Wednesday, December 9, 2009

mission semi-accomplished

finally i caught the 715am bus to the gym. it took me a week to get back on schedule. it was 7c/44f when i left my apartment this morning. kind of cool as i was wearing shorts along with my Canada sweatshirt. after a few hours at the gym, i walked to Fedex to check on sending a package with my airline discount. and then a short walk to catch the #3 bus to Mitsuwa Marketplace. no Fugestudo "year of the Tiger" Gaufre tins but i did get some omiso, otofu, furikake, and a special treat a 16 ounce Gogo tea (kind of like sweet lemon tea). i passed on the melon pan which was labeled a Japanese favorite (and a kevin's favorite too). and unfortunately no tora no nengajo (new year's post card with a tiger on them). yes, i too am wondering why i didn't buy them in . . . Japan. two buses and a short walk and i was back home.

waiting for the bus under a big banana tree (plant?). can you see the moon?

sansazanka. ok, it is really 3 Camillia sasanqua or sazanka in Japanese. also known as a christmas camellia. although it looks similar to the beautiful tsubaki (camellia), it is a sasanka.
i learned a good way to tell one from the other is to look on the ground below the flower. sasanka lose their leaves one at a time while the tsubaki loses the whole flower at the same time. does that make sense? check it out if you have one in your neighborhood. this sasanka is near the entry way in my apartment complex and indeed there are single petals lying on the ground. we have tsubaki too and i will check those out tomorrow.

christmas tree shadow in the gym parking lot.

but where are the chocolate chips?


a Kobe Fugestudo gift set for only $48 (plus tax) . . . only 4128 yen (plus tax)