AYF8 Meet-Up

Over the past weeks, I met up with my AYF8 friends in 3 lots: Nagoya, Tokyo and Nagaoka.

NAGOYA: 2009.02.20

Of course, it had to be Vutha and Samol from Nagoya University. I squeezed my short time slot after meeting my boss @ Kamimaezu and before meeting the Thai-Nagoya pals @ Sakae and spared it for Vutha and Samol. I caught a subway to Nagoya University to have a few drinks with them. Samol has already completed his Ph.D. just one week before my arrival. And my gosh... he looked sooooooooooooooo happy!! I think throughout the whole 6 years I've known him for, I've never seen him this happy and relaxed before. For Vutha... keep going... you are coming VERY close to the finish line!! Hang in there!!

Samol & Vutha @ Engineering Building
@ Fronte Book Cafe
with the two of them

TOKYO: 2009.02.21

It was my first time to meet the whole family of Dwi's and Rizka's together. It was really nice to see their full family. My friends are really mamas! Dwi's daughter is Yuka-chan (2 yrs) and Rizka's daughter is Ai-chan (6 months?). P'Pum also came, as well as, Inomata Sensei. We chose to lunch out @ 2x2=8 Indian restaurant in Shimokitazawa - a very nice place for the Halal people. It really reminded me of our time in Malaysia.

Rizka and Ai-chan
Big Gang
Dwi's daughter: Yuka-chan
Rizka's family
Dwi's family
with Inomata sensei @ Shinjuku Station
Dwi & P'Pum, the two engineers

Later on, Neri came to join us @ Shinjuku
Time to leave: the baby started crying already! =)

Then Neri, Inomata Sensei and I went for a cafe break.

@ Shinjuku
our cake

NAGAOKA: 2009.03.02

Just a VERY brief met up with Iizuka Sensei at her office @ Nagaoka Institute of Technology. (I'll blog about my trip to Nagaoka later.) We have missed each other for so many times. So glad we finally had a moment at the very same location. I was dead tired by the time I met her, so didn't get to chat as much as I wished. Hopefully we'll get to meet again before I leave, k!

Iizuka Sensei
@ her office around midnight

Thai-Nagoya

Riding on a chance of being in Nagoya, I had a nice reception with Thai-Nagoya people on the second night.

Thanks P'Yok and Ae for taking care of arranging everything na ka!

Date: 2009.02.20
Place: Bangkok Thai Restaurant (Yabacho/Sakae area)

It was an all-you-can-eat/drink ordering. The food was sooo good, especially the shrimp cake. I was sooooooooooooo stuff. (No food pictures cuz we were really into eating and eating!! haha).

Ae, Ann, P'Yok and Oh+
Ae, P'Yok, P'Poo, Ann, Oh+, O, P'Guitar, N'Moowhan, and N'May
N'Note and P'Nok

Then, we did karaoke after meal. Nagoya people really love singing, huh?? =)

figuring out how to use the keyboard remote control
J~ J~ in maak maak!
Kong's also into his singing!
fun night

Since I was taking a night bus leaving Nagoya @ 23:30, we passed our time with one bowling game. My goodness... I haven't been to a bowling lane in ages. I sucked real bad that day T__T Better make sure we have a rematch, k. I'll get my form back!!! ;-)

at Nagoya Station.... so scary!!

Ae was in charge of booking the place.
bowling members
Ae's bowl
P'Nok was amazing!

I almost didn't make it in time to get my luggage out from the locker. Dang it! Who'd know that they would close that section of the station at night time!! They just shut the gate right after I left the locker area! Whew~~.

Thanks all Nagoya members na ja~. I really had a great time!!

Nagata Family

Day 1 of my roadshow was spent with Nagata family. Originally, I was planning to reach Nagoya for lunch, but I was cramming work and ran very late. I ended up catching a Shinkansen to Nagoya instead of taking a bus. Really not a good start for a long trip to have more than doubled the transportation cost on the very first leg. But I'd have caused lots of people trouble if I hadn't decided to do that!

I reached Nagoya around 5 p.m. --> Transferred to Meitetsu bounded for Kamiotai Station. Otosan came to pick me up from there and we had Okasan's cooking for dinner. Oh yeah... forgot to mention that Nagata family was my host family when I was doing a traineeship in a Japanese company in Nagoya back in 2001.

Otosan
Okasan's cooking
Okasan and Obaachan

To take a closer care of Obaachan, Okasan and Otosan had moved from their own house to live with her. They eat, take shower and spend most of their time at Obaachan's house. Only Otosan goes back to sleep at the old house which is just right next door at nights. This is why the upstairs rooms opened up and so I get to sleep there for the first time.

Okasan prepared my bed much earlier than my arrival.

The next day, we ate out at Kitchen Serica, a restaurant owned by Okasan's friend, Hiraoka-san. I knew her and her daughter during my Nagoya time and we still keep in touch until now.

Otosan and Okasan
my lunch
Otosan and Okasan's dishes

Today, the two daughters, Yoriko and Sayako also came to join us. Sayako's already married with one kid: Shun-kun. But, I know Yoriko more as she was living at home during the time I was living with the Nagata. We are actually the same age, so we share things in common! =P

Sayako & Yoriko
Sayako & Shun
Shun's eating
Nagata and Hiraoka Family

Later on that day, otosan drove me to my old workplace to meet with Ohara Shacho, my old boss. Though it was just a short time, it was great to catch up with them in person before I leave Japan. :)