For the last 3 weeks, I have been called to work out in Osaka. I have been to Osaka a few times recently for work, but this is the first time in a while that I have come to Osaka and stay for a period of time, and actually have some free time here.
I'm still not used to the Kansai-dialect, but fortunately my Kanto dialect is enough to get me by, and most shops use the official "Tokyo-dialect". I know people say Kansai-folk are generally more friendly, but I don't know if it's a case of being friendly, or just simply more expressive (for better or worse).
I had a long overdue catchup with some friends in Osaka, where we hanged out for lunch. As they knew of my current condition, they picked out a nice restaurant that served a lot of vegetables. I ordered a ginger pork dish that came with a nice serving of steamed veggies among other sides.
I also took the opportunity to take a look around Nanba and DenDenTown. I wasn't after anything in particular there, as I was just curious what has changed since I last went there about 6 or so years back. I don't know if it's because I recently decided to stop purchasing gunpla/toys or because I have already lived in Japan for more than 8 years now, but I just didn't care for it at all this time. I suspect it's a combination of both - though maybe more of the latter in that it's very easy for me to buy what I want in Japan online or physical stores, regardless of where I am in the country these days. The previous times I went to DenDen Town, it felt more like it was one of the very few chances I could shop and get many of the things I really want. When I went there with a friend on holiday back in 2013 and visited there in 2014 during my year of study in Japan, it was like a dream, and I could buy what I wanted because I knew that upon returning to Australia, those things I wanted would be very difficult to find or expensive to purchase.
Another thing that I noticed in Osaka is that there is Cinnabon cafe here. This is the first time I have seen a Cinnabon in Japan at all, as I have never seen any in Kanto - or at least Tokyo and Saitama areas. I did go to Cinnabon in the Philippines, and it was way too sweet for me (which says a lot as I like sweet things). Not sure if it's just an American thing, but it was way too rich for me to completely finish, and I know that the minibon I had at the time is the smallest cinnamon bun one can purchase. I'm not sure if the sweetness has been dialled back for Cinnabon in Japan, but I am in no rush to find out.
Also, last week Konami released IIDX 32 Pinky Crush. Not a fan of the overly Pink colour theme (I personally like Epolis' theme better to be honest), and I tried some of the new songs, including Bling Bang Bang Born, which was a surprisingly popular song a few months ago, and I wasn't expect this song (or at least, a cover of this song to show up in a Bemani game. Though I only played on Hyper, it had few patterns that I am not quite used to yet, but was able to pass on my first try with not too much trouble.
In the meantime, my regular gym has many branches in the area, with one that I went to yesterday a few stops away from the hotel I am staying. There are several more along the way to central Osaka, but chances are that depending on the time of day I go, it can get very busy. It is a refreshing change to have easy access to my regular gym when I am on my business trips compared to my time in rural Hyogo earlier this year.
Not sure how long I will be working out here, though my employer is hoping to have me back in the office soon. In the meantime, I will just take some time to explore more of Osaka on my own on the weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment