Category: Amigos

The Afternoon at Granny Smith Apple Pie & Coffee

Did you know that ‘bestie‘ is now officially a word in the Oxford English Dictionary?

 I use it all the time and I know some people cringe over the word…but I like it! It’s so easy to say. Although that could just be my Japanesey side taking over. You know how we love to abbreviate everything! ;D

Well, I mentioned all of that to say…I went to eat pie with my bestie!

M loves apple pies something fierce so we decided to stop by Granny Smith Apple Pie & Coffee, a small cafe in Aoyama. And when I say small, there are literally only 4 tables-for-two and 1 table-for-four. But the store concept is take-out pie and coffee, so I guess they don’t need as many tables.

The pies all looked delicious! There were so many choices that it was hard to decided (see menu here). Very hard. But I had absolutely no problem deciding that we were just going to have to keep on coming back until I’ve tried every one of their pies. Every. Single. One.
I ended up ordering the Apple Cobbler (because you could only get it when you eat inside the cafe…I really AM Japanese. Ha) and a cappuccino. M got the Dutch Crumble and a latte. It was scrumptious and we had a great time chatting in the cafe, surrounded by the lovely fragrance of freshly baked pies in oven. I’m already pondering over what I’ll order next time I’m there!
Here are some photos:
My Apple Cobbler.
M’s Dutch Crumble
Isn’t my bestie gorgeous?
Granny Smith Apple Pie & Coffee 
Aoyama Store
5-8-9 Minami Aoyama
Minato-ku, Tokyo
東京都港区南青山5-8-9
03-3486-5581
Hours: 10am-9pm

The Afternoon Hanami Picnic at Yoyogi Park

What a perfect day for a picnic.

My baby sister N was staying with me for a week and my other sister Y also came down for the weekend, so we decided to have an early hanami picnic at Yoyogi Park after church last weekend. It was such a warm day and I cannot tell you how amazing it felt to sit under the sun and feel all that warmth. It was actually a bit early for the cherry blossoms but that didn’t even matter.

I brought my ridiculously bright and cheerful picnic rug and we ordered veggie burgers and rice krispies treats from my favorite little burger shop Arms. We also had oranges, thanks to my parents who live in the orange kingdom of Japan. Pretty much my favorite kind of picnic feast!

We bumped into an old friend and dragged him into our game of daifugo. Card games may be old school but it’s still a lot of fun. And you know what they say, playing cards can bring out one’s true inner-self. It’s so true. My sisters and I get quite competitive.

It was an afternoon full of laughs, although the card game did produce a few screams as well. We had a really great picnic and I’m hoping that this is just the beginning of many more to come!

Here are some photos:

The Afternoon at Aoyama Flower Market Tea House

My friend M and I went to Aoyama Flower Market Tea House for lunch on the day it snowed in Tokyo. It was the perfect place to be on that cold day because this cafe is like a greenhouse. Super warm and cozy with wonderful fragrance of flowers.

M was here in Tokyo visiting her family with her fiance and his family. So you can imagine how hectic their schedule was. But the sweetheart that she is, she found some time for me. And we spent the whole afternoon talking and laughing. It was just what I needed!

M and I went to university together but it wasn’t until we graduated that we started becoming really good friends. We were both saying that we couldn’t remember how the friendship initially started. But now she is one of my greatest friends and I feel incredibly blessed to have such a brave and kind soul in my life.

 Isn’t it interesting how friendships are born? x

The Afternoon at Arms Burger Shop

I completely forgot about these photos!
My high school friend has the cutest dog (seen here before) and sometimes we go to Yoyogi Park to let him roam and run wherever he pleases. We also like to stop by this little burger shop Arms because they allow dogs inside with you. It’s the perfect nook to warm up and relax in.
Here are some photos of the tiny but ferocious (not really) Leo and his people:

The Holiday Weekend in Yokohama

Aren’t these the cutest Christmas reindeers (aka poodles) you’ve ever seen?
While many other countries may have a day off to celebrate Christmas on the 25th, here in Japan it is not an official holiday. So a lot of people get together over the weekend or on the 23rd, which actually is an official holiday here (it’s our Emperor’s birthday!).
I ended up in Yokohama this weekend with my Japanese friends, who currently live in South Korea, and their Chinese-Malay friends, currently visiting Japan from Malaysia. We went by Chinatown and had lunch at Bawarou, a Taiwanese restaurant that actually had vegetarian options. It was really good and the owner was quite the character.
After learning how to count from one to ten in Chinese, Korean, and Malay (this is what happens when everyone speaks a different language), we took a walk down the pier. Yokohama has so much history, it’s really interesting learning about how the port opened and evolved. Also, the view is pretty amazing, too.
Our Malaysian friends wanted to try ice skating so we stopped by the Red Brick Warehouse, which we call Aka-renga. Every winter they have a popular outdoor skating rink in their event space. It’s very crowded so it’s not the place to practice your triple axels, but skating with friends is always fun. Especially when it’s someone’s first time on ice. The girls had previous experience so they were very good but their dad had never ice skated before. He was like bambi on the ice! Teehee!
We had tons of fun and I’m glad we got to spend our holiday weekend together. And even though I’ll be working on Christmas day, I’ll still be in a festive mood for sure! (Especially since everyone on the other side of my emails will be on holiday and I won’t have that much to do anyways ;D)
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from Japan! x

The Christmas Apple and Cranberry Chutney

One of the greatest things about this holiday season is the food.
I was beyond excited when my friend V, who is an amazing artist in the kitchen, brought me this homemade Christmas apple and cranberry chutney!!!
Have you ever tried chutney before?
I hadn’t heard of it before but I looked it up and the internet said that it goes well with cheddar cheese. I’ve been making chutney grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches ever since with everything from regular bread, brown bread, and even raisin whole wheat bread. So so good. (If I ate meat, I’d put the chutney on that, too!)
So it’s really no surprise that this lovely bin of chutney did not last until Christmas day. I made my last sandwich today. So sad that my chutney season is over but so grateful to V for letting me experience the joy of chutney in the first place. Thank you, V! x

The Wedding Party in Ebisu

Last month my friends E and M had their wedding party in Ebisu!
They had gotten married with close family and friends in Hawai’i the month before and wanted to have a party with their friends in Tokyo. I was asked to help co-plan the wedding party with another friend Y, which I was really excited about. I didn’t learn until later that it would include taking on the role of co-master of ceremonies as well.
After 30+ years, I’ve come to know myself pretty well and one of the things is that I do better behind the scenes. Supporting is my thing, not center stage. I have huge stage fright and because I’m rarely in that position, I freeze up even more when I’m there.
Needless to say, I was slightly concerned about having to talk into the mike. And not only that, but you need to be on top of things, reading the crowd, checking the time, and making sure that the bride and groom are having a great time. (Did I mention I am also a worrier?)
But in the end, it all worked out.
The bride and groom were full of smiles, which is exactly what we wanted. Our plan to surprise them with messages from their parents were also a success. Everything went according to plan and it was great seeing them having a good time celebrating their marriage with all their friends in Tokyo!
Wishing E and M all the joy and happiness of this day and always. x
The bride and groom making their entrance.

I have no idea who took these photos on my camera…but whoever did, thank you!
E’s friend gave a poetic toast to the newlyweds.                        My co-MC was amazing.                

Friends surrounding the happy couple.
My flower arrangement for the bride and groom table, which I only had 15 minutes to do (eek!).

It felt good seeing everyone having a good time conversing with the bride and groom.
Who knew those high school ikebana classes would come in handy one day?

A piece of their cake waiting to be eaten, which they did after the party was over.
Like all good parties, it was over before we knew it. x

The Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles

Did you know that the famous Hollywood sign was first there as an outdoor ad campaign for a suburban housing development called Hollywoodland?
The history of the Hollywood sign is really interesting.
You can see it from the Griffith Observatory and because it was so close, we decided to take a drive to get a closer look. Of course we had to take the typical tourist shot with the sign in the background 😀
I was only in LA for the weekend so this was my last day there. R took me to the airport later that night and my flight took off a little past midnight, which it was perfect because I slept most of the way back to Tokyo.
Los Angeles was a beautiful city. I say this about pretty much every city I visit but it’s nonetheless true. I loved the odd weather (a mixture of hot rays and cool breeze), the creativity that seems to be around every corner of the city, and the amazing six-lane highways that everyone drives on.
I’d heard rumors about how awful the traffic in LA was but I think we were lucky and didn’t hit any traffic. Even if we did, I didn’t notice because sitting in the car in LA is kind of like sitting in a cafe in Tokyo, it gives you time to chat about everything from family to life-goals while sipping your coffee. I enjoyed every minute in R’s car and had nothing to complain about.
I think I’m hooked. x

The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles

Ever since I saw a photo of this building, I’ve wanted to go see it.
I mean, look at it. Doesn’t it look like a great white castle on top of the hill, overlooking it’s kingdom below? I can imagine horses carrying riders on their backs, thundering down the hill. Maybe it’s just me. But it’s a beautiful building that has a power to let your imagination flow.
The Griffith Observatory was opened to the public on May 14, 1935. Since then millions of people have come to enjoy the facility and the ever famous view of the city of Los Angeles. Personally, I had no idea it was such a tourist spot. But I can understand why everyone would want to come here.
For one, the view is amazing. We went during the day and the you could see the whole city spread out in front of you. Also, we went inside the observatory and that was fascinating as well. I especially loved the ceiling mural.
I was so busy taking everything in and catching up with my friends while enjoying the view that I didn’t take as many pictures as I thought. I guess that just shows how much I liked being up there. Next time I want to go right before the sunset and enjoy the city lights at night. On a clear night, you can even get a chance to see the sky through a telescope. How awesome is that?
Here are some pictures:

The Trip to Los Angeles

You know you’re on the west coast when you see flowers like these outside! So pretty!
This was actually my first time in Los Angeles. I never really thought about it but LA is so much closer to Japan than the midwest or east coast. But this was only my second time on the west coast, the last time being a trip to Sacramento when I was in sixth grade.
It’s probably because not very many of my friends lived on this side. But now that my grade school friend R lives there, I had a reason to go visit. It was so much fun! I feel like I got to see this lovely city through his eyes and it was one full of creativity, determination, and love. 
He also asked me what I wanted to do in LA and I had very specific requests. I wanted to go to the Griffith Observatory, a bookstore called The Last Bookstore, and a farmers market. We only had a weekend but R fit all my requests and even more in my short time there. I had the very best time catching up and exploring the city of angels with him! xx
(Pictures to come…)
I got to see where R works as an editor…and also got my first ever fist bump!!! x