Sunday, November 20, 2005
Wine, Woman and Herbs
Alrighty, I'm awake and ready to recap my birthday experience!
Despite having an interesting discussion I skipped out of my last class on Friday twenty minutes early to ensure I would have enough time to walk home, drop off my backpack, pick up my other bag, re-apply deodorants/cologne/etc. and make it to Makino station by 4:45. Everything went pretty much according to plan although as I approached Makino I was stunned by a surprise rain shower. All the weather reports called for clear skies all week so I was kind of pissed. No matter, I was so close to the station the "damage" was minimal.
I had no trouble getting to Kobe by six although I did manage to wait in the wrong place so Mako had to call me on the phone to find me. Talking to Mako on the phone is really hard, as her voice is very soft and I find every language (especially Japanese) harder to understand in audio-only. Somehow, seeing someone speak always makes the message easier to understand. Does anyone else get that feeling?
We had dinner at a purely random location around the station - she asked me what I wanted to eat and I told her I was hungry for unagi don, Eel over rice. Next, we hit a nearby Daimaru department store for some chocolate cake and we grabbed a few croissants for breakfast while we were at it. We took our baked goods over to the fabulous Hotel Okura where Mako had reserved us a lovely room together. I was kind of surprised we weren't staying in the hotel she works in but I guess that might be embarrassing for her.
As usual, the Japanese service blew me away; I couldn't even get in the front door before a staff member offered to carry my bag as well as the small box with the cake inside. Our room was on the nineteenth floor so we had a wonderful view of the city including Port Tower as well as Mako's hotel which is currently lit up with the image of an airplane to commemorate the new Kobe Airport. Why they're celebrating the opening of a new airport three months early is beyond me.
In the room, Mako went out of her way to make the evening special. She brought a bottle of white wine (forgot the brand, but it was from 2001) and various snacks for us to enjoy. When she realized she hadn't brought a corkscrew, she called the front desk and they shot someone upstairs with the apparatus plus a pair of wine glasses and some napkins. Mako also gave me a birthday card (her message was very sweet!) and a present: a new wallet! It's easily the nicest wallet I've ever had and it's got a few distinct Japanese features like a "ticket slot" to hold all those train tickets I handle all the time. I used to just shove them in a pocket but they sometimes get lost among my other papers/keys/items. Not anymore!
We spent a very long time in the hotel as checkout wasn't until noon and we stayed until the last possible minute. But I'm sure you don't want to hear more about that...
On Saturday we ended up walking through the Kitano neighborhood again, just like we did on our first date. This time we were on our way to the Ninobiki Herb Garden. In Japanese they say haabu which I explained to Mako was different from both herb and the name Herb. She was amused. Later, we found great humor in an herb called Yarrow. This is funny because in Japanese it's pronounced yarô which sounds exactly like a Japanese slang term meaning "rascal." I can't explain it very well but it's quite rude and that made it hilarious when I said it. Despite the chill in the air, we had a very nice walk through the park. I also took the only picture of the entire trip (click to see larger version):
Look at all that green! It's hard to believe we're in late November and most of the leaves still have yet to change color. When will I see some red rolling hills, Christmas? Anyway, if you look carefully you can see the Hotel Okura and the Port Tower just over the hill to the right. Mako's hotel is behind them. In the distance, near the horizon, you can see the future site of the Kobe Airport. It's being built in the bay on an artificial island, just like KIX. The cable cars are how we got up here in the first place. They offer a great view going up but it's a little scary with all the rocking back and forth.
It was during our outing that Mako suggested a bold plan for the winter break. Honestly, I never expected her to suggest it, especially considering we've only been dating for a few months now. I'm a strong believer in "don't count your chickens before they hatch" so I'm going to withhold most of the details for now. Let's just say it shouldn't interfere with the trips my family and friends are planning, it's incredibly inexpensive and there's little risk involved so I'd be a fool to pass on the opportunity. I'll tell you more when the details are arranged.
After the park we walked back down through the Kitano neighborhood again, stopping for ice cream in the same Baskin Robbins we visited in September. I was rather surprised in there when a quartet of English-speaking pre-teen girls (possibly American) sat down and started gabbing away. I have been so removed from that kind of scene it was very jarring to hear. Sure, I've heard plenty of casual English conversations around campus but the banter of college students and girls this age are two totally different experiences. It was, in a word, a din of obnoxious language, awkward grammar and inappropriate volume. I wish I couldn't understand it which echoes a sentiment someone told me a few weeks ago - they've been in Japan for a number of years and they find real tranquility in the inability to understand everything that goes on around them.
Our dinner plans took us back to the Hawaiian cafe run by her friends. It was a special evening with nomihôdai (飲み放題, "all you can drink") red wine so I got quite tipsy. This time I was sure to order some delicious whale meat which I enjoyed tremendously. Somehow, I got involved in a discussion with the waitress about the careers of Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. Also, as a gag, I would occasionally make Mako giggle by referring to myself using ore, a rude personal pronoun.
So that's about it! I had a wonderful time with Mako and I'm very happy. This was the best birthday I've had in years and despite the problems I alluded to last night we are still very much in love. If you really want to hear more about the hotel or if you want to try and help me with my problems, please e-mail me. Neither of those topics are appropriate to announce on the blog but I have no qualms discussing them in private. Indeed, the problems will only be solved if I can talk about them with someone!
Despite having an interesting discussion I skipped out of my last class on Friday twenty minutes early to ensure I would have enough time to walk home, drop off my backpack, pick up my other bag, re-apply deodorants/cologne/etc. and make it to Makino station by 4:45. Everything went pretty much according to plan although as I approached Makino I was stunned by a surprise rain shower. All the weather reports called for clear skies all week so I was kind of pissed. No matter, I was so close to the station the "damage" was minimal.
I had no trouble getting to Kobe by six although I did manage to wait in the wrong place so Mako had to call me on the phone to find me. Talking to Mako on the phone is really hard, as her voice is very soft and I find every language (especially Japanese) harder to understand in audio-only. Somehow, seeing someone speak always makes the message easier to understand. Does anyone else get that feeling?
We had dinner at a purely random location around the station - she asked me what I wanted to eat and I told her I was hungry for unagi don, Eel over rice. Next, we hit a nearby Daimaru department store for some chocolate cake and we grabbed a few croissants for breakfast while we were at it. We took our baked goods over to the fabulous Hotel Okura where Mako had reserved us a lovely room together. I was kind of surprised we weren't staying in the hotel she works in but I guess that might be embarrassing for her.
As usual, the Japanese service blew me away; I couldn't even get in the front door before a staff member offered to carry my bag as well as the small box with the cake inside. Our room was on the nineteenth floor so we had a wonderful view of the city including Port Tower as well as Mako's hotel which is currently lit up with the image of an airplane to commemorate the new Kobe Airport. Why they're celebrating the opening of a new airport three months early is beyond me.
In the room, Mako went out of her way to make the evening special. She brought a bottle of white wine (forgot the brand, but it was from 2001) and various snacks for us to enjoy. When she realized she hadn't brought a corkscrew, she called the front desk and they shot someone upstairs with the apparatus plus a pair of wine glasses and some napkins. Mako also gave me a birthday card (her message was very sweet!) and a present: a new wallet! It's easily the nicest wallet I've ever had and it's got a few distinct Japanese features like a "ticket slot" to hold all those train tickets I handle all the time. I used to just shove them in a pocket but they sometimes get lost among my other papers/keys/items. Not anymore!
We spent a very long time in the hotel as checkout wasn't until noon and we stayed until the last possible minute. But I'm sure you don't want to hear more about that...
On Saturday we ended up walking through the Kitano neighborhood again, just like we did on our first date. This time we were on our way to the Ninobiki Herb Garden. In Japanese they say haabu which I explained to Mako was different from both herb and the name Herb. She was amused. Later, we found great humor in an herb called Yarrow. This is funny because in Japanese it's pronounced yarô which sounds exactly like a Japanese slang term meaning "rascal." I can't explain it very well but it's quite rude and that made it hilarious when I said it. Despite the chill in the air, we had a very nice walk through the park. I also took the only picture of the entire trip (click to see larger version):
Look at all that green! It's hard to believe we're in late November and most of the leaves still have yet to change color. When will I see some red rolling hills, Christmas? Anyway, if you look carefully you can see the Hotel Okura and the Port Tower just over the hill to the right. Mako's hotel is behind them. In the distance, near the horizon, you can see the future site of the Kobe Airport. It's being built in the bay on an artificial island, just like KIX. The cable cars are how we got up here in the first place. They offer a great view going up but it's a little scary with all the rocking back and forth.
It was during our outing that Mako suggested a bold plan for the winter break. Honestly, I never expected her to suggest it, especially considering we've only been dating for a few months now. I'm a strong believer in "don't count your chickens before they hatch" so I'm going to withhold most of the details for now. Let's just say it shouldn't interfere with the trips my family and friends are planning, it's incredibly inexpensive and there's little risk involved so I'd be a fool to pass on the opportunity. I'll tell you more when the details are arranged.
After the park we walked back down through the Kitano neighborhood again, stopping for ice cream in the same Baskin Robbins we visited in September. I was rather surprised in there when a quartet of English-speaking pre-teen girls (possibly American) sat down and started gabbing away. I have been so removed from that kind of scene it was very jarring to hear. Sure, I've heard plenty of casual English conversations around campus but the banter of college students and girls this age are two totally different experiences. It was, in a word, a din of obnoxious language, awkward grammar and inappropriate volume. I wish I couldn't understand it which echoes a sentiment someone told me a few weeks ago - they've been in Japan for a number of years and they find real tranquility in the inability to understand everything that goes on around them.
Our dinner plans took us back to the Hawaiian cafe run by her friends. It was a special evening with nomihôdai (飲み放題, "all you can drink") red wine so I got quite tipsy. This time I was sure to order some delicious whale meat which I enjoyed tremendously. Somehow, I got involved in a discussion with the waitress about the careers of Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. Also, as a gag, I would occasionally make Mako giggle by referring to myself using ore, a rude personal pronoun.
So that's about it! I had a wonderful time with Mako and I'm very happy. This was the best birthday I've had in years and despite the problems I alluded to last night we are still very much in love. If you really want to hear more about the hotel or if you want to try and help me with my problems, please e-mail me. Neither of those topics are appropriate to announce on the blog but I have no qualms discussing them in private. Indeed, the problems will only be solved if I can talk about them with someone!
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Oh dan! You entries made me giggle like a silly school girl in happiness for you! I really am starting to like Kobe from what you've showed me of it .. I should get out there before I go for sure!
I'm so happy you are happy in love! (Does that make sense?) If you'd like to talk to me about whatever that issue was, you know how I am about private and public! Nothing is taboo and I would never repeat anything. Plus you could get a girlies opinion. ^.^ I'm Megadaisy@gmail.com .. if you wanna talk.
Anywho, yay for your good birthday!
I'm so happy you are happy in love! (Does that make sense?) If you'd like to talk to me about whatever that issue was, you know how I am about private and public! Nothing is taboo and I would never repeat anything. Plus you could get a girlies opinion. ^.^ I'm Megadaisy@gmail.com .. if you wanna talk.
Anywho, yay for your good birthday!
# posted by 
: 20 November, 2005 23:45
: 20 November, 2005 23:45
Sounds like a great day. You have yourself quite a girl.... Dinner, a weekend hotel, a bottle of wine, and a wallet, all for your birthday!?!? That's really really sweet! And super romantic too!
megan: Yes, it does make sense to feel happy when others are happy. I used to be the opposite: I would feel miserable when others were happy because I was envious. Thankfully I'm working my way out of that by being stupid happy all the time!
hammer: We did split most of the expenses but yes, I am aware of how special a girl Mako is. Indeed, I'm still confused by her interest in me, as if this is all some kind of ruse to acquire U.S. citizenship or drink my blood or something. Years of being alone and miserable have made me a little cynical I suppose!
コメントがあります？ Type something, please. It's less work for me.hammer: We did split most of the expenses but yes, I am aware of how special a girl Mako is. Indeed, I'm still confused by her interest in me, as if this is all some kind of ruse to acquire U.S. citizenship or drink my blood or something. Years of being alone and miserable have made me a little cynical I suppose!
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