I woke up pretty hungover and my clothes stank of cigarettes and alcohol. Haven’t woke up in this state in awhile. I eventually rolled out of bed, well off the futon at about 9. The house was eerily silent. All the relatives had left. I was planning to hydrate with a big 2L bottle of water by my futon from the night before but that bastard MP must’ve taken it. I tried out the heated toilet seat and the “big” flush since I dindn’t want any traces of my presense (Japanese toilets have a big and small setting) and then walked around the corner to the vending machines and got an Aquarius gatorade-like drink. The two weiner dogs from the previous day were going apeshit from their house when they saw me. The barking made my head hurt even more.
I later smelled MP in the next tatami room. He was passed out and his room reeked of sweat and alcohol. SF came to greet me and told me to bathe in their ofuro and get ready to leave. I started packing my things for the trip to Kyoto and downloading and backing up all the photos and videos. I then gave SF the wedding card which I forgot to give them yesterday. I don’t know how many of you have seen a Japanese wedding card but they are really works of art. They are basically like origami with gold accents and tassels and all sorts of decorations. SF said mine was the most elaborate she had ever seen. Yes, I am a badass.
SF led me to their ofuro and started explaining how to work it. There was a very hot tub of water that had been heated on the right. You then mix that hot water into a big bowl with some cold water until you have the desired temperature. You then take 2 smaller bowls and dip them into the big bowl and pour water on yourself. I was still a bit hungover and I told her I could just bathe when I got to Kyoto. She then told me I stank of alcohol and insisted I use the ofuro. Common Courtesy: 1, James: 0.
MP and I met up and helped put away some furniture from the night before and then we sat down to lunch at around noon. We had oden, salmon, and rice. I also tried Japanese milk. It was the first time drinking any milk straight in many years. I felt something happening in my stomach in 15 minutes but then it eventually dissipated after I forced myself to eat some bread. The bread looked like some crappy dinner rolls but when I ate them they were creamy and declicious. The milk was really creamy and good too. In the town they still deliver milk and return the bottles like America in the 1950′s. Maybe I can learn to drive a milk truck…*Goose talking about being a truck driver*
After lunch we helped return the normal chairs to where SF’s father had rented them. I then rewatched some karaoke videos from last night and Top Gun. That movie never gets old.
I tried to convey my gratitude to SF’s parents but I don’t think the degree of my sincerity came across too well. I also didn’t get to say goodbye to Takeshi. I feel really bad about both of those things and need to make it up to them, somehow…MP and SF then dropped me off at the station and we said our goodbyes and I was off to Kyoto for the best f’ing katsu and kobe beef!
PC arranged to pick me up at Kyoto station. He mentioned on the phone that he didn’t want to get into the traffic pattern and to meet him at a nearby landmark. I was dreading the thought of carrying my massive suitcase, 2 suits, backpack, and camera bag on his scooter from 2006 (we did that before and it was scary as hell). To my surprise he pulls up in a brand spanking new Honda Stream with his business’ info along the side. We drove back to his place and I got to see all the bells and whistles as we went – voice controls, GPS, rearview camera, etc.
We got back to his place that he bought last year and it was such a big difference from the tiny apartment I shared with him for 3 months in 2006. The place was brand new with all the latest appliances and 52″ Sharp. One of the highlights was the 50Mbps Up/Down internest speed for $25/month and his washer/dryer combination unit – the thing could wash your clothes and dry them without any human intervention. WTF? I got settled and plugged in – the first time in 2.5 days. It felt like so long…
We then drove from Kyoto to Kobe for Kobe beef! The highway tolls were ridiculous. We hit one every few minutes and they were like Y400 or Y700 at a time. The highway was extremely smooth and well maintained though. The highways had high walls that curved inward and it completely blocked the sound of the highway for the surrounding neighborhoods. We could use that for some of the elevated trains in NYC I think.
We made a brief stop at Costco. It was like the twighlight zone. It’s as if a Costco was transplanted from America to Japan. Most of the items in the store were American products with no Japanese labeling. Many of the store’s warning signs and advertisements were in English only. The staff uniform was jeans unlike most Japanese stores where employees were slacks or skirts. One difference was the deli section which had massive trays of sushi and seafood for ridiculously low prices. Pictures will follow.
We got to Kobe finally and after circling a bit we found parking. It was a 2-space parking lot. Hah. We stepped into the familiar Mouriya restaurant and like Pavlov’s dog I started salivating at just the sight of the grills, knowing that the most marvelous beef was going to be in my mouth in minutes. Apparently, PC had made reservations at a different branch of the restaurant but it was pretty empty so they took us in. They all knew PC since he takes anyone who visits him there. He even has his own chef he prefers…..pimp. They gave us complimentary drinks (non-alcoholic) and a free upgrade to the set (appetizer + soup) instead of just the meat. They also threw in free deserts after. We ended up going with 130g of the sirloin and 260g of the rib eye – a mixture of quality and quantity but both A5 BMS No. 8-12 (Those were the grades and marbling rating of the beef). Service and appetizers were excellent as usual. They fitted us with bibs which I thought was odd. It was definitely for the crowd with expensive shirts but PC and I rolled in with t-shirts and running pants.
The chef made the sirloin first. It was as amazing as I remember. We then had the rib eye which was still excellent but didn’t hold a candle to the sirloin. The rib eye was still better than anyhting back home though. We were truly stuffed after and I was ready to pass out. The chef gave me his card since PC explained to him that I have come a few times and told people about the restaurant too. Score. Maybe. I don’t think I could be as pimp as him. He’s taken people there 4 times in the past 2 months. Anyway, I picked up the bill since I was going to be staying with him for the next few days and the highway tolls to get there added up. It was less than a dinner for 2 at Mortons or Peter Lugers but infinitely better.
We then made the long drive back to Kyoto but didn’t hit any traffic so it went along much faster. It was weird being on the highway and a police car speeding along the right lane as that was the passing lane, not the left. After getting back to his house we played some Gears of War which was fun. I’ve never played before and the story was so much better than Modern Warfare 2.
