Flamenco!!!

So... this is a completely non-wedding planning related post...

Yesterday, after work I met with a friend for a bit of karaoke and to wait for Shimon to finish up with work. After which we were going to all have dinner.

We headed to a Spanish restaurant in Kanda (near where Shimon works)... when we got there we found out that it had been reserved for a party and we headed out to try our luck somewhere else. As we were leaving we met a lady on the stairs... and she proceeded to invite us to the party (a gathering of flamenco dance students and teacher), discount the price for us (it was about $50 a person, she made it $30) and insist that we join because it would be fun.

Well... with that sort of hospitality we couldn't very well say no. So the three of us (Shimon, myself and my friend Michelle) headed into the Spanish restaurant for an interesting and fun evening.

Now, to better understand the situation... in the countryside in Japan things like this often happen. You walk by and some people are drinking or eating or whatever and you randomly get invited and join in. Lots of times you have a fab time and it's great!

We are in Tokyo. Things like that don't happen. I've lived here 4 years and it's never happened (I lived in the countryside for 3 and it happened more times than I can count!).

Last night there was generous amounts of wine and food... and lots of people who are really quite into flamenco. The teacher is Japanese and lived in Spain for 30 years. He came over, chatted with us and then introduced us later. The lady who met us on the stairs goes by the nickname Maria (everyone has a Spanish nickname in the group) and was so nice. She also lived in the UK for about 5 years when she was younger.

All in all it was a great (if completely random) evening!! And now Michelle and I feel a little obligated to check out flamenco, if for no other reason than it seemed fun... after a few glasses of wine!

A Date!

So... we finally set our wedding date last week!! It will be July 23rd, 2011 in Fairbanks, Alaska. :-)

In my excitement over having found a date, I did not set aside time to freak out over maybe not being able to find a dress. That's right. Apparently, many wedding dress designers are already busy with orders up to June. Which means if I want a dress before July, I need to get a move on. Also, I originally had not considered buying a dress in Japan... but I'm increasingly convinced that it will probably be the easiest thing. Flying to Seattle to choose a dress in March (provided there are places with dresses) and then getting it made.... and sent to me in Japan for fittings... eek!

Today is my first official dress adventure! I'm going to a dress shop just to look (not try on) at some dresses. If I like what I see, then I will make an appointment to try dresses on at a later date. (Not too much later, though!)

Wish me luck! Things are getting more interesting with each day!!

Finding a date...

How does one choose a wedding date!?

So far, I'm mystified as to whether there's a method or not.

I'd like to choose a date that works for as many of my close friends as possible, but I also realize there's a lot of people who won't be able to make it.

I'd like to work around family schedules if possible.

I have to work around venue availability.

Also, I possibly have to work around caterer's schedules.

Bah! Can't anyone just make a decision for me!?! The rest would be easier if the date was all sorted out! :-)

Any advice out there??

The New Year!

On December 28th, Shimon and I left Tokyo Station and headed for Shimonoseki, at the very southern tip of the Japanese main island. (If you're a history buff, there have been a few interesting historical events that have happened there.) It's a long train ride... more than 5 hours in total. I somehow made myself motion sick within the first couple of hours, so really had a lovely journey down.

Last year, I went home with Shimon, but he went and met friends while I stayed home with his family. Apparently engagement changes EVERYTHING! I got to meet a lot of people this time. One of his oldest friends and his wife have a 6-month old. What a cutie!! Very serious most of the time, but sure was a calm baby.

We also got luck with the weather and got to go to Miyajima in Hiroshima. Utsukushima-jinja [shrine] is a World Heritage Site that was built during the Heian period (I think). It was great because it's been on my list of places to visit for a very long time! And finally I got to go. The weather was chilly, but it was sunny and perfect for a day out.

We got back to Yokohama on Monday night. Eeek! How the time flew by. I sure wish that we'd had a few more days of vacation, but alas that was not in the cards this year. Maybe next year??