Parents and friends

As I wrote in the previous post, hubby and I had been to my parents’ home in India during the New Year holidays. My elder brother and his family paid a surprise visit and we had lots of fun. They returned back to their home on 4th January. On the morning of 5th January, my parents, hubby, and I went to a photo studio near parents’ home to have a professional portrait of us taken together. Although hubby and I had been to India a couple of times we did not have any formal photo of us with my parents for keepsake. So this was the first time that we all went to a photo studio together. The professional photographer was good and the session went very well. The photo came out excellent and we were happy with the outcome.

Portrait photograph of hubby and I along with my parents

Next, we had lunch at a restaurant named Shree Krishna Vegetarian Court located near my parents’ home. The restaurant was very clean and they served unique delicious dishes. We had various kinds of vegetable curry dishes, pulav, and biryani. Later my mother and hubby had a dessert named gulab jamun. The quality of the food was great and it was a nice experience.

Shree Krishna Vegetarian Court restaurant

Shree Krishna Vegetarian Court restaurant

Various vegetarian dishes we ordered

My parents having lunch

Parents busy eating

Hubby having lunch

A portion of gulab jamun

Hubby having gulab jamun

In the afternoon, we all went to a famous shopping zone street named Laxmi Road to do shopping. We bought a few presents for our relatives and friends in Japan. We bought pretty dresses for the daughters of hubby’s sister. In addition, hubby presented me a gold ring from a famous jewelry shop named Ashtekar Brothers Jewellers. In fact, hubby wished to buy a platinum ring from Japan for our fifth marriage anniversary. But somehow I feel platinum does not suit my skin tone and I prefer gold jewelry over platinum. So during this trip to India hubby bought a gold band ring for me. It is so cute.

Cute dresses for daughters of hubby’s sister

Gold band ring that hubby presented to me

By the time we finished shopping and returned back home, it was already 7 pm. After a light dinner we all retired for the day.


Next day hubby and I had severe dust allergy due to the shopping at Laxmi Road area for several hours the previous day. My eyelids were swollen and we both had running nose. In the past decade, Pune has become tremendously dusty and the air is severely polluted due to the increased vehicles plying on the roads. Every time hubby visits India, he is shocked by the complete lack of quality control of fuel of vehicles. I hope things will improve in future. Since we were not well, we decided to take rest at home.

In the afternoon my mother presented hubby with an antique brass pot called kolshi. It has been in my mother’s family for almost seventy years and has great sentimental value attached to it. It has been a memorable treasured possession of my mother for several decades. Ma, thank you very much for giving us the precious kolshi. We will take good care of it.

My mother presenting kolshi pot to hubby

Hubby happy after getting kolshi pot

Later in the evening, one of my parents’ friends along with his entire family visited us. The elder daughter of parents’ friend had been my very good friend during my high school days. Although she was two years junior to me, we usually used to spend after school hours together, either playing or watching television programs or simply chatting. Later we went to the same college and university. Last I saw her was way back in 1992. So I was really thrilled to meet her after a gap of 19 years. I met her parents and younger sister after 22 years. We were all excited and talked about various things for a long time.

Myself, my friend, and her sister in 1986

My friend and I in 2011

My friend, myself, and friend’s sister in 2011

On 7th January, hubby and I got up at 5 am and packed our baggage as we were to leave Pune in the afternoon. We hired a taxi to go up to Mumbai. My parents accompanied us and it took about 4.5 hours to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at Mumbai. My parents stayed with hubby and me for about an hour at the waiting lounge of the airport. We ate potato-stuffed paratha that my mother had made and packed in aluminum foil as evening snack. We all felt very sad and emotional while saying our goodbyes. At about 6 pm they returned back to Pune by the same hired taxi.

My parents and I at Mumbai airport

Father and hubby at the airport

Hubby having potato-stuffed paratha

Our return flight to Japan was via Hong Kong, and we still had a few hours before the flight left. At about 9 pm, my friend from college and university days came to meet us at the airport. Thanks to Facebook social network service, we recently got in touch after a gap of 20 years! It was very nice to meet my friend and her husband. There was so much to talk about but unfortunately we could talk only for an hour as it was time for us to enter the departure terminal of the airport. After saying our goodbyes, hubby and I went to the Cathay Pacific check-in counters.

My friend and I along with several other classmates during Masters Degree course in 1989

My friend and I in 2011

My friend, myself, and friend’s husband

My friend’s husband and my hubby

After getting our boarding passes and checking in our baggage we went to a restaurant and had a light dinner. The flight left the airport at about 01.30 am on 8th January and it took about six hours to reach Hong Kong International Airport. We had a stopover of about five hours at Hong Kong. I moved around inside the airport but hubby just dozed off on a chair near the boarding gate of Cathay Pacific flight bound for Narita. Our flight left Hong Kong at about 15.20 pm (local time) and reached Narita International Airport at 20.30 pm. After finishing the immigration procedures, we went a hotel near the airport for an overnight stay. Next afternoon we took a domestic flight to Akita and reached our home at about 3 pm. That day the temperature in Akita was 35 degrees Celsius lower than Mumbai, and hubby and I felt so cold.

Hubby relaxing at the boarding area inside the airport at Hong Kong

Snow in Akita

It was really nice to meet my parents and friends in India. Now we are back to the usual routine in Akita.

Trip to New York - part 1

During this year’s golden week holidays, my hubby, his cousin (Tatsu-chan’s daughter), and I went sightseeing to New York. In fact, hubby and I had been to New York City for a few days in May 2006, and had instantly fallen in love with the wonderful city and its vibrant neighborhood. So this year when hubby’s cousin wished to do sightseeing outside Japan, we decided to revisit New York.

On 29th April, hubby and I left our home at about 11.15 am and it took us about an hour to reach Akita railway station by hubby’s car. We took Akita Shinkansen bullet train to go up to Tokyo. The train left Akita at 1.05 pm. We had ekiben boxed meal lunch inside the train. The previous night, hubby and I were very busy packing for the trip, so we were not able to sleep much. Therefore, we both dozed off after lunch and got up as the train neared Tokyo. We reached Tokyo at about 5.15 pm. We met hubby’s cousin at Tokyo railway station at about 5.50 pm. Since it was already time for dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant located inside the railway station premises and had a heavy meal. At about 7.30 pm, we took Narita Express train and after about an hour of travel, we reached Terminal 2 of Narita Airport located in Chiba prefecture.

Me and hubby’s cousin inside Narita Express train

We left the terminal and took a taxi to a nearby hotel chain named Toyoko Inn. It was ten minutes ride to the hotel. By the time, we checked in at the hotel it was already 9 pm. After seeing to it that hubby’s cousin was safely in her room, hubby and I went to our room. Although we were very tired due travelling the whole day, we could not sleep that early. So we went to the first floor of the hotel, and hubby had dry-curry-rice which was complimentary dinner served at the hotel. He also had a can of beer and we chatted and relaxed for almost 1.5 hours. We noticed that the hotel actually looked rather expensive and luxurious, although Toyoko Inn chain is supposed to be nice, clean, functional business hotel. The expensive look of the hotel is probably because it is located very near to the international airport. We took a few photos of the hotel lobby.

Lobby of Toyoko Inn hotel

Open restaurant area of the hotel

Hubby having dry-curry-rice and a can of beer

The next day we woke up at about 6 am. Hubby went to the balcony of our room and took a few photos of the hotel and its surroundings. We could see several aeroplanes at the airport from our eight floor room. We all had complimentary breakfast at the hotel, and left for Narita Airport at 7.45 am.

Toyoko Inn restaurant as viewed from our room

Surrounding area of the hotel as viewed from our room

Due to the golden week holidays, we expected a lot of people at the airport. But the peak day to travel overseas was on 29th April. Since it was the day after the peak travel day, we could finish check-in with just 30 minutes and had a lot of time before the flight. Hubby’s cousin did some shopping at duty-free shops. Hubby and I just relaxed at the seats provided at departure area of the airport.

Hubby relaxing at Narita Airport

Hubby standing at the departure area just before the security check

Me and hubby’s cousin at the departure area

At about 9 am, we all went through the departure procedures like security check, customs, and passport control. All this took just 15 minutes, and we still had a lot of time for boarding the flight which was at 10.40 am. So we went to a restaurant and had snacks and coffee. Hubby had a glass of beer. From the window of the restaurant, we got a nice view of several aeroplanes of various countries.

Hubby having beer and sausages at a restaurant

Me and hubby’s cousin at the restaurant

Aeroplanes of various countries

There was a slight delay and our flight took off at about 12 noon. Lunch was served after about an hour of flight. Again after a few hours dinner was served. Hubby was not so comfortable and was not able to sleep during the entire flight probably due to too little space in front of us. We were travelling by economy class, which is what we can afford. Hubby’s flat foot was giving him some problem and I massaged his foot, which gave him a bit of comfort.

Me and hubby’s cousin having lunch during the flight

We having dinner during the flight

Hubby wide awake during the flight

Hubby’s painful flat foot

After 13 hours of flight, we reached JFK International Airport in New York at 11 am (local time). We finished the immigration procedures within 30 minutes. Overall, it was a nice flight from Narita to New York. My relative was going to pick us up from the airport. We were going to stay for two nights at my relative’s home in New Jersey. My relative was caught in a traffic-jam and was delayed by almost an hour. So we all had coffee and relaxed at Terminal 1 arrival area of JFK Airport.

A cafe at terminal 1 arrival area of JFK Airport

Hubby relaxing at the airport

Me and hubby’s cousin outside the arrival terminal of JFK Airport

Outside JFK Airport

My relative’s home in New Jersey was about 1.5 hours drive by car. During the ride, we enjoyed the scenic views around us. Every time we travel to USA, we are struck by the wideness of highways and roads. Everything looked so big and huge. Wow!

On our way to New Jersey

Wide highways

Scenic view

We stopped at a rest and service area after about an hour’s drive. We all had hamburger and French fries for lunch at a fast-food restaurant chain. Hubby’s cousin was shocked to see the portion size of hamburger and cold drinks and was wondering as to how to eat and drink the entire thing! She is used to smaller food portion sizes of Japan, and so she took several photos of hamburger and cold drinks.

A rest and service area

Fast food restaurant at the service area

Another fast food restaurant

Hubby’s cousin comparing the size of hamburger with that of her hand

Hubby’s cousin wondering as to how to eat the entire hamburger

Hubby happily eating hamburger

We reached my relative’s home at about 3 pm. We were tired due to Jet lag and took rest for a few hours. In the evening, we all went for dinner to a Japanese restaurant named Ichiumi located in Edison, NJ. It was buffet style dinner. We had many plates of sushi, sashimi, and petit desserts. We liked the food a lot.

Japanese restaurant Ichiumi

Japanese characters written on a board inside the restaurant

A plate of sushi and sashimi

A plate of petit cakes

Hubby eating dinner

We retired for the day at about 11 pm. We had a lot of sightseeing to do in New York during the next three days. I will write about our sightseeing experiences in the next few posts.