new bike!

120708 sun 5:35pm

i hung out with chihiro today, and she helped me buy a bike!!! :D
yes. i now own a bike here in japan. :)

haha... it actually used to belong to paul, the teacher i’m replacing. it supposedly got stolen, but it was miraculously retrieved by the police. and then i had the option of buying it back for 2000 yen ($20+). so chihiro took me to the place, and we looked at it. and i decided to buy it. a cheap bike here costs 10,000 yen ($100+), so it was definitely a bargain!! and it works quite well still! i felt so giddy as chihiro and i biked our way around town! whee!!! :D

hehe... the bike has six speeds! and i realize the only thing anachronistic about it is the basket. and mine is huge! but i’m soo thankful for it. after buying the bike, chihiro and i went to buy some essentials for me, and the darn basket fit my bag AND four rolls of paper towel comfortably!! hahaha. these bikes are so cool too. each one has a light that turns on by a light sensor and by the energy harnessed by the pedaling!! exciting! :D

and i love how bike-friendly this town is!!! there are bike paths everywhere! and cars actually yield to bicycles!!!

chihiro and i had lunch at us’ui, the ritzy department store in the center of town (it has LV, tiffany’s, coach, christian dior, etc). we ate at a restaurant with low tables and only cushions for seats. another first! :) i had tempura shrimp and veggies... and i finally tried the udon!! didn’t taste much of a difference.. but twas definitely great!! AND it was udon with mochi!!! so interesting! and thus greater! haha.

chihiro and i also walked through the other big mall... and she showed me through the supermarket, haha. SOOO many exciting foods!!!!! especially the sweets!!! cakes and tarts and pies and everything nice!!! crepes!! taiyaki!! (i tried it at mitsuwa back home (per jordan’s suggestion), and i’ve been dying to find some here! and i finally found them!! can’t wait to go back to finally try!!) and hummina hummina takoyakiii!!!!!!! found themmmm!!! can’t wait!!! (haha.. yeah i was too full from lunch to try anything else, lest i burst!! haha.)

omg i am sooooo ready to get fat heeerrre!!

[edit 120808]
i tried the cream taiyaki.. and oh my goodness, it was sooo gooood!!! (better than i remember from mitsuwa.) i want another onnnnneee!!! tomorrow morning! haha.