Traffic ---> Italian and Crazy Stores!

A few days back I took the kids out to grab lunch on a rainy Saturday. Daddy was gone, so the kids and I were excited to explore a new place. Well, traffic had different plan. We couldn't get anywhere near the place. Not even close.  

So, I pulled out my brand of Cra-Zy and turned their whining complaints into a goofy song. Laughing made the standstill traffic so much easier to stand. We tried for over an hour to get closer to the place, but eventually gave up.

Out came the cellphone and into Google went "family restaurants in Japan". Wouldn't you know, there was a "Fast Food Italian" chain restaurant about 3 miles from where we were. It sounds close, right? Well, that 3 miles took us about 49 minutes, but we got there.

The place was... well it was rundown. That is putting it nicely. Most places in Japan are incredibly clean. This place was like old wallpaper and 70's decoration. But, the tables and food looked clean.

I asked the kids if we should try to find something else. They just looked at me. And all four- at the same time- shook their heads "NO!"

Yes, it is difficult to find places and travel around in Japan. The kids can only take it so long. I can only take about 30 seconds longer than they can. We stayed at Saizeriya.

The waitress was incredibly friendly, the food was pretty good and the cost was low. The kids got 'typical' Italian pasta dishes, like broccoli and penne.

Baby girl got the kids meal. It is really the only choice, other than pasta, and she was not "in a pasta mood". Whatever. The dish was sausage and meat, which my carnivore loved. But that's not why I am showing you this picture. Her dish allows me explain an interesting phenomenon that I have not seen outside of Japan. 

Clearly, Japan is known for eating a ton of rice. It is served all day long, at almost every meal.  Somewhere along the way someone must have gotten sick of plain old rice. They decided to add "shakey" flavors to their cool creations. Now, the flavors are vast and widely available. My kids favorite flavor is "egg" or "egg and veggie". They love plain rice as well, but is stick the flavor packets in their lunch every now and again to keep things interesting. 

You can also see on her plate a small almost jelly-size packet that has an apple on it. That is a cross between a fruit cup and jello. You open the package and swallow the whole thing at once. What? Wouldn't that be a chocking hazard you ask? I thought so the first time, so I tested it. It dissolves so quickly that chocking is jot an issue. Taste, however is a tad questionable in my opinion. 

We also ordered "corn pottage". Miso soup is the most common here, but several places carry corn pottage. The interesting thing about this one, besides the random swirl of cream, was that the soup is served cold. Yep, cold. I was surprised, but we liked it.

Another new found favorite of the kiddos is Melon Fanta. It is less carbonated that some of the drinks here. I think they get it because it looks cool to drink bright green liquid? (I have no idea why, but most of the sodas here knock you down they are so overly carbonated. And don't get me started on the tragedy of coke zero here. Dreadful what has happens to that taste translation!)

All in all Saizeriya was an average, fast-food Italian joint for these Americans in the heart of Japan. Wow, that's a weird sentence. Wow, that's my life :)


There were a few store fronts I wanted to tell you about. Japan has some pretty good shopping. It is not all really exciting to me, but the names of the stores crack me up! I just had to share a couple of them. 

Here we are walking towards the shopping center. It is officially 'outside' under the awning in the middle of the picture. It is a little rough to truly shop when you are freezing in the winter and burning up in the summer. Somehow, if I need something bad enough, I can manage.

Welcome to "Wants". Hubby says they need a store next door called "Needs". Then, we could teach our children- and the rest of America- how to use money responsibly!

There are more and more American companies moving over to Japan. I had never heard of "Mister Donut", but our friend from CT said she had one growing up. Their donuts aren't that great in general, but they give us a little taste of home.

You don't like Mister Donut? Well, feel free to to walk next door to grab a slimy squid!

 Or, do you need a massive ET? You can have this one for about $500! 

You know you have ALWAYS wanted to go to the "Yellow Submarine"! Now you can and while you are there you can book a trip with this crazy named travel agency.

There apparently is a massive run on Australian Jean Stores? Why else would you name a store "Jeans Mate"?

Then there is the ever.so.random clothing store name "Womb". My only problem with it is it is a store for MEN? Seriously, do men want to shop at a 'womb'?

We have some amazing friends with the last name Amos. Low and behold I found THEIR store! "Amos Style" would be a sure hit with the man of that house!

Finally, another couple of very wild burgers served at McDonalds here. Right now it is the Hawaiian season. I have no idea why. Here is what the eatery.com says about the new fare, "Hawaiian Barbecue Pork Burger, which features a pork patty topped with pulled pork "slow cooked for four hours," plus coleslaw and pickles. The Loco Moco burger will feature two burger patties, a cooked egg, lettuce, and a gravy sauce.

I enjoy seeing new places to both shop and eat. I giggle at the names, and cry a little at the tiny sizes :)

Have a blessed day in your world- where ever you are!

Sippin' on Sweet Tea,

~Aggie Amy

Kentucky = Christmas

 Wait until you hear what Japan's version of Christmas!

This country is a true marketer's DREAMLAND!

The Huffington Post explains the story like this,

"It’s Christmas Eve in Japan. Little boys and girls pull on their coats, the twinkle of anticipation in their eyes. Keeping the tradition alive, they will trek with their families to feast at … the popular American fast food chain KFC.

Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan—only one percent of the Japanese population is estimated to be Christian—yet a bucket of “Christmas Chicken” (the next best thing to turkey—a meat you can’t find anywhere in Japan) is the go-to meal on the big day. And it’s all thanks to the insanely successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974.

When a group of foreigners couldn’t find turkey on Christmas day and opted for fried chicken instead, the company saw this as a prime commercial opportunity and launched its first Christmas meal that year: Chicken and wine for 2,920 yen (at that time about $10)—pretty pricey for the mid-seventies. Today the christmas chicken dinner (which now boasts cake and champagne) goes for about 3,990 yen ($40)."

We had heard the story, but thought it must be overblown. Well, it's NOT!

We quickly realized how popular KFC was. It is the ONLY drive thru we have seen in all of Japan. However, it doesn't usually look crowded and the prices are about 20 % higher than the US. (That is the typical amount of mark up around here.)

The second week of OCTOBER our local KFC started putting up their Christmas decorations. Here is COL Sanders himself with the kiddos staring into the sun. (Read: not happy with Momma, but trying to please her.)

There are several options available for purchase but they all MUST be pre-ordered by December 10th! That gives KFC enough time to ship, prep, pack and hire seasonal help for each store. 

The options look like this:

As you can see there are a few choices sold as "sets". You can also add on more chicken or sides. The large "Roastiessee" chicken that you can pick up everyday from the grocery store in the US sells for almost $60!  Now, back home that same size chicken is $6, all day, everyday. Here in Japan though this type of chicken is just not available.

The Christmas holiday in Japan goes like this: 

Take down the Halloween decor.
Totally ignore that really weird holiday called "Thanksgiving".
Order your KFC holiday meal. 
Wait two more weeks and then:
Break out the tinsel, put up the tree picture of that tree, layer on the lights hang up some window clings and cue the Christmas carols.

Ignore the true reason for Christmas. Forget about the precious child born that night. Put some blinders on to the King of Kings born in that stable to a virgin, whom Wise Men walked miles to worship. 

If only 1% of all of Japan celebrates Christmas for the true reasons, then those of us who KNOW the True King have a lot of work to do.

So, I won't ask you what you will be eating for Christmas.

Maybe turkey, ham, KFC or -our family's favorite- chicken enchiladas. 

Instead, I will ask you what are you DOING to spread God's love this holiday season? 

Write a note to all those people who serve you throughout the year: mailmen, coffee barista, dentist, nail tech, vet... anyone. Invite them to your local church service. Offer them a place at your dinner table. Give them your time.

We all need a little love. We are desire real friends, not just those people you see once and awhile. Real friends are friends who keep us grounded, who tell us the truth and who push us towards the Lord.

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Whatever you eat...

Come Let Us Adore Him,

~Aggie Amy

*Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-japan-is-obsessed-with-kentucky-fried-chicken-on-christmas-1-161666960/#7BbKBx8JcW1MyTyo.99

Ramen + Royce = Totally Addictive Japanese Food

Picture: CUPNOODLES MUSEUM

In the midst of the second largest town in Japan is a HUGE, 5-story museum. To describe it to an American I would say it is like a modern art musuem: bright, airy, tall and incredibly clean. In fact, it is one of the cleanest buildings I have ever seen.

The "Cupnoodles Museum" (and yes, I spelled it correctly) opened in 2011. It is hugely popular and a fantastic way to spend a day.

Cupnoodles tells the story of Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin food product and the inventor of Chicken Ramen.

Mr. Ando had noticed that at lunch some of the workers in his town would not have time to eat because the lines to get Ramen noodles at the local food sheds were just way too long to feed the massive amount of workers. He wanted to give the time, and the control back to the worker. He was also considered with cost for the law-wage workers.

He worked for over a year in a wooden shed behind his home trying to invent a noodle ramen that would cook quickly with just hot water.

His first attempts were not at all successful. The cooking was unequal, the noodles were hard in spots, the nutrition was not acceptable. He kept working.

He finally got it. In 1958, "magic ramen" was created. Ramen was packaged in a small envelope. It was an instant success! Today, in Japan alone, over 51 Million ramen packages are sold each year!

W-O-W!

 In 1971, on a research trip to the US, Mr. Ando saw workers breaking up his chicken ramen, placing it in a cup, pouring hot water over it and eating it with a ...fork! He decided THAT process was how he was going to make his chicken ramen a worldwide phenomon. He just had to add the CUP! He invented "Cupnoodles" when he got back to Japan.

This invention made him millions and millions, but it also fed millions and millions. Cupnoodles went global within months!

The muesum tells the story of Mr. Ando and the continued growth of the company.

We wanted to learn how to make the noodles. The 90 minute class was a ton of fun, and quite educational. It was, of course, completely in Japanese. We were totally covered though because our church had coordinated this trip and brought along locals to help out.

The class for two "adults" and one "student" was $13. Not bad for 90 minutes for a class with one on four instruction.

We had to wear the cute bandanas. Everyone else just "knew" that they were supposed to put the bandanas on so that the chicken's eyes showed. Carson and I both put it on upside down with the fanny showing. (I switched mine before the photo was taken.) We had numbers on our aprons that were used to track the bowls and frying cases with our specific noodles, so we ended up with our own noodles.

You can also design your very own Cupnoodles package! It is a really popular activity. We wanted to do that as well. (Yes, we are nerds when it comes to this kind of thing.) Sadly, we ran out of time!

When we left the class, we only had 10 minutes until the bus left. We ran, well we walked quickly, through the Hall of Noodles, so we could see the over 3,000 different packages that have been marketed since 1958.

It was facsinating to see, not only the packaging but the size of the servings as well.  There are some Cupnoodles with toys on them, some in adorable chicken mugs and some that must serve an entire family- or maybe an Army platoon :)

We will have to go back with the rest of the family and enjoy more of this fabulous musuem. We did not get to go on all the levels, but we will next time.

On to the next Japanese Food Addiction!

Hubby has been traveling a ton lately. When you go through the airports here you get the greatest opputunity to eat local Japanese foods.

There is one store that we have been hearing about, but have not had the chance to visit.

Until Now!

Meet Royce Chocolate World!

This is what the airport "store" looks like. It is like a combo between a museum and a factory. The wonderful smell of melting chocolate, the cleanliness of a typical Japanese resturant and the fun of a Brookstone. It should be weird to shop in the airport. It's not. My wallet can testify to that.

You can choose from all sorts of tasty treats. The most addictive one is the fresh potato ships covered in Royce's rich, but light chocolate. Oh.My.My.My!

They are lick-your-lips, hide-your-bag, steal-from-your-kids GOOD!

The package doesn't look like much. I get that.

You will just have to trust me.

Or, you can pray you have a visit from us coming up... and that we will NOT have eaten all the Royce chocolate!

The stores are turning up in more and more places. They have three in NYC now.

Yes, it is worth the trip.

No, I don't care where you live.

It is STILL worth the trip!

I am thinking we may have to pay the $30 in tolls and $20 in airport parking just to get some more very soon.

Hubby may not be too keen on that.

Oh, but hold on. Let me grab that calendar.

I wonder when his next trip is....

 Noodles & Chocolate for Dinner Every Meal,

~Aggie Amy

Halloween for ALL in Japan

Wow! The Japanese are obsessed with most American holidays. I get it.


Still, I am shocked by how much they LOVE Halloween!  It is everywhere!  From restaurants to grocery stores, to people's cars and even ads. Way past what we even do in the US!

Here are a few pics from the local area of Nippon's latest craze.

The McDonald's in Japan goes all out for Halloween. The have a black "witch" burger and a white "ghost" chicken sandwich. The black burger has a soy and teriyaki sauce with nacho cheese on a black bun. The chicken sandwich has a white cheese and mayo on a white bun. Both are, surprisingly, tasty. (We don't really eat at McD's in the States. However, when you are overseas it is nice to have 'normal' fries and 'real' coke. It is not high brow, but it is as American as it comes.)

Kentucky Friend Chicken, or KFC to the kids and me, also gets in the Halloween action. They have a special 'Trick or Treat' bucket that is only offered the week of Halloween.  Good Ol' Colonel Sanders even wears a black witch's hat in the advertisement.  Yes, it is 1850 Yen, or $18.50, for six small pieces of chicken, two biscuits with honey sauce and two tiny fries. For a few dollars more you can have a tiny drink. This is why we carry water.

I don't even like Halloween. But, still the Japanese try hard to find a way to make Halloween "kawaii" (Ka-why-e) which means "cute" or "adorable".

Here is the local grocery store. They have a pretty good size selection of seasonal treats. There are pumpkin flavored Pocky, Milky chocolate in Halloween packages and cookies individually wrapped to be given out for Trick or Treating. By far, our favorite Fall treat has been pumpkin Kit Kat. It sounds gross. I don't even like pumpkin, but these sweets are a subtle spice cookie covered in white chocolate. We can't taste pumpkin at all.

There are small costumes everywhere! Mainly just capes, but they are everywhere! The costumes don't seem to be limited to young kids. Everyone gets in on the fun around Tokyo.

Ziploc puts out special containers this time of year as well. They just have to have Mickey Mouse printed on them. Mickey is everywhere here! That's what makes them adorable!

As you drive around town you see that most stores have some sort of Halloween decoration. You have to go so painfully.slow that you can study every business. Seriously, I go weeks on end without my car hitting FOURTY miles per hour! Weeks. It is NUTS!

Anyway, our local car dealer had a HUGE cutout of a large, white woman dressed as a witch. Our kids laughed at her every time we passed that store. I tried to convince them to let me take them inside to have their picture made with her. They were having nothing to do with it! They were nervous we would look like goof balls. Like that EVER happens!

The Crew is always trying to find a new toy or cool candy. Here they are discovering that Japan carries knock-off German kinder eggs! In Japan, the kinder eggs are called "Choco Eggs". The eggs are filled with Pokemon and Super Mario characters. Fun for my four!


 On Halloween night we got a group of families together for BBQ. That is how we roll on military posts. We party and enjoy each other's company before we 'improve international relationships'. How do we do that? Well, we let the locals enjoy some of an American tradition.  We had heard that there would be a LOT of Japanese children. Well, we heard wrong. There were hundreds- literally- over 700 Japanese kids who came through our little area. We were shocked! Each child would individually ask us, "Trick or Treat?". We would offer the kid a piece of candy and they would say, "Thank you" before they would move on to the next bucket of candy.  Several of the children gave US treats when we gave them candy. Typical "gift-for-gift" Japanese style.

The Japanese kids were incredibly polite. They were intimidated if there were American kids being loud or with scary masks. Most of the American children really behaved themselves. My kiddos did a quick trip around post and then returned early to 'help me' hand out candy. The boys ended up taking over and handing out all candy for over two hours. They loved it! They keep talking about how sweet, kind and quiet the locals are.


I hope you enjoyed your Halloween. Whether or not you 'celebrate' the holiday, and that is a topic for another day, it was a fun way for this family to spend some time with the locals.

By the way if you need any candy for the next few years... we are swimming in the stuff!!!

Lost in lollipops & ditching the Dots,

~Aggie Amy

My Jersey Boy's Birthday

I was going to write about the new Burger King Black Burger today.

I also wanted to tell you about a random meeting with some local women.

None of that is going to happen in this entry. I decided to share a bit of my crazy life instead.

I know, it's weird. It's just the way I am. Love me or hate me, either way I'm still me.

Today I am going to tell you about the love of my life and the horrible, no good, very bad gift giver that I am.

I try but I have never been a good gift giver. My husband is a wonderful gift giver! I love that! I can mention that I liked something, or even look just-a-tad too long at something in the store and a few days later it will appear. I have to be careful not to ask for something I don't really want ;)

It is very difficult to find a true gift for your spouse after you have been together for years.

I mean we share a bank account, so it's not like I can ever really surprise him.

I am always on the hunt for a new idea to show him my love.

If I am being totally blunt, my hubby gives me waaayyy better gifts that I do him. He gives me the one thing no one else can, time at home with my kids. He has encouraged and supported my desire to be the at-home-Momma for years and years. Even when I could have hurried to work as the kids grew, he let me find my own path.

I have worked ... some...off and on. I enjoyed it. It is just difficult to put my heart into a job and still have the energy and spirit to serve my family.

I admire the women, and men, who do it. You are stronger than I.

I want  need my own time. I like having the quiet house after the chaos of sending our brats to school. (It's okay to call them that when they are military kids. I am not criticizing, so no hate mail on that one. Feel free to hate mail me about the vast amount of other things I say that offend you.)

He has served his country since he was a just a teenager. Then, he went and married this high-maintenance Southern Belle. Poor guy. He must have had some inkling that I would be a little tough to handle when we were dating.

But, alas... He gave me that shiny ring.

He signed the papers.

He said "I do". And, he MEANT it.

When he said "for as long as I live", he really meant it. What a brilliantly refreshing concept. A man of his word.

I have put him through the ringer. I try not to... well, most days I try not to. Somedays I am not the best wife. Somedays I qualify for the 'she has gone and lost her mind club'. Then, on rare occasions he gets the idealistic girl he married. Poor, poor guy. He married a complicated chick.

So, as you can tell, my husband deserves a gift.

What do I get a man who provides selflessly to his wife, his kids, his friends and his country?

How can I tell him how much I adore his heart, his conversations and his time?

When I am perplexed, I look in that big ol' book of instructions. 

The Book says I am to love, submit and respect my husband. How do I do that in this situation?

I gave him plane tickets and kicked him out of Japan for a few weeks. 

Wait. What? 

My hubby is a total geography geek. He loves anything and everything that has to do with the study of human, military, and cultural geography. He is fascinated by people, their lands and their customs. He will research their religions and study their family structures. He gets into a zone when he starts to see the relationships between their geography and their traditions come together. 

Here is where we differ. 

I am... less fascinated.

I still really enjoy the learning side of other cultures. 

I just don't necessarily want to visit the entire world. I don't dream of seeing every battlefield, castle or church known to man. I'm good with some great 'tourist traps', a trip to the local grocery store and a stop at the McDonald's (Trust me, McDonald's is vastly different in every country. It's a great way to see the local flavor.)

But, I love my husband. I adore him, even when I want to bonk him upside the head with a balloon. I think he was made for me and I was created for him. 

How do I say thank you, or in this case 'Happy Birthday', to the man I have spent almost 2 decades loving? 

I had to find someway to speak his "love language", as the famous Dr. Chapman would say.

I gave him a trip to Vietnam with decorated Veterans and college students studying military history. He has two weeks to enjoy the wisdom of men who have been prisoners of war. He can soak up all the stories of Vietnam vets who are longing to share their memories, while they can still walk the battlefields they fought on almost 50 years ago. I encouraged, and then encouraged again, my hero to go. Now this trip may not sound like a good gift to you. But, it's not about you. It's about what makes HIM happy. So, off he went to explore and learn.

Then, I did something radical. I went on with life as usual... never-ending homework, way too many soccer practices and the constant line of dishes that mysteriously fill my sink. I fix whatever issues come up, take kids to the various appointments the need and plan a few gatherings in my spare time. I live. I don't hold it over his head that he is 'on vacation' while I am not. That would ruin the gift. 

I am not telling you this story to brag on myself. 

Trust me, I do wrong every day. 

I didn't even come up with the trip. I just heard him talk about it and saw a chance to give him something he would never give himself. 

I am sharing this with you to encourage you to love on YOUR spouse today. 

Come on, we can all think of one or two things that would make our spouse's day better. 

Does he need his clothes taken to the cleaners? His car washed? A love letter left in his dresser drawer?

Did you tell him how much you respect his opinion? Or how much you like it when he holds your hand?

I know marriage is under attack these days. It is hard to be married. Still, it is oh so worth it.

Are you giving your best effort?

Change it up.

Shock him - just enough to make him think, "Umm, now that's the girl I fell in love with!"

Isn't that good for both of you? 

Isn't that effort all you really want from him every once in awhile?

So, dust off your thinking caps Ladies. Start a new 'note' on your iPhone or bring out that list you always carry around. What are some ways you can make him feel loved today? 

A massage? 

A surprise date night? 

Tickets to the game for him and a buddy? 

A round of golf for him and his dad?

I can't wait to hear what cool ideas you come up with. 

So, off you go. Find a little bit of  love and cheer to pass on to that hunk you married. 

Let me go find that John Legend "All of Me" song and get this house cleaned up before my man gets home. He has been away too long. ;)

I promise next blog I will actually talk about Japan ... maybe 

Love to you,

~Aggie Amy