Yokohama

On Thursday for work I was asked to travel to Yokohama as a substitute for an English camp day. They had four teachers already assigned but they needed an alternate just in case. I had to get up at up at 5:30 to get to Yokohama by 7:40. However, before I even got the the train station I got the call that I wasnt needed.

Kris and I had planned for just such and occasion, so I called him (yes, he was actually awake) and he headed out to Yokohama to meet me. After about an hour and a half Kris made it out to Yokohama. I had planned the day out and surprised Kris each step of the way.

First we headed to the Port of Yokohama. We went to Bills in the historic old Rid Brick Warehouses. These Red Brick Warehouses were the first built to accommodate international trade after Japan came out of isolation and they have since been re purposed as a shopping center. As we walked towards the Warehouses we looked around the Port area, took some photos, made some video.

Across this channel is the island Port of Yokohama.

The historical Red Brick Warehouse that the restaurant was in.

Standing in front of the restaurant, facing the ocean.

Bills is a small set of restaurants started by Bill Granger, an Australian chef and food writer. It is known for having amazing brunch that attracts brunchers and celebrities alike. The ricotta hotcakes with banana and honey comb butter and the berry berry pancakes with berry butter were highly recommended so thats what we got.

I thought they were great, though Kris, as usual, was not extremely impressed. After brunch we crossed the port island and headed to the Cup Noodle museum! There are 3 main levels to the museum- the actual museum floor, the lobby and gift shop floor, and the make your own Cup Noodle floor! First we started with the museum, which started with a huge display showing each brand of instant noodle and all the flavors they've had since creation. Next there was a cute video about the creator of Cup Noodle and how Cup Noodle has become the product we know today. Finally there was a gallery showing some of the history of Cup Noodle and some installations that intended to inspire the viewer to think outside the box like a great inventor.

Then we went to the build your own floor! You first had to buy an empty cup, color it however you like, pick what ingredients and flavor you want, then package it up. I'll go into detail about what we made in another post.

After that it was getting late in the afternoon so we decided to head home. We took a small detour to peek into the GIGANTIC mall here then headed back to the station. We had a long commute- about 1.5 hours, but luckily we were early for our train and we got seats right away! And I had snacks too- I had grabbed some of these taiyaki treats before Kris met me in Yokohama. Taiyaki is basically a pancake pocket type sweet treat that has filling in it. This place had mini ones (normally they're about the size of your palm) and offered fillings like sweet potato, caramel, chocolate, and kabucha. We got caramel and chocolate.

We had a great time in Yokohama and theres still so much to see! I hope we can go back to the port at night around Christmas, it seems like it would be beautiful all covered in lights. My work day turned into an entirely pleasant field trip/ date.

Then Friday I had an on call day, which means I need to get up and be ready to leave the house by 7AM and, if a substitute teacher is needed, I'll be sent out to a school. However, if I don't get called by 10AM I'm off the hook and have the day off. I got lucky again and had Friday off! I got some work done making videos, working on drawings, writing blog posts, and studying Japanese with Kris. We got some much needed laundry and grocery shopping done. We watched a movie. And now the weekend is about to begin!

I feel so lucky that I got to spend so many days this month relaxing at home or traveling. And now theres only a few more weeks until Christmas break!

K+K