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Kurismasu Keki
Hey out there in Internet Land. I've been wandering around here in Kansai like alice down the rabbit hole. Every day about 1 pm Ava and I get antsy and feel the need for adventure, so I strap her in to the Bjorn and we head out. Today we went down to Tokyu Hands, a sort of everything-store, to look for a pan big enough to hold a turkey and small enough to fit into my oven at the same time. My oven is actually a microwave/convection oven that would look like an easy bake in the states, so it was a challenge. We were successful, so it looks like this year Nate won't have to hack the bird into pieces like last year. It was carnage in our kitchen sink - not pretty, but tasty.
The best part of the trip though, was that the whole store was decked out for Christmas. I'm surprised at the whole hearted plunge into the Christmas spirit here, since most people aren't Christian. There are decorations in almost every store window, and carols start being played in the shops around Halloween. As far as I can tell by questioning my Japanese acquaintances, Christmas is celebrated by buying a 'Christmas Cake' and possibly eating some KFC (for serious). I have no idea where the idea of celebrating the birth of Jesus by eating crispy chicken and an elaborately frosted cake came from. Count me in, though. Legend has it that a few years back, when Passion of the Christ came out, there was an ad for KFC that featured a salaryman in a crowd of hecklers, toting a cross with a bucket of KFC hanging from one of the arms. The tagline was "Merry Xmas!" Whether this is true or not, I don't know, but I kinda hope it is.
Anyway, there was an entire floor dedicated to sexy Christmas costumes for the ladies - you know, for church. There were the usual Sexy Mrs. Santa and Sexy Reindeer outfits, but the best was a large assortment of hats featuring Christmas cakes. My favorite was a little pillbox hat that tied on with a silk ribbon, and composed of a tiny, gorgeous, felt cake with "Merry Christmas" in glitter letters stuck in the top. I think it may have to be mine.
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