Wedding After Party - Nijikai Map and info

Monolith is a beautiful venue on the 13th and 14th floors over looking downtown Osaka. It is between Namba and Shinsaibashi on the West side of Midosuji Avenue (just about a block or so South of the Apple Store).

Kani-Dora

Those of you who have either lived in or visited the fantastic wonderland that is Osaka might recognize this iconic restaurant front with the giant crab with moving legs and eyes. The restaurant is called Kani-Dora. It's right on the Dotonbori river on a crowded pedestrian shopping street and the giant crab makes it into the background of a lot of tourist snapshots and postcards. Well, i finally got to eat there the other day. Now, i have to say, i am not crab-crazy like many people so i don't really understand why people pay so much for the stuff. Back in Canada i was never really Lobster-crazy either. Meh. Anyway, lunch was good and the crab was good and the company was very good. We ate with Niko-chan and her boyfriend Takuma (also known as "Moyashi" since he is tall and think like a bean sprout). They are engaged after having been dating for the second time. The first time was ten years ago and, like some cheesy Hollywood ro-com, they were reunited after all that time and realized that they were "meant to be." Who could be crabby, hearing that?

The view of the newly renovated Ebisu-bashi (Ebisu bridge) from our table:


The bottom feeder, bottom up:



Symian is: stuffed crab - no, wait - stuffed with crab.
Currently Reading: Time Magazine's 100 most influential people. Meh.
Currently Listening: AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Kanji of the Day: 蟹　かに　

IKEA

FINALLY i was able to find the time and reason to go to IKEA in Japan! The last one i went to was in Canada almost a decade ago. IKEA is awesome. We got curtains.

The other reason IKEA rocks in Japan:
Sapporo beer at the cafeteria. Only ¥230 and they even provide bottle openers at the cash register.
Gotta love IKEA. If you want, you can get drunk and make home decorating decisions.

And yes, in this picture you might notice me balancing french fries with a delicious salad. But focus on the beer. That's what's important here.

Symian is: not recommending that you get drunk and make home decorating decisions.
Currently Reading: ”とししゅん”
Currently Listening:　ケツメイシン
Kanji of the Day:　魔：ま

Cherry Blossoms '09 (pt.2)

Cherry Blossoms '09 (pt.1)

Man Chips (new Pride Week snacks?)

Note the manly rainbow.
Literally the translation of these new Doritos is "Man's hard fry."　
You just can't make this stuff up.　 (otoko no kata ahgeh)


Symian is: apparently having a very gay week. ...Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Currently Reading: The General Book of Ignorance (which is awesome, BTW)
Currently Listening: Cake - Comfort Eagle
Kanji of the Day: 堅　ケン／かた(い)

Wow.... just...wow...

This is just not something i need to be assaulted with on my groggy early morning subway commute to work. Nope.


Symian is: ...confused and amused.
Currently Reading: The general book of ignorance
Currently Listening: ケツメイシ - ケツノポリス
Kanji of the Day: 花　はな