Valentine's Day

While I didn't do anything for Valentine's Day last year, this year I decided to go all out and make some chocolates.

Around the end of January/ beginning of February, stores start setting up their Valentine's Day displays- tons and tons of super nice boxes of chocolates, and a plethora of supplies for those ambitious enough to make their own homemade chocolates.

Things work a little differently here; it is the women who give chocolate to the men.  Men who receive chocolate on Valentine's Day then reciprocate on March 14th, called White Day.  There is 義理チョコ (giri choco, obligatory chocolate) given to male coworkers, and then there is also 友チョコ (tomo choco, chocolate given to friends).  

I had never made chocolates before, but I had a couple of good ideas that I wanted to try out so I got some chocolate molds from the 100-yen store.  The chocolates were quite the success, thankfully!  I made a video of the process, which I will post once I've got it edited together.

Got tons of chocolates and sweets from some students and coworkers.  Have consumed most of it over the past couple days which I should not have, and am now suffering from sugar-belly.  :p

Time to do some tidying up before I head up to Ibaraki to help S move down to Yokohama.  Will be my first driving experience in Japan, thanks to the fact that I now have an international driver's permit!  Please pray that I don't go driving down the wrong side of the road.  :O  

Peanut butter cups and strawberry white chocolate hearts