The Guido's Makunouchi Bento

One of my favorite dishes in Japan is Shabu Shabu. On our drive in from the airport we passed this place near the gate. We decided to give it a  try. It's around $16for 100 minutes of all you can eat Shabu Shabu, sushi , salad and desert. The Shabu Shabu is the star. It is a Japanese dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water or broth. The term is  derived from the sound emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot. The meat which is usually beef and pork and is sliced razor thin .As you can see, it is so thin you can see through which makes it easy to cook. It usually takes seconds. It's eaten with rice and a dipping sauce. I prefer Sesame. You get to pick your cut and they just keep bringing it until you tell them to stop. I'm not sure why there is a 100 minute time limit but I barely made 30 minutes.

We were scheduled on American Airlines on our flight to Tokyo. Turns out it was an AA flight operated by Japan Airlines. I had never flown JAL but heard wonderful things. They have an impeccable reputation for quality service .... and they didn't disappoint. It all begins before boarding. Before the flight crew boards they gather at the top of the ramp and face the passengers in the waiting area and bow. Then they board. There is plenty of storage space and they don't get nasty about it like some airlines do. It's all about respect for the passengers. The flight was 12-13 hours and I watched four movies and two episodes of NCIS. Lunch was a typical Japanese lunch- Katsu Curry and a special desert. The plane was a 777-300 which had a seat configuration of 3-3-3 across and the ability to follow the flight pattern. The older I get the harder these long distance flights are but with great service it makes it easier.

It's the evening before our departure The movers have come and gone and the place is empty. The house is in hands of our realtor  Brenda Berger. The cracked window was fixed and the bricks will be repointed above the garage.  We had a final meal with the family last night and paid our respects to my parents this morning. We drove by downtown on our way to the airport. We are staying at the Hyatt which is attached to the airport . Just seemed easier to be here and a short walk to the terminal. It's bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone and the life we have lived in Pittsburgh for the last nine years. However, we are looking forward to our new adventure. Sayonara Pittsburgh, until we meet again.

It's finally time for the big move. Our PCS or Permanent Change of Station move is divided into three shipments- air, sea and storage. The  Air shipment is an advanced shipment which should be there in two to three weeks. It is for things that you will need immediately. Things like clothes, linens and dishware. This shipment is authorized 700 pounds and is flown to Japan. to get there fast. 700 pounds seems like a lot but it adds up quickly. If you go over they charge you for the excess and it can be very expensive. They brought a scale to weigh the packages. We were 12 pounds over. We picked a heavy box to get below weight with a buffer. There is a loan locker at Zama so we can get pots , pans and etc. on loan. Miki' coffee machine made the cut so she is happy. * UPDATE Official weight was 646 pounds. The Sea shipment is for everything else and takes about one to two months by ship. Ours should be there by the end of October. We get loaner furniture until

Youkoso or welcome to our blog. The title of our blog is The Guido's Makunouchi Bento .  Makunouchi Bento is a lunch box that has a little bit of everything. That is what I hope to do with this blog. Give you a little bit of culture and history while keeping you entertained with our life in Japan.  Currently we are playing the waiting game. We are waiting to finish work, we are waiting for the movers, we are waiting on someone to buy our house and we are waiting to get on that big old jet airliner. We only have about three weeks left but it seems so far away. We are flying out on the 3rd of September with the route of  Pittsburgh-Chicago-Tokyo on Japan Airlines. I've never flown JAL before but I've heard good things, They have a pretty good reputation for service so that makes things easier for the 13 hour flight. It is an American Airline flight operated by JA so it's a bit of an upgrade because JAL has one of the better economy layouts in the industry