CC's Great Escape: Birthday Weekend~!

My coworkers surprised me... several times... with cakes!!! :D Yaaaaay cake! Friday cakes are great, but Friday *Birthday* cakes are best. Didn't have anything really planned except for getting together with Mel (who I haven't seen in years... since she ran away and joined the JET programme) on Saturday.

Friday night ended up being another Shi-JET hang out, this time, we grabbed dinner at a place in Towada (they had pizza... like... real pizza... not with corn or anything stupid on it... just cheese, pineapple and pig (ok, so it wasn't ham per se, but... SOOOOOOO GOOOOOD). All on a nice thin crust. Nice resturant, too, I will go back for sure. I missed out on having a giant parfait cuz I wanted to eat food.. and had enjoyed many pieces of cake already.

Christina's fancy parfait. Next time, Gadget... next time...

We then proceeded to the GEO and picked up a few movies to watch. First up: Beetlejuice. Then Tim, David and I braved watching Pathology. I'd seen it in the shop (we probably still have a copy if anyone wants to watch it). Basically murderous pathology Dr.s getting away with... murder (and smoking crack, for some reason... what the heck?) and Alyssa Milano.

Saturday, David and I headed off to meet up with Mel, Jeff and their friend Sean at a fish market in Hachinohe. We picked out fish that we wanted to cook up, then headed to the BBQ section of the building and cooked up a feast. I grabbed a salmon steak and some garlic oil, we also grabbed some bell peppers and mushrooms.

Fiiiiiiish

David, Sean, Mel and Jeff

Mel gave me this beautiful tiara and a bottle of sake. Naturally I wore the tiara the whole time I was in the market. :D

After that, we headed to the 'Pigeon Shrine' on the coast and hadda look-see, and then went in search of what Mel described as the best shakes... unfortunately they have changed something in the way they make the shakes and they weren't as good as she'd remembered. Still yummy, though.

Those pigeons look strangely like black sea gulls to me...

OMG Hockey!

Then it was time to book it to the Tekunoru Ice Park to watch the 東北フリーブレイズ (Tohouku Free Blades) play against the Anyang Halla (they're Korean... I don't know how to write using Korean characters...). Part way through the first period, the kids who took our money at the door came and basically told us one of us didn't pay. Or someone paid with a Man ($100 bill) and didn't get their change... It seemed to change around from one minute to the next... Eventually they left, with us all saying that we had, in fact, paid. A little while later, they came back with apology coffee... Which was super nice of them. Unfortunately the Free Blades lost the game, but we still had a great time (turns out they play the same kinda music at hockey games in the Asia League as they do in the NHL) and went across the street to get some eats before making our ways back from whence we came.

*snickers*

Apology coffee! It was nice and warm, too.
Though tasted more like coffee flavored milk and sugar.

Unfortunate... expensive, too... :/

Tanouki kept a watchful eye on me at the restaurant while I enjoyed my curry and gyoza.

Sunday I got up bright and early to go to one of my school's (Enokibyashi JHS) bunkazai (basically parent-teacher night, but without the one-on-one meeting with your teacher, all the class rooms are set up with displays). My laundry made me a little late getting down there, so I missed seeing the English speech contest participants (again... :P) but did catch each grade's choir competition entry. Once that was over with, we were ushered out of the gym so they could set up the cafe, where you buy tickets and the students seat and serve you coffee, cakes or other such food on the menu. David dropped me off back at the apartment, and I got ready to have a nice Birthday buffet lunch with Christina, Tim, Joseph and Vanessa. I had waaaaaay too much. Dang that place in the Shimoda mall with it's dessert and ice cream bars!! (and a pox on my lack of will power!!). Bought myself a yoga mat and some weights, we got a little shopping done and even played in the arcade before heading back to finish our evenings in quiet relaxation (at least, that's what I did).

No more cake for me until... xmas. Jeeebus.

As always, I came across some things that required snap shots of... some are just for friends, I didn't want Fbook to eat them...