Tokyo

Ok, so I'm finally getting this up. It's been nice because I thought I had to go back to school pretty much right after getting back from Tokyo(after the weekend of course) but it turned out I still have a couple days off from school and even got to stay home for my birthday too which was nice.
So, this is Tokyo and a little more. I'll back it up to the week before Tokyo. My big surpirse. I got a call on Tuesday from Matt asking about comming out the following weekend to visit Japan and being here for Christmas and New Years with me! Which I thought was really sweet to come all the way out here when I know how big his family celebrates the holidays and all, and how much it is to get here. I was really excited to have him come and get to show him around the prefecture,(my romping and exploring grounds) and play and eat good food. ^__^
So here's a few pictures from the start before Tokyo. I didn't take as many pictures this time since Matt was deemed the trips photographer and video recorder, so some pictures are borrowed from Matt. (Also Matt was much better about documenting these days on his blog so....mine may be off...needless to say he was also the trips scribe.)

But, one of the first day we went into Niigata to kinda putz around there and see some things. There's quite a bit of shopping so we did some browsing. We also met up with Ellen there for a bit to have a chat and hang out. It was really fun. Toward the evening there was a little plaza with lights. I think there was a raffle of some sorts there. Of course the Colonel was dressed up and ready for Christmas.





Monday was my last day of school before break so I headed off to school and Matt meandered around the city and took a bike ride. Meanwhile I finished all my classes in the first two periods and had the rest to hangout until it was time to go home. So I just drew pictures to pass the time since I was about to burst with excitment to get home and go play. Finally I got home and we went out for Takoyaki and did perikura pictures (the crazy colorful photobooth on steriods) It was awesome. Some of the perikura turned out funnny because I was wearing a green shirt that was the same color as the green screen so I was kinda invisible in the shirt area, I was just a head and hands. It was a great blast! I also got info about renting a car.




The next day we rented a car in Tsubame Sanjo, which I thought I'd be really wierd driving but actually felt quite natural like I have been driving on the left side of the road all along. I guess because that's how I've been riding my bike. Anyhoo we got a cute car and we went into the Yahiko area to see the Yahiko Shrine and then to the coast where we saw a big water fall and the Sea of Japan. We ate at a really nice Italian restaurant there overlooking the sea. Then we went into Teradomari to a big fish market. It was pretty rad. We ate little bitty crabs and hit up my favorite icecream place for Mango and (Matt had)Black seasame. Sooooo good. But by the evening it was getting cold. So we putzed around in the city and picked up some bread at the bakery for the next morning.























It was sooooooooooooooo fun to have a car.

We has an eikaiwa Christmas Eve party too. Oh, and we made Thai curry it was good and talked to our fams for Christmas a bit.






Then we ventured to Aizu-Wakamatsu for a couple days. It was snowy and georgeous! The scenery is absolutley stunning as always. CHO-SUGOKU-KIRE
























After that we went to spend a little time in Yoshida....and then to Kashiwazaki(coastal city)




That was Yoshida, we just kinda putzed around and checked out the city. We ran into some cool graveyards there too. Then set off for Kashiwazaki. Pretty sure we both slept the whole way there. Weather was also really crazy there!





Next we where on to Tokyo with Bridget!!We started with some Korean BBQ and into Shibuya for a brows.








And Asakusa for the 1st of January.






















Ok, I got a little lazy toward the end and just threw in pictures. I was getting tired. Heh. It was an AMMMMMAZZZZZZZZZZZINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG TRIP! I loved it and had a blast!