Day 2: Of Japanese bread and Namba Shopping

Day 2: Thursday May 20, 2010







Yes my friends, I got to go out and experience crazy shopping in Japan!!

First, lets start with my breakfast. I had a wonderfully fluffy and tasy slice of Japanese white bread with strawberry preserves, and let me tell you it is DIVINE. For some reason, it's so good! Then, I relaxed all morning because I was still tired and sore. At noon, Tecola's wife took me to a wonderful bakery called Sunny Side! It was sooooo good and cute! I met all these Japanese women, because Mari knows them all, and they were so nice and happy to meet me! Then, we went inside and I picked out some breads for lunch! OH MY GOODNESS there were so many wonderful things to choose from! We were in a hurry, so I wasn't able to take pictures, but I will next time! I chose a bacon gratin baguette, fried curry bread, matcha muffin with white chocolate, and an almond cream bread. WOW! The fried curry bread was hot and fresh, and the curry was rich with tomatoes, beef, and other goodies. The bacon gratin bread was very rich and filled with creamy sharp cheese and tasty chunks of bacon! That was my lunch, haha. :) I saved the sweets for later~

Driving through Osaka to go to Namba was fascinating. Osaka has some almost industrial parts to it, as well as tall buildings with interesting architecture. So many people bike; I saw many men in suits biking, which made me think they must bike to work. There are people everywhere!
We parked in a lot next to 2 or three love hotels, since it was cheaper. The people going into the hotels and coming out seemed like young couples having fun, but it was a little awkward! XD
We walked up some streets to the Namba shopping arcade, which is crazy and crowded! So different than any place I've ever been to! I thought it was rather exhilarating myself, but I know my boyfriend wouldn't like how crowded it was. ;) It was also really interesting to be in a place surrounded by people who don't look like you. I felt like I stuck out alot!
Mari teaches English once a week in a historic elementary school that hosts classes for older people. Its a funny place because it's in the heart of the shopping arcade! To get there, we walked down Namba Cafe Street, and I loved it! Such cute and clean cafes~ :)
I was free to roam and shop for an hour and a half, so I got to it! At first, I was shy about going into a store and buying something but in the end it was no problem. I got a few cute things, and a gift for my sister. I can't wait to go back and buy some takoyaki and ramen, as well as the cute tourist things haha! :D
I did get to go into the school, and I love how old it is! Thw wood creaks lol~ I am going to go to the class next week to answer questiong, but I went in to meet everyone real quick first. They applauded me when I entered the room!!!! XD It was so sweet and nice! I am really looking forward to going back next week!

When we got home, we were exhausted. I almost fell asleep upstairs, but lukcily Mari asked if I wanted to go to the store with her and pick up her daughters. I was happy to go! We drove through Old Street, which was so cute and narrow! The homes were so lovely!
After getting the girls, we went to a Supa, a supermarket. She let me choose some goodies to try, so I got Yuzu sorbet (Japanese citrus), rice gelato (!!!!), and black sesame rice crackers. I am excited to try all these goodies and report to you all! :)
Then, I helped make the salad and veggies for dinner. We had chicken katsu, and it was tasty! We also had Hijiki, a sweet seawead salad. Hmmmm, I ate it but it's not my favorite! Tecola also got me a special adapter plug for my laptop, so I can use it! Yay!!
After dinner, I was so tired I went straight to bed. Only to wake up at 4 in the morning. I couldn't go back to sleep....I don't like jet lag!

All in all, a super fun and exciting day!!!!

http://sunny-side.co.jp/