I discovered upon returning that two of my previous coworkers from Leadqual are moving back home to Connecticut and I was invited to a going-away party for them at Hana Japan, a Hibachi style Japanese restaurant. This party sort of became a welcome-back party for me which was wonderful as well. Erin and Rob are the couple headed back home and it was great to see them again. Erin is pregnant and expecting in April next year. It was also delightful to see other friends that I haven’t seen in for a while!
Hana Japan was quite a new experience for me as I’ve never been to a Hibachi style restaurant before. Between lighting the grill on fire and flipping and spinning utensils it was a great show! Our cook had a spectacular personality and a great sense of humor. Everything was cooked right in front of us to perfection and the vegetarian dish was just amazing! It was a great social evening and I even tested out plum wine for the first time. It was hard to get a decent picture in the dim light, but I did my best =P
What an amazing way to re-enter Berkeley! I’ll be joining my former co-workers this afternoon to see how the office has changed and see some more old friends. I’m quite excited really!
