say no more to Cinnabon

As a child I was a sucker for Cinnabon cinnamon rolls - see picture. They are gooey, sweet, fluffy, and moist....though I am afraid they are a wee too sweet for Japanese tastebuds. If you ever plan on buying one, keep in mind that Mini-bons do not taste as good as the original-sized ones, don't ask me why.

They have some Cinnabon outlets in Tokyo but I haven't been. Since I got the bread machine I have been experimenting with all sorts of things. And the thing is, it does not even take so long to make. Cinnamon rolls made in less than an hour (the machine does all the hard stuff) and without all sorts of unknown preservatives. I can happily say they turned out quite tasty - much better than what I anticipated!

The ever-famous American donut chain, Krispy Kreme is here in Tokyo now...the line of people waiting to try it trails out, spilling onto a bridge connecting the mall to the subway station...a one-hour wait, minimum!

should we be happy or scared?

The weather is blissfully nice (not unlike the orange gerbers pictured in the ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement) these days...so much so that it makes me somewhat suspicious. Like the phrase, "too good to be true" - if something seems to good to be true, there is some major catch waiting down the line in store for the unsuspecting victim(s). Nice weather or indication of the greenhouse effect? Hmm...

This bout of spring-like weather will continue far into next week, bringing highs up to around 10-15 degrees Celsius...or for you Americans out there, that is 50-60F. I used to hate the metric system, that is until I moved to Canada, subsequently Japan. The metric system is much more international and particularly precise for cooking/baking! No more worrying about levering off the flour on a cup a flour, just like the scale tell you how many grams!

talk about love for life!

This is the news picker-upper of the day I picked to brighten up your spirits.

SYDNEY, Australia (23 Jan 2007) -- A DIVER who escaped from a white pointer's jaws by gouging it in the eye was terrified the shark would bite off his legs as it stalked him to safety.

Mr Nerhus said he spent two minutes inside the shark's mouth, without his air supply and with his head being crushed, after it half-swallowed him head first. The great white's teeth rasped across his lead vest and he knew that poking its eye was his only hope of surviving.

Mr Nerhus said he had been determined not to die. "I couldn't think of a worse way to go than to end up as fish food. That's why I fought back, because I didn't want to go that way – it's a very undignified way to go.""I have a very nice family and I didn't want to lose my life that way."

Hmm...shark's fin soup anyone? Ha ha.

good news for the day

A woman saved her husband's life by poking the wild animal in the eye using a pen as two mountain lions attacked the couple in a California state park.

Jim and Nell Hamm, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next month, were in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park when the cougar pounced, wildlife officials yesterday said."I turned around, and by then the cat had wrestled Jim to the ground," Nell Hamm said in an interview from the hospital.

Nell Hamm, 65, said she grabbed a thick tree branch and beat the animal with it, but it wouldn't let go of her husband's head. Then she got the pen out of her pocket and jabbed one animal in the eye. When the pen bent and became useless, Hamm went back to using the log. The cougar eventually let go. The woman screamed and waved the log until the animal walked away."

She saved his life, there is no doubt about it," said Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game. What a great fiesty lady. I could not imagine a better 50th wedding anniversary present"""

indoor rock climbing

There is an indoor climbing gym in Tsukuba named, SPOLE pump climbing gym. We went there last weekend to make like Spiderman, ha ha.

I have not been climbing in 3 years, making doing it again really satisfying...gone are the days I used to go with my housemate, Grace to the climbing gym in Toronto. The best part was not just the climbing but heading to the great roti restaurant adjacent to the climbing facility for a quick bite during or after our climbing.

I once went with a friend's friend who wanted to climb...big mistake: a) he was hungover b) he was heavyset...so when he fell (quite often), I was launched off the ground by the force of his fall c) he had a boring, aloof personality. Another time I went climbing with another friend's friend, he kept looking at my butt - um, right...need I say more? And you wonder why there are not more female climbers! Ha ha. Anyway back in Toronto you could see a good number of women at the climbing gym...I cannot say the same for Japan.

Our limbs were quite sore...even today it hurts to move my arms in a certain position. For a first-timer, Hiro did a really good job. I hope the sore muscles and post-climbing pain won't prevent him from wanting to go again!

Le Creuset...

We were given some cast iron cookware from others for our wedding. The cast iron pot is quite

heavy and bulky, so I let it hide away in a dark pantry for quite some time. Not to let it go to waste, I finally took it out and started using it - wow! Who knew it could be such a dream? It cooks and retains heat like a heat sink, making it even more energy efficient than a pressure cooker. Moreover, it is fairly easy to clean and does not stain easily.

This just goes to tell you not to 'judge a book by its cover' as the saying goes. It is funny because I used to cook as a pasttime but now it is our livelihood - cooking breakfast and dinner daily is my 'task' and I take pride in it. People who write off cooking and cleaning as petty housewife drudgery have no idea that it is too, a job in itself that one should do wholeheartedly. To keep everyday unique and surprising, I try not to cook the same thing within one month and spice up the variety with unique ethnic foods, i.e. Maldivian curry, American cinnamon rolls, French crepes.

Some people simply eat to live. Others live to eat...or you can be like me and do both!

stop taking responsibility for them all!

My husband always tells me not to worry so much about others but I cannot help it. It's my nature to worry. These days my female friends and some students are looking for some nice men. Ok, doing ok up to this point...the drawback is their age...I will get back to that later.

To be very frank, in Japan it is really a drag to be a woman: glass ceiling at work, limited employment opportunities, poor maternity leave benefits and so on, and the obsession with youth (even more obsessive than back home where youth is idolized, too). The odds are stacked up against them.

Often if I see a woman in a dead-end relationship here in Japan, I try to tell her to move on...in a much gentler manner, of course. There is no point for her to waste precious years on a man who she does not intend on marrying, in my opinion. If she wants to have casual flings and just enjoy life, that is fine too - to each his or her own...just do not come crying to me when it the party has ended and everyone around you is busy with 'family' lives. Then again, I have a friend who does not want to marry or have children...again, to each his or her own.

A male friend (Chinese-American) once told me that most women have a golden period of youth and beauty, the time when it is easiest to 'hook' a good catch...er, man. That golden period he said was between 20 to 35ish. This could not ring truer in Japan where pinup girls start from age 13 and are adored by stinky old men...eww. Ha ha. Excuse my immature way of speaking but that's me for you. Biologically speaking, I can clearly see what he meant...but honestly, some of the nicest women I have met are over 30 and astonishingly single.

So I have tried my best to find some nice lads for these (mostly over 30) single ladies. Here are some issues I have encountered (to my utter frustration)!!! The men are looking for younger ladies. The ladies have high standard. At singles parties, the young women are quickly snatched up by men, leaving the older women all depressed. The women in their later 30's want men around their age or younger wherease men their age usually want younger. Younger men dating older ladies are often not commitment-making types. One woman is divorced and has two children. Ahh, what to do??? Nothing?

Sometimes I held a singles event or party only to have the whole thing blow up in my face. Most end up keeping to themself, not trying at all to talk to others present. Either that or they fall into the junior high school pattern: men migrating to one side of the room with the women fleeing to take refuge at the other side. **sigh**

It takes much time for me to gather so many people and find a good plan for them, too. My husband asks why I spend so much time trying to help others. I hope they can find happiness with friends or a significant other because a single life can sometimes be lonely. Sometimes I feel so fed up and I just want to tell them all to go for it, do the ol' last resort thing, "omiai", which is a kind of Japanese arranged marriage.

Sorry for any perceived negativity. In contrast to all this doom and gloom, I have two friends who married this year: one was around 37 and the other around 35...so that is proof enough that there are indeed open-minded men who do not have lolicon complexes.

can't get enough of bread!!!

I was presented a bread machine by some of my students the other day, as a belated wedding present. Oooo, what a delight. In fact I was debating for some time whether or not I should buy one but feared if I bought it, it would soon end up in the closet accumulating dust day by day.

The day after I got the machine, with the help of a junior high school student of mine, we cooked up some carrot loaf bread. YUM!!! Even though we forgot to add butter, it was delicious and light! Indeed there is nothing like fresh bread. This morning I made another kind of bread: black sesame (like the pic to the right) loaded with ground black sesame seeds and some soy bean powder (kinako) for a subtle hint of 'peanuts.'

Making bread couldn't be easier. Measure ingredients...dump directly into the machine...press ON...4 hours later and presto bread-o!!! The reason why it takes so long to make is because the rising process cannot be hastened...the more it rises, the fluffier it gets.

I imagine we will got to the local bakery much less than before. Now we can have fresh, non-preservative-packed bread filled with all sorts of unique ingredients...my mind is swimming with ideas for what to make next. OOOooooOOOoooooOOOo.

tensai and kibi sugar?

I have traded in white sugar for this stuff...unrefined sugars: てんさい, tensai is made from sugar beets and きび, kibi is thin sugar cane...both which are said to be healthier than its refined white cousin. This stuff costs double regular white sugar but it is an indulgence I think is worth it.

Spend less on clothes, accessories, makeup...and more on inner nutrition for 'beauty.' No matter how much we deny it, our diet affects our mood(s). Now thinking back, I did not live so healthily when on my own - not until I have to take care of two people did I really start watching what I put into my body. I still eat some sweets, choco every day and even chips...but just not as much as I did before!

The symbol, JAS (pic on the right) can be found on some foods certifying that they are organic and not genetically modified (so I think...). I did not know the difference before and always went for the cheaper one...now I very willingly pay 50% more for a JAS-certified item. My uncle George always told me to wash and soak my veggies well...and I asked him if one was not leeching out the vitamins but he said the benefits of soaking them to rid them of excess chemicals by far outweighs the vitamin/nutrient loss factor.

Hiro says I am more than ever a health nut. Perhaps...but I am not giving up my chocoalte anytime soon!!!

instant faux peanut butter?

I am a huge fan of peanut butter, however, I am not as fond of the hydrogenated oils usually present in it. There is all-natural peanut butter but I dislike how it turns all bi-phasal and oil/peanut part seperates...umm, yes, definitely very unappealing.

My solution? I use きなこ, Japanese soybean powder, mix it up with some sugar and milk...and voila...instant imitation peanut butter paste...throw it on toast with jam and/or honey and you're all set! Kinako is said to contain plenty of flavonoids and phyto-oestrogens which are said to be especially beneficial for women.

fair is fair...

Since my husband let me cut his hair twice now...I decided to let him take a stab at it and find out for himself (what all the fun is about!). I let him hack of my hair and take off at least 4 inches...wooo, how scary. My hair is not substantially shorter and hmm, very fresh. In addition, my fringe is very thick and short...a new look...umm, to say the least. Well, hair is hair - it grows back...er, eventually. Hiro did not do a bad job for a first-timer. I guess I will know more when it grows out a little bit, hee hee.

dry your bed much?

In Japan from early morning, housewives are very busy vacuuming, airing out futons and covers, drying bathroom lids, and so on. There are so many cleaning issues limited to Japan - like cleaning tatami mats, swacking (sp?) futons with a swatter, drying and sunnying (word?) out comforters, cleaning the bidet or washlet attachment, cleaning dust and other fun particles out of sliding door grooves, getting muck out of Japanese shower area drains, preventing mildew in the humid summer, keeping one's house hydrated with a humidifier in the winter, cleaning goo from the icky kitchen sink and preventing goo with nets...the list is endless!

And some single women here think they can marry to 'retire' from work. Ha ha, they have no idea what they are getting into... Cooking, cleaning, and more on a daily basis is equally challenging as any daytime job.

These days I've notoiced that I cannot chat with my friends by IM (instant messenger) as I used to, or write long e-mails as I used to... Married life, though enjoyable, is very chaotic! Especially if one is working, even part-time work. In addition to that, I have to realize that I am no longer single and cannot continue as I did before, chat with friends into the wee hours...sleep at 3 or 4 a.m. and wake up around 10 a.m. only to catch up with another friend or e-mail. My husband and I both need...get this, oooh...sleep! So this is why single people call us married people boring, ha ha ha. Anyway, it is time for this girl to get to housework...until tomorrow for more blogging!

shoe cream, anyone?

I have made two batches of cream puffs...choux cream (read 'shoe cream') since last Friday...the first one turning out miserably and the second one somewhat better. (alas, the picture to the left is not mine) Cream puffs are not that hard to make...until the baking part, that is!

Common problems with cream puffs:

- they do not rise...flat round things

- they collapse upon completion (post-baking)

- they taste too eggy

- they are too dry

- they do not look round and pretty

The reason why I made them was because I am too afraid to buy them anymore. Recently a HUGE scandal (akin to the now defunct SNOW Brand company's milk scandal years ago) broke out, affecting the #3 confectionary giant in Japan. Well-established Fujiya (see the cute mascot, Peko-chan, to the right) was accused and found to have been using expired ingredients (milk, jam, etc) for various goods, most notably their cream puffs. Bacteria levels were tested to be 'out of the ballpark' out of the safety zone and all hell broke out when the media found out. Since then, poor franchises across Japan have ceased sales and closed their doors for the time being. Can they recover? If it were an automobile company...perhaps, but when it comes to food, they mean business here. Trust - as I have said before...takes ages to build and just moments to shatter, never to be regained again.

what seems too good to be true...

...probably is! I imagine many women can attest to that one after a hilarious media blooper! About two weeks ago a show lauded benefits of natto, claiming it could lead up to 2 or more kilograms of weight loss in just two weeks. Thanks to new reports debunking the miraculous 'natto' diet, I can now find a regular supply of natto on supermarket shelves. That's right - don't mess with my natto stash you temporary natto lovers...like I said before, go get on a treadmill and leave my precious natto alone. Okay, one knows they have turned fanatic about a particular food when they start getting nasty to people who rob them of their pleasure. At this point, it is hard to deny that I am not a big natto fan.

How people even believed the report in the first place is beyond me. Hey people, there is NO MIRACLE DIET and if there is, the rebound weight is SURE TO EXCEED the benefits in the long run. Superfast weight loss also leads to cellulite buildup, saggy skin, and wrinkles! Dieter beware. The only way to surefire successful weight loss is a change in food lifestyle, and exercise! Anyone saying otherwise is just outright lying, if you ask me. There are plenty other TV shows which feature some 'miracle' food each week...at first, I used to give them some credit but later on, I realized they were practically randomly taking a stab at any supermarket product. One week it was soy powder (kinako)...another week it was raw white beans, which incidentally got many dieters sick when they attempted to eat many raw beans in one sitting. Um, common sense goes out the window when one mentions the word diet here. Oh, I almost forgot to mention - my two friends tried the natto diet...one ironically gained weight and the other remained the same.

You know SlimFast shakes? Well, they are all the rage in Japan...instead they are sold under names like, microdiet (ohhh, not a REAL diet, just a wee little diet) ...health shakes (see pic above), meal replacements...and so on. They cost a fortune - about 200USD for two weeks worth, and are not guaranteed to last. There are magazines filled with success stories and 'before' and 'after' photos - but what I REALLY wanna see are the photos of them, 2 years down the road.

One of my students (a very intelligent one, at that) is particularly susceptible to diets and such flash fads. She is by no means chubby or overweight - in fact, I think she looks healthy and curves in all the right places. But this is Japan and thin will always be in...that is, until the day pigs fly! That is too bad because I think women look good with a little meat - bigger bust and behind makes a figure curvy and attractive. Stick thin reminds me of the andrygenous (sp?) look...ewwww.

ps: the tv show whose false claims sent women and natto companies into an uproar is now on the verge of cancellation due to sponsorship withdrawal from its number one sponsor

what is wrong with this apple?!

The first time I had an apple with apple honey, I was thrown off by the translucent apple flesh. What the heck?! Then I figured the apple cost 150 yen (about...1.30USD) and bit in...holy sweet! I figured for a rotten apple, it was not bad at all. Little did I know, what I had encountered was apple honey. In Japan some of the best apples contain it - substance in the center of certain apples that very much looks like and even said to taste like honey!

My mother-in-law bought her first such apple, cut it, and threw it out for fear it was a bad apple. I wonder when such a variety of apples came to be, if even she did not know it at that time...

shark's fin soup

かぼちゃのフカヒレスープや湯葉、絹笠茸などを使用した斬新なアレンジのフカヒレコースです。あっさりした味付けで、特に女性に大人気のお得なランチです。

１．フカヒレのカルパッチョ
２．フカヒレ入りかぼちゃのクリームスープ
３．五目入りフカヒレの湯葉巻き
４・フカヒレ入り海老のすり身の絹笠茸詰め
５．フカヒレと鶏肉と木クラゲの卵炒め
６．五目入りフカヒレあんかけ御飯
７．とろける杏仁豆腐（2名様より承ります）

ランチタイム平　 日　11：30～14：30土日祝　11：00～15：00

As controversial shark's soup fin is and all, I still cannot resist imbibing in shark's fin foodfare. Shofukumon restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown has a great lunch set, consisting of various shark's fin foods: pumpkin soup, carpaccio, shrimp roll, tofu skin roll...and so on - all with crunchy good fin...yum yum.

We went there before Hirotsugu's last concert on Saturday. I sometimes invited some friends to go - this time I tried to arrange a few single friends...singles mixer, you might call it. Though I hope they felt relaxed and did not sense any typical 'singles mingle' anxiety...at least I didn't sense it from anyone.

A great route in Yokohama: Yamashita Park, Chinatown, Landmark tower, shopping malls of Queen's Quay and more...very scenic, a typical hot date spot. Note if going by oneself: the place is loaded with lovey dovey (bakkapuru) couples!

"if you plan it, they will come"

Snowfall has been quite poor this year in snow country, due to either global warming of El Nino...or a double whappy combo of the two? Hee hee hee. Anyway we are heading out the slopes a few times this year. Twice next month and in March - perhaps an overnight trip to Yuzawa (Niigata prefecture) again, like last year. Interest seems so high already - I planned an annual ski trip for students, and friends but it is practically overbooked...24 members and many more on the waiting list!

Skiing is a pricey sport, but quite fun and a really good workout. The bonus is: the bigger the group, the deeper the discount. There is a one-day bus that leaves from Tsuchiura but it goes the very round-about way to the ski resort, I mean it picks up people at various stops around Ibaraki-prefecture before actually heading out to the ski destination in Fukushima.

For someone who royally stinks at skiing, I sure like planning the trips! This year we are fortunate to have put together a trip even better than the bus that goes from Tsuchiura, because my friend's husband works at a travel agency. In addition to skiing we will hit a nice local hot spring. Wooo, it could not be better!

I love planning some group events. Sometimes I complained it was too hard to organize and there were so many people who could not make up their mind, or changed their mind...etc that I wanted to throw up my hands and stop planning such events. Granted, it is tiring to plan them but in the end, I am happy with the fun outcome. (also, I decided on pre-payment for large events and parties because I got burned a few times and had to pay the difference for those who canceled at the last minute or decided not to show up - aghhh) Last year ski trip and rafting/canyoning event. This year skiing...and perhaps rock climbing??? Ohhh, I cannot wait!

PEONIES in Kamakura!!!

Hiro's mother and I went on a day trip to Kamakura last Sunday. We rode a very scenic train...with a great view of the ocean, traditional houses, and more.

This is a picture of lovely peonies resting under a straw hut in a flower park close to Kamakura shrine. The straw top exists to protect the flowers from harmful frost or snow, should it fall. The area is also laden with various cute Japanese umbrellas.

Kamakura is a really lovely place and I can now see why my friend loved living there so much. There is that ancient Japan charm, retained in the narrow streets and traditional arts/crafts shops. Kamakura is known for a) Pigeon sable butter cookies b) Japanese pottery and c) the shrine d) big buddha e) purple sweet potato foods! I love the place - it is like little Kyoto. So if you live in the Kanto region but don't have enough time or resources to make it to Kyoto, why not head to Kamakura to see the giant buddha and munch on some sweet potato croquettes.

Oh and did I mention how tasty the soba was that I had there??? Nothing like winning me over with good buckwheat noodles! Oh, that and WASHI (Japanese paper) was beyond beautiful beautiful there. Such beautiful stuff - I wanted to buy some of each type...like a kid in a candy store I was. WOO WOO WOOOO, so nice! Anyway I got gorgeous washi paper for my artsy sister-in-law, Jinny.

a MIL rant (good rant!)

I feel so fortunate to have one of the best mother-in-laws in the world. When my relationship with my husband was starting to get serious, I insisted on meeting his mom. To him, he felt my idea was premature and to my shock and disbelief, he had not once told his mom he was seeing someone.

This was a big cultural difference. In Japan many (if not most) children do not bring someone home unless it is something on the brink of engagement or a formal engagement announcement. So finally after some time and to my delight Hiro decided we could visit his mother and sister. At last...but with much trepidation. I have seen various cases of mother-in-laws from hell in the past and was not about to become another victim of one. I made a silent vow to myself that if his mother should dislike me or go against our international relationship, I would stop it right there and then.

This is Japan and although I am American, there are many traditions and customs I feel I should follow - marrying a person of a foreign country means not just that. In fact you are marrying that country, the partner's family, the language, the people, the food, the customs, and more. If one wants it to be successful, they better damn...oops, darn like it all. Though I do not adopt all customs, I try my best to follow what I can. It is expected that we will take care of his mother in the future, which is all right with me because I know the same goes for many Chinese families. (another reason why I would have broken it off if she disliked me)

Anyway his mother is really kind to me - she teaches me about Japanese cuisine, manners and/or etiquette, and treats me as another daughter. I know this is not the case for some of my foreign friends with Japanese MILs who do not have the time or energy for them. Mine is trying hard to learn English while I too am trying to learn Japanese to communicate better with her. Being in an international relationship often means the odds are against us, but if we put energy into it, it can work and be twice the fun. We often have funny stories about language gaffes, or cultural differences. It is so interesting and having such a good MIL gives me motivation to further my Japanese proficiency.

And the best thing about my MIL: she lets us be. What I mean is, she gives advice when we need or ask for it but trusts us to make wise decisions on our own. I really respect that about her. Some MILs intrude, get in the way, give pushy insistent advice, call incessantly, and so on...but mine does not. I know it takes a lot of energy for her to keep mum on certain things, but she does it for the best. What a lovely woman she is - I admire her courage and intellect and hope to learn much much more from her in days to come!

COMPARING breakfast sets...

A fun side hobby of my husband and I is reviewing Japanese meal sets at various major Japanese fast-food shops. Recently we reviewed breakfast sets at: Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Nakao, and Matsuya.

I was very disappointed with the food at Yoshinoya - it was the pioneer of Japanese fast food so I expected way much more than what we got. The salmon was overly salty and made my tongue tingle for some reason. They were a bit stingy with the Chinese cabbage pickles...one bite, at best.

Nakao was perhaps the cheapest tasting of them all: C-grade or worse rice with a somewhat tasty but ill-coloured piece of grilled salmon. I really enjoyed the rice at both Matsuya and Sukiya. What really bowled me over was the natto at Matsuya...VERY IMPRESSIVE for fast-food...drumroll please...they used non-GM beans in their natto!!! Amazing. Next challenge up: beef bowls!!! We are going to compare the beef bowl at all the shops.

One downside to all this experimenting: I am bound to gain plenty of weight. The portion of rice is HUGE...perhaps because many blue-collar workers go there to eat, so they make sure they are filled up and satisfied with plenty of rice.

I won, I won...

Mmm, albeit I only won some commemorative stamps from the New Year's card lottery. Well something is better than nothing! And... a secret 'geeky' pasttime of mine was collecting stamps. Ooooo...cat's outta the bag now! Last year I got the same stamps. The year before I won such "New Year's commemorative stamps" from a card sent by Hiro - it was our first year together. Now is that fate or what?! Hee hee.

The picture is a tower in Yokohama which was recently closed down due to lack of tourists. What a pity. Lovely picture of it at night.

and the numbers are... (drumroll please!)

Each year they draw numbers for the "New Year's postcard" lottery. 6-digits can be seen at the bottom of all official postcards. I think the lottery was started in a bid to encourage more folks to send out annual New Year's cards due to flagging sales. Since we entered the digital, e-age, less and less people send actual cards and some just mail out an e-greeting via cellular phone.

The winning numbers for the new year's postcards were announced yesterday.
First Prize(Five big prizes: trips, computers, DVD player, digital camera)
157788
457190

Second Prize: special gift from the local region (last four digits)
5161
7093
7485
9614

Third Prize: commemorative stamps (last two digits):
64
79

Take your post card to any post office to claim your prize between January 15 (today) and July 17, 2007.

Chocolate each day keeps grouchies away

I eat chocolate each day to keep me sweet. I keep convincing myself that chocolate has various flavonoids and antioxidants like polyphenols...um, right... Recently a friend told me if she is going to have chocolate, she is going to indulge in the good kind - premium chocolate at higher prices but at least it does not have a lot of unwanted extra saturated palm/veggie oils and the like.

When I moved to Canada in 1998, I fell in love with the British Cadbury chocolate (first pic) and indulged almost every day...much to the chagrin of my scale. Ooo. More like freshman 20 and not freshman 15!!! (for my Japanese readers: it is not uncommon for university students to gain around 15 or so pounds in their first year of university) And I also decided Nestle Smarties were much more satisfying and tasty than M&M's. Smarties (second pic) have this crunchy outer layer that always gets me! Finally, there is Lindt (last pic)...the reknown Swiss chocolate I adored at first bite at age 10 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Japanese chocolate? I failed to notice at first but it is, in fact, quite good! My husband touted the merits of smooth Japanese chocolate, something I did not notice before...and after some time, I realized that Hershey's kisses, while cute, are kind of sandy and 'rough' compared to Meiji (last pic) or other major Japanese-brand chocolates. I admitted Hershey's were not as tasty they were in my recollection. The best chocolate is Rokkatei brand from Hokkaido - I mean just check out those mammoth freeze-fried strawberries in white choco! Need I say more?! Hokkaido is like the dairy hub of Japan, much like Wisconsin in the States.

generalizations and subjectivity

My father always...er often told me, "never say never" and "never say always." What a paradox in itself, eh? From time to time he recounted some Chinese folktales, emphasizing the concept that rare is the thing that is completely good or completely bad. Like the yin and yang, black will have a speck of white; white will have a speck of black. Despite his best attempts at such 'gray matter' training, I am only human and often tend to go revert to black and white thinking.

It is so easy to make vague broad statements, ESPECIALLY when living in another country. I find it so much easier to live here when I have 'defined' something and put it in its correct category box. Especially when I first came to Japan - things were very much black and white, experiences I encountered were categorized and boxed like a pretty gift. Some were generalizations of my own, whereas others were age-old stereotypes about Japanese that I'd picked up in the past. To give an example of a few: "Japanese people are all so polite. Japanese people are all shy. Japanese people speak English really poorly. The men are all workaholics. The women in Japan all love and own at least one Louis Vuitton item." At the same time I suppose one could say the same about Americans, like: "Americans are fat and lazy. Americans are loud, crass, and rude. Americans only know one language - English. All Americans smile and are incredibly friendly Americans are blindingly ethnocentric."

While some stereotypes may be partly true, beyond them are many exceptions and aberrations. I suppose we like to judge and categorize for survival, an animal instinct. As much as we try not to, it is our tendency to do so. So I must admit, on various occasions I blast this or blast that, complain about this or that, spew out verbose declarations on how the Japanese are...all without reservation and definitely with plenty of subjective juices.

Though please keep in mind that many of the views (in my blog) are often borderline radical and written out of sheer emotion or need to vent frustration. There are by no means meant to be judgmental, racist, pig-headed, or anything of that kind. When I say men are like this and women are like that, I only mean it with a grain of salt. There are plenty of exceptions in this world and people with an ounce of a brain know that people, places, things...nothing can be truly categorized into neat boxes.

So sorry if I have offended you by any blog posts. But I am quite unlikely to change my thinking pattern or personality. It is engrained in my personality and if you hear me say something judgmental or extreme, feel free to acknowledge my view and then express your own, perhaps very different opinion or just entertain me by the default 'nodding and smiling.' If I were objective, this would not be a very interesting blog, at all...bland is boring - YUCK.

natto - getting the publicity it deserves, finally

When I first came to Japan, I tried natto 4 times (the first time, tricked into eating it by my manager, Rumi) , forcing myself to become partial to the stinky sock stench. Years later I love the stuff and cannot get enough of it! It has been said to be one of the healthiest foods in the world...explaining why I was so determined to get myself to like it!

Now I am a hard-core natto freak and these stupid people who always dissed natto are going in hoards to buy it to lose weight. (see article below) YO MANNNN, get off my turf and instead of buying natto, go find a treadmill at the gym! Ha ha, just joking but you know what I mean. Loyal natto lovers, unite!!! Ok, signing off before I go into more natto-related frenzy.

A television program claiming that natto, a strong-smelling food made from fermented soybeans, could help people lose weight has sparked a buying frenzy across the country, causing some manufacturers to run out of the product.

Manufacturers are trying to boost their supplies, but shortages reportedly remain widespread, and some manufacturers have even taken out newspaper ads apologizing for the shortages.
Sales of natto surged following a program aired on Fuji TV on Jan. 7. The program introduced a man and woman who had lost weight after eating natto for two weeks. The isoflavone contained in the beans was said to increase a specific type of hormone in the body, proving beneficial for people on diets.

After the broadcast, sales of natto rocketed, especially among young women. Takano Foods, a company based in Omitama, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Mizkan, located in Handa, Aichi Prefecture, subsequently took out newspaper ads apologizing for their lack of stock.

snip happy Vivian...snip snip loppp...whooops

To my great fortune (and quite possibly to Hiro's misfortune) I found this bargain (normally around 100 dollars for just under 30!) during the New Year's sales blitz! In the beginning of the year, electronics can be found for much less than retail price...that is, a limited quantity. A very much first come, first serve concept.

I am really into cutting hair recently. Remember just a few weeks ago I cut my own? Well, I am on a roll because today I cut Hiro's hair for the second time. Cutting hair is very satisfying and may very well be a sort of addiction! Though I will be the first to admit, first time cutting Hiro's hair did not go over well (about half a year ago) because I was armed with plain scissors and a comb. Definitely not cut out for serious haircutting...oh, after a long drought, finally a really 'rotten tomato grade' cheesy Vivian joke. Did you get it? Or pretend not to notice it? Ha ha ha. After that haircut he soon went to he barber to repair my hair 'art,' so to speak!

This time around with the right equipment, things went over smoothly - figuratively and literally! It looks rather normal and to my husband's relief, I did not give him a bowl cut as the video instructed. The only aspect which had room for improvement was the sideburn area - I lopped them off while getting too excited about using the short attachment. Well, I am sure next time around I will do even better, er... I (and he) hope!

UPDATE: I have now noticed the while the back is substantially shorter, the sides remain slightly fluffy and long. Maybe I missed that part. Furthermore, it seems that I cut his bangs too evenly, making the bangs especially prominent.

AH-LOW-AYE (ALOE)

At first I could not get over how Japanese people pronounce aloe but now it has grown on me. We say AH-low and they say AH-low-aye. Hmm. Either way, I bought some at the local supermarket today. I asked the grocery man how to use it and he was not sure himself! Hmm, not very reassuring...anyway I bought it and started prepping by trial and error. I used the skins in an ALOE and coffee (real instant coffee powder) bath. Then I cooked up the aloe and plan to prepare the fleshy clear part for yogurt or some dessert.

A few months ago I took some ALOE from Izu...I was elated, until I found out it was not the edible variety. BITTER as HECKKKKKKK. Well, it must have been healthy. I drank one sip and threw it out. Pity. I should have turned it into a face mask or aloe bath. Well as they say, hindsight is 20/20!

baby talk

The life with baby is really hard but much more fun! Do you know Japanease proverb:
"Anzuru yori Umuga Yasashi"

Anzuru = Shinpaisuru (anxious)""Umu = give a birth""Yasashi = easy"

It means "If you are anxious about something, please try to have it. It is much easier!"

Recently there has been much talk around me about babies. Some because they wanted to have one desperately but have been unsuccessful. Others because they had suffered from a miscarriage and the heartache/mental despair that accompanies it. A few are expecting mothers and the last bunch have just recently become mothers!

One of the most interesting things that I heard from someone was if one hopes to conceive, they should be around pets or babies more often. It is said to provoke...(er maybe stimulate is more appropriate in this case) a woman's hormones, awakening one's biological maternal instinct. This is why some women unable to conceive who adopt a child can soon after give birth to their own.

BIRTHDAY days

Recently it was my husband's birthday and as usual, I went all out and made a gigantic meal. This time was American-style...buttery baked potato, savory roast beef, garlicky green beans, cream of broccoli soup, all topped off with a chocolate crust chestnut-flavored cheesecake! It took a long time to make but it in itself is part of his birthday present. I shall post a pic one day...

Last year I made steak, which cost a fortune to buy. This year roast beef also cost a fortune! Japanese beef is some of the tastiest (not to mention priciest) stuff on Earth. If you have never tried it, you should definitely put it on your 'must do' or 'must eat' list.

no more royal milk tea? WAAAAA

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke but only if milk is not added to the brew, German scientists said Tuesday.

Research has shown that tea improves blood flow and the ability of the arteries to relax but researchers at the Charite Hospital at the University of Berlin, Germany, found milk eliminates the protective effect against cardiovascular disease.

"The beneficial effects of drinking black tea are completely prevented by the addition of milk, said Dr. Verena Stangl, a cardiologist at the hospital. "If you want to drink tea to have the beneficial health effects you have to drink it without milk. That is clearly shown by our experiments," she told Reuters.

TOKYO&Odaiba= tired

We were invited to attend someone's 二次会　afterparty (after the wedding) held this Saturday near Tokyo Station. So we decided to make a day trip out of it...first heading to Akihabara to check out some Nintendo DS Lite software...then stuffing ourselves at a really upscale Thai restaurant, Mango Tree located on the 35th floor of MaruBiru building smack dab Tokyo central. Too bad it was rainy, otherwise the view would have been splendorific!

We went there due to fantastic reviews and appeal of an authentic all-you-can-eat Thai lunch. (there are no good Thai restaurants where we live, in Tsukuba) Our review of Mango Tree? Not bad at all - we were impressed by the quality considering it is a buffet style place...heck, they even used vanilla beans in the cream custard...that bit really won us over, considering how pricey the beans are!

Interestingly enough, the customers were predominantly female, more evidence that Japanese men remain on the conservative side when it comes to food. The decor was really elegant, done up in a very tasteful way - I especially liked the corridor entrance (see this entry's pic). It was for the most part Thai food tweaked to suit Japanese customers but a few standout 'authentic' dishes stood out as strikingly Thai: the rice noodle soup station, tom yum kun soup, lemongrass rice porridge soup, spicy&tangy salad, delish curry with Thai rice, coconut tapioca dessert, and rich mango smoothie.

Then we went to a cool exhibit in Odaiba at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, the place where one of my former students now works! It was kind of food for thought - how much longer can people continue to live on planet Earth if they don't consider the serious ecological repercussions. Some exhibits featured things like sustainable building, soil-less based agricultural industry, eco-electric cars, and so on. Hmm.

Finally we topped off the day at the wedding afterparty. Much to everyone's disappointment, the bride could not make the party because she was getting worse by the moment. I mean to say, she had a cold from the get go and it got progressively worse throughout the day. What a pity, considering a wedding and afterparty are kind of meant for the woman...so they all say, but I think men secretly enjoy all the attention in the limelight. Though the Japanese custom of having a couple go to the wedding hall at noon...end the wedding reception at 6pm and then have an afterparty until 9pm...is nuts! If you were not already sick before the wedding due to stress and prep, you might very well be after the whole shindig is over、eh?

going shopping again, today!

I got such an outfit for my future niece, only mine is a different colour and material...and so much cuter. Ha ha. Enough of my oya-baka (stupid fawning aunt) bragging. She isn't even born yet!

Lately I often go to baby GAP to buy outfits because they are really cute and surprisingly well made. I used to turn my nose up at such overpriced goods for kids but now I cannot resist. If you go when there are sales, it is not that bad. (caveat: non-sale clothes there cost more than my 'grownup' clothes)

I wonder about what it will be like being an auntie. I know that she will grow up talking about me as her 'crazy auntie BB' - that is inevitable. The good thing is, after having taught a babies class for one year, I know a great deal about baby behavior. I can even guess the age of some babies at the first stab.

dried sweet potato snack for you?

Tsukuba is well-known for its dried sweet potato snack. Usually it is sold sliced thinly and ready-to-bake, eat. Baking dried sweet potato makes all the difference...the sugar caramelizes, bringing out hidden sweetness! Yum! Taste? Hard to describe...like healthy caramel candy? Hmm, not even close - anyway, it is a hit with babies!

The kind we bought was whole dried sweet potato. Very interesting. Whole, uncut dried sweet potato retains much of its original moisture, giving it a much softer (as opposed to the usual chewier) texture.

When making house calls to relatives, it is customary to bring some souvenirs from where one lives. That being said, we got a few kilos of whole dried sweet potato for Hiro's aunt and mother. We also bought plenty of other Tsukuba souvenirs: fig jam, tea and cookies from Hanamizuki, a local tea shop. I wonder what Tsukuba-related souvenirs we will bring next year... ohh, running outta ideas!

trip to the shrine

Though I am Christian and all, I partook in the Shinto (or is it Buddhist???) annual New Year's tradition of visiting a shrine. This is called hatsu^mode in Japanese. We went and upon entrance, were supposed to wash our hands with fresh well water, a symbol of purification making one suitable for entry?

Anyway after that we threw in money into the altar, bowed, and clapped twice. I am not sure what it all means but I do it simply for tradition's sake. Then we bought some charms to protect our health. Some o-mamori (good luck charms) can be bought to aid one in passing and examination, protecting one on the roads (driving), and so on. Hiro's mother was so kind to buy me one for all-around good luck. I bought one for Hiro promising road safety.

It is said that this year is an inauspicious one for those who were born in the year of the WILD BOAR. So if you are inoshishi-doshi, please take very good care of your health - mentally and physically!

learning Japanese!

Every year at Hiro's grandmother's we have two big platters of sushi (like the one pictured) along with plenty of KFC chicken, KFC breaded chicken fingers, and osechi ryouri (traditional Japanese New Years food)...phew. It is a lot of food but I eat non-stop...kind of like pleasing his grandmother thing. I do the same at my grandma's...maybe it is an Asian thing or just a grandma thing? They like to see us eat until we become cute plump little things.

This year was much more pleasant at the Yamada New Year's event. Nothing was different, especially...just that I could understand much more of their Japanese. It was like night and day compared to last year, hardly catching even one word. This time around I could even get his auntie's really cheesy jokes - umm, dunno if this is a good thing, ha ha. Again more proof that learning Japanese is indeed the key to really truly living well in Japan. This gives me just that more incentive to learn Japanese!

On another note, my friend Hakim has just started to learn Japanese. 　Congrats and　頑張って　下さい　ね！

DARN BEANS

Ok, so last year I tried to make 黒豆 (sweet simmered black beans) but failed miserably. I used the wrong beans! Argh. Well this year I used the right beans but ended up with a half smooth, half wrinkled final product. What happened?! Aghhhh. If you know some tips, send 'em my wayyyyy.

A few years ago I made the whole osechi meal (see post last year with a picture of it) but it: a) it cost a lot to make it b) it took a heck of a lot of time and c) few people really like eating it and d) eating it day after day gets old. So since then I only make what I like to eat: kuromame and kurikinton.

This picture is not mine but is what they should ideally look like. It is now the joke of the Yamada family (my beans are always unpredictable!) and I have already been designated as the official black bean maker for the family. They all look forward to trying them again next year. In the meantime, I am off to practice making more beans!

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY 2007 everyone!!!

How did you spend the New Year's? Were you lucky enough to kiss someone close by? Ha ha. (this does not happen in Japan - what a pity...)

I spent it the old-fashioned Japanese way. We went to Hiro's hometown...on December 31st we ate toshi-koshi soba, or New Year's eve buckwheat noodles. The next day we spent lazily...eating while huddling in the kotatsu (heated table) and napping/reading intermittently. Then we spent a day after that at his grandma's.

The result? Umm...pudgy by the end of the New Year's. It is no joke - by the end of New Year's we had gained a few kilo. Our scale showed proof enough of our overindulging. It must be all those tasty rice cakes. It is customary to eat plenty of mochi for longevity (as you eat it, it stretches like fondue...meaning long life) We had rice cakes in chicken broth soup, sweet red bean soup, covered with soybean powder and doused in black sugar sauce. One rice cake is equivalent to one bowl of rice. Um, YOU do the math.