Daughter of an engineer, no doubt about that.

As they say, "if there is a will, there's a way." I couldn't agree more with that expression.

Just yesterday I bought a baking pan for my microwave oven/oven. I made some brownie batter, put it in the pan, slid it into the microwave and...push push...shoot, push push...shoot...it would not fit.

My bibimba stone bowl holder is as strong as a pair of pliers! I took them out, bent both edges of the pan and presto-magic...it fit into my oven. I long for the days when we had a big oven at home in America. Those were the days. :)

Mugwort bean bun, anyone?

I got this at the Lawson's convenience store the other day. It helped keep the pre-lunch hunger pains at bay. I forgot to take a picture when it looked better...so you will just have to imagine the rest.

蓬、よもぎ, is known in English as mugwort - it is often used in tempura, rice cakes, and more. It is a seasonal spring ingredient often found wild in fields and said to be a medicinal herb in addition to a culinary one.

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers!

When I went on my walk to make some errands, I found all kinds of nature along the way. I was ecstatic to find that cherry blossoms were already in bloom, but just barely so. On the downside, the wind was torrential that many unopened buds broke off trees and feel to the ground. (as in picture #2) The last picture is a picture of a gorgeous bunch of flowers - I have not idea what variety they were but I really admired them. They were sticking out of my neighbor's fence so I inconspicously took the picture as I walked by.

Take some time and see all the changes around you. Time flies in life...we need to find ways to slow it down - or at least make it feel slower so we don't drive ourselves insane! As the cliche goes, 'take time to smell the flowers.'

Unsuccessful culinary creation

Back to my guinea pig cooking ways the next morning. I would have to say this is not one of my favorite yogurt inventions. It has ground sesame seeds, nata de coco in it...topped off with roasted black soybeans! Sure is healthy but as for the taste, hmm, 'interesting' as people often say with my food. I do not think the nata de coco went well with the other things - it would be better with some fruits...ah, there is always next time.

Wednesday night dinner

Last night's dinner did not involve any of my so-called 'guinea pig' cooking, much to Hiro's relief. When I ate the dishes, I was so pleased that they tasted good. Apparently the look of surprise demonstrated on my face was not so reassuring. Each time I looked astonished by the good taste, Hiro yelled at me.

The recipes came from a variety of sources: Harumi's white fish carpaccio, some shiso and umeboshi scallop recipe I scavenged off the internet months ago, and a red miso (not pictured) sesame eggplant soup. None of them took much time, thank goodness. Just cutting and assembling, for the most part.

I highly recommend Harumi's cookbooks - or for vegetarians, Enlightened Japanese cooking...and Naomi Watanabe's bento book.

Testing my allergies

Today the wind is blasting at full power - it is exhilarating! I am going to find out the extremity of my hay fever - recently I have not suffered from allergy symptoms as I did about a week ago.

So on this windy, inevitably pollen-laden air day, I will take the challenge and find out if what I had was hay fever or just a bad case of the flu w/hay fever-like symptoms. Out I go into the windstorm for a power walk! Report back later... My goodness, perhaps I am a masochist after all.

It is sunny so my spirits are high. I have plans to cook from Harumi Kurihara's cookbook - ohh, I am shaking in anticipation. The anticipation factor is one of the best parts about enjoying any cuisine!

What kinds of things do you look forward to each day? We should look forward to more 'little things' in life...like this afternoon I cannot wait to watch my cream swirl in fresh black coffee - Ooo!

season of goodbyes and hellos

This is a kind of sad time of year for me because many students will move on in life - to new cities, jobs, and more.

Just yesterday I waved off Yuko, a wonderful woman who taught me so much about married life, life as a woman in Japan, raising a child. She'll depart for Himeji and I wish her and her family, especially Yuki-kun, the best!

Last week I said goodbye to Yu-chan, the little 12-year old gal who reminded me so much of 'Vivian, back in the day.' She's off to her home prefecture, Hokkaido, because of her father's job transfer. Ooo, and many more students are off to far away places...ohhh.

On a brighter note, I met some new people who will add some colour and joy to my life. I look forward to another year of adventures. (The new fiscal year starts in April - that's why it's the busiest time for companies throughout Japan)

this is getting old...another one? how sad - from last week

Police found three bodies inside a parked van in a suspected group suicide, police said Tuesday. Two men and a woman were found next to burned charcoal in a van parked in a mountainous area in Sumoto, Hyogo Prefecture, according to local police.

The victims are the latest in a string of people who join pacts to kill themselves together, including those set up among strangers over the Internet -- though it wasn't immediately clear how the latest group met. Though Internet suicide pacts have occurred since at least the late 1990s in a number of countries, they have been most common in Japan, where the suicide rate is among the industrialized world's highest.

A record 91 people died in 34 Internet-linked suicide cases last year, up from 55 people in 19 cases in 2004, according to latest figures from the National Police Agency. The number of Internet suicide pacts has almost tripled from 2003, when the agency started keeping records. Still, Internet-related suicides still represent a small percentage of suicides in the country.

Other experts suggest the Japanese are influenced by a traditional reverence of suicide. In feudal Japan, ritual suicide was considered an honorable death under the samurai warrior ethic. "Chushingura," a saga about 47 loyal samurai who avenged their master's death and then committed mass suicide in 18th century Japan, has been made into countless movies and TV dramas. "Japanese see suicide as tragic, yet beautiful or somehow sincere," said Usui.

double dose of protein for breakfast

This looks rather disgusting, doesn't it? Breakfast included this yogurt and fresh fruits along with hot green tea.

This yogurt was inspired by that great homemade yogurt shop near here. Since the shop's costs around 2 dollars/100g, I decided to make some of my own. I tossed in some matcha (green tea powder) and sweet azuki beans into plain yogurt and VOILA...match red bean yogurt.

Trust me, it tastes much better than it looks. Try it someday!

Chinese food, Sunday night

The menu:
- Oxtail soup
- Carrot and celery salad
- Kung Pao cashew chicken
- Vermicelli noodle salad
- Black vinegar eggplant

We had Yumiko and Shinichi, a newlywed couple over for Chinese food last night. They were married at the same wedding house we'll have ours at. They shared many interesting stories about the wedding, honeymoon and more - it was really fun to chat with them. They are a nice couple and I hope we'll get together more often!

Ohm, Yumiko used to be a student at Aeon but we lost touch after I left. One day, I ran into her on the bus and from then on, we've kept in contact. What a nice coincidence it was indeed!

Second virginity

This is an interesting exerpt from SPA gossip rag. It is an exaggeration of sorts but contains a grain of truth. Wow, talk about killing the patient to cure the disease!

"It's just a pain building up friendships with people nowadays. I've got my own little world and I don't like anybody else invading it. I've always been a bit of an introvert," he tells Spa!, adding that his ideal partner would be a younger woman who doesn't give any grief and goes to her own home if she's got no business on in his. "(Relationships) gradually become more and more of a nuisance. I want to live life at the pace I want to live it. Going out with somebody means you've got certain responsibilities and duties to fulfill. Having somebody else around is just a frustration."

Masahiro Saito, a 31-year-old logistics employee, says he avoids women because he doesn't want to get hurt, admitting that his last girlfriend dumped him -- a decade ago -- because he was too clingy. He has remained a barren bonking, "second virgin" ever since.
____________________________________
Most of the women I have met here do not go out of their way to avoid men, even after they have had a tragic past experience. They plow on in hopes of finding a more suitable partner. In contrast, I have met plenty of men here who, because of a tumultous former relationship, shun dating altogether - like they say, "once bitten; twice shy." What do you think? I remember back in Canada we'd tell our broken-hearted friends, "the best way to get over someone is to find someone new!" This pic is of damaged heart tissue...oooh!

**NOTE for my Japanese readers: If you fall in love with someone and that someone rejects you--"once bitten"--you may be very, very reluctant--"twice shy"--to let yourself fall in love again. **

robot pets and more...

"Robots and talking dolls — which don't take much looking after — offer a way for people to get a taste of security and happiness."

Masahiro Yamada, professor of family psychology at Tokyo Gakugei University, on why an increasing number of people are turning to robots to make up for lack of human contact. (Yomiuri Shimbun)
__________________________________________________
Personally the reason why I think people (or any background, not just Japanese) find robots nice is the existence of unconditional love. Robots will not shun you, get angry and shout at you...er, not that I know if, at least. Why else do people like dogs so much? They love to give and get affection and show us we are needed. Even if we yell at them, they come back to us, tails cowardly wagging in between their legs.

Would you like a robot dog like Aibo? My student bought one for his two children and claims the dog is like another family member. Personally I do not think I could grow to love a robot because in the end, my pragmatic side would win over and I would remember a robot has no soul, heart, or real emotions.

The possible problematic repercussion of the rising popularity of robot companions: deterioration of real human communication! That is the day I fear when people choose robots over people because life is just "easier" with a robot.

Spring has sprung!!!

Spring is officially here - the first cherry blossoms have bloomed. For about one week Japan will be covered in pink from head to toe. After that pink will turn into green buds and before you know it, summer!

This is a beautiful picture of a bird in some Tokyo park. I did not take it but found it so breathtaking I had to put it in my blog! I have often seen such yellow-green birds. It reminds me of my childhood days as an amateur ornithologist!

Close-up of 天ぷら tempura

Tempura, the bane of just about any housewife...is hard to make light and crispy (like delicate lace), makes a huge mess in the kitchen, creates hazardous conditions conducive to oil fires, causes oil splurts - a major eye hazard. Because it is so tough to make, I am even more determined to make it my specialty.

This is a close-up of my tempura. This was my second time to make it at home. The first time, I should say, was a surprising success. This time was an equally surprising success because I botched up the batter-making process!

Other secrets to perfecting tempura:

• The batter should be very clumpy and cold!
• The egg should not be overbeaten
• Beer - namely Ebisu beer (Kirin is OK but don't even bother w/Asahi)
• Fry in sesame oil for more fragrance

These are just some tips my students were kind enough to give me or some I have learnt along the way. If you have some tips, feel free to share them!

PS: I tried to make かきあげ　kakiage (fried assorted veggie and/or seafood patty) with the remaining batter but failed miserably...if you have tips on that, I would glad to receive them!

Saturday night dinner at home

This was dinner Saturday night...we had 100% soba noodles from Hiro's mom...they were heavenly. 100% soba noodles, just the thought of them, makes my mouth water in delight. Dessert was light since dinner was super heavy.

• Salad: betacarotene packed red and yellow bell peppers, cucumber, shredded Japanese radish, topped with Japanese-flavored dressing
• Tempura: shitake mushroom, まいたけoyster mushrooms, いんげんgreen string beans (three held together with a piece of unagi nori), Japanese pumpkin, 山うどyama-udo some strange mountain root, enoki mushrooms (hmm, not recommended), little green peppers
• Shrimp fry: shrimp and bread flakes (unlike tempura batter, very coarse bread crumbs are used)
• Kinpira 山うど：fried julienned carrots and yama-udo, flavored with mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sugar, and Japanese sake.
• Spinach soup: spinach, あぶらげ fried tofu, Japanese radish, bonito and seaweed broth, soy sauce
• Soba noodles: topped with seaweed and dipped into a light soy sauce/fish broth sauce with grated Japanese radish, chopped scallions, and finely chopped Japanese leeks!
• Kiwi: au natural!

not French toast this time -_-

These are the crepes we made in class. They are incredibly easy to make, in fact...owed to a recipe which is flawless and churns out puuuurfect crepes each and every time!!!

Moe, the name of my student (get this: his mom named him after the champagne, Moet and Chandon) really enjoyed making crepes. Usually his grandmother and mom cook at home so he has few chances to experiment.

Topped off with ice cream, chocolate, fruit sauce and more...hmm class ended well. What an extremely reinforcing English lesson. In the past I used a textbook to teach Moe but he often found it boring and could not apply it to real life situations.

Is that the price to rent an island for a day?!

This is the latest quote I got for our Tahiti honeymoon. The following was what she wrote, ad verbatim.

Sorry it has taken so long for me to get your quote for Tahiti together.
The prices I am coming up with are as follows: $36856 per person/double occupancy

Holy moly...more than just sticker shock, I practically fainted after I saw this one! Anyway I wrote her back, asking her to clarify the numbers and she wrote back apologetically, saying she meant to write 3686$/person. Phew...what a relief!

beans and coffee? match made in heaven or hell...

This is an azuki bean cafe latte. I had it during our usual lesson at Backyard Cafe. Rich coffee with azuki beans and topped off with foamy dairy delight. The taste? I still cannot accurately review it because my thoughts are still up in the air.

The top was frothy, foamy milk, which was sinfully fluffy and delicious...the bottom was very strong, like an espresso shot (probably was!) and eating the little remaining morsels of beans after having finished the drink was entertaining.

I wonder if Starbucks will experiment with such a beverage one day. They have already started the 抹茶, green tea Frappucino which proved widely successful last summer. How about the azuki bean Frappucino? Ewww, it doesn't have a very appealing ring to it. Maybe it's a no go. Does someone feel compelled to write Starbucks about it?

French toast, again?!

Thursday morning breakfast. Call it the French toast phase...I've had it three times for breakfast this week alone - oOoo.

This time it tastes better than it looks. I used extra thick bread coated with a batter made of rich jersey milk and an egg. I cut out some egg yolk to reduce the cholesterol and keep it from being any unhealthier than necessary. The dish is topped off with fresh strawberries drizzled with chocolate sauce and salmonberry syrup. Going along with the French theme, "bon apetit!"

Korean, Japanese or Chinese??? Culinary confusion.

Last night's dinner...this is Vivian's fusion ishiyaki bibimba, stone-cooked rice dish. It is traditionally Korean and uses a lot of spicy bean paste but I gave it a Japanese twist. Grilled eel, soybeans, Japanese radish, carrots, bean sprouts, and green onions.

Soup (not pictured) was a spicy chicken chigae with 野菜　たっぷり, an explosion of vegetables...bean sprouts, carrots, Japanese radish, Japanese leeks, red pepper, oyster mushroom, shitake mushroom and more that I cannot remember.

Pictured to the right is Chinese jellyfish salad...back in Toronto I bought the ready-made, just mix-and-eat pouch of jellyfish. This was the first time for me to make a jellyfish dish from scratch! Very exciting moment in my cooking 'career.'

健康 kenkou, health socks

These are my new socks...aren't they wild? It has become trendy to wear such 5-toed socks. They are reportedly better for one's health because they stimulate the area between the toes, much like a micro-massage. Mmm, nothing like a good foot massage.

The upside: better circulation, are said to prevent athlete's foot
The downside: colder feet (think gloves vs. mittens!)

The REAL reason why I bought these, the long version. I wore the 健康 massage sandals given to me by Hirotsugu and found out I was no longer accustomed to wearing them for extended (>15 minutes) periods of time like I had done last summer. 30-minutes later I started to feel immense pain on the soles of my feet. In the distance, I saw my oasis...a dollar shop with TONS of socks. I went right in, bought some and slipped them on my feet. Ahhh, nothing like socks to make one's day! I don't know if these dollar-socks will hold up well...I will report back after a few washings.

something fishy about this fish...

Meet the new shop in town, a local 'fish' shop. Not the kind that emits odoriferous fishy smells, but in fact emits a cloyingly sweet smell into the air. It is made of a pancake/waffle-like batter and filled with various fillings.

This particular one has a custard filling, but, the more traditional filling is あんこ, red bean paste. They even had a savory Okonomiyaki (as-you-like-it pancake)-flavoured one.

I found this shop's fish a bit too doughy and the filling was kind of cheap tasting. I think I'll spend my 130-yen elsewhere, like the new homemade yogurt shop I discovered at LaLa Garden Mall! This morning we had 桜あんこ　yogurt, cherry blossom flowers and red beans in yogurt! Delicious! At 190-yen/100 grams it was pricey but worth the occasion.

blueberry french toast

Tuesday morning breakfast...hmm, blueberries galore...juicy, plump, and organic! It is interesting that frozen organic blueberries are cheaper than regular fresh ones. Just to let you know, it LOOKed better than it actually tasted...go figure (やっぱり）.

Recently I learnt that Mondays are 40% off frozen food days at the local supermarket. Meaning, I just recently realized I have been suckered the other 6 days of the week when they really hike up the prices!

Sunday lunch in Takezono...healthy cafe

This is a sweet, very child-friendly cafe in Takezono. The name of the places escapes me, Le 'Ange or something like that. It serves food which is good for the mind, body, and soul. They use fresh vegetables and often organic ones grown from their garden, or so I would like to think so! Hee hee.

The dish on the left is what Kazue ordered, a Brazilian bean and rice dish. Mine is the one on the right, a plate with various foods: cabbage rollup, au gratin potato and mushroom, lotus root, mashed potatoes, veggies, kale covered with seasoned tofu, and more. A little bit of everything, just the way I like it.

Dessert was fantastic, a blueberry caramel custard pie garnished with plenty of fresh fruits! I am sure this particular dessert was not the healthiest but umm, sinfully tasty.

priest my @#&%!!!

WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST; Confessions of a priest . . . sort of
By THOMAS DILLON (from the Japan Times)

Meet "Father Smith" -- silver hair, gentle smile and a voice so mellow that it flows with a grace from beyond. Maybe there is a God and maybe there isn't, but when you're with Father Smith, you tend to believe that maybe there is.

There's just one thing. He's as phony as hell. "I'm an English teacher," he says. "I marry people at a hotel chapel on weekends. I wear the robes, a cross, the whole nine yards. Nobody knows. And nobody cares." He smiles his smile. "Except for maybe me."

It's show time! The No. 1 job for Westerners in Japan is certainly language teaching. But No. 2? Here's a guess -- it might be "acting." The curtain rises at wedding halls and hotel chapels all across the land on each Saturday and Sunday, and most holidays too.

The "gaijin" performer on center stage is sometimes a legitimate man of the cloth, but more than often he is not. He's just a regular Joe out to pull in some extra yen by playing a minister at a fancy Japanese wedding.
________________________________________________________________
This is TRUE. Most co-called ministers are nothing more than ESL teachers making a quick buck on the side. One acquaintance of mine, an agnostic guy, did it in Tokyo on the weekend. What a total SHAM, I think.

When we were talking about which wedding house to go with, I went as far as to bluntly ask the staff if the minister at their facility was a fake. Did he have a certificate? A real one or one attained at a weekend crash course, 'becoming a minister 101?' Was he Japanese or Caucasian?

For the minister to 'fit' the Western Christian image, he must be Caucasian. That perfect Christian wedding, that they try so hard to recreate here in the fake stain-glass adorned churchs (made specifically for wedding and nothing but weddings!), is a booming industry here.

Real minister and Japanese vs. fake minister and Caucasian. Do you even have to ask me which I'd prefer? The real minister of course. I grew up a Catholic, converted into a non-denominational Christian...I am by no means intensely religious or excessively devote, but this is something serious, this is marriage I am talking about! Something sacred to me and hopefully to others regardless of religious background.

Some say marriage is an institution. As that may be, it is an institution which I firmly believe in. It is proven that those (in their later years) who are married are healthier than those who are not. I think it has something to do with supporting one another mentally, physically, and spiritually along the path of life. (on the other hand, an unhealthy marriage is said to lead to a shorter life) Your thoughts?

hmm, harder than ordering pizza

Have you ever ordered pizza in a foreign country? How about Japan? The good thing about it is you do not have to give tip...but inevitably, I feel a bit guilty for the driver coming out to deliver my super small pizza, and end up giving a small tip anyway.

The first time (and last time) I ordered pizza, I was very confused...it was two years ago when I could hardly get around with my Japanese. At first I called PizzaHut, thinking that unlike the PizzaHut in the West, the Japanese one actually delivers...10 minutes and a much confusing "aroo" conversation later, I realized they do not deliver after all.

Finally I went through the chain store, Pizza-La. I ordered a pineapple, ham, corn "Hawaiian" pizza with disgusting amounts of mayo drizzled all over top. (God knows why, Japanese pizza has LOADS of mayo on it) The pizza was considered "M" size but would be considered "XS" by Western standards.

So, moving on to this week's order. I wanted to order organic strawberries for Hiro's grandmother - it is her 88th birthday, a very significant event in a Japanese person's life, much like the 90th birthday celebration in Chinese culture. They invited me to birthday brunch but I could not make it so I got the strawberries instead. This was trickier than pizza, for the following reasons: 1) I have never ordered strawberries, even back home 2) I had to give them her address in Japanese, a very confusing address it was! 3) the woman could not hear me well so I had to holler into the receiver 4) I had to make sure the bill did not go to his grandma's address 5) I had to give my address and number, too.

All went well, she got the strawberries and hopefully I'll soon get the bill in the mail... I'm not very confident on that one, but anyway...time will tell.

my new penpal

I seem to have a new メル友 (penpal) these days. Hiro's mom, Hideko-san, really loves having a cellphone and often uses to to e-mail her friends and now, me! So I have to write back in Japanese...a short few sentences which easily takes an hour to write. Now I know how my poor students feel when they have to write me.

This is a picture of her darling Yorkshire Terrier, 小夏ちゃん (Ko-natsu), which means small summer in English. I affectionately call her Ko-Ko-Nuts, but I am not sure her owner, Hideko, likes it... Konatsu is more reliable than any electronic alarm clock - but I suppose not everyone is keen on being woken up by slimy affectionate kisses...er, that is, from a dog!

HA-chew!!!

Achoo, achoo, achoo. This is a picture of 'sugi no ki,' Japanese cedar - the awful culprit of my recent nasal congestion and more. For the longest time I could not figure out my recent malaise - a cold, some mysterious disease, or fatigue.

Since last Thursday, I have become a newly inagurated (sp?) member of the hay fever sufferers club. I had been so caught up worried about Hiro's severe allergies that I did not realize it was creeping up on me! I bought Hiro tons of special kampo (Chinese herbal medicine) but none for myself...so I have to buy some for me, how sadly unexpected.

The good thing: since Hiro had serious hay fever, I know all about it. The bad thing: now I am not only the sympathizer but also the sufferer. Secretly Hiro is very pleased about this, I am sure...we can suffer in misery. As they say, misery loves company. How true it is!

Hyped about Skype!

Skype. Better than MSN chat. For me, I can say goodbye to pricey calls to Taiwan and the States...now I have even less excuse to slack off keeping in touch w/friends and family. My mom and I often keep updated via Skype now. It's fantabulous.

I expect my dad and brother will sign up soon, too. I kept in touch w/my dad only about once a year by phone because it costs soooo much for just one minute. The rest of the time we just e-mailed. Last year November we chatted, it had been so long since I last heard his voice that I could hardly keep back the tears of joy.

This service is by far the best I have ever used. There is only a slight echo (delay) and it is so clear that one is almost led to believe that they are in the same room! If you have family or friends overseas this is definitely something to look into. Calls made from Skype users to Skype users are free; Call made from Skype users to landline owners can be made for a minimum charge.

dreamland...few days back

Holy language confusion...I was talking in Spanish, but very poor Spanish, then suddenly I was back in Japan telling a new acquaintence, "waaaa, sono mijikai toki nihongo sonnani jouzu ni dekimasuka?"....meaning "ohhh, you can improve your Japanese in so little time?" Then I said, "watashi mo gambarimasune..." meaning, "I should really go for it, too."

This is good dreaming in Japanese...I have no idea if the grammar is right or even if it makes sense but definitely a good sign that my brain is starting to think in Japanese. The good thing about learning Japanese is that it is easier to "think" in Japanese rather than defaulting to English when stuck. When I learnt Spanish, I could never fully switch into Spanish-thinking because the languages are so similar, it was too easy to keep the mind in English-mode. Japanese is so distinct from English that it is relatively hard to confuse it with English.

The best part of my dream was being an invited guest to an elite official's ball. There was some scotch, two kinds...Hiro and I drank both...the scotch was sweet like honey, smooth, and strong. Why can't things like that happen in real life? Hmm, perhaps a premonition of things to come? ha ha, in a million years maybe!

bonkers for bananas

Have you ever wondered why bananas, as we know them, are yellow? We have all kinds of apples, so many varieties that one can hardly count...Granny apples, Fuji and Gala apples, Jonathan, Golden and Red Delicious...the list goes on.

This got me thinking, why are we limited to only one variety of bananas? The yellow kind we always see in stores. I think it's banana season in Ecuador or somewhere because my local supermarket is carrying all sorts of bananas for ridiculously low prices. Baby bananas...with a vanilla fragrant honey-like taste...and these red bananas which have a hint of strawberry taste! It's great. Some bananas I ate in Honduras once tasted like green apples...it was scrumptious.

I wonder how one standard variety becomes the global standard. Maybe it is the taste preferred by the vast majority? The same could be said for potatoes, and any other fruit or vegetable...I remember seeing a TV show back in Canada about blue potatoes and candy-cane striped potatoes - wouldn't that wild to have blue or striped french fries?

shed like a dog...

I'll be the first to admit that I shed like a dog...my hair is everywhere. It is tiresome to wash the floors every day and sweep just for my hairs, so I have decided to take a new approach.

I got the idea from a TV drama I saw here...use a sticky roller! The roller is used for lint on clothes but I have found that it is quite effective at picking up other unwanted particles, too! It is a great way to clean my tatami without using a vacuum. So my tape roller and a damp warm cloth is all that I need.

Tomoko H. tells me that this is called ころころ, koro-koro...an onomatopoeia phrase for the action that a roller makes.

functional chocolate???

Amino acids are also already popular in Asia and many people can actually name the particular benefits of specific amino acids now commonly seen in food and drink products.

A recent example in Japan is GABA chocolate, which was launched by Ezaki Glico, a 'relaxation-inducing' chocolate for busy people working in stressful environments. My student Atsuko pointed it out to me...I'll have to give it a try one day. I'll report back on it.

Another such example of functional choco...today my new student, Naoko, gave me some 72% cacao Meiji chocolate, with a chock full of polyphenols...you know, the stuff in red wine. This is quite bitter and similar to the Swiss-chocolate maker, Lindt's 70% bitter chocolates. (but much cheaper, of course) Mmm, chocolately tasty.

key to happiness lies in attitude

Attitude is indeed contagious...also, when one gets depressed, it is easy to get more and more depressed...like a vicious cycle. People around the person also feel pulled down by their feelings.

Everyone has their moody moments or days when they feel unexplicably sad. Despite my best to stay cheerful, I too have my 'down in the dump' moments, as do we all.

Tips to stay positive:

• make lists of things for which you're grateful in your life
• practice random acts of kindness
• forgive your enemies
• notice life's small pleasures
• take care of your health
• practice positive thinking
• invest time and energy into friendships and family

I recently heard about some research done at...(perhaps the University of Colorado?) on happiness. They said that material goods do not bring us as much happiness as an experience does. I agree that buying something only brings us temporary pleasure whereas some experience gives us more lasting pleasure. (with the exception of some things...like my rice cooker which I love so dearly...or my new Ukiyoe painting which makes me happy every time I see it)

So instead of buying that expensive new designer XXX-item that you wanted, go on a daytrip or something instead! The memories are ever-lasting and you can relive the nice moment over and over again.

Western-style brekkie, again

This was today's breakfast:
- plain yogurt with fruit compote
- french toast
- fresh kiwi, pineapple, and red peppers
- herb sausage links
- zucchini, onion, tomato herb fry

Breakfast. It's a great way to start out your day. Don't miss out on it!

Josh's farewell party

Josh, my former colleague way back in the day at AEON, is finally heading home...and this time, it seems, for good. He once mentioned that Japan is nice for a good few years, but there just comes a time when ya gotta pack up and go back. Last night was his farewell party with the Sumi-rin team.

He's been a great friend, motivator, supporter, and teacher and I am sure he'll be missed by all. When things got too serious, he got us all laughing again and if that didn't work, he'd buy ya a beer to make it all better. ~_~ Anyway the best of luck to him back in the Stateside!

Ooo, breakfast!

Breakfast today...
Natto cheese English muffin (garnished with parsley)
Salad (celery, cucumber, red pepper, tomato)
Pina Colada coffee (compliments of my father in Honduras)
100% grapefruit juice

I really really liked the natto cheese English muffin combo...toasted and cheese oozing all over...hmm, it was a culinary delight. Hiro, on the other hand, said he wouldn't care to eat it again. Yeah, more for me...tee hee.