Anne and Mikey in Oita: Night 1.5

After a day of onsen viewing, eating every 0.3 seconds and questioning the ethics of animals in captivity, we set off to a dinner with my Oita friends I'd organised.

I was really happy with the turnout- around 20 people all crammed into a room. The theme: "let's show Anne and Mikey how we party Oita style". Ha! The restaurant, Hambey is awesome for big gatherings- cheap share plates and cheap all-you-can-drink. Japanese cold noodles, gyoza, yakitori, fried chicken (of course!). Umeshu, beer and cocktails. It was pretty hectic, orders for more food and alcohol being shouted out across the noise of crazy foreigners. Which, I can attest, is really quite loud!

After, a group of us hit up karaoke. It couldn't be a proper initiation into Japanese life with a bit of painfully bad singing!

Then I "iced" Anne and Mikey- an Oita tradition of presenting people with a Smirnoff Ice to drink to the tune of "ICE, ICE, ICE, ICE".

Our final stop was PEI- a home away from home. The only bar most of us go because we know we'll be welcomed with open arms. It's our local foreigner bar run by the beautiful Meg and staffed by the friendliest and coolest bartenders ever.

So, that involved dancing and drinking into the wee hours of the morning.

Oita's best!

Meg, myself and Anne

Kiyomi and me. Half-Japanese peeps unite!

Fran, Savvy and Mark showing their food modelling skills

Just the usual Mary-Mon photo ;)

With Katie and Sara playin with Girls Cam app! Dodgy sticker photo-esque photos straight from your phone!

The restaurant has hilarious olden-day Japanese movie posters plastered all around the room

Life imitating art!

No comment.

Yes, we have Obama in Oita!

Sara -an actual American- enjoying Obama's company

Savvy, Mary and I fresh from karaoke

Anne- just let the music take over you!

So much karaoke love!

Dear god! Singing Moulin Rouge. SOS.

Getting iced.