Hi All
Wow..didn't realize it has been a week since I last wrote what I've been up to here in Japan. Seems like all kinds of things happened last week and I just didn't take the time to get it written down here. Sorry...let me fill you in a bit.
Last Thursday march 19Th, I went to the Yokohama's International Women's Club March Luncheon and met a bunch of nice ladies and then went to an orphanage after. They started off with a short business meeting, a young lady entertained us on the piano with some classical music, the singing group sang a song about cherry blossoms "sakura" and then we had our lunch. We had some pumpkin curry soup I think, bread and butter, sole fish fillet with rice and then some pink meringue pistachio type dessert. It was very tasty.
I met 2 ladies from England,1 from MI,CA,LA,KS, any from Japan and Gracia from Teguc, Honduras of all places. Boy were we both ever happy to cross paths. We have been in contact via emails and hope to get together to chat more about my work with Tierra Santa and her homeland when I get back from Thailand... She is darling of course and so warm and loving. Yea!
After the luncheon I went with 3 ladies Futakami-san, Negishi-sna and Cindy-san to visit one of the orphanages the ladies club helps support. It was so fun to see the children and get a tour of the Kofu place. Very different than a third world orphanage. Allot of the kids at this home were also from poverty and will most likely go back home when they are older, They have another home Kodomo, that has kids from abusive homes, which will not go back and most likely live there all their lives at the orphanage. I hope to visit Kodomo possibly next month or in the late summer/early fall after my trip to Honduras. April 11Th CJ and I will go on an outing to the local ZOOrasia with the Kofu kids before Donna and Michelle arrive later that evening.
So that of course was fun for me and I was able to take pics of the building and rooms, but can not take any pics of the kids to put on the web. We can take them to use for the ladies club photo album, but if we print or publicize any we have to blur out their faces. So be forewarned there will not be many pics. Darn!
It was so fun and I also asked if I could volunteer there during the week, or only when they have ladies club functions. The director said, "Oh no, you can come every day from 3-5pm if you like and work on English with the kids"...so I am planning to do that 1 or 2 times a week I hope. Of course as usual, my schedule right now, is so crazy again with trips coming up and visitors coming in to Japan, so a regular schedule of that may have to wait again till July or August. Ugh!
So after that, I walked back home and enjoyed wandering the streets and through the various park looking at all the Magnolia and Dog Wood Trees that are in full bloom right now. It is so pretty and looks like snow on the trees.
Friday March 20Th I walked all over town in search of cherry blossoms. I walked through every park I think there is from here to Landmark Center. I saw lots of fully loaded budding trees, but only a few little spots of blossoming ones. They said last week, with the warm weather we have been having, perhaps they will burst open early, but I am thinking not. It is 3/24/09 today and they are still buds only. The predicted day for the great unveiling is of course March 29-April 5 right when we are in Thailand. :-( Once the first blossoms open they are in full bloom 10-12 days beyond that. Our hope is that there will still be some when we get back on April 5Th in Tokyo and then we will quickly drop our bags and go take a look.
I must say, I will be VERY GLAD when this whole Cherry blossom season is behind me. It has really made me a bit anxious and frustrated at times. Every time I go out and I see a little bit, I WONDER where else they might be and WHAT AM I MISSING...??? Of course, then I have this need to go wander the streets and if I did that everyday, well, I would get nothing done.
I too have been trying to get things ready for Thailand and knowing we will most likely be gone now when it all takes place, well that just makes for more frustration and mostly disappointment. :-( I am trying to tell myself...it is what it is, but it would be sad to think I lived here for a year or so, and stayed home from Honduras in hopes of seeing this and then we happen to have this Thailand trip right smack in the middle of it and may miss it totally. OK enough....
I did see a beautiful garden they set up down by the Brickyard area and things are going along well for the plaza they are building for the upcoming 150Th Anniversary Celebration. All those festivities are to take Place form April 28Th- Sept 9Th. So I am sure we will have lots of things to see and do this summer. Of course I will miss more when back in MN and Honduras in May and June. Such is life...I guess I can't get to EVERYTHING..even though I like to think I can, and of course want to see and do it ALL. :-)
Saturday March 21, 2009
We had another St Patty's Day parade here in Motomachi. CJ and I attended and it was fun to see more bagpipers, bands, soldiers, baton twirlers, dancers.....My friend Maggie and family were to join us, but she got sick the day before and ended up all morning at the doctors office and so we went alone. After the parade CJ and I walked over to the Ooka River to see if it's tree lined banks of Cherry trees were in bloom yet, but only buds there as well. They did have all the Japanese lanterns hung up and ready for illumination, which they do every night from March 21-April 5Th. We then wandered in another section of Yokohama we hadn't been in before and found more parks, a free zoo and some more local shopping streets. Back home for a big plate of Spaghetti and to reload our carbs after all the exercise.
Sunday March 22, 2009
We had plannned to go south to Kamakura to see if the blossoms lining the Boulevard street there in front of the shrine were blooming, but we woke to a very rainy and blustery day and so we decided to just stay home in the warmth and catch up on bookwork, relaxation, TV.. We enjoyed watching some of the Tokyo Marathon and SUMO tourney on TV. My friend John Elliot a former Hogar Volunteer from England is in town and he and his sister Beth who lives and teaches English here in Tokyo were both running in it. We did not see them on TV, but heard they both finished thought John was having some trouble with his leg.
Monday March 23, 09
Was hoping to meet up with John today and tour the Harbor area here in Yokohama, but he called and said his leg was now swollen and he needed to go to the doctor and have it wrapped. So we made plans to meet up with him and Beth for dinner instead. I guess he ran through pain and injury and should probably have stopped, but he said he likes to finish. :-( So I worked here, packed and waited for him to call back after the doc appt, but he ended up being there almost all day and came home with the aid of crutches so we cancelled dinner and rescheduled it for Tuesday night instead. Darn! I feel so bad for him, and that really must put a damper on his 2ND week of sightseeing here in Japan.:-(
It was to be the day of ill health calls I guess, as CJ's siblings then called and said his mom Jean was in the ER with a fever, the shakes and a severe UTI. Next, I talked with my brother who was having some talking/blanking out issues and leg pain at basketball a couple weeks ago and at first they thought he might have had a mini stroke, but I guess they thankfully ruled it to be severe dehydration and no blood clot in his leg. OK so, that was just a good reminder for me to get up off this chair and to take some more water in, as I am SO BAD about drinking and getting up while working here on the computer.
My folks were doing well and now out walking in the spring like weather. YAHOO!! They seem to be doing better and better, so that is great to hear. Now I just hope all the others can get healthy and stay that way too. It is a bit distracting to know they are having some possibly severe health issues when we are way over here.
Anyhoo,...at the moment it looks like they got things under contol, or I have not gotten the next call with information yet today?
So we are planning to see John and Beth tonight and I am off now to peek in the park and see if any blossoms have popped in the last 2 days since I have been busy here in the house.
Tomorrow, I will probably make my way to the Sankeien Gardens or perhaps by the river or stadium where I saw some blossoms starting to pop last Friday on my walk about town. I have to get whatever glimpse I can before we head south.
I too, also need to repack my suitcase one more time and hopefully,lighten the load. When we checked the weather forecast the other day, for Thailand's upcoming weather next week... it sadly looked as if we might be following the rain around the country. My HOPE is that forecast is long gone and they have changed it to sunny??
I would hate to go there and know I am missing the blossom show back home in Japan and then be stuck under an umbrella the whole time I am there. So we shall see...
I am off now to the park, to stretch my legs, soak up a bit of the sun that is trying very hard to get out from behind the clouds and then back home to go up to Tokyo for dinner with CJ, John and Beth.
Sorry this may sound a bit depressing, but as I said, this whole blossom season anticipation thing has been a bit exhausting.
I am having fun really, just DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING...(you know me all or nothing) ;-0
More soon from SUNNY THAILAND I hope.
karla
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday March 15, 2009 Tokyo St Patty's Day Parade
Sunday morning CJ and I woke early and had 2 nice separate phone chats with each of our kids. They are both adjusting to their new routines of a full fledged working world job and no school for Kalen and lots of rugby,a school apprenticeship assisting a history teacher at a Duluth middle school, as well as 2 university classes for Graham. They are both doing well and looking forward to spring like temps.
After our calls with the kids, we then headed to Tokyo and the Harajuku District to see the parade and whatever else was going on there before the 2pm parade was to begin. The papers all said activities were from 11am -7pm so of course we went in search and to find out just how and why the Japanese are celebrating this holiday here in Japan. Hum ?
We got to Harajuku by 12 and not many girls were there yet strutting there fashions, so we walked down by Yoyoji Park too see if there were any musicians playing or if the Elvis twisters and 1950's girls in poodle skirts were there? They too, were slowly arriving for a day of twisting. there was a big tent set up across the street and we found out Circus So lei was performing there.
We then decided to go and see what else we could find having to do with the Irish and St Pat's. We walked all along the Omotesando boulevard shopping Street and stopped at the information booth to see what was going on. I asked why and how did they get to celebrating this holiday here in Japan. I didn't even know many Irish folks lived here. We found out that it started about 20 years ago or so by a few Irish that lived here and the Japanese liked it so much they now keep up the tradition. There are only about 1,000 Irish here in Japan, so I think it is quite amazing that 7 different parade throughout the country will take place in this time period. The girl at the INFO booth said about 90 percent of the parade committee are Japanese.We asked where all the food and beer stands were and she said there wasn't any but we could go check out the exhibits and perhaps learn how to dance in the exhibit area.
So we headed off in search of something green? Right then a guy with a cool green Mohawk passed by with 2 ladies and when I asked if I could take his photo, the older lady told me he is a bagpiper and is going to be in the parade as well. It must have been his mom and wife or girlfriend I'm guessing, as she was very proud and quick to tell me all about him.:-) I took one photo of the 3 of them and then had to have him do a profile shot so you could at least see the Mohawk. Didn't even realize the younger gal had green hair too, till I got home and looked at my pics the next day. Guess I was more intrigued with him. :-)
We found a few musicians on the street corner playing Irish songs on their flutes and then behind them were two food stands and they were steaming some kind of green stuffed leaves wrapped and tied up in triangle bundles and the other ones looked like a rolled head pillow with the ends gathered and tied with either string or leaves like they when making tamales in Honduras. I tried to ask what they were,and what was inside,but my Japlish sadly did not work. ?? That was the only food stall we saw at all, that had green food and it wasn't even Irish. What?
We then walked way up to the end of the street and could not see anything that looked like Irish exhibits, so we walked back down a back street and saw nothing there either. Darn. Then we realized by the map that it might be in the building. Odd? Anyhow, we went in and here was this big 3 or 4 story indoor shopping plaza. Right then a guy with a kilt walked past and I asked him if he spoke English and sure enough he did. He was an Irish man with a Japanese wife and 3 kids and they were all going to be in the parade themselves. He played the harp and she the violin. They gathered for a family photo and then he wanted another one with me and them so I obliged. :-)
We asked where the exhibit was and he said downstairs on level B2 but don't be to excited for anything. It was only a tourist booth, face painting for kids, photo with a leprechaun, some silly green hats for sale, Irish tea and a few other Irish trinkets and T shirts. They were also giving out frozen Bailey's samples, but of course the machine ran dry when I got there and it was going to be another 1/2 hour before it would be ready again. On the stage, they were just finishing up a DVD and then after they interviewed an Irish band The Coronas. The schedule said live performance, but they first showed a DVD on the screen and then a gal sat with the 4 men and a translator and asked them questions. It got very hot in there for us and so we decided to leave. So who knows if they every sang? There were no instruments laying around, but I did see a few microphone stands off to the side of the stage? I wonder what kind of music they even play. I will have to check it out on My space perhaps?
The family guys was right, it was no big deal. Darn!!! So now we had an hour or more to kill yet before the parade started, and there were people everywhere. So CJ bought himself a few beers at he corner Lawson's store and we grabbed a seat along the street, at e our veggie snacks and nut mix while we sat and people/dog watched. We were right by the intersection where the parade was to start and so there was lots of activity there.
As parade time got near an Irish man Peter and his two 1/2 Japanese kids Erica and Mica came by and sat by us. CJ and Peter ended up talking during the whole parade and I had fun taking pics and then after playing with the two kids. They were so darn cute and it was hard to believe they had any Irish in them. The Asian genes are definitely the dominate ones.
We were to find later on, when talking with Peter that they quit having food and beer as there was too much garbage everywhere when it was all over. So it was a very sedate and quiet St Patty's Day here in Japan, according to an Americans perspective anyway. It still was fun watching all the folks dressed in whatever bit of green they had. My guess is many probably went out and bought something specifically for today as most don't wear a whole lot of color here. There is allot of black and white and more subdued and dark colors than anything else. Spring and summer I am sure will bring more color and patterned clothing.
So after the parade we talked a bit more and listened to some more street musicians who sat next to us and played more music on their flutes,banjos, and violins.
After some more hand clapping games and roller coaster rides by CJ for the kids we bid farewell and headed back to Harajuku Plaza and to see what kids had gathered and what their outrageous outfits looked like today. On the way there we passed by two guys playing music on the street corner and they were giving free CD's out. So of course I grabbed one and asked to take their picture. They were very happy and I was sorry we did not stop to listen longer as I found I really liked their style when I got home and listened to the music. The name of the group was Akira and the Family Plan and from their flyer of upcoming gigs, it looked like the girl was missing today.
So up and over the walking bridge we went and down to the plaza which was now filled with people at the human zoo looking at and taking pics of the Harajuku girls in their colorful wardrobes. Many Asian Indian guys were there and very excited about taking group photos with some of the girls. As they were all snapping from above I squatted down and asked the girls sitting on the ground if I could take their picture and they all happily said yes. One was dressed in a pink Little Bo Peep dress and posing very demurely, another in black and red goth ware looking out over her partial mask. Another girl was very colorful in a rainbow of colors, blue glasses and stuffed animals hanging on her. Then I saw 3 kids that were not Japanese and they were in Cos Play like maid or Renaissance type outfits and the guy in like punk goth. I went up and talked to them a bit before asking for a photo and they said they were here from Italy for 4 days. Fun!
We then walked back over to Yoyoji park and things were running full throttle now as many groups of Rockabilly Elvis black leather clad pompadour dancers and twisters were gathered and entertaining folks walking through the park. We watched a bit and then walked further along the edge of the park and passed by a guy painting clear umbrellas with all kinds of cool colorful designs, patterns, flowers. I forgot to ask him how much he was charging for them, but he did tell me it was waterproof paint which I thought was a good thing:-)ha ha
There were no more music artists across the main street so we walked back up through the middle of the park.
It was loaded with groups of people sitting in the sunlight on their blue mats talking, eating, drinking and having fun. We then saw a group of folks gathered to watch something down by the fountain and I thought perhaps it was the dancing painter we saw last time we were here in December, but it was now a little 5yr old boy named Keepon who was playing his guitar and singing. He was so cute and was running around jumping all over singing in English some of the words and then mumbling the rest. He was actually quite good on his guitar,but thought he could use more help with his English pronunciation. He was darling and really getting the adult crowd that gathered, into his music and many were quite fascinated by his musical skills. As I watched he sat his nice new guitar down on the cement and then ran behind the cement bench to get his other guitar. His mom who was squatting back there watching him then got up and looked to see where his other guitar was and so I walked up and grabbed it and then handed it to her over the seat. I couldn't help myself but had to ask her how old he was and if she had any of this on U tube. She said she did, so I need to check it out. At first I thought he was the other little Asian boy that plays guitar and sings, but then I realized he was too young and his skills were far inferior to that other kid. He was good though,h and his mom said he has only been doing this since July 2008. WOW!...he may have a career ahead of him. I suggested she might put his guitar case out there and collect some money to pay for lessons, buy him outfits, more instruments, whatever...and she was very grateful for my compliment. You know I will be back to search him out again on another sunny, summer Sunday and to check on his progressing musical talent and abilities. I love this whole informal stage for beginning artists to display their skills.
Back to the twisters for a minute and then to grab some of those good smelling donuts that the street vendor was making. You don't have to be afraid of eating stall food here as they are quite meticulous and clean. A walk back through the plaza and a few new girls were there now, but they did not want their picture taken. They had multi color dreads and some had leopard fabric costumes. One girl had the tape over her nose and I still want to know what that is about. I did ask the Italian kids earlier and they had no idea. The girl was not there at the time to point her out. Anyhow, it was a fun day overall, great weather, people watching and like I said before I am so interested in learning more about these girls. I looked for that girl Sienna I met on the way to Mt Fuji back in August,but no luck.
It is now 3/17/09 and it is St Patty's Day here in Yokohama. I am wearing green while I sit here and type my latest blog post. CJ should be on his way back from a meeting down south in Nagoya and I am getting caught up on book work and emails once again.
Did nothing today but bookwork after doing laundry and cleaning my house driveway, porch and the back StairMaster yesterday. I swept up all the peppermint looking red and white Camilla blossoms that had fallen from the bushes and were covering half of the staircase on my side of the steps. While out there two neighbor ladies came past and I met Washero who I believe lives two or 3 doors down from me with the BIG dog and the lady who lives across the back alley way and takes care of the garbage area. Her relative is the owner of our house.I forgot her name? They were very grateful and both told me arigato for cleaning up. That was nice to hear.
Also today I had a nice visit with my folks and they are happily doing much better and my dad even went for a walk today as the snow and ice are all gone now that it is 60 degrees in MN. Yahoo!
CJ just walked in with a Jumbo-cho, and so I will close this note so we can visit a bit before he we go to bed and he heads to Korea tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will shop, Thursday is the ladies luncheon and Friday I need to get things organized for when Michelle and Donna are here
Nighty night
After our calls with the kids, we then headed to Tokyo and the Harajuku District to see the parade and whatever else was going on there before the 2pm parade was to begin. The papers all said activities were from 11am -7pm so of course we went in search and to find out just how and why the Japanese are celebrating this holiday here in Japan. Hum ?
We got to Harajuku by 12 and not many girls were there yet strutting there fashions, so we walked down by Yoyoji Park too see if there were any musicians playing or if the Elvis twisters and 1950's girls in poodle skirts were there? They too, were slowly arriving for a day of twisting. there was a big tent set up across the street and we found out Circus So lei was performing there.
We then decided to go and see what else we could find having to do with the Irish and St Pat's. We walked all along the Omotesando boulevard shopping Street and stopped at the information booth to see what was going on. I asked why and how did they get to celebrating this holiday here in Japan. I didn't even know many Irish folks lived here. We found out that it started about 20 years ago or so by a few Irish that lived here and the Japanese liked it so much they now keep up the tradition. There are only about 1,000 Irish here in Japan, so I think it is quite amazing that 7 different parade throughout the country will take place in this time period. The girl at the INFO booth said about 90 percent of the parade committee are Japanese.We asked where all the food and beer stands were and she said there wasn't any but we could go check out the exhibits and perhaps learn how to dance in the exhibit area.
So we headed off in search of something green? Right then a guy with a cool green Mohawk passed by with 2 ladies and when I asked if I could take his photo, the older lady told me he is a bagpiper and is going to be in the parade as well. It must have been his mom and wife or girlfriend I'm guessing, as she was very proud and quick to tell me all about him.:-) I took one photo of the 3 of them and then had to have him do a profile shot so you could at least see the Mohawk. Didn't even realize the younger gal had green hair too, till I got home and looked at my pics the next day. Guess I was more intrigued with him. :-)
We found a few musicians on the street corner playing Irish songs on their flutes and then behind them were two food stands and they were steaming some kind of green stuffed leaves wrapped and tied up in triangle bundles and the other ones looked like a rolled head pillow with the ends gathered and tied with either string or leaves like they when making tamales in Honduras. I tried to ask what they were,and what was inside,but my Japlish sadly did not work. ?? That was the only food stall we saw at all, that had green food and it wasn't even Irish. What?
We then walked way up to the end of the street and could not see anything that looked like Irish exhibits, so we walked back down a back street and saw nothing there either. Darn. Then we realized by the map that it might be in the building. Odd? Anyhow, we went in and here was this big 3 or 4 story indoor shopping plaza. Right then a guy with a kilt walked past and I asked him if he spoke English and sure enough he did. He was an Irish man with a Japanese wife and 3 kids and they were all going to be in the parade themselves. He played the harp and she the violin. They gathered for a family photo and then he wanted another one with me and them so I obliged. :-)
We asked where the exhibit was and he said downstairs on level B2 but don't be to excited for anything. It was only a tourist booth, face painting for kids, photo with a leprechaun, some silly green hats for sale, Irish tea and a few other Irish trinkets and T shirts. They were also giving out frozen Bailey's samples, but of course the machine ran dry when I got there and it was going to be another 1/2 hour before it would be ready again. On the stage, they were just finishing up a DVD and then after they interviewed an Irish band The Coronas. The schedule said live performance, but they first showed a DVD on the screen and then a gal sat with the 4 men and a translator and asked them questions. It got very hot in there for us and so we decided to leave. So who knows if they every sang? There were no instruments laying around, but I did see a few microphone stands off to the side of the stage? I wonder what kind of music they even play. I will have to check it out on My space perhaps?
The family guys was right, it was no big deal. Darn!!! So now we had an hour or more to kill yet before the parade started, and there were people everywhere. So CJ bought himself a few beers at he corner Lawson's store and we grabbed a seat along the street, at e our veggie snacks and nut mix while we sat and people/dog watched. We were right by the intersection where the parade was to start and so there was lots of activity there.
As parade time got near an Irish man Peter and his two 1/2 Japanese kids Erica and Mica came by and sat by us. CJ and Peter ended up talking during the whole parade and I had fun taking pics and then after playing with the two kids. They were so darn cute and it was hard to believe they had any Irish in them. The Asian genes are definitely the dominate ones.
We were to find later on, when talking with Peter that they quit having food and beer as there was too much garbage everywhere when it was all over. So it was a very sedate and quiet St Patty's Day here in Japan, according to an Americans perspective anyway. It still was fun watching all the folks dressed in whatever bit of green they had. My guess is many probably went out and bought something specifically for today as most don't wear a whole lot of color here. There is allot of black and white and more subdued and dark colors than anything else. Spring and summer I am sure will bring more color and patterned clothing.
So after the parade we talked a bit more and listened to some more street musicians who sat next to us and played more music on their flutes,banjos, and violins.
After some more hand clapping games and roller coaster rides by CJ for the kids we bid farewell and headed back to Harajuku Plaza and to see what kids had gathered and what their outrageous outfits looked like today. On the way there we passed by two guys playing music on the street corner and they were giving free CD's out. So of course I grabbed one and asked to take their picture. They were very happy and I was sorry we did not stop to listen longer as I found I really liked their style when I got home and listened to the music. The name of the group was Akira and the Family Plan and from their flyer of upcoming gigs, it looked like the girl was missing today.
So up and over the walking bridge we went and down to the plaza which was now filled with people at the human zoo looking at and taking pics of the Harajuku girls in their colorful wardrobes. Many Asian Indian guys were there and very excited about taking group photos with some of the girls. As they were all snapping from above I squatted down and asked the girls sitting on the ground if I could take their picture and they all happily said yes. One was dressed in a pink Little Bo Peep dress and posing very demurely, another in black and red goth ware looking out over her partial mask. Another girl was very colorful in a rainbow of colors, blue glasses and stuffed animals hanging on her. Then I saw 3 kids that were not Japanese and they were in Cos Play like maid or Renaissance type outfits and the guy in like punk goth. I went up and talked to them a bit before asking for a photo and they said they were here from Italy for 4 days. Fun!
We then walked back over to Yoyoji park and things were running full throttle now as many groups of Rockabilly Elvis black leather clad pompadour dancers and twisters were gathered and entertaining folks walking through the park. We watched a bit and then walked further along the edge of the park and passed by a guy painting clear umbrellas with all kinds of cool colorful designs, patterns, flowers. I forgot to ask him how much he was charging for them, but he did tell me it was waterproof paint which I thought was a good thing:-)ha ha
There were no more music artists across the main street so we walked back up through the middle of the park.
It was loaded with groups of people sitting in the sunlight on their blue mats talking, eating, drinking and having fun. We then saw a group of folks gathered to watch something down by the fountain and I thought perhaps it was the dancing painter we saw last time we were here in December, but it was now a little 5yr old boy named Keepon who was playing his guitar and singing. He was so cute and was running around jumping all over singing in English some of the words and then mumbling the rest. He was actually quite good on his guitar,but thought he could use more help with his English pronunciation. He was darling and really getting the adult crowd that gathered, into his music and many were quite fascinated by his musical skills. As I watched he sat his nice new guitar down on the cement and then ran behind the cement bench to get his other guitar. His mom who was squatting back there watching him then got up and looked to see where his other guitar was and so I walked up and grabbed it and then handed it to her over the seat. I couldn't help myself but had to ask her how old he was and if she had any of this on U tube. She said she did, so I need to check it out. At first I thought he was the other little Asian boy that plays guitar and sings, but then I realized he was too young and his skills were far inferior to that other kid. He was good though,h and his mom said he has only been doing this since July 2008. WOW!...he may have a career ahead of him. I suggested she might put his guitar case out there and collect some money to pay for lessons, buy him outfits, more instruments, whatever...and she was very grateful for my compliment. You know I will be back to search him out again on another sunny, summer Sunday and to check on his progressing musical talent and abilities. I love this whole informal stage for beginning artists to display their skills.
Back to the twisters for a minute and then to grab some of those good smelling donuts that the street vendor was making. You don't have to be afraid of eating stall food here as they are quite meticulous and clean. A walk back through the plaza and a few new girls were there now, but they did not want their picture taken. They had multi color dreads and some had leopard fabric costumes. One girl had the tape over her nose and I still want to know what that is about. I did ask the Italian kids earlier and they had no idea. The girl was not there at the time to point her out. Anyhow, it was a fun day overall, great weather, people watching and like I said before I am so interested in learning more about these girls. I looked for that girl Sienna I met on the way to Mt Fuji back in August,but no luck.
It is now 3/17/09 and it is St Patty's Day here in Yokohama. I am wearing green while I sit here and type my latest blog post. CJ should be on his way back from a meeting down south in Nagoya and I am getting caught up on book work and emails once again.
Did nothing today but bookwork after doing laundry and cleaning my house driveway, porch and the back StairMaster yesterday. I swept up all the peppermint looking red and white Camilla blossoms that had fallen from the bushes and were covering half of the staircase on my side of the steps. While out there two neighbor ladies came past and I met Washero who I believe lives two or 3 doors down from me with the BIG dog and the lady who lives across the back alley way and takes care of the garbage area. Her relative is the owner of our house.I forgot her name? They were very grateful and both told me arigato for cleaning up. That was nice to hear.
Also today I had a nice visit with my folks and they are happily doing much better and my dad even went for a walk today as the snow and ice are all gone now that it is 60 degrees in MN. Yahoo!
CJ just walked in with a Jumbo-cho, and so I will close this note so we can visit a bit before he we go to bed and he heads to Korea tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will shop, Thursday is the ladies luncheon and Friday I need to get things organized for when Michelle and Donna are here
Nighty night
Saturday March 14, 2009 Matsubara Shopping Street
CJ and I took a train ride north to the Hodogaya district. My friend Maggie told me about a BIG fruit and veggie market so we went to check it out. It was in a new area we have never been before, so we had nothing to lose we figured.If it was not what we thought we could roam the streets and see what we could find. It was a cooler and an over cast kind of day so we bundled up for the wind and headed off with our umbrellas. When we got to the train station we weren't sure which way to go so we just wandered to the left. Along the way we stopped at a Shinto shrine and I went in and poked my head around. I saw a shop and so I went inside to ask the cute little lady if she knew where it might be. She then told us the directions and before I left she gave me one of their($5)yen500 charms. It was a 4 leaf clover good luck charm. Cool and perfect for the upcoming St Patty's Day. I tried to pay her, but she said it was a gift. Then CJ entered and she gave him a charm as well. His had something to do with the zodiac and the year he was born. Again we tried to pay her, but no way. I wonder how she made money as she just gave $10 worth of stuff away and we were the only ones in sight? We felt grateful and like we just received some good Karma?:-)CJ said perhaps we were the first visitors of the day and so we got the prize? I guess we will never knew the real reason.
So we continued down the street a few more blocks and then came upon the market street. There were fruit and veggies stands right at the corner, but not a whole lot of them. Looked like a regular shopping street to me. I didn't find the prices to be any better than my mom and pop street in Honmoku and so we just looked around at the rainbow assortment of food items. We also poked our head in the 100yen store, where I bought some bundles of Japanese incense in lavender, cypress and traditional scents. I realized when I got home and burnt just one of the sticks that they have bundled together in 60... that perhaps this was only to be used for graveyard incense. Here I thought I was getting a heck of a deal buying 300 sticks for $1. It is took strong and smoky not like the much heavier scented Indian incense of sandalwood,jasmine I had gotten at Don Quixote's or in India...Oh well,it is sure to last me a long time and perhaps I will need to burn it outside on the sun porch or in the back garden area when the weather warms up. I hope I don't get second hand smoke issues from burning it indoors. ha ha
We then passed by a fabric store and I got a piece of wooden geta sandal fabric that I thought was cute and specific to Japan. I am thinking I may buy different pieces where I go and perhaps make some kind of Asian quilt with it one day when I still still long enough and have a machine available. We walked past a busy fish market where many locals were out buying the fresh catches of the day. Butchers were busy slicing tuna and weighing various other varieties of seafood products. They must have just got back with their purchases from Tokyo Wholesale market. It was a frenzy of activity like most of them are here in Japan ..with guys hawking there certain types of fish, shrimp, octopus...
Down the street we stopped at a bakery and got a couple pastries to split. I got a curry one and CJ got the flaky chocolate dessert one. We also got a loaf of cranberry walnut bread for later. Yum! After out snack we walked down the other side of the street and here I found the carp windsocks you hang outside your door in May for Boys Day. Found some cute blue and white bamboo chopstick holders as well and thought they might be a good rest to hold my calligraphy brushes too.
We then left the market area and made our way along the street and went zig-zagging through the narrow little side streets and alley ways south toward Landmark Center off in the distance. We were trying to find the temple we heard about up on the hill by sacarachiko station. We think we might have found it, but not so sure. There are too many bluff around here. We did stop and took a peek into a few Swedish and Japanese style model homes that were open and after taking off and putting on my shoes 3 times and wearing the too tiny slippers as we toured the houses, I was done. They hurt my feet as they end at the front part of my heel and so they dig in the the arch area. Ouch! Plus I was too hot with the 3 layers of clothes I had on. We had seen enough and wandered up and down enough slopes, bluffs I guess, and so we ventured further along the canal and then took the electric train back down to Ishikowacho station and back home.
Enjoyed some left over taco salad for supper and watched the first group cut from 36 to 12 on Idol. Wow that Alexis girl can really sing. Danny too of course. Sad to see Casey Carlson from EP get the boot. Oh well, it will be interesting to see who caught a glimpse of her and what she will end up doing, modeling, acting,...? That was over at 11 pm here in Japan and so we then headed to bed as we are going to Tokyo in the am for the St Patty's Day Parade tomorrow.It is the biggest one of 7 here in Japan. I am VERY curious to see just how they celebrate here in Japan. I did not know there were allot of Irish even in Japan? One friend said it will be interesting to see how we eat sauerkraut with chopsticks...we shall see.
So we continued down the street a few more blocks and then came upon the market street. There were fruit and veggies stands right at the corner, but not a whole lot of them. Looked like a regular shopping street to me. I didn't find the prices to be any better than my mom and pop street in Honmoku and so we just looked around at the rainbow assortment of food items. We also poked our head in the 100yen store, where I bought some bundles of Japanese incense in lavender, cypress and traditional scents. I realized when I got home and burnt just one of the sticks that they have bundled together in 60... that perhaps this was only to be used for graveyard incense. Here I thought I was getting a heck of a deal buying 300 sticks for $1. It is took strong and smoky not like the much heavier scented Indian incense of sandalwood,jasmine I had gotten at Don Quixote's or in India...Oh well,it is sure to last me a long time and perhaps I will need to burn it outside on the sun porch or in the back garden area when the weather warms up. I hope I don't get second hand smoke issues from burning it indoors. ha ha
We then passed by a fabric store and I got a piece of wooden geta sandal fabric that I thought was cute and specific to Japan. I am thinking I may buy different pieces where I go and perhaps make some kind of Asian quilt with it one day when I still still long enough and have a machine available. We walked past a busy fish market where many locals were out buying the fresh catches of the day. Butchers were busy slicing tuna and weighing various other varieties of seafood products. They must have just got back with their purchases from Tokyo Wholesale market. It was a frenzy of activity like most of them are here in Japan ..with guys hawking there certain types of fish, shrimp, octopus...
Down the street we stopped at a bakery and got a couple pastries to split. I got a curry one and CJ got the flaky chocolate dessert one. We also got a loaf of cranberry walnut bread for later. Yum! After out snack we walked down the other side of the street and here I found the carp windsocks you hang outside your door in May for Boys Day. Found some cute blue and white bamboo chopstick holders as well and thought they might be a good rest to hold my calligraphy brushes too.
We then left the market area and made our way along the street and went zig-zagging through the narrow little side streets and alley ways south toward Landmark Center off in the distance. We were trying to find the temple we heard about up on the hill by sacarachiko station. We think we might have found it, but not so sure. There are too many bluff around here. We did stop and took a peek into a few Swedish and Japanese style model homes that were open and after taking off and putting on my shoes 3 times and wearing the too tiny slippers as we toured the houses, I was done. They hurt my feet as they end at the front part of my heel and so they dig in the the arch area. Ouch! Plus I was too hot with the 3 layers of clothes I had on. We had seen enough and wandered up and down enough slopes, bluffs I guess, and so we ventured further along the canal and then took the electric train back down to Ishikowacho station and back home.
Enjoyed some left over taco salad for supper and watched the first group cut from 36 to 12 on Idol. Wow that Alexis girl can really sing. Danny too of course. Sad to see Casey Carlson from EP get the boot. Oh well, it will be interesting to see who caught a glimpse of her and what she will end up doing, modeling, acting,...? That was over at 11 pm here in Japan and so we then headed to bed as we are going to Tokyo in the am for the St Patty's Day Parade tomorrow.It is the biggest one of 7 here in Japan. I am VERY curious to see just how they celebrate here in Japan. I did not know there were allot of Irish even in Japan? One friend said it will be interesting to see how we eat sauerkraut with chopsticks...we shall see.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
March 13, 2009... It's Friday the 13th and new activites are popping up
Hey All
Sorry I have not written in here lately. Been stuck to my computer again updating TSSI web site stuff and trying to correspond with many a padrino from Honduras. Seems I run out of time in a day to get all the necessary typing done and then I find I need a break as my shoulders, legs and hands go numb. I am so bad about getting up off this chair. I can sit for 8 hours straight some days and not even eat. I know BAD !! I think it is time for a massage, and perhaps I will go get one this afternoon? I too woke up this AM with my skin just crawling and I am wondering if I might be allergic to something in the air here? CJ has been told by many people that lots of Japanese folks have allergies this time of the year with all the pollen in the air. You know the cherry "sakura" blossoms are to be blooming in a few short weeks and lots of different flowers and trees too..so who knows? All I know is, right now, I feel extremely irritable. :-/ UGH!
We are HOPING the cherry blossoms pop while we are here and not all of it happens when we are in Thailand. Can hardly believe we may actually be gone for the height of the blossom viewing season "hanami" here in Yokohama. :-( IF so, we will have to venture north when we get back and who knows maybe we will go south next weekend to see some down there if it looks like we might miss it here. I surely would be disappointed if we do.
I am thinking I am going to have to limit myself to 2 hours a day on this computer, or it seems I never get off of it, especially if it is rainy weather. When it is nice out I seem to be pulled outdoors, so who knows once the weather gets nicer it may be much easier to walk away. I hope so anyway.
The other day at the grocery store, I ran into a Jenny a lady from one of the Japanese classes I was taking back in the fall. She is a cute, bubbly, very friendly and very unique lady from China who is married to a Japanese man. They have one 10 yr old son. If there were extreme opposites...then Jenny and I would be those. She is short, petite, very girly and into fashion, makeup and then there is me..well you know...anyhoo... We started talking and she suggested I go back to language class and then asked me again to come to the Yokohama International Women's Club and so I am hoping to attend their monthly luncheon next week. After we said hugged and said goodbye on the street corner I went to the market with a renewed enthusiasm to learn and use more of my "Japlish". So when I got to my favorite corner fruits "kudamono" and veggies "yasai" market I asked the lady her name "Yoyuko" and told her she was now going to be my Japanese "Nihongo" teacher "sensei". She chuckled and then proceeded to tell me the names in Japanese of the different food items when I held them up. Cucumber "kyuuri", lettuce "retasu", carrots "ninjin", green onions "naga-negi", yellow onions "tama-negi", potato "jaga-imo", sweet potatoes "satsuma-ima" , garlic "nin'niku", chinese cabbage "hakusai", cabbage "kyabetsu", green pepper "piiman" , eggplant "nasu". The fruit names were strawberry "ichigo', tangerine "mikan", apple "ringo", , grapes "budoo"and banana is the same. It was fun and so I think I will try it again each time I go back.
I did go to a calligraphy class YIWC offered yesterday and met 2 very nice ladies. The teacher Setsuko is from Japan and we had a very nice conversation when I first got there. She has been to Mpls and Canada and her hubby is a lawyer here in Yokohama. She has two kids and a beagle dog. Terri the other student was from Dallas TX and she just moved here in August. We had a nice visit while working and we wrote the word Spring "haru" in Kanji characters with black "kuroi" ink "inki" that I made myself. For those of you that don't know calligraphy. We have a felt mat that you lay the very thin rice paper "kami" on. Then you have a weight that holds your paper in place. Setsuko had a cute green cucumber weight "omosa". We also had an ink tray and 2 brushes "fude" (which I heard and wrote huday when she pronounced it) 1 large and 1 small and a chopstick holder to rest them on. The rectangle black ink stone reminded of a long domino. It had Japanese writing on one side and a carving of a landscape on the other. So she poured some water in my rectangle, sloped paint tray and then told me to take the ink stone and move it back and forth pulling some water out of the sea section and up on to the land section to mix and make my ink. As soon as I started rubbing the stone I smelled incense like fragrance. I said what is that smell...and she said, "Oh, that's the ink stone". Terri never even realized it before. Me of course the odor queen picked it up right away. It smelled so good. Then when she said to go slowly and gently...I suddenly realized this might be more of a therapeutic meditative kind of activity. It was like we were getting in the zone to do our painting or art work. Cool! Of course, I do everything with force so I found I had to ease up on the scraping and try to not talk and ask ?? I think you are supposed to me more quiet and sedate and I promised I would try to talk less next time. Heck it was the first people I have really talked to in months and you know me, I so wanted to learn all the terminology, names of the supplies in Japanese... I was trying to write it all down on my notepad,but it just seemed to be too difficult and took away from what I assumed was to be a more tranquil, quiet kind of activity. I did pretty good on my first try, but seemed to get worse as I started to concentrate more on the pressure, go, pull, stop movements of the brush, holding it in the vertical position, how to move your body with the brush strokes...I need to lighten up with the pressure. So, I think I need to research calligraphy a bit more and find the information out on my own, and then just go and enjoy the class when I am there. Perhaps, I also need to know the calligraphic etiquette if there is such a thing...it felt like there might be some? Oh boy..I do have allot to learn :-)
So after the class Setsuko and I talked some more..She has a son and daughter as well and a beagle pup named "Ars". At least that's what it sounded like. Remember they have a hard time saying their R's and L's...so unless I see it written by them who knows what the word really looks like. I write it how it sounds to be in our English alphabet. She then explained how she named it that as art goes on forever and life is short...so it gave her good luck and hope for a long life. At least that is how I interrupted it. Interesting and a good name for an art teachers dog I thought.
As we left our room we poked our head in a minute to watch the 10 little girls or so that gathered in the room next door to do their ballet class. Oh man I so wanted to go in and shoot a bunch of photos, but I held myself back. They were so darn cute and I did get to talk with a few who spoke some English before hand, while their teacher was setting up the room by pulling the partions across the larger room. I asked if they could do pliats-no, if they did tap dance too-no, or could they stand on their tip toes and immediately all 3 with their fluffy pink tutus, white tights and little pink slippers raised their heels up off the floor and put their hands up above their heads and turned in a circle. TOO CUTE!! I told them I had a big girl that used to dance like them when she was their age. How Fun! Ahhhhh little kids...YEA!!! I hope to get some photos next month perhaps?
Setsuko and I then left together and walked down the slope to the Yamate station area. On the way, I noticed she had red shoes on and said she had ruby red slippers just like Dorothy. I asked her if she knew the Wizard of Oz story and she did. She went on to tell me then how she got them to dress up and add color to her black and white wardrobe. When she was shopping the lady told her she would give her a good deal on them since no one would buy them. So she paid half price yen8000 instead of yen16,000. YIKES...I have never and am sure I never will pay $160.00 for a pair of shoes. Another reason I am not even going into these stores to shop. I told her I am very CHEAP and couldn't spend that much for shoes. She said life is too short and should be enjoyed so she gets the things she likes. Good for her. They were actually very interesting looking, were waterproof yet elegant in design. I just hope, I will have the appropriate attire to wear for their functions. I have already discussed that with both Jenny and Setsuko...as I don't have/nor like to wear really dressy clothes and they said don't worry. So we shall see just how bad I may stand out in a crowd...(pun intended)next week.
Further down the long steep slope we then ran into a bunch of school girls she knew and so we stood on the side of the street for a minute and I tried to do a few moves with the Cats and the Cradle yarn game they all had strung on their hands and fingers. I got 2 moves down and then missed a loop.Darn! :-( Just that few minutes of interaction with the kids was delightful. She told me they are students from the school where she assists in the English classes. Fun!
We then stopped to chat at the bottom of the hill in front of the train station, which was a hub of activity with kids coming and going after school just let out. While we were talking there, another lady came by that I met when interviewing for the volunteer job at the Motomachi School back before my dad got sick in October. She said they were just talking about me the other day at Motomachi, so who knows, maybe I might still have a chance to work there next year? I need to call them I guess, as they have not called me.
School I think ends next week for 2 weeks and then they start a new year on April 1st. They call it the school entrance ceremony or "nyuugaku-shiki". It is also the time young graduates join the work force "shin'nyuu shain". I find that kind of interesting and cool in a way. For example Eric the next door neighbor guy just graduated from college in California, came back home at Christmas time and looked for a job. He was offered one and knew he would not start till April 1st and so he was able to go back to California, travel, look for an apartment in Tokyo....do what ever and now work will begin for him on the 1st. That is kind of nice I'd say and gives you time to do some things before being sucked into the world of work.
So when we were ready to say goodbye Setsuko actually leaned over and hugged me and I was thrilled. I said "We really get to hug, no bowing...YEAH!" We both commented to each other how happy we were to have met each other and it was nice to share and learn about a new person. We are going to meet next week and go shopping for my calligraphy supplies as she let me borrow hers to practice with for a few days. I am wondering how much that will set me back? I hear the cheap brushes are yen3000 and the ink stone is yen2000 but it supposedly lasts for hundreds of years? We shall see. I only speak of the cost of things to give you an idea of how much things cost and how much cash one needs to carry with them as that is how most things here are paid for. Not alot of credit cards are accepted at many places and no check writing at all or at least what I've seen anyway. The class was a reasonable yen500 ($5) for 1 and 1/2 hours. Similar to a class back in the USA. She gave me a supply of paper to take home too, for yen 100 ($1).
The monthly luncheons are yen4000. So all the money I have not spent since I have been here, will now start adding up very quickly. I asked about the luncheon meal for next week as well, as they offered a vegetarian dish and I wanted to know if the meals were all RAW fish. If so, I need the veggie one. Heck I don't want to spend $40on a meal I can't even eat and I surely do not want to sit there gagging trying to get it down. That would NOT be cool:-)
Setsuko told me, she also teaches a black "kuroi" and white "Shiro" painting class and so I may try that next month as well. I asked her what they painted and she said they have been doing panda's and I asked if they do zebras too. She said "Not yet". ha ha! So then, I will probably need painting supplies...so are you getting this? I wonder how excited CJ will be now that I finally got involved in things and he sees his saving accounts dwindle away more and more each month?
The YIWC is also having their 80Th Annual Azalea tea next month April 23rd and that is yen8000($80). I am hoping to go to that too once I see how the luncheon goes next week? They also do welfare work with two orphanages here in Yokohama and will have an outing to the ZOO next month with one and a skating outing with the other. My two gal pals Donna and Michelle are coming to visit from MN on April 10Th and so they will get to join the kids and I for the ZOO day. That should be lots of fun as we all love kids. These are two ladies I actually met and have traveled with on numerous occasions to work with the kids at Tierra Santa in Honduras. So all of a sudden I went from nothing but my computer and wandering the streets to a calendar quickly filling up with classes, lunch dates, travels, visitors,...life is good yet a bit chaotic till I get into a new flow.
This weekend I just found out there is a HUGE St Patty's Day parade "paredo"in Tokyo by Harajuku...so you know where I will be. 50,000 people are supposed to show up for that day which is supposedly the biggest one of 7 in the country. Who would've thought St Patty's day was that BIG here in Japan. I can't wait to see what kinds of outfits will be paraded in the streets that day. It will be a people watching extravaganza don't you think? Then the following week 3/21 we have another St Patty's parade here in our neighborhood on Motomachi Street. My friend Maggie and family are going to join us after Yumi school's graduation "sotsugyoo-shiki" party "pati"and then I have invited them over for supper. She wants me to make spaghetti and show her how to cook American food.
I just looked at my Sankei-en Garden floral "hana" calendar as well, and it looks like April brings with it Wisteria "fuji" blossoms, Iris "shaga" and azaleas "tsutsuji".. so for sure Donna, Michelle and I will have to venture there while their here. Did I tell you too, one of the older gentlemen that retired from Graco KK is a tea master and he and his wife are going to come one day and do a green tea ceremony for us in our tatami room.
Sorry I have not written in here lately. Been stuck to my computer again updating TSSI web site stuff and trying to correspond with many a padrino from Honduras. Seems I run out of time in a day to get all the necessary typing done and then I find I need a break as my shoulders, legs and hands go numb. I am so bad about getting up off this chair. I can sit for 8 hours straight some days and not even eat. I know BAD !! I think it is time for a massage, and perhaps I will go get one this afternoon? I too woke up this AM with my skin just crawling and I am wondering if I might be allergic to something in the air here? CJ has been told by many people that lots of Japanese folks have allergies this time of the year with all the pollen in the air. You know the cherry "sakura" blossoms are to be blooming in a few short weeks and lots of different flowers and trees too..so who knows? All I know is, right now, I feel extremely irritable. :-/ UGH!
We are HOPING the cherry blossoms pop while we are here and not all of it happens when we are in Thailand. Can hardly believe we may actually be gone for the height of the blossom viewing season "hanami" here in Yokohama. :-( IF so, we will have to venture north when we get back and who knows maybe we will go south next weekend to see some down there if it looks like we might miss it here. I surely would be disappointed if we do.
I am thinking I am going to have to limit myself to 2 hours a day on this computer, or it seems I never get off of it, especially if it is rainy weather. When it is nice out I seem to be pulled outdoors, so who knows once the weather gets nicer it may be much easier to walk away. I hope so anyway.
The other day at the grocery store, I ran into a Jenny a lady from one of the Japanese classes I was taking back in the fall. She is a cute, bubbly, very friendly and very unique lady from China who is married to a Japanese man. They have one 10 yr old son. If there were extreme opposites...then Jenny and I would be those. She is short, petite, very girly and into fashion, makeup and then there is me..well you know...anyhoo... We started talking and she suggested I go back to language class and then asked me again to come to the Yokohama International Women's Club and so I am hoping to attend their monthly luncheon next week. After we said hugged and said goodbye on the street corner I went to the market with a renewed enthusiasm to learn and use more of my "Japlish". So when I got to my favorite corner fruits "kudamono" and veggies "yasai" market I asked the lady her name "Yoyuko" and told her she was now going to be my Japanese "Nihongo" teacher "sensei". She chuckled and then proceeded to tell me the names in Japanese of the different food items when I held them up. Cucumber "kyuuri", lettuce "retasu", carrots "ninjin", green onions "naga-negi", yellow onions "tama-negi", potato "jaga-imo", sweet potatoes "satsuma-ima" , garlic "nin'niku", chinese cabbage "hakusai", cabbage "kyabetsu", green pepper "piiman" , eggplant "nasu". The fruit names were strawberry "ichigo', tangerine "mikan", apple "ringo", , grapes "budoo"and banana is the same. It was fun and so I think I will try it again each time I go back.
I did go to a calligraphy class YIWC offered yesterday and met 2 very nice ladies. The teacher Setsuko is from Japan and we had a very nice conversation when I first got there. She has been to Mpls and Canada and her hubby is a lawyer here in Yokohama. She has two kids and a beagle dog. Terri the other student was from Dallas TX and she just moved here in August. We had a nice visit while working and we wrote the word Spring "haru" in Kanji characters with black "kuroi" ink "inki" that I made myself. For those of you that don't know calligraphy. We have a felt mat that you lay the very thin rice paper "kami" on. Then you have a weight that holds your paper in place. Setsuko had a cute green cucumber weight "omosa". We also had an ink tray and 2 brushes "fude" (which I heard and wrote huday when she pronounced it) 1 large and 1 small and a chopstick holder to rest them on. The rectangle black ink stone reminded of a long domino. It had Japanese writing on one side and a carving of a landscape on the other. So she poured some water in my rectangle, sloped paint tray and then told me to take the ink stone and move it back and forth pulling some water out of the sea section and up on to the land section to mix and make my ink. As soon as I started rubbing the stone I smelled incense like fragrance. I said what is that smell...and she said, "Oh, that's the ink stone". Terri never even realized it before. Me of course the odor queen picked it up right away. It smelled so good. Then when she said to go slowly and gently...I suddenly realized this might be more of a therapeutic meditative kind of activity. It was like we were getting in the zone to do our painting or art work. Cool! Of course, I do everything with force so I found I had to ease up on the scraping and try to not talk and ask ?? I think you are supposed to me more quiet and sedate and I promised I would try to talk less next time. Heck it was the first people I have really talked to in months and you know me, I so wanted to learn all the terminology, names of the supplies in Japanese... I was trying to write it all down on my notepad,but it just seemed to be too difficult and took away from what I assumed was to be a more tranquil, quiet kind of activity. I did pretty good on my first try, but seemed to get worse as I started to concentrate more on the pressure, go, pull, stop movements of the brush, holding it in the vertical position, how to move your body with the brush strokes...I need to lighten up with the pressure. So, I think I need to research calligraphy a bit more and find the information out on my own, and then just go and enjoy the class when I am there. Perhaps, I also need to know the calligraphic etiquette if there is such a thing...it felt like there might be some? Oh boy..I do have allot to learn :-)
So after the class Setsuko and I talked some more..She has a son and daughter as well and a beagle pup named "Ars". At least that's what it sounded like. Remember they have a hard time saying their R's and L's...so unless I see it written by them who knows what the word really looks like. I write it how it sounds to be in our English alphabet. She then explained how she named it that as art goes on forever and life is short...so it gave her good luck and hope for a long life. At least that is how I interrupted it. Interesting and a good name for an art teachers dog I thought.
As we left our room we poked our head in a minute to watch the 10 little girls or so that gathered in the room next door to do their ballet class. Oh man I so wanted to go in and shoot a bunch of photos, but I held myself back. They were so darn cute and I did get to talk with a few who spoke some English before hand, while their teacher was setting up the room by pulling the partions across the larger room. I asked if they could do pliats-no, if they did tap dance too-no, or could they stand on their tip toes and immediately all 3 with their fluffy pink tutus, white tights and little pink slippers raised their heels up off the floor and put their hands up above their heads and turned in a circle. TOO CUTE!! I told them I had a big girl that used to dance like them when she was their age. How Fun! Ahhhhh little kids...YEA!!! I hope to get some photos next month perhaps?
Setsuko and I then left together and walked down the slope to the Yamate station area. On the way, I noticed she had red shoes on and said she had ruby red slippers just like Dorothy. I asked her if she knew the Wizard of Oz story and she did. She went on to tell me then how she got them to dress up and add color to her black and white wardrobe. When she was shopping the lady told her she would give her a good deal on them since no one would buy them. So she paid half price yen8000 instead of yen16,000. YIKES...I have never and am sure I never will pay $160.00 for a pair of shoes. Another reason I am not even going into these stores to shop. I told her I am very CHEAP and couldn't spend that much for shoes. She said life is too short and should be enjoyed so she gets the things she likes. Good for her. They were actually very interesting looking, were waterproof yet elegant in design. I just hope, I will have the appropriate attire to wear for their functions. I have already discussed that with both Jenny and Setsuko...as I don't have/nor like to wear really dressy clothes and they said don't worry. So we shall see just how bad I may stand out in a crowd...(pun intended)next week.
Further down the long steep slope we then ran into a bunch of school girls she knew and so we stood on the side of the street for a minute and I tried to do a few moves with the Cats and the Cradle yarn game they all had strung on their hands and fingers. I got 2 moves down and then missed a loop.Darn! :-( Just that few minutes of interaction with the kids was delightful. She told me they are students from the school where she assists in the English classes. Fun!
We then stopped to chat at the bottom of the hill in front of the train station, which was a hub of activity with kids coming and going after school just let out. While we were talking there, another lady came by that I met when interviewing for the volunteer job at the Motomachi School back before my dad got sick in October. She said they were just talking about me the other day at Motomachi, so who knows, maybe I might still have a chance to work there next year? I need to call them I guess, as they have not called me.
School I think ends next week for 2 weeks and then they start a new year on April 1st. They call it the school entrance ceremony or "nyuugaku-shiki". It is also the time young graduates join the work force "shin'nyuu shain". I find that kind of interesting and cool in a way. For example Eric the next door neighbor guy just graduated from college in California, came back home at Christmas time and looked for a job. He was offered one and knew he would not start till April 1st and so he was able to go back to California, travel, look for an apartment in Tokyo....do what ever and now work will begin for him on the 1st. That is kind of nice I'd say and gives you time to do some things before being sucked into the world of work.
So when we were ready to say goodbye Setsuko actually leaned over and hugged me and I was thrilled. I said "We really get to hug, no bowing...YEAH!" We both commented to each other how happy we were to have met each other and it was nice to share and learn about a new person. We are going to meet next week and go shopping for my calligraphy supplies as she let me borrow hers to practice with for a few days. I am wondering how much that will set me back? I hear the cheap brushes are yen3000 and the ink stone is yen2000 but it supposedly lasts for hundreds of years? We shall see. I only speak of the cost of things to give you an idea of how much things cost and how much cash one needs to carry with them as that is how most things here are paid for. Not alot of credit cards are accepted at many places and no check writing at all or at least what I've seen anyway. The class was a reasonable yen500 ($5) for 1 and 1/2 hours. Similar to a class back in the USA. She gave me a supply of paper to take home too, for yen 100 ($1).
The monthly luncheons are yen4000. So all the money I have not spent since I have been here, will now start adding up very quickly. I asked about the luncheon meal for next week as well, as they offered a vegetarian dish and I wanted to know if the meals were all RAW fish. If so, I need the veggie one. Heck I don't want to spend $40on a meal I can't even eat and I surely do not want to sit there gagging trying to get it down. That would NOT be cool:-)
Setsuko told me, she also teaches a black "kuroi" and white "Shiro" painting class and so I may try that next month as well. I asked her what they painted and she said they have been doing panda's and I asked if they do zebras too. She said "Not yet". ha ha! So then, I will probably need painting supplies...so are you getting this? I wonder how excited CJ will be now that I finally got involved in things and he sees his saving accounts dwindle away more and more each month?
The YIWC is also having their 80Th Annual Azalea tea next month April 23rd and that is yen8000($80). I am hoping to go to that too once I see how the luncheon goes next week? They also do welfare work with two orphanages here in Yokohama and will have an outing to the ZOO next month with one and a skating outing with the other. My two gal pals Donna and Michelle are coming to visit from MN on April 10Th and so they will get to join the kids and I for the ZOO day. That should be lots of fun as we all love kids. These are two ladies I actually met and have traveled with on numerous occasions to work with the kids at Tierra Santa in Honduras. So all of a sudden I went from nothing but my computer and wandering the streets to a calendar quickly filling up with classes, lunch dates, travels, visitors,...life is good yet a bit chaotic till I get into a new flow.
This weekend I just found out there is a HUGE St Patty's Day parade "paredo"in Tokyo by Harajuku...so you know where I will be. 50,000 people are supposed to show up for that day which is supposedly the biggest one of 7 in the country. Who would've thought St Patty's day was that BIG here in Japan. I can't wait to see what kinds of outfits will be paraded in the streets that day. It will be a people watching extravaganza don't you think? Then the following week 3/21 we have another St Patty's parade here in our neighborhood on Motomachi Street. My friend Maggie and family are going to join us after Yumi school's graduation "sotsugyoo-shiki" party "pati"and then I have invited them over for supper. She wants me to make spaghetti and show her how to cook American food.
I just looked at my Sankei-en Garden floral "hana" calendar as well, and it looks like April brings with it Wisteria "fuji" blossoms, Iris "shaga" and azaleas "tsutsuji".. so for sure Donna, Michelle and I will have to venture there while their here. Did I tell you too, one of the older gentlemen that retired from Graco KK is a tea master and he and his wife are going to come one day and do a green tea ceremony for us in our tatami room.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday 3/7/09 Miura Pennisula Coastline in Japan
Konnichiwa
It is another cloudy and cool Monday 3/9/09 here in Japan and I am getting ready for the sun and warm weather of Thailand. Yesterday CJ and I made our hotel reservations and so now all is a go for our trip March 26-April 5th. I am getting excited and looking forward to more exploration and being outdoors in warmer weather.
I have been pretty much house bound this past week as we have had lots of rain here lately. I have kept very busy with work on the TSSI administration section of the web, updating my lists of kid and sponsor information, travel plans emails.... Always something to do it seems,and it take me longer than expected.
Saturday the sun did come out for the day and so CJ and I took advantage of the warm, sunny 50 degree weather and headed south to the beaches. We first dropped some stuff off up at the Sheraton Hotel for a guy coming into town. There I had my photo taken with Barack Obama and a few Japanese girls. They were having American steak day at the hotel restaurant and had a life size cardboard cut out of Obama. There was a red, white and blue flag balloon adorned archway over the entrance to the eating area and also an A Rod baseball jersey and some other USA memorabilia decorations up. Two short little Japanese girls were trying to get their photo with Obama on their cell phone, but the older lady with them could not seem to manage it, so I offered to help them out. When I took the photo Obama was under the bright light and it washed his face out and so I moved the cardboard form ahead 2 feet and they seemed so shocked by that and giggled while covering their mouths. I then took the photo, CJ took mine with them and Obama and then I replaced his figure to the former position. I had to laugh as they crouched in front of me, so not to block my view, but they were about 1 foot shorter than Obama and I, so it really made no difference. Funny!
We bid our arigatos and farewell and we were off to Yokosuka and the Navy base area. We took the train south to Kamakura and then east to Zushi and lastly to Yokosuka. When we got to Zushi we decided to stop and take a walk down to the beach. We passed through Zushi Ginza shopping area with many a fresh fruit and veggie stall, and then on streets where many school kids were passing us by on the way to or from their weekend classes. At the crescent shaped beach we enjoyed watching the many windsurfers whose rainbow colored assortment of sails and shapes reminded me of butterfly wings. We stopped and had a bit of the picnic lunch we packed and while I was standing up eating my rice crackers a very bold bird swooped right down and tried to grab the cracker right out of my hand. I thought it was CJ tapping me, but when I looked back he was sitting down on the ground. Crazy. A local man then walked past us and told us how we had to be very careful when eating here as the birds are very aggressive. Yeah I know. Duh! I then looked on the ground and saw my cracker lying there, so he did not actually get it, but I did feel his claw scrape my finger.
We watched a little longer, I found a few small shells to add to my collections from beaches around the world and then we packed up and headed back to the train walking up a different street. Just before getting to the train station we saw a shrine and what looked like a market of some kind. When we got up closer it was a flea market and we found some cool native artwork. Japanese lady dancer figurines made out of some kind of heavy metal. The guy gave us a discount if we bought all 3 and so now we have the "Zushi Triplets". It was a nice little beach town and one we hope to revisit later this summer.
Back on the train, where we met a family of 6 from Maryland and Colorado. They were in the military here and had been up to Kamakura for a visit. They lived in Yokosuka and so they told us a bit about where to go and what to see while there. They had lived here for just a year and the mom was a thin young lady who is getting ready to run in the Tokyo Marathon later this month. She had 4 boys which I am sure help keep her in the svelte physical form she had as well. She didn't seem too happy about living here as when we asked how much longer they had, the husband rolled his eyes and said how many more hours and days do you have here? :-(
We bid them goodbye and then wandered along the waterfront boardwalk where many older folks were sitting and chatting on the benches in the now very warm sunshine. Yea! I even had to take my jacket off it got that warm.:-) As we looked across the bay at Yokosuka Naval Base, we could see many a large gray military Navy ship,a black submarine and some questionable boat that recently had trouble docking here I guess? I will have to ask CJ more about that, as I am pretty much clueless about anything having do do with our military and the armed forces, sorry to say.
We continued walking along and enjoyed watching some kind of red headed ducks doing what we figured might have been their mating dance. They were making quite the noise flapping their wings and dipping in and out of the water. Funny! When we got up to a little stone step beach like area it was full of floating garbage. Really shocked me actually. I was very surprised they have not cleaned that out, and I hoped it was because it was winter and that they wait until closer to summer and then clear it all out. This was just the first glimpse of a much dirtier part of Japan we were to see that day.
As I walked up the ramp to the shopping plaza, I passed by a man that actually had not only a red and white striped sweater on his dog, but red goggle sunglasses too. I asked if I could take a photo of "Snoopy" in his red goggles and the man said sure. I said he looked like Snoopy the Red Baron and asked if he knew who that was, but he only went on to explain how he was protecting the dogs eyes from the UV rays.
Only in Japan? :-) The funny thing was the man himself was not wearing sunglasses to protect his own eyes. Hum? I thought about putting mine on as well, as it was indeed some very bright sunlight. By the way, the dogs name was not Snoopy but something with a P. They say names and words soooo fast, and if I don't write stuff down right then and there, it is very hard for me to remember.
We then walked through the shopping mall and out the other side and across the street to the funky little Dobuita street with shops of all kinds selling camouflage and clothes, silk baseball jackets,stickers, antiques... We even found some Campbell's Tomato soup for only $1.50 a can and so I grabbed a few. Usually they are close to $3 each and CJ and I have been craving grilled cheese sandwiches and duck soap, so now we are all set.
We walked down more shopping streets and then made our way down a garden area to the docked Battleship Mikasa. I just got out my brochures to tell you more, but everything is in Japanese and I pulled up the website and it too has no English. The Japan maps don't tell much about this Miura Pennisula area either.
So after looking at the outside of the ship and a quick walk around the park, we headed back to the main shopping street to catch a city bus to the end of the road and the Kannonzaki Lighthouse. It took us about 20 minutes to get there and we passed some cool looking little fishing like village areas, where crew teams were out rowing and marinas with boats and possible abalone farms. When we got to the end at Kannonzaki Park, we quickly hiked up the path to the top of the hill and had a glimpse out over the sea where the Tokyo Bay and Sagami Bay join. It was like a highway on the water with HUGE cargo ships, little ships, fishing charter boats, etc... coming and going up into the Harbor importing and exporting goods... from all over the world. This area is called Japan's Doorway to the World, where 150 years ago this area and the Yokohama Harbor about 20 km further north, were then open to negotiations with the USA and then the rest of the Western world.
Back down through the wooded trail we went as we wanted to hurry back to the marina areas we passed before the sunset.
We got out and right when we got to the area where the rowers were, we saw them all crossing a street and going down the sidewalk. Darn. We did see a group of about 6 boys busy tying knots of some sort on a bamboo structure? We made our way further down along the waters edge and a very messy storage unit of a beach. I could not believe the junk sitting around and I almost felt like a I was back in Honduras for a moment. There was junk lying everywhere. There were also clothesline like lines and rows and rows of clothespins hanging like a canopy over the beach area where stuff wasn't piled waist high. Down the beach a bit further I then saw where those clothespins were being used to hang seaweed to dry. CJ and I walked out onto a pier to get a view looking back at the little village area and then we watched some charter fishing boats come in and hoped to see their catch of the day, but thay all said "NO fish". We walked a bit further and then saw another boat coming into a different dock so we went over there and the after all the passengers got off the last guy opened up a live well, got a net and then took out a Flounder which he caught. I asked if I could take a photo and they shook their head yes and then motioned me to come on board to take his photo, so of course I did. Fun! The crew then cleaned up their boat and hauled a cart load of empty bait pails back to the bait shop. I found it interesting that the only girl on the crew, was the one that pulled the cart loaded with pails while the guy walked next to to her empty handed.
It was starting to get dusk now, so we hurried up and over the next big hill and down the long set of steps to the other larger village area. There we saw more boats, a few kids picking seashells and more junk all over...boats, nets, buoys, trash, U shaped brackets with buoys which I assumed might be for abalone farms. We saw groups of the black bobbers out in different areas of the bay? No one around to ask in English though, so we made up our own ideas of what we thought things were. It will be interesting to find out one day what really goes on? Ha ha
As the sun set on another day here, we walked further along and I spotted a bunch of little starfish washed ashore as the tide was out now and as we passed by an old metal shed, it sounded like a music group was having band practice. It was the back of the building and there were no signs anywhere so we just assumed it might be that. Homes here are considered quiet,relaxation places, and they are very close together and some with thin walls...so I thought this would be a perfect place far away and not close to anything to speak of to disturb others.
At the end of the beach we climbed up the stairs, walked across the seaside drive road and back up to the main drag to hopefully catch a bus back into town and the train home. We walked about 4-5 blocks and then the bus showed up. We got off, at the train station, grabbed a quick grilled yakatori onion and chicken stick for 80 cents a piece and ate that before boarding the train. The little 1 aisle restaurant was right outside the train station and was jam packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder inside. We opted to stand outside and eat it right there on the street corner. It was delicious.
We had planned to stop by Costco to pick up a few items on our way back home, but we got all confused and missed our stop, when talking to a very friendly Japanese guy that wanted to help us when he saw CJ looking at the train map. We had never been there from the south direction, and the guy told us to get off at one station too early we think. Then when nothing looked familiar we tried to ask a few other folks and they all said to go up 2 more stops and so we did that, but by that time it was almost 8pm and I was not sure when they closed so instead of walking all the way over there we decided to go a different day.
We then ate supper at the Train station and had our favorite pork cutlet, with cabbage slaw, miso soup, white rice, pickled veggies...Yum! Found mini jumbo-cho looking desserts filled with ice cream. I got rum raisin and CJ green tea.
Back home we showered and hit the hay after another long day of walking.
Sunday we had planned to go to the Zoo if it was nice and or Costco, but it was cloudy and drizzly so we just stayed home. CJ relaxed, slept and watched TV, while I did more computer work. We also enjoyed nice phone calls with Kalen and Grandma Jean and MaryAnn's family. Tried to get a hold of Grambo but he was out with friends. In the eve we watched the rerun of American Idol where they picked the Top 36. There are some very good "young" singers on there. Is it just me, or do 16 years old kids these days seem like they are 24 yrs old? I can't believe how composed and mature some seem. Old souls in young bodies perhaps? It will be exciting to see who ends up winning. Darn...I just thought that I will probably be in Honduras now when it ends instead of begins and will year another year not see the while season. Oh well! My 2 girlfriends Judy and Marcie are being very good about keeping me in the Idol loop.
Maybe this coming weekend we will go to the Zoo or explore another new area? Before we left yesterday we stopped by an exhibition at the Yokohama train station and found the city of Takayama very interesting with lots of hiking, crafts, wood carving...one we definitely want to check out later this spring or summer.
Today I have been looking up many different things on the web and printing off schedules of the 150th anniversary celebrations to take place later this summer. Miscellaneous general information on different aspects of life in Japan....Have to read up and mark my calendar so,not to miss anything. I also chatted with my folks on the phone today too and they seem to be doing allot better since dad was at rehab.
CJ is at a work dinner tonight, so I had better go make myself a salad or something so I don't starve.
Another adventure report soon, I hope
Karla
It is another cloudy and cool Monday 3/9/09 here in Japan and I am getting ready for the sun and warm weather of Thailand. Yesterday CJ and I made our hotel reservations and so now all is a go for our trip March 26-April 5th. I am getting excited and looking forward to more exploration and being outdoors in warmer weather.
I have been pretty much house bound this past week as we have had lots of rain here lately. I have kept very busy with work on the TSSI administration section of the web, updating my lists of kid and sponsor information, travel plans emails.... Always something to do it seems,and it take me longer than expected.
Saturday the sun did come out for the day and so CJ and I took advantage of the warm, sunny 50 degree weather and headed south to the beaches. We first dropped some stuff off up at the Sheraton Hotel for a guy coming into town. There I had my photo taken with Barack Obama and a few Japanese girls. They were having American steak day at the hotel restaurant and had a life size cardboard cut out of Obama. There was a red, white and blue flag balloon adorned archway over the entrance to the eating area and also an A Rod baseball jersey and some other USA memorabilia decorations up. Two short little Japanese girls were trying to get their photo with Obama on their cell phone, but the older lady with them could not seem to manage it, so I offered to help them out. When I took the photo Obama was under the bright light and it washed his face out and so I moved the cardboard form ahead 2 feet and they seemed so shocked by that and giggled while covering their mouths. I then took the photo, CJ took mine with them and Obama and then I replaced his figure to the former position. I had to laugh as they crouched in front of me, so not to block my view, but they were about 1 foot shorter than Obama and I, so it really made no difference. Funny!
We bid our arigatos and farewell and we were off to Yokosuka and the Navy base area. We took the train south to Kamakura and then east to Zushi and lastly to Yokosuka. When we got to Zushi we decided to stop and take a walk down to the beach. We passed through Zushi Ginza shopping area with many a fresh fruit and veggie stall, and then on streets where many school kids were passing us by on the way to or from their weekend classes. At the crescent shaped beach we enjoyed watching the many windsurfers whose rainbow colored assortment of sails and shapes reminded me of butterfly wings. We stopped and had a bit of the picnic lunch we packed and while I was standing up eating my rice crackers a very bold bird swooped right down and tried to grab the cracker right out of my hand. I thought it was CJ tapping me, but when I looked back he was sitting down on the ground. Crazy. A local man then walked past us and told us how we had to be very careful when eating here as the birds are very aggressive. Yeah I know. Duh! I then looked on the ground and saw my cracker lying there, so he did not actually get it, but I did feel his claw scrape my finger.
We watched a little longer, I found a few small shells to add to my collections from beaches around the world and then we packed up and headed back to the train walking up a different street. Just before getting to the train station we saw a shrine and what looked like a market of some kind. When we got up closer it was a flea market and we found some cool native artwork. Japanese lady dancer figurines made out of some kind of heavy metal. The guy gave us a discount if we bought all 3 and so now we have the "Zushi Triplets". It was a nice little beach town and one we hope to revisit later this summer.
Back on the train, where we met a family of 6 from Maryland and Colorado. They were in the military here and had been up to Kamakura for a visit. They lived in Yokosuka and so they told us a bit about where to go and what to see while there. They had lived here for just a year and the mom was a thin young lady who is getting ready to run in the Tokyo Marathon later this month. She had 4 boys which I am sure help keep her in the svelte physical form she had as well. She didn't seem too happy about living here as when we asked how much longer they had, the husband rolled his eyes and said how many more hours and days do you have here? :-(
We bid them goodbye and then wandered along the waterfront boardwalk where many older folks were sitting and chatting on the benches in the now very warm sunshine. Yea! I even had to take my jacket off it got that warm.:-) As we looked across the bay at Yokosuka Naval Base, we could see many a large gray military Navy ship,a black submarine and some questionable boat that recently had trouble docking here I guess? I will have to ask CJ more about that, as I am pretty much clueless about anything having do do with our military and the armed forces, sorry to say.
We continued walking along and enjoyed watching some kind of red headed ducks doing what we figured might have been their mating dance. They were making quite the noise flapping their wings and dipping in and out of the water. Funny! When we got up to a little stone step beach like area it was full of floating garbage. Really shocked me actually. I was very surprised they have not cleaned that out, and I hoped it was because it was winter and that they wait until closer to summer and then clear it all out. This was just the first glimpse of a much dirtier part of Japan we were to see that day.
As I walked up the ramp to the shopping plaza, I passed by a man that actually had not only a red and white striped sweater on his dog, but red goggle sunglasses too. I asked if I could take a photo of "Snoopy" in his red goggles and the man said sure. I said he looked like Snoopy the Red Baron and asked if he knew who that was, but he only went on to explain how he was protecting the dogs eyes from the UV rays.
Only in Japan? :-) The funny thing was the man himself was not wearing sunglasses to protect his own eyes. Hum? I thought about putting mine on as well, as it was indeed some very bright sunlight. By the way, the dogs name was not Snoopy but something with a P. They say names and words soooo fast, and if I don't write stuff down right then and there, it is very hard for me to remember.
We then walked through the shopping mall and out the other side and across the street to the funky little Dobuita street with shops of all kinds selling camouflage and clothes, silk baseball jackets,stickers, antiques... We even found some Campbell's Tomato soup for only $1.50 a can and so I grabbed a few. Usually they are close to $3 each and CJ and I have been craving grilled cheese sandwiches and duck soap, so now we are all set.
We walked down more shopping streets and then made our way down a garden area to the docked Battleship Mikasa. I just got out my brochures to tell you more, but everything is in Japanese and I pulled up the website and it too has no English. The Japan maps don't tell much about this Miura Pennisula area either.
So after looking at the outside of the ship and a quick walk around the park, we headed back to the main shopping street to catch a city bus to the end of the road and the Kannonzaki Lighthouse. It took us about 20 minutes to get there and we passed some cool looking little fishing like village areas, where crew teams were out rowing and marinas with boats and possible abalone farms. When we got to the end at Kannonzaki Park, we quickly hiked up the path to the top of the hill and had a glimpse out over the sea where the Tokyo Bay and Sagami Bay join. It was like a highway on the water with HUGE cargo ships, little ships, fishing charter boats, etc... coming and going up into the Harbor importing and exporting goods... from all over the world. This area is called Japan's Doorway to the World, where 150 years ago this area and the Yokohama Harbor about 20 km further north, were then open to negotiations with the USA and then the rest of the Western world.
Back down through the wooded trail we went as we wanted to hurry back to the marina areas we passed before the sunset.
We got out and right when we got to the area where the rowers were, we saw them all crossing a street and going down the sidewalk. Darn. We did see a group of about 6 boys busy tying knots of some sort on a bamboo structure? We made our way further down along the waters edge and a very messy storage unit of a beach. I could not believe the junk sitting around and I almost felt like a I was back in Honduras for a moment. There was junk lying everywhere. There were also clothesline like lines and rows and rows of clothespins hanging like a canopy over the beach area where stuff wasn't piled waist high. Down the beach a bit further I then saw where those clothespins were being used to hang seaweed to dry. CJ and I walked out onto a pier to get a view looking back at the little village area and then we watched some charter fishing boats come in and hoped to see their catch of the day, but thay all said "NO fish". We walked a bit further and then saw another boat coming into a different dock so we went over there and the after all the passengers got off the last guy opened up a live well, got a net and then took out a Flounder which he caught. I asked if I could take a photo and they shook their head yes and then motioned me to come on board to take his photo, so of course I did. Fun! The crew then cleaned up their boat and hauled a cart load of empty bait pails back to the bait shop. I found it interesting that the only girl on the crew, was the one that pulled the cart loaded with pails while the guy walked next to to her empty handed.
It was starting to get dusk now, so we hurried up and over the next big hill and down the long set of steps to the other larger village area. There we saw more boats, a few kids picking seashells and more junk all over...boats, nets, buoys, trash, U shaped brackets with buoys which I assumed might be for abalone farms. We saw groups of the black bobbers out in different areas of the bay? No one around to ask in English though, so we made up our own ideas of what we thought things were. It will be interesting to find out one day what really goes on? Ha ha
As the sun set on another day here, we walked further along and I spotted a bunch of little starfish washed ashore as the tide was out now and as we passed by an old metal shed, it sounded like a music group was having band practice. It was the back of the building and there were no signs anywhere so we just assumed it might be that. Homes here are considered quiet,relaxation places, and they are very close together and some with thin walls...so I thought this would be a perfect place far away and not close to anything to speak of to disturb others.
At the end of the beach we climbed up the stairs, walked across the seaside drive road and back up to the main drag to hopefully catch a bus back into town and the train home. We walked about 4-5 blocks and then the bus showed up. We got off, at the train station, grabbed a quick grilled yakatori onion and chicken stick for 80 cents a piece and ate that before boarding the train. The little 1 aisle restaurant was right outside the train station and was jam packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder inside. We opted to stand outside and eat it right there on the street corner. It was delicious.
We had planned to stop by Costco to pick up a few items on our way back home, but we got all confused and missed our stop, when talking to a very friendly Japanese guy that wanted to help us when he saw CJ looking at the train map. We had never been there from the south direction, and the guy told us to get off at one station too early we think. Then when nothing looked familiar we tried to ask a few other folks and they all said to go up 2 more stops and so we did that, but by that time it was almost 8pm and I was not sure when they closed so instead of walking all the way over there we decided to go a different day.
We then ate supper at the Train station and had our favorite pork cutlet, with cabbage slaw, miso soup, white rice, pickled veggies...Yum! Found mini jumbo-cho looking desserts filled with ice cream. I got rum raisin and CJ green tea.
Back home we showered and hit the hay after another long day of walking.
Sunday we had planned to go to the Zoo if it was nice and or Costco, but it was cloudy and drizzly so we just stayed home. CJ relaxed, slept and watched TV, while I did more computer work. We also enjoyed nice phone calls with Kalen and Grandma Jean and MaryAnn's family. Tried to get a hold of Grambo but he was out with friends. In the eve we watched the rerun of American Idol where they picked the Top 36. There are some very good "young" singers on there. Is it just me, or do 16 years old kids these days seem like they are 24 yrs old? I can't believe how composed and mature some seem. Old souls in young bodies perhaps? It will be exciting to see who ends up winning. Darn...I just thought that I will probably be in Honduras now when it ends instead of begins and will year another year not see the while season. Oh well! My 2 girlfriends Judy and Marcie are being very good about keeping me in the Idol loop.
Maybe this coming weekend we will go to the Zoo or explore another new area? Before we left yesterday we stopped by an exhibition at the Yokohama train station and found the city of Takayama very interesting with lots of hiking, crafts, wood carving...one we definitely want to check out later this spring or summer.
Today I have been looking up many different things on the web and printing off schedules of the 150th anniversary celebrations to take place later this summer. Miscellaneous general information on different aspects of life in Japan....Have to read up and mark my calendar so,not to miss anything. I also chatted with my folks on the phone today too and they seem to be doing allot better since dad was at rehab.
CJ is at a work dinner tonight, so I had better go make myself a salad or something so I don't starve.
Another adventure report soon, I hope
Karla
Monday, March 2, 2009
March 3, 2009 It's Girls day or "Hina Matsuri" ?
Hi all
Well it is the day to celebrate Girls here in Japan. Here is the description from my Japanese encyclopedia.
Hina Matsuri or Momo no Sekku, is an event to celebrate young girls' growth and to pray for their continued happiness. Years ago March 3rd was designated as the day for driving off evil spirits and people struck their bodies with paper dolls and set them in rivers to drift away so that the impurities would be washed away. Later, this custom was linked to children's dolls of the noble class and was developed into today's Hina Matsuri.
At Hina Matsuri "hina" dolls are displayed, a sweet drink made from fermented rice called "amazake" and special food such as "chirashizuchi" a kind of sushi with the ingredients chopped and scattered over vinegared rice, broth with clams, three colored lozenge-shaped rice cakes and special dry cakes made of sweetened rice flour are prepared.
I have been on the computer, and doing book work most of the day.CJ left for China this am and then I talked with my folks and Mark. I have not done much today to celebrate, but have been thinking alot about the day and wondering just how each family with a little girl will celebrate? CJ and I did have a little, pink cake last night with strawberries on top for desert and I have eaten some of the rice puffs in colors of green, pink and white that I bought at the market awhile back. I may have white rice with red beans tonight for supper as that is a type of celebration dish here in Japan.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see what kind of dolls the different folks have displayed in their homes today. I have my little emperor and empress figurines on display in front of the TV with two fresh camillas I plucked from the loaded bush out on the back stairmaster in between them. I never did find the glue to finish putting together my paper dolls I cut out on Sunday. Oh well..I will use them next year perhaps. We too received another mini set of Hani dolls from our work friend Ryoko and those are setting on the dining room table.
I am now off to the market to buy more fruits and veggies. Who knows maybe I will see something of interest as I make my way down the slope, past the temple and to the shopping street? Hope so?
More soon
Karla
Well it is the day to celebrate Girls here in Japan. Here is the description from my Japanese encyclopedia.
Hina Matsuri or Momo no Sekku, is an event to celebrate young girls' growth and to pray for their continued happiness. Years ago March 3rd was designated as the day for driving off evil spirits and people struck their bodies with paper dolls and set them in rivers to drift away so that the impurities would be washed away. Later, this custom was linked to children's dolls of the noble class and was developed into today's Hina Matsuri.
At Hina Matsuri "hina" dolls are displayed, a sweet drink made from fermented rice called "amazake" and special food such as "chirashizuchi" a kind of sushi with the ingredients chopped and scattered over vinegared rice, broth with clams, three colored lozenge-shaped rice cakes and special dry cakes made of sweetened rice flour are prepared.
I have been on the computer, and doing book work most of the day.CJ left for China this am and then I talked with my folks and Mark. I have not done much today to celebrate, but have been thinking alot about the day and wondering just how each family with a little girl will celebrate? CJ and I did have a little, pink cake last night with strawberries on top for desert and I have eaten some of the rice puffs in colors of green, pink and white that I bought at the market awhile back. I may have white rice with red beans tonight for supper as that is a type of celebration dish here in Japan.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see what kind of dolls the different folks have displayed in their homes today. I have my little emperor and empress figurines on display in front of the TV with two fresh camillas I plucked from the loaded bush out on the back stairmaster in between them. I never did find the glue to finish putting together my paper dolls I cut out on Sunday. Oh well..I will use them next year perhaps. We too received another mini set of Hani dolls from our work friend Ryoko and those are setting on the dining room table.
I am now off to the market to buy more fruits and veggies. Who knows maybe I will see something of interest as I make my way down the slope, past the temple and to the shopping street? Hope so?
More soon
Karla
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday March 1st, 2009..comes in like a lion.....
Don't miss my two long blogs about our Tokyo adventures previous to this one below....
We woke to a cold, wet, rainy and blustery day so CJ and I just lounged around the house most of the morning. We had planned to go and see an International Day festival north of here a few train stops and hoped to catch the Thai dancers that we missed last week in Sankeien Garden, but I got involved with looking at my photos from yesterday (albums coming soon I hope on Face book) and CJ was watching some TV and relaxing, so we decided to skip it. By the time we would've got there, they would already have been done anyway. It was good to just relax after our long day in Tokyo the day before, but at first I was a bit anxious as I hate when I know something new is going on and I feel like I am missing something.
I too was thinking of going to a local elementary school where I saw they were having some kind of game day, which I figured might be something to do with the Hani Matsuri Day for Girls which is coming up here on March 3rd. It is the day to celebrate girls and their growth here in Japan. There are special cakes, candies, puffed rice treats sold in green, pink and white. Each family with a girl supposedly puts up an alter with little dolls on it of the emperor,empress and their court. I found some little clay figurines and sticky window decorations for our house to decorate with and to remind us our sweet daughter Kalen.Boys day is in May.
I also found a paper doll like cutout alter and figurines to build and so while CJ went for a run, polished his shoes and watched TV,I spent the afternoon cutting those out while waiting for Shohei to call us.
We had invited him to spend the day with us, but he called earlier in the week and said he had to work at the Meiji Shrine up by Harajuku in Tokyo for game day there. So he would call us when he was done at 4:30pm and would love to come here for supper on his way back home to Kamakura in the south.
So later in the early afternoon, CJ and I braved the weather and went for a walk down to OK Foods and the Homes store to get a few items we needed for supper and the house and then back up all the steps home to prepare a spaghetti dinner for Shohei.
As we walked through Harbor View Park and down the steps we passed many a purple and white Kale flower garden and they looked so pretty with crystal like droplets of water from the morning rain decorating there cabbage like leaves. It was almost like diamonds twinkling in the sunlight that was now peeking through the clouds.
I had asked Shohei if he had any food restrictions and he said he does not eat raw vegetables and salad. They make him gag. I teased him that he would starve to death here then, as that is pretty much what we live on. I asked if he would like spaghetti and he said "Yes". So I made meat sauce with noodles, garlic toast plus a salad and green beans for CJ and I.
Shohei called at 4:30pm on the dot and said he was now leaving Harajuku for Motomachi station. When we figured an hour was up we walked down to meet him and then the adventure of finding him began. He is a total stranger to this part of town and we obviously didn't give him very good directions and it took us about an hour to finally meet up. We now know there are many Chinatown exits we did not know existed and we also know Motomachi Shopping Street is Exit Number 5. Luckily for him he was underground in the long warm corridor while CJ and I were outside in the elements and not dressed warm enough as we did not anticipate walking across town to the other side of Chinatown.
Shohei called when he got off the train and we told him we were already there and waiting at the gate. He then proceeded to go to Exit One which was on the opposite end of the underground walkway. We waited and he never showed up. I had my cell phone with me, but failed to bring his number with me, so we had to just wait for him to show up or call again. Thankfully he called again and I asked where he was. He was at the Yamashita Park by exit one and I then noticed the sign and told him we were at exit 5. So he was going to walk and said it was a long way. So we waited some more. Then he never showed up again and now it is getting on about an hour and CJ is cold and so he heads to Starbucks for a cup of coffee. I stay and wait and then he calls us again and does not know where he is at. He got turned around in the underground maze. I told him about the phone situation and so he knew to keep calling us back until we met up. I told him too, to wait there at exit 1 and that we would come meet him there.
So I went and got CJ and we were off in search of our long lost friend.:-) As we walked down the street to the exit I figured he was at, I then learned there were 3 more train station exits along that street and further east then I even knew about. We finally got to exit one and he was not there and so he called again and CJ talked to him on the phone till we finally met up. Crazy! :-) I even thought perhaps he might have had second thoughts and did not know how to tell us he was not comfortable coming to our house, or that he stopped to get a bite to eat in case he hated what I prepared.haha Heck he was probably very hungry after working with the kids all day and I know CJ and I were about starved as it was nearing 7:30pm.
Thankfully we finally did meet up and then made a made a mad dash toward home, warmth and some food. Shohei apologized for getting lost and said he was a stranger to this area and did not know really where he was at. We of course said we were sorry as well and now hopefully know better, how to give directions.
Back home we had some rice crackers and tea while waiting for the noodles to boil and the beans to steam. I made Shoehi a small salad just in case he wanted to try it, but he shook his head NO and said he would eat the tomatoes, but could not try the lettuce or cukes. I had fore warned him on the phone earlier in the week, not to feel bad at all if there was something he just could not stomach and to not feel bad about telling us so. We would be more than happy to look for something else to feed him if need be.
So we then ate our meal and CJ and I chowed down like you thought we hadn't had a meal in weeks. I was very cold and starving. Shohei started out very slow and at first I felt bad and thought perhaps he did not like it,but he just kept eating steadily as he talked and shared stories with us about his school, family and mom who will have died 2 years ago on March 7th. He was missing her alot I think, as he talked of her alot that evening. He too told us more about his dad and brother and about himself when he was a very shy young boy and now how he has changed his life around and is back at school and becoming very social. Yeah..it is hard to believe he was like that, as he was so friendly and open with us the day we met him in Chinatown. It is great to see how he is pushing himself to step out into unfamiliar and new situations. We complimented him alot on his outgoing friendly personality. He really is pushing himself out of his comfort zone and he is much happier for it.
:-)I wonder what his dad thinks of all the changes he is making. He too talked of his dad and how the death of his wife has been very hard on him and how he actually had cut the months of February and March out of his calendar. He can't wait for April to get here. He is busy taking dance and cooking classes. Shoehei also talked of their house being tidy, but dirty and not having the flowers and such his mom used to put around. We said they were missing a woman's touch in their bachelor pad and he agreed. He told us how next time he wanted us to come to his house and we said we would love to and also would like to have his dad come visit here if her would like to join him sometime.
CJ was struggling with jet lag as he sat and listened to us talk, and so he kept busy and washed all the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, and got dessert ready too. We had a yummy new jumbo-cho like dessert I found, that to our surprise and delight had not only Bavarian like cream inside but whip cream too. Double our pleasure! YUM! :-P We ate it with a fresh mix of blueberries, strawberries,red grapes and black raspberries that I bought and made up from Costco.
They also have toothpaste looking tubes of sweetened condensed milk here and so I drizzled that back and forth across the top for even more sweetness.It was so very tasty and delicious and Shoehi really loved it too. He kept saying how these were all new and different flavors and ways of eating foods together for him, but he licked his platter clean. Yea!
We enjoyed a few chocolate strawberry candies and then CJ and I walked Shohei back to Ishikowacho station for his 10:30pm direct train trip south to Kamakura and home.
It was an enjoyable evening and fun to learn more about him, the Japanese culture, Shinto beliefs and to spend time with our special new friend. We look forward to our next meeting and hope to get to Kamakura Boulevard and to walk under the rainbow arch of Cherry blossoms in a short 3 weeks from now.
It is now 4:30 pm on Monday March 2nd and the sun is getting lower in the sky across the bluff valley here and I never did get outside in the sun. Oh well..Hopefully tomorrow it will be shining again. I always like to get my thougths down on paper before the next adventure begins and as you can see I had alot of stories to share.
I have literally been writing all day and I now need to get up off this computer chair and downstairs to make some dinner for CJ and I. CJ will leave for China tomorrow and so I will try and work on my Face book pics of the Fish Market, River cruise, garden flowers...Had a nice Skype phone chat with my California friend Gaely and it was so good to catch up with her. Her hubby David was a commerical fisherman for years and so he could really relate to my fish market story. He was home and recovering from recent knee surgery and she was also telling me about there son Alec who is currently living and working in Hong Kong and also reminded me of her mom and dad who met and got married years ago here in Japan. I had not talked with her since our last visit to California back when the kids were in middle school I think and now her youngest Katherine is a junior in high school. Time moves on quickly.
I am looking forward to eating the cake and pastel treats I bought for Hami Matsuri tonight as I don't need to eat a whole cake by myself tomorrow on the 3rd so we will celebrate our daughter Kalen tonight and maybe I can get CJ to help me glue the paper dolls together too. It is kind of like building a model of sorts and engineers like that sort of thing I think? Maybe more Idol is on as well? We missed last night, so I am not sure what day we are at now.I heard through the Idol grapevine that Casey might be a wild card too, so who knows hopefully her dream has not yet died out on that show anyway.
more soon
Karla
We woke to a cold, wet, rainy and blustery day so CJ and I just lounged around the house most of the morning. We had planned to go and see an International Day festival north of here a few train stops and hoped to catch the Thai dancers that we missed last week in Sankeien Garden, but I got involved with looking at my photos from yesterday (albums coming soon I hope on Face book) and CJ was watching some TV and relaxing, so we decided to skip it. By the time we would've got there, they would already have been done anyway. It was good to just relax after our long day in Tokyo the day before, but at first I was a bit anxious as I hate when I know something new is going on and I feel like I am missing something.
I too was thinking of going to a local elementary school where I saw they were having some kind of game day, which I figured might be something to do with the Hani Matsuri Day for Girls which is coming up here on March 3rd. It is the day to celebrate girls and their growth here in Japan. There are special cakes, candies, puffed rice treats sold in green, pink and white. Each family with a girl supposedly puts up an alter with little dolls on it of the emperor,empress and their court. I found some little clay figurines and sticky window decorations for our house to decorate with and to remind us our sweet daughter Kalen.Boys day is in May.
I also found a paper doll like cutout alter and figurines to build and so while CJ went for a run, polished his shoes and watched TV,I spent the afternoon cutting those out while waiting for Shohei to call us.
We had invited him to spend the day with us, but he called earlier in the week and said he had to work at the Meiji Shrine up by Harajuku in Tokyo for game day there. So he would call us when he was done at 4:30pm and would love to come here for supper on his way back home to Kamakura in the south.
So later in the early afternoon, CJ and I braved the weather and went for a walk down to OK Foods and the Homes store to get a few items we needed for supper and the house and then back up all the steps home to prepare a spaghetti dinner for Shohei.
As we walked through Harbor View Park and down the steps we passed many a purple and white Kale flower garden and they looked so pretty with crystal like droplets of water from the morning rain decorating there cabbage like leaves. It was almost like diamonds twinkling in the sunlight that was now peeking through the clouds.
I had asked Shohei if he had any food restrictions and he said he does not eat raw vegetables and salad. They make him gag. I teased him that he would starve to death here then, as that is pretty much what we live on. I asked if he would like spaghetti and he said "Yes". So I made meat sauce with noodles, garlic toast plus a salad and green beans for CJ and I.
Shohei called at 4:30pm on the dot and said he was now leaving Harajuku for Motomachi station. When we figured an hour was up we walked down to meet him and then the adventure of finding him began. He is a total stranger to this part of town and we obviously didn't give him very good directions and it took us about an hour to finally meet up. We now know there are many Chinatown exits we did not know existed and we also know Motomachi Shopping Street is Exit Number 5. Luckily for him he was underground in the long warm corridor while CJ and I were outside in the elements and not dressed warm enough as we did not anticipate walking across town to the other side of Chinatown.
Shohei called when he got off the train and we told him we were already there and waiting at the gate. He then proceeded to go to Exit One which was on the opposite end of the underground walkway. We waited and he never showed up. I had my cell phone with me, but failed to bring his number with me, so we had to just wait for him to show up or call again. Thankfully he called again and I asked where he was. He was at the Yamashita Park by exit one and I then noticed the sign and told him we were at exit 5. So he was going to walk and said it was a long way. So we waited some more. Then he never showed up again and now it is getting on about an hour and CJ is cold and so he heads to Starbucks for a cup of coffee. I stay and wait and then he calls us again and does not know where he is at. He got turned around in the underground maze. I told him about the phone situation and so he knew to keep calling us back until we met up. I told him too, to wait there at exit 1 and that we would come meet him there.
So I went and got CJ and we were off in search of our long lost friend.:-) As we walked down the street to the exit I figured he was at, I then learned there were 3 more train station exits along that street and further east then I even knew about. We finally got to exit one and he was not there and so he called again and CJ talked to him on the phone till we finally met up. Crazy! :-) I even thought perhaps he might have had second thoughts and did not know how to tell us he was not comfortable coming to our house, or that he stopped to get a bite to eat in case he hated what I prepared.haha Heck he was probably very hungry after working with the kids all day and I know CJ and I were about starved as it was nearing 7:30pm.
Thankfully we finally did meet up and then made a made a mad dash toward home, warmth and some food. Shohei apologized for getting lost and said he was a stranger to this area and did not know really where he was at. We of course said we were sorry as well and now hopefully know better, how to give directions.
Back home we had some rice crackers and tea while waiting for the noodles to boil and the beans to steam. I made Shoehi a small salad just in case he wanted to try it, but he shook his head NO and said he would eat the tomatoes, but could not try the lettuce or cukes. I had fore warned him on the phone earlier in the week, not to feel bad at all if there was something he just could not stomach and to not feel bad about telling us so. We would be more than happy to look for something else to feed him if need be.
So we then ate our meal and CJ and I chowed down like you thought we hadn't had a meal in weeks. I was very cold and starving. Shohei started out very slow and at first I felt bad and thought perhaps he did not like it,but he just kept eating steadily as he talked and shared stories with us about his school, family and mom who will have died 2 years ago on March 7th. He was missing her alot I think, as he talked of her alot that evening. He too told us more about his dad and brother and about himself when he was a very shy young boy and now how he has changed his life around and is back at school and becoming very social. Yeah..it is hard to believe he was like that, as he was so friendly and open with us the day we met him in Chinatown. It is great to see how he is pushing himself to step out into unfamiliar and new situations. We complimented him alot on his outgoing friendly personality. He really is pushing himself out of his comfort zone and he is much happier for it.
:-)I wonder what his dad thinks of all the changes he is making. He too talked of his dad and how the death of his wife has been very hard on him and how he actually had cut the months of February and March out of his calendar. He can't wait for April to get here. He is busy taking dance and cooking classes. Shoehei also talked of their house being tidy, but dirty and not having the flowers and such his mom used to put around. We said they were missing a woman's touch in their bachelor pad and he agreed. He told us how next time he wanted us to come to his house and we said we would love to and also would like to have his dad come visit here if her would like to join him sometime.
CJ was struggling with jet lag as he sat and listened to us talk, and so he kept busy and washed all the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, and got dessert ready too. We had a yummy new jumbo-cho like dessert I found, that to our surprise and delight had not only Bavarian like cream inside but whip cream too. Double our pleasure! YUM! :-P We ate it with a fresh mix of blueberries, strawberries,red grapes and black raspberries that I bought and made up from Costco.
They also have toothpaste looking tubes of sweetened condensed milk here and so I drizzled that back and forth across the top for even more sweetness.It was so very tasty and delicious and Shoehi really loved it too. He kept saying how these were all new and different flavors and ways of eating foods together for him, but he licked his platter clean. Yea!
We enjoyed a few chocolate strawberry candies and then CJ and I walked Shohei back to Ishikowacho station for his 10:30pm direct train trip south to Kamakura and home.
It was an enjoyable evening and fun to learn more about him, the Japanese culture, Shinto beliefs and to spend time with our special new friend. We look forward to our next meeting and hope to get to Kamakura Boulevard and to walk under the rainbow arch of Cherry blossoms in a short 3 weeks from now.
It is now 4:30 pm on Monday March 2nd and the sun is getting lower in the sky across the bluff valley here and I never did get outside in the sun. Oh well..Hopefully tomorrow it will be shining again. I always like to get my thougths down on paper before the next adventure begins and as you can see I had alot of stories to share.
I have literally been writing all day and I now need to get up off this computer chair and downstairs to make some dinner for CJ and I. CJ will leave for China tomorrow and so I will try and work on my Face book pics of the Fish Market, River cruise, garden flowers...Had a nice Skype phone chat with my California friend Gaely and it was so good to catch up with her. Her hubby David was a commerical fisherman for years and so he could really relate to my fish market story. He was home and recovering from recent knee surgery and she was also telling me about there son Alec who is currently living and working in Hong Kong and also reminded me of her mom and dad who met and got married years ago here in Japan. I had not talked with her since our last visit to California back when the kids were in middle school I think and now her youngest Katherine is a junior in high school. Time moves on quickly.
I am looking forward to eating the cake and pastel treats I bought for Hami Matsuri tonight as I don't need to eat a whole cake by myself tomorrow on the 3rd so we will celebrate our daughter Kalen tonight and maybe I can get CJ to help me glue the paper dolls together too. It is kind of like building a model of sorts and engineers like that sort of thing I think? Maybe more Idol is on as well? We missed last night, so I am not sure what day we are at now.I heard through the Idol grapevine that Casey might be a wild card too, so who knows hopefully her dream has not yet died out on that show anyway.
more soon
Karla
Sat Feb 28, 09 continued....garden and river cruise
So after the Fish market adventure which I told you about in the post previous to this one...we headed to the Hama-Riku Gardens. We were going to do the garden and the river cruise after, but daylight and time was beginning to run short, so we opted to just do the cruise and come back to the garden another day later this month, when the cherry blossoms are hopefully blooming??
We entered the garden and got our tickets but not understanding what was going on, we bought garden tickets and then found we had to buy cruise tickets once we walked through part of the garden area. Oh well, turned into... No big deal a few minutes later once we passed the HUGE 300 yr old pine tree which was planted in 1709 and was being held up with those wooden supports like many old pine trees are here in Japan. We then crossed over the inner moat and was taken a back with the sight of a football field or more in size of the fluorescent yellow rape seed flowers in full bloom. WOW!! What sight for our eyes was that.
Then, it only got better as we passed by a little wooden shrine and entered the plum "UME" grove which found many a tree only partly dressed in their full blossoms. There were people every where, each trying to capture the best up close blossom shot that they could. A few ladies were dressed in kimonos, so of course that made the atmosphere more authentic and exciting.
When we arrived at the Water bus pier we quickly bought our tickets as the boat was docked and waiting to leave again soon. So we quickly ran to board the ferry for our Sumida River cruise. Once on the boat I glanced at the garden map and realized we just walked down the side path and had a whole park with 4 different ponds, islands and bridges to come back and explore either later this month and/or when my friends Donna and Michelle are here in mid April. Looking forward to that.
We exited through the Tsukijigawa canal gate and then took a left and went north up the river. It was overcast, cloudy and a bit chilly in the wind, but you have to stand outside on the upper deck to get good photos,right? As we floated along, we passed under 13 different bridges in a rainbow of colors and different types of architecture. We saw fire boats practicing with their water hoses we think on the river, passed many canals going off in either direction and with lots of different kinds of boats docked along the sides of each. Now that would be fun to go exploring up each of the canals branching of the main river.
The river wove back and forth like the shape of a backward S and we stopped at numerous docks along the way to let folks on and off the boat. You could see the orange Eiffel like looking Tokyo Tower in the distant skyline as we rounded one bend and on the other side if the river when we got up near Asakusa Temple was a dock full of people waiting on a pier decorated with hot pink banners and silk cherry blossom bunches of flowers. We then got off the boat and walked back down that part of the river boardwalk which was a walkway with a canopy of Cherry tress which will be in full bloom the last week of March. Hopefully we can get up here again, to see the beauty before we head off to Thailand. Of course the week we are going to be in Thai country is the FULL blossom Cherry week here in Japan. Darn! :-( I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be enough cherry trees in early bloom so we get a good feel for what it is all about before we go southwest for our Thai adventures and exploration.
As we made our way back south along the river we crossed over to the other side and stopped and saw a few more neighborhood shrines and temples along the way. As we were entering a neighborhood park we passed by a bunch of old men chatting and drinking sum sake. They were very happy and obliged me for a photo... Kumpai! We had packed some fruits and veggies,rice crackers and cheese from home so we stopped in the garden and had a bite to eat on the rocks along the edge of the pond. We were quickly joined by many a duck in colors of white, brown, black, some aggressive pigeons, sea gulls and some little brown chickadee type birds. They were not afraid of us at all and one pigeon actually flew up and sat on my knee..no photo :-( (camera in purse and my hands full of food).
We finished eating and left some very unhappy birds as all the walking and fresh air had left us so very hungry we did not drop a crumb or morsel and we ate every bit of food we had in our bag. Guess that was just hour devours, as we were still hungry and wanted to eat something more before boarding the train for home. I told CJ we had no meat at home and so we opted to eat out and CJ had pork cutlets and I had a black pig rice curry dish. It was all very tasty.
Back on the train and home bound we were. Stopped at he bakery for a sweet dessert but it was all picked over and only meat type pastries were left by the many shoppers on Motomachi Shopping Street. There is the Charming Sale going on 2/24-3/1 and so the streets was loaded with people and there pups.
Once back home, I guess we worked up more hunger sitting in the train,and so we ate yet again. We enjoyed some popcorn while we watched American Idol. It was Hollywood Week and we did see that Casey Carlson from EP made the next cut, but were sad we did not get to see her sing. I heard through the EP Idol grapevine that they think she sung she Tattoo by previous Idol winner Jordan Sparks?
We were then off to bed and were looking forward to dinner with Shohei on Sunday night.
More about Sunday and our visit
Karla and CJ
We entered the garden and got our tickets but not understanding what was going on, we bought garden tickets and then found we had to buy cruise tickets once we walked through part of the garden area. Oh well, turned into... No big deal a few minutes later once we passed the HUGE 300 yr old pine tree which was planted in 1709 and was being held up with those wooden supports like many old pine trees are here in Japan. We then crossed over the inner moat and was taken a back with the sight of a football field or more in size of the fluorescent yellow rape seed flowers in full bloom. WOW!! What sight for our eyes was that.
Then, it only got better as we passed by a little wooden shrine and entered the plum "UME" grove which found many a tree only partly dressed in their full blossoms. There were people every where, each trying to capture the best up close blossom shot that they could. A few ladies were dressed in kimonos, so of course that made the atmosphere more authentic and exciting.
When we arrived at the Water bus pier we quickly bought our tickets as the boat was docked and waiting to leave again soon. So we quickly ran to board the ferry for our Sumida River cruise. Once on the boat I glanced at the garden map and realized we just walked down the side path and had a whole park with 4 different ponds, islands and bridges to come back and explore either later this month and/or when my friends Donna and Michelle are here in mid April. Looking forward to that.
We exited through the Tsukijigawa canal gate and then took a left and went north up the river. It was overcast, cloudy and a bit chilly in the wind, but you have to stand outside on the upper deck to get good photos,right? As we floated along, we passed under 13 different bridges in a rainbow of colors and different types of architecture. We saw fire boats practicing with their water hoses we think on the river, passed many canals going off in either direction and with lots of different kinds of boats docked along the sides of each. Now that would be fun to go exploring up each of the canals branching of the main river.
The river wove back and forth like the shape of a backward S and we stopped at numerous docks along the way to let folks on and off the boat. You could see the orange Eiffel like looking Tokyo Tower in the distant skyline as we rounded one bend and on the other side if the river when we got up near Asakusa Temple was a dock full of people waiting on a pier decorated with hot pink banners and silk cherry blossom bunches of flowers. We then got off the boat and walked back down that part of the river boardwalk which was a walkway with a canopy of Cherry tress which will be in full bloom the last week of March. Hopefully we can get up here again, to see the beauty before we head off to Thailand. Of course the week we are going to be in Thai country is the FULL blossom Cherry week here in Japan. Darn! :-( I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be enough cherry trees in early bloom so we get a good feel for what it is all about before we go southwest for our Thai adventures and exploration.
As we made our way back south along the river we crossed over to the other side and stopped and saw a few more neighborhood shrines and temples along the way. As we were entering a neighborhood park we passed by a bunch of old men chatting and drinking sum sake. They were very happy and obliged me for a photo... Kumpai! We had packed some fruits and veggies,rice crackers and cheese from home so we stopped in the garden and had a bite to eat on the rocks along the edge of the pond. We were quickly joined by many a duck in colors of white, brown, black, some aggressive pigeons, sea gulls and some little brown chickadee type birds. They were not afraid of us at all and one pigeon actually flew up and sat on my knee..no photo :-( (camera in purse and my hands full of food).
We finished eating and left some very unhappy birds as all the walking and fresh air had left us so very hungry we did not drop a crumb or morsel and we ate every bit of food we had in our bag. Guess that was just hour devours, as we were still hungry and wanted to eat something more before boarding the train for home. I told CJ we had no meat at home and so we opted to eat out and CJ had pork cutlets and I had a black pig rice curry dish. It was all very tasty.
Back on the train and home bound we were. Stopped at he bakery for a sweet dessert but it was all picked over and only meat type pastries were left by the many shoppers on Motomachi Shopping Street. There is the Charming Sale going on 2/24-3/1 and so the streets was loaded with people and there pups.
Once back home, I guess we worked up more hunger sitting in the train,and so we ate yet again. We enjoyed some popcorn while we watched American Idol. It was Hollywood Week and we did see that Casey Carlson from EP made the next cut, but were sad we did not get to see her sing. I heard through the EP Idol grapevine that they think she sung she Tattoo by previous Idol winner Jordan Sparks?
We were then off to bed and were looking forward to dinner with Shohei on Sunday night.
More about Sunday and our visit
Karla and CJ
Sat Feb 28, 2009 ..TOKYO Tsukiji Fish Market
What a day FULL of sights, sounds, smells, colors, food, seafood, and people it ended up being......we'd say a MUST SEE in TOKYO!!!!
CJ and I woke early, but not early enough to catch the live 7am BIG TUNA auction. We decided since it wasn't raining, so we would venture north and at least check out the area, markets, restaurants.... With the wind howling outside, we dressed in our long underwear, scarves, mittens,boots to hopefully stay warm, and then made our way on the northbound train to Tokyo.
We arrived at what we thought must be the auction, as there were people everywhere, but it was just a very busy outdoor market area.WOW, I wondered just how busy it is when the auction is in full swing? I liked it just how it was right now.
So... we tried to walk quickly through the very crowded and narrow market alleyways in hopes of maybe still catching the tail end of the BIG TUNA live auction,... but we ended up slowly zig zagging our way through the very crowded aisle ways and past many different stalls selling knives & cleavers, packaged dried fish of all sorts, tea leaves,pickled as well as fresh fruits and veggies in many varieties. Seeing that we were not getting very far, very fast, we decided to step out of the maze of people and quickly walked up the wider main street and into what we later found out was the side gate of the very large fish market grounds.
Here we were suddenly thrown into an onslaught of vehicles coming and going every which way. As we tried to make our way across the now emptying parking lot I felt sort of like that silver ball in a pin ball machine....bouncing back and forth dogging cars, trucks, trolleys, bikes, wooden carts, etc,... of which many were stacked with Styrofoam boxes filled with we assumed fresh bought seafood products. It was a transportation hub of movement.
Once we made it through the maze of vehicles and across 4-6 makeshift lanes of traffic coming and going we arrived at what looked to be like the loading docks "temporary custody area", which were at this point pretty well emptied out. Many men dressed in big rubber boats and aprons were rapidly packing the last of their newly purchased,fresh seafood products into ice filled Styrofoam boxes and or clear plastic trays and securing them with a rubber band. Some were sweeping the area with a straw broom and others were hosing down the cement with a blue garden hose. Where is the auction area we wondered??
We then saw a big warehouse like building and so we quickly made our way over there. When we peeked in the door we saw that it was a HUGE building with cases and pallets of vegetable/fruit boxes as far as the eye could see. It was a VERY BIG distribution center. We would come back here later, but we were still hoping to get a glimpse of a BIG TUNA. We then wandered and dogged back across yet more lanes of traffic and past a few people carrying woven straw baskets full of goodies. Here we then began to see lots of fresh seafood. Yea.. we found the fish building but where was "The BIG TUNA"? That doesn't sound quite right? :-)
A little farther down one of the 12 or so aisles of the Intermediate wholesalers area that must have ran in an arch the length of a football field or more, and we finally found our treasure. Not the auction, that was long over and done by this time, but LOTS of men very busy in numerous different stations. First one would drag with his ice pick one VERY BIG frozen tuna after another onto a lift that then rose to a table saw where another guy would slice it in half, mark it with a black marker (top/bottom CJ thought and some numbers?. Next he would slice off the interior middle bone and then turn it to the outside and slice something off that side too. He would slice each half in quarters and then another guy would take it and place it in a wood brace and scrape the skin off. When they got a bunch done they would shovel full loads of frozen scale scraps into big blue plastic baskets and then a guy with a trolley would come by and dump the full blue baskets into some wooden crates on the back of his vehicle. They were so quick and moved like a machine.
We of course stood there for quite some time just watching the fast paced action and very structured process and procedures. FUN! Finally CJ got me to move on after I got each step documented on film and we then had even more fun wandering up and down those 12 different aisles and seeing more seafood displays then I could have ever imagined.WOW!!!
It wasn't very smelly either and that was nice. We saw big white squid, pretty purple octopus,salmon colored fish lungs,men rapidly shucking clams, mussels, huge scallops on the half shell,bright red/orange fish, sea cucumbers, men fishing live eels out of one barrel and tossing them into a net, people cutting, packing and selling seafood fast and furious. You had to be very careful not to get in the way as you made your way down 1 way aisles and then watch for passing trolleys dogging back and forth at the cross intersections.
While the men were out front of their stands either slicing and dicing the fresh thawed tuna into steaks of various thicknesses,or cleaning up and wiping down/sanitizing their individual areas... the women were busy as ever in the back. There they were,all tucked into their tiny sardine can sized wooden makeshift shack offices with heads down and intense concentration as they rapidly did their bookwork and added up the sales of the day.It was a rapid paced, very wet, colorful,loud exciting place to be.We NEVER did see where the actual auction took place, but did see a poster about it(there for sure will be a next time). We did make our way up and down almost 1/2 of the 12 aisles I think and then figured we had better go check out the veggie market building before everything was done there too.
As we left the fish building, we saw more people were gathered and standing in line for something? As we got closer we saw that it was 6 more narrow alley ways with rows of little 10-12 seat er fresh sushi restaurants and more kitchenware, T shirt, pottery shops. The people were all getting their place in line and waiting for the places to open there doors for the lunch hour. As we walked down one aisle and then around the corner and up the next I suddenly realized this was the back side of the restaurants I had just past and I could see into the kitchens. There were like 4-6 people busy working as fast as they could preparing fresh sushi plates, washing dishes...inn what looked like a sardine can. It is good thing, these people are of small stature. Someone like me would take up 1/2 the kitchen space. Now the doors were open and in some places you could watch them cook and clean in the kitchen and see through to the narrow counter area where many folks were busy savoring their fresh cut raw tuna. CJ by passed the lines and said he had enough sushi last night.
We then stopped at a pottery shop and I found some cute chopstick holders which looked like the face masks the lady danced with back in Sankiene Garden a few weeks. CJ got a blue and white Saki flask to match all our blue and white Japanese/Chinese pottery dishes we seem to be accumulating. We also found some cool mugs for our offices which have hand print grooves instead of a handle to fit your fingers in when drinking from them. CJ got one with a samurai on it and mine has a kimono clad geisha girl. Cute!
We then ventured back to the veggie building and that was getting desolate now too as business for the day was wrapping up and most loads were done and headed off to the different stores and or restaurants. We did see a few stands that had flowers and buds,of all sorts packaged for sale as garnishes for food platters. Beautiful purple orchids, mums, cups of a rainbow assortment of pansy like edible flowers. There too, were lots of different vegetables I had no clue what they were. I need to get a Japanese fruit/veggie/fish book and try to figure out what they all are. Lots of large white Dakon radishes,tomatoes,colored peppers, lemons, oranges, asparagus which must be getting in season now as this is the first time I have seen it here. Some mystery prickly tuber type root vegetable to us and of course the pretty lacy looking lotus root vegetable.
We walked passed the inner Shinto shrine, large ice box and dispensing machine building, recycle area for Styrofoam and back out into the streets and the outdoor market area. We stopped for a very quick lunch of ram en once CJ could figure put which dishes were still available when buying the tickets from a vending machine outside the front door. It was a stand up place and oh my how I wish I could have taken a video so you could see and hear the slurping going on as these folks downed at a very fast pace huge bowls of ram en soup,plates of noodles, tempura veggies and rice. I can not believe how fast these people can eat. I am thinking they don't even chew, but swallow their noodles whole. It had me wondering how that is for their digestive processes? They are very different than the Italians I know, who love to eat slowly and have lots of conversation. This stand up counter places are an all out eat as fast as you can and no talking venue, That is for sure!!
We had one of the 4 very small tables in the place and a cute little older couple sat across from us. They never said one word to each other or us while they ate as fast as they could and they too, had there little faces hidden behind their big bowls as they slurped and shoveled their broth, rice, tempura paddies and noodles in one right after the other. There was one tiny little man who barely could see over the counter. He had big Harry Carey type glasses on and would shove a super ball size wad of noodles into his mouth. I tried to take a non flash pic from my purse, but was not able to get the view I wanted. Darn! Oh how I wish there had been a way to get some photos in there without anyone knowing. Great place for people watching need I say more.
So back down and up all the outdoor market alleyways we went and had fun watching more fast paced sales going on of many mystery foods,eggs cakes, pork loins, dumplings of some sort, smoked fish being shaved into Bonito flakes. Watched a master blow fish chef cut with precision, focus and lots of concentration the deadly and expensive delicacy. If it is not cut just right it can be poisonous and one can die within minutes of eating it. The chefs have to be trained and certified to do this delicate job. More folks were busy having a quick bite to eat for lunch at the numerous outdoor sidewalk cafes, sushi bars....
We decided we had seen enough,bought some banana chips and then headed to the Hama-Rikyu Garden and hopefully a river cruise up the Sumida River if time allowed....
more in the next post on that adventure
CJ and I woke early, but not early enough to catch the live 7am BIG TUNA auction. We decided since it wasn't raining, so we would venture north and at least check out the area, markets, restaurants.... With the wind howling outside, we dressed in our long underwear, scarves, mittens,boots to hopefully stay warm, and then made our way on the northbound train to Tokyo.
We arrived at what we thought must be the auction, as there were people everywhere, but it was just a very busy outdoor market area.WOW, I wondered just how busy it is when the auction is in full swing? I liked it just how it was right now.
So... we tried to walk quickly through the very crowded and narrow market alleyways in hopes of maybe still catching the tail end of the BIG TUNA live auction,... but we ended up slowly zig zagging our way through the very crowded aisle ways and past many different stalls selling knives & cleavers, packaged dried fish of all sorts, tea leaves,pickled as well as fresh fruits and veggies in many varieties. Seeing that we were not getting very far, very fast, we decided to step out of the maze of people and quickly walked up the wider main street and into what we later found out was the side gate of the very large fish market grounds.
Here we were suddenly thrown into an onslaught of vehicles coming and going every which way. As we tried to make our way across the now emptying parking lot I felt sort of like that silver ball in a pin ball machine....bouncing back and forth dogging cars, trucks, trolleys, bikes, wooden carts, etc,... of which many were stacked with Styrofoam boxes filled with we assumed fresh bought seafood products. It was a transportation hub of movement.
Once we made it through the maze of vehicles and across 4-6 makeshift lanes of traffic coming and going we arrived at what looked to be like the loading docks "temporary custody area", which were at this point pretty well emptied out. Many men dressed in big rubber boats and aprons were rapidly packing the last of their newly purchased,fresh seafood products into ice filled Styrofoam boxes and or clear plastic trays and securing them with a rubber band. Some were sweeping the area with a straw broom and others were hosing down the cement with a blue garden hose. Where is the auction area we wondered??
We then saw a big warehouse like building and so we quickly made our way over there. When we peeked in the door we saw that it was a HUGE building with cases and pallets of vegetable/fruit boxes as far as the eye could see. It was a VERY BIG distribution center. We would come back here later, but we were still hoping to get a glimpse of a BIG TUNA. We then wandered and dogged back across yet more lanes of traffic and past a few people carrying woven straw baskets full of goodies. Here we then began to see lots of fresh seafood. Yea.. we found the fish building but where was "The BIG TUNA"? That doesn't sound quite right? :-)
A little farther down one of the 12 or so aisles of the Intermediate wholesalers area that must have ran in an arch the length of a football field or more, and we finally found our treasure. Not the auction, that was long over and done by this time, but LOTS of men very busy in numerous different stations. First one would drag with his ice pick one VERY BIG frozen tuna after another onto a lift that then rose to a table saw where another guy would slice it in half, mark it with a black marker (top/bottom CJ thought and some numbers?. Next he would slice off the interior middle bone and then turn it to the outside and slice something off that side too. He would slice each half in quarters and then another guy would take it and place it in a wood brace and scrape the skin off. When they got a bunch done they would shovel full loads of frozen scale scraps into big blue plastic baskets and then a guy with a trolley would come by and dump the full blue baskets into some wooden crates on the back of his vehicle. They were so quick and moved like a machine.
We of course stood there for quite some time just watching the fast paced action and very structured process and procedures. FUN! Finally CJ got me to move on after I got each step documented on film and we then had even more fun wandering up and down those 12 different aisles and seeing more seafood displays then I could have ever imagined.WOW!!!
It wasn't very smelly either and that was nice. We saw big white squid, pretty purple octopus,salmon colored fish lungs,men rapidly shucking clams, mussels, huge scallops on the half shell,bright red/orange fish, sea cucumbers, men fishing live eels out of one barrel and tossing them into a net, people cutting, packing and selling seafood fast and furious. You had to be very careful not to get in the way as you made your way down 1 way aisles and then watch for passing trolleys dogging back and forth at the cross intersections.
While the men were out front of their stands either slicing and dicing the fresh thawed tuna into steaks of various thicknesses,or cleaning up and wiping down/sanitizing their individual areas... the women were busy as ever in the back. There they were,all tucked into their tiny sardine can sized wooden makeshift shack offices with heads down and intense concentration as they rapidly did their bookwork and added up the sales of the day.It was a rapid paced, very wet, colorful,loud exciting place to be.We NEVER did see where the actual auction took place, but did see a poster about it(there for sure will be a next time). We did make our way up and down almost 1/2 of the 12 aisles I think and then figured we had better go check out the veggie market building before everything was done there too.
As we left the fish building, we saw more people were gathered and standing in line for something? As we got closer we saw that it was 6 more narrow alley ways with rows of little 10-12 seat er fresh sushi restaurants and more kitchenware, T shirt, pottery shops. The people were all getting their place in line and waiting for the places to open there doors for the lunch hour. As we walked down one aisle and then around the corner and up the next I suddenly realized this was the back side of the restaurants I had just past and I could see into the kitchens. There were like 4-6 people busy working as fast as they could preparing fresh sushi plates, washing dishes...inn what looked like a sardine can. It is good thing, these people are of small stature. Someone like me would take up 1/2 the kitchen space. Now the doors were open and in some places you could watch them cook and clean in the kitchen and see through to the narrow counter area where many folks were busy savoring their fresh cut raw tuna. CJ by passed the lines and said he had enough sushi last night.
We then stopped at a pottery shop and I found some cute chopstick holders which looked like the face masks the lady danced with back in Sankiene Garden a few weeks. CJ got a blue and white Saki flask to match all our blue and white Japanese/Chinese pottery dishes we seem to be accumulating. We also found some cool mugs for our offices which have hand print grooves instead of a handle to fit your fingers in when drinking from them. CJ got one with a samurai on it and mine has a kimono clad geisha girl. Cute!
We then ventured back to the veggie building and that was getting desolate now too as business for the day was wrapping up and most loads were done and headed off to the different stores and or restaurants. We did see a few stands that had flowers and buds,of all sorts packaged for sale as garnishes for food platters. Beautiful purple orchids, mums, cups of a rainbow assortment of pansy like edible flowers. There too, were lots of different vegetables I had no clue what they were. I need to get a Japanese fruit/veggie/fish book and try to figure out what they all are. Lots of large white Dakon radishes,tomatoes,colored peppers, lemons, oranges, asparagus which must be getting in season now as this is the first time I have seen it here. Some mystery prickly tuber type root vegetable to us and of course the pretty lacy looking lotus root vegetable.
We walked passed the inner Shinto shrine, large ice box and dispensing machine building, recycle area for Styrofoam and back out into the streets and the outdoor market area. We stopped for a very quick lunch of ram en once CJ could figure put which dishes were still available when buying the tickets from a vending machine outside the front door. It was a stand up place and oh my how I wish I could have taken a video so you could see and hear the slurping going on as these folks downed at a very fast pace huge bowls of ram en soup,plates of noodles, tempura veggies and rice. I can not believe how fast these people can eat. I am thinking they don't even chew, but swallow their noodles whole. It had me wondering how that is for their digestive processes? They are very different than the Italians I know, who love to eat slowly and have lots of conversation. This stand up counter places are an all out eat as fast as you can and no talking venue, That is for sure!!
We had one of the 4 very small tables in the place and a cute little older couple sat across from us. They never said one word to each other or us while they ate as fast as they could and they too, had there little faces hidden behind their big bowls as they slurped and shoveled their broth, rice, tempura paddies and noodles in one right after the other. There was one tiny little man who barely could see over the counter. He had big Harry Carey type glasses on and would shove a super ball size wad of noodles into his mouth. I tried to take a non flash pic from my purse, but was not able to get the view I wanted. Darn! Oh how I wish there had been a way to get some photos in there without anyone knowing. Great place for people watching need I say more.
So back down and up all the outdoor market alleyways we went and had fun watching more fast paced sales going on of many mystery foods,eggs cakes, pork loins, dumplings of some sort, smoked fish being shaved into Bonito flakes. Watched a master blow fish chef cut with precision, focus and lots of concentration the deadly and expensive delicacy. If it is not cut just right it can be poisonous and one can die within minutes of eating it. The chefs have to be trained and certified to do this delicate job. More folks were busy having a quick bite to eat for lunch at the numerous outdoor sidewalk cafes, sushi bars....
We decided we had seen enough,bought some banana chips and then headed to the Hama-Rikyu Garden and hopefully a river cruise up the Sumida River if time allowed....
more in the next post on that adventure
Friday Feb 27, 2009 ....February goes out like a LION......
Ohayogozaimous...Good Morning from a very sunny but windy Japan.
It is NICE to see the sunshine today, as it has been very cold and rainy here since I wrote you last. We had rain showers that turned to SNOW showers for an hour or so on Friday afternoon. It was actually VERY EXCITING for me when I looked up from my computer and saw white flakes out my window, as we have seen no snow here this winter except for that on top of Mt. Fuji-san in the distance. It did not stick sad to say, and I tried to get some pics of the pretty white flakes hitting the roof out my office window but they melted too fast on the warm surface.:-(
Friday eve I took the train north and met CJ and two guys in town from other branches of Graco. I realized then I had not been on a train going north since the kids were here for Christmas. Wow..how time flies. Anyhoo,I met Jeff from China and Kevin from MN. We had a nice chat over a dinner of fresh RAW sushi, fried whole mini calamari for the guys and I had a cooked fish cakes and a very interesting pumpkin gratin dish which was like pumpkin pie and macaroni and cheese mixed together. It was actually quite tasty and filling. The boys liked it too.
We then went to CJ's favorite Hawaiian flavored Stove's for dessert. Here the guys split an Oreo ice cream pie and CJ and I ordered a raspberry/Carmel cheesecake muffin type dessert, but after a very looooooooooooooong wait they ended up bringing us the french toast banana and ice cream one instead. We just ate it, as the others had been done for like 10 minutes already and we were sick of waiting. It was tasty and so with sweet tooth's satisfied we made our way down to Chinatown for a quick. As we walked along it began to rain and lots of places were already shutting up for the night. It actually looked like a bit of a ghost town, when I thought of the crowds that were there a few weeks before for New Years. So we glanced quickly at the shrine from behind the closed gate and then made our way across the canal and up the bluff for a look see at our house.
After a quick tour we made our way back down the slope to see Pauline and Leo at their Scottish pub Lazer Rush. The boys had a night cap beer, mango juice for me and then we bid walked them back to the Motomachi station and bid farewell.
It was a relaxing and fun night out with the boys.
Tomorrow if the weather is good CJ and I want to head north to Tokyo and the fish market
more soon I hope....
It is NICE to see the sunshine today, as it has been very cold and rainy here since I wrote you last. We had rain showers that turned to SNOW showers for an hour or so on Friday afternoon. It was actually VERY EXCITING for me when I looked up from my computer and saw white flakes out my window, as we have seen no snow here this winter except for that on top of Mt. Fuji-san in the distance. It did not stick sad to say, and I tried to get some pics of the pretty white flakes hitting the roof out my office window but they melted too fast on the warm surface.:-(
Friday eve I took the train north and met CJ and two guys in town from other branches of Graco. I realized then I had not been on a train going north since the kids were here for Christmas. Wow..how time flies. Anyhoo,I met Jeff from China and Kevin from MN. We had a nice chat over a dinner of fresh RAW sushi, fried whole mini calamari for the guys and I had a cooked fish cakes and a very interesting pumpkin gratin dish which was like pumpkin pie and macaroni and cheese mixed together. It was actually quite tasty and filling. The boys liked it too.
We then went to CJ's favorite Hawaiian flavored Stove's for dessert. Here the guys split an Oreo ice cream pie and CJ and I ordered a raspberry/Carmel cheesecake muffin type dessert, but after a very looooooooooooooong wait they ended up bringing us the french toast banana and ice cream one instead. We just ate it, as the others had been done for like 10 minutes already and we were sick of waiting. It was tasty and so with sweet tooth's satisfied we made our way down to Chinatown for a quick. As we walked along it began to rain and lots of places were already shutting up for the night. It actually looked like a bit of a ghost town, when I thought of the crowds that were there a few weeks before for New Years. So we glanced quickly at the shrine from behind the closed gate and then made our way across the canal and up the bluff for a look see at our house.
After a quick tour we made our way back down the slope to see Pauline and Leo at their Scottish pub Lazer Rush. The boys had a night cap beer, mango juice for me and then we bid walked them back to the Motomachi station and bid farewell.
It was a relaxing and fun night out with the boys.
Tomorrow if the weather is good CJ and I want to head north to Tokyo and the fish market
more soon I hope....
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