New adventure!

It all started a few years ago, when I decided to take a trip around the world. It had been something I had wanted to do for years, and it was a lot of fun to finally make that wish come true. I learned so much, as the world simultaneously became larger AND smaller for me. People everywhere were the same, and yet so different. The food was all familiar, and yet excitingly new. I felt so lucky to have had the luxury of traveling at my leisure, instead of rushing off to see all the designated tourist sites in 3 days.

Once I returned to New York, I had initially thought that my thirst for travel had been sated. But that was not to be. There were still many places I wanted to visit, and much food I had not tasted yet. So in my continuing quest for yummy food and an interesting life, I have somehow ended up on the other side of the world. After living in New York for almost 15 years, I now begin a new chapter... all the way in Japan. While I know I will run into culture shock and language barriers, I think this will prove to be quite a delicious experience.

Goodbye, New York!

This trip is a little different than the last, as I will be actually living in Japan and working there. I am currently settled in a city called Sakai, which is located in the Osaka prefecture. While still a busy area, it is nowhere as urban as New York, and so I have been adjusting to the slower pace and quieter lifestyle. This has been a rather enjoyable change of pace, after a decade and a half in one of the busiest cities in the world. And of course, I have pretty much been eating nonstop for the past two weeks.

Mikunigaoka station in Sakai

Osaka is well known as the food capital of Japan. Indeed, I feel like I have been passing by countless numbers of restaurants and small food shops. The quantity is amazing, and I haven't had a bad meal here yet. And in comparison to the states, the Japanese food is amazingly reasonable in price. Snacks at the supermarket are usually about half of what I'm used to paying, and restaurant food is maybe a third cheaper. Added to the 'no tipping' rule, I have been going overboard and stuffing my face.

One of my first meals here. Daikon tofu salad, a braised beef veggie dish,
rice, and pickles. All this food cost under $5 USD.

An Osaka specialty: takoyaki. This is a batter cooked in a circular mold,
and a piece of octopus is usually placed in the middle. The outside gets
crispy while the center remains soft and custard-y.

Another type of food well known in Osaka is Kushi-katsu. Pretty much,
it is anything that can be battered and deep fried. The crispy crust is
surprisingly not greasy, and crunchier than tempura. This is a piece of
mochi wrapped in bacon and batter.

Namba is one of the busy shopping areas of Osaka. It is located only about 15 minutes away by train from Sakai, and it offers one of the longest shopping streets in the world. Osaka is filled with these covered shopping arcade areas, called shotengai. They are usually madhouses of shops and restaurants, selling a huge variety of clothes and household items. While definitely a tourist attraction, it is also filled with locals.... definitely a fun people-watching experience.

Shopping at a shotengai

When in Japan, do as the Glico man does!

While Japan is a modern and tech-savvy country, I am noticing countless little differences in my daily life. Once again, it is amazing how American I feel once I leave the country. I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons, and being increasingly a citizen of the world as I spend more time in Asia this year.