Making friends

We went to an international event at Sendai International Centre yesterday. Before, I give details, look at the ridiculous thing we saw on the walk there...

And yes, they are real dogs. 

Anyway, the event was for meeting people and finding out about organisations for foreigners living here. It wasn't quite what we expected (a little more formal, but maybe we should have expected that from Japan!) and there was a lot more Japanese spoken than our pitiful efforts allowed us to understand, but with some helpful translation from an American guy, we worked out what was going on and spoke to various new people.

I found out about informal Japanese classes, got a really useful map of Sendai, and we chatted to a few new people, including 5 other people of about our age, 3 Japanese, 1 American and 1 Chinese. We arranged to meet them later that night for drinks, but due to various issues only one could come in the end. But he took us to an izakaya (Japanese bar, does drinks and food) that he likes and we had a really fun time. It's good to be taken to places that people know are good, rather than just stabbing in the dark! It was on the 4F (or 3rd floor in English terms) above the Disneystore. Really central, but so good!

I ordered a grapefruit sour, and was brought the plain drink, and a grapefruit to squeeze myself! Very stressful!

Nabe, a stew sort of thing that you cook at the table

We also had salad, edamame beans, salmon sashimi, fried chicken and chips, rice parcels and little ice-cream rolls. Plus 2 hours of unlimited drinks, all for 3000yen (£25). Yummy yummy yummy.

I love my rice parcel. Almost too cute to eat! But with chicken, mushroom and rice inside, it was too yummy not to!

John and our new friend Tomoki

At the end of our meal evening. 

We had a lovely time, and we are all planning to meet up again with everyone we met when we get back from our holidays (going to Sapporo for 12 days as of today!). It's good to be making friends!