The Slow Life

Reading: Understanding Japanese, Yasuko Obana
Listening: LOVE ME, HATE THE GAME, m-flo loves Chan, Thaitanium, Edison Chen, Ryohei
Craving: veggie chips

I finally devoured Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, which had been on my must-read list for years. I'm now taking a detour into the scary territory of Japanese studies.

Chris and I haven't been traveling much lately, and though I miss the thrills of our here-and-there lifestyle, I've loved our mellow weekends.

A walkway at Harima Park. (Mentioned in the last entry.)

Liliha Bakery, located in Miki. The store features a gorgeous case of cakes and pastries, but there was not a coco puff in sight.

Happy Chris over soft creams at a neighborhood cafe.

Despite hopes for a grand Kyushu Road Trip, we spent Golden Week at home, doing housecleaning, catching up on television dramas, and cooking dinner together. On days out, we ventured to Jusco or Saty (local "department" stores) for lunch and grocery shopping. We truly are an old fuddy couple, but travels should resume soon. We celebrate our big five year anniversary this month and are planning something special!

On a side note, we stopped for lunch at Osteria Dell 'Arancio after a morning walking through the local sports park (baseball, soccer, track, and swimming facilities).

seared maguro over veggies / spring pea soup / pork and zucchini spaghetti (tomato sauce) / strawberry tart / cafe au lait

The owner brought us our food and apologized that they were serving the same soup that we had eaten when we were last there. We've officially been recognized as regulars. (She earns more respect for her restaurant by remembering not only our faces, but our menu!) On the way out, I bought a package of light-as-air chocolate meringue cookies that I'm still craving days after I've finished them.

Chris and I have been eating well with nightly homemade meals. Cooking together is pleasant in contrast to the chore of preparing a dinner for one that only results in too many leftovers. I'll eat leftover salad and bread tonight.

More soon!