Katie Moran: Nagoya

The day before yesterday Kei and me went to Nagoya to visit his Mom and Stepdad.

I really love coming here! The house is cozy, the parents are nice and funny and there is always lots of food and drinks!

But I guess I enjoy it the most because I don't need to do anything and can relax to the fullest.

The first evening Kei's younger brother Shun and his newlywed wife Atsumi (who is pregnant in her 6th month) came to have delicious Nabe-dinner with us.

After that Kei's friends came over and we went to Shidax which is very close by. It was a great evening with lots of drinks.

The next day we relaxed at home until I decided to go to the eye clinic. I couldn't get a tiny hair out and it scratched my eyeball so badly it was red up to the iris. And although it was the last day of the year, luckily the eye clinic at Apita mall right across the street was open. So we hurried there, I got my eye fixed and then we enjoyed our yearly toy lottery (some 300Yen blowing machine where you catch a paper with a number on it, 1 is highest 5 is lowest). I got a little squeeze hammer which I will use in class I guess!

We went home, relaxed more, went to the video store, watched LOST, ate delicious homemade Sukiyaki-dinner and then went to Kei's friends' house by car. We spent our New Years Eve there last year, too, so it was nothing special! I was the only one drinking since everybody came by car.

Sukiyaki beef and pork

No oil needed!

veggies of course

Tofu

We headed back before 1am, went to bed and watched the end of LOST Season 5 until 3 or 4 in the morning. (I can't believe they let Juliet die! The last scenes were very dramatic...)

This morning Mom prepared traditional Osetchi and Ozoni. I love japanese traditional foods but these two you can get only once a year, so I stuffed myself.

Homemade Osetchi

Kurikinton (sweet potatoes with walnuts), kuromame (red beans), date maki (rolled omelet), tazukuri (dried sardine), kazunoko (herring roe), kohaku kamaboko (red and white fish paste)

Nimono (boiled veggies and meat)

Ebi (Shrimp), broccoli, ham, fish

Ozoni

We relaxed more and then went to the Nagakute Keikotennosha-Shrine by car. It was more crowded than last year but it was less cold! So we waited, said our prayers and bought omikuji. Kei's Mom and me had the same while Kei and his Stepdad had another same one. The boys were luckier this time... I guess that's what you get when you are so laid-back and don't care about anything.