Weekend 99: September 23 – 24, 2023
Day 691: September 23, 2023
Saturday – Rumoi
It was a beautiful day here in Rumoi City—bright, breezy, and just the kind of weather that makes you feel extra thankful to be where you are. We didn’t plan any road trips today since our Japanese friends, Ikuko-san and Kanda-sensei, were coming over for dinner. The morning was spent doing some light chores around the house. My wife and I also finalized our menu for the evening—something simple but special.
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| Rumoi Shinkin Bank |
Around 10 AM, we drove to Rumoi Shinkin Bank to run a quick errand. After that, we made a rather unusual stop at Rumoi Golden Beach—not to relax or swim, but to hunt for Sprite! Believe it or not, Sprite isn’t very common in our city, and we needed it for one of the dishes we were preparing. Thankfully, the vending machine near the beach came to the rescue.
Bonding at Golden Beach Rumoi
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| It has been some time since we had Sprite. We saw these at the vending machine on the beach |
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| Enjoying the sun |
Even if it wasn’t part of the plan, we ended up staying a few minutes by the beach, just to enjoy the fresh breeze and soak up a bit of sunshine. Sometimes, unplanned moments like that are the most refreshing.
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| Saw this Autumn Festival poster at COOP. Looks like a fun event |
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| Kai was sleepy again when we got back home. |
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| Congratulations, Margie! |
We then headed to COOP to buy the rest of the ingredients before going back home to cook. While prepping dinner, we also “attended” the wedding of our dear friend Margie via Zoom. It was heartwarming to witness such a special moment, even from afar.
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| Here's what my wife prepared for our dinner with friends |
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| Itadakimasu! |
Ikuko-san and Kanda-sensei arrived at around 6:30 PM. It had been quite some time since we last hosted them, so it felt really good to catch up. We talked about a lot of things—life, travel, food—while enjoying a lovely meal together. They stayed until around 9 PM, and we were grateful for the quality time.
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| Movie night: Crawl |
After cleaning up, we still had some energy left to bond as a family. We re-downloaded Cooking Frenzy on our iPad—a game my wife and I used to play (and love!) about ten years ago. This time, we wanted to enjoy it with our daughter. To wrap up the night, we watched the 2019 horror-adventure film Crawl—a perfect “last full show” before calling it a day.
Day 692: September 24, 2023
Sunday – Rumoi
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| Good morning, Baby Kai! |
It was another beautiful day here in Rumoi. Today also happened to be the Autumn Festival in nearby Mashike. We really wanted to check it out, but with a long list of chores waiting, we decided to skip it this year. There’s always next time—and we’re already looking forward to it.
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| Cleaning time |
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| Here's my lunch for today - tuna scrambled egg |
Most of our day was spent doing housework and taking care of Baby Kai. Nothing too exciting, but definitely necessary. At one point, I had to hop on my bike for a quick trip to COOP because we ran out of diapers. That was pretty much the only time I stepped outside today!
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| Quick trip to COOP |
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| I bought Kai's diaper supply |
Before the day ended, we all sat down and played Cooking Frenzy again. Surprisingly, everyone seems to be hooked. It’s starting to feel like our new nightly family bonding ritual—and I’m all for it.
We may not have explored a new town this weekend, but it still felt meaningful. We had time together, shared laughs with friends, and made small moments count. That wraps up my 99th weekend here in Japan. Can’t wait to see what the 100th brings!
Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Week 99
Golden Beach Rumoi
10 Things to Do in Rumoi City
10 More Things to Do in Rumoi City
Hokkaido 179
Japan Diaries 4: Summary
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