Toll Roads

So, today Mr. A and I took our first solo trip on the Japanese toll roads. We have only ever been on them when out with friends and only recently drove on it, but with someone who knew where they were going.

It was an interesting experience, and my anxiety was pretty high on the way to out destination, but pretty normal on the way home.

The toll road is called Daini Michtoku Toll Rd. And is much like the Autoban, as far as speed limits, from what I remember. And it’s also exactly like American high ways, aside from the tolls. From what I understand you get on, get a ticket, get off and pay for the distance you drive. If it’s a super short distance (like from Misawa to the Shimodamoichi exit) you don’t pay. But we did on the way home.

The toll road price varies by distance, some aquaintences drove to and from Tokyo and they said it cost them roughly $160 round trip. I’m assuming the tolls goes to repairs due to earthquakes and cold.

But anyway, it was our first solo trip on it. Pretty easy to be honest!

And pictures from Aeon mall in Shimoda ^^

Sorry there was no Sugar Sunday last weekend, I was super sick, but there will be on this weekend!

A Few of My Favorite Things

My absence the past few weeks was partly due to tracking the typhoon down south, shopping and binge watching Chuck on Netflix… but I do have pictures… lots… new favorite food items, some silly ones, arcades and Gundam models. Because of the multitude of pics I’m going to split them up. ^^

My current two favorite stores here in Japan are Homac (a home accessory and appliance store) and Universe (a grocery store sort of like Kroger or Publix).

One of my favorite things at Homac was the metal petrol suitcases (gas cans). I must have one or 5 and send some to my FiL and Dad when I can.

Universe market was right next door. I finally found some Poppin’ Cookin’ candies as well as Happy Kitchen candies too. (Both of these are the latter because they looked cooler lol)

I even found these awesome popsicles. They are my new favorite! Watermelon and honeydew melon flavor. The watermelon had dark chocolate “seeds” and the honeydew has white chocolate ones.

Also… mushrooms… unless you pay out the butt and live in near an awesome farmer’s market you will probably never be able to buy mushrooms like these stateside. I can’t remember the names of most of them but I have never seen them in s chain grocery store.

Anywho, I’ll leave you with that. I’ll gather my thoughts about the mall, maybe visit it again, and then tell you guys all about it. Thanks for reading!~

Dinner with Lady S

On Friday I went out with a high school friend of mine that is also stationed here with her husband, I’ll call her Lady S, we went to the 100¥ shop here in town and I had super sensory over load. The building was packed with other shops (grocery store, 100¥ shop, kawaii shop, beauty shop and a food court), and each shop was filled to the brim with STUFF! So many things to look at so little time! I didn’t buy much because she was with me, didn’t want to have that weird ‘otaku’ vibe, which I am not. But we had fun, and since she’s half Japanese, and learned to speak Japanese while in the US from her mother and from a side class, it was fun learning about all the things and watching her mingle with and speak with the native Japanese.

from the 100¥ shop I mostly bought candy, my favorite is this cotton candy pop rocks mixture, and I also picked up somethings from the grocery store side, ramen bowls, Japanese dessert bread and some more candies:

We then went to dinner at a rotating sushi bar, it was so much fun! For those that don’t know, all the sushi comes by on a conveyer belt and you pick with you want, everything is priced by the color of the plate so when you’re finished a waiter comes around and counts your plates and then you pay. For my husband and I to eat it cost me roughly 1,000¥, which is about $10. (top pic is of the conveyer belt the middle is a bottle of MSG lol, and the bottom is my pudding dessert).

That’s about it for my day with Lady S, she had to retire since she had work in the early morning.