Advertisement
Published: November 10th 2008
Edit Blog Post
So I looked at all the pictures I had taken over the past week and sure enough...all pictures of food. I'll save that for last.
It was a busy week. I had 3 presentations to give in my classes, all Japanese classes so I was working pretty hard. We also had a grammar test and the usual Kanji quizzes. On the language, I'm feeling better about it. I spend a lot of time with the host family this past weekend and we were just kind of talking about things. Nothing complex or unusual, just things. They had a few people over this week. An old teacher from Kobe who came for Keio's 150th anniversary and stayed a night, and also a family friend who today is moving out to Hiroshima for work. We all really liked him and its tough to see him go. When I get to Hiroshima I'll have to pay him a visit. Same thing though, just kind of talked. I know enough Japanese to make hilarious mistakes now and because I'm not afraid to speak or try to speak, the host family is very amused. One of my host sisters is going to school to be
a dietitian/food shop owner. She takes some medical stuff, food stuff, and business stuff. She was saying how she had a 2 week seminar in what I heard to be "Gyoukai" (seafood). I was surprised, but with what she was studying it made sense to me and I said something about it. Much to my embarrassment she actually was taking it in "Gyoukei" which is something having to do with business and a job search. Everyone loved that one.
Halloween was fun. Family had a BBQ and went trick or treating. Afterwards I met some friends and went to a sweet club in downtown tokyo the whole night and got back around 6am.
I don't know if I am more disappointed with the results of the election or with the fact that I was not in America for it. College campuses must have been wild and I wish I was at Lafayette to see it happen. No matter how you look at it, this was a monumental election. Obama was very well received here by most Japanese and internationals and there were a few post-election parties for him and for people that believe in him. The South Koreans
Condiments for Cold Soba (mine)
Mix the wasabi and soy sauce, add onions and daikon as desired don't like him though...trade issues. I did get my share of good political throwdown last night when I went out with a few people from the international dorm. 2 Brits, 2 more Americans, and a Japanese girl from a different school. We went to a great pub with really cheap, really good food and sake. After downing a few drinks I got to have the conservative vs. liberal throwdown that I've been wanting to have for so long now with the other American. The British girls had some good stuff to say as well. I was missing that kind of atmosphere. Japanese, Asians in general, do not argue or discuss anything. My politics class is pretty silent which is kind of sad.
As for food, the topic of soba came up one day and I asked host mother what her recommendation. Because host family is awesome that day for lunch we were in a place around 15 minutes away that is three generations old, hand makes the soba, is frequented by the great Oh-san 3 times a week (Japanese HR king). Of course, host mother knew the staff because she knows everyone. Soba was good, really good. I like
Up close
Mix the wasabi and soy sauce, add onions and daikon as desired mine cold so I can dip it in the sweet soy/mirin broth that comes along side of it. You eat it off a wicker mat with some scallions and daikon. This was also served with excellent tempura. Soba, tempura usually come together. Host mother got some big nabe of goodness thats in the pics.
To celebrate Hide-chan's departure to Hiroshima, we went to the Odaiba Onsen again. Same stuff happened as in the last post plus one important event...my first taste of blowfish (fugu). This is the legendary fish that kills people if not properly prepared. Chefs are licensed and whatnot. It's really a bigger deal in America than Japan. The entire meal consisted of this fish from sashimi to fried nuggets, to a shabu-shabu type setup with a big nabe of broth and lots of fish nuggets and vegetables. Fugu is a very tasty white fish. The sashimi had more going for it as far as texture than taste. The fugu was cut very thinly but it was al dente, almost crunchy. The way we at the sashimi was with scallions and a daikon/hot pepper mixture. Other items served as a tofu with pumpkin, tuna tartare with kimchee,
and some kind of waterfowl slice as an appetizer. The last pic is something I couldnt resist at the school store. It's a boxed juice mixture made from sweet potatoes. Usually I like the sweet potato stuff. This was just weird.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.168s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 5; qc: 44; dbt: 0.1128s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 2;
; mem: 1.1mb
mom
non-member comment
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! this is unbelievable! your writing and the subject matter are incredible! i never want the blogs to end. I re read them over and over. I am so happy for you. I hope it is all you wanted it to be. xo