A friend on the Internet has become my reaｌl friend

 

Last weekend I visited Nogoya（名古屋） city, Aichi prefecture. My main purpose was to meet with a friend. He is an American who is studying Japanese language in Japan. We have corresponded for about seven years on the Internet but had not yet met each other directly. So it was the first time for us to have a meeting. 

We enjoyed conversation mainly in Japanese during Saturday's dinner and next day's sight-seeing in Handa（半田） city. We visited an old sake brewery and its neighborhood. It was a very fine day.

We ate "Kisimen"（きしめん） that is a representative food of this area. It was very good.

  

Regina Carter's new album

Regina Carter who is African-American Jazz violinist in USA is one of my favorite musicians. I bought her latest album, "Southern Comfort" about two month ago and I am often listening to it, it is very good.

Her 2012 album, "Reverse Thread"'s theme is about "African music" and this album is about her family history and about the music that her grandfather might hear in his generation.

"Toshi-koshi-soba"

There is a custom in Japan of eating "soba", Japanese buckwheat noodles  on December 31. It is called "toshi-koshi soba". Most people buy it and eat in their house or eat it at a restaurant, but I tried homemade soba on that day.

The first photo is the noodles before boiled. The second is the finished dish. The third is a pasta machine to make it.