Oops. (しまった。)

You know your posting schedule is getting bad when your grandma starts getting tetchy.

Though I admit that my grandma is a lot more likely to call me out on these things than your average friendly elderly lady.

But hey. It's... encouraging?

Anyway.

As I have just gotten back from Kyoto and have work today, you're all getting a very, very condensed recap of the past week... or so.

1. Getting a re-entry permit in Yokkaichi is the easiest thing ever.

Seriously. It took, no exaggeration or hyperbole, five minutes after I turned in the form.

Admittedly, this is because I knew to go and pick up my official payment stamp from the post office beforehand, but really, anyone with the internet can figure that bit out.

I meant to write a long, detailed post (something along these lines...) for all you foreign types in need of guidance out here in Mie, and maybe I will... sometime.

But that time, it is not now.

Suffice it to say that the toughest part of the whole ordeal is the ridiculously long drive.

And even that is sort of fun, really. There's a lot of interesting things along Route 23.

...most of which I had to drive by for  fear of getting there after the office closed. Pointless worry, but hindsight is 20/20, after all.

2. I made a super-awesome bento on Thursday.

.... or, well. At least I think I did.

It wasn't very complicated, but it did look nice.

  

What we have here is some 鮭塩焼き (shake shioyaki, salt broiled salmon), white rice, umeboshi (pickled plums) and steamed asparagus with salt.

Healthy, tasty, and super-easy!

I only wish that it was actually asparagus season so the stuff wasn't so expensive. Oh, how I love asparagus...

3. People in Mie don't go to Kyoto.

At least, not when I do.

Seriously. I'm the only one who ever makes the train change at 大和八木. It's kind of creepy.

4. I was a 狐女 (kitsune onna, fox lady) for Halloween, but unfortunately, since neither Melon nor I are very photo-enthusiastic, we have no pictures.

I do have a picture of the mask I wore (on the back of my head), however:

And that's better than nothing, eh?

5. I miss Kyoto. It hurts sometimes.

6. That does not mean that I don't think that even their last trains are too early. Still, however, they are far more reasonable than... other places. (ahem.)

7. It. Is. COLD.

And that, my friends, is all from your friendly neighborhood Edo for today. Tune in next time, when we will discuss something equally exciting, poignant, and relevant to your everyday life.

... it's a shame that sarcasm doesn't really translate well onto the internet.

This is Edo, signing off perplexed, as always, but that strange construction method that somehow makes the interior of Japanese houses colder than the outside air.