Sapporo Snow Festival

This weekend we are going to the Sapporo Snow Festival. It doesn't officially start until next Tuesday but we were clued in to go the weekend before because most of the sculptures and attractions are already up but without the tens of thousands of people. Sapporo is the largest city on Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido. Likely you have only heard of it because of Sapporo beer, maybe not even because of that. There will be snow and ice sculptures there, snow slides and mazes and lots of food. Not sure how much of the food we'll eat though because it's not like going to the Minnesota state fair is it. Although there will be food on a stick I doubt it will be of the deep fried candy bar and pronto pup variety. More likely yakitori (chicken), tako (octopus) balls and the like. All in all it should be fun though. It is famous like the St. Paul winter festival to which we have never been.


I also have to mention that we have tried corn soup. As part of our "try new restaurants" oath, we happened to go to Smoky's, which, as a restaurant, I'd highly recommend. It is known for sausages of all things and has a few different options of sausage platters to order. I ended up going with the recommended "spicy" selection. It didn't disappoint. In fact it was delicious and is driving my impulse to forego the new restaurants and return to Smoky's. The kids enjoyed their hamburger steaks but Robyn was a little less pleased with her spam-like meatloaf sandwich. But my sausages, I tell you what, they were grade A. The platter included chorizo and (I'm embarrassed to admit) two other kinds that I don't remember what they are. They were so good that I even ate the sauerkraut-looking-but-not-tasting vegetable item that accompanied them. This is a must attend for all you future Tokyo-visiting folks.


What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, corn soup. Well, as an included side item to Robyn's spam, I mean meatloaf sandwich, she got a bowl of corn soup. It was definitely not a chowder as it wasn't chunky or thick at all. In fact it was kind of creamy and light. It was very tasty and hopefully it is something that will draw Robyn in so we can revisit a new favorite restaurant.

Casting Calls

I had another opportunity to be on film last Sunday. They were filming a commercial for Adidas and needed foreigners to be background runners. I was planning on going but then the thought of standing out in the cold all day made me decide otherwise. Especially since the chances of me actually seeing the commercial are low. A friend of mine from Australia who went said it was "was freezing cold, but was still fun in a strange way." That's about what I would expect, a strange sort of fun.

But that was just for a commercial; I also have another opportunity for the big screen. A film about a Japanese soldier is being filmed. The soldier gets caught and is tried for war crimes. They need foreigners for a courtroom scene and for a prison camp scene. I'm sure I'm a shoo-in for those roles. Be on the look out for “Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai” at theaters near you (or maybe not so near.) The title means "I want to become Kai". Not sure if Kai is a person or thing.

Snow Days

It's snowing today. The number of days that it has done that while we've been here can be counted on one hand. The last time we accumulated any snow Cole and Kaori had a great time playing in it in our back yard so they are excited to play in it again after school today. Unfortunately I think it will turn to rain and warm up and will disappear before they get a chance to frolic.

Anyway, this is the way snow was meant to be; big and fluffy without the bitter cold. Nice and pleasant.

Edit: BTW the picture is of our back yard.

Maybe You are Wondering

With an important playoff on TV I toughened up and arose at (actually shortly before) 3 AM last Sunday to get my run in. I got back home and Robyn was still in bed and Cole and Kaori still at their sleepovers. I flipped on the TV just in time to see the Packers go down by 14 points early in the first quarter. How could that have happened so quickly? I must have been a good luck charm for the Packers though because right when I started watching they started scoring (fyi: all fans see things that way). Later Sunday evening I found the game being rebroadcast on the TV at a comfortable 7 PM. Still, had I known I don't think I would have done anything differently because if I had waited to watch the game that night I would have been on pins and needles all day and probably would have found out the outcome of the game on the internet; thus spoiling that actual watching of the game.

This weeks game provides no such hardships. It will be broadcast here at about 8:30 AM on Monday, shortly after I get home from taking Kaori to school. I did have to cancel my Japanese lesson for Monday though but I'm willing to sacrifice for the Pack.

I'm Dilemma'd

First of all let me say that I'm quite enjoying Tokyo's winter weather. Everyday is in the 50's and it never gets below freezing. Also no messy snow and slush like back in the upper Midwest. I'll admit it, I've become a weather wimp and I could get used to this.

Now for my dilemma. Sure it's convenient in the U.S. for the Packers to play at 3:30 CT on Saturday afternoon but that is 6:30 Sunday morning for me. That isn't so bad because I've spent many a game this season getting up to watch the Pack play at 2 or 3 in the morning and then going back to bed. My problem is that the Tokyo marathon is fast approaching and Sundays are reserved my long runs, up to 3 hours. We leave for church at about 10:30 so I couldn't run after the game. Getting up at 3 AM to run before the game makes me feel grouchy just thinking about it. What to do?

Sleeping Woes

I think I should have added another option in the current poll: "Adjusting to the time change." Robyn and I have been seeing a few too many 3:30's and 4:00's in the morning lately. However the kids seem to be getting back to normal nicely.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

Number one sign that we are back in Japan: A band was playing loudly at 7 AM this frigid (by Tokyo standards anyway, 34 degrees) morning at the Imperial Palace. The accompanying singing was more like organized yelling by my estimation but their enthusiasm is a testament to the importance placed on the new year. I can only imagine a similar celebration in the U.S. starting at a much later hour. I only witnessed it because I was out running.

Of course we had a great time on our Christmas vacation. Spending time with family, going on our cruise, etc. Makes me wistful to move back to the U.S.

Speaking of the cruise, you blog reading veterans might remember that after our cruise in 2005 I had "Leavin' on a jet plane" stuck in my head for what seemed like ages afterward. This is because a parody of it is sung by the wait staff at the last dinner. Well once again it is firmly planted in my head, however somewhat less irritatingly so this time.

Also for a second time after our Christmas trip home we had to obtain another bag to bring all our stuff back to Japan. Does it really expand that much? No, but all those Christmas presents, as small as they are, really add up. So we ended up checking three bags that were all within a pound of the 50 pound weight limit. That part, not so much of a problem. Lugging them around airports and subways, large pain in the derriere.