Today was a pretty good day.  I am, by nature, an introvert…so when Monday rolls around, I use the day to recharge my personal batteries from the eventful weekends, and prepare myself for the next week.  I know, I know…you’re thinking…um, Sarah, you go to strange restaurants and just start talking to people on the street and stuff…you’re living in another country half-way around the world…how can you call yourself an introvert??  I know, I know…but I can only do that after diligent training, and proper R&R.  But anyways, I had a great day inside today (especially since it was raining all day today), and I did some lesson planning, some email replying, and some sewing.  I’m doing a cross-stitching pattern right now…but I also have “homework” that my yukata teacher gave me…I need to have it finished by Saturday.

  Besides all of that mundane stuff, the real action happened this evening.  Samantha (my coworker living here at the Center with me) has her birthday tomorrow (6/3), and my birthday is the 14th!!  So, Nakayama-san, the older Japanese woman who lives here at the Center with us too, decided to buy us dinner to celebrate.  Not just us, but she also invited our boss and brother, Taka, and his wife Aki.  The restaurant of choice was, of course, the beloved Brasserie Quixote!  It was a course dinner, I believe probably 4 courses and then dessert.  I was so suprised by what I was able to eat…some shrimp, and one whole course was soaked in vinegar wine…I managed through it!  Also, the main course was steak…and I did just fine…my teeth did feel funny afterwards, but I made it through…I think I needed the whole day of rest to prep myself for the dinner.  But it was all very delicious.  It’s not that I don’t like the taste of the food…it’s mostly texture that bothers me.

  Mitsui-san and Satsuki-san bought Samantha and I two clay cups made in Hagi, which is famous for its pottery.  It’s treasured by the Japanese, so it’s really wonderful that they bought the cups for us!  They also bought a really cute cake with strawberries on it.  So yummy.  It didn’t come with the course dinner, but it was special just for us.  Oh, and I forgot, when we walked to the door, there was a sign saying that the restaurant was reserved for a special party…ours!  🙂  Some people even called to see if they could come eat, and Mitsui said no because of a special reservation.  hehe.  So, for my birthday this year, a whole restaurant was reserved!  🙂  I’m attaching a link to a picture of Samantha and I with Mitsui-san.  The other Japanese regulars have begun to jokingly say that he is watashi-no nihhon chi chi, which means, my Japanese dad.  🙂  I’ll get a pic up of Satsuki-san soon!

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