Fun Dinner & Karaoke in Hiroshima! 8/20/11

It's almost 3 PM on a Saturday in late August & we're meeting Mayumi & Akemi at Iwakuni Station to take them to Molly Malone's in Hiroshima. Stan has just bought our train tickets, and I'm admiring all the travel posters & paper goldfish hanging above him. It's raining today, so we took a taxi to the station.




On the train now looking out the window. Oh - there's a coffee machine at a station that grinds & then brews your coffee fresh!


Raining as we ride over a bridge in Hiroshima. Akemi & Mayumi told us that they usually take the highway bus to Hiroshima because they can catch it in their neighborhood & it goes right downtown. Convenient.


At Hiroshima Station, they have the same goldfish hanging above! I made one of these one time at an arts & crafts building in Yanai City- where goldfish is their city symbol.


Mayumi & Akemi at Molly Malone's. This is their first time here.


We've all decided to try the sampler - 3 different types of beer with edamame & salted nuts. Perfect! Hiroshi (from Miyajima) is joining us about 5 with two young ladies he volunteers with on Miyajima Island.


Stan, Margie & Hiroshi at Molly Malone's. Kampai!


And he brought Yumiko & Aiko, who told me they both read our blog regularly - wow! Had no idea! Yumiko and I keep in touch because we're FB friends, and we met both of them several years ago, but it's been a while since we've seen them.


Everybody's hungry, so we ordered a variety of food. Yum!




Mayumi & Akemi are enjoying their food. And we're all enjoying our drinks!

Click "Older Posts" below right to continue . . . . .

Whew! Guess it's time to go sing karaoke!


Hiroshi, Yumiko, Margie, Aiko, Akemi, Stan, and Mayumi in Molly Malone's.


And all us girls are following Hiroshi & Stan . . . this could be trouble!


Mayumi, Akemi, Aiko, and Yumiko are following behind . . .


Nowhere but Japan would I go down such a narrow, dark street, but we twisted and turned and found Hiroshi's favorite karaoke bar. Hiroshima looks so different at night.


Here we are! It's very nice in here & the ladies told me this is a more traditional kind of karaoke bar that the "older generation" prefers. Works for me & the service is impeccable!


Kinuyo is the proprietor (Hiroshi says she's the mama-san of this bar) and is a friend of Hiroshi's. We are the only customers right now, so we have her full attention as well as the other lady who works here. The drinks & snacks never stop coming . . .


Getting settled in.


Great variety of snacks, but since we had so much food earlier, we're not really hungry . . .


Yumiko, Akemi, Mayumi & Aiko posing for a photo someone else is taking . . .

Akemi isn't shy & starts off the karaoke with a beautiful Japanese ballad - wow! CLICK ARROW to view these VERY short videos. They're just bits & pieces, but you get the idea . . .

Then Mayumi sings a peppy Japanese song - with a little help from her friends . . .

Yumiko sings a beautiful rendition of an old Carpenters' hit, "Top of the World" - and she asks me to join in . . .

Stan's entering a song to sing on the electronic unit. This place has THE best sound system!


And he found his favorite karaoke song - 1956 Screaming' Jay Hawkins hit, "I Put a Spell on You." Afterward, I was asked to explain to our Japanese friends what it meant to "put a spell on someone?" Hmmm . . . that's tricky.

At some point, I sang my favorite: Patsy Cline's "Crazy" - but alas! no video . . .

Stan & Margie singing "I got you, Babe"

Hiroshi-san has chosen a Japanese song & he sings part in English. How nice to be bilingual! Actually, all of our Japanese friends are . . . I'm filled with admiration!

Mayumi & Aiko singing a CUTE Japanese duet . . . CLICK THE ARROW:

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!!!!! Stan sings while Akemi & Hiroshi dance! CLICK BELOW:


Oops - here's the last few seconds . . .

Beautiful karaoke duet by Yumiko and Hiroshi. CLICK arrow for brief video:


Stan & I are really enjoying our friends' singing!


And now it's our turn.

One of the two businessmen who joined us in the bar, sang a Japanese song - obviously aimed toward the ladies in our group - who positively responded! CLICK BELOW to hear some of his song . . .

And his friend has a really beautiful voice as well . . . CLICK BELOW to see & hear a little of his beautiful Japanese ballad.

Click the arrow to watch a short, but VERY funny video! Stan's singing Chuck Berry's Johnny B Goode while Akemi dances with one of our new friends. While I'm showing Stan's face, "something" happens to the ice bucket on the table - but the dancing just continues! Oh yes - we were ALL having way too much fun by now!

Akemi & our new friend dancing.


Yoo-hoo!


A brief rest . . . but the drinks just keep coming!


And Hiroshi's at it again! He has more energy - and he's older than we are!


Hiroshi looks on as one of our new friends sings again. This time, he waited for the music to start, and then came around the corner to make his grand entrance! He was really fun & loved to perform!


One of the hostesses helps him tie his necktie around his head - Japanese-style. We were told that it represents "Japanese determination" and happens frequently in karaoke bars when salarymen (executives) let off steam . . .


And Hiroshi has tied a sweat towel around his head . . .


. . . in a show of solidarity!?


Well, we hated to quit, but we finally got everyone in our group out to head for home about 10 PM. One of our hostesses has walked us to the elevator, and escorted us all the way down to the street as is the custom. Thanks, Hiroshi for such a great time at karaoke!

Yumiko & Aiko had a car nearby, so we bid them farewell here. But Hiroshi, Mayuni, Akemi, Stan & I had to hurry to catch the last train for Iwakuni, so we piled into a taxi instead of taking the streetcar to the station. I think we all dozed on the train on the way back home . . . Of course, Hiroshi got off at Miyajima & said his wife would pick him up. We bid farewell to Mayumi & Akemi at Iwakuni Station, as they took a taxi going one way, and Stan & I took another taxi headed the other direction - for MCAS Iwakuni. We finally rolled home about midnight. Don't know when we've stayed up so late!!! What a FUN night!

Iwakuni Street Festival 8/14/11

Late Sunday afternoon & although the sky above looks a bit threatening, we're headed off on our bikes for a downtown street festival. It's hot, so if it rains, it will just cool us off, right?


Passing the Chapel as we head for the Main Gate on MCAS Iwakuni. The sign says Bible School starts tomorrow . . .


Sunflowers in someone's yard outside the gate. We really do need rain!


Figs? Covered with netting to keep birds out . . .


Riding over the pedestrian bridge at low tide.


VERY low tide.


Downtown, Stan stops to chat with a friendly Japanese man. But I'm very hot from our @30 minute ride (I like to ride slow when it's hot!) & I'm thinking about something COOL to drink . . . and maybe some air-conditioning!


How about Monte Beer??? It's 5 PM! We can cool off AND have an early dinner. Perfect.


Stan likes this menu that features Hiroshima Carp (professional baseball team) entrees . . .


Omelet with "Carp" written in ketchup & something else we don't recognize . . .


Batter up, Stan!

This should cool us off!


And of course I always have my fan this time of year . . .


We started with salmon carpaccio - my new summer favorite!


And Stan ordered an ice-cold, ripe sliced tomato with Italian dressing - yum! We've had this simple summer entree twice at home since . . .


Stan loves tomatoes!


But we shared . . .


And we shared a salad - but we've eaten most of it already. Stan ordered oysters, but they were too hot for me - I only want cool food right now! But I did share the toast.


And we shared ribs - yum!


Back out on the street, we see a lady in kimono that features the Kintai Bridge. I think that she's part of a traditional dance group that we've seen at previous festivals. Notice that she's standing near a painted manhole cover representing Iwakuni. Each community has their own design & they're all beautiful!


Stan wanted to run into Andersen's Bakery for a loaf of bread to take home, but the shelves are almost empty. Don't worry - he found the last one, but they'll be full of fresh goodies again in the morning!

Click "Older Posts" when you get to the bottom of the page . . . . .