Ah, alien food!

Last week I taught my mama and babies class only to be surprised by this fluorescent looking purple stuff! The brim of a baby's mouth was slathered in glowing deep violet-colored mush...UGH, I thought. Is that some funky artifical colouring or what!

As it turns out, it is natural colouring! This yokan (sweet potato paste made into a sticklike cake) is made from purple sweet potato, hence giving it its wild colour. Ooo... Purple sweet potato is touted to have various healthful properties - what they are, I have no idea...but surely you'd be doing yourself good by ingesting some of this from time to time. The mom who made it was kind enough to give me some purple and yellow yokan to bring home and try. It was pleasantly smooth and delicious. Mmm, I will have to learn how to make it myself one day. I hear it's not too terribly difficult.

All the babies are conveniently hungry around the same time we have class - the result? Me teaching and have a babies eating dried sweet potato, rice balls, rice crackers, and so on. The babies are only 1 year an 4 months, however, they are really a joy to watch! Frankly I don't know if they are learning a single word of English but for the most part, it's just 45-minutes of playtime for me and them!