pill popping...not always a bad thing

This is my 'medicine' cabinet, compliments MJ Health, the company my mom works for in Taiwan. None of them are real medicine, just supplements for improved health. I have noticed a big difference in my body chemistry after having taken them all. My body has more energy and seems to run smoother as if it was a newly tuned up engine!

I highly recommend spirulina pollen - good for those who want to gain or lose weight! Monacolin K (which is a kind of Chinese medicine) to reduce cholesterol the natural way. I cannot find much published information on it since it is more of an Eastern remedy to high cholesterol

lots of happiness = poverty? just read and see

This is a wedding present I am preparing for my dear 'brother' Lewis, who will get married this Saturday at the New Otani in Tokyo. Wowow, for those of you who don't know, it is an especially classy hotel known for its excellent service and cuisine.

The good thing about wedding presents in Japan is that you don't have to buy them, the downside is that instead, you will give the couple an 'obligatory' 30,000yen, approximately 300 dollars. Basically that 300 dollars will help the couple break even with their wedding costs, however, I have a feeling my friend's wedding will cost 500 a head since it is at such a ritzy hotel. His superiors may give more, being his superiors and all...but the catch is, his boss is allowed to make a very dull and long speech at the reception.

The bills should be crisp and new and if you plan on giving more, like 40000 yen, you must not give four bills...four is very inauspicious! So you must give 3 -10,000yen bills and 2-5,000yen bills, bringing the total number of bills up to 5. The red envelope is so cute and fancy, used to hold the money after you have secured it in a small white envelope. Then I selected the appropriate white message slip to put in the centre. One should never buy the fancy black/white envelope, which is actually used when presenting cash for funerals!

This will be my second wedding in Japan! I have many more weddings this year, so I will be 寿びんぼ, which means broke from all the happy occasions! If you figure, each wedding at a few hundred each, you'd be broke too! My former colleague Hiroko told me she had too many weddings to attend so I told her I would invite her to my after party, instead. She looked somewhat relieved - ha ha.

butter-what?

This is ふき, butterbur, a common Japanese food...then again, let me rephrase that. A typical Japanese food for the older generations. It seems that it has gone down in popularity among younger generations. This can be attributed to its: slightly bitter taste, tedious preparation method, and fibrous texture.

The good thing about this - it improves digestion, gives one all the fiber one can imagine, and is sure to have plenty of essential vitamins.

I bought some at the supermarket the other day as it was on sale for 100yen, approx a dollar. I offered my student half of it since the whole thing was too much for me, living alone and all. She insisted I keep it all for myself. She finds it a hassle and did not want to bother preparing it and more importantly, her children dislike eating it! Eeks, even this professional housewife found butterbur troublesome, what a surprise!

Anyway I boiled it, peeled it, and simmered it in typical Japanese 'nimono' broth. It turned out well, I was surprised. The good thing about making it at home versus buying it pre-made at the store is that the homemade version has a firmer and crispier texture, which I enjoy.

we can only help those who want to be helped

Too often I tried to help others but failed to realize that only they can help themselves. Whether it be alcoholics, depressed people, those unable to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, people overweight and down in the dumps about it. No matter how much we try to help, ultimately it is up to them to change. People have to WANT to change - otherwise no amount of pressure, encouragement, or aid will affect them.

One of my students really wants to change, so I am willing to help him. He told me what he wanted to change and we came up with a 'game plan' to help him achieve just that. It is great - each week he comes back, reporting what progress he has or has not made. It is impressive seeing him take charge and make the changes he wants in his life! I have made it a resolution to only help those who really want it, otherwise I feel like it is a waste of energy and they might feel unnecessarily pressured from my 'good will.'

gotcha!

It is really hard to catch any flying insect on my cellphone camera, yet the nearly impossible was possible! This one is not particularly flashy or attractive but just reminded me of how magical nature is.

So today I leave you not with 'wake up and smell the flowers' but instead with 'wake up and chase the fluttering butterflies and moths or whatever insect you might fancy.'

luxury curry dinner?

How do you make curry luxurious? Accompany it with crab miso soup! Hirotsugu made curry rice, his designated specialty...I told him from now on it was up to him, since he is better at making it than me. Curry rice is nostalgic for me - my mother often made it when I was a child...in fact, I always figured it was a kind of Chinese food! He makes it with sliced pork because that is his family style...mine usually uses dark-meat chicken, my family style. Hiro is even brand loyal, preferring the S&B curry blend. As for me, I just buy whatever curry roux is on sale.

Curry roux, blocks of curry powder mixed up with other sorts of things to form a mass...is used to thicken up and impart curry flavor on your dish at the last stage. I can be bought at any Asian superstore but is, if I recall, quite pricey in the States. It is rather cheap here, at less than 2 dollars per jumbo pack. It is the easiest way to make curry...making it from scratch, from powder is great and all...however just a wee bit more time consuming! Many housewives recommend putting in some cocoa or coffee powder (into curry) to give it more oomph, providing the flavor with more depth than usual.

Crab miso soup is really deep in flavor and bursting of savory seafood essence. I recommend trying it today! Just use regular miso paste, dump in fresh crab (scrubbed well) and garnish with scallions! Voila, finished...easy but delicious.

the beach and more!

We went to one of my favorite destinations in all of Ibaraki, Oarai!!! The picture to the left is o-toro, fatty tuna sushi...on a conveyer belt. We went to conveyer belt sushi again, however, this stuff is all premium sushi - because it is located in the fish market, everything is fresh and reasonably priced!

The middle picture is a pic of a manhole from the Nakaminato fish market. Nice, isn't it? A few people gave me odd looks while I took it but as usual, I did not mind. Something about my odd mannerism (wreaks of being a foreigner) turns people's heads around to stare at me. Ha ha. I don't know how to change it and bah, don't particularly care!

The last pic is of discarded oyster shells...people can eat raw oysters straight from the shell. Tempting but I have had my bouts of norovirus from it and preferred not to chance it.

Oarai was nice - the ocean was really dirty but it was pleasant to smell the salty sea air and hear the roaring waves crash along the coast. After that we went to a hot spring near Mito...I bathed in a rotemburo, an outdoor hot spring full of Victorian-age-like voluptuous ladies joking about their 3-dan (3 layer like stairs) bellies. What a riot it was. I felt asleep on and off in the bath...ahhh, paradise in a Japanese garden.

breakfast and pills, pills, pills

Saturday morning breakfast...nothing to rave about. :) Toast with luscious 100% blueberry jam (ohhhh it was heavenly), creamy yogurt, salad, and coffee.

Finished off with: calcium pills, cholesterol Monacolin K supplement, turtle-all life, and be-young life pills. Japanese people do not seem to pop pills, I mean supplements, as much as their Western counterparts. Hmm...it seems that they prefer to ingest nutrients from natural sources - in the foods and drinks itself, which is why functional food is all the rage here. Basically they are just supplement within food.

cafe time Saturday

Wow, notice how cafe lighting really affects the quality of pictures! The two on the left were taken at a cafe. Yummy cheesecake (so much for cutting our cholesterol) and a strawberry milk drink. I fell in love with strawberry milk a few months ago...real sweetened and pureed strawberries mixed up with fresh milk! A striking combination.

The last picture is taken from out 'international women's night.' Andrea made this cafe latte (sugar, milk, instant java crystals) for me - it was delightful. The little coffee crystals produced a mesmerizing pattern on the surface. Oooh, coffee swirls are to die for. Perhaps it is just me who gets so excited about it? Don't you feel just a little happier seeing designs in your drinks?

not 'good for nothing' after all!

You remember in your school days when you used to learn about seemingly worthless things like geometry, chemistry, quantum physics, Catalan culture, and so on? Well, you might not know it now, but perhaps one day in your not so distant future you'll actually use that (hopefully) acquired information.

I cannot tell you how useful it has been to have a background in biology (my minor at U of T) and science. I am often called on to correct scientific journal submissions or help edit technical presentations...all that 'worthless' stuff I learned comes quite in handy now. I have even found my background in East Asian Studies particularly helpful in adapting to Asian life.

I did not want to bother learning Spanish (back in my HS days) but now I have two half-siblings who will likely grow up only knowing how to speak Spanish! I have even used Spanish to communicate with a fellow traveler whom I met in Seoul!

So the next time you learn something pointless, you might want to think twice! Your years of education is for something, not just a slip of paper! Doesn't that make you feel much better now? That is the most exhilarating thing about life - one always learns...the more one amasses, the more one can appreciate things! Whether it be via books, travel, friendships...learning is such a great thing in life.

dinner...quicky quicky stir-fry night

The centerpiece is a vase of gerbers, one of my favorite flowers due to their ability to uplift my spirits! There vivid, bold colours invigorate me and energize me for another day of life! I gave a few of my students some gerbers...women love to receive flowers! Strange that more Japanese men are not aware of this. I try to encourage all the married male students I have to present their wives with flowers for no occasion. The key element of surprise makes it even better, don't you think?

Dinner was Chinese food a la Vivian mode. Hmm...Buddha's delight vegetable dish and vegetarian MaPo (hot and spicy) tofu! I put frozen mixed veggies in the mapo tofu dish, something Hiro thinks is so weird. Instead of using meat, I used TVP, textured vegetable protein...tasted all the same to me. To compensate for no meat, I used half a cube of chicken bouillon.

some O2 for you?

This canned O2 has been around for ages, but only recently popularized. It is being sold all throughout convenience stores. I believe sales started early this month? Hmm, not sure.

It comes in mint and grapefruit scent and is supposed to give one a boost! I used a plain scented one going up Mount Fuji but did not detect any significant difference.

scary...yet hypnotic

Lightning is one of the strangest things around, I think. It is so scary all-the-while mesmerizing and magical! A favorite childhood pastime of mine: sitting on the swing bench outside, staring at lightning and listening to rumbling thunder.

The other day I was shocked by lightning - only mildly so. Lightning struck the tip of my umbrella while I was riding my bike home. Ouch! I quickly folded up the umbrella and rode home, arriving thoroughly soaked through from head to toe.

Today I warned my junior high school students of the hazards of both holding an umbrella (esp. one with a steel tip) and waiting out a storm under a tree. They got my drift and seemed to laugh at my having been electrocuted. Hmm, funny how kids always laugh at my gaffes.

what beauts, aren't they?

Aren't they just stunning looking beauties? For those of you who do not know, this is from the Miss Tiffany's Universe contest. It is the first time I had heard about it, so I don't expect you to have heard of it either.

In any case, just before you get the wrong idea, let me tell you one small details about their past. They were all former men but have undergone various hormone treatments and other sorts of therapy to become a woman.

I saw many transvestite shows in Thailand. They are amusing but I was very much turned off by how greedy the ladies were. They wanted to receive money before they agreed to pose in a picture with us. I suppose that should not matter much - such people usually die in their 40's to 50's to ODing on hormones.

How sad, indeed. Would you give up more than 5 years of your life just to look a little more attractive? Surprisingly some people said they would agree to live a less prolonged life for weight loss. Interesting.

only in Japan

Oh my goodness - I could not believe my eyes when I saw this! A box of cherries packed like a box of chocolates. This small box originally costs 10 dollars but seemed less-than-fresh and was discounted half-price. These cherries are sweet and tarter than their American cousins. Strangely enough, American imported cherries are cheaper than Japanese ones! I cannot wait for cherry season!!!

pics from Yokohama's sidewalks

On Sunday we went to Yokohama to listen to Hirotsugu's concert. First we browsed around Motomachi before stopping at Shofukumon restaurant in Chinatown. We got there at 10:45 but the doors did not open until 11am - already there was a lineup! There is an all-you-can-eat dim sum special for about 25 dollars...which explains the big lineup. Dim sum is expensive in Japan, with dishes ranging from 500-800 yen (5-7 USD) a plate! In the States, namely Oakland, we were lucky to be in the midst of dim sum price wars - each plate on average, was 1.50! It was tasty...we had a total of 27 out of the 35 items on the menu. Stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey we were!!!

The concert was delightful - while listening to the show, I often like to observe and analyze people's personalities based on their facial features and body language. It is one of my side hobbies, hee hee. I noticed the guest violin player was wearing a ring on both hands, something very unique for a string player. Most musicians avoid wearing rings in order not to sustain any instrument damage.

sweet potato crackers

The ladies in my knitting club often bring unique snacks for everyone to munch on. Usually they bring some sort of rice crackers, however the other day Iwasaki-san brought sliced sweet potatoes baked/fried and coated in tons of sugar. It was nice and crispy but a wee on the sweet side, even for me! Do you know imo senbei?

parfait magic at Astrolounge and NONcafe

So much for keeping my indulgence in moderation. I suppose going to cafes from time to time to satisfy one's sweet tooth is not such a bad thing after all? Parfaits are a tricky art - according to my friend Tammy, it has to be made so that the ice cream does not melt easily yet made so that it is still pleasing to the eye.

fate or coincidence?

I think in life, sometimes things are timed so precisely that we cannot help but wonder if it was fate or sheer coincidence... Today I met up with a man who wants to learn English but only reading and writing...and not speaking or listening. ??? Confused yet? In his e-mail he wrote that he is deaf...I was not sure if he really meant deaf or if he'd looked up and used the wrong word from the dictionary. Sure enough, he was really deaf but looked like and acted like any other person I'd met in Japan. I was pleased with his gentle, amiable character and was impressed with the fact that he'd like to teach foreigners sign-language in the future. He's taking various courses on sign language in his free time.

After this meeting, I heard things I had never heard before. No, not voices from above, silly. I mean, I had a renewed appreciation of sound...cars whizzing by enchanted me, splashes from puddles formed by rain mesmerized me. My ears were burning like never before. All those beautiful things - laughter, squeals, and other human utterances could only be heard in a faint distorted way. Though if one could chose to lose either sight or hearing, I'd pick hearing.

Tomorrow when I go to Hirotsugu's concert, my ears will listen and I will feel very alive. Unlike any past concerts I'd attended, I shall soak up the vibes and tunes with all my heart and soul. It is so true that we often forget to be thankful for blessings we so often consider 'basic' 5 (or arguably 6) senses. How lucky that I met this man today, otherwise I would not be able to appreciate tomorrow's performance to the fullest.

fingerprinting the aliens

I wish Japan would start being a little more PC than it is now. Sure I don't think 100% PC-ness is necessary but calling foreigners aliens? C'mon now...what is wrong with using a phrase as simple as 'non-citizen?'

Anyway Japan will soon be fingerprinting and photographing all of its foreign residents, excluding some permanent residents and so on. This is, in effect, a law enacted to prevent terrorists from having free access to/from Japan and curb criminals from the Koreas or China.

Some people consider it racist and xenophobic. As for me, I don't particularly like this law because I feel like it is an invasion of privacy, however, if it will deter criminals and terrorists from causing problems, I'm all for it. After all, the States already fingerprints and photographs foreigners.

塗り物 bowls for our new place!

Pair bowls for Hiro and I! One is the one pictured, the other is the same but a reversed color scheme.

I got these from a wonderful student...the reason why I got them was very 'Japanese.' A week earlier I had given her some supplements to help her with some knee pain she was experiencing. She insisted on giving me something for it but I refused. Instead she got me these wonderful pieces of Japanese ware, a.k.a. Japanese lacquer ware. Making real lacquerware is a laborious process, therefore it is considered luxury item.

Over the years I have learned about Japanese gift etiquette - it is definitely more formal than that back home! For one thing, regifting is a big (exclamation!) no-no here. Gifts are expected to be in the original packaging, in the original store bag.

non-oily breakfast

Sample breakfast, again:
- avocado and sashimi konnyaku with wasabi soy sauce
- fresh baby strawberries
- quinoa, barley-packed rice
- spinach miso soup
- steamed o-hitashi chrysanthemum

Hmm, needs more protein, I think...

gimme a break, gimme a break!

Check out this entry on Kit Kat, you won't believe how many variations there are of it out there. I don't know why, but the States and Canada seems to have less varieties than other countries out there. I wonder why - perhaps it is an indication of a more competitive chocolate market in other nations?

Hirotsugu-san was so kind that not only did he bring back raisin sandos, but also some Hokkaido chocolate! They (Exotic Hokkaido) are cheese and jersey-milk flavored with bits of blueberry and passionfruit filling. :)

oh no!

One of the best things about being somewhat proficient in Japanese is that I can now order various products and services via internet or phone. I am still a bit reluctant in ordering via online forms, for fear of making a big mistake and either end up with a) the wrong product or b) an unexpected astronomical bill!

Today I ordered, for the first time, some skincare goods from DHC. The salespeople made the experience quite easy and I could even chose the delivery date/time...that and I had a choice to pay by c.o.d. or by credit card. How convenient! When ordering by phone or web, you can even choose two samples to have sent to you - on top of that, one gets a 4% (or something like that, I couldn't quite catch it) discount! Over 3000yen, similar to Amazon.co.jp, your shipping is free!

This can be a problem, I think...things are: easier to buy = buy more and much more often!

fateful Mother's Day 2005

Last year we ordered some flowers for my mother and grandmother in Taiwan. I don't remember how I did it, I think I did it via internet form. Either way, the florist messed up big time - not only did the fools get the address wrong (6 ~~ Road instead of 66 ~~ Road) but they even managed to botch up the phone number. That means if they could not deliver the flowers, they did not even have any way to contact the recipients by phone!

As fate would have it, my mom was playing mah-jong at her friend's house that mother's day. My mom usually plays in the basement of her friend's house but that day they played on the first floor at 6 ~~ Road. The doorbell rang, my mom's friend's daughter answered the door and promptly returned, saying it was the wrong address for a flower delivery with the recipient being Hua. My mom said, 'wait...I think that is mine!' Her friends, unconvinced, all laughed and told her there was no way it could be hers. My mom told the daughter to chase after the delivery man...sure enough, they were the flowers we sent to her!!!

How funny fate is. At times like this, I think someone up there is really smiling down and giving me a helping hand. Maybe grandpa Hua, making sure his little girl got her Mother's Day flowers. Anyway, I hope her flowers looked as nice as this (see pic), it is what I imagined they looked like.

Happy belated mother's day to the mothers out there!

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. Hiro spent the whole day at rehearsal for the upcoming concert while I spent the day with his mom. It was funny to hear her talk about his childhood and stories about his father. At night we went out for sushi and went for a spin around his old neighbourhood. It was interesting to see his former house and neighbourhood.

I picked out a bouquet (much like this one pictured) for his mom. I like it when I can go to the florist and order an arrangement perfectly suited to my finicky taste. I ordered a bouquet for my grandma in California, as I do every year...but she never mentioned much about whether or not if it is beautiful. Hmm, so it must have been ugly or small??? So this year I went through another florist and threw down more cash to make it bigger, after all...the Chinese perspective is: the bigger, the better.

For some reason Japanese people love to give their moms red carnations on Mother's Day. It was said to have come from Western tradition - hmm, is that so? As far as I can remember, carnations are considered the 'cheap' びんぼ　くさい flower back home...hardly worthy of being given to someone. Though it is a pity - carnations smell nice, last a heck of a lot longer than roses, and are durable. (don't get smashed on transit) Anyway I don't mind carnations, gimme gimme gimme...hee hee.

Did Hiro pass or fail the parental standards?

I forgot to mention, Hiro got the 'pass' card from my mom and grandma in Taiwan. My grandma especially liked the ukiyoe he got her and liked his gentle disposition. I was surprised that she was so open-minded, with him being Japanese and all but over the years, the bitterness and resentment in her heart against Japanese has waned. It is so good to see when people see someone as a person and not their race. I want to be seen as Vivian, not the ABC, American-born Chinese (or more precisely, Taiwanese) girl.

My mom was impressed that Hiro could put up with my at times infantile behavior, and was also pleased to see that I had found such a mature and patient man to take care of me. It meant a lot to see that my mom respected my choice and did not doubt my ability to choose a good life partner. Perhaps a few years ago I had less than impressive judgement when it came to men, but I hope to think I have come a long way.

My grandma in California still doubts my choice, even after she met Hiro, and I am hurt by that. She still gives in to the stereotypes, thinking that most Japanese men are perverted, pedophilic, domineering workaholics who do not give a damn about family. Just to make it clear, our town, Tsukuba, is home to some of the most attentive fathers in Japan. They make family (and not work) priority and are involved in their child's upbringing.

manhole, again!

Andrea was kind enough to take a pic of this for me, a manhole located around the vicinity of the Minami-nagareyama JR station. Thanks Andrea, it is gorgeous! It wakens up the mambo mamba spirit in me, tee hee.

Oh my goodness!

"We're not in an emergency situation yet (over chopsticks), but there has been some impact." China slapped a 5% tax on sales of chopsticks over concerns of deforestation. The move is hitting hard at the Japanese, who consume 25 billion sets of wooden chopsticks a year, about 200 pairs per person. Some 97% of them come from China. (AP)

This has been a hot topic recently...geez, who knew consumption is, on average 200 pairs per person! In the past, I purchased 100 disposable chopsticks for a dollar...the sneaky retailers are keeping prices constant but reducing the number of chopsticks in the package. I wonder why Japan doesn't adopt metal chopsticks like Korea. (though I find those chopsticks unbelievably hard to use...I end up chopping up my food like I am using scissors)

nothing beats 'rum and raisin' like 'butter and raisin!'

"Marusei" butter and raisins sandwich cake, famous cake by Rookatei confectioner.

浩嗣さん (Hiro) brought these back for me from his recent biz trip to Hokkaido. He knows I'm like a child, and can be bought with wonderful sweet things. ^_^

You don't know a good butter and raisin sandwich cookie until you have had one of these babies! I am eating healthier and don't feel a bit guilty indulging in one of these! When you sink your teeth into it, the cookie part softly yields...then your tongue is tickled by the succulent creamy (freshly churned) famous Hokkaido butter! A morsel or two of raisins slips by and ahhhh, ごく楽　ごく楽, heaven seems inches away.

Afterwards you feel satisfied, wanting more but not wanting to spoil the aftertaste of the last one, you abstain from another. This is pure butter at work but unlike 'Double Stuff Oreos,' you won't regret eating this one! They expire on Monday though...like I said, they do use freshly churned butter and don't use additional chemicals or preservatives. I plan to share them w/the knitting club ladies tomorrow.

life without (er, with less) refined carbohydrates

These days I am making a concientious (sp?) effort to eat less refined carbs. In the past, I thought nothing of picking up some cream-filled pastry, flaky fruit tart, melon cookie bread, and the list goes on and on...and on. I never realized how listless they made me feel. In times of stress, we tend to shovel 'comfort foods' into our trap, even though those same comfort foods just end up making us more miserable or heavier.

Some good examples: potato chips, chocolate, pastries, cookies, heavy on the cheese mac& cheese...these delectable treats do give us comfort, until an hour later when our stomach howls and we are depressed from a sugar crash. Now that I have started to limit my consumption of sinful sugary baked goods, I am starting to feel more energetic and upbeat!

Lunch yesterday consisted of an interesting salad, consisting of: light alfredo sauce, smoked salmon, tofu, red tomato, baby yellow-orange tomatoes, wakame seaweed, blanched spinach, and boiled green beans. Strange and awful sounding combo, eh? Nevertheless it was really tasty and satiating! I am cutting down on plain rice, replacing it with more vegetables.

Anyhoo, this is probably very boring for you to read, but I am very excited with all this extra energy vegetables and whole foods give me! Won't you join me? If you have the chance, why don't you pass up the butter slathered bagel for something that's more likely to give your body and mental condition a boost?!

the first day of sun in ages!

Hello my good friend, sun! You are finally here. Being a very weather-affected person, I am very happy that sunshine is back. I could never live in a country without at least a few sunny days each week!

By the way, do you know about May Blues? It is said that many newly hired employees suffer from it in Japan. It arises from reality sinking in, the sudden realization that they have a real job and career ahead of them - no more fun and games...that and right after spring break they suffer from Golden Week withdrawal. All that fun during vacation and back to work.

I don't see where this comes from though. May is still spring, full of hope and beautiful (for the most part) weather. The air is not yet humid and romance is in the air! I hope you are enjoying spring wherever you are, with a fun spring fling or whatnot. By the way, isn't this the most beautiful flower?!

bras make for good billboards, apparently

A model displays Triumph International Japan's bra, called "Stop the birth rate decline", in Tokyo on Wednesday. The bra features embroideries illustrating children supporting elderly women and was created to increase awareness of the issue of serious decline in Japan's population, the company said. (Reuters)

This is perhaps the 5th time I have seen such a 'themed' bra by Triumph. Hmm, leave it to them to advertise on bras. Maybe they are running of of ideas or adspace elsewhere...tee hee.

You wanna die at 40, this is the way to go

If you want to die an early death, eat these in obscene quantities and see what happens:

1. McDonald's French fries, KFC-fare
2. Deep-fried foods, potato chips
3. Margarine and other partially-hydrogenated oil spreads, butter
4. High-fat cream, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream...dairy madness
5. Plenty of fatty red meat
6. Bakery goods (cakes, cookies...you name it!)
7. Prepared foods, processed foods, canned foods, ready-to-eat foods
8. Too many eggs (and egg yolks) though omega-3 enriched eggs are presumably okay in moderation
9. Tropical oils: coconut, palm, etc
10. Fish eggs in large quantities
11. Pasta (too much!) with cream and loaded with sauces
12. Squid, lobster, crab, shrimp (though it is debatable...some claim it contains HDL (good) cholesterol and even contains heart healthy omega-3 acids. Hmm.)

Habits: smoking, gaining too much weight - esp. along the midsection of one's stomach, little or no exercise

Okay so I don't want to live forever, but I want to live long enough to have kids and travel more and continue living life to its fullest! Old habits die hard...giving up my choco a day and cakes and parfaits and more...hmm, maybe I won't do it cold turkey. One day at a time, hmm.

like your mom said, eat your oatmeal!!!

Foods that are good to eat (for people watching their cholesterol levels)

1. OATMEAL, barley, oat bran, unprocessed/unbleached whole grains
2. Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, esp. almonds because they are lower in fat)
3. Broccoli
4. Red, green, orange, yellow bell peppers
5. Papaya
6. Cantaloupe
7. Grapefruit and orange
8. Blueberries (strawberries, any berries)
9. Avocado (in moderation)
10. Salmon and other omega-3 rich fish
11. Spinach
12. Brussel sprouts
13. Eggplant
14. Olive oil
15. Onions and garlic
16. Beans (many kinds)
17. Green tea
18. LOTS OF fiber-packed foods!
19. Red wine, red grapes...tannic foods
20. Tofu and soy products

new neighbor

Aw man, I just got a new neighbor today. There go my noisy parties and loud music! Also one less parking spot. Pity...just when I was really enjoying living here without a neighbor next to and below me. Booo.

Why couldn't he have moved in during the winter to help keep the walls warm and lower my high electricity bills? Ha ha. Anyway I hope he does not turn out to be a weirdo or I'll soon be moving out. Then again I am a bit of a strange character...maybe he'll be the first to move right back out. :)

are you a yo-yo?

This is natto salad, my breakfast today. Since my health checkup, I have taken measures to improve my health (more notably, cut down my bad cholesterol while upping my good cholesterol). I am going to cut back as well as cut out some sweets from my diet. I suppose it does not take a genius to know that some chocolate and cakes/cookies each day will wreck one's health...but seeing it on paper just seems 'that' much more concrete. So I have given up on unhealthy snacking and instead nosh on cut up veggies or fresh fruit. **weep, weep**

Does your weight fluctuate like a yo-yo, up and down with the seasons? Mine does just that and so does the weight of many other female friends I have. I wonder if it is gender-related because fewer men seem to have that yo-yo problem. I hate diets so one could not really blame it on dieting. At any rate, I have resolved to pinpoint my ideal weight and remain that for as long as possible. My father remains the same weight as he was back in his university days - wow, now that is impressive. My boyfriend is also consistent with his weight. I should follow their lead!

spring cleaning, again?!

Phew...very much wiped!

After having come back from Taiwan, I decided to do another major spring cleaning - I get such an urge every once in a while. Keeps the mind clear and maintains good 'feng shui' 風水 in my apartment. :) I used to hate cleaning but now I find it very satisfying, like I have accomplished a great deal...funny how people can change like that!

By the way, since I came back to Japan it has been rather gloomy outside. Blame it on my 雨女, rain girl complex...I heard that spring break weather was gorgeous. On the other hand, Taiwan was cloudy and rainy - hmm, go figure! I certainly do take rain wherever I go - but rain is good, I suppose...it gives life to plenty of things!

I hope you are enjoying tidying up your desk and feeling the good 'clean room' feng shui vibes.

on the way back...

Before we took off, around 6am my grandma prepared a breakfast feast for us, a meal which included the usual departure noodles. In Chinese practice, whenever someone departs for a journey, especially one that involves flight, they must eat noodles. Noodles signify longevity in Chinese (and even Japanese, i.e. toshi-koshi soba) culture. I like to think that, because of this, we had a safe journey home. (pictured is more airplane food...plus champagne!)

Over the past few years I have become more and more frightened of flying, so much so that slight turbulence triggers my heart to beat at a very fast rate. A slight bump or rough patch of clouds makes me grip onto Hirotsugu for dear life. Since when did I become such a wimp...hmm, I wonder. I hope this aviophobia, fear of flying, goes away someday.

one regret...

Just before our trip came to a close, Hirotsugu told me he enjoyed the trip but had one small regret. He had hoped to get a foot massage, something the travel guide said was well worth doing while in Taiwan. I relayed the message to my mom and she was right on it - sure enough, we went to a massage place, located in a night market at around 11pm! Woww...my mom has friends and contacts like no other, it often amazes me how she does it! She was an excellent tour guide to Taiwan, or as Hiro said, a magnificent 'producer.' I think so, too.

The massage was nice feeling, but I could tell they were not real professionals. In Shanghai I got massages from people who could pinpoint my weakness (by analysing pressure points) and tell me exactly what aspect of my health was not in tip top condition. Now that is what I call keen. In any case the massage left us relaxed and was an excellent way to wrap up the trip.

fresh, fresh, verrrrry fresh!

Because we could not eat or drink from Wednesday night until Thursday around 1pm, Thursday night we made up for it by going to the seaside to indulge. Forget the health report, we went all out! Hee hee. We even ate plenty of squid, something people concerned about cholesterol should avoid at all costs! Oops...well, you only live once, right?

Mom's friend, Terri brought us to the coast, near but farther than TamShui...we went to a fish shop and chose the seafood we were about to eat, seafood which was very much alive and kicking in water. I was very excited by it and squealed a lot! The fisherwoman even let me pick up a squid - the coolest thing, when picked up from the water turned from brown to perfectly translucent, clear as crystal! OoooooooOOooooOOoooOOooo. Very fun but kind of slimy and grotesque all the the same time. Then I picked up another squid-like specimen, very interesting indeed.

All the seafood was cooked up. Fresh うに, sea urchin was okay but we decided that Taiwan's warmwater sea urchin was far inferior compared to delectable coldwater sea urchin harvested around Japan. The squid and yellowtail sashimi was fresh...yummy. Crab, also very tasty. A seafood feast to die for - if you go to Taiwan, don't miss out on this! Before this trip, even my mom, a native to Taiwan, did not know about this place. :)

sushi express...in Taiwan?

For 30-gen (around 1.10USD), the Taiwan currency, you can eat any plate of sushi you want here. It is a chain store for rotating sushi, though I must say, the sushi you will find there is unlike most sushi you will find in rotating sushi shops in Japan. For one thing, we don't have inari-sushi pockets (stuffed fried bean curd) topped with cashews in Japan...it's a bit weird for Japanese to see cashews paired with sushi! Also the miso soup here is a bit sweet, a stark contrast to plain Japanese salty miso soup.

In any case it is a funny experience to eat sushi in Taiwan after having eating 'bona fide' sushi in Japan for so long. Though I must say, Sushi Express is not bad...though it is not authentic, it is still tasty...just different. :)