Seriously - 1st Official Japanese Dinner

Buying my train ticket.
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Ok, for real this time.  That last blog post was to tease you!

Hugh & Jeff picked me up at the hotel @ 5 p.m. we rode the train (the special one) to downtown Osaka.  I even put my own yen in the machine & bought my ticket.  Let me explain the "special" train.  There are two trains that basically run on parallel tracks to the same locations.  The regular train ticket was 740 yen the additional cost to ride the "special" train was another 500 yen ($1 = about 108 yen - you do the math).  The thing that makes the "special" train special is the reserved seating (no need to stand & hang on), cushioned seats, air conditioning, cleaner & quieter (probably less germs)!

Hugh & I on the train.
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The train ride was about 40 minutes, although it didn't seem that long.  We were talking the whole time, so I guess that helped.  (I didn't have one bit of motion sickness - maybe I'm cured.  The taxi ride tomorrow will be the true test.)

We arrived in downtown Osaka - it's huge.  I don't know how huge, but reminded me of New York City.  We walked up & down several streets looking at all the different businesses, restaurants & pachinko lounges (I don't know if I spelled that correctly).  Anyways, I took so many pictures.  Too many to fit on this blog entry screen.  Make sure you click on the "see more photos" to look at them all.

Blow Fish restaurant.
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We walked to a popular spot in Osaka.  Forgive me for not knowing the name right now.  But you toss yen coins into a box, walk up to the statue, scoop water & toss it on the statue.  It's has something to do with wishing to be able to come back to Japan.  It's a quaint little area tucked off the street away from the noise & bright lights.  The statue looks like a big Chia Pet.  It was neat!!

Jeff kept joking that he was going to make me eat octopus.  Then he kept mentioning blow fish!  NOT! NOT!  He is our company President, but I draw the line on force feeding.

By the "wishing well".
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I warned them both that I don't eat seafood!  They looked at me crazy.  What?  You don't eat seafood?  How do you survive?  Whatever...

Thankfully, they chose a restaurant that served a variety of food.  Oh what a variety!!  This was the 1st time I've had to remove my shoes & leave them at the entrance of the restaurant.  Yes, you walk to your table w/o shoes on.  Guess what, I have on flip-flops, so that means I walked BAREFOOT thru the restaurant!!  They pick up your shoes & place them in a closet while you eat.

Splashing the water on the "chia pet".
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The wait staff was very attentive.  1st they bring you a cool damp cloth.  (These are the things that I wait to see what the people around me are doing before I make my move.)  I assumed it was to wipe your hands before you eat.  It was, however, Jeff wiped his hands & his entire face!!  (I really wanted to wipe my feet, but I didn't).

Then they drape a linen cloth over your bags/briefcases.  It's weird to have Jeff & Hugh talking to each other & the waitress in Japanese, because I have no idea what they are saying.  So while the lady is draping our bags w/ the cloths, Jeff is talking to her.  When she walks away, he says, " The cloth is for when we get into a fight, the blood won't get on our bags!!"

Another Blow Fish restaurant.
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I played along, "Fights, really?  You plan on fighting with Hugh?"

Then he said, "No, not really."  (DUH) "It's to protect the bags/briefcases from any food or drink that may splash from the table."

We ordered our drinks and they looked at the menu & discussed what to order for me.  I watched in great aniticipation.  I begged Hugh to make sure Jeff wasn't going to trick me into eating octopus and telling me it was chicken.  He laughed (not funny)!!

Shrimp & Avacado appetizer
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They ordered an appetizer - shrimp & avacado.   I stared at it while they got their chopsticks and started to eat.  Jeff then realized that I didn't have a fork or spoon-only chopsticks.  I decided to try the chopsticks.  When in Japan, eat like the Japanese do!!

It's difficult for me to hold them properly.  Let me rephrase that, I can hold them fine, it's when I have to actually move them to pick-up food that I fail!!  I kept holding them wrong.  Let me see if I can remember what they said to me..."If you hold them like that you look stupid." (guess who said that).

Cloths over our bags.
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Then Hugh said, (being the diplomat), "If you hold them like this you'll look smarter & more practiced like the Japanese".  I could do an entire blog post about the chopsticks (Hey Jamie, maybe that should be your next Try It Tuesday.).  I did manage to use them for the first couple foods, but my hand started cramping.  Using chopsticks might be a good diet tool!!  They brought me a fork, spoon & knife, thank goodness.

The food just kept coming.  The table was full!!  There were 15 different things!  I'll try to caption each photo (yes, I took a picture of each & every thing!!)  Believe it or not, I ate fish!!!!  It was ok, but it could have used some ketchup!!!  The beef was prepared a little too raw for my taste, but it was that or the fish with the eyeballs & tail!!!

Eating with the chopsticks. (Hurry take the picture before I drop it.)!!
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I tried 12 of the 15 things.  I didn't try the beef ribs (looked too raw).  I didn't try the stuffed crab (don't do crabs).  And I absolutely refused to eat the fish with the eyeballs & tail.  Can you believe they eat the whole thing??!!

When dinner is finished they bring you a warm wash cloth to wash your hands with.  And by the time you get to the front of the restaurant, they have your shoes by the door waiting for you.

After dinner we walked around a bit more in search of a particular souvenier that I'm looking for.  Didn't find it, but maybe somewhere else.

I can't read the menu.
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Let me just tell you, the fashion around here is DIFFERENT!!!  I really, really wanted to take a bunch of pictures of the people, but I was worried about being rude.  Wild clothes, wild hair dos, wild hair colors!!

We took the train back near the hotel.  I made it safely to my room by 9:30 p.m.  I'm not sick, but I am exhausted.  It's now 4 a.m. again & I'm just getting to bed.  I have an early day tomorrow.  Talk to you soon.....