Couch to 5K

I started the Couch to 5K running program today. I tried it a few years ago, but then some operations/ injuries/ laziness interfered and I never finished it. For anyone who doesn't know, the C-5K program is designed to get you running 5 kilometres in about 9 weeks. You start slowly, by alternating walking with running. Each week you run a little further, building up your fitness levels. If one week is particularly difficult you can repeat it until you are comfortable. See the link below if you want more information.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

There is a small park nearby that I run the perimeter of, it's too hard to run around our neighbourhood since we're right in the city and there are bikes and cars everywhere.

I'm hoping this solves my exercising in Japan problems- there are no English friendly gyms nearby, our apartment is too small to do anything beyond basic stretching and I eat enough for a family of four at each meal.

My reasons for doing this are simple: I really want to feel fitter, sleep better and fit into the teeny, tiny Japanese clothes!

Osaka Eats

Big shiny fishies at the market.


Octopus! I wouldn't have a clue how to cook this- but I think I'd like to try it.


Some plastic window food- it's amazing how disgusting and realistic it manages to look.


Octoberfest- we wandered into this accidentally, looked around, saw benches, sausages, steins of beer, pretzels, German band and ONLY figured out what was going on when we saw a sign.


Flavoured popcorn- I wish we'd bought some of this stuff, but it was too exxy. They had wasabi, coconut and butter-soy flavours.




Look at this poor little guy! He seemed so old and tired and kept wanting to sit int he sun, but his owner wouldn't let him.

You think aquariums are boring?

We spent a day at the aquarium in Osaka yesterday- 8 floors of tanks and pools and some amazing sea creatures. I'm not really into that kind of stuff, but it was really cool.

Here is a spider crab- they have the longest legs in the world, like supermodel crabs.
They reminded me of Starship Troopers.


This was my favourite fish- it was a sun fish, it looked like it should have had a nose, but it didn't. And it had weird fin placement, on it's top and bottom instead of on either side.

Here I am petting a small ray in the touch pool. He felt like soft velvet.


This is a fountain clock we came across later on that day- it tells the time with water!



I love turtles. They look so grumpy and wise.



I have never seen these before! They are like massive wombat/ seal things. I can't remember what they're called, but they made me laugh so hard.

Penguin feeding time!


REally cool and dangerous jelly fish.

Din Tai Fung!

I was so excited to discover last week that Osaka has its very own branch of Din Tai Fung. DTF is a dumpling restaurant that specialises in steamed dumplings. The first restaurant was opened in Taipei about 40 years ago and there are now branches all around the world. I have been to the Sydney, Jakarta and Singapore stores and they are all as amazing as each other. DTF is famous for its steamed pork dumplings with a hot soup interior that requires deft chopstick/ soup coordination and a lot of slurping. THEY ARE AMAZING.

Today we spent a rainy lunch time at DTF in Osaka, located just above my favourite department store Takashimaya. As usual, there was a line to get in, but it moved quickly.



We ordered a set lunch which included the famous pork dumplings and this amazing thick soup of noodles, pork, tofu and mushrooms. We also had a couple of vegetarian steamed buns as well. They were filled with chunks of water chestnuts and garlic spinach. YUM.



This helpful instruction sheet features in every DTF store I've been to.


We finished with mango dumplings. They were filled with a dark red bean paste and then a gooey hot mango centre. I could have eaten about twelve.