Who would have thought that I would be inspired to blog again after eating convenience store ice cream. But its not just any ice cream folks, its ice cream that looks and tastes EXACTLY like a sweet potato.

I had a good laugh when I first bit in because it was so ridiculous.

This is my lunch from the Waseda Cafeteria on the 3rd floor. Each floor has a different menu, and this particular floor had an italian section, a noodle section, and a Japanese food section. The Teishoku above was only 500 yen! 

And da-ta-la-da~ The award for the best dessert/snack since I landed in Japan is....TAIYAKI! But its just a normal taiyaki no? NO. it is not. It's a croissant taiyaki which basically means its made out of pastry puff. If you have a good eye, you can also notice bits of pearl sugar at the top which is often used for belgian waffles to make the exterior crisp. This store recently opened at a location around 2 minutes away from campus, and the smell of the taiyaki's while I walk home is unbearable. I finally succumbed to it.

It may seem as though I eat out a lot but the truth of the matter is....Nope, I'm gonna admit it. I really truly do eat out a lot. It's a lot more exciting to eat out, and also a good excuse to visit new places and walk around at night time. Dinner = Eating out. Lunch = Eating in. And Breakfast? usually non-existant. I know...bring on the scolding, I'm unhealthy. Breakfast food just doesn't look exciting.

The only day I do eat dinner in, is on Sundays. Or what we call..International Dinner Sunday! Today's dinner was Denmark themed: A meatball like dish-One with pork and one with salmon, and a potato salad that wasn't like any potato salad I've ever had. 

I should've taken a better picture with all 14 of us. I believe....they were talking about Korean Pop Stars?

Anyways, this was tonight. My belly is full of yummy meatballs, ice cream, and potatoes. But before this, since it was a beautiful day and all, Joanna and I brought our study goods out and took the train to Shinjuku to check out the view at the Shinjuku Government Building.  

Shinjuku Government Building

There are two towers: The North and the South. People say that the view from the South building is more exciting because you can see the Skytree and Tokyo Tour. But if you go to the North building and decide to stop by the (wonderfully fancy but cheap) cafe, you would also be able to see those buildings just as clear. 

This is the cafe view from the bar. The ceilings are tall, and the view is impressive. I took this picture from my seat, and because it was perched at a level a little higher than the bar, I could see past them and the scenery beyond. 

My cake and coffee set for 800 yen. Since the Observatory is free, I can forgive the slightly high price. Plus, for a cafe this fancy shmancy I thought this set was a definite deal. There was also a piano in the middle but unfortunately, no pianist. The CD music in the background did just as good a job of contributing to the atmosphere though! And it was because of the darn good music that I couldn't bring myself to study.

View at sunset.