A curry for all seasons

---

Well, didn't i just love my big bucket bath - felt like someone in an wild west movie for some reason and found myself singing songs from Calamity Jane - good job Mark was out birding! The only problem I had (apart from the singing of course) was when I pulled the plug out. As all the water drained down the plug hole, it poured straight out onto the bathroom floor. After a brief panicy moment, I realized that yes, it was meant to do this and the western woman hadn't inadvertantly burst the bath!
 
Here's a piece of trivia for you - Tommy Lee Jones (of ''The Fugitive' and 'Men in Black' fame) advertises vending machine coffee in Japan! It's like a real life version of the film 'Lost in translation' with him doing Bill Murray's signature intense stare pose.

Got the subway into the city after a breakfast of what tasted like sweet omelette slices with rice and something that looked like rubber slugs. Omelette yummy but will forego the slugs tomorrow me thinks!

Wandered around the Imperial Palace taking in the calm ambience for a bit then walked to Tokyo Central train station to check out the bullet train timetable. Turns out the station is in the process of being renovated and suprisingly, the info boards were as interesting as any museum and that's from someone who's well known as not being a train person. 

Japanese troops were shipped out in WW2 from this station and the photos showing both their leaving and subsequent homecoming were fasinating. As was the knowledge that like the British Land Army, they also roped in the female population to work whilst the men were away fighting. When the station is finally finished it will easily out do NYC's Grand Central terminal.

We've put our tastebuds on the line for you yet again and tried blue kitkat, yes that's right, blue kitkat! Turned out to be bubblegum flavour and although I can't say that it will be going on my top 5 list, it's certainly more fun than your average bar! There's also a yellow mango version but the picture on the wrapper initially put us off - looked like chicken soup!
 
In our room there is a movable wooden partition which separates the sleeping and seating areas. On either end of this device, there is secured a small red pillow adorned with ribbons and flowers. We had thought this item purely decorative but we have since winkled out its true and most valuable reason for being. When one rises from ones futon on a morning and staggers to the bathroom, bleary eyed and dozy, it turns out that the end of the partition is oft at a height which, if in unexpected contact with said bleary eyed person, could cause intense wounding. As such, attaching a small pillow to cover the pointy wooden bit saves much pain and swearing. This revalation came to my husband on just such a morning oddly enough!
    
We were both feeling a little lazy this evening so headed out to pick up some trashy food from the local 7-11 for tea. On the way we passed by Shalimar, the indian curry house that we have so far successfully avoided despite the owner's best attempts. Although the smells wafting out the door are very enticing, the plastic versions displayed in the window do nothing for the appetite. A plate of brown gravy with unidentifiable lumps does not inspire confidence in a country that has been known to eat a man's best friend! We did indeed manage to pass it by again on this final occasion, however, by the time we came to the third Indian restaurant the smell was just too much. This establishment appeared to have an entirely better class of brown plastic curry displayed in the window and so, in we indeed went. I'm ashamed to admit that they even had a menu in English which we used without a hint of guilt and admired the variety of curry options available. 

There was tofu and okra curry, Mark's curry of choice on this outing, along with sausage curry and that old classic, hamburger curry. I went for a curry soup option with asparagus, boiled egg and fried chicken. Strange as it may seem, they were both very nice and we recommend trying Japanese curry even if it is just to enjoy the contents of the menu!
      
I've fallen behind a day with my blog so I'm typing this whilst watching the New Years Eve programme on TV but more of that next time.

Happy New Year my friends!
Lisa & Mark xxx

---