Sunday, February 15, 2015

Oysters, Deer, and Fried Bananas: Typical Valentine's Day

Ahoy, wonderful readers!

I told you I would be more frequent with my blog posts, didn't I? I promise not to disappoint with another travel post!


The day of love has come and gone again. Usually, this lonely author broods on Valentine's Day, anxiously waiting for the half-priced chocolate craze of February 15th. This time, things went a little differently. Living abroad surely turns the tables in the best way possible!

I was lucky enough to catch the Miyajima Oyster Festival. Hiroshima is famous for its oysters, and as a seafood lover, I knew I could not miss the chance to sample some of these delicacies cooked in various, delicious ways. Though I live in Hiroshima, I never trekked out to the other side of town and across the sea to the famous Miyajima site.

Eat delicious oysters and see a world famous landmark? I'm in!


You may or may not have seen this in countless Japanese travel brochures.


My friend and I headed out early, but as it takes us a few hours to get to Hiroshima city --and more time to get to Miyajima-- we ended up hitting the fest at the peak time. The long lines were worth the delicious oyster dishes, all served for around 200 yen! 

Oyster Okonomiyaki- like Hiroshima didn't already make the best of this stuff!


Fried momijimanju which is a delicious leaf-shaped treat (stuffed with oysters, of course.) 

Oyster ride porridge. Perfect for a cold day! 

Another highlight of this famous island are the domestic deer who are free to roam about. Be careful; those deer are always hungry and will not think twice before pulling food out of your hand or handbag! 

 These deer would not rest until we gave them food!


 A majestic deer by the sea


The deer whisperer. She is fabled to be telepathically connected to all of the deer on the island. Fear her mighty presence! 

After taking the ferry back to Hiroshima, my friend and I made the most of our day trip and roamed the city. It's always nice to escape my country town for a taste of the city life! Though we just walked around and window shopped, I was happy to be around so many people and buildings again. Once we burned off all those oyster treats, we treated ourselves to a meal worthy of two single women! The dessert was the, well, sweetest part! 

That, my friend, is a banana chimichanga. T'was love at first bite~ 

Moral of the story: Valentine's Day doesn't have to be a drag for single people. It's a day to celebrate love-- no matter how you experience it. Take the time to love yourself and treat yourself to something nice. Get out and volunteer to share your love to the community. Spend the day with your grandparents. Love manifests itself in many different ways, and wasting an entire day on feeling miserable about your singleness seems like a silly waste of time. It's not too late! You can still treat yourself! Go get out there! 

Until next time, keep readin, dreamin, and doin!

-Fred




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