Barbecue with da Bros.

Sunday Fun Day! Well...maybe not always. But today it was! First off, Sunday means I don't have to wake up for class and get pummeled by Kanji. It also means I don't have to study during breakfast! Yes. A relaxed breakfast on a Sunday morning.

After breakfast and some homework (PII ain't stoppin with the week), I went to Emmy's house, one bus stop away, for a barbecue!

Look at all the people! Emmy, Marina, Aidan, Lucas and I were joined by quite the crowd of buff bros and firefighters. A very fun bunch indeed. 

Meaty. 

It was really fun to talk to locals in an informal situation! Instead of having forced activities, we just got to chill and eat. and GRILL. 

It was a tiny little platform of a grill, so Emmy's dad added some hand held heat with a torch. 

Flamin'. 

The weather was also great! It wasn't too hot with no rain in sight, so we got to enjoy the outdoors! Again, we don't get enough of it: the Rifare Cave calls. 

The food was also amazing. A variety of meat, gettin' the char on. 

We also had grilled vegetables, a bean sprout salad with ham, cucumbers, and egg, mushroom yakisoba, and for dessert...

The anmitsu that Emmy helped make in the kitchen! She stirred the agar agar jelly, that was then topped with vanilla ice cream, pineapple, and red bean paste. 

Unlike the barbecues at my house, where everything is set out at one time, the food came at different times, so we got to continually enjoy the food throughout the afternoon for maximum enjoyment. :)

Peace. 

Emmy's lil host brother also caught this crawfish like creature at the beach, so he was feeding it in his little kiddie pool. I thought it was pretty darn cool. 

Since I live so close and finished most of my homework, I stuck around a bit longer, while Marina, Aidan, and Lucas left. Since I didn't have my English speaking friends around, I was forced to speak in Japanese! And I did it! I was pretty proud of myself. It was a great barbecue: delicious food and drinks, firefighting bros, and successful Japanese practice!

In the late afternoon, Emmy decided to take a nap, so I decided to walk home. 

Just in time for dinner! Since dad was on a short business trip, my mom, Haruki, Kaho, and I went to a one of the best soba restaurants in the city!

I love how unassuming all the restaurants look from the outside in Japan. But inside...

...they are so beautiful! Even casual soba restaurants!

When we walked in, there was a little room where they make the soba by hand. Although I've had soba numerous times here in Japan already (and at my real home in LA), I've never had any soba like this before! I could just tell it was handmade. The texture and taste was so much better. My host mom clearly knows what's up. 

I got the set with Tempura donburi, so I was a happy camper. ALL DAY. It was so nice to just relax and let loose, without having to stare at a text book all day. 

Unfortunately, when we got home, I had to start on my essay. 

Oh well...I guess working hard makes the fun times better?