MERI KURISUMASU!!!

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Christmas Eve is the bigger day in Japan instead of Christmas Day. Couples go out on fancy dinner dates and families have roasted chicken and eat Christmas cake. Last year I had the Japanese KFC “Kentucky Christmas” experience. This year we just opted for plain ol’ “regular” sushi. And we all loved it!

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CHLOE, YEAR THREE: THE BIRTHDAY

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Dear Chloe,

Today you are three! You still think you are two, and you insist that five is after three, but only in regards to your age. You also insist that “Chloe” starts with an “E.” We’ll work on it. This is going to be your year. I can feel it.

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Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

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We started our New Year’s Celebration on New Year’s Eve with a soba noodle dinner. I’ve been told that it’s a tradition to have soba noodles on New Year’s Eve and udon noodles for New Year’s dinner. The long noodles represent longevity and a long prosperous year to come. Also, soba noodles easily break. This can represent any misfortune you’ve experienced throughout the year, that it can now break and you can let it go.

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KFC CHRISTMAS! and sushi…

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Nothing says Merry Christmas like Kentucky Fried Chicken and tons of sushi.

When I was reading up on Japan before my first visit 12 years ago to meet Aya’s parents, I learned that having KFC for Christmas dinner was a thing. Really? KFC is a thing in Japan!? Yes, it is. Something about a wonderful marketing campaign from 1974, but I won’t bore you with the details here.

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THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP

IMG_2611_editThe clouds had parted and the sun was shining. Chloe’s flu quarantine had been lifted and we got the thumbs up to hit the streets. With it being a sunny and crisp 49 degrees, we figured the best place to start our day was to go out for breakfast.

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