Shopping in Shibuya

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There is so much to write about that I can't stop journaling. It's only day two, but all my senses have peaked. Katie and I walked around the Electric City and stopped into to a little modern American breakfast place called Roy's. We were the only non-Japanese business men at the joint. I really wanted someone to take our picture. We were two colorfully dressed ladies around a sea of smoking men in black business suits. We ordered two large pieces of bread with butter, two mochas, and a bowl of fruit including red bean, almond jello, syrup, ice cream, and mochi. It's all about being experimental when it comes to traveling. We did the same for our lunch. We smelled something tangy baking and saw a woman cooking doughy balls with taco (octopus) topped with teriyaki sauce. Most of the shops were closed because it was so early in the morning. Finally at 10am, a flock of girls in school girl uniforms passed our way. There was so many things for us to do in such a small space. Katie and I were enthralled by the toy dispensers especially this one that had farm animals set on a keychain indicating in Japanese the different butcher cuts.

We left the Electric City and took the train down to Shibuya. We walked around and went shopping at a nine story mall that was separated in three buildings. We however, didn't buy anything. After hanging out for awhile we went back to our new hotel Komaba Eminence. The hotel is only two stops from the wild Shibuya, but it really quiet and quaint. We walked around on the narrow streets only moving around on the narrow streets only moving aside when trucks pass by. There's little restaurents with the food displayed in plastic replicas in the store front. Everything is well-organized for Westerners to point and figure out what they want to eat. We decided to have a small lunch. We grabbed the delicious taka balls and then went to McDonalds. Katie tried the Shaka Shaka Chicken, you shake pepper flakes into a little envelope and walla you have a really delicious snack. I had the tempura shrimp wrap or McTempura shrimp wrap, which was just okay. McDonalds in Japan is a lot tastier than the US.

For dinner we met up with Yumiko she wanted to take us out to a very authentic Japanese sushi bar. She was a bit hesitant that the food we were going to try might be too weird, but we convinced her we were open to try anything. The restaurent we went to was fairly small with the focal point being the sushi bar. We sat at the bar and was greeted by the very sweet elderly sushi chef. The chef sat us down and Yumiko ordered cold clear sake for us. The chef held up two boxes with an assortment of delicious raw fish, sea veggies, seaweed, and tide pool delicacies. Yumiko picked the selection of different foods from the boxes. She picked an eclectic arrangement of sea veggies, gingko nuts (which were warm), two beans which you scrap the contents with a small spoon, lemony tadpools (which were surprisingly delicious, even though they had eyes), raw scallops, clear fish, sake, and mackerel all served sashimi style.

The delicious sea and regular veggies were different than I ever tasted before. The pickled diakons were crisp and slightly sour. The mini pickled eggplants were crisp and very purple. We ate sea potatoes that were slightly slimy and tasted with wasabi. These were my least favorite dishes. My favorite dish was the fresh sea urchin (uni), which was very fresh. To eat it we had to scrap the sides with a little spoon. It tasted slightly like the sea, but was warm and comforting.

Yumiko was the perfect host very accommodating and paid for everything. Katie and I profusely thanked her. The sushi chef just got back from San Francisco so he really loved the fact we were from the area. He even showed us his pictures of his travels where he taught people how to make sushi. He was a very kind man, when we left he gave us a going away present of many goodies including green tea and seaweed. We had a blast and are really looking forward to meeting up with Yumiko and going shopping. When we got back to the hotel we were super sleepy, but we ended up taking showers and fell asleep to some very raunchy anima.

MELT

14718 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107

God came down to earth and said "It is time that I make a wonderful grill cheese sandwich bar with 21 different types of sandwiches and 150 beers." And the people were happy.

MELT's name conjures up images of divine grilled cheese that makes my stomach grumble for joy. Each dish is served with hand cut fries and sweet slaw. The hand cut fries are crisp, pleasing to all senses, and taste like they were freshly made minutes before being served. This place is your all American punk rock restaurant/bar and caters to everyone from meat lovers to vegans.

If you're having a gooey, cheesy, sandwich fit than every single dish served at MELT will win you over. Even if you are vegan and real cheese isn't your thing. You can have vegan cheese substituted for the real stuff on any of their sandwiches. Or if you are still craving something different then try their holy handmade veggie burger ($8).

Beer and grilled cheese go together as well as sparkling champagne and wedding cake. So do try one of their many appealing selections of beers from Great Lakes to PBR. All for a reasonable amount of pocket change. And yes they have He'brew too!

If you're craving some protein then try the West Side Monte Cristo made with honey ham, smoked turkey, Swiss, and American cheese ($9). Or if you are looking for a colossal veg sandwich The Parmageddon with potato and cheese pierogi, fresh napa vodka kraut, grilled onions, and cheese ($9) will keep you full for days.

The heavenly homemade soups are all made with fresh ingredients. Try their house soup with roasted garlic with a tomato soup base. It comes piping hot in a mug accompanied by gold fish crackers.

Cleveland's MELT is one of the best hidden gems you will ever find. This celestial grilled cheese restaurent may even make you go back to church. Or at least thank God that a place like this exist.

Akihabara-The Electric City 4/14

We arrived 18 hours later in Tokyo. I fell in and out of consciousness the entire flight. Airplane sleep is the worst. Once you are tired enough to fall asleep a bump or an unfamiliar ding wakes you up and the cycle repeats and repeats until you arrive at your destination.

Upon our arrival, Katie and I grabbed our bags and went through customs. We were both eager to get to our capsule hotel and crash. We were both exhausted and hungry. Although, the plane ride made us both rather queasy, we were still hankering for some nourishment. We found a little noodle house crowded with businessmen and children playing on their hand held mini-nintendos. (We were in Akihabara known worldwide for its small electronics, manga, and anima.)

Our interaction with the cook was the first attempt for us to communicate with a non-English speaker. We ordered, paid, and congratulated ourselves for what we thought was a successful interactive. We ended up with curry instead of soothing udon. Since the meal was cheap (470 yen) we decided it would be more of a hassle to try and correct the order. I'm so glad we kept it. The curry ended up being the best in all ranges of ethnic curries I've ever had in all my 20 something years of being a curry fan. It was neither spicy or greasy, but rather light with a bold curry flavor that perfectly matched with the soba noodles it came with.

With our bellies full, we walked a couple blocks to the capsule hotel. For 3700 yen a night we thought we were going to be staying in a shithole. We were pleasantly surprised. We took off our shoes and placed them in a locker before walking up to talk with the clerk. The clerk spoke perfect English and was accommodating and friendly. As for the capsule it was way larger than I had imagined. I thought for sure I was going to be suffocating in a little claustrophobic box. The capsules turned out to be clean, comfortable, and spacious rectangular tubes with a personal TV and radio.

We took a shower to erase all the gunk of our travels. The shower stall had 3 spickets aimed to hit each vocal point of a naked body. There was complimentary Shisedo shampoo and body wash. After the shower I used the kimono-esque robe and slippers they gave us. I went back to my tiny yellow submarine, shut the blinds, and feel asleep to a game on the TV of Japanese ping pong. I woke up to find Katie up and ready to go. It was 6am and we had about nine hours of sleep. We were happy, refreshed, and ready to embark on our first day of exploration.

Day 1 Canadian Skies and Sleep Apnea

Katie and I "tried" to stay up all night. We did this to adapt to Japan's time difference. I fell asleep around 2:30 while Katie stayed up only sleeping for an hour. My suitcase was rather light. The things I forgot became apparent only after it was too late. I didn't mind buying replacement shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant. It actually might be cool to spice up my toiletries with Japanese brands. Before I left I bought a six hundred dollar camera. It's relatively amazing with 6x focus lens and the ability to take pictures of the city lights during the night. I know it is out of my budget, but I thought if it doesn't work out I could always return it, pay the $85 dollar restocking fee and be done with it. Boy, was I wrong.

We got to the airport around 5:45 am in the morning. My energy level was pretty high. I was amped on the fact I was going to a whole new world that I couldn't imagine even something as insignificant as how their license plates looked. Plus I needed some real time to gain perspective on my life. And I believe the best way to think objectively about stuff is to either:

A.Climb into a well until you are enlightened
B. Travel half way across the world.
C. Watch a good movie to change your perspective on things.
I, of course, choose B.

Mikey asked Katie what she most looked forward to seeing in Japan. Katie responded that she was floored to experience everything. I felt the same way. I wanted to see and experience it all; the taste of exotic food, the giant neon signs, temples, people and I wanted to see a lot of them, traditional wardrobes to haijuki girls basically... everything.

After a two hour flight we landed in Vancouver. The airport was colorful and welcoming. It is the most non-airport I've ever seen in my travels. Especially since it had a built in museum-like exhibit on Native American wood carvings. Plus the shopping was similar to what you would experience in a mall, but only very Canadian. Katie and I browsed the duty free shop for a gift of maple candies for Yumiko, who is a Japanese friend who offered to take us around. Yumiko asked Katie to bring her these maple candies because they compliment Japanese teas well. After purchasing the candy Katie and I waited patiently for four long hours until our departure to Yapan!

Tips on How To Change Your Car's Engine Oil

A good number of Americans don’t know what it takes to take care of their cars. Most of us know that when the car beeps its time to get gas, but that is as far as their narrow scope on good car maintenance goes. For many, a visit to the mechanic only happens when major car problems have occurred. Most mechanics would say that the majority of car problems could be avoided if the car owners only changed their motor oil on a regular basis. With the rising price of gas many Americans are taking the initiative to get more car repair friendly to avoid spending any extra dollars than they have to on their automobiles.

Everyone has heard that the first step to maintaining your cars healthy condition is by changing the motor oil. And we all have seen those signs advertising a 10-minute oil change at local gas stations or quick stop car repairs. But what if there’s a way to save $50 bucks and do it yourself? There is and it’s easy to do. Here are the steps you’ll need to get you started in changing your car’s engine oil.

The first thing you will need to get started is your owner’s manual. This will tell you how much and what kind of oil is required. You will need to go down to your local auto parts store and make sure you get the right filter for your vehicle. You will also need to purchase a funnel so that you don’t get any oil spillage on your engine, which could cause major problems. You will also need a pair of filter pliers or a wrench because sometimes the lid to the oil is stubborn coming off. You will also need the right size socket for your specific vehicle. Note: some cars include the socket with the car’s maintenance kit. If your car doesn’t have this then you can always find one at the auto part store. Also, make sure to have a rag around to clean up any accidental spills that may occur.

Open up the car’s hood and pull your car up onto a ramp. Make sure your emergency brake is on so that the car doesn’t go anywhere while you are changing the oil. Use a drain pan to catch all the dirty oil and place it under the car by the drain bolt. Use a ratchet or a wrench to remove your car’s drain plug bolt. When the oil is drained all the way down to a drip, screw on the drain plug and tighten it with the ratchet or wrench. Next locate your car’s oil filter and use your pliers or wrench to remove it. Before you install the new filter take some oil and use it as lube on the “o” ring of the filter. Then reinstall the new filter as tight as possible by hand.

Now that the hard part is done here comes the easy part. Remove the oil cap from the engine. Place the funnel in the hole and put in the specific amount of oil that your vehicle requires from what it said in the owner’s manual. Screw on the engine oil cap. Start your engine and let it run for a few minutes. Then once you turn off your car, check to see if you have the correct amount of oil in your engine. Congratulations you have successfully changed your engine oil.

Continuing education

I am a product of continuing education program at Harvard University Extension School. I, like many other adults, chose to go back to school to get my master’s degree to develop myself as a writer. But who I’m I kidding, one of the real reasons was to earn a larger paycheck by having a higher degree. The courses at Harvard University Extension School were wonderful. I had either real working journalist (most from The Globe) or Harvard professors.
The best part was the stipend I received from working on campus. Instead of paying the $1500 for each course, I ended up paying only the cost of taxes, which was roughly $40 per course. This meant I would be able to get a bonafide Harvard Degree for under $1000.
The other fantastic thing about getting my degree through continuing education was the flexibility of the courses I took. I was able to take night courses and still keep my day job. The level of work was intense, but was easy to manage once I committed my weekend schedule to schoolwork and studies.
I believe anyone can achieve a degree through continuing education. And you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to do so. All you need is dedication and the willingness to learn and practice. Its easy to better equip yourself for your future dream job through continuing education.

Japan

I decided to transcribe what I had scribbled down from my two week stint in Japan.