Kamakura

Right outside of Yokosuka is Kamakura, this adorable beachside-ish Japanese town that hosts Japan's 2nd largest Buddha statue. This weekend we hoped on the train and went strolling down the streets lined with sweets and souvenir shops swarming with the most international crowd we've seen since Kyoto. It was peaceful and rewarding and as we sat under the Buda feeding Ella we couldn't help but realize how special the moment was. Buddha's and Temples bring a certain peace of mind to anyone of any religion. It's just something about the trees, gardens, gathering of people from all over the world, and ancient stuff that makes you appreciate life to it's fullest.

chinese & mongolian

Brandon got this amazing new rice cooker for Christmas from Mama & Papa Willett and we have been breaking it in with some tasty new dishes. It is quite the step up from our $7.00, two cup, mini-rice cooker from the last year and a half!

We took our first stab at Mongolian cooking. I can't say if we have ever had Mongolian before, so why not give it a try!

Mongolian Chicken Stew: A delicious combination of chickpeas, golden raisins, toasted almonds, cinnamon, curry powder, and garlic; stewed with green peppers, red onions, chicken, and tomato soup.

Last night we cooked Kung Pao Chicken (Jewell's favorite Chinese dish). This was a recipe we found on the blog Noodle Fever via Tastespotting.com. If you have never perused the Tastespotting website you are missing out. It's the best place to get lost, at least that's what I think. Although, maybe not if you're on a diet.

It was our first attempt and we didn't have cornstarch so our sauce lacked that glossy look. However, it was one delicious and insanely, eye-watering spicy plate of food!

three pictures of Ella

Happy 3 months (and a few days) to our Ella!

at first sight

Here are a few snap shots of the new city, Yokosuka! We haven't discovered all that much yet but have definitely been out walking around everyday. (Hopefully) some day soon we will go out and dig a little deeper. Until then, feast your eyes on some of these shots of the train station area.

So, as you can see it's much more urban than Sasebo and there is something going on with saxophones. There are 6 different statues with-in 30 meters of the train station. Any ideas?

Yokohama

Last weekend we took the train to Yokohama. What's in Yokohama? Well, for starters an original Louis Vitton Trunk from 1922 that I wasn't allowed to take a picture of and was guarded by not one, but two guards. Other then that all we did was shop and eat. It was great, we didn't even leave the train station area! We have plenty of time to go back and sight see on a larger scale and believe me, we will.

Most of the pictures are from an awesome import store. We walked away with two bricks of brie, rose from Italy, cheese crackers, Wilkinson's Spicy Ginger Ale, and verde salsa. Yum. Oh, and no worries - we definitely grabbed a chocolate baguette.

Great Words

How fitting. Right after I finish [my wrap up] on Sasebo I just came across this [article] about Sasebo! I can't believe I never thought to search the Metropolis for info on Sasebo. I guess just didn't think it's awesomeness reached this far! Enjoy.

Good Bye Sasebo

A new year has started and with that we have officially started life in Yokosuka, Japan. Not without leaving one of the greatest cities in the world and some great people behind. It seems like in every new place we live we search to find the greatest things possible. We see no need to sit around and think about the negative aspects of life - just get out and discover what is great about your surroundings.

So with out further banter, here is a [collection] of our 15 favorite things about Sasebo. A permanent installation for our family blog.

Pedestrian area on a snowy day, downtown Sasebo.