Being a Tourist

, Traveling, Well-beingLeave a Comment on Being a Tourist

I wanted to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine this trip because it looks so cool and is one of the top tourist destinations that I haven’t been to. In the past I wasn’t so interested in seeing the touristy stuff, and since I was always with a local (Mariko), I enjoyed going to places that a native Japanese person enjoys. But lately I see a lot of photos from friends who visit the touristy places and I start to think… “Shootz, I haven’t even been there even though I have visited Japan so many times!” And I kind of have a new outlook on life… where I want to experience all sorts of things and not really care about stuff that doesn’t matter. For instance, looking like a tourist used to bother me a little, but now I don’t care about it. Anyways, the feeling of being a tourist might last only a short while, but the memories of visiting an amazing place will last a lifetime! And you know what? I am a tourist after all! Why try to pretend that I’m not?

Also, as I try to look for positivity in all things, I realize that being a tourist can actually be fun and that you can have some interesting interactions with the locals, who are almost always friendly and generous with their time.

So this trip when Mariko asked me what I wanted to do and see, I included Fushimi Inari Shrine and Himeji Castle on the list. I also mixed in some local stuff, like seeing a baseball game, and it turned out to be a great mix of activities, with items being removed from the bucket list, and precious memories created!

Hot Day at Himeji Castle
Hot Day at Himeji Castle

Submarine Sandwich Realizaton

Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Submarine Sandwich Realizaton
Eating my Sub at HNL
Eating my Sub at HNL

“Food always tastes better when somebody else makes it.” That’s what my Mom said to me when we were talking about her submarine sandwiches, which I always request she make for me when we visit. I kind of agree with her, especially because when I try to make the exact same submarine sandwiches, they always taste differently (and not as good) as hers. Every time I have the subs she makes I ask her the same question… “What kind of Italian dressing do you use?” because I’ve always thought that the dressing is the key to getting the same taste. But now I am thinking maybe it’s just because “Food always tastes better when somebody else makes it.”

Vacation Eats

, , Food, TravelingLeave a Comment on Vacation Eats
Enjoying Ramen at Kamukura
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/200 sec, ISO100
 Enjoying Ramen at Kamukura

Food is good! And the food in Japan and Hawaii is hard to beat. One of the things I look forward to most when traveling are the vacation eats: meals at the local restaurants and sampling the regional cuisine. This past trip to Japan, I ate almost everything that was on my list:

  • Sushi
  • Okonomiyaki
  • Takoyaki
  • MOS Burger
  • Yakitori
  • Izakaya goodies
  • Ramen
  • Curry
  • Kushiyaki

The only reason I didn’t gain 10 lbs is that in Japan you tend to walk quite a bit to get around and I’m also glad that I got to run, swim, and surf to keep my metabolism up.

Besides the yummy food, we had a lot to drink, not only beer, but lots of iced coffee and canned coffee (I have to keep my caffeine addiction in check). I loved it all! Of course, the above list was just the Japan leg of the trip. In Hawaii we continued our constant feasting with:

  • More sushi
  • Poké
  • Korean BBQ
  • Plate lunch
  • Fresh tropical fruits
  • Smoothies
  • Himalayan/Nepalese

To finish off the vacation, we had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Torrance! It was really cool to have my parents and my brothers together at one time, something that doesn’t happen very often since we live so far apart.

The meals we have while traveling are a great opportunity to not only try different flavors or revisit signature regional flavors, but also to make great memories around these special meals. Vacation Eats are a great opportunity to add a lot of color to the vacation (and also life in general). Food is good!

Summer Fireworks

, Slice of Life, TravelingLeave a Comment on Summer Fireworks
Summer Fireworks at the Park
Summer Fireworks at the Park

We had a lot of fun one evening when we visited Koa’s classmate’s family for dinner and summer fireworks. After we ate the delicious food, we all went to the nearby park with our bag of sparklers and other small fireworks and then spent the next hour or so setting them off and having a good time. It was really cool and a very “Japanesey” summer activity. I loved it! It’s just one of the many things I love about summer in Japan and why it’s my favorite time of year to visit. I hadn’t spent a summer in Japan since I lived there in the 1990s and I miss it so much… I love summer!

Summer Fireworks at the Park
Summer Fireworks at the Park