One week down!

One week down! Phew!  And it's been a busy one indeed. Luckily I have some reeeaally supportive co-workers who have helped me with a lot of things this past week (like making sure I buy yogurt instead of sour cream).  Pasi, Mika, and Yuki are three girls who live in my building.  My first night we had a curry party--and for the first time ever for all of us, we had WHALE.  :-( Sorry whales.  It was delicious; probably wouldn't eat it often, but I'm always glad to try something new.  Pasi also taught me a traditional Japanese dish this week--don't remember what it was called, but it was kind of like an Asian inspired stew....Beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, etc.  Oishi!  On Sunday I went to a BBQ with some NPC people.  It was at "Yodo Riverside" in a park where a toooonnnn of people go, set up tents, and grill out.  Japanese style of course, chopsticks in hand and eating right off the grill!  Yum.  At the BBQ I had COW INTESTINE...the idea of it was rough, but the taste was phenomenol.  Weird though, because you can't really chew it to pieces.  You chew, but eventually you just have to give in and swallow (...that's what she said (sorry, had to)).  It was a super nice day at the BBQ--hot but not unbearable; however, I definitely got a nice "welcome to Japan" by some lovely sun poisoning on my leg.  Joy.  I even wore a jacket to keep my skin covered--shoot.  Today, I was told that the UV-Rays are the strongest in May. 2 1/2 days late.  Oh well.  Now instead of being the sole blond haired American in Neyagawa-shi, I'm the sole blond haired fried American (neither is a needle in a haystack).  So I could go on forever about all the things that have happened so far, so I'm going to resort to bullet points and pictures for the rest of this blog:

Favorite thing that has happened:
-Walking into the office of the President/CEO/highest high of all of NPC, to see him sitting behind his big ol' desk, smokin' a cigarette.  Talked with him for 15-20 minutes, was served coffee by his "Assistant".  Seriously awesome experience.

Cool things:
-Fog resistant mirror at the hotel (but only a small square where your face and torso reflect)
-Green tea kit kats
-4 year old riding a unicycle

Terrifying things:
-Riding a bicycle to work in the mornings
-Toilets

And here's just a few of the many sweet pics that I've got so far:

My home for the next 11 months :)

 

panoramic off my balcony--a little tricky to see the mountains here, but cool pic

 

Oishi!  Dinner with Pasi!

 

New friends at the BBQ!

Desert with my babe =)

 



Coming down a 3 floor escalator

 

 About to go up the three-floor escalator!

 

Outside Osaka Station

Hello Kitty :)

 

  Just a Standard Bar...

 

Okinomiyaki! Osaka food!

 

This KING banana.

 

That's all Folks!