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Day 4 in Hong Kong...out and about with PZ's Parents

 

 

 

 

Peter's parents came to Hong Kong for a day to meet up with us, so we went off to explore Kowloon and do some shopping :)

 

 

 

I have to say I was very impressed how every few shops is a jewelry store in Hong Kong, and sometimes, you would even see the same brand jewelry stores directly across the street from each other!!!

Here is a nice solid 24kt yellow gold Mickey @ Chow Sang Sang, one of the major jewelry store brands in Hong Kong...I love how Disney and Peanuts characters are so popular in Hong Kong that you can get cute and well made but licensed Mickey or Snoopy jewelry pieces.  Whereas in the U.S., you usually only find animated character jewelry in costume jewelry form or 14kt gold plated at best...

Me--Moschino Red Heart with gold sequins tee, Myne Black Satin Miniskirt, Chanel Hidden Sequins Shopping Tote, Converse Silver Glitter sneakers :)

 

 

 

With Peter's mom buying chinese medicine and herbs :)

Me--Moschino Red Heart with gold sequins tee, Tiffany & Co. 18K YG Quatrefoil Key with diamonds

 

 

Browsing the streets of Kowloon :)

 

 

 

Doing my best to blend in with the Disney characters LOL

Me--Moschino Red Heart with gold sequins tee, Myne Black Satin Miniskirt, Chanel Hidden Sequins Shopping Tote, Converse Silver Glitter sneakers :)

 

After a long day of walking around and shopping, we ended up going to Lei Garden for dinner :)

 

 

Pickled Cucumbers appetizer, very light and refreshing!

 

 

 

Sliced Beef appetizer-I forget which part of the cow this came from, but it was delicious...and nothing too weird like brain or something LOL

 

 

 

Candied Walnuts with sesame :)

 

 

 

I think we got Winter Melon soup, but I don't think I've seen a pot of soup presented like this in the U.S...I remember how we used to have Winter Melon soup in a whole Winter Melon back in the day...ahhh so yummy!

 

 

 

Char Siu--BBQ Pork, nice and fatty and juicy, just the way we like it!

 

 

 

Peking Duck!

 

 

 

Crispy Pork--it's so miniature but fresh with perfectly crisped skin and a nice layer of fat :)

 

 

 

Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy with Garlic--this is always our "go-to" favorite chinese veggie, so simple yet essential.

 

 

 

Steamed Egg Custard with Seafood--it's like the Chinese version of Chawanmushi!

 

 

 

I forget which dessert this was, but I think it may have been Fried Bananas?

 

 

 

 

PZ's parents and us outside Lei Garden Hong Kong :)

PZ--Trovata Magenta Short Sleeve Polo, Penguin Blue Plaid Shorts

Me--Moschino Red Heart with gold sequins tee, Myne Black Satin Miniskirt, Chanel Hidden Sequins Shopping Tote, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch

 

Day 3 in Hong Kong Causeway Bay & Dinner with an old CIS friend :)

 

 

Lunching at Lei Garden Bistro with Petah!

 

 

PZ--Junk Food Tide Charity Red tee

 

 

 

Delicious Roast Suckling Pig--it's just so small and cute!  The crispy skin and fat were perfection :)

 

 

 

 

Wonton Noodle Soup--very soothing!

 

 

 

Me--Splendid 2x1 White Ribbed Tank, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch, Penny Preville 18K WG Emerald Diamond pendant necklace, Tiffany & Co. 18K YG Quatrefoil Diamond Key

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello gorgeous Chanel and Hermes bags!!  How come I don't come across these at all in consignment shops in the U.S.??!!

Me--Splendid 2x1 White Ribbed Tank, Theory Grey Bow Tie Cotton shorts, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was at the 1984 LA Olympics!!! Ofcourse I was a baby and barely knew what was going on, my Dad just told me that I ended up a super tanned baby after that week hehe

 

 

 

 

 

 

My old home and stomping grounds!!

 

 

 

So many memories here...

 

 

 

 

Peter found some amazing fresh fish sung at a Hong Kong department store, he said it was so amazing, so much yummier than pork sung :)

 

 

 

One of the many fresh juice and bubble tea stands around Hong Kong that we frequented :)

Me--Splendid 2x1 White Ribbed Tank, Theory Grey Cotton Bow Tie shorts, Roberto Coin Cento Diamond stud earrings, Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond Mini Hoop earrings, Tiffany & Co. 18K YG Quatrefoil Diamond Key, Penny Preville 18K WG Emerald Diamond necklace

 

 

 

And that was where all the bubble tea went...hehe

Me--Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch, Oliver Peoples Black Gold Rim sunnies

 

Dinner was very special, as I got to meet up with an old CIS (Chinese International School) friend whom I had not seen in many many years!  She was basically my best friend when I was living in Hong Kong and our "mums" would pick us up from school each day and we'd hang out and play at each other's homes...ahhh to be a little kiddo again and turn back the time...

 

 

When we sat down at Ye Shanghai, the hostess quickly brought over a mini chair...for my bag!!  Isn't that genius?!!  How come more restaurants in the U.S. don't do this...I always hate having to find places for my bag since putting it on the floor is not an option for me, I usually end up sharing half my seat with my bag and that usually does not make for a very comfortable meal!

Me--CLU grey cardigan with ivory white silk trim, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch, Chanel 18K WG Diamond Double Star "etoiles" ring

 

 

 

 

Tofu with Pi Dan--yummmmm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peking Duck!!

 

 

 

Pan Fried Sweet & Sour Fish :)

 

 

 

Sesame Ball Dessert Soup--I love chinese desserts!!  I'm always sad with most U.S. Chinese restaurants as they don't offer any real dessert options, just sliced oranges and a fortune cookie LOL

 

 

 

Fried Banana Balls--I can never turn down Fried Bananas :)

 

 

 

 

 

Fred, Vivian, Me and Peter :)

Peter--Hermes Pink Blue White Dress shirt

 

Day 2 in Hong Kong...Mandarin Oriental Afternoon Tea & Hong Kong Jockey Club :)

 

 

 

Peter and I kicked off our 2nd day in Hong Kong with a yummy stop at Tai Ping Koon in Causeway Bay for some "Hong Kong/American cafe" style lunch :)

One of my fondest memories from living in Hong Kong as a child was going to these types of "cafe" places with my parents and getting Borscht soup--something I still love today hehe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chicken Wings are amazing here!!!

 

 

 

Enjoying loads of yummies at Tai Ping Koon; ;)

Me--Ali Ro Silk Floral Dress, Penny Preville 18K WG Diamonds Emerald Diamonds, Roberto Coin Cento Diamond studs, Cartier 18K YG Heart Ring

 

After some browsing around, we were off to the Mandarin Oriental in Central to meet some pals for afternoon tea...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me, Charles, Ianz and Dave :)

 

 

 

 

 

Nice view of Hong Kong :)

 

Then it was off to Crystal Jade in Times Square for dinner with our South Africa pal Conor.

 

 

Spicy Wontons--sooo good!

 

 

 

Hot Beef Noodle Soup :)

 

 

 

Xiao Long Bao--of course we stuffed a few in our mouths before we realized we had to take a pic hehe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Valley Hong Kong Jockey Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me--Ali Ro Floral Silk Dress, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic Watch

 

 

Hong Kong Here We Come!! Day 1 in Hong Kong...Stanley Market and Kowloon

 

 

Alas, every great trip must come to an end, or in our case...off to another destination---HONG KONG!! Yayyy!

 

At Narita Airport, Peter and I stopped by this small conveyor belt sushi place for a quick bite :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then hopped on our Cathay Pacific flight and off we went!  I have to say though, the Cathay Pacific seats are terribly uncomfortable to sit in, felt like I was sitting on cardboard =X

 

After a good night's rest...the next day, we decided to try Luk Yu in Central for some dim sum :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luk Yu was "okay" at best...service was nothing stellar (not that we expect it to be in most Chinese places haha) but the food was only "okay."

Me--Comme des Garcons White Polo with Red Heart

 

Next stop after lunch, we headed off to Stanley Market!  Brings back so many memories, well not so many as I was so young when I moved from HK to LA...but I DO know my mom and dad used to take me to Stanley Market for weekend outings :)

Peter convinced me to take a bus ride out there, I think he almost passed out since the bus had to go thru some very steep terrain and windy roads along the cliff (he's terribly afraid of heights) and the driver definitely was not taking it slow, poor Peter...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basically at Stanley Market, there's just tons of outdoor stands/stores selling trinkets and touristy items, but its pretty cool to just browse around there.

 

 

 

cute shot of a kiddo and her dad at the pier...

 

 

After our little trip to Stanley Market, we headed off to explore parts of Kowloon, Nathan Street and Temple Street...

 

 

One of the best things about being in Asia, is that all the asian snacks and drinks I love so much are readily available everywhere we go...I love being able to find Vitasoy at all the mini marts and some vending machinese...

Me--M Missoni Turquoise Cardigan, Nation LTD Classic V neck White tee (one of my staple pieces when traveling)

 

 

 

Oh look!  I wonder what all those Chinese men are doing, crowding over a small table...haha

 

While exploring Kowloon, we stumbled upn this amazing MANGO dessert place...the menu consists entirely of MANGO items!!!

 

 

Just staring at this menu is making me hungry...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, it was all very delicious, Peter and I basically devoured every last bite!

 

 

 

 

Peter at Temple Street Night Market :)

PZ--Lacoste Orange Polo

 

 

This is a sad-face Cory because I wanted to go into this shop to look at their Mickey and Snoopy clothing but it was closed...not to worry though!  We made it back before we left HK and bought a ton of cute Mickey and Snoopy attire--though Peter had no idea when I'd actually ever wear that stuff when I am back in the U.S. (little does he know, I am not embarrassed to wear them around with my Chanel jackets or Great China Wall hoodies LOL)

 

 

 

Perusing the dinner menu at Xin Dan Ji in Kownloon, so many delicious things to choose from!!

Me--Roberto Coin Cento Diamond studs, Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond Mini Hoop earrings

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn't this just look so crisp and juicy tasting?

 

 

 

Peter saying hi to the huge fishys in the tank at the restaurant...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 6 more Tokyo!!

 

 

 

Our last official day of the HBS Japan Trip 2011--so sad *sniff*

As some of you may well know, Peter and I are NOT "early birds" but we are "fatties" enough to wake up at 6am for Tsukiji Fish Market tour...yes, the place where all the fresh fish are prepared and sold off to restaurants and markets!!!

 

 

YAY!!  We have arrived!!!

 

 

 

 

This whole experience was really quite amazing...such a bustling place so early in the morning!

 

 

But first things first...we must eat, lots of delicious fresh sashimi!!!

As with everything on the Japan Trip, our trip planners had arranged everything impeccably, so all we needed to do was "sleepily" follow them into a small hidden gem, where others had already begun wolfing down fresh pieces of sashimi by the minute.

 

 

Hello delicious piece of Toro!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uni--Sea Urchin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't these just look so fatty and yummy?? *nom nom nom*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The place was super compact, yet the one waitress and sushi chef seemed to work perfectly hand in hand, and they were very polite but efficient.

I will admit though that Peter and I were still so sleepy, that we have little recollection of that meal, sadly, we wish we had been more awake to truly enjoy each and every bite haha

 

 

 

 

After that scrumptious sashimi "breakfast"...we headed off to the Tsukiji Fish Market...technically, we were not supposed to be wandering in there that day, something about it being closed off to the public...but hey, we're pretty stealth :)

 

 

Fresh Wasabi!!!

 

 

 

Amazingly enough, it was MUCH cleaner than I had imagined...

 

 

 

Fresh Shrimp!!

 

 

 

 

Hello Mr. Fish, someone will make a great meal tonight!!

 

 

 

Ginormous Octopus ;)

 

 

 

 

It's a scallop in an oyster shell!!!  So cool!

 

 

 

This was pretty crazy, a huge fish sliced upon and being prepped into sellable sashimi pieces!

 

 

 

Aren't these Squiddos huge?

 

After our "little secret mission" around the Tsukiji Fish Market, we had some time to browse the fresh produce and food stands surrounding it...

 

 

We came upon this grilled meat skewer stand...and well, Peter can never turn down a meat skewer...oddly enough, this is WHALE!!??

 

 

 

 

Had no idea people even ate whale anymore, or at all...but it was pretty fun watching them scorch it with a flame blower on top of the grill!

 

 

 

I don't think I was brave enough to try it, but this is what it looked like...Peter said it was very fatty/oily tasting...and tasted kind of like chicken?!! LOL

 

 

 

More fresh fruit and crazy expensive BUT delicious Mango!!

 

 

 

 

 

Back at our hotel, we noticed a fresh display of flowers by the elevators...I think we noticed them changing these daily!!

 

After a little rest, we set off to explore/shop around Tokyo...

 

 

Monica and me strolling, well scurrying off actually, to do some shopping!!! YAYYYY hahaha

Me--Ron Herman Vintage Free City Hot Pink Hoodie, Gucci brown monogram belt bag

 

 

This was a super cute statue of a dog who was so loyal to his owner, that when his owner died, the dog came back to this one spot to wait for his owner every day, until the dog had passed too...gosh, how come Bow Wow isn't this smart? JKK haha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when we got back to our hotel, the flowers had bloomed!!

 

 

As this was our last night with the Japan Trip group, we had a final night of food and fun :)

 

 

Me--Catherine Malandrino Black Silk Silver Studded dress, CLU Grey Cardigan with Ivory White Silk Trim, Cartier Love bracelets in YG and WG

 

 

 

Our amazing HBS Japan Trip crew....thanks to all the organizers for such a wonderful experience and time in Japan!! :)

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 5 Tokyo Touring Around :)

Our last destination on the Japan trek---Tokyo!!! :)

 

 

Can't kick off a morning without a $25 dollar mango, right?  We finally got around to trying the crazy expensive but fragrant/gorgeous looking mango we bought from our Osaka day trip!!!

 

 

Yes, didn't you know all mangos come with an instruction booklet on how to prepare and eat it? hehe

 

 

 

 

And yes, it was DELICIOUS and "Oh so sweet!" success!!!!

 

 

Here is a picture of the main lobby area of the Hotel Okura in Tokyo:

 

 

It definitely had a very 1960s/1970s feel to it but in a good way, the architecture and decor really made me feel like I traveled back in time (well, to a period I wasn't around for...but could imagine from old movies :)

 

And off we went on our Tokyo city tour, checking out more temples and shrines...

 

 

Love how huge and bushy and GREEN this tree is and how it basically took up the whole picture!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So cute, as we were doing another HBS group shot, some Japanese students saw us and really wanted to join in on the picture fun :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our lunch at a yummy Kushiage Restaurant--loads of fried yumminess!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a funny story about this bag, we saw it while strolling on some free "shopping" time we had, but Peter was anxious to get some ramen first cos he was still hungry...anyhow, we snapped a picture with it and when we came back 45 min later...they had sold the ONE AND ONLY PINK bag :( :( (this photo is a reminder for PZ and all the boys who say "it'll be there, we'll come back for it later...")

 

 

 

 

The ramen that cost me the PINK Hello Kitty bag above *sniff sniff* (haha, I'm so bad, I've given Peter so much grief about this already, and so sad for him we took a picture of me with the bag...cos he'll always remember when he sees the picture LOL)

 

 

 

 

PZ and Ianz and Charles, looking down this glass window on one of the high buildings in Tokyo...

 

 

 

Peter's facial expression is so priceless (and cute) hahaha

PZ--Junk Food "Tide" charity red tee, Penguin Blue Plaid Shorts, Gucci Limited Edition Blue and Gold Croc sneakers

 

And later on at night, Peter and I explored the Akihabara "electronics" district...you could wander endlessly there, marveling at all the anime and gadget stuff :)

 

 

 

 

For din din, we tried to replicate our previously SUPER delicious Japanese BBQ outing in Kyoto...went to "Gyu-Kaku" in Tokyo, unfortunately, the meat quality and flavoring fell far short of the yumminess we had in Kyoto...so sad, if we ever go back to Kyoto--we hope to find that place!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we still ate it all haha :)

Me--Wren Burnout White Tee, Tiffany & Co. 18K YG Quatrefoil Key with diamonds, Penny Preville 18K WG Emerald Diamond Pendant Necklace, Chanel 18K WG Diamonds Double Star Ring and Anita Ko 18K YG Spike bracelet with pave diamond spike

 

 

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 4 Nagoya & Toyota Visit

 

 

Day 4, leaving Kyoto and off to Nagoya!! 

 

But Peter and I were not going to leave the Westin Miyako Kyoto hotel before stuffing ourselves one last time at the breakfast buffet haha...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter all dressed up at breakfast!

PZ--Hermes Pink Blue White Stripe dress shirt :)

 

First stop of the day...Nagoya Castle!!

 

Yukiko, Yuki and Me :)

 

 

Posing with one of the cartoon characters there, not sure why he was there but it was cute haha...

Me--Oliver Peoples Black Silver sunnies, Kain Blue White Stripey Tunic Top, Okabashi Black Flip Flop sandals

 

 

Japanese Bonsai Garden plants!!

 

 

 

Nagoya Castle!!

 

 

 

I'm trying to help here!! hehe

 

 

 

 

After the Nagoya Castle visit, we were off to the Toyota visit...on the bus, we were given delicious Japanese boxed lunches!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving at Toyota :)

 

Hello Mr. Robot!!

 

 

 

Peter looking very business-y hehe

PZ--Hermes Pink Blue White striped dress shirt, Hugo Boss Black Slacks, Salvatore Ferragamo Deeper black leather loafers, Tom Ford Black slim leather belt with brushed gold buckle

 

 

 

My next car after Booey?  haha nooo, but this was still very cute!!!

 

 

 

Meeting with some execs from Toyota with Ken :)

 

And after the Toyota visit, we hopped on a Bullet Train and zipped right over to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo!!!

 

Peter and I chose the "Kaiseki" optional dinner for our first evening in Tokyo.  Yuki took us to "Onodera" for this special meal :)

 

 

At Onodera with our fellow "Kaiseki" buddies that night...it was such a cozy little place on the 2nd floor on a small street in Tokyo, the chef/owner was amazingly sweet and fun to spend the evening with!!!

Here are all the Kaiseki dishes we had that evening at Onodera :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chawanmushi--I could eat this every day of my life...sooo yummy!!!

 

 

 

Specially flavored rice that he made for us to complete the end of our meal!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that amazing Kaiseki meal...we were stuffed and ready to retire/pass out in our hotel room.

Another superb part of this whole trip was how our luggage was always sent separately ahead to the next hotel each time we were traveling during the day.

All we had to do was pack up the suitcases and leave them in the lobby in a designated area and someone would drive our luggage to the next destination and it would be placed in our rooms...exactly how we found it as we walked into the Hotel Okura Tokyo :)

 

 

 

Our hotel room at the Hotel Okura Tokyo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Night from Hotel Okura Tokyo!!

 

 

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 3 Osaka

 

One of the amazing parts of this HBS Japan Trip were the optional day tours.  With a large group of people, there will always be different tastes and interests and by providing a number of optional tours on certain days, it allowed trip participants the opportunity to choose cities/day trips that most appealed to them.

 

On our 3rd day, Peter and I joined the Osaka optional tour with Hideki, who did a super job showing us around and keeping us well-fed haha!!

 

 

Kicking off the start of our Osaka adventure that day with Charles, Ianz, Claire and Hideki :)

Me--Chanel Blue Silk Baseball Cap, M Missoni Turquoise Cardigan, Disney Couture Mickey Mouse tee, Gucci Brown Monogram waistpack bag, Splendid Black Sweatpants :)

 

 

Loved how animation is everywhere in Japan!  Reminds me of a Totoro looking fish haha

 

 

 

In the busy streets of Osaka...

 

 

 

Ianz and Me in front of another happy caricature looking statue...I forget who he/she is though...

Me--Me--Chanel Blue Silk Baseball Cap, M Missoni Turquoise Cardigan, Disney Couture Mickey Mouse tee, Gucci Brown Monogram waistpack bag, Splendid Black Sweatpants and my trusty Asics walking shoes hehe :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a sumo wrestler!!

 

 

 

So is Peter, but he's a grumpy sumo wrestler haha

 

 

 

Hideki, Ianz, Charles and Claire having fun at the arcade...

 

And off we were to lunch YAY!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These fried skewers were "oh so tasty!!"

 

Afterwards, as we strolled past some street market vendors...we came across the most delicious (and most expensive) fruits we've seen!!!

 

 

Peter and I were so intrigued, we HAD to buy one of these $25 USD mangos haha...more pics of that special mango to come...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sooo, Osaka kinda reminds of a Venice but in Japan...well cos of the waterways here, and like in Venice, well, there were mice!!! OMG, I almost passed out when I saw a few scurry past me on the side streets in Osaka!!!

I mean, I was thinking I would inevitably come across one during this Asia trip, just not in Japan--I figured I'd see them in Hong Kong!!!

And Peter can tell you how I am around any scurrying creatures in the street (of any kind)...I scream and run!!!

 

 

 

Takoyaki YUMMMM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So funny to come across this Beard Papa's in Osaka...and of course we had to try it to see how it compares to the one in L.A. :)

 

 

 

It was yummy...hahaha

Me--Chanel Blue Silk Baseball Cap, Penny Preville Emerald Diamond pendant necklace, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic Watch, Roberto Coin Cento 18K WG diamond studs earrings, Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond Mini Hoop earrings

 

 

 

And yes, I HAVE to go check out every Chanel I come across wherever I go...

Me--Hermes Pousse Pousse White leather and gold bracelet

 

This was our "second lunch" at a ramen shop that came highly recommended to us...

 

 

 

 

All the ramen options...

 

 

 

Our yummy ramen has arrived!!  Woohoo...isn't it so cute, the Pokemon bowl??

Me--Anita Ko 18K YG Pave diamond spike bracelet, Cartier WG love bracelet, Hermes Pousse Pousse White leather gold bracelet

 

 

 

Me--Disney Couture Mickey tee (i can't get enough of Mickey and Snoopy tees, I think I drove Peter nuts running around Japan and Hong Kong saying "that's so cute!" "omg, so cute!" endlessly at every Mickey and Snoopy item...and yah, we saw those like every 10 steps hahahah), Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch

 

 

 

Escalator Going Up Shot--Claire, Charles, Ianz, Me and Hideki...

 

 

 

View from the top of one of the tallest buildings in Osaka :)

 

 

 

 

Can you spot PZ and Me? hehe

 

 

 

Oh, this is Peter when he found out that someone finished all the Milk Tea...it wasn't me!!

PZ--H Harvard Cap, Osaka tee (haha, so funny he already had this in his wardrobe before this Japan trip...so fitting to wear!)

 

 

 

Our little Osaka adventure gang group picture :)

 

 

 

Escalator Going Down Shot--Claire, Ianz, Me, Hideki...

 

 

 

 

Yes, we loved doing these silly pics too haha

 

And before we left Osaka for the day, we were given the option to eat again, "lunch numero tres" how could we turn that down???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon arriving back in Kyoto, Peter and I went off on our own to explore the shops and streets on our "free night."

 

After walking even more (at this point we were ready to pass out), we found this cute Japanese BBQ restaurant inside one of the mega department store buildings in Kyoto...boy, was it a GEM!!!!

 

 

Our salad bar choices, I always love Japanese salad dressings and their potato/macaroni salads are always delicious, Peter reckons it has something to do with all the mayo in there...hmm, oh wells...

 

 

 

I can't really recall what we ordered, also because the menu was only in Japanese AND the staff there did not speak ANY english, so Peter and I were pretty much reduced to sign language/charades haha

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the menu pictures of what we ordered...maybe someone can help us out and tell us what we ordered here haha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More condiments to complement our meal :)

 

 

 

 

However, despite the language barrier, the staff at the restaurant were beyond helpful and sweet and the meats were TOP NOTCH!!  Soooo fresh and juicy and tasty, hands down one of the BEST Japanese BBQ outings we have had!!!

 

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 2--Geisha Performance @ Ryotei in Kyoto

 

One of the many highlights of this Japan trip was the Geisha Performance at Ryotei in Kyoto!  This was such a rare treat as many of the students from Japan had never even met/seen one before either!

 

 

 

Upon entering, every thing was already meticulously set up and ready for seating...

 

 

 

This was the place setting for each person :)

 

 

 

Me--Bensoni Purple Leopard Print Silk Dress

PZ--Trovata Magenta Pink Polo shirt

And here comes the Geisha performance!!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the delicious food to complement the show :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our pic with the Geisha (actually Maiko I think cos she was still an "apprentice Geisha"--hope I remembered this correctly) :)

Me--Bensoni Purple Leopard Print Silk Dress, Chanel J12 33mm White Ceramic watch, Chanel 18K WG Diamond Double Star Ring

PZ--Trovata Magenta Pink polo shirt

 

 

 

Ryan and Iann with the Geisha/Maiko :)

 

Back to eating...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuki and Yosuke (being silly, as usual...jk!! haha)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is what I saw the next time I looked over at Peter...

 

 

asleep....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koichi, Mika and Kohta sharing many laughs...

 

 

 

 

Yuki with another sleepy HBS'er...

 

 

Tranquil flute music as we left, all very full and sleepy I imagine (well Petah and I were for sure!!)

 

 

 

 

HBS Japan Trip: Day 2 Kyoto

 

Day 2 in Kyoto!!

 

 

 

Yummy Japanese breakfast at Westin Miyako Kyoto Hotel :)

I could eat this every day!!!  How I miss this...in the U.S. the only place I've consistently found Japanese breakfast options have been at the Mandarin Oriental hotels!

 

After breakfast each day it was actually super hard to get on the tour bus and not want to fall asleep...can someone say "food coma"? LOL...

 

Many more visits to temples and shrines...

 

 

 

 

 

I totally forget now, but I *think* this is for good luck or something??

Me--Free City RH Vintage Hot Pink Hoodie, Elizabeth & James Black Satin Bubble shorts, Chanel Blue Silk Cap, Gucci brown monogram waistpack (such a versatile and perfect piece for travel!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made Peter take a picture with every rabbit we came across haha...get it?  Peter Wabbit :)

 

 

 

 

Another pic with some rabbits, I think Peter found this far less fun haha

 

Before long, we were off to another meal...a "healthy" lunch we were told...well, yah, not if I have anything to do with it...just kidding, it was actually pretty healthy but delish too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what happens when we go to a buffet...STUFFED!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very peaceful scene at a Japanese Rock Garden in Kyoto...

 

 

 

 

We loved seeing these vending machines all over Japan, delicious drinks easy to purchase wherever and whenever you please!!  Such a great alternative to sodas...I drank endless bottles of teas and juices!!

 

 

 

 

Haha...yes, this is for those of us who need more than the "hole." haha

My greatest fear has always been falling in the "hole" and knowing me and my lack of coordination skills, it would be highly possible...I asked Peter once what he'd do if I fell in, and he said he'd just have to leave me...nice LOL

 

 

 

Loved all the cute cuddly stuffed animals!!

Me--Chanel Blue Silk Baseball Cap, Free City RH Vintage Hot Pink Hoodie, Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond Mini Hoop earrings, Roberto Coin Cento Diamond studs earrings :)