大阪: 好きな食べ物は。。。

Okonomiyaki

Sometimes things got out of control during my time in Osaka. Imagine if you had a friend sign you up for some sort of underfunded camp where the recreational theme is food, where you begin to wonder if this friend may be in on a conspiracy with your parents to encourage your weight gain before the holidays. It was like that, and not only on Tuesdays, but what I mean is this went on every single day.

What follows is just a small sampling of my favorite foods consumed while in Osaka.

Taiyaki shaped like fish

....more okonomiyaki 

Washoku

Takoyaki

This pizza, which I believe was delivered from Heaven, is deserving of its own special mention.  Ready?  

Ingredients were as follows -

Side A: Corn, Ika (Squid), Roe Cream, Mochi, Potato and Bacon
Side B: Corn, Tuna Mayo, Onions, Anchovies

Uh huh....yaaaas :-)

This.

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Made it to....Osaka!!

With Ai-san at Kiyomizu-dera 

A few short hours on the Shinkansen (bullet train) and I arrived in Osaka.  After several days in the share house, staying in a friend's flat allowed me the space for morning yoga and pranayama exercises.  I had an opportunity to visit Kiyomizu-dera temple in neighboring Kyoto, a place possessing gardens that reflect an expression of the transitory nature of human life.

It's always fantastic for me to return to Japan, but what I find every single time is that it is also very hard for me to leave. Most of the friends that I visit when I'm here are lovely people that I met when I was living here; people that I met on project volunteering in the Tohoku region after the earthquake/tsunami; people that I slept next to in the ashram dorm during my yoga teacher training in south India...all very life transforming, yet traumatic experiences and expressions of personal growth.

My heart is so full of gratitude to be here, yet already alongside gratitude is a longing for this place and the people that I will inevitably have to leave.

Fall Leaves in the Kansai Region