Rambunctious Reunions (finally!) and Irish Pride

This should (hopefully!) be the last post about my Last Day.  

After we left the school, Coworkers C, L, M and I had to go to the office to drop off our uniforms.  Once we finished with that, I got out my phone and played what I felt was an appropriate video for the occation:

Coworker A, who left back in December, met us in front of the office building and joined us for our celebratory lunch at a nearby ramen shop.  Coworker C, M and I had eaten there the week before, because they were advertising their "veggie only" ramen and gyoza (pot-stickers?).  I was sure the broth would still be meat-based, but it turns out it was completely vegetarian!  Extremely rare, but it made me extremely happy.

Soooo good!  The noodles were even made with spirulina.

Coworker L had to leave to go teacher her last afternoon class, but Coworker K (who left with Coworker B back in September) had joined up with us so we then headed to Baskin Robbins for ice cream, then to an izakaya that touted an 800-yen, all-you-can-drink-for-two-hours deal.  Coworker L rejoined us later with the addition of Coworker Sumi.  Then we headed to Ikebukuro, where we met Coworker B and Coworker S (who left in November) at another izakaya.  I think just before midnight we decided to call it a night and all caught our trains home.

So now, on to St. Patrick's Day!  Which actually happened before all of this did, but oh well.  I hadn't done St. Patty's properly for years, but I finally made some plans for this year and stuck to them!  Invited S, and since her good friend G (he hung out with us occasionally back in our UW days) happened to be in the country on business for the week he got invited too.

Headed up to the little food-import store at the station and snagged the last bottle of Baileys.  Wanted to get a bottle of dry cider for the baked salmon recipe, but cider in Japan is something completely different, so when I asked a worker if they had any, something got lost in translation and I was shown to the club soda.  Just said eh to that and grabbed a can of Guinness instead.

Then, I cooked up a feast.

Had the Baileys over ice cream for dessert

The spread:  baked salmon, cabbage (just steamed until tender, then drizzled with melted butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper), champ, and soda bread

Yummmm