Second Chances

Shinjuku, Japan

October 12, 2014

This, perhaps, was the great finale to my dream vacation in Japan: getting together with my former classmate Freda and her sister, Candy; reconnecting and reminiscing our good ol' high school days.

Reunited with my high school friends Candy (left) and Freda (right)

Freda and I have been in contact, planning our reunion since I learned I was going to Japan.

“We’ll stay positive. I won’t allow this to keep me from seeing you,” I assured her when we heard the news that Super typhoon Vongfong was threatening to hit mainland Japan.

We’ve waited far too long to reunite. Neither of us was going to let this opportunity slip. Thankfully, the storm changed course. Although there was a bit of rain, it wasn’t enough to dampen our “party.”

All the way from Chiba where she resides, Freda and her sister Candy took the train to meet Alan and me in Shinjuku. Our meeting place was the train station closest to our hotel. From there, we all walked to a nearby sports bar called Bee Dining & Darts Bar.

I picked up this brochure from Bee Dining & Darts Bar in Shinjuku.

 

Unlike a typical sports bar, this one was specifically focused on darts. It was a spacious basement with cocktail tables and a wall of computerized dart games.

The bar and its computerized darts (photo from Bee's Facebook page).

Alan and I were still full from our lunch at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Roppongi Hills (story here) but we couldn’t resist the delicious pizza and finger food. The most interesting appetizers were the fried spaghetti sticks. They were best enjoyed when dipped in Caesar salad dressing. I wasn’t able to take a photo but the image below is the closest I could find (from Christina Cheung's post in BlogTo.com).

Fun appetizer: Fried spaghetti sticks (photo from Christina Cheung's post in BlogTo.com)

The atmosphere was really enjoyable and laid-back. It set the tone for our fun gathering. Candy, Freda, and I walked down memory lane and giggled about our senior year foolishness. Meanwhile, Alan came back from the men's room saying that it has an amusing way of measuring your wizz. "Mine was 2-1/2 beer cans' worth," he chuckled. That made me laugh out loud.

“You’re still the same!” Freda observed as we posed for our goofy photos.

Goofy pose: Mimicking Charlie's Angels while flashing our must-have eyeglasses.

Taking a break to share photos and update status on Facebook.

It took years for Freda and I to reconnect. Thanks to Facebook, I was able to find her. I’m surprised she even wanted to speak to me after all this time.

It was so long ago and I don’t recall all the details. But I am certain that I broke my dear friend’s heart when we were in high school. We were young. I was stupid. At the time, I didn’t appreciate how much she just wanted to offer true friendship. I took it for granted. I gave in to a former boyfriend's influence and just stopped hanging out with her.

It took years but I'm glad I had the chance to reach out and say I was sorry.

Without hesitation, she accepted my apology.  I was overcome with a sense of comfort when she added, “With the message you sent, I’m now at peace.” 

And we did cross paths again. A wish come true!

In one of her messages, she even said, “I wish someday I can see you again and hug you. I never had the chance to hug you when we were in high school.”

It was so good to see her again and exchange the best hugs we could ever give each other. This day marks the most meaningful birthdays I’ve ever had. A true friend with a heart of gold allowed me to right a wrong, reacquaint, and catch up for lost time. Thanks, Freda, for the gift of friendship.

Thanks for the gift of friendship.

This story continued from Applause! Applause! is part of my travel series about Japan.

High Tech Ramen

Yasubee
Shinjuku, Japan
October 10, 2014


Japan is known to have vending machines for almost anything. Even for ramen? That was totally unexpected!

A vending machine for ramen. I don't know where to start!

It would be a shame to be in Japan without having some ramen. We decided it was time to get a taste of the local specialty. Short of doing the "eenie meenie miney moe" method, we picked out Yasubee from a list of ramen shops recommended by our hotel concierge.

If we hadn't been paying attention, we would have walked right past it. Thank goodness we noticed the billboard by the entrance.  The English website yasubee.com was written on it.

There it is on the bottom right hand corner: yasubee.com

The ramen shop is a long and narrow space like most restaurants in the area. This one had a long counter with seating for only a dozen people. The bar-like counter faced an open kitchen where you could see the chefs prepare your order while you wait.

Tight space but their ramen bursts with flavor

A host greeted us at the door with a few nods and then he pointed us to the vending machine. We were dumbfounded. While we tried to figure things out, a line of patrons was forming behind us. We had to step aside and let them go ahead while we watched.

The process starts with making a menu selection by pressing the corresponding buttons. After paying, the vending machine dispenses a ticket that you hand to the host. He in turn gives it to the kitchen staff who facilitates your order. Meanwhile, the host seats you and then after a few minutes, your order is handed to you over the counter. Sound simple?

Well, the buttons and selections were all in Japanese characters so that didn't help us. Haha! We still didn't know what to do! I finally asked the host to explain and show us how. He pulled the Eigo Menyu (English menu). What a relief!

Yasubee's English menu complete with instructions on how to use the vending machine.

Step 1: Choose your noodles.

Tsukemen is the Japanese style with the noodles served separately because you dip them in the broth. Ramen is the Chinese style with the noodles are served in the same bowl as the soup.

Step 2:  Choose your broth flavors (soy sauce, miso, or salty) and serving size.

Step 3:  Choose your toppings:  choices range from sea weeds to flavored eggs, mixed vegetables, or roasted pork.

Choices of toppings for your tsukemen or ramen

For a first-time customer, I'm proud to say I made a good and tasty ramen selection. The only thing I messed up was the size. My spoon looked more like a soup ladle. And just look at that mondo-sized bowl.  That could have easily fed four!

A huge helping of ramen with roasted pork and a side of mixed vegetables.

This story continued from Tokyo from the Top, a travel series about Japan.