rafting and canyoning trip!

Last weekend 19 adventurers braved Minakami's Tonegawa river. On Saturday we went rafting in the afternoon after a 3-4 hour drive from Tsukuba. Despite weather forecasts of rain and clouds, we lucked out and got a bit of sun mixed in with clouds! Woohoo. The water levels were not particularly high, therefore, everyone escaped a boat flip. A camerawoman followed us along the way and many more photos can be seen here.

Top Minakami was the company we decided to go with. They have some of the friendliest staff (many Aussies and Nepalans) and undoubtedly the most competitive prices! The cozy family-owned minshuku Sorima offered us Japanese home-cooking, which everyone devoured hungrily. It was not necessarily fancy but definitely satisfying.

The next day we enjoyed a morning of canyoning, sliding down the river on natural rock formations...it is hard to explain. Think natural rock slides. A good 60 minutes of the morning was spent hiking up and down the mountain to get to the ideal canyoning sites. The inners of my thighs are sore today! Again, after a hard day of intense physical excitement, we made our way out to a hot spring.

Next time why don't you try some extreme river sports? It is great for an adrenaline rush and one can really get high on the thrill of being in the middle of so much nature!

no time to cook? no excuses now!

These days more and more couples lack the time necessary to prepare a home-cooked meal. Now various companies cater to such DINK (double income, no kids) families. They send ingredients (typically for 1 main dish and two sides) accompanied by recipes in coolers to a customer's house. All they need to do is fry it all up and serve!

Check out some examples here:
http://www.benesse-ef.jp/
http://www.yoshikei-dvlp.co.jp/index.html
http://www.shokubun.co.jp/

from my dear friend, Elsie

"You have to put up with the rain to see the rainbow."
This quote comes from my friend Elsie's blog...I thought it was such an inspiring line and wanted to share it with you. If you are ever going through some bumpy times in this long road of life, keep this quote in mind! We have to put up with things to reap rewards in the long run. ^_^ Thanks, Elsie.

Those Smiley Danes

The top 10 happiest countries based on the new survey are:
1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada

Selected others include: 15. Netherlands 17. Malaysia 19. Norway 22. UAE 23. United States 26. Australia 31. Saudi Arabia 38. Kuwait 45. Qatar 46. Spain 62. France 63. Hong Kong 64. Indonesia 76. Thailand 78. Philippines 82. China 90. Japan 109. South Africa 125. India 166. Pakistan 167. Russia

Northern Europe is the place to be, that is if you are looking for happiness. And listed is dear Canada at #10! Yeah. Though one might ask, "what's up with advanced nation, Japan?"

I have noticed things here like: heavy societal obligations, formalities, less emotional expression, disinclination to joke, harboring feelings deep inside, perfectionism, unacceptance of losing one's temper, taking things very seriously, high pride/face, considering others' feelings before considering their own...perhaps some of these weigh down on one's happiness?

My thought for the day: "People who are happy are so because they know what it takes to make them happy and they keep doing things that keep them upbeat!"

again, lunch at Mamaya

Despite my efforts, I do end up eating out a lot...I probably did not need to say that since you can see for yourself on my blog, a blog which has ended up being more of a food blog than anything else! Anyway what is the point of making money if we do not spend it every once in a while?! Anyway I like this tiny restaurant for its wholesome Japanese home cooking!

I dined with my friend whom I have not seen in ages - she had fantastic news of a baby! I could not believe the size of her stomach - she is so petite and thin so it was really a sight. It was interesting that I could relate to her relationship life and get a glimpse of the married life, too. I sometimes fear that after I become married it will be harder to relate to my single friends.

What's more, I fear that after I have become a mother I will become one of those raving lunatic mothers, bragging about their child doing this and that. Eeks, I hope not. Please do tell me if I am rambling on and on about marriage, children, and so on!

During lunch I learned another lesson in Japanese culture. My friend told most of her friends with children about her pregnancy, however, she did not utter a word to her single or childless friends. She recounted how badly she felt when her friends shared the happy news of their new 'bundle' and did not want to subject her single/childless friends to the same kind of unhappy feeling. How considerate...on the other hand, I wonder if those friends will feel left out, like their friend felt like they were not important enough to share the news? What a Catch 22!

use less but use higher quality goods!

These are the famous Kyoto rice crackers, again presented to me by Hiro's mother. They are really beautiful so usually I gaze at them for a whole 4 seconds before I gobble them all up. They come in mini snack-sized serving packs.

She often introduces me to Japanese foods and encourages me to use slightly more expensive oils, sauces, and spices because we use so little of it at a time. Quality is essential, she stresses.

Since then I buy soy sauce made from whole soy beans, not the inferior kind made from crushed bits of soy. Apparently the taste is just 'that' much better. Just to give you an example of the difference in price. The bargain soy sauce comes at 1 dollar a 1L bottle. The premium stuff is around 6 dollars for the same amount!

can you tell me what this is?!

This was my student Hannah (see hand) holding onto a creature which closely resembled a grasshopper...but was not! Does anyone know what this is called? I do not recall seeing them back in the States or Canada. Help!

UPDATE: Jon says this might be a katydid... any other ideas?

i just luv eating shoe cream!

Thanks a million to T. who brought these to class the other day. Cream puffs are called Chou Cream...it sounds like 'shoe cream.' Well, let me tell you, I cannot think of any better tasting shoe cream than this! This was made with real butter and the filling had real bits of vanilla bean, heavenly. I forgot about the cholesterol thing, just for the moment, enough time to enjoy this treat guiltlessly!!!

In Japan cream puffs are sold just about everywhere - even convenient stores. Some of the best kinds I have eaten have a harder shell and are at times topped with nuts, sugar, etc.

I should have taken home economics in H.S!

This is the base of the ring pillow...as you can see, I have a lot of leftover fabric!!! My pillow was made from an old wedding dress - it felt odd cutting into such a beautiful dress but I suppose it is better than tossing it out. The dress was given to me in the hopes that I would wear it for my own wedding, but...something about it did not suit me.

My pillow is almost homely but I take pride in the fact that I took the time to make a homemade ring pillow. Mrs. Dughi (a good family friend), president of the American Home Economics Association (or something like that) would be proud. And, like they say, it is the thought that counts? Something is better than nothing? I like to think so. :)

expectations on food and drink

Must of our reaction to food is based on appearance and other expectations based on past experiences. I ordered a green-tea 抹茶 latte at one of my favorite places, Astrolounge cafe...expecting a green-tea infused milk drink, only to get a green-tea coffee milk drink! What a surprise. I was so stunned by it that I could not even decide for sure whether I liked it or not.

Sometimes some food we try is not necessarily bad but...for example, some crepe wrapped you bite into is filled with ham and cheese instead of a sweet fruity filling...the ham and cheese is quite pleasant but unexpected, therefore at first bite displeasing.

Vivian-style rice ball...

This is my very bizarre homemade rice ball...the rice is mixed up with salted and shiso-flavored wakame seaweed...enveloped inside is a whole boiled egg. It is topped with a fresh shiso leaf and nori seaweed paper...voila, a rice ball sandwich!

I gave this to Tomoko and Tatsuo (my students) to try...they thought it was certainly one of the more interesting varieties they have ever seen!

sounds of Japan

In the summer cicadas can be heard ringing endlessly...strange considering even the most urban areas are full of the suckers. They are called 'semi' in Japanese. If one cannot hear cicadas in the summer, it just does not feel like summer.

This poor cicada was struggling bellyside up on the sidewalk. I propped it up and put it in the grass. I hope it is doing better. I think it has something to do with the incongruent wings - notice how the growth of the left wing is somewhat stunted. Poor thing, I wonder if it is a defect of sorts!

Oh no, it has happened

I think I have become bridzilla, I hoped it would not come down to that but now with the wedding coming up in a few months, preparation is rolling and I cannot help but have the 'big day' on the mind. So sorry if my wedding-related rambling makes you wanna hurl^it will be over soon.

From a man's perspective: it is only one day - no big deal.

From a woman's perspective: it is THE one day - a very big deal.

From Vivian's perspective...shifting back and forth: the wedding as something trivial and just a formality...to a jittery girlie who cannot wait for the big fantastic event.

This is an example of a ring pillow - if bought, it normally costs anywhere from 20-80 dollars, depending on how luxurious you wanna go. Just recently, I made my own - it is nothing spectacular (nor perfect like the one pictured but then again marriage is far from perfect, too!) but it has my special touch.b ^_^

ewwwwwwwwwwww!

I quickly rinsed and steamed some broccoli for breakfast and found a little surprise, later in my serving dish...a bright green worm, ingeniously camouflaged the same color as the broccoli! Ugh, I instinctively crinkled my nose and stopped eating the broccoli.

My student later told me that the bug was likely a good sign, sign of less pesticide use...either that or the little bugger was strong! This brings me back to a birthday party years ago back in the States...I discovered such a worm crawling on raw broccoli on the raw veggie platter. I was startled but it but feared telling the host's mom, worried that others would freak out. To this day, I hope no one ate the worm...oooh **shudders**

What to do with all that shiso?!

These are great tips from my friend, Kazue! Thanks!

Chop them and use it to garnish Japanese-style salads or 'yakumi'- a spice? Or add to somen or udon noodles. Otherwise just lay a piece on thedish under sashimi or to-fu. Basically you can use shiso leaves to any kinds of dishes for adding a pinch of Japanese fresh green taste.

For example, you can make Japanese-style pasta with shiso and'jyako' fish and soy sauce, or a pasta salad with fresh tomatoes, chopped shiso and either Japanese or Italian dressing. It's also nice to make a pilaf or mixed rice(maze-gohan) with shiso and ume-boshi and jyako fish. It is a wonderful accompaniment with eel,too.

When you grill chicken or fish, you can put or cover a piece over themeat to add some flavor. It also descend the smell of fish meat.They also go very well with Western ingredients and seasonings. Place a piece of shiso and sliced cheese over a thinly sliced pork or chicken meat, roll it up, bread it and deep fry. Very delicious.

You can make various veggie dishes with shiso, like marinated cucumber or radish, tomato and avocado salad (you can garnish your avocado-don!) Shiso tempura is one of my summer favorites! But it is very difficult to make it crispy - when you cook them over heat, the color turns brown and not so tasty, so it's better to mix it at the very end of cooking or just cook it momentarily.

Shiso leaves are not supposed to use so much on dishes, you need only one or two pieces at once. STORAGE: You can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days if you wash them and wrap tightly in a wet paper towel and plastic wrap.

RECIPE (of pictured)
400g tuna, cut into 4 equal strips
Cooking sake - some
bamboo skewers - 4
shiso leaves - 8
umeboshi (4, made into paste)
20g miso paste
sesame oil (a little)

I cannot read what it says...but I assume you marinate the fish in the sauce, cover with shiso leaves, and then lightly grill until the outside changes color but the inside remains raw.

primer on shiso

Shiso, known as perilla or beefsteak leaves in English, is an herb widely used in Japan but relatively unknown in North America and even other parts of Asia, er except for Korea. I wonder why this is...it is rather fragrant and similar to it's cousins, basil and mint, so why hasn't it taken root (sorry, bad pun) in other countries?

Healthwise, perilla is considered rich in vitamins and minerals, has anti-inflammatory properties and is thought to help preserve and sterilize other foods. It costs from 50 cents to 1-dollar for a bunch of it at the supermarket here. My friend Elsie told me it was unbelievably priced at a Japanese store in Canada...next time, I'll send you seeds Elsie!

My favorite is shiso-jochu, shiso-flavoured Japanese liquor (not sake). Drinking it makes one feel like they are skimming their feet on the azure waters of some tropical paradise. Shiso marries so well with umeboshi...my favorite recipe being: shiso~cheese~umeboshi~fake crabmeat~mochi...wrapped in wontons and fried! Try it someday.

Think twice before picking up that bento!!!

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060721f1.html
I am by no means a health nut but this is the part which really scared me:

While the negative effects of many additives on human health have not been proven, Abe pointed to a disturbing Nishinippon Shimbun article, published on March 19, 2004, about pigs that were fed convenience store food.

The article said a pig farmer in Fukuoka Prefecture in 2002 fed 25 pregnant pigs only convenience-store bento and rice balls -- free because they had passed their best-by dates -- for most of their 114-day gestations. All of the pigs had either stillborn births or the piglets had birth defects.

G Clef cafe

It is always a delight to discover some new cafe. G clef, the latest, is such a rare treasure. The cafe is rather cozy, it is a house-turned cafe and resembles a log cabin inside.

A friendly retired couple owns and runs the place, serving homemade sweets and foods. I had the curry...not Japanese^style but rather spicy and tickled my tongue. Classical or jazz music plays overhead, casting a kind of peacefulness on the place.

Starbucks can be nice from time to time but it is worth paying more for such lovely cafes. The day when only Starbucks and big franchise companies extinguish the small cafes will be the day when I stop going out for coffee!

millions of thoughts...what are yours?

As my friend Elsie said, 'You must have ideas and thoughts swimming around in my head all the time.' I think so - my brain always has a jillion thing bobbing around...today at aerobics I even had a flashback...1st year Spanish class with Mr. Van, singing Spanish songs. That exact song was played during out workout routine and it triggered my memory.

Then I looked at everyone's STEP blocks...everyone had matching sets while mine were distinctly different; one pink and the other purple. Then my mind wandered and it dawned upon me that everyone looked SO serious, so I started to laugh. People were trying so hard to perfect the steps that they seemed to be in a pinch, full of stress and anxiety. I was perplexed by their attitude.

Perfectionism is so overrated but highly regarded in Japan. This can be seen anywhere - though I must admit, this is probably why many companies have thrived throughout the years...due to people's meticulous work and pride in doing things 'just right' to utter and complete perfection. So me, the imperfectionist, missed many steps today doing the STEP and B-S (really, the name of the class!) class...but I made up my own steps and laughed it off. It was so fun. Doing two classes in a row was quite the feat but interestingly enough, I was more energized the second class.

So everyone, when you miss a beat or two in life, learn, laugh, and just move on! And if you can, for the sake of others, do not do aerobics with an expressionless stoic face - it's really scary and intimidating!

土用の丑の日

Today is ushi no hi, which is the hottest day of the summer...luckily for us, it is not true! The temperature is moderate and skies are overcast and very dull gray looking...BOOOOO. On this day people eat grilled eel flavored with sticky teriyaki-like sauce.

The meat is tender and tends to fall apart in one's mouth...since it is generously slathered in sauce, there is no fishy taste at all. The sauce itself is a culinary treat and hard to recreate at home, so they say. On hot and humid days, people often lose their appetite and feel weak, at times falling prone to headache and general malaise. Eel is said to give one much stamina to survive the summer heat and is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E.

Eel from China lacks the correct texture but can be bought at half the price of domestic eel...though I would not go there, one is sacrificing the juiciness and soft meat that comes from Japanese-raised eel. These days most are farm-raised unlike the old days when eel would spawn in lakes and then swim out to the ocean once they have grown older...or vice versa, my memory is foggy. The one thing that put me off it is seeing the live eels...they look like snakes, yuck!

I am off to go eel-restaurant hunting...yummmmm.

green juice with soy milk...nutraceuticals again

Recently I glug a can of this with my daily breakfast - barley leaf and kale juice is purportedly a miracle health food...I figure it cannot hurt. It was on sale at the time so I bought 30 cans from DHC! Antioxidants, allergy, diabetes and digestive health are some of the benefits one can obtain from 青汁.

The problem with all these so-called miracle products is that many claims are unsubstantiated and go unnoticed by the governing authorities. Just last month a company which claimed to bottle vinegar with 30 times the concentration of Chinese black vinegar, was caught by some suspicious consumers...turns out, it only had 10 times the concentration they had originally claimed.

Some people dislike the grassy taste of it but I rather like it's refreshing taste. Why don't you drink kale juice someday? It comes in canned or powdered form. I find aojiru particularly good with vanilla ice cream...like a smoothie. So much for the healthy benefits, ha ha.

wedding food fare II: the more expensive plan

This was the more expensive course. In fact I preferred some dishes from the cheaper course. On the comment card I was quick to tell them that the ice cream floating in melon soup was a bit grotesque and 'dirty' looking...Hiro thought it was a bit overboard but I just think of it as constructive criticism. I did mention how lovely I thought the first appetizer looked and tasted!

If everyone tells a chef his or her food is fantastic, the chef can't easily see any room for improvement. So when I hear feedback, even negative feedback (i.e: 'this has a peculiar taste, Vivian') about food, I am happy because it is an indication of honesty and helps me improve my techniques in the future.

wedding food fare: course C...'somewhat cheaper'

Last week we went to the wedding house to try out the foods we will be serving our guests. For vegetarians, this meal would be a nightmare! It has seafood hiding in every nook and cranny...hee hee. They did mention there is a vegetarian course available.

The interesting thing about Japanese weddings/big events: it is in fact rude to express dietary concerns or preferences on a reply card...a far call from back home where one might request low-sodium, no red meat, vegetarian, vegan, halaal meat...and so on. On the plane too - you should notice how many 'special meals' there are on a domestic flight in the USA/Canada versus how many there are on domestic flights in Japan. Virtually none, from what I have observed.

Hiro and I shared the two courses so we could try all the dishes. The lighting in the room made the pictures turn out quite professionally. As they say, 'it's all about the lighting.' Just to make sure the alcohol was up to par, I tried the Gin and tonic. Mmm, not watered down - justttt right...hiccup! After this feast, we were stuffed and sleepy...zzz zzz zzz.

the first of the season...

This sure is one country obsessed with FIRST everything...it is said that Japan is the land of 'one chance' and if you fail, that's the end of that. The beginning of anything is very special - the beginning of the New Year, work season, school season, food, weather season, and so on. I suppose this is true for other countries but this habit of 'firsts' is dramatically underlined and in bold here.

This was not my first peach of the season, but it is a kind of hatsumono (a first) in the sense that it is just the beginning (not even) of the peach season. Sometimes I offered friends watermelon or cherries and you could see the glee in their eyes...knowingly, I grinned and asked them if it was their 'first time' to have it this year. 9 times out of 10, it was.

White peaches are the norm here and all peaches as well as nectarines are eaten with the skin removed. My mom always warned me peach skin fuzz would give me a bad stomachache. As a good child would, I bit into the peach - skin, fuzz, and all. Ha ha. Terrible child I was and still am! Do you eat peaches a la fuzzy style? I like crunchy peaches, almost impossible to find here...but if you are lucky enough to have a peach farmer friend, you just might get lucky!

couch potating lately?

LONDON (Reuters) - It's never too late for couch potatoes to start exercising and cut their risk of heart disease, according to research on Tuesday.

Neither does it have to be strenuous activity -- even just walking can make a difference.
"You don't have to go to the gym. Just get off the couch," said Dr Dietrich Rothenbacher of the University of Heidelberg in Germany. "It is never too late to start exercising," he told Reuters.

more homemade bread - what talented people I know!

Amazing! This is some homemade bread Emi brought to our potluck dinner. I was impressed with the appearance and professional taste at accompanied these rolls! They were made with the help of a bread machine, a.k.a. 'home bakery' in Japan.

One type of roll was a black sesame cheese roll and the other kind was mildly mango-tasting roll. Petra brought some lemon chicken, her specialty dish...very tangy and juicy! I cannot wait to move into the move place and entertain in a more cozy environment.

watermelon!!!

What makes your day? For me, little things make my day. If something bad happens, I soon forget it. Though should I experience something special, I like to treasure that moment and think of it as the thing that 'made my day.' Reliving that moment keeps a big smile on my face.

One week ago a delivery man (think UPS man) came to my house for a delivery and complimented me by saying "Lee-san, ooo bijin desune" when I had on a t-shirt, pants, and no make-up. That made my day, especially because it is rare of men here to give compliments like that...particularly total strangers.

Today the highlight of my day was when I went to the neighborhood supermarket and the friendly grocery man (he is back...he never retired, after all!) gave me some freshly broken open watermelon to try. It was succulent, sweet and refreshing!

So let's make it our duty to remember the things that make our day and forget the little negative things that are better left in the past.

too tired to cook...

Sometimes when I am not in the mood to cook I go to the neighborhood bento shop. They know me well since I moved here. I would not say the food is delicious (I mean it is good but very mediocre) but it is super convenient!

This is a typical 'teishoku' Japanese lunch set. It has miso soup, rice, pickles, dried 'hoke' fish and simmered fried tofu/rolled omelet/Japanese dumpling. One has his or her choice: having a 500yen burger set at McD's or a 600yen Japanese set. I'll take the Japanese set over the burger any day!

new restaurant

This is Japanese-style hamburger steak. The sauce has soy sauce, grated radish, and scallions. This manga (comic) shop turned restaurant-cafe is nice but seems to suffer from some sort of identity disorder. The chairs and table are classy and modern but the type of crowd it attracts is families wanting to eat Japanized Western foods like hamburger steak, curry rice, omelet rice, and so on.

For the grand opening we got free drinks, soup, and dessert. Not a bad deal. The interesting point - my friend noticed the attitude of the waitress was unusually friendly, like that of a woman from the countryside. It is true - most of the friendliest people I have met here hail from the boonies. Unfortunately if one is excessively talkative or overfriendly, people actually look down on them.

This is a concept I did not understand before but can now somewhat comprehend. One should approach others with modesty, well-thought out comments and consideration for all involved. The same is true for other countries, I am sure...but

meeting up with Hiro's friends...

Last weekend I got to meet some of Hiro's cello colleagues, at the house of one of his former schoolmates. The wife plays the cello and is really good at cooking (see the homemade buns to the left - some were filled with chocolate while the rest were oozing with cheese).

I felt kind of awkward because they were nervous and not comfortable enough with me to initiate a lot of conversation. They were kind but I felt something similar to the Christmas party last December. They are in their 30's and I am about a decade younger...almost kind of a generation gap and different 'stage of life' gap. They have young kids and we are just about to embark on our married lives.

Anyway perhaps like many other friends I have met here - it just takes time for them to warm up and become friendly. ^_^

everyone likes this ROSE gum!

Even Hiro's mom's dog, 小夏ちゃん, konatsu-chan is fond of this rose gum! We went to Yokohama for the long weekend and enjoyed soba noodles at a family restaurant. His mom showed me how to make their family style しょうが焼き, ginger pork as well as curry. (one secret to making her curry: use 2 or 3 types of curry roux blocks)

Having a pet as a companion is one of the best things. In about 5 years I hope to buy a medium-sized dog...another black chow-chow? Perhaps that would not be fair to the new dog because I would always be comparing it to the old one.

Are you a dog or cat person?! I am definitely a dog person.

update on functional sweat gum

ROSE GUM really works! (see previous entry from this week) I tried that gum which makes one's sweat smell like roses. It only lasts for one or two hours though. Strange feeling it was - smelling my arms and picking up a sweet floral scent. Can you imagine your body emitting eau de rose?

are you busy lately? count it as a blessing!

BUSY BUSY BUSY...life is much more fun busy than boring!!! Recently I felt overwhelmed and busy but realized this is not at all a bad thing necessarily. On the contrary - it means I am fully living and enjoying life. Sure it costs a lot of time, money and effort to do all this, but who knows how long we have to live! We have to enjoy the present and appreciate what time we have, not waste it!

Three or so years ago I spent countless weekends catching up on sleep, waiting for friends to initiate plans by calling/e-mailing me to go out (which I have found to be rare in Japan...usually I have to call them and ask them out, otherwise nothing happens!). It was not at all interesting and now I regret not having done more. If you are bored to death, why not join a club, get out, or start a hobby to do at home?

HOT HOT HOT!

Remember me, complaining of the terrible cold? Well now, lemme tell you about the terrible heat! It does not help that my apartment conducts heat like an oven...due it's lack of any insulation of any kind! I am very much looking forward to moving into our new place next month!!! My friend Kazue jokes that in Japan there are only a few months here we are not complaining about the weather - April and possibly October...the remaining are too humid, rainy, cold, hot...and so on.

TOKYO — The mercury rose to the highest point this summer in many parts of the Kanto region and west of it Thursday, with Hita, Oita Prefecture, recording 36.9 C, up 5.3 degrees from average. In wide areas ranging from Hokkaido to Fukuoka, many people complained of nausea, dizziness and other symptoms of heat stroke. At least 198 people were taken to hospital across Japan.

Japanese Conversation Time

Yesterday I attended Japanese coffee hour, a 2-hour chatting session with other learners of Japanese and some Japanese speakers. Most of the Japanese learners hail from Asian countries: Taiwan, China, Thailand... It is this time when I feel especially 'American' because I cannot relate very well to those from China or Taiwan. It is interesting to learn about their culture and different way of thinking!

In fact people always ask me about Taiwan or Chinese culture but in fact, I do not not know much about it. (the truth is, to the utter dismay of my family, I know more about Japan than any other Asian country) China, Taiwan? "Don't ask me man! I never grew up there." I was born and raised in the U.S.A. - it takes people a long time to remember that and stop asking me about what life is like in Taiwan.

I like this group because we are all in the same boat - trying out best to learn Japanese and better fit into our communities. In the past the majority of my friends spoke English but nowadays my friends speak Japanese of champon (mixed E-J) with me. I feel better that way - more like a normal friend and less like an 'English teacher.'

trial aerobics lesson

I tried a trial aerobics lesson yesterday...it was my first time to try aerobics. I use to shun it because it looked kind of silly but now I think it is great for improving one's motor skills and keeping the mental skills sharp at the same time.

It was really hard to keep up with the teacher and students. I really lack hand-feet coordination so I was going half the class flailing my arms about. I must have looked really silly - I was so busy looking at the teacher that I could not catch myself in the huge mirror.

Will I start? Hmm...I dunno, I think it is out of my league - all that hand and leg coordination!!! The good thing though was I felt so energized and refreshed for the rest of the day after the morning sweat session. Then again, maybe I should pick up running again? Though running was hard on my knees and I don't want to turn 50 and need a cane to walk.

Are you into aerobics or some sport right now?!

another kind of functional gum...?!

A chewing gum which the makers say can help enhance the size, shape and tone of the breasts has proved to be a big hit in Japan. B2Up says its Bust-Up gum, when chewed three or four times a day, can also help improve circulation, reduce stress and fight ageing.

The gum works by slowly releasing compounds contained in an extract from a plant called Pueraria mirifica. In theory, this helps to keep the muscle tissue in good order. Pueraria mirifica, also known as Kwao Krua, is a species found in Thailand and Burma. It has long been used by indigenous hill tribe people as a traditional medicine.

The plant's underground tubers contain a number of chemicals called phytoestrogens - natural compounds which mimic the effects of the female sex hormone oestrogen. These include miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, which are believed to exert a particularly strong effect, as they are very close in chemical structure to oestradiol, the main human estrogen.

B2Up says that it is the effect of these two chemicals, coupled with a third phytooestrogen isoflavone, which makes its gum so effective. It cites tests carried out by Thailand's Chulalongkorn University which found Pueraria mirifica therapy was able to enhance breast size by 80%.

Further tests carried out in England found that the plant had a beneficial effect on the skin, and hair, as well as the breasts. The company also markets different Pueraria products, including pills, and tea. The gum, which comes in rose flavour, has proved so popular that there are plans to start selling it in convenience stores.

like no one saw this coming...

Actor Shido Nakamura faces charges for driving through a red traffic light while under the influence of alcohol in the predawn hours of Wednesday, police said. A woman was in his car at the time.

"I was drinking champagne on an aircraft Tuesday night, and went to a bar in Nishiazabu at about midnight on Wednesday," he was quoted as telling investigators.

He was apologetic about the incident during a news conference Wednesday night. "I regret having done a stupid thing," Nakamura said. "I'd like to refrain from appearing in TV dramas that I'm due to appear in for a while."

The interesting part about this: actors are ticketed for DUIs in Hollywood all the time and it is no big deal. Notice how this offence is not 'blown off' in Japan like it is in the States. Second interesting part: the tabloids focused on the 'other woman' in the car with him (not his wife) more than the DUI incident itself. Just for those not in the know, Yuko Takeuchi and he got married (gasp, a shotgun wedding) not too long ago. She is, er, was one of my favorite actresses but has since fallen off her pedestal...I never liked this guy she married.

how about you? what are you working on?

From various aunts and uncles, through their stories and at times nagging, I have picked up a 'smorgasboard' of advice. The other day I came across a memo I wrote while in Germany two years ago...it included the following tips for myself for self-improvement:

• do not be careless/reckless
• do not make more food than necessary
• do not procrastinate (do things in advance!)
• take care of valuables and nice belongings
• do not rush everything
• pay more attention to details
• do not be moody and so emotional

Since that trip I have been trying to work on such improvements but to change one's personality, (going against habits one has developed since childhood) one needs time, patience and continued effort. Some have improved while others show no indication of change.

At times I resented all those uncles and aunts, each telling me to do this or that - I felt I could not do anything right at all. The ironic thing is that my aunts and uncles often voice more worries than my own mom and dad! In any case, in the end, I realized that people on the 'outside' will not always tell the truth but family will give it to you, no matter how hard the truth hurts. I am glad for their strict training and know without it, I could not be who I am today.

My first time at a standing restaurant

How could I forget?! This is a photo from a standing sushi shop in Akihabara recommended to us by Yutaka and Petra. Standing foodfare is not uncommon in Japan and can usually be found at train stations and the like. More common than sushi is standing ramen or soba shops. One usually buys a ticket from a vending machine, eats and can then leave at any time without worrying about the bill.

The thing about this is, you cannot really talk with someone at a standing bar. I sometimes talked and all the customers seemed to be listening in on our conversation, even if they didn't understand English. My legs were a little tired and soles of my feet sore - this is when one learns to really appreciates sit-down establishments.

For the two of us, our tab came to 1050yen (approx 10USD) a relative bargain even compared to cheap 100-yen rotating sushi restaurants. The quality was not bad for the price but Hiro and I are still fans of Yamato rotating sushi bar!

a bean, a miracle, life!

I got one! One bean out of Uncle George's magic beans!!! I am soooo happy, all I wanted was to get at least one real bean I could eat out of the three seeds I had planted. Now if only I could get a few more, I can actually cook something out of it! Ha ha ha.