Golden Week Overnight Family Trip in Tokyo & Golden Wedding Anniversary
"Aren't you writing on your blog today?"
"I didn't want to bring my computer today, so I wrote it in advance."
"Aw, make sure to write about today too!"
So, urged by my 15-year-old niece, I decided to write about the events of Golden Week 2024. (laughs)
This Golden Week, on a sudden suggestion from my mother, we decided to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an overnight stay at a hotel in Tokyo. It's the Mitsui Garden Hotel Toyosu Bayside Cross, a place both my mother and I have visited twice before with the "Go To Travel" campaign. We were particularly drawn again to the open-air bath on the 36th floor, which we both love.
Happy Golden Anniversary! My nieces, who made a "Congratulations" plate out of iron beads, gave it as a gift. The handmade plate was so well done, just looking at it was moving. A present filled with love from their grandchildren must be the most joyful gift of all!
We had three rooms at the hotel. I shared a triple room with my 15-year-old niece with pink-bronze hair and my 12-year-old niece, who had recently gotten into makeup. Both have grown so tall, I no longer feel like I'm taking care of little kids.
In the evening, the three of us girls went to karaoke. I've made sure to know at least the recent million-hit songs so I can sing along with them. (laughs) We all sang "Yoru ni Kakeru," "Idol," and "Shinjidai" together, and it's certainly more fun singing together than alone.
After a Thai dinner, since grandma gave out some pocket money, we headed to the shopping mall. Both of them were drawn to the same shop and tried on pink clothes, which they ended up buying. I hadn't seen them wear much pink before, but maybe being around their brightly dressed aunt made them tune into that wavelength. They looked very good in it.
The next morning, at the hotel's breakfast buffet, I noticed something funny in a photo: on the left, the word "Stanford" and on the right, "Defiance". (laughs) From our table, we could see the apartment where I live, and it felt like if we could fly, we’d be home in a few minutes. The luxury of not only having a buffet but also choosing main dishes was delightful. We chose three types from pizza, scrambled eggs, omelets, and acqua pazza. Especially, the crispy pizza just out of the pizza oven with the perfect harmony of basil sauce was sublime. We ate so much that we needed a food rest until checkout.
As soon as I woke up, I made the bed, and while I was brushing my teeth, there they were, lying on my bed! All I can do is show them through my actions what I value.
We checked out and headed from Toyosu towards the Ginza area. We got off the bus just before Tokyo Station, and my father, relying on his cane, slowly made his way to Ginza. Teased by my niece as being "like a YouTuber," we had fun taking pictures with a selfie stick on the pedestrian heaven, laughing all the while. Each time we looked at the photos, both my father and mother were greatly delighted.
Just five hours after a heavy breakfast buffet, my brothers who had walked from Toyosu to Ginza joined us, and we all went to a Korean restaurant. I ordered a light half-portion of jeon, but everyone else took on a significant challenge with half-sets of bibimbap and galbi. In the end, my nieces jokingly shouted "Ultra Soul!" as they struggled to finish the last bite with a spoon, like a form of torture. (laughs)
Having eaten too much, we decided to go to karaoke again to aid digestion. However, the holiday pricing was a shock. Our apartment has a karaoke room where you can sing with a stand microphone, and it’s great that no matter how many people sing, it's a flat rate per room. Next time, we'll plan more carefully and make reservations in advance.
The spontaneous suggestion from my mother led to a luxurious time away from everyday life during this Golden Week family trip. The 50th anniversary of my parents' marriage was marked with smiles, delicious meals, and plenty of photos. Each moment added new color to our memories!
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