My NCLEX Has Been Scheduled

Yesterday, I registered for Pearson VUE and got my ATT, Authorization To Test, for NCLEX. Then, I finally made an appointment for the exam today! My NCLEX has been scheduled. It is on July 26th. I have five more months to study for the exam. I wanted to take the exam before fall semester begins. I am not sure if I can pass the exam on my first attempt, but after I pass the exam, I should take registered nurse refresher course anyway because it's been five years since I left my job. Today, I searched about refresher courses and found someone who said the lecture is 4 hours a day for 7 weeks, and then the clinical is 8 hours a day for 8 weeks. I thought it is going to be very hard. I wanted to take an academic writing class, but clearly I will not be able to take both writing class and RN refresher course at the same time. :(  I thought I should give up the writing class. Frankly, I don't want to stop learning for writing essays though.

Jess Penner - Life Is Rosy

Last week was really cold, and I thought that it was still winter, but this week has been getting warmer and warmer. Today was a beautiful sunny day, so I decided to not wear my scarf which has been a while. According to my smartphone, this weekend will go up to 84 degrees in Fahrenheit which is equivalent to 29 degrees in Celsius.
In Japan, February is the coldest month of the year. However, here in the Southern California, I felt that spring is almost over, and summer is just around corner.

Today, I listened to the song, Life Is Rosy by Jess Penner. I thought this song is perfect in the lovely spring weather. I found this song from her Youtube video. The song has been used on her video as a back ground music. She is one of the famous beauty gurus on Youtube, and I often watch her youtube videos. I have been inspired by her videos many times. :)

Jess Penner / Life Is Rosy

Lylics

Flowers start to bloom in every different hue from violet to pink and blue
I can feel a change no I am not the same I'm lucky to be here with you

This feels right feels so bright bright
All the world somehow starts to shine shine
With you by my side life is rosy

Shades of green melt into tangerine I watch the sun it's setting in your eyes
Can you tell I'm wrapped up in your spell yeah it's all good and well
I think I realize

This feels right feels so bright bright
All the world somehow starts to shine shine
With you by my side life is rosy

Beautiful yeah it's so wonderful oh darlin' don't you know that life is rosy
Beautiful yeah it's so wonderful oh darlin' don't you know that life is rosy

Hey look at my heart I think it's the start of something new
Hey I finally see that life is rosy

This feels right feels so bright bright
All the world somehow starts to shine shine
With you by my side life is rosy 

Beautiful yeah it's so wonderful oh darlin' don't you know that life is rosy
Beautiful yeah it's so wonderful oh darlin' don't you know that life is rosy 





   Today's Vocabulary
・ hue : noun / 色、色彩 
・ by one's side : ～のそばに、近くに、～に比して、～と比べると、身近に
・ tangerine : adjective / タンジェリン色の、濃いオレンジ色の
・ tangerine : noun / 《植物》タンジェリン◆【語源】マンダリン・ミカンの一種だが、モロッコのTangierから船積みされたためにこの名前で呼ばれるようになった。
・ (be) wrapped up in : 《be ～》～に没頭している
     ex) I've been wrapped up in this crossword puzzle all day. : 私は一日中このクロスワードに没頭していた。

An Excellent ESL Teacher

I took tutoring this morning. My tutor is not a native speaker, but her pronunciation, speech, grammar, and writing are incredibly perfect. When I first met her, I thought that she is an American or was born in the U.S. at least because of her excellent English skill. When I knew that she was born in Iran and moved to the U.S. 10 years ago, I was really surprised. I was amazed at her English skill, so I asked her how she improved her English skill. She told me that when she was 10 years old in Iran, her mother made her go English school. She went to the English school which had American teachers everyday and also went to normal elementary school at the same time. She had to learn English everyday, and she decided about her major which is English. After she graduated from the university with English major. She started teaching English in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries too. When she moved to the U.S., she was shocked because she couldn't understand what American people were saying. Even though she had 16 years experience as an ESL teacher at the time, she was struggling with her English skills, especially listening skill. However, she didn't want to go back to Iran and determined to live here. Then, she started going to college. At the beginning, she had to take ESL classes. Because she was already good enough with English except for listening skill, soon she was able to take an academic English reading class which American students take. After that she earned her PhD. in English and has been getting many offers from college as an ESL instructor. Because she is not a native speaker, she knows how difficult it is to learn English as a second language. She said that many immigrants give up learning English soon after moving to the U.S. and never go to ESL school. As a result, they are always staying with their native communities. She told me, "You are going along on the right track!" She taught me that the most important thing is that trying to learn something everyday and not giving it up. She told me that in order to improve speaking skill, watching TV is the most effective way, and she also recommended to memorize English sentences. She told me that if you memorize the sentence perfectly, the wards comes out from your mouth without thinking, and you will be surprised about that. I had never thought about memorizing English sentences, but I will try to focus on memorizing them from now on. She also told me that if you believe that you are doing well and will definitely become successful, it will become true for sure. She gave me a lot of hope and courage today. :) 

My Group Study Began

When I finished my tutoring session and was about to coming out the room last week, my former classmate came into the room to take the tutoring. We remembered that we took the same grammar class before, I talked to her about current her class. She told me that she was continuing to take the grammar class. She asked me to study together if our schedule meets. Today was the day we began to study together. Thus, I went to our school facility which is the place students who enrolled the any language class can study freely, to study with her after my class. Recently, she has been learning about count noun and none-count noun. I was not confident with that, she taught me how to distinguish between those. I think our English level is almost same, that is why we were able to study not far away from our knowledge, and that was very comfortable to study together. We studied for over two hours there, but we never got tired from our study. I said good bye to her, and we promised to study together next week also.  :)

I Resumed Moving Our Belonging Into Our New Apartment

Today, my husband and I resumed moving our belonging into our new apartment. Because of that, we were very tired and starved. We found a Vietnamese restaurant nearby by a coincident and we decided to dine there.

My husband ordered this. This is our favorite Vietnamese meal, but we still don't know what this is called. I know we should remember the name of the food.

Charbroiled pork & egg roll
with rice vermicelli & vegetable

I ordered Chicken Pho. I like Vietnamese cuisine for the reason that it is neither too oily nor too salty.

Pho Ga

Because we were very hungry, we easily finished everything. :)

After that, we went to Ikea to see some furniture. Lately, we have gone to Ikea every weekend. Next weekend, we need to completely finish moving out.






Pho So 1
3831 Alton Pkwy
Ste B
Irvine, CA 92606

Moving Into Our Belonging

Today, my husband and I packed up our belonging and moved into our new apartment. My husband bought a power drill for $99.99 at Costco to tear apart our furniture because we wanted to carry it out easily. Tomorrow, we will continue this in order to completely move out in seven days.

As Usual Friday

Today, I met my friend as usual Friday. I thought today was my friend's birthday, but she said that her birthday was in December. Haha. I totally forgot her birthday. I prepared the birthday present for her. I gave it to her anyway. After studying, we went to Souplantation for lunch. :)

The Last Day of Our Meeting

Today was the last day of meeting with one of my friends. He used to be an elementary school principal in Japan. After retiring, he came to the U.S. to support his daughter. It has been almost five years since he moved here. He told us, "It's time to leave because I want my daughter and my son-in-law to be independent." His daughter had gotten married with an American many years ago but before he moved to the U.S., she hadn't applied for a green card because she hadn't had the financial wherewithal to hire a lawyer for it. Because she hadn't had a green card, she had not been allowed to work here. Thus, she and her husband had been struggling to live with three children. She had often used her father's credit cards. My friend had thought they needed to be changed. After moving to the U.S., he supported her green card and sent her to medical school to get a license. At the same time, he took care of his three his grandchildren. After she got her license, she was able to find a job. He told us, "Maybe, she is having the most difficult time in her life. She is very busy with raising three kids and work, but they need to be independent. The longer we stay here, the more they will dependent on me and my wife. So it's time to leave. I am a little bit sad though." I think he is a great father, and he has been very supportive of his daughter! He told us he would move back to Japan this weekend, but he would come back to the U.S. next month in order to attend his former roommate's wedding, and he would also come back here in June to attend his choir recital. :)

Japanese Magazines

When my husband and I were traveling in Japan, we bought two Japanese magazines. It's because Japanese magazines in the U.S. are three times more expensive than ones in Japan. I can't afford to buy ones here even though I love reading Japanese fashion magazines. When I lived in Japan, I used to buy fashion magazines almost every month. Japanese fashion magazines are selling around $6 in Japan, and you can sometimes get a premium with the magazine, such as a combination pouch between the magazine and high-end brand, a reusable bag, a calender, an appointment book, skincare sample and so on. The contents of the magazine is also worth reading. Compared with U.S. fashion magazines, Japanese magazines have less advertisement, and they suggest many ways of fashion coordination and also teach about fashion and beauty. Last month, I bought a Japanese fashion magazine, AneCan, in Japan. I read it during the flight back to Los Angels. It took me 5 hours or so to finish reading it even though I didn't read every single page. It was the first time to buy AneCan, but I was really enjoyed!

I remember that I started reading fashion magazines when I was 13. At that time, I used to buy "non-no", which is for girls around the age of 18 to 22. Then, when I started working as a nurse at age 21, I started buying "MORE", which is for girls at age around 20 to 25. Then, when I was 25, I started buying "BAILA", which is for women age around at 25 to 30. This time I bought "AneCan", is a fashion magazine for women at age around 30.

What I like is that as I age, fashion models which I am familiar with also age. They have transfer on to the appropriate fashion magazine, so I have also shifted buying magazines following them. :) As I age, I read different fashion magazines which suits my age, but the models who I see on the magazines are same people. I have known them on magazines since they were teenagers. :)
Three years ago, I made many Taiwanese friends, and they told me that they love to read Japanese fashion magazines because they have access to Japanese magazines in Taiwan. They told me that some Japanese magazines in Taiwan were translated in Taiwanese, but they bought magazines in Japanese because they could understand what those were showing with its pictures. I didn't know Japanese magazines were selling in other countries. The last day of meeting with one of my Taiwanese friends, she gave away her Japanese magazine to me to prepare to go back Taiwan.


During my travel in Japan, my husband bought a magazine, Tarzan, which is health magazine. This is also my favorite magazine even though its target is mostly men. :)

I am not an avid reader of novels (I know I should be), but I really like reading fashion magazines. :) 

I Have Finally Become Eligible to Take the NCLEX

Today, I got a letter from Board of Registered Nursing. It read that I have been found eligible to take the NCLEX-RN. Yay! I started going through the procedure for NCLEX on August last year, but it was very complicated and gave up the procedure because I needed to make efforts for my ESL assignments and was busy. Thus, I didn't have time to collect the information. At last, I requested some certification forms to my nursing school in Japan on October 18, and I requested to translate my Japanese license into English from the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare on October 27. I submitted those documents to Board of Registered Nursing on December 17. On January 19, the Board of Registered Nursing requested me to submit some additional documentations for evaluation of my application. I requested my nursing school in Japan to send a translated copy of my diploma. I submitted all documentations to the Board of Registered Nursing on February 8. It has been four months since the beginning of the application process to be eligible for NCLEX. To take NCLEX has become realistic for me. I need to study harder to accomplish my goal!     

Today's Phrase

Yesterday, I went to Costco to get my tires rotated. I asked my friend what I should say in English in this situation.
"I'd like to get my tires rotated."
"I'd like to have my tires rotated."
"Could you rotate my tires?"

Another day, I went to Flame Broiler for supper. Their hot sauce, which I wanted to take home, was running out. I asked my friend what I should say in English in this situation.
"Could you refill the hot sauce?"
"The hot sauce is empty."
"The hot sauce ran out."

We Got a Key for Our New Apartment

Today, my husband and I got a key for our new apartment. We moved some our belongings from our old apartment and went to ACE Hardware, Costco, and T.J.Maxx to buy an entrance mat, a shoe rack, and a dolly, a garage rack. We need to pack up the rest of our belongings and will move into our new apartment in two weeks. We are already tired but will go to the gym tonight. :)

It's a Bargain, But...

Now, my husband and I are looking for some furniture for our new apartment. Mattress and bed frame are ones which we need to buy. These day, I have found used Ikea queen size mattress and bed frame for $150 on Japanese trading site. February and March are moving season in Japan, so many Japanese people are preparing for moving back to Japan. By the way, unlike other countries' immigrants, many Japanese people in the U.S. are living temporary, such as 1 to 5 years of temporary deployment oversea. Most used beds on the site were used only for 6 months to 5 years, the price range of mattress and bed frame set was $10 to $200. Don't you think that's a incredible bargain? The only problem is that the buyer must pick them up. Because mattress and bed frame are not easy to carry, I need to give up the bargain. Today, we went to Ikea, these were around $700. If I could buy them on Japanese trading site, I could save more than $500! I tried searching how to carry mattress on a car on Internet, but I couldn't figure out exactly. If I can find it on Youtube, I might understand it easily. Or, Should I rent U-Haul trailer? Maybe I should give up...

Make Habits - Exercise and Reading -

I started my 30-day challenge, which was going to my apartment's gym everyday, on January 15, but I failed this time. :(  I went to the gym for 15 days in a row, but after I got sick on January 31, I stopped going to the gym. That day, I had a high fever and was sore all over my body, so I really needed to rest. After three days, these symptoms were completely gone, but I didn't go to the gym nonetheless. It's because I became lazy again. :(

I want to try the same challenge again. My husband and I will move into our new apartment within a month, so I think we are going to be busy and tired. However, I think I should work out everyday because I started having backaches again after stopping going to the gym. I seriously need to exercise on a daily basis. My current apartment gym has an excellent gym, yet our new apartment has more latest work out equipments in the spacious gym. My husband and I are looking forward to exercising in new place. :)

In addition, I want to try another challenge, which is reading an article out loud everyday for 30 days. I know that reading articles helps to improve your reading and writing skill. Because I am not an avid reader, it is difficult to make a habit. Although I have read some articles since I made my new year's resolution, I haven't done it everyday. Now, I seriously want to improve my writing skill. As I mentioned in my previous entry, last semester, my ESL teacher suggested me to take an academic writing essay class, which native college students take, in order to be bilingual someday. At that time, I didn't think I can be a bilingual even if I study very hard. However, I want to try and see how my English will improve. Frankly, I still don't think I can become a bilingual, but I want to finish that writing class at least before I start working as a RN. However, I understand that my current writing skill is not good enough. Compared with my peers, my vocabulary, expression, and reading abilities are very limited even though I am comfortable with grammar. I hope my writing skill will improve as good as American students before this summer in order to take that class. Thus, I need to study harder than ever before.

I hope I will accomplish my 30-day challenges this time! :)  

How to Cook Duritos (Duros, Pasta Para Duros, Churritos)

I cooked duritos, which are uncooked hard pasta that looks like round wagon wheels, for my first time today, and it was also my first time to eat it.

According to Wikipedia, "Duros (also known as pasta para duros, duritos, durros, pasta para durito, chicharrines, churritos, Mexican wagon wheels or pin wheels) are a popular Mexican snack food made of puffed wheat, often flavored with chilli and lime."

I bought duritos at El Super, which is a Mexican supermarket, several months ago. When I first saw them, I had no idea how to cook them. However, they were very unique looking, so I became really interested in them. After that, I found the recipe on Youtube.

        I thought it was very easy to cook. :) I only needed to be careful for the right oil temperature and not over cook it.

As soon as I placed duritos in sufficiently heated oil, these started puffing up and floating.

I tried not  to over cook. It took only 5 seconds or so to be fully cooked.

 I seasoned them with lime juice and hot sauce. I also added chopped cilantro.

I thought they were perfect for an appetizer. They were crunchy in texture. The lime and hot sauce were perfect to season duritos. I like them. :)  Trying out new foods is exciting, isn't it?

  

        My entries related to Mexican Supermarket can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Mexican%20Supermarket

     This is my entries related to my favorite recipe.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/recipes

      This is my entries related to cooking.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/cooking

The Interesting Functions of the Recent Japanese Cars

As you know, Japan is the one of the world's biggest car industry. Everyday, I can see many Japanese cars here in the U.S., such as Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi. I think that Japanese people have been trying to improve their technology to become a more prosperous country because Japan has limited natural resources. Specifically, environmentally friendly cars have been improved these day. Many Japanese people try to save money because of economic downfall and high gas price, so Japanese people seek for fuel-efficient cars.

While I was traveling in Japan last month, I got on my friend's car and my parent-in-law's car. My husband and I were impressed about how Japanese cars have been improving their technology since we moved to the U.S. I'm going to share with you what we were impressed. You might have seen some of them before in the U.S., but from a stand point of 2006 model car owner, these improvements were surprising.

First of all, most cars have GPS in Japan. In the U.S., people also use GPS now, I think GPS is more highly-popularized in Japan because unlike U.S., roads in Japan are complex. Using GPS is also related to saving fuel because it prevents getting lost.
When you get into reverse gear, the GPS monitor turns into a rear view camera to help reverse parking.

When you get into reverse gear, the car announces, "Now, you are in reverse gear."  Because sometimes car accidents happen in parking lots by incorrect operation, the announcement prevents accidents.

When you are exceeding the maximum speed limits, the car announces, "Be careful with your speed." Some people think it is annoying, but I think it's great because you won't get speeding tickets. :)

When you are stopped at a red light, the car engine is automatically turned off to avoid idling away. According to Wikipedia, "Idle reduction describes technologies and practices that minimize the amount of time drivers idle their engines. Avoiding idling time has a multitude of benefits, including; garnering savings in fuel and maintenance costs, extending vehicle life and reducing damaging emissions for better health and global sustainability." Energy Conservation Center in Japan says that the fuel consume amount during idling more than 5 seconds is equivalent to the gas consumption of when starting the engine. I think that idle reduction is not very common in the U.S., but when I am waiting in line at a gas station, I always open windows to get fresh air and turn off the engine. I try to avoid idling away as much as I could while I am parking. However, I don't turn off my engine while stopped at a red light in the U.S. because it is still considered as outrageous action.

While driving, you can see how you drive fuel efficiently. While driving in Japan, I tried to drive economic friendly with referring the fuel consumption indicator. :)

Kei car, a Japanese category of small vehicles, is getting more and more popular because of how environmentally friendly these cars are. The engine is 660 cc, but it is powerful enough to drive on city roads. In addition, the car is small, but it is spacious enough for a small family. Moreover, it easy to drive on narrow roads and to park in small parking spaces.

When my husband went to a gas station in Japan, he had no idea to find out how to open the gas tank lid for my father-in-law's car. My husband called my father-in-law and asked about that. He needed to take out the key and just push the lid by hand. There was no lever for opening the lid inside the car. We thought this prevents locking your key in your car and static electricity.


I felt reverse culture shock while getting on Japanese cars in Japan. Even though I had already known that Japan is the one of the world's biggest car industry, I was reminded about that fact again. :)


 


     

Rite Aid Haul - Wet 'n' Wild Cosmetics

Last Sunday, I went to Rite Aid to buy makeup because Wet 'n' Wild cosmetics were 40% off, and I had $1 off Wet 'n' Wild coupons. I didn't have any Wet 'n' Wild products, so I thought I shouldn't miss out on this sale. :)

I bought a nail polish and a cream eyeshadow.

This Megalast Salon Nail Color 206C was originally $1.99, but it was $1.19 with 40% discount. In addition, I used a $1 coupon. It ended up being at $0.19! I love pinkish beige nail polish because I think it is the best color for natural and healthy looking nail. I haven't used it yet, but I think I'm going to love it. :)

This Idol Eyes Cream Shadow Pencil 130 Pixie was originally $1.99, but I bought it for $0.19 as well.  :)  I have used it several times so far, and I love it. The texture is soft and smooth. I put it on my lower eyelid and inside corners of my eyes, and it naturally brightens my eyes. :)


     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/beauty

Muji Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser Review

 A month ago, I bought Muji Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser in Japan, so I'm going to review on it.

 As I mentioned in my previous entry, there are three different types of Aroma Diffuser available in Japan. I ended up choosing the smallest one because it consumes less electricity. I wanted to use one in my bedroom, so I thought this compact size would be sufficient enough in my bedroom.

It included a small travel bag, and it was 2900yen, which was equivalent to $33. I though it was reasonable. :)  As far as I know, this Compact Size Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is only available in Japan.

I have used it 10 times or so, and I am satisfied with the performance. Even though it is the smallest size, the aroma fills out my room very well with only one drop of essential aroma oil. Which means that I don't have to consume excess essential oil and can save money. What the most I like is that it consumes only 10W per hour. Its description reads that the electricity fee is only 0.22 yen per hour, which is about 0.24 cent per hour in the U.S., or cheaper (I guess). The maintenance is easy, just wipe it out with damp paper towel and Q-Tip.

This warm color LED light is pretty and makes me relax. :)

See, the mist is coming out swiftly. You can see that this smallest diffuser is effective enough.

     

After I used it, I understood that Muji Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser has many positive reviews. Now, there are 603 reviews for this diffuser on a Japanese review site and most reviews are positive. :)  I found out that the best way to sustain its life span is to properly wipe out the inside periodically, especially the vibrating plate because dust buildup decreases its function.


If you are planing on traveling to Japan, you should check one out at Muji store. It's because Muji Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is cheaper than the one in the U.S. While large size in Japan is 6900yen (including tax), which is about $76.66, the same one is selling $119.50 (without tax) in the U.S.  While medium size in Japan is 4900yen (including tax), which is about $54.44, the same medium size is $69.50 without tax in the U.S. If you buy it in Japan and use it in the U.S., you have to know the voltage difference between Japan and U.S. The voltage in the U.S. is 110-120V, but the voltage in Japan is 100V. You might think you need to buy a transformer. I don't guarantee you, but I have never experienced troubles with using Japanese electronics in the U.S. I think it's because the voltage difference between U.S. and Japan is little. Unlike the U.S. and Japan, many countries' voltage is 220V. If so, you can't use one you purchase in Japan without a transformer in your country.

Large Size Diffuser 6900 yen (Japan)  / $119.50 (U.S.)

Medium Size Diffuser 4900 yen (Japan)  /  $69.50 (U.S.)

Anyway, I love my Muji aroma diffuser so much since the aroma makes me happy and relax. I am glad that I finally got it in Japan.  :)

My Muji entries can be seen here.

                                                  

     These are my entries you might like.
Must Go to Place in Japan - Muji Part 1

Must Go to Place in Japan - Muji Part 2

Must Go to Place in Japan - Muji Part 3

Charity Vance - Icing

When I was watching Youtube video, I found a liking for the song, Icing by Charity Vance. This song has been used on many Youtube beauty videos as back ground music. :)  The Valentines Day is coming, and I thought this love song is perfect for the Valentines Day after watching this video. :) 

Lyrics


You are the icing on my cake,
You are the smile I can't replace,
You are, you are,
The way you smile, the way you laugh,
The way I can't help but catch your joy, your joy,

Chorus:
Metaphorically, this song just says one thing,
I love you, that's what I'm telling you,
Oh, and there's no irony because I say what I mean,
I love you, I love you,

You are the minutes of my time,
You're inspiration to this rhyme,
You are, you are,
You are the apple of my eye,
The sweet sunshine in the sky,
You are, you are,

Chorus:
Metaphorically, this song just says one thing,
I love you, that's what I'm telling you,
Oh, and there's no irony because I say what I mean,
I love you, I love you,

You are, you are,
You are, you are,

When cloudy days come along,
When you're not really (?)
Hear this song and know, just know,
If sad times steal your joy,
Ring me up and hear my voice,
"I love you's" tend to mute the noise,

Chorus(x2):
Metaphorically, this song just says one thing,
I love you, that's what I'm telling you,
Oh, and there's no irony because I say what I mean,
I love you, I love you,

La, la, la, la, la, love (x3)

You are, you are,
You are every bit of beautiful,
You are, you are,
You are every bit of beautiful.




   Today's Vocabulary
・ metaphorically : adverb / 隠喩的に
     ex) Metaphorically speaking, the merit system is golf without a handicap. 例えて言えば、能力主義はハンディキャップのないゴルフである。
・ what I mean : 私の言いたいこと
     ex) You know what I mean. : 分かるよね。
     ex) Do you know what I mean? 私の気持ち［言いたいこと・言っていること］が分かりますか［分かるでしょう？・理解できますか］？
私の言いたいことが分かりますか。
・ mute : verb / 〔楽器などの〕音を弱める

Traveling to Shanghai - 7 (12/30)

In the morning of the last day of our travel in Shanghai, we were able to see the view of a slightly snow-covered town.

 We walked around near the hotel. We were able to find many interesting lively stores.

crabs

a fish shop

 We found Chinese steamed rice wrapped in a thin flour, which became our favorite after eating some at the hotel buffet. We bought some.

Then, we found that Shengjianbao was cooked outside the restaurant. It looked mighty delicious and we couldn't resist the temptation.

 We bought them, and a waitress told us to come inside the restaurant to eat.

It was our first time to eat Shengjianbao. These tasted like Japanese Gyoza (but with a thicker skin) and were pretty good. :)

Shengjianbao

Then, we found another bun store.

We bought a bean-paste bun, which was my husband's favorite, and a steamed meat bun.

bean-paste bun & steamed meat bun

We found Chinese noodle restaurant. The noodles were being cooked outside.

 We ordered beef noodle and beef soup. These were very good.

We bought sweet roasted chestnuts at a stand on the side road.

We found roasted sweet potato were selling on a bicycle trailer.

 It was sweet and good. My husband found a liking for it.

We ate a lot of street foods on the last day of this travel. I was glad that everything was good and reasonable in price. :) We really enjoyed our travel!
Then, we headed toward Pudong International Airport.

 At the airport, we found very expensive Shanghai crabs.

It took only 1 hour and 15 minuets to go to Fukuoka airport. Even though it was short haul flight, they served flight meal. :)

We finally arrived at Fukuoka airport. :)