Running amuck...

Birth Story

2012-02-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

My last check-up with my doctor, Susan Horvath, was on 12/27/2012, and I was 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated (not good). I was scheduled for a non-stress test on 01/03/2012 and another check-up on 01/04/2012. Our doctor talked about possibly inducing me the first week of January. She also explained she would be on leave until the 4th of January (oh great).

Our due date of 12/31/2011 came and went. I thought the bun in the oven was done cooking, but there was no signs of any real contractions, only Braxton Hicks contractions. I had been keeping track of their duration in anticipation of the real contractions to begin. Ken, Jeremiah, Helen, and my folks can attest to the fact I was truly miserable and ready for the pregnancy to be over. It was getting increasingly difficult to sleep comfortably and I could hardly breathe, let alone talk, due to my lungs being so compressed for space. Prior to the birth of the baby, most days were spent vegging in front of the television, keeping track of the baby's movements, worrying, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I think I must have watched about every episode of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Wife Swap, Say Yes to the Dress, Amazing Wedding Cakes, America's Supernanny, and Toddlers & Tiaras. Wow, I am truly disgusted at the fact I watched that much junk.

On New Years Day (01/01/2012) the baby was moving good and in the evening the baby was keeping me up all night kicking and moving like crazy. The next day, 01/02/2012, I started to get concerned, and told Ken the baby wasn't moving as much as usual. We made a phone call to St. Mark's Labor and Delivery for decreased movement and they told us to come in. We were prepared to stay the long haul at the hospital if need be; the labor bag, postpartum bag, and baby car seat were already in the FJ.

We had visited the triage section of Labor and Delivery one time prior for decreased movement so we knew the drill. After checking in, I was hooked up to the monitors, which provide a real time reading of the baby's heart rate and any contractions.

The baby's heart rate was good; what a relief. The on-call doctor, Camille Stevenson, requested that an ultrasound be done to determine the fluid levels around the baby. Because of the holiday and limited staff, the ultrasound was done in the main section of the hospital. Thank goodness for wheelchairs, I don't think I could of made the long walk to the ultrasound room.

The ultrasound technician explained the fluid level was around 1.6-cm, REALLY LOW (typical levels should be around 8 or 9-cm). We heading back to the Labor and Delivery triage section of the hospital. Moments later the nurse came back into the room and asked me, "How about we have a baby today?" to which I replied, "Ok, lets do this."

I was moved into one of the labor and delivery suites, was again hooked-up to the monitors, requested some cherry flavored ice-chips, was checked for any progress (80% effaced and 1 cm dilated), and the nurse explained the induction process. Ken called up my folks and they said they would be there soon. A few minutes later the nurse returned and explained the monitors showed a drop in the baby's heart rate with the onset of a Braxton Hicks contraction; she then proceeded to explain the possibility of a c-section. Moments later, Dr. Stevenson arrived and she explained her concerns regarding having a vaginal delivery. 1. Drugs to soften the cervix could cause contractions, which may or may not be stopped once introduced, 2. the baby's heart rate was already affected by the Braxton Hicks contractions, and 3. a vaginal delivery may take up to 20 or more hours. Basically, we selected an elective c-section before it became an emergency.

Ken had not eaten much during the day and was going to get a Subway sandwich before the surgery. I seem to remember getting after him, telling him not to leave me, and saying we had packed a boat-load of snacks for him in the labor bag. (Some partners pass out in the operating room.) With a shift change about to occur the doctor was eager to get this c-section going and explained we would be in the operating room in about 15 minutes! Needless to say, Ken didn't get his sandwich. My parents arrived just in time to see us off.

This c-section is the first surgery I have ever had and I was terrified inside, no tears, but I had the shakes. Ken wasn't there for the spinal block... I was wishing he was there... and I don't remember it hurting as bad as everyone says it should. The anesthesiologist was playing "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones. Not having any feeling in my legs was the strangest sensation; my body felt like it belonged to someone else. Ken finally made it into the room, I was so glad he was there. The doctor asked if I was feeling anything, to which I replied I could feel them pushing or pulling my legs around. Ken explained they were pinching me with some giant forceps, YOWSERS!!!! The doctor explained the worse of the c-section would be about 30 to 60 seconds of heavy pressure where I wouldn't be able to breath as they pushed to get the baby out. I kept telling Ken to keep on talking to me as they worked; both Ken and I can't remember the dialog. Finally the doctor told Ken he could look over the curtain to see the baby. Ken said he had some tunnel vision going on as he looked over the curtain as they pulled the baby out. The doctor announced, "It's a boy!" The best sound in the world was his cry, which we had been waiting for, for so long. It brought us to tears and I told Ken to go over to him.

Gabriel Roland Sykes was born at 6:47 p.m. at 7 lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long with a full head of brown hair. He was extremely wrinkly, his nails were long, and he didn't have much vernix on him (the white waxy coating). The doctor explained there was some calcification of the placenta (aging). The doctor cut the umbilical cord long so Ken could trim it.

They sewed me up, which took about another 30 minutes. I was freezing cold and shaking uncontrollably after the surgery so they placed a hot air vest on me. After wheeling me back into the room, I finally was able to hold Gabe, such bliss.

Baby Sykes Video!

2011-11-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

Our photograph/video compilation is complete! Some of the images are almost 15-years old. Yep, Ken and I have been together for almost 15-years! Looking back, I am glad to be a shutterbug. There are so many memories created and to be had; I hope you enjoy the video. The video has been uploaded to you.tube, just click on the words BABY SYKES.

Baby Survey

2011-09-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

At the suggestion of my sister I created a survey to track what gender, weight, size, etc.. the baby will be. If you get a moment fill it out. Thanks!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GGDJDDF

Childbirth Preparation

2011-09-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today and yesterday evening, Ken and I attended St. Marks Hospital's Childbirth Preparation class. Having busy schedules, we opted for the intensive format instead of doing the six evening classes. The class was GREAT and we both feel more prepared than before. I don't think we will get to the point of feeling totally ready, but who is? The course covered the labor and delivery process, breathing and relaxation techniques, the birth partner's role, newborn and post-partum care, and a tour of the hospital's labor/delivery and post-partum rooms. We even made Play-Doh cervixes and dilated them.

Our trusty manual from the class.

The class had 10 couples include ourselves. As always there is the odd couple who brings up all sorts of weird questions. Don't get me wrong, it makes for interesting comeback lines from the instructor and wide-eyed classmates. We are now educated in hospital rules, as far as, taking your placenta with you in a "doggy bag" for later consumption... interesting.

Some of my favorite quotes worthy of sharing:

"Every time you put on a turtleneck sweater, you are birthing yourself." - Kim the Instructor. I nearly died trying not to laugh out loud, thinking about how hard it would be and how ridiculous someone would look trying to get a turtleneck sweater pulled down over their shoulders, LOL.

"Parenting, Just Do It."

After Ken placed on the pregnancy simulating vest, I asked, "Is this your Play-Doh baby?" (pointing to the dough he was molding). He replied, "I was working on it, but then I got pregnant, and now I don't do anything." ROTFL

The word "taco" has now become an acronym for Time Amount Color Odor in reference to someone's water breaking, how wonderful is that?

After a full day of learning, Ken even had enough energy to make up some delicious ribs for dinner (thanks Boo).

Ken's Play-Doh Baby.

The pregnancy simulating vest.

I think the instructor should of had the guys wear it for more than 15-minutes.

Bead Spiders

2011-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

My friend/neighbor, Amanda, taught me how to make these nifty bead spiders. I can hardly wait for Halloween to get here! I went a little crazy and bought a bunch of new beads for heads and abdomens... more creativity to ensue.

Ken likes this steampunk spider.

BABY BUMP

2011-08-29T20:02:00.001-07:00

There has been a multitude of requests to see a baby bump photograph, so here one is! :) I have to admit, my new favorite store is "a pea in the pod". I have a few tops that work as maternity clothes; however, my current inventory of shorts/pants/slacks are so uncomfortable (even using a belly belt (i.e., waist extender) or a BeBand (i.e., maternity band)).

My shoes still fit, although I do tend to have some swelling of my legs, ankles, and feet. No hand swelling, acne, or heartburn. I told Ken this morning the baby is already preparing us for waking-up throughout the night, since I now magically have a bladder the size of a pea.

The baby is very active in the night, kicking and rolling around. I blame Ken because of his "night owl" tendencies. I hope to have more photographs up soon; stay tuned.

Timp Tradition

2011-08-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

At 20 Weeks, Day 2, we continued the Timpanogos (a.k.a., Timp) hike tradition. So the story goes... Ginger's Mom did the hike (back-side of Timp) while in the first trimester with Ginger and Ken's Mom did the hike (to the cave) while in the second trimester with Ken. Being in the second trimester and not doing so hot in the first, I opted for the cave hike. The hike to Emerald Lake on the back-side of Timp is approximately a 16-mile round trip hike (yeee-ouch!). The trail to the cave consists of a 1.5-mile hike along a zigzag path climbing 1,065-feet to an elevation of 6,730-feet. The round trip to and through the caves and back down is 3.5-miles. Thank goodness there is a port-o-potty along the trail. We did the hike and tour early in the morning; therefore, we missed the heat of the day.

Ken, my Sherpa. He carried water, snacks, jackets, flashlights, and the camera.

Heart of Timpanogos.

Our Tour Guide and Jr. Ranger.

Salt and Pepper Shakers. Back in the day, these were the only cave formations you could touch; however, they've changed the rules and the salt and pepper shakers are now off limits.

K-I-C-K-S

2011-08-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is day 7 of week 19 (2nd trimester) and Ken was able to feel baby kicks by placing his hand on my tummy! They were good solid kicks; Ken thought I was flexing my stomach. I've got to hand it to Cafe Trang's Thai Green Curry Chicken for dinner... soooooo spicy! "Made with medium spice", yeah right; I finished off two large glasses of water at dinner.

I've been feeling movement very once in a while for the past couple of weeks. During our last check-up (last Thursday, August 4th), Dr. Horvath asked if I'd felt any "flutters" (this is also the term used on the baby forums). I replied, "I feel like I have worms."

Currently, the baby is the size of an heirloom tomato. We get a new food size tomorrow; so excited!

Bun in the Oven

2011-07-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 5 of Week 14 and we were able to listen to the baby's heartbeat for the first time at the doctor's office; the sound was AMAZING! Dr. Horvath said the heartbeat sounded good and strong. Ken taped the audio of the heartbeat and made a little video of it with a previous ultrasound picture of the baby; click here for the link.

It's been a long while since I've posted on the blog. I haven't even finished posted about our Japan trip. To catch people up on what's been going on, here are a few stories.

Planning Baby: Yes, the baby was planned; it took a while for my work trips to meet-up with the right time, but it eventually happened.

BFP (Big Fat Positive): I've been getting use to the forum acronyms. Being close to a week late, I told Ken we should do the test on Saturday (this is back in April). It was either the storm or mother-nature that woke me up at 2 a.m. Friday morning. Ken doesn't remember, but I told him I was taking the test. After waiting, two distinct lines appeared and I ran into the bedroom and said, "LOOK AT THIS!" practically shoving the test in Ken's face. Ken said something to the fact that he couldn't see and finally he realized what I was showing him. We were both excited and I found it tough to get back to sleep.

First Trimester: Talk about a rough go. I think they should officially change the word "morning sickness" to "pregnancy sickness." During the first trimester, I sometimes would be sick ALL DAY LONG; yeah, no fun. Also I hate my prenatal vitamins. I've been taking them for a while before the pregnancy and sometimes they would make me sick, well during the first three months, they did a great job of making me hate food. Just this week I received the okay from Dr. Horvath to start taking gummy prenatal vitamins (I hate swallowing pills and the other vitamins had 156% DV of iron, talk about causing problems). I have also been allowed to stop taking progesterone capsules. The dosage wasn't high, 200mg per day, but they still made me feel ill.

Boy or Girl: We are not going to find out until the birth! Ken and I decided we have been waited long enough to have a baby, what is a few more months of waiting to find out the gender? What about preparation? Currently our minds are thinking of doing a underwater/ocean theme to the room for the baby. There are plenty of non-gender items to buy and I don't mind greens, yellows, or browns. For those who want to do guessing: my neighbor-friend, Amanda, says my bump currently looks low; I was extremely nauseated and tired during the first three months; and I craved and still crave Cripps Pink apples and other fruits.

The Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Incident: I won't be eating mac-&-cheese for a very long time. During the first trimester, the only way I could feel decent was to have something in my stomach at all times. Ken has been great and has cooked or retrieved anything that I thought sounded good. One night I asked him for mac-&-cheese, which of course he whipped up. Our mistake, Ken placed the whole batch in a big bowl for me to eat from and I didn't know when to stop eating. I bowed down to the porcelain god; I think Ken thought I was dying. Worst night ever.

Funny Sayings: [Disclaimer: We BOTH thought these were funny at the time.]

Me to Ken: "I'm gonna poop out a loaf of bread, cuz I have a bun in the oven!"

Me: "I think it's a boy."

Ken: "Why?"

Me: "Because now I burp and fart a lot like you do!"

Me: "Hand me my towel."

Ken: "I think you've lost your pleases."

Ken to Me: "After dealing with all your whining and complaining, taking care of a baby that constantly cries and shits its self is going to be a piece of cake."

Here is the sonogram taken on June 15th, 2011, Day 6 of Week 11:

At this visit Dr. Horvath said the visible eye-sockets make the baby look like a little owl. At the time of the ultrasound the baby was about the size of a lime. Currently, the baby is suppose to be the size of a lemon.

Plum Blossoms

2011-05-02T21:02:00.001-07:00

I think it is my and Ken's destiny to view castles in the rain. Osaka castle was still beautiful in the rain and this time the plum orchard on the grounds was in bloom. We located some geocaches and toured the castle and grounds. I took oodles of plum blossom photographs, but have only chosen a few to share; enjoy.

SAMURAI TIME !!!

Plum orchard.

Made it to JAPAN!

2011-05-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

After a short flight from Taiwan, we arrived at the Kansai International Airport. We exchanged money, picked up some tourist information, and rode the train to the hotel. Our home-away-from home in Japan was once again the Hotel Monterey Osaka; Ken and I stayed at this same hotel in June of last year. The only difficult part about getting to the hotel is the maze of underground passageways from the train-station to the hotel. It was only until the last few days of our stay, did we finally get the hang of the signs and didn't have to do any backtracking.

On our first night, we ate at a restaurant in the Dotonbori. It was a rainy evening and the neon and mechanized signs, which the Dotonbori is so famous for, were powered-off to conserve energy because of the quake. The night ended well with the location of a geocache.

Kansai International Airport.

Heading to the hotel with luggage in tow.

Area where we found the geocache.

Leaving Taiwan

2011-05-02T12:54:00.001-07:00

Our time in Taiwan was short. We packed our belongings and made our way to Japan. On March 11th, 2011 while in Taipei, we heard from Helen's Dad via telephone an earthquake/tsunami had hit Japan. While eating snake in one of the night market restaurants, we watched the destruction unfold on a TV inside the restaurant; water enveloping everything, debris, fires, and so much loss of life.

The next day, The China Post reported, "8.9-magnitude quake ravages Japan - 5th largest quake in the last 100 years, equal to impact of 11,000 atomic bombs, sets off 23-foot high tsunami". The quake was later increased to 9.0 from 8.9, has shortened Earth's day by just over one-millionth of a second (1.8 microsecond), and shifted the Earth's axis by ~6.5 inches. Such POWER!

Ken spent hours on the phone making calls regarding our Japan plans. News from Osaka was promising, our flights were changed from touching down in Narita International Airport (Tokyo) to Kansai International Airport (Osaka). We arrived in Japan on March 15th, 2011, four days after the quake.

Master Packer.

The following are images from the Taoyuan International Airport.

The "Taiwan Green Wall", which measures 12.2 meters (40 feet), covers an area of ~36 square meters, and is made up of over three thousand different varieties of plants.

Our ride to Japan.

Us as Taiwanese aborigines.

Mom and Dad :)

The terminals in the airport are very elaborate.

The port town of Danshuei, Taiwan

2011-05-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

We traveled by boat to reach the port town of Danshuei (Danshui). This historic town has remnants of the island's European colonial history. In Danshuei, we met up with more of Helen's family, took in the sites of the town, and of course, we tried more Taiwanese street food. There was no holding back on trying new food (read below to find out more).

Deep-fried, spiced, potato on a stick.

Hmmmmm... this looks interesting...

Pig's blood cake: sticky rice and hot pig's blood is formed into a flat cake and is cut into rectangular pieces and skewered. It is usually garnished with soy sauce, hot sauce, powdered peanut, and cilantro.

Sugarcane juice.

Spicy mini snails.

The mini snails were great!

Quail egg covered in mini fish.

Bust of one of Taiwan's most famous foreign residents, Canadian missionary and benefactor George Leslie Mackay (1844-1901). Locals call this "the cuttlefish statue."

Danshuei Church, built by Mackay; however, there is not much left of the original structure.

Eating more food...

Red bean filled pastries.

Longshan Temple, Taiwan

2011-04-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

After visiting Taipei 101 we headed to Longshan (Dragon Mountain) Temple, one of Taiwan's oldest and most important temples. Originally built in 1738, often hailed as Taiwan's Forbidden City, the temple is the best preserved of its kind in Taiwan. The temple is famous for the exquisite detail of its stone sculptures, woodcarvings, and bronze-work.

Taipei 101

2011-04-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Taipei 101 building has 101 stories above ground and five underground. The building holds the world records in 2004 for: ground to structural top [508-m (1,667-ft)] and fastest ascending elevator speed [16.83-m/s (37.5-miles/hr)]. The building's design is meant to symbolize the growth of bamboo, with each shoot unfolding from the one below. Our journey to Taipei 101 began with a ride on a high-speed train, a ride on the Metro, and a short walk.

Train station.

Metro coin; this is the first time I've seen re-usable coins for public transportation.

Geocaching in Taipei; it took some time but Ken finally located the cache.

The International Flora Exposition was occurring while in Taipei; I think that is a giant bulb creature.

Taipei 101.

Inside of the Taipei 101 building.

View from the observation deck.

The steel pendulum that serves as a tuned mass damper. The damper is suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor and sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong gusts. Its sphere, the largest damper in the world, consists of 41 circular steel plates, each with a height of 125-mm (4.92-in) being welded together to form a 5.5-m (18-ft) diameter sphere.

View from the observation deck.

Ken next to the world's tallest Gemstone Coral (width: 131-cm (4.3-ft), height: 141-cm (4.6-ft)). This Gemstone Coral tree comes from 200-m (656-ft) below the Pacific Ocean, North-East of Taiwan. Gemstone Coral takes 10-years to grow 1-cm.

Status screen in the elevator.

Another geocache found in a park across the street from the Taipei 101 building.

Title: LOVE (2002) by Robert Indiana (USA).

Taiwan's Night Markets

2011-04-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Let The FOODENING begin! Helen and Sandy weren't joking when they said there was going to be a lot of eating going on in Taiwan. In the evenings, we hit Taiwan's night markets with Helen and Sandy's family and started tasting everything suggested! Below are photographs from three of the night markets we visited.

Feng Chia Night Market - Situn District, Taichung City

A search on information regarding this market showed this market may be the biggest in Taiwan, with an estimated 15,000 shops, restaurants, and stalls and around thirty to forty thousand shoppers on weekday evenings. Taichung is Taiwan's third largest city. This is the first night market we visited, during our first day in Taiwan; I have to admit, I was taken back by the sheer number of people and shops.

Jeremiah happy to find spiced corn on the cob.

CLAW MACHINE OVERLOAD!

Ken and boba!

Boba (a.k.a. "pearl milk tea" or "bubble tea"): milk tea with tapioca on the bottom.

B-O-B-A time!!!

The guys in their Yamaha jackets.

Famous stinky tofu.

Stinky tofu (or chou doufu): tofu marinated in a fermented brine and then usually deep fried (it can also be steamed or grilled). An internet search to discover the the ingredients of the brine was not promising; however, I found most brines consist of fermented vegetables plus any of the following additions: milk, meat, greens, dried shrimp, Chinese herbs, and/or bamboo shoots.

My take on stinky tofu? Poor, poor soybean curd; I don't even recognize you! The adjective"stinky" is an understatement; walking the night markets, one knows a stinky tofu vendor stand is coming-up even before seeing it. At least I can say, "I've tried it" and the next time I encounter it, I am going to take a pass (sorry Sandy; on a positive note this means there is more for you!).

Huasi (Huaxi) Tourist Night Market - Taipei City

This market is located near Longshan Temple and is famously known as Snake Alley. In early days, Huasi Street was the red-light district in Taipei. How can you go to Snake Alley without eating snake? We couldn't resist! The snake was covered in a teriyaki-type glaze and was super tough; I don't think I will be requesting to eat snake again for a while.

Shops are lined-up on both sides of the 352-meter (0.22-miles) covered walkway.

S-N-A-K-E

After eating the snake, we were permitted to take a photograph with the albino snake displayed at the entry of the restaurant (before, photographs were forbidden).

We returned on a high-speed train.

Shihlin Night Market - Taipei City

This market is one of the largest night markets in Taipei and it is famous for its various eateries selling authentic Taiwanese snacks. Even after snacking all day, we continued to snack into the night. :)

Sausage wrapped in glutinous rice (Asian version of a hot dog).

The making of oyster omelets.

Oyster omelet: made from fresh oysters, eggs, and vegetables.

Sparerib soup with Chinese medicine: herbal stew of ribs in a soup stock, which usually includes more than ten varieties of Chinese herbal medicines.

Goodbye night markets, I shall return.

Images of Jhongli City, Taiwan

2011-04-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

I captured a lot of photographs of Jhongli or Zhongli City; below are few I've chosen to share, including a few of my birthday cake (thanks Helen!). Our hotel was in walking distance to food, shopping, and the city's night market. I LOVE night markets, they remind me of a Japanese festival mixed with a shopping arcade and they go all... night... long... (yes ladies, eat your heart out). Night markets are a cornucopia of vendors: food, clothing, children's games, you name it, you might just find it at a night market. The variety of food is astonishing and most street-food is on a stick or comes with one. Okay, enough with the night market talk, there will be posts later on regarding us visiting some of the most famous in Taiwan.

Scooters were everywhere, more numerous than cars. We were told the street lights are suggestions (not the law); however, with the number of vehicles on the road, we didn't see any accidents (wish I could say the same regarding Utah drivers on the I-15).

SWEET SHOP! YUM!

Buns with shredded pork on-top; very tasty.

Taiwan sweets; although they look sugary, the sweetness was very subtle.

We found the McDonalds; the sausage McMuffin with egg was close to the U.S. version; however, the bun was way to soft and unburnt to be the same.

B-D-A-Y C-A-K-E ! ! !

Ken punched the hell out of this video game machine.

Mail-lady... of course on a SCOOTER!

Yeah, that is a BIG noodle bowl.

Renhai Temple - it is noted for its traditional Chinese temple architecture.

The night market!

Shop after shop, down the middle of the road.

Smoke shops were everywhere. We were told they are usually staffed with an attractive young girl to entice costumers to chose their shop over the one down the road.

Jungli Chinatrust Hotel

2011-04-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

After a rushed transfer in SFO we made it onto our China Airlines flight to Taiwan. We arrived tired but excited for new adventures. That morning we traveled to the households of Helen's family and we were able to meet some of her relatives. Much thanks goes out to her and her family for making us feel welcome and for their generous hospitality. Our accommodations in Taiwan were at the Jungli Chinatrust Hotel in Zhongli City, Taoyuan County. Next to come... photographs from the area near the hotel. Enjoy.

Taoyuan International Airport.

Our hotel.

Sign just outside the hotel.

Night view of our hotel.

Our room was large compared to those in Japan.

Views of the city from our room.

L-O-V-E

2011-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jeremiah and Helen! On March 13, 2011, we celebrated their marriage at the hotel Chateau de Chine in Taipei County, Taiwan. My new sister-in-law was so beautiful in all of her gowns for the evening and my brother could not stop smiling; I am so happy for them.

Basement Escapee

2010-12-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas turkey must have awakened the Halloween beast chained in the basement. Geeeesh Ken, just let him believe having the short end of wishbone is a good thing...

Friends once again.

Zoo Lights

2010-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

This lion fountain is so old; I remember it from my childhood zoo visits.

Hey, where is his RED NOSE?!

We heard someone took a $5 dare and touched the flame guard of the heater, so the joke of the night was "I will give you $5 if you __(fill in the blank)__."

The cold drives people crazy; why do you think Yetis eat bunnies?

"All your base are belong to us"

2010-12-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

We met up with friend, Ryk, and his gang for a few games of laser tag at the Incredible Pizza Company. We haven't played laser tag in a L-O-N-G time! The Blue Team rocked the Red Team (of course we were on the Blue Team)! Each time our group played there was a few little people running around gunning us; kids are brutal! Once you've been hit, they stalk you and wait for you to reset, just to shoot you again!

The arena.

Ken and Ryk ready to defend our base.

Deep Fried Bird

2010-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving we did things a little different and we deep fried the turkey! The turkey turned out great; it didn't take FOREVER to cook, the skin was golden brown, the meat was nice and juicy, and it wasn't greasy. The only downside? The clean-up took a lot of time. I am a big fan of turkey and will chose it over ham, chicken, or beef. I have a turkey unthawing for Christmas right now. :)

Ken injected the bird with a mix of Italian spices. I think Ken was happy to have a reason to get some more kitchen gadgets (i.e., another electronic kitchen thermometer and a marinade injector).

Dad made up the cranberry salsa; it has jalapeños in it (I love spicy!).

OH YEAH!

So, I am in trouble for taking this photograph and now, I am in MORE trouble for posting it... HAHAHAHAHA!

Cobh, Ireland

2010-12-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

On a cold, icy Sunday morning, we took the train to the Irish port of Cobh (pronounced "Cove"), formerly known as Queenstown. It was very early in the morning, hence the photographs with little or no people, we couldn't find any coffee until we were almost ready to go back to Cork, and we visited a church and a few memorials. On April 11, 1912, Cobh was the last port of call of the R.M.S. Titanic; we visited the memorial. It is a little haunting to know passengers boarded tenders here which ferried them out to the Titanic. In addition to the Titanic memorial, the R.M.S. Lusitania is also remembered in the town of Cobh. She was torpedoed by a U-boat on May 7, 1915 and sank in 18-minutes; many of her victims are buried close by.

Kent Station.

Funny billboard near the train station.

Inside of Kent Station.

Titanic Memorial.

Lusitania Memorial.

St. Colman's Cathedral.

Images of Cork, Ireland

2010-12-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

My posts are full of images and this one isn't different. Being miles away, I find capturing the moment with a photograph allows me to share a glimpse of my travels with family and friends, who I am missing. Below is a collection of photographs taken over the course of two weeks I spent in Cork.

Sunrise from my hotel room.

City Hall (located across the street from my hotel).

McDonalds. For dinner one night, I had a Big Mac and french fries, it tasted just like the McDonalds at home and in Japan.

Gateway to food... each night we went out to find food in Cork we walked down this street.

Patrick Street.

Living statue street performers.

St. Patrick's Church.

While in Ireland, I saw lots of rain, gloomy dark days, wind (strong enough to break umbrellas), and surprisingly... SUN!

Wrangler and wedding dresses, oh yeah.

The store, Brown Thomas... I like this store, just ask Ken.

View from the taxi on the way to work.

A little out of place, but I love food and I wanted to share a photograph of pavlova, soooooooo sweet and tasty!

Kinsale, Ireland

2010-12-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

We took the bus to Kinsale to do a little shopping, sightseeing, and dinner. I enjoyed the town and I hope you enjoy the photographs.

The mascot for the bus line is an Irish Setter instead of a Greyhound. :)

Tidbit of information: "Desmond Castle was built by Maurice Bacach Fitzgerald, the Earl of Desmond, c. 1500. Originally built as the Kinsale Custom House, it has also served as an ordnance store, prison and during the Great Irish Famine, as a workhouse."

Automatic toilet; strange. Jeremiah says they have them in San Francisco, but I don't remember seeing them. Guess, I should be more observant.

For dinner we ate at the Fishy Fishy Restaurant; all of their fish is caught locally.

Our meal consisted of:

Seafood Chowder (shellfish and tomato stock, flavoured with tarragon and coriander, finished with a mix of local fish);

Steamed Local Mussels with fresh basil and lemon butter; and

Platter of Oak Smoked Salmon (above).

The food was superb (best seafood chowder I've ever eaten) and I would definitely make the trip to Kinsale again for another meal at this restaurant.

Kissing the Stone...

2010-12-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

On a rainy afternoon, I climbed the steep steps of Blarney Castle and kissed the Stone of Eloquence. Was the stone filthy? Most likely. Did I get sick? No.

The Blarney Castle we viewed, is the third to have been erected on the site. It was built by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster in 1446, of which the keep still remains standing.

Steps leading to the Blarney Stone.

The Stone is set in the wall below the battlements and to kiss it, one has to lay down on the parapet walk, lean backwards, and hold onto an iron railing.

View from the top of the castle.

The Blarney House, completed in 1874.

The castle grounds has a landscape garden known as the Rock Close with a collection of massive boulders and rocks. The garden felt strangely ancient, like being in a fairytale. This photograph is me in the Witches Kitchen.

The sacrificial stone is situated so the first rays of the sun, through gaps in the surrounding rocks, strike at the appointed time for sacrifice. SPOOKY!

Saturday in Ireland

2010-12-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

On Saturday before we took the bus to Blarney, we visited the English Market and the Quay Market in Cork. The English Market is an indoor market with butcher, cheese, and produce stalls. The Quay Market is an outdoor market, sort of like a flea market.

The food in Ireland reminds me a lot of the good eats I had in Denmark; good meat, excellent cheese, and delicious desserts. I must admit, I might have come back to the U.S. a little heavier, eating well, working, and no time for serious exercise (I always pack my gym clothes, then feel guilty I wasted the luggage weight). Enjoy the photographs of the markets...

Hamburger = Steak Mince.

The cheese stalls made me miss our Harmons Cheesemonger, Shauna.

Tempting chocolate.

More cheese, it's EVERYWHERE!

Cork, Ireland

2010-11-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

I've been in Ireland for five days and want to share the following slang I've come across while here:

gauntlets = gowning sleeves for processing,

rubbish bin = waste/trash bin,

canteen = cafeteria,

car boot sale = trunk sale, and

mozzies = mosquitoes.

Update:

"DINE in CORK" restaurant week is occurring while I am here! The city's top restaurants are offering a special promotional rate of €25 per person for traditional three course dinner menus with tea and coffee. PERFECT! On Thursday, we (Linda, Harold, and myself) had a fabulous meal at the Cornstore Wine Bar & Grill. I ate:

Portabello Flat Mushrooms with basil pesto, rocket salad and grated parmesan.

Rich Duck Liver Pate with apple and grape chutney, toasted sour dough bread.

Roast Haunch of Venison with beetroot confit.

Eton Mess with fresh raspberries and passion fruit coulis.

Side Note: If you decide to go with the "fried potatoes", instead of a side of rice at a Chinese restaurant in Cork, you'll be served French fries (I have seen it).

After dinner on Thursday, my friend/co-worker, Harold, managed to locate our first Irish geocache (GC2F4WQ - Knee of the Lee)! We had attempted to find two other geocaches without any luck (I need to locate a four-leaf clover to carry around); these city caches are difficult. However, our Blackberrys and my iPhone took us to the right place. The cache was near the amazing looking Trinity Church.

The Emerald Isle

2010-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well blog readers (I hope I have a few fans left out there), after nearly 19-hours of travel time, I made it to Ireland! First impression of Ireland: wet, cold, and green.

Since my last blog, I have made three business trips to Colorado and one training trip to California. I regret not having time to update the blog with our experiences in Tokyo; if you'd like to hear a few stories, we have plenty to share.

As for this business trip I am currently on, I flew into the Paris-Charles De Gaulle, France airport for the first time. OK, talk about a HUGE airport and confusing! My layover was ~3-hours, no panic, right? WRONG... The plane lands in France and we exit onto the tarmac out in the elements; everyone boards a shuttle bus and we are transferred to Terminal 2, which has seven sub-terminals. Connecting flights are listed by departure time, on ~nine different screens; my flight is not on any of the screens (I kept on looking over them, thinking I was too tired to figure it out)... this area has no information booths or any airport personnel to question... I took an escalator to the next level and located the Delta counter (YES!). After explaining I required communication in English, I discovered I needed to be in Terminal 1, which required another shuttle ride. The person at the counter could not give me the gate number nor could they give me a boarding pass (when I left Utah, I was given one of those tickets stating a boarding pass must be obtained at the gate or at the counter). The shuttle ride to Terminal 1 was like a bus ride to another city. After exiting the shuttle, an employee checked my pseudo ticket and explained my flight was in Section 10 to 18 of the terminal. Access to Section 10-18 requires going through another security check, well this is a problem in France if you don't have an actual boarding pass. The supervisor over the security checkpoint had to grant me access. The gate associated with my flight wasn't assigned until it was close to the boarding time; up until this point, the gate has been empty and I am waiting with no boarding pass. My stress was relieved when the employee at the gate handed me my boarding pass. In the end, the flight left late due to weather and I fell asleep on the plane.

For this two week trip in Ireland, I am staying at the Clarion Hotel in Cork. It reminds me a lot of my hotel in Denmark, since it is right next to a river channel (in this instance, I am next to the River Lee South Channel). Below are a few pictures of my accommodations:

View from my balcony.

Those two ovals above the toilet are for flushing (i.e., large oval for a big flush and mini oval for a little flush - how environmentally friendly).

I am missing everyone back in the States; check back for an update...

Train to Tokyo & Hotel Monterey Akasaka - Hotel #6

2010-08-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

We packed up once again and headed to the subway. I was nearing the end of my fourth week in Japan and I was sick and tired of moving luggage; Ken was a trooper and my lifesaver when we moved from hotel to hotel.

Hotel Monterey Akasaka was our last hotel in Japan. The hotel was conveniently only one mile from the Imperial Palace and being the third Monterey hotel we'd stayed at it, the accommodations felt very familiar.

Hotel lobby.

Our room.

Last Day in Kyoto

2010-08-15T19:13:00.001-07:00

We tried to make the most out of our last day in Kyoto by visiting a variety of temples. We rode the JR Sagano Line to the Hanazono Station and began our journey...

Our first stop was Myoshin-ji, a walled-off complex of temples and subtemples.

Tall Ken!

Ninna-ji, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, was built in 888. It was formerly called the Old Imperial Palace of Omuro as it served as a residence for the ex-emperor. The temple is now noted as the headquarters of Omuro School of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism.

Five-story pagoda from the 17th century.

Ryoan-ji is home to a simple rock garden, which is acknowledged to be one of the masterpieces of Japanese culture. The rock garden was said to be created at the end of the 15th century during the Muromachi Period by a highly respected Zen monk, Tokuho Zenketsu.

The rock garden, consisting only of white gravel and fifteen rocks, is Japan's most famous hira-niwa (a flat garden void of hills or ponds). The rock garden is surrounded by low earthen walls made of clay boiled in oil.

After meditating at the rock garden we cooled off by eating some vanilla and green-tea ice cream; it was actually very tasty!

Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion), also known as Rokuon-ji, is a three-story pavilion covered in bright gold leaf and features a bronze phoenix on top of the roof.

The building consists of three types of architecture. The 1st floor is Shinden-zukuri, palace style; the 2nd floor is Buke-zukuri, samurai house style; the 3rd floor is Karayo style, Zen temple style.

After viewing the temple and the gardens, the rain started to pour down. Already somewhat drenched, we hailed a taxi and rode the rest of the way to the train station.

In the evening we visited the Gion District, the famous entertainment and geisha quarter on the eastern bank of the Kamo-gawa. Unfortunately we didn't see any geisha.

Interesting advertising in a storefront.

The night was pleasant and I was able to take some night photographs of the Kamo-gawa.

Mishima-tei Restaurant - Kyoto

2010-08-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Mishima-tei Restaurant was identified by the guide books as an inexpensive place to sample sukiyaki; I'd hate to see what the prices are at an expensive sukiyaki restaurant. Our meals were prepared in front of us in a private room - loved it. We ordered two meals: tokutoku-sen sukiyaki and tokutoku-sen mizudaki, both were first class meats, 160-grams (0.35-lbs), at a cost of ¥9,933 each - yeah, a little steep, but worth it.

Please push to call for service... we had an electronic bell.

They gave us disposable bibs to wear! Ken was so ready to eat.

The sukiyaki dish was first; the sliced meat and vegetables are cooked, then you dip them into raw egg, and eat 'em!

Ken ready for round two...

The mizudaki dish was next; the sliced meat and vegetables are boiled in water and then you dip them into a vinegar flavored broth.

So full of good food!

Photograph of meat at the butcher store next to the restaurant.

Gotta love the peace sign when your in Japan!

NARA

2010-08-04T19:52:00.002-07:00

Nara was the capital of Japan, called Heijokyo, from 710 to 784. They say Japanese flock to Nara because it gives them the feeling they're communing with ancestors; foreigners come to Nara because Nara offers a glimpse of a Japan that was.

We visited Nara Park on a very hot and humid day. Ugh, we were both in a bad mood at the end of the day; exhausted and tired from walking all day in the heat, sick of being soaked in sweat drenched clothes, and having gone with out food for hours (my bad). Would we do it all over again? YES, of course, but now we know what to expect! I would definitely bring more mini towels, Febreze, and Under Armour HeatGear.

I took oodles of photographs and have tried to narrow them down to the best.

Three-Story Pagoda.

Five-Story Pagoda.

Tokon-do Hall.

Hitchhiker.

Great Bell.

Nigatsu-do Hall.

We rode the subway and the train to Nara. Above is the subway map, which is easy to decipher, using the machine to pay for a ticket (below) is a whole different matter.

Subway ticket machine.

These signs were strange! One reads, "I carry a 700°C fire in my hand with people walking all around me." and the other reads, "Your seat should only be as wide as your bottom, not the width of your spread legs."

Gardens - Nara

2010-08-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

Isuien Garden.

Yoshikien Garden.

Todai-ji Temple - Nara

2010-08-04T19:51:00.001-07:00

The centrepiece of Nara is the Great Buddha (Daibutsu), housed in Todai-ji Temple, and is said to be Japan's single most impressive sight (so true!). Todai-ji Temple is designated as a World Heritage Site by the UN and Todai-ji's Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha) is the largest wooden building in the world. The present Daibutsu, recast in the Edo period, stands over 16m (52.5ft) high and consists of 437 tonnes of bronze and 130kg of gold.

For ¥100 we discovered our fortune by shaking a bamboo canister until a wooden stick with a number came out; the number corresponds to a piece of paper; our paper reads, "[General Explanation] Your fortune contains a sign of success as if a dragon is looking for his way to the sky. [A Legal Case] Things will be unfavorable to you only in the beginning. [Trade] Good in selling. So-so in buying. [Travel] It is recommendable for you to take travel, but be careful during your travel. [Competition] You will eventually win but it will take time."

Gate around Todai-ji Temple.

Todai-ji Temple.

The Great Buddha (Daibutsu).

Nio guardians. These fierce-looking restored wooden statues were carved in the 13th century by the sculptor Unkei and are considered some of the finest wooden statues in all of Japan.

This wooden column has a hole through its base. Popular belief maintains those who can squeeze through the hole, which is exactly the same size as one of the Great Buddha's nostrils, are ensured of enlightenment.

I think I could of fit through...

Deer - Nara

2010-08-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ken can vouch the deer in the park were my favorite attraction, hehe! The park is home to about 1,200 deer, which in old times were considered to be messengers of the gods. These free-roaming, sacred, deer are one of the symbols of Nara and today enjoy the status of national treasures. We purchased some special biscuits called shika-sembei from vendors to feed the deer. The deer were very pushy when asking for hand-outs (i.e., biting and tugging at Ken's shirt). Ken thought the deer biscuits smelled bad, so I ended up carrying them throughout the park. :P

Funny sign warning people of the deer.

DEER ATTACK!

Me with Sento-kun, the official mascot character for the Commemorative Events of the 1,300th Anniversary of the Nara-Heijokyo Capital.

Kasuga Grand Shrine - Nara

2010-08-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Kasuga Grand Shrine is designated as a World Heritage Site by the UN. This shrine is famous for ~1,000 bronze lanterns and ~2,000 stone lanterns, which are all lit twice a year.

Heading to the shrine...

feeding deer along the way.

Kasuga Grand Shrine.

Hotel Monterey Kyoto - Hotel #5

2010-08-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

We moved from the ryokan to the Hotel Monterey Kyoto, which, like the other Hotel Monterey, was very nice.

The lobby was way posh!

Purple floors!

Nijo Castle - Kyoto

2010-08-04T16:34:00.001-07:00

Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. The entire site is a World Heritage Site and of unique historical significance. To safeguard against treachery, Ieyasu had the interior fitted with 'nightingale' floors (intruders were detected by the squeaking boards) and concealed chambers where bodyguards could keep watch. When walking through the corridors of Ninomaru Palace we heard the squeaks, it was neat!

Ken at the Momoyama-era Kara-mon gate.

Ninomaru Palace (National Treasure). It has 33 rooms and over 800 tatami mats (straw mats used in traditional Japanese rooms).

When entering a palace in Japan you remove your shoes; areas with numbered cubbies for your shoes were common.

Honmaru Palace (Inner Palace) was added to the castle complex in 1626 upon the orders of the third Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu.

Kyoto International Manga Museum

2010-08-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

This museum has a collection of some 300,000 manga (Japanese comic books) and is located in an old elementary school building. The museum also has galleries showing the historical development of manga, original artwork done in manga style, and artists drawing manga. Although most of manga is in Japanese, they had an English section and I found some InuYasha manga, YES!

Train Station - Osaka to Kyoto

2010-08-04T15:26:00.001-07:00

I've included a few video's of the shinkansen (bullet train) we rode to Kyoto from Osaka.

Our train arriving.

When we arrived in Kyoto we ate at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant at the train station. Our luggage was so large the waitress was wide-eyed when she saw all of it. There was no room for our luggage next to our seats, so the waitress stored it near one of prep-stations within eyesight.

Hiiragiya Ryokan - Traditional Japanese Room - Kyoto

2010-07-29T20:22:00.003-07:00

Ken had made reservations for us to stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. It wasn't until we arrived at the Kyoto train station that I had some sense into what he had planned. We rode the shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto (a short ride when your riding a bullet).

When we arrived at the train station, we must have looked lost, because a Yoda-sized man in a robe asked if we needed help. We explained we were looking for the information center. He said to us, "I am walking information." Ken showed him the name of the hotel from the guide book; his response was, "Very expensive!" He explained any taxi driver would recognize the name of the hotel and we wouldn't have any trouble getting there. He gave us some maps, we thanked him, and after taking another look at the map, we looked up, and he was gone (it was like he had disappeared). After getting our bearings and gathering-up our luggage, we saw the Yoda-guide had found some other obviously lost foreigners, lol.

Ken booked a room at the Hiiragiya Ryokan. This two story wooden ryokan was founded in 1818 and is one of the finest ryokans in Kyoto. He also had reserved some private time in the public bath at the inn. To top everything off, we even had our own personal room attendant; she spoke little to no English, which made the experience even more interesting and authentic feeling. Enjoy the photographs.

We were in room 34.

After arriving, we were served green tea, cold tea, and a small snack. In addition, the owner personally thanked us for staying at the inn. She taught us the word for "thank-you" used in Kyoto, which is "ōkini". People in Kyoto were happily surprised when we used the word ōkini.

The flowers in our room were real and smelled wonderful.

We had our own mini garden!

What does this door go to...

ah ha, the toilet! We also were given bathroom slippers! The toilet was high tech (i.e., it would open and close on its own, had a light, seat warmer included, etc.).

Toilet control panel...

and more buttons!

Toilet instruction sheet.

Screen near our door.

The calligraphy (above) reads, "See the winter sky through the pine trees."

Nicely folded yukatas were waiting for Ken and me.

Our en suite Japanese wood bath of aromatic fir.

The bath had already been prepared and was full of hot water.

Hiiragiya Ryokan - Bath

2010-07-29T20:22:00.001-07:00

The ryokan has "family baths" and Ken reserved some private time in one of them. The Japanese-style bath is as follows: you sit on a little wooden stool, get all lathered up, and rinse by filling up a little wooden bucket with water from a faucet that is mounted really low to the floor and then pouring the water onto yourself. After washing they have a wall mounted shower head where you rinse well before soaking in the wood bath. The wood bath smelled so good and the water was really hot.

We were in Japan during the rainy season; it was extremely hot and humid. After walking through the city and sweating A LOT (yeah, gross), the bath felt great and relaxing.

Ken in his Yukata chillin' before dinner in our sitting nook.

Our room attendant helping me with my obi.

Getting ready for dinner.

Hiiragiya Ryokan - Dinner

2010-07-29T20:21:00.001-07:00

Hiiragiya Ryokan serves the finest Kyoto-style Japanese "kaiseki" (formal, traditional Japanese cuisine) on lacquer ware and Kyoto-crafted ceramics. Our dinner was served to us in our room by our room attendant. She provided us with a menu in English, which listed and described each of the dishes, and then the dishes started coming (the menu is based on the season's ingredients;there is no choosing). What would one of my posts be without photographs? ENJOY...

Appetizer (Sakizuke): Tofu pudding with adzuki beans, sea urchin, pea sauce, wasabi;

Sushi of horse mackerel, ginger; and

Octopus, cucumber, Japanese ginger, plum vinegar.

Sake.

Close-up of the octopus, cucumber, Japanese ginger, plum vinegar.

Simmered Dishes (Nimono-Wan): Clear-soup with paste of pike eel, oriental pickling melon, pickled ume plum, lave, yuzu citrus.

Sashimi Dishes (Mukouzuke): Sea bream, lightly grilled pike eel, scallop, taro stem, young perilla stems, gourd, Japanese white radish, Japanese ginger, wasabi.

Featured Dishes (Hassun): Grilled salmon soaked in Saikyo-miso, steamed fish paste noodles, prawn, corn, sea bream bound together with egg, steamed green soybeans and lily root, board shaped sea urchin, broad bean.

Grilled Dishes (Yakizakana): Grilled sweet fish, ginger stick, water pepper vinegar.

Poor whittle fish didn't have a chance.

Cold Dishes (Hiyashimono) - left: Summer roll-beef, onion, mibuna cress, tomato, asparagus, wasabi-tartar sauce.

Middle of Dishes (Hashiyasume) - right: Fig, sesame.

Simmered Dishes (Takiawase): Abalone, Kamo-eggplant, kidney bean, carrot, miso, kinome (young leaves of the Japanese pepper).

Deep-fried Dishes (Age-Mono): Sea bass, fu (wheat gluten), kidney bean, shiitake mushroom, dried tangle shavings sauce for dipping tempura, salt.

Soup (Tome-Wan): Aka-miso soup with yuba (skin of soybean milk), spaghetti squash, mitsuba (Japanese herb), Japanese pepper.

Rice (Gohan): Rice mixed sweet fish.

Pickles (Kou-No-Mono): Eggplant, Japanese white radish with sesame, cucumber.

Dessert (Mizu-Mono): Grape, loquat, cherry, mint jelly.

A full Ken.

Time for bed! The bedding was cleverly hidden in a closet in the room.

After making the bed, the room attendant left a covered tray in the room...

I guess it is time to make tea for Ken!!!

Our garden at night.

Hiiragiya Ryokan - Breakfast

2010-07-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

There was a cornucopia of food for breakfast. We requested to have a Japanese breakfast instead of a Western breakfast; it turned out to be a good choice. There was no menu for breakfast, so your guess is as good as mine as to what the dishes are.

The wooden container on the left was steaming and held tofu and broth; the dark wooden container on the right held rice.

Mini fish!

The soup had mini clams.

Zuboraya - Blowfish Restaurant - Osaka

2010-07-29T15:46:00.001-07:00

From the observation platform of Tsutenkaku tower we could see a blowfish restaurant. We both agreed to give it a try; how exciting!

The blowfish restaurant, Zuboraya, is on the left.

Our first dish (¥1,400) contained blowfish skin (front-right), sashimi blowfish (back), and some other piece of the blowfish (front-left). I really liked the sashimi blowfish.

SAKE!!!

Our second dish (¥1,050) contained kara-age (deep-fried) blowfish.

Since blowfish wasn't weird enough, we ordered s-n-a-i-l-s.

The snail was horrible tasting. I ate mine first and then it was Ken's turn, muhahahahaha...

After leaving the restaurant, we felt great and did not have numb lips.

Tsutenkaku Tower - Osaka

2010-07-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tsutenkaku means "tower reaching heaven." The tower was built in 1912; however, it was dismantled in 1943 to supply iron for the war. The present tower is the second one, constructed in 1956 by the local citizens.

The height of the tower is 103 meters (338 feet).

Billiken, the God of Good Luck, is a popular figure at Tsutenkaku. He was everywhere, even on the ceiling of the tower elevator (photograph above). It is believed that if you rub the soles of his feet, your wish will be fulfilled. We rubbed a lot of Billiken feet while in Japan!

Panoramic view from the observation platform, 91 meters high (298.5 feet).

Billiken in a soccer jersey. At this point in time, Japan was still playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Book of Eli Billiken.

Making a wish!!!

Ken found this cool strength game at the tower and gave it a try...

The average of the right and left hand was 66 kg (145.5 lbs)!

Ken's score is shown as the yellow star outlined in red above the norm, LOL!

The big octagonal clock on the east side of the tower is Japan's biggest clock; it measures 5.5 meters (18 feet) in diameter and the minute hand is 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) long and weighs 30 kg (66 lbs).

Osaka Castle

2010-07-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

Osaka Castle was built as a display of power by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after he achieved his goal of unifying Japan. One hundred thousand workers toiled for three years to construct an 'impregnable' granite castle, finishing the job in 1583. The present structure is a 1931 concrete reconstruction of the original, which was extensively renovated in 1997.

When we visited the castle it was raining hard and we only had one small umbrella. My right shoulder and Ken's left shoulder were getting soaking wet. We found this small shop (photograph below) on the way to the castle and Ken purchased two new clear umbrellas. The two old women in the shop laughed when Ken used the words "big" (ookii) and "small" (chiisai) in Japanese when referring to our umbrella and the ones he was purchasing.

Aoyamon Gate; this gate is located at the north entrance of Osaka Castle, built in the early Edo period, probably around 1620. Damaged in 1868 (massive fire) and in 1945 (bombings), the gate we saw was rebuilt in 1969.

Inner moat.

Ken standing in front of the stone known as Takoishi, literally, an octopus stone, which is the largest stone in the Osaka Castle, measuring 59.43 m² (639.70 ft²) in surface area and 108t in estimated weight.

The eight-story keep (donjon) rises 39 meters (130 feet), with an observation platform on the top floor.

When purchasing tickets for attractions in Japan you often use vending machines instead of giving your money to a person.

Views from the observation platform.

We paid ¥300 and Ken donned samurai gear.

Lunch!

Ken is chiisai next to the castle.

Shitennoji Temple - Osaka

2010-07-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

Shitennoji Temple was founded ~1,400 years ago. It is the first and therefore, the oldest, officially established Buddhist temple in Japan. Although the wooden structures have been destroyed repeatedly through the centuries by fire and war, the buildings have been reconstructed as they were in the 6th century.

Ken looking like Miroku from InuYasha.