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Finding Treasures

Auntie Kyla, Kenzo, Osamu, and I kicked off our morning by hopping on the bus before 9 AM and catching the subway down to Kita Sendai. Our mission was a bit of geocaching, a bit of exploring, finding good eats, and of course visiting some of our favorite play spots.

Kyla is into geocaching, and over the years, she’s dragged me into it as well. Not that I mind. It’s like digital treasure hunting, with a global community of fellow seekers hiding little surprises in places you’d never think to look. The boys, of course, are all in because of the words "treasure" and "hunting." I love it because it gives me an excuse to wander aimlessly through places I’d never have a reason to go otherwise, looking highly suspicious while rooting around for tiny boxes left behind by strangers. It’s a hobby that pretty much guarantees you’ll spend a solid amount of time grinning to yourself like an idiot. I also talk to myself. Come to think of it I'm amazed no one has called the cops on me yet.


We walked. A lot. From Kita Sendai, we wandered all the way to Hirosedori, winding through side streets and alleys, following GPS coordinates that led us to sneaky little caches hidden in nooks and crannies and tiny Shinto shrines. Eventually hunger got us so we made our way to the east gate of Sendai Station for lunch. The boys had their beloved mini pizzas and papa ordered up some popcorn shrimp and wine thank you very much.


After refueling, we hit the game center, where the boys went full invasion mode on the candy-dispensing game machines and lo and behold I lost 20 bucks trying to get this stupid Super Mario mushroom. Then, as a cherry on top of an already fabulous day, we wandered into the giant electronics store nearby.

The thing about electronics stores in Japan is they don’t just sell TVs... they create entire living room setups to lure you in. And on the fourth floor, among the giant flat-screen displays, they had these ridiculously comfortable sofas. I made the only logical choice: plopped down, grabbed a remote, and somehow stumbled upon YouTube as an option. Like there's a button right on the remote that is dedicated to getting you to YouTube with one click. One thing led to another and before I knew it I had Ulfuls music videos playing at a slightly indulgent volume, singing along while slouched down in luxurious magenta velour.


Of course, eventually, Auntie Kyla and the boys pulled me back to reality, and we had to head home.

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