Aomori Curry Festival in ASPAM / あおもりカレー祭りinアスパム

It was Coming of Age Day in Japan and my wife and I were out shopping with my sister-in-law and her husband. We went to Jasco were I bought about three ties and styrofoam blocks for my CD shelf. I also got to pose on a Police Bike while there. My brother-in-law Jun, was also checking out used cars that day. We were going to have lunch together and decided to go to the Asari ramen shop only to find a large line out front and no parking for the car. Jun remembered the was a Curry Festival going on at the ASPAM building, so that is where we headed next.

成人式の日僕と妻は義理の妹夫妻とショッピングに出かけた。ジャスコで僕はタイや発泡スチロールを買った。ジャスコで青森警察もなんかのイベントやってたので、警察の白バイクに乗った。そのあと義理の弟は中古の車をいろいろ見てたら、あっという間に昼食の時間になった。４人で大人気のあさ利というラーメン屋でランチ食べようとしたが、店の前には行列が出来て、注射する場所はまったくありません。義理の弟の潤君が思い出した。現在青森県観光物産館アスパムでカレー祭りが開催中。そこに行くことにしました。

Curry Festival at ASPAM / アスパムのカレー祭り

There were 18 different types of curry to choose from at the festival. As there were four of us, we each ordered two different types of curries, although some of the curries we chose were the same. So at this festival my wife and I tried three different types of curry.

今回は１８種類のカレーがありました。私たちは４人なので、一人２種類を注文。同じカレーも頼みましたので結局３種類のカレーした食べてなかった。

Pork curry with a poached egg / とろーり玉子の特性ポークカレー

Beef tendon and black garlic curry / 牛スジ黒にんにく入りカレー

Shirakami green curry / 白神グリーンカレー

The green curry was made by some NPO and although a little on the spicy side, this is nowhere near what a Thai green curry tastes like. I rather enjoyed it though.

このグリーンカレーはNPO法人が作ったものなので、タイグリーンカレーほど辛くないが、ちょっとした辛さがあった。僕は結構好みでした。

Scallop flavored ice-cream on the menu. Of course I had to try it!

メニューにほたて味ソフトクリームが書いてある。もちろん食べるしかない！

The taste wasn't so bad. Just vanilla with a little more salt. Salty vanilla. You couldn't actually tell if there was scallops in in or not.

味は悪くない。ほたてが入ってるかどうかわらないが、普通のバニラよりちょっとしょっぱい。ほたて味というより塩味のアイスだな。

We didn't find the two servings of curry to be enough so afterwards, we went to McDonald's and ordered Chicken Crisp sandwiches. That was the end of today's adventure.

アスパムで食べたカレーが物足りなくて、そのごマックのチキンクリスプを買いに行って、義理の妹の家に戻りました。今日の冒険はこれで終了。

Ramen Shop [Sapporo Kan] (again) / また札幌館

My wife and I and my sister-in-law once again went to the Sapporo Kan. The ramen shop known for its miso curry milk ramen. However, I wanted to try one of the other ramens on the menu and ordered the ume ramen. Yes, that would be a ramen with plums. My wife and sister-in-law ordered the regular miso chashu ramen.

僕と妻と義理の妹がまた札幌館に来ました。この店の売りは味噌カレー牛乳ラーメンですが、今回自分は別のラーメンを挑戦しようと思って梅ラーメンを注文しました。妻と義理の妹は普通の味噌ラーメンをチョイス。

This was the ume ramen. As you can see it looks pretty plain. The plum flavor was rather minimal in my opinion.  I think I will just stick to the miso curry milk ramen. But I prefer the ones they serve at "Aji no Sapporo" then the "Sapporo Kan" even though the "Sapporo Kan" is nearer our home.

これが梅ラーメン。見た目も普通だったし、個人的にそんなに梅の味もしなかった。やっぱりここくると味噌カレー牛乳ラーメンを注文するべきだな。でも札幌館よりやっぱり街の中心にある味の札幌のほうが良いな。

My wife and sister-in-law ordered the miso chashu ramen. Quite a bit of chashu that you can't see the ramen noodles!

妻とぎりの妹が注文した味噌チャーシュー麺。チャーシューが多すぎて麺が見えない！

Bon Appetit!

いただきます！

The end of the Misawa road trip / 三沢日帰り旅行最終目的地

As Yukio and my sister-in-law's husband, Jun are good friends, we decided to stop by their house for an informal gathering. And to feast on the Lani chicken as well.

幸男が僕の義理の妹の旦那の親友なので、三沢帰りに義理の妹の家に寄りました。もちろんラチキンも持って行ったし。

The Lani chicken was excellent. A lot of alcohol was had and then someone mentioned going out for karaoke. Even though we only went to karaoke for an hour, and sure seemed a lot longer than that. And so ended our day trip.

ラニチキンは美味しかった。酒も結構飲んでった。それで誰かカラオケに行こうと提案して、夜中の零時に出かけて、一時間ほど歌った。それで三沢日帰り旅行の幕が閉じた。

Okidate Hot Spring / 沖館温泉

As I mentioned, our Misawa day trip didn't end by returning to Aomori City. Nope, as were gone all day, we decided to relax at a local hot spring and went to Okidate Onsen here in town. This hot spring is located near my wife's former home.

以前も言いましたが、三沢から青森に戻って、そこで旅が終わったわけじゃない。長旅のあとはやっぱり温泉ですね。街にある沖館温泉というところに行きました。ここは妻が昔住んでた家の近く。

As we went in the evening, you could not see the entire building very well.

夜に行ったもので、建物の外見が良くわかりません。

This is what the building looks like in the day time.

明るいときに建物はこういう感じです。

Of course I had to borrow an image of the bath from the internet as it is against proper etiquette to take pictures when taking a bath as there may be other bathers.

もちろんイメージはネットで借りたもの。お風呂のエチケットじゃ、浴場の写真は大体禁じられてます。他のお客様に迷惑しない様に。

Road Trip to Misawa (Part 2) Asamushi Aquarium / 三沢への旅 （パート２）浅虫水族館

Driving back from Misawa to Aomori, we stopped in at the Asamushi Aquarium. I had been here once a long time ago when my wife and I were still dating and she was living here in Aomori while I was living in Tokyo. Which means it's probably been about eleven or twelve years since I've been here.

三沢から青森市に戻る途中浅虫水族館に行きました。僕は結婚前でまだ遠距離恋愛の時、この水族館に来た思い出はある。もう１１年か１２年前の話だ。久しぶりに行くのも楽しみです。

Asamushi Aquarium / 浅虫水族館

Sea turtle / ウミガメ

We were at the aquarium just in time for the last dolphin performance of the day. Look at the sequence of following photos closely. You will notice the dolphins blowing bubbles.

来たときに丁度イルカショーの最後の公演に間に合った。下記の連続写真を良く見てね。イルカがある技を披露してる。

The dolphin jumping in the air is an actual dolphin and not one on the screen as it looks like in the picture.

上記の写真、スクリーンで写ってるみたいのイルカは本物です。

A little harder to see in this picture.

この写真にはちょっと見にくいですね。

Four dolphins jumping in the air.

四頭のイルカが同時にジャンプ。

I see a shark!

サメがいた！

Sting rays are cool too!

エイもカッコイイね！

It looks like a lionfish to me.

確かこれはライオンフィッシュだ。

I wouldn't want to meet that in the ocean.

海の中にこれとは会いたくないね。

Its an octopus!

タコだ！

Jellyfish / クラゲ

I don't know what the fish was but these smaller critters are fire shrimps.

魚の種類はわかりませんがちちゃいやつはシロボシアカモエビ。

Goldeye Rockfish / ウスメバル

Catfish / ナマズ

Look, its an axolotl!

見て見て、ウーパールーパーだ！

Do you see that weird thing near the bottom right. Its kind of red and looks like some kind of blob? In Japanese it is called a hoya and is a popular regional dish in the Tohoku area. They are called sea-squirts in English. The edible sea squirts in Japan are called sea pineapples. I have also eaten it and found it to taste pretty good.

あの右下で見える奇妙な生き物見えますが。ちょっと赤いで変な形のやつ。あれは日本語と言えばホヤです。 英語で調べたらシースクァートだ。そして食べられるシースクァートはシーパイナップルらし。自分も食べたことあるので、以外と美味しい。

Picking up a sea squirt with my hands.

ホヤを手に取ってみた。

Reiko checking out some sea life as well.

玲ちゃんも触る海の生物を体験。

Asamushi Aquarium mascot Kokoru / 浅虫水族館のマスコット”ここる”

Asamushi Aquarium has a few new faces as well.

浅虫水族館の新しい顔が３匹も増えた。

You would think this would be the end of our road trip but no, in the evening we went to a hot spring. Then we went to my sister-in-law's house for an informal get together and then we went out to a karaoke place and sang for about an hour. But I will write about those adventures later.

これでロードトリップが終了と思ったら大間違い。浅虫水族館のあとは街の中にある温泉に行って、義理の妹の家でさわいで、最後にカラオケまで行ってきました。でもそれはまた今度。