Invitation to New Year Dinner

S was invited to attend JSDF New Year Dinner and he brought me along. He had to pay 5000 yen ($65 sin) but if he bring one guest along its free. So I guess he wanted to save money (so he did not have to prepare my dinner and I can to eat at the party). I was surprised that it was a standing dinner, there are no chairs in the banquet hall. Wonder if its normal? This made it easier for people to mingle and interact from table to table but its quite tedious for elderly since we have to stand for 2-3 hours. For the ladies, we had to carry our bags or put in on the floor but usually who will put their expensive bags on the ground. The front desk allow you to deposit your winter coat, hat, scarf but at the end of the dinner, there's a long long queue for "EVERYONE" to collect their items. Of course, there would be other parties in other halls and imagined that everyone left at same time. Give me chair anytime lol....

During the party there were many high ranking officers, generals even Misawa City governor and Misawa Airbase Commander came. Most were in their JSDF uniforms. They even have similar to lion dance with the person carrying lion head going around the hall and blessing the particular person who held his/her head out. I did!

JSDF Band performing, I even found an acquaintance that attended class with me! 

                                        

Japanese custom of smashing barrel sake that symbolise harmony and good fortune  

                                          

Buffet style

                                       

Managed to take photo with the General

                                                

Standing style dinner

Visit to S's Workplace

Brought my friend and her husband to S's workplace. They were curious and fascinated by the facilities and various room (gym, tv room, bed). Highly impossible in their Japanese working environment.  

Fire truck for aircraft crash

 Police having a roadshow in the Shimoda mall

Back to Aomori again (Visa extension)

Returned to Aomori to collect my new extended visa and this time they gave me 5 years! We also submitted paperwork to apply for permanent resident but so far no news. Did not know we could submit paperwork for both but S said both are submitted to different department so it did not matter. Applications are submitted at the same place in Aomori but visa extension can be approve by department in Aomori (same place we went) but for PR they have to send it to Sendai (Higher authority located in Sendai). 

Before the approval, I had received a call asking me all sorts of questions about my life in Japan. I was wondering if its fraud call, its very common in Singapore. All types of con to cheat your money. Anyway I did answer truthfully and checked the telephone number after that. It indeed show that the number is from Aomori visa authority department we went. According to S, its very normal for the organisation to call and ask since not everyone can come down anytime/easily to be interview. If you want to be sure, you can take down their number and check the telephone number on the internet and call them back later. Interesting..... Still feel abit risky though....    

Nowadays he is not afraid of cage anymore, very willing to enter once we took the cage now. He knows we are bringing him out to play. 

Made by my father in law, very tasty~

Depending on his preference, would return back to cage and rest if he intend to sleep longer

Spanish dish super tasty prepared by my father in law

Odan, prefect dish in winter

think he is more comfortable in my in law house than our house!

ナポリの窯 青森 Napoli Pizza @ Aomori

Pizza chain in Japan

S ordered more expensive lunch set that came along with appetiser 

fisherman style pizza, delicious!

Brocolli potato chowder pizza. So so taste. Wrong choice

Along the drive, found super big and shining barber shop. Look normal in the picture but usually barber shop only have 1 or 2 light posts not so many as decorations. 

New Sushi restaurant スシロー

This past 2 years there are 2 new sushi companies that entered Misawa and Hachinohe. They have overtaken as my favourites for affordable sushi!

1. スシロー Just launched few months ago in Hachinohe. Its one of the top 3 chain in Japan. Plenty of choices and their quality is the best among other companies! Too bad its 40 minutes drive away so we can't as often as we want to. It even have an awesome app that allow you to prebook in advance and you only need to arrive 10 minutes before your booking time. Since its really popular, normal waiting time during peak is around a hour but with the app, within 10 minutes its your turn!

Picture taken from internet.

280 yen strawberry sundae

The left hand side is mango pancake. OMG! so freaking good! so soft and creamy like dessert! 

2. Hamasushi はま寿司

Opened in Misawa last year June. A favourite among the Americans on the base. Also plenty of sushi choices. 

taken from website

- Sadly the existing old brand like Kappa Sushi has become the last place in my mind. Their choices aren't that great and the food quality compared to the new competitors is also lacking.

Random Update

S brought his hat but looked like grandma from red riding hood story lol. 

"Someone" brought an expensive apron ($26!) 2000 yen! Waste of $$!

Our end of year dinner "Shabu Shabu" 

S made Korean pancake. Super delicious!

Seem to have such nice figure hehe, long hands and legs

The ear muff is too big !

Lunch @ Pizzeria Massimo & Dinner @ Gyu-Kaku

Ended our discussion late and we were famished when it ended close to 2pm. The negative point staying in countryside, most restaurant have fixed operating lunch hours and they usually close by 2, 2.30pm. If we live in city then this would not be a problem. Went to Misawa Sky Plaza Pizzeria Massimo since they are one of the few still open in this hour. Since pizzas need time, I felt like I was either dying from hunger or turning into a irritated big hulk lol....

On a different day, went for dinner buffet with my friend at Gyu-Kaku (yakiniku resturant). It was newly launched last year and only operate at night. Been wanting to try but S always refuse. Said service was bad (his company had party there and the staff could not cope with such big group, as a result they kept waiting or the orders either got mix up or disappeared). Well, since it was just 2 of us, everything went smoothly and the meat, kimchi and ice cream were delicious! The kind lady staff even informed us to download the 1000 yen discount coupon from their corporate website to offset our bill! 

Parma ham pizza 

Don't remember the name

magarita pizza

Thought his shadow was cool.

90 minutes Dinner Buffet (3480 yen) @ Gyu-Kaku