Santa Has a Secret...

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But first! Some cool pictures of the light show on display outside of Nagoya station on the JR side.

Spring:

Summer:

Fall:

Winter:

I only wish the pictures were as good as the real thing! The winter scene was really stunning.

Speaking of stunning things in Japan, I want to tell you some reasons I love FEELZ gym in Yokkaichi:

1. They have great classes for an exceptional price. (I take boxercise, hot boxing, yoga, hot yoga and zumba each week!)

2. The atmosphere is very friendly, and the employees speak to me in both English and Japanese (depending on how much English they know). Both the instructors and the staff are kind to me. Everyone--including other members--is very patient with me when I speak Japanese, and vice-versa. It creates a nice atmosphere, because we're all learning.

3. Most importantly, I feel that FEELZ has a great way of bringing Western holiday spirit to the gym. Halloween was celebrated with decorations, a BBQ, magic tricks and boxing. Christmas, too, is being celebrated with decorations and a party. To top it off, FEELZ has even let me in on a little secret!

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Santa Claus is not who you think he is!

...

....!

HE IS A BOXING DARTH VADER IN DISGUISE!

Me, Darth Claus, and my boxercise/hot boxing instructor

For more information on the secrets which have been revealed to me via FEELZ gym and Japan, please see Chad and I next week in America!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Nabana no Sato

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After our trip to Gozaisho, we headed to Nabana no Sato, a huge flower garden in Kuwana, Mie. People come year round to enjoy the beautiful gardens, but the winter is especially famous for the Winter Illumination display. We arrived around 4:30 and strolled through the gardens while it was still light out.

Beautiful fall colors!

It costs 2000 yen at the door (or about $20.00 USD), but part of that includes a 1000 yen voucher to use on food. After we walked around the gardens, we decided to get a bite to eat while we waited for it to get darker. We tried spicy gyoza soup, yakisoba, Matsusaka beef nikuman, and little waffles stuffed with whipped cream and strawberries. What a little feast!

Matsusaka Beef Nikuman

After dinner, it was time to see the real show.

The Christmas trees were beautiful; our camera just can't do them justice.

The amazing tunnel of light pictured above had little flower lights hanging down. It felt like we were in some kind of fantasy scene in a movie (just with too many people to make it as romantic as it has the potential to be!). The end of the tunnel led out to "aurora" lights (pictured below).

This spectacle led us to another tunnel of light that was purple.

We spent a few hours at Nabana no Sato, and although it was a little pricey, it was definitely worth the warm feelings of Christmas that fill you when surrounded by so much magical light. Only a week and a half away from coming home, we're about to burst with excitement. Happy holidays!

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Gozaisho Mountain

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November 23rd is a national holiday in Japan that celebrates labor and harvest. As it was the day before my birthday, we decided to go out to Gozaisho Mountain. Located right in Mie, these are the same mountains we can see out our apartment door. We were really lucky to be able to see the autumn leaves (that's right, you can still see them at the end of November!).

The friends who joined us wanted to take the cable car up the 1212 meter mountain. We enjoyed the slow ride to the top, but not the steep price! It cost us around $25.00 USD per person, (including the lift).

Masayo and Caitlyn

Toyokazu and Chad (Chad is representin' Mie)

As you can see, at the very top the leaves have mostly changed and fallen. We felt the view was breathtaking nonetheless.

At the top of the mountain, there is a rock with a poem on it. When we asked what it meant, our friends tried to translate. They didn't recognize some of the kanji, and after looking it up in their cell phone dictionaries they came up with, "Snow, Triangle, Teapot." Above, Toyokazu is pondering what it all means.

Udon lunch!

Above: The beautiful view from the cable car on the way down. We are planning on climbing next spring!

At our friend Joel's suggestion, we decided to try senbei, a type of Japanese rice cracker. These ones were freshly made and served warm, so they were actually more like cookies. Yum!

What a cute couple!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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Well, we did it! In a country in which most of the people have never tried turkey, we had a very successful Thanksgiving. We actually found turkey at a Brazilian shop near our house, but I was afraid our "oven" wouldn't cook it properly. (We have a microwave that converts to an oven with the press of the button, but things never really cook quite right.) So, we decided to roast a chicken, and had a great feast nonetheless!

This was the first time I ever cooked a whole chicken, yams, and pumpkin pie, and amazingly, they all turned out great! Pictured above: rolls, green beans, corn, yams, mashed potatoes and chicken.



We were happy to share Thanksgiving with two of our Japanese friends. They had never eaten yams before, and couldn't get enough!



This is really immodest, but the pumpkin pie above is the best pumpkin pie I have ever had in my life. I can't take all the credit, I suppose (I got the recipe from food network here), but still!

Chad insisted we get some extra pumpkin pie shots ;-)

We had a great Thanksgiving, but it could never replace Thanksgiving back home. We are so thankful for our family and friends, and we are looking forward to coming home to visit in a matter of weeks! Happy holidays!

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What? It's Already November?

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October flew by, and for the most part it was an uneventful month here in Yokkaichi. Some things of note:

• I auditioned for a job as a wedding singer, and I got the job! I am officially starting in December, and currently have three weddings lined up that month. Now to find a dress to perform in...

• We bought tickets for home! We're coming to visit from late December to early January. Can't wait to see everyone ♥

• We've been working for another branch of our main company and got to do a couple Halloween parties. I love Halloween and was feeling pretty homesick because Japan doesn't really celebrate it to the extent Westerners do (though it is growing more and more popular year by year). These parties really helped fill my Halloween withdrawals--I got to see loads of kids dressed up, play Halloween games with them, listen to spooky music and do "trick-or-treating" with them.

• We've been trying to make or find fall treats that we take for granted back home. I decided to have a go at making homemade caramel apples, but the Japanese caramel was SO sweet! Not to mention I thought I'd try and make them fancy by adding crushed M&Ms (and got lazy and just stuck them on instead of crushing them). Despite my slight disappointment at how they turned out, I was pretty amused by the look on the face of our friend from New Zealand when he saw what I made for dessert. Apparently they don't eat caramel apples in New Zealand, and he was totally taken aback. He told us he'd like to see us "try that" on our friend from Australia!

• Lastly, we tried to have an Oktoberfest party, which basically consisted of Chad, our friend Yasu and me. Though it wasn't really Oktoberfest at all, we figured the Japanese take things from other cultures and make them their own, so why shouldn't we? When in Rome -- or Japan -- right? Below is a picture of our feast:

Apples, homemade caramel apple dip, French bread, Kenchin Jiru (Japanese Stew), pumpkin bread, Brazilian sausages, Gouda cheese, wine and beer.

This is an up-close shot of the Kenchin Jiru. It has pork, potatoes, daikon, carrot, mushrooms, green onions, several seasonings and sauces. So good!

That's all for now. We'll try and be better about November updates than we were last month! Take care!

Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavillion

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The last day we were able to hang out with John and Joel during their stay in Japan, we met them in Kyoto and went to see Kinkaku Temple. Originally constructed in 1397, the temple was burned down in 1950 by an obsessed monk. The pictures below are of the 1955 reconstruction, as it can be seen today.

The temple is surrounded by beautiful gardens and trees. I can understand why Joel thinks he's going to live in the temple one day.

Banzai is a cheer or phrase of thankfulness that means, "May you live ten thousand years!" In my yoga classes, my teachers sometimes substitute the phrase for Namaste, which means, "I bow to you," and honors the divinity in and around us. When we say these phrases, our arms are either stretched up high, or our hands are held together above our heads or in front of our chests in supplication. This bonsai tree reminds me of the meanings associated with banzai, not only because of the way it grows upward, but also because it is over 600 years old.

A tea sample with gold specks.

As we were exiting the main area of the temple, we were surprised to find that amidst the serenity and tradition that permeates Kinkakuji, there were some very modern additions. Not only was there an ice cream vending machine, but an omikuji, or fortune, machine!

No discrimination here, folks. Fortunes came in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and English. My fortune is written below:


The clouds over a high mountain are carried away by the wind, and a refreshing full moon will shine on the ground.

Your Fortune: Excellent

Like the moon rising, you'll become happier and happier and your business will be prosperous, but always be carefull or the good luck may turn into a bad one [sic].

• wish : It will be settled earlier than expected by the help of your superiors.
• expected visitor : He (or she) visits you suddenly without notice.
• missing thing : Look into the furniture.
• travel : All right.
  
• business : It will go well if you are always careful.
• study : Keep on studying with confidence.
• speculation : Stay. Must Wait.
• game and match : Someone will help you. It will be settled sooner.
• love : Take care not to lose yourself. It goes well.
• removal : You can try it at any time.
• childbirth : All right. So be faithful.
• illness : Don't worry. You'll get it over.
• marriage proposal : It will soon be arranged unexpectedly. Leave it to others.

Whew! I never need to worry again! Hope good fortune has been paying you a visit! We'll write again soon.

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