Dartboard

Saturday night Mama and I took the last bus into downtown Fukuoka to stay the night in the Greenland Capsule Hotel. We met this sweet old man on the bus, who ended up taking us all the way to the front desk of the hotel. Japanese people are too kind—it’s the reason I never need to learn how to get around in Fukuoka. There is always some nice person who takes me where exactly where I need to go, even if I don’t ask!

Here’s the nice man and my mom.

Then, after we got checked in, ANOTHER guy started chatting us up—still in the lobby—and he invited us to hang out with him and his girlfriend after taking an onsen and relaxing a little! So, we took our bath, sat in the hot tubs and just settled down in the capsules for a bit, when he called. We went to El Borracho, a Mexican restaurant that Kerry showed me last year, ate tacos, drank margaritas and oscura beer until 2:30 in the morning. Hiro and Chie were an awesome couple—their English was excellent and they were very open, outgoing and talkative people. Very un-Japanese, but very fun nonetheless!

Having a Starbucks while waiting for Tomoko and Sumi.

Sunday we met Tomoko and Sumi Narayama for lunch, and went to a wonderful tofu restaurant in the ACROS building downtown. It was course-after-course of delicious tofu dishes. I didn’t know tofu could be served so many ways. As Sumi said, it’s a great diet food because it fills you up, but it’s very low in calories! Score!

Tomoko, me, and Sumi in the mall.

Sumi, Maidie and Tomoko downtown.

A Fukuoka intersection.

We look like ants. Diet photos should always be taken at this distance.

He-llo!

The ACROS building in Fukuoka.

Inside ACROS.

A typical table in a Japanese restaurant. You look like you’re sitting on the floor, but the hole in the floor is easy on the legs!

Eating mochi on a stick!

Mama and I drinking tea.

Part of my meal was… not tofu, but beef!

Some white blossoms blooming in Fukuoka.

In the afternoon, we went SHOPPING!! I’m not a big shopper* really, but Japan is a great place to shop for things like paper, stationary, art supplies, and anything cute! Sumi is a painter so she took my mom to some great art/paper supply stores and my mom stocked up on journals and paper for drawing, water-coloring, journaling and origami.

(*except when it comes to diamonds)

Then we did the bookstore thing—god, that’s a dangerous place. I refrained from buying everything that caught my eye, however, and came out with only four books under $100, two of which are for classroom use!

In the evening, my mom was beginning to drop, so we decided to grab a bento for dinner and eat back at Shimose’s house. Mom’s doing a great job of denying jet leg so far!!

Love, Sierra

Joelle’s painted her bedroom and she choose wonderful colors, don’t you think?

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