Jinja and Shoga: Life in the Land of the Rising Sun

We Are Moving!

2011-11-04T07:54:00.000+09:00

Now that we've moved countries, we're also moving blogs. I'll be posting at http://teatimeUK.blogspot.com from now on. Head on over and see how life in the UK is treating us!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T07:03:00.000+09:00

We're back online! Just a quick post tonight but more to follow shortly....still trying to figure out a new name for the blog now that we're in England. It's been a bit busy so I haven't had time to think about it much. For now, here's a new seasonal Cadbury product: Dead Heads! Caramel-filled milk chocolate eggs, delicious and entirely evil in terms of addictiveness. Happy Halloween!

Satoimo From Doc Brown

2011-10-17T22:02:00.000+09:00

     Right as we were leaving our apartment for good last week, our farmer friend (the one I mentioned saying good-bye to in the previous post) appeared and gave us a HUGE bag of satoimo. What he thought we'd do with a big bag of potatoes en route to England, I'm not sure, but it was kind of him nonetheless. And we did find time to use them, luckily. Too bad I don't know his name or address in order to thank him. We usually just called him Doc, since he resembled Doc Brown from Back To The Future. Minus the Delorean, unfortunately.
  ...Known by the name of taro root in English, satoimo is a kind of starchy vegetable/potato that is rather slimy once peeled. You can avoid the sliminess by boiling the satoimo first and then getting rid of the resulting gunky water, or I'm told that you can also fry them to form a sort of crust on the outside, thus preventing said sliminess from occurring. Or, you can embrace the sliminess and use it as part of the dish you're making. Which we did when we made this big batch of satoimo/tofu crumbles. It was a really easy recipe and tasted even better after chilling overnight. Yet another Japanese food that I'm going to miss!
PS This may be the last post for a while, since I'm told that our internet and telephone in England won't be up and running for another couple of weeks. Sigh. Resisting the urge to compare it to Japan's ever-speedy service and keeping fingers crossed that weekS is an exaggeration!

                                       Raw, unpeeled satoimo

The cooked product: looks unappetizing, tasted great!

Bucket List: Scenes From Our Daily Walks

2011-10-15T21:23:00.000+09:00

Our now-former apartment wasn't actually in the country at all, but if you walked to the next street over and started hiking up a hill, this is what you came upon. Such a beautiful area in the middle of housing developments; it's basically a group of plot gardens lining an old road, with the land in these pictures located at the very top, where the road dead-ends. I was hoping to walk up it with Keila one last time before we moved, just to tell the local farmers good-bye, but we were so busy on our last day that I never got the chance to. We did get to tell one farmer who was always working the land behind our place that we were leaving, however. In typical farmer fashion (they were constantly giving me food), he kindly sent us off to Yokohama with a bunch of sato imo (taro root). Now to figure out how to make something with them....

Mont Blanc Kit Kats

2011-10-12T21:12:00.000+09:00

Well, it's definitely fall here in Japan, as evidenced by the abundance of Mont Blanc-flavored products appearing on shelves recently. The latest I found is Gateau du Mont-Blanc Kit Kats. They're a bit pricier than the usual pack, but you get 6 minis to a box so I guess it justifies the rate hike. We tried them after lunch, and they were quite good! Maybe an 8 out of 10? Definitely worth buying if you come across them. Keila once again preferred the box, however. Still working on learning what's edible and what's not!

Keila's 11 Month Update

2011-10-08T21:41:00.001+09:00

Keila turned 11 months on Thursday! Unfortunately, our internet service was turned off that day due to moving, so we're a bit late in posting.
Here's what's been going on with her in the past month:
1. She's talking a LOT more lately. Definitely saying 'Mama' on the rare occasions that I'm not around, and she'll also call for 'Dada' when he leaves the room. However, she tends to call any and all animals 'Daaaa' or 'Dadadadadaada', so we're working on that one. I'm sure it's more than a bit confusing when Daddy tells her the cat is called 'neko' and I tell her that the cat is called 'kitty' or 'kitty cat'.
2. Keila's fangs are now fully in, so she's definitely ready for Halloween! However, her upper middle teeth just broke through as of yesterday, so she might not get to be baby Dracula on the 31st after all. In addition to those 2 new ones, another upper tooth came in some time earlier, but I didn't notice it for a bit because it's off to the left side of her top canine. Meaning, she's now got 9 teeth in all, and she knows how to bite!
3. In terms of sleep: she nows goes down for naps on her own on most days! This is a MAJOR accomplishment, even though I hear it's the norm for most babies. Night-time wakings are still pretty much a given, although she is sleeping for longer periods at least. Maybe one day she'll begin sleeping through the night again....maybe...
4. We're still scooting all over the place and terrorizing the cats; no walking yet however. Standing has become quite routine, especially at night when I'm trying to get her to lie down and go to sleep. There's nothing quite like the sight of baby Keila in her sleep sack, wailing and shaking the bars of her crib!
5. I've fallen behind on introducing many new foods since we've been so busy with moving preparations. Once we're in England I plan to get right back on forcing organic veggies into this kid. Cheese is still a huge favorite, as are crackers. We have been attempting more textured foods, but so far they're simply spit back out and then flung at the wall.
6. New favorite activities include: feeding Mom or Dad whenever she gets full herself; pulling up Mom's shirt in order to pinch her stomach (OWW); and Keila will also clap her hands on cue now! She's realized that we get really excited whenever she does this however, so she'll then keep clapping and clapping...and clapping. Give her some cymbals, and she'll rival the Energizer Bunny!
7. Separation anxiety will still rear its ugly head off and on, but for the most part fear of strangers is a thing of the past. Now if we can just train her to let anyone besides Mom put her to bed at night, life would be even better!
8. Finally, Keila is still around 9.5 kilos, so she's at least maintained her weight since last month. I think she's in about the 60% percentile currently, so she'll see how she does come November and the 1 year mark.

Bucket List: Ton Katsu (Pork Cutlet)

2011-09-24T16:15:00.000+09:00

Check another one off the Japan bucket list: today we had ton katsu for lunch. Ok, actually I had fried shrimp and veggies (but incredibly unhealthy so still counts) and Keila ate zucchini with oatmeal, her foot, and a chopsticks wrapper....a good time was had by all! Now, back to packing, aka flipping through British magazines and telling myself it's still equivalent to preparing for the big move....
My lunch

Ton katsu, cabbage, and fried oysters

Keila rather enjoying her lunch

Yum, yum!

Bucket List: Atami Family Trip

2011-09-23T22:35:00.000+09:00

Once again, just a quick post since the nasty duty of packing boxes still awaits me tonight.
...We had a great time in Atami last night and this morning! Ate way, way, WAY too much lovely seafood and thorougly enjoyed relaxing in the hotel. Thank you, Otousan!!!

Family pic

Sashimi, I will miss you

MASSIVE sashimi boat

Overhead view

One of the countless courses at dinner

View from the breakfast buffet....enlarge the picture and look closely to note what this lady is drinking...at 8 am. When on vacation, all rules are out!

The Bucket List

2011-09-17T22:19:00.000+09:00

Well, in case you don't already know, the big news here is that we won't be here for much longer. We're being transferred to Worcester, England. And while I'm really happy in some ways to be heading to Europe, I'm also really sad to be leaving family, friends, and life in Japan. Especially since time has suddenly sped up, and we've got maybe a month left. There's sooo much to get done before the big move, so I'm not sure how many posts I'll get in before we go....but I'll at the very least try to put up photos as we work on our bucket list for the time left in Japan. (In case you're not familiar with the concept of a bucket list, it's a list of things you want to do before you die...or in this case, things we want to do before we move).
For now, here's our list:
1. Eat ikura aka salmon roe. Lots of it! (Already did it once, again would be nice)
2. Visit Kamakura again. And eat at Hachi no ki (great vegan/Buddist monk cuisine)
3. Eat Belgian chocolate soft cream from Mini Stop. (Did it, will post pics soon)
4. Visit Kyoto (did it last month, see pics from previous posts)
5. Take Keila to the zoo
6. Eat houtou (a type of noodle/stew) near Mt. Fuji. We really like eating, what can I say.
7. Eat unagi (eel). I'm going to gain 10 lbs before we move!
8. Returnee friends reunion in Tokyo
9. Yuki's final band concert
10. Have dinner at Budou no Oka (great buffet near our place)
11. Relax at Kinzaburo green tea shop
12. Photograph favorite sites along our daily walks
13. Stay in Atami with family (planned for next week)
14. Mountain drive/hike near Shizuoka
15. Buy more Nontan for Keila

I may/may not add more to the list if: 1. we remember anything else and 2. time prevails. I think that our list would be rather different if activities weren't restricted by Keila's nap times, etc, and also by our own lack of time here. As it is, we've tried to think of things we'll obviously miss and won't have access to in the UK.
Obviously once we move, this blog will no longer be about life in Japan, but instead will detail England and whatever European trips we take. Not sure yet if I'll keep the same web address or will change to a new one; details on that after we get settled, though!

Finally, New Kit Kats!

2011-09-17T21:58:00.000+09:00

Kit Kat flavor production seems to have slowed down since the big earthquake in March...but maybe now they're starting to ramp things up again? At least, here's the new flavor for Halloween: pumpkin cheese cake. Pretty good; Yuki said he could taste pumpkin right away but it took me a bit longer to notice it. Definitely creamy, although the American in me was expecting more of a pumpkin pie spice/cheese cake flavor rather than just pumpkin cheese cake. Maybe a score of 7 or 7.5? Keila, however, was not big on the wrapper and only gave it a score of 3 out of 10!

Weird Product Alert!

2011-09-14T21:49:00.000+09:00

I spotted this at a Mini Stop yesterday and forced Yuki to toss it in with the other items we were buying. He resisted at first, asking me what I needed it for, but I used my 'It's for the blog!' card and won. Besides, it was half off, apparently because nobody else could figure out a good reason to buy it, either. So, what is this mystery product, you ask??
It's.........................(drumroll)............................................
.
.
..........................a curry-scented sparkler!!! Odd even in consideration of all the other weird products I've found here. The front boasts phrases such as 'It smells of curry!' 'Can you smell it?' and 'Indian people will be surprised, too!'
We tested one out tonight, and it definitely smelled rather spicy when we opened the package. However, the only scent emitted upon burning was your usual sulfurous sparkler smell. Oh well, I still think it was 53 yen well spent in terms of the entertainment factor alone!

Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama

2011-09-12T21:40:00.000+09:00

Only about a month later, I'm finally posting some more pictures from our Kyoto vacation. These are at Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama, a northern part of Kyoto. It's registered as a World Heritage site and while quite beautiful, I have to admit that I enjoyed seeing the bamboo forest in back of it more than anything!

10 Months Old!

2011-09-06T18:02:00.000+09:00

Yep, Keila turned 10 months old today! And she's been making a TON of progress these past few weeks. Here's the monthly update:
1. She's getting louder and louder! 'Mama' is a regular word, although I'm not too sure whether she yells it when she wants me or just when she's upset, seeing as how she usually wants me when she's upset. Besides sounds, her new oral trick is....drumroll....spitting! Nice huh? I swear she got about 3 feet out of one on our walk yesterday. It's especially fun when she's got a mouth full of food at the time, too.
2. Again on the subject of her mouth...we're at 5 teeth now! 3 on the bottom and 2 on top. The 2 on top are not the middle ones, but instead the canines. When they're fully in, I get to start calling her Baby Dracula.
3. Sleep is still not going well, unfortunately. She was actually doing really well and had slept through the night for almost a week, but then Dad had to leave on a business trip and we came to stay at Grandpa's. Not sure if it's the change in location or lack of Daddy being around (probably combined with teething), but sleep patterns have reverted! And the only way she'll nap is if I'm holding her in my lap. So it's either...no nap = cranky baby or nap = Mom doesn't get anything done during the day.
4. Still no crawling...and I doubt it'll ever happen, seeing as of August 9th she started actively scooting. It's really funny to see since she rather looks like a gimp baby in motion, but she's also quite fast! The cats learned this fact the hard way. Also, starting last week, she finally started pulling herself up to standing. Turns out that she probably could've done it a while ago given the proper incentive....ie a toy or the tv remote sitting on Grandpa's couch cushions. So far the remote hasn't been broken...so far....
5. In terms of eating...she now wants to do it all herself! Meaning that the mouth clamps closed whenever a spoon comes at it. She can feed herself baby crackers but so far other items are a bit difficult. Melon was definitely a thumbs down, but onions (in her crackers for flavoring) seemed to be a pretty big hit!
6. Favorite activities now include: hitting or pinching Mom repeatedly and then laughing when Mom yells 'OUCH' or 'NO'; pulling on any and all electrical cords and attempting to stuff them into her mouth; playing with Grandpa's fire extinguisher until she's caught; and turning the tv and lights on/off. She can also clap her hands when she feels like it, and she waves bye-bye a lot...even when nobody is going 'bye-bye'.
7. Separation anxiety is still driving Mom crazy, but otherwise she's an incredibly happy girl!
8. Keila weights approximately 9.5 kg now (almost 21 lbs). We'll see if she maintains or gains on her cracker-only diet, though!
Until next month....

A Typhoon Is Coming!

2011-09-01T21:50:00.000+09:00

Combine incoming bad weather with sale day at the grocery store, and what do you get? Lines like these.....I couldn't even get it all into the picture, but here's an idea of how crowded it was! Needless to say, I immediately gave up on the idea of buying my diet Pepsi....

More New Products

2011-08-31T21:22:00.000+09:00

Well, it's the last day of August, and you know what that means: Halloween stuff is coming out! Yep, saw these Halloween/ghost Pringles at the store today already. They're onion gratin soup flavored...which basically means they taste pretty similar to sour cream n' onion chips. Not bad, but nothing special either.

Next up, we have Meiji's chocolate mint gum. And once again, Meiji's done a rather good job! The little cubes of gum look like mini brownies, and their texture is actually that of a rather gummy brownie. Nice minty-chocolate taste, and the flavor lasted for at least 15 minutes! Considering that for some reason even with all the new technology here, nobody can make gum with flavor that lasts very long, I'm impressed! Would definitely buy this one again!

Product Review: Gyoza Flavored Curls (カール）

2011-08-24T21:29:00.000+09:00

Found these at the grocery store today: gyoza flavored corn curls. Produced by Meiji, the product name is, conveniently Ka-ru, or 'curl' in Japanese. The first time I visited Japan, I'm pretty sure that I inhaled enough of the salad dressing flavor Kurls to keep the company in business for that year, so I decided to try these out of a mixture of nostalgia and curiosity. (Quick digression: the salad dressing flavor was really a lot better than it sounds, but sadly I haven't seen it in since my second visit here).
I was pleasantly surprised by the obvious gyoza taste as soon as I bit into one of these. Good work Meiji! There was of course a slight corn aftertaste, these being corn curls, but otherwise they're pretty good. My only complaint is the odd somewhat-gyoza-flavor that formed and lingered in my mouth for about an hour afterward. Not sure if it would've stuck around had I eaten something else after the curls, but figured it was worth mentioning in case you're inclined to try them. Probably won't buy them again as I'm not in the habit of eating chips any more, but not bad!

Hotel Review: Kyoto's Matsui Honkan

2011-08-20T22:16:00.000+09:00

We stayed at Matsui Honkan the first night of our Kyoto trip this past week. It was an upper-middle range hotel in the travel agency's listing, but WOW. I honestly can't imagine what the high range hotels are like, if Matsui Honkan is merely middle level. The quality of service there was simply amazing, as was the food and our room. For some reason we were upgraded to the VIP 2-room suite, perhaps because we'd mentioned that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary while there. Whatever the case, I'm guessing that the suite was almost as large as our entire apartment, and a lot more beautiful! Included with the suite was VIP treatment, although perhaps they're simply that nice to all of their guests? We were also given anniversary gifts (chopsticks, chopstick rests, and sweets, among others), and they had a children's promotion going on at the time, so Keila got to 'toss' a ring and win a stuffed rabbit. Definitely the place to stay if you want to relax after viewing the major temples and shrines, too---it's quite close to the main shopping street with quick access to the subway. 5 stars on all counts for this place!
Here's the link to some photos from the hotel; I'm giving Flikr a try for photo hosting so hopefully it works ok! http://www.flickr.com/photos/66602122@N04/sets/72157627351429683/

Salamander!

2011-08-08T19:46:00.000+09:00

Found this little peeping Tom hanging out right after I turned off the shower! There was definitely a bit of screaming from the bathroom at that point, but only because I thought it was one of the infamous cockroaches that are so prevalent here. Newts/lizards/salamanders don't really scare me. Good thing, since I had to catch this cute little guy and put him outside! I looked up the various types of Japanese newts/salamanders (who knew that there is actually a Japanese Giant Salamander?? THAT would have made me scream for sure), and I think this one is a Tokyo salamander. Whatever the case, apparently it's a right of passage to discover one in the house, seeing as the people I've mentioned it to this evening have all replied that they hate finding them in the bathroom. How this one got in is beyond me, but if he's smart he'll stay outside: he narrowly missed a long, slow, and painful death at the paws of Wasabi and Sushi!

Beauty Dressing

2011-08-07T20:56:00.000+09:00

Another new product: DHC Beauty Dressing. Got these a couple of weeks ago (thanks, Otousan!) but first tasted the wasabi flavor tonight. It tastes great, not too sure about the beauty part though?
The wasabi one boasts that it contains isoflavins from soy beans, while the tomato flavor has collagen peptides in it. I guess that these are supposed to help improve looks via better skin? Maybe I should conduct a test by taking my picture each day from here on out to see if it works. However, I think these would have to be some miracle dressings if they can erase the signs of sleep deprivation from my features! Good luck DHC!

Keila Is 9 Months Today!

2011-08-06T21:11:00.001+09:00

Keila turned 3/4 of a year old today! Here's an update in terms of how she's progressed in the past month:
1. Still making lots of sounds but nothing too new that I've noticed in particular...then again, I'm around her pretty much 24/7 so maybe they're just not new sounds to me. She was blowing raspberries a while back, quit, and then started up again last week. It's great when she's got food in her mouth at the time!
2. Sleep is still something that she fights like a wild cat. I've figured out that she will actually take 2 naps at day, one during our morning walk and one in the afternoon. However, if she does settle down for her afternoon nap, that pretty much guarantees she won't go to bed at 7:30....or if she does, she's back up again within the hour. Every night is a toss-up though, so we're hoping for at least 6 hours straight tonight! Speaking of sleep (or not sleeping), one of her new favorite activities is smacking Mom and Dad in the face at 6 am. She usually starts the night in her crib and ends up in our bed by around 5 am...then lets me sleep for another hour if I'm lucky. Investing in some light-blocking curtains probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
3. Tummy time is still pretty much a no-go. Screaming usually starts up every time she's put down on the belly. Meaning that crawling hasn't started yet either. Keila's getting around this by acting as a sort of whirling dervish: she will use her legs to twirl herself around in circles while seated, slowly making her way across the room towards an unsuspecting target (ie Sushi or Wasabi). It took me a while to figure out how she would suddenly go from being on her mat to being halfway across the room, but Yuki figured it out after watching her a few times. Only Keila would be able to move without appearing to!
4. Baby food: still not wanting much in the way of more textured foods, but tofu is ok, as are apricots, potatoes, and plain yogurt if it has some fruit mixed in. Not a big fan of sour foods. She also HATES this rather pricey salmon/vegetable dinner pack I ordered for her from the US. Recommended by Dr. Sears and everything. All I can say is, Dr. Sears apparently never ate that garbage! I tried it and am pretty sure even the cats won't bother with it. Poor baby! Now we're stuck with about 20 packs of stinky cat food-like salmon dinner. Yuck.
5. New favorite activities include pulling out Sushi's fur, pulling out Mom and Dad's hair, throwing toys across the floor, throwing things in general, and trying to eat Mom's books and magazines. She also LOVES rolling a ball back and forth and can wave bye-bye. Smart girl!
6. Finally, fear of strangers kicked in early last week. If someone looks at her too closely for too long, watch out! Random people will set her off for reasons that I can't discern, too. Poor baby! She does get really excited when Daddy comes home or she gets to see Grandpa, though!
Until next month....

Sneak attack on Wasabi....

Hello Llama!

More Pepsi: Energy Cola

2011-07-28T22:03:00.001+09:00

Here's another Pepsi out: Energy Cola. Ingredients are: sugar, royal jelly, guarana, Korean carrot, caramel color, ascorbic acid, caffeine, etc etc etc in that order. Basically, one big sugar rush. Taste? Like some herbal tonic has been poured into a really syrupy sweet Pepsi. Not good, but oddly addicting! Even with all those random herbs/plants included, I'm pretty sure that the only energy you're going to feel comes straight from all that sugar. The label indicates that it's good for sports, studying, on the job, and for dates. Huh, who knew. That's still not enough to get me to drink another one, though!

Keila had fun playing with the can, at least

Pepsi Caribbean Gold: White Sapote Flavor

2011-07-26T20:47:00.000+09:00

Pepsi released its limited edition summer flavor today: Caribbean Gold. The label goes on to say that it's 'white sapote' flavored...which I had to look up, considering I had no idea what that was. Turns out it's a type of tropical fruit found in eastern Mexico on down south through Costa Rica. Huh. Having visited Mexico and Nicaragua, I'd imagine that I would've come across it at some point....or more likely seen it in the produce section of our local Walmart! Apparently white sapote just isn't all that popular, perhaps because eating the fruit is said to induce drowsiness? Although I would think that would make it MORE popular than not, but maybe that's just my brain talking after limited sleep every night for the past 8.5 months.
Anyway...back to this Pepsi. Perhaps the name Caribbean Gold was chosen in the hopes that it'd bring to mind Pirates of the Caribbean and thereby further increase sales (Pirates is HUGE in Japan)? Whatever the case, it's obviously not named after white sapote, which I don't really need to point out isn't even native to the Caribbean. Someone at Pepsi didn't do their research! The flavor itself did bring to mind a tropical feel, however. Imagine cream soda mixed with pineapple pop, in a good way. I'd definitely recommend buying it. Way better than that cucumber flavor they came out with a few years ago!!

Pepsi Caribbean Gold, White Sapote Flavor

Keila liked it, too!

Typhoon Mishmash

2011-07-20T20:38:00.000+09:00

We've been stuck inside for most of the day due to Typhoon Ma-on (I didn't name it), so now is as good a time as any to play catch up with some random products I've discovered over the past month. First up, we have 2 new Kit Kat flavors: cookies 'n cream and strawberry hazelnut. Sadly, neither one of them was good enough to make me buy them again. Cookies 'n cream tasted basically like a Cookies 'n Cream Hershey's bar, while the strawberry hazelnut was nice and strawberry flavored...not so much hazelnut though. I'd give them both a 6 maybe? Decent but nothing special.
Second, we've got 2 new stationery sets that I just couldn't resist. The first one reads: 'Fatty Animals' and in smaller letters underneath 'I do not mind fatty!!' Love it! The second one isn't quite as funny, but still cute and reminded me of our old dog Scooter. That one reads 'Little Butler. We will put delicious tea in. I will do the highest entertainment' and then farther down 'I am only your butler'.
Don't ask me where they come up with the wording for the stationery sets here, but major props to whoever's creating them!
Finally, the last 3 pictures are from Haneda Airport's new international terminal, which I had the pleasure of exploring when we saw Yuki off on his last trip to China. I have NO idea what the sign in the toilet means?? Perhaps this is self-obvious to anyone else looking at it, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what the little platform that folds out of the wall onto the floor is supposed to do. Anyone? (And yes, I do realize that taking a picture in a toilet stall is kind of weird).
Next up, the sign just before security. If the English is taken literally, then you can just stand there all day and try to figure out the never-ending loop of whether or not you can bring liquids on board. I would've thought an international airport could do a bit better than that on translations, but at least it's good for a laugh!
Last picture, this cute little bunny apparently reminding you not to forget your skin when you fly. Good advice, Bunny-san!

The new Kit Kats: Strawberry Hazelnut and Cookies 'N Cream

Fatty Animals!

I really want to know what this contraption is for!

'Liquids cannot be brought on board aircraft. However, liquids can be carried on by following the rules'. Rules? See #1: Liquids cannot be brought on board aircraft!

'Have a nice air trip and your skin!!!'

Flag Waver

2011-07-14T23:12:00.000+09:00

There's got to be some sort of law here in Japan that a flag waver is required at EVERY construction site. And that law really needs to be revised, considering that, while this guy was dutifully performing his job as other workers dug a hole...the construction site is the top of our street, which is a dead end!!!

Neighbor's house on the left, our place on the right...and NOTHING else around besides farm land in the back

He was REALLY happy to wave the flag around as Yuki backed out of our parking space

Bio-S Restaurant and Farm

2011-07-12T17:28:00.000+09:00

       Last Thursday we headed to nearby Fujinomiya for lunch at an organic restaurant, Bio-S, that we recently learned about. (It's pronounced Bios, so I'm not sure why there's the dash?).
   I've been attempting to buy mostly organic vegetables and fruit for Keila, which has been a feat in itself, seeing as there just aren't very many organic farms around Japan. I first learned about this particular farm and restaurant while talking with a friend, and the very next day I happened to see a sticker with the farm's website address pasted onto a 336 yen organic zucchini at a health food store. (For those of you not up to date on the current exchange rates, I paid about 4 dollars and 15 cents for one little zucchini. Grumble).
Figuring that buying directly from the farm would be cheaper, we looked their address up online after deciding to have lunch there and make a day trip of it. Yuki called ahead to make reservations (and request that they hold some zucchini for us). The hostess seemed rather surprised that we wanted 8 zucchini, since most people don't have big freezers here and therefore don't tend to stockpile and freeze produce.
Here's where things got a bit confusing....there's both a Bio-deli and a Bio-S restaurant in Fujinomiya. We first ended up at the deli, a cute and definitely casual little place, before realizing that we needed to be at the restaurant. Which was quite definitely NOT casual. Luckily, this is Japan, where dress codes don't really exist. Still, I was glad that I'd at least decided to wear a new shirt that day! Yuki was feeling a bit out of place in shorts until a single woman in hiking boots and jeans strolled in and took a seat at her reserved table. The rest of the crowd, however, was much better dressed than we were. At least Keila was fancy enough for the occassion!
The owner of this organic enterprise, Mr. Matsuki himself, was hard at work showing guests to their tables and waiting on them, too. I'm not sure how long he's had his farm operating in Fujinomiya (Bio Farm Matsuki), but he told us that the restuarant had been open for about a year now.
Ever the gentleman, he didn't say a word about us hauling Keila in for lunch, although it is rather obviously not a restaurant suited for children or babies. Thankfully, our little Pooper behaved herself beautifully and even entertained a group of elderly women seated at the table adjacent to us. Score One for Little Billy Shatner!
Lunch was, of course, all organic. We opted for the smallest course set, which included: an appetizer of raw corn and wild boar bacon; fish carpaccio over onions and spring peas, which was topped with mushrooms and served alongside cherry blossom salmon; roast chicken with spring vegetables; lemon granita over panna cotta; and finally, tea with tiny sponge cakes and macarones. Needless to say, it was all excellent, and we had a pretty small dinner later that evening! Ok, I'm lying about the small dinner. What can I say, feeding Keila gives me an appetite equal to that of a herd of hippos. Half-starved hippos. Snort snort.
Next time, we'll probably try lunch at the deli instead so as not to push our luck with Keila a second time. If you're interested in finding out more about the farm or restaurant and deli, here's their website: www.bio-farm.jp

                                                  Bio-S Restaurant. They do weddings, too.

The Dining Room

Organic Carrot-Apple Juice

Appetizer: Raw Corn With Wild Boar Bacon

Carpaccio Salad And Sakura Salmon

Roast Chicken With Zucchini, Onions, Potatoes, Beans, and Burdock Root With A French Dijon Sauce. No, that's not a stick; it's burdock root. Completely edible and quite tasty.

Darling Keila In Her New Dress

Lemon Granita Over Some Amazing Panna Cotta

Herb Tea, Sponge Cake, And Macarones

The Still Cute But Much More Casual Deli

Organic Produce For Sale

Tanabata, Bistro C, And Stroller Success

2011-07-10T22:10:00.000+09:00

We met some friends out for dinner on Friday in Shimizu, at a little bar/restaurant called Bistro C. I'd never heard of it before, but it turned out to be pretty good (plus it's no smoking). Only downside was that it did take a rather long time for all of our food to arrive, seeing as the place only has one oven and a menu full of baked entrees. Keila was great about the whole ordeal, however, and she really enjoyed hooting at a man at the bar until Yuki took her over to chat with him. She's a little flirt already!
We also strolled through the Shimizu Tanabata Festival on the way back to the station. For those of you who don't know, Tanabata is officially on the 7th of July (7/7). On this date, the deities and lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi (the stars Vega and Altaire) are said to be allowed to meet. On all other days, they are separated by the Milky Way. In honor and celebration of their meeting, star festivals are held across the country in July and August. And because they're star festivals, most of the action takes place after dark. Keila loved seeing all of the lights and hanging floats...so much so that getting her to go to sleep proved more difficult than usual!
Finally, one more note--after 2 months of SCREAMING whenever she was set in it, Keila decided that she'd submit to a stroller ride on Friday! Success!!!!

Lovin' The Stroller!

Tanabata Decorations

Shimizu Tanabata Festival

Keila Update: 8 Months!

2011-07-06T15:40:00.000+09:00

I'm still trying to figure out how 8 months have gone by already, but as of 4:57 p.m. this evening, Keila will officially be 2/3 of a year old.
Here's what's been going on with her lately:
1. Lots of new sounds and 'talking'. She'll say MamaDaDadLalaGaaaGaaa and other babbles, but she reserves NaaaNaaa and NeNe for when she doesn't like something (ie prunes) or wants to go to bed.
2. Speaking of bed, our hyperactive girl STILL doesn't like sleeping much. Our schedule is that she gets tired and goes to bed around 7:30...if we're lucky. Other nights, she somehow gets a second wind as she hits the crib mattress and starts waving her hands around and cooing like a mad monkey. I've tried letting her 'cry it out' (aka checking on her every 3, 5, then 10 minutes to see how she was doing)....all that led to was her becoming increasingly upset and scratching big gouges in her forehead. She tends to scratch at her head and ears when exhausted, poor girl. But seeing as I don't want a bloody, scarred up baby, that little move inadvertently trumped my attempt at a 'cry it out' solution. Back to square one!
3. Keila is doing a bit better with tummy time but still not for more than 5 minutes (is that the same as last month? I'll have to check). Her arms are getting a lot stronger though, so maybe crawling is in the future? Or maybe just straight on to scooting or walking--in the past few days, she's been actively scooting backward. We have yet to figure out forward, maybe next week!
4. Baby food is going ok; she's been grabbing at the spoon lately so feeding herself is also in the near future. So far no other 'reactive' foods besides bananas and possibly green peas. Zucchini and blueberries are favorites of the moment, although we introduced cinnamon a couple of days ago and that went over well, too. On Friday we're hitting up the local tofu shop, so she can try out some soft-style tofu over the weekend.
5. Favorite activities now include waving the cats' toy fishing pole around for them to bat at; stealing the cats' toy mouse and attempting to eat it; attempting to eat just about anything she can get ahold of: and blowing raspberries. Oh, and she also loves singing and dancing. Lady Gaga is a biggie, but Neyo seems to be holding his own, too. Taylor Swift has yet to evoke much response. Sorry, Taylor.
6. Keila has MASTERED the art of running around in her walker (much to Wasabi and Sushi's horror)! She can now go forward and back, even looks over her shoulder like a good little driver when backing up. I'm getting an idea of how busy she's going to keep me once she's more mobile: last night she had a great time throwing the recycling all over the kitchen floor. Nothing like the sound of plastic, metal, and glass rattling around to make for a happy baby.
Finally, as a present to me today (or maybe just pure luck), Keila has actually gone down for a nap longer than 20 minutes this afternoon! We'll see how long this little miracle lasts, but in the meanwhile I think I'll try to put away our 5 loads of clean laundry that have taken over her nursery. Until next month.....

Taiyaki!

2011-07-04T21:43:00.000+09:00

We tried out a new taiyaki shop a few weekends back, but of course I'm only just now getting time to post about it. First off, if you're not familiar with taiyaki, it's basically a fish-shaped sort of cake with filling inside. The outer crust is made from pancake or waffle batter, and the filling is usually comprised of sweet red beans (adzuki), custard, chocolate, or cheese, etc. This shop's featured taiyaki is filled with sugary Japanese sweet potato paste. Delicious! They also have a green tea cream taiyaki, along with your usual custard and other varieties. It's a really cute little place, located on the road heading up to the Shizuoka prefectural art museum if you're interested in trying it. And if you do go, try to get there in the morning, when the taiyaki are still fresh off the griddle. Yum!

Okunoin (Koyasan)

2011-06-30T21:06:00.000+09:00

Okunoin is THE reason that I wanted to visit Koyasan. Of course, finding out that you could stay in Buddist temples while there only increased my desire to go, but Okunoin was what caught my eye in the first place.
While looking at photos of Japan's World Heritage sites, I came across a picture of Okunoin on a misty day. It was beautiful in every sense of the word. Perhaps not everyone shares my interest in historical graveyards (the catacombs in Paris were also on my 'must-see' list when we visited there), but this is one site that's well worth experiencing, graveyard or not. More than 2 km long from the main entrance to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum, Okunoin is considered the most sacred site in Koyasan. It's home to more than 200,000 gravestones, and the cobblestone path leading through it is shaded by centuries-old cedar trees.
A shorter (and more modern path) also leads through the cemetary from the Okunoin-mae bus stop, but both paths converge at the Gokusho Offering Hall. From there, the Gobyonohashi (Gobyo Bridge) crosses a stream separating the innermost temple grounds from the rest of Okunoin. After crossing the bridge, food, drinks, and photography are forbidden. Which is unfortunate in a way, since the mausoleum is really a gorgeous site, and I would've loved to have captured it on film. Still, the lack of cameras flashing did make everything feel that much more sacred and peaceful.
Besides the Gobyo (Kobo Daishi's mausoleum), this innermost area is also home to Torodo Hall (Hall of Lamps). This building is Okunoin's main worship hall, and it houses more than 10,000 eternally lit lanterns that have been donated by worshipers. Pilgrims often make a trip to pray to Kobo Daishi, and we saw several along the path when we visited Okunoin.
I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking...here are some of the best out of the hundred or so I took that afternoon!

Pigrims at the main entrance to Okunoin

The Innermost Grounds (photo taken just before Gobyonohashi, at the final point pictures were allowed)

Gokusho Offering Hall

Mizumuke Jizo statues

Kongobuji (Koyasan)

2011-06-27T08:57:00.000+09:00

Kongobuji is the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism. The entire area of Koyasan used to be known as Kongobuji, and there wasn't a temple by this name until 1869, when it was formed by combining 2 existing temples. The current Kongobuji is home to Japan's largest rock garden, the Banryutei.

Just outside the steps to the main entrance

Main Entrance

Kongobuji

New Products

2011-06-22T13:43:00.000+09:00

   Still working on finishing up the Koysan trip posts, but for now just a quick review of a couple of new products.
   First up: Meiji's Salty Nuts! They made me laugh, so I had to buy them. Pretty good for 126 yen a box. Nice salty crunch to each indiviudally wrapped chocolate piece. Kind of reminiscent of a saltier Mr. Goodbar, only with almonds and a more finely textured crunch.
Second product: Pepsi Dry. The label claims 'Pepsi DRY is a brand new NON-SWEET cola. Enjoy its sharp and refreshing taste'. Well, they certainly got the 'non-sweet' part right. At half the sugar of regular Pepsi, it basically tasted like someone forgot to add the syrup to a soda fountain. Yuck!  It brought to mind the idea of rotten champagne with a chemical aftertaste. Nothing to be enjoyed there! Yuki and I were wondering if we were the only ones who didn't like it, but apparently a coworker of his came into work the other day complaining about a nasty new Pepsi he'd tasted. Consider yourself forewarned.

                                 A tribute to the dog days of summer....

Gross. Do not buy!

Danjo Garan Complex (Koyasan)

2011-06-17T17:06:00.000+09:00

This complex is one of the most important areas in Koyasan. To quote my tourist pamphlet: 'The name Garan is derived from Sanskrit, and means a quiet and secluded place where Buddhist monks may train'. So in essence, it's a big monastery complex. Initial construction began in the early 9th century, but I'm not sure how long it took to complete. Included in the complex are Daito (the Great Pagoda), Kondo (Golden Hall), Fudodo, and Miedo (Portrait Hall).
Daito was intended by Kobo Daishi to be the center of his monastic complex. It took nearly 70 years to build, but the present building was rebuilt in 1937 after being destroyed by fire several times.
Kondo is where major Buddhist services are performed, although none were going on when we were by.
Fudodo is the oldest surviving building in the complex and is designated as a National Treasure.
Miedo is said to be built on the site where Kobo Daishi resided. A portrait of him is kept here but not displayed to the public. The building itself is only opened once a year, on the day that Kobo Daishi died (or, as the pamphlet puts it: 'entered into eternal meditation').
There are a bunch of other smaller buildings in the complex too, not all of which were named in my guide. And I wasn't really making note of the most important buildings when we toured the complex, but there are a few of them included in the pictures below....

Daito (Great Pagoda)

Miedo (Portrait Hall)

Kongo-Sanmai-In (Koysan)

2011-06-16T14:24:00.000+09:00

One of the many beautiful World Heritage areas around Koyasan. I'll let the pictures do the talking for this post, or else I'm never going to finish up our Koyasan trip on here!

Edamame Kit Kat

2011-06-12T01:00:00.000+09:00

We're back in Japan and arrived home to the newest flavor of Kit Kat: edamame! This particular flavor is well-known as a local edamame product in the Tohoku area. Therefore, 10 yen from each purchase is being donated to the disaster relief fund. I'm not sure how long it's been out, but I'm assuming that I didn't miss another flavor during the month we were back in the US.
Rating on this one? Well, my jet lag seems to be interfering with my taste buds for some reason. As in, nothing has seemed incredibly appetizing the past couple of days. But...I definitely detected a bean flavor when I bit into this one. In a good way. It was immediately followed by the typical Kit Kat aftertaste, but points to Nestle for getting the initial bit right. Yuki also liked the bean flavor but said it could be stronger, and that it was kind of weird in combination with the usual sweetness. Final score: 6.5. Worth trying for the novelty, but not worth buying a second one. Donate your 10 yen (and then some!!!) directly to the Japanese Red Cross instead!

7 Months!

2011-06-07T11:16:00.000+09:00

   Pooper aka William Shatner aka Keila is 7 months old today! Actually, she's 7 months and 1 day Japan time.
   A few highlights from her recent developments:
   1. As of 2 days ago, she now has TWO teeth! That's right, another one has come through to join the one that we first discovered on Memorial Day. And when I say "we", I mean Grandma. While I'm still feeling jealous and somewhat stupid as to not have discovered it for myself first, I do conceed that Grandma has way more child-rearing experience than I do.
2. Keila is sitting up on her own! For the most part, that is. We still have our face-plant and flop-over-backward moments, but we're doing better day by day.
3. So far, she can eat rice cereal, barley, carrots (but with major YUCK faces), peas (with a rash around her mouth afterward), sweet potatoes (Helloooo Shatner!!), and pears. She LOVED bananas but broke out in a full-body rash after 2 days of eating them. Here's hoping that she grows out of that one over time! Next up is either apples or mangoes, although if she had her choice, I think she'd have a few bites of my chopsticks.
4. In terms of non-developments: still refusing to roll over from tummy to back after those first few show-off moves. This situation is probably due to the fact that she still hates tummy times and just screams until Mom gives in and picks her up. Smart girl! 'Standing' with assistance is one of her favorite activities however, so we're wondering if she's just going to skip crawling/rolling and go straight to running.
5. Speaking of feet, this kid has monkey toes! She'll pick up anything and everything with them. And then pass it straight up to her mouth. Of course.

Tune in next month to see what she's gotten herself into by then!

Not the best pic, but I was in a hurry to even get this post typed up today....
http://keilaeveryday.blogspot.com/2011/06/happy-7-months-baby-keila.html

Joki-in Temple in Koysan

2011-05-25T12:27:00.000+09:00

Our first night in Koyasan, we stayed at Joki-in Temple. One of the many temples there that offer lodging to tourists/pilgrims, this place was simply amazing. Located in the center of town across from Kongobuji and at the west end of the Danjo Garan Complex (more on those later), it looked like something out of a historical movie. The interior didn't disappoint, either. I would definitely recommend staying here if you ever get the chance to visit Koyasan!

Koyasan Cuisine: The Biggest Om-Rice In Japan!

2011-05-18T11:17:00.000+09:00

For lunch our first day in Koyasan, we opted for a somewhat heavier fare, seeing as we'd be having a vegan Buddist meal for dinner. With meat in mind, I'd looked online and found that there was an om-rice restaurant in town that claimed to serve the largest om-rice in Japan. Om-rice (omu rice) is basically what it sounds like: an omelette stuffed with rice and bits of chicken, topped with ketchup. Basically your typical greasy spoon type of dish. Yuki seemed somewhat surprised that I was ok with eating this oily feast, but I figured I might as well make my first-ever om-rice also the largest ever, so we headed over to Inoue, a little family-style diner in the middle of town.
As it turns out, that om-rice will likely also be my LAST ever, too. Not that it was bad for om-rice (I'm taking Yuki's word on that), but I really don't like a lot of 1. grease or 2. ketchup. And this beast just tasted like greasy ketchup. Meh. Luckily, they also offered curry, so we got one om-rice and one curry plate. Definitely not a restaurant I'd go to for a repeat experience, but at least now I can say I ate the largest om-rice in the country!

Om-rice.....I'd say "Yum", but it wasn't.

It was definitely huge though...as big as Keila's head!

This Is NOT Sydney

2011-05-05T16:24:00.000+09:00

Our long-awaited, much anticipated and, might I add, fully pre-paid trip to Sydney never actually happened last week. Blame it on a passport snafu that was discovered 4 hours before our plane departed. Had we been willing to pay about $2000 more, I could've taken our original flight with Keila, and Yuki would've met us the next day. Money aside, I actually started crying at the thought of flying alone with Keila again after having arrived in Japan a little more than 24 hours previously. Not that Pooper doesn't do well on planes; she's actually a champ when it comes to flying. But 12 hours of holding her on my lap combined with lack of sleep had really done me in. So it was actually a big relief when we decided to just cancel and save the cash.
JAL was nice enough to refund some of our airfare; Four Points by Sheraton in Sydney....not so much. I realize that they have a no-refund policy for the type of room we had booked, but at least a little understanding would've been nice (and gained them a loyal customer in the future).
While we were bummed about the hotel situation and not being able to meet up with some friends there, we decided to make the most of the situation and go on a mini vacation here in Japan. Especially since I wanted to get Keila a bit farther west and away from the still-problematic nuclear reactor. In lieu of 5 days in Sydney, we used our airfare refund to drive to Koyasan, a World Heritage site in Wakayama prefecture. No idea where Wakayama is? Don't worry, nobody else seems to either. But I will say that it boasts one of the most beautiful World Heritage sites I've been in Japan or anywhere else, for that matter.
Some background from the Koyasan official website (http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html): "Kôyasan is home to an active monastic center founded twelve centuries ago by the priest Kûkai (posthumously known as Kôbô Daishi) for the study and practice of Esoteric Buddhism. It is the headquarters of the Kôyasan sect of Shingon Buddhism, a faith with a wide following throughout Japan."
Besides the beautiful sightseeing opportunities in this town, many of the temples also offer lodging (shukubo) to visiting tourists and pilgrims. More than 50 temples in Koyasan offer shukubo, and online reservations are quite easy to make. We booked 2 nights at different temples so that we could get the full experience. While the cost may seem quite steep (between about 10000 to 20000 yen per person), this includes dinner and breakfast. Considering the price of shojin ryori (vegan meals that Buddist monks traditionally eat) at restaurants, the prices really aren't that bad.
More posts to follow on our Koyasan trip, but here's one picture for now. Enjoy!

We didn't see any kangaroos in Australia, but we found one in Japan!

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-24T12:33:00.000+09:00

Happy Easter from our house to yours!

The Easter Bunny Eating Leftover Deviled Egg Filling

Oreo Trying To Fit In An Easter Basket

Tail Stew Is On The Menu

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-18T02:39:00.000+09:00

There was an Easter egg hunt at Valplayso today (a nearby playground so named with a rather bad pun on that of our hometown, Valparaiso), so we took Zelie and Keila to meet the Easter Bunny and round up some eggs. Keila was a champ and wasn't scared of the big furry hare at all! Zelie, meanwhile, scored a ton of candy-filled eggs. I even managed to get her to give me a mini Reester bunny, so we all had a great morning!
I have to give the sponsors, Walgreens and Family Video, props for having volunteers continually replacing the hunted eggs. Lots of times we've been to egg hunts where older and more aggressive children snatch all the eggs, and the toddlers aren't able to get more than one each at best. This one was quite well-stocked, and I saw lots of little kids with full baskets. Probably the only one not too thrilled with the day was the poor half-frozen Easter bunny!

Not quite sure what to make of the bunny

Racing for eggs

Keila and her purple egg

She loved all the colors in Zelie's basket

The much-coveted Reester bunny

Coffee Creek Park

2011-04-14T00:37:00.000+09:00

Since Sunday was so warm (I think close to 80 F), we took a walk through Coffee Creek Park, about 15 minutes north of town. I'd never gone before, so it was nice to explore it for a bit. Although a few more trees would've been helpful in that freak heat wave! This week we're back in the 50s and 60s, maybe next week will be a compromise and we can hope for the 70s?

A pretty site for this part of the world, but definitely nothing compared to the cherry blossoms blooming in Japan right now!

Reester Bunnies!

2011-04-09T10:53:00.000+09:00

Whoever came up with this one in marketing is brilliant: Reester Bunnies! Reese's peanut butter Easter bunnies, yum. Didn't actually buy any since I know how they taste, but I was sorely tempted to just because of the name.
And yes, Keila is happily riding in the basket of the shopping cart. We were in Walmart, what can I say??

A Decade Of Avoiding The Clown

2011-04-07T06:31:00.000+09:00

Well, it's finally happened. After almost 10 years of eating nothing from McDonald's, my mom came home with a snack-size fruit and yogurt parfait for me yesterday. So I caved in and ate it. Fittingly enough, it was also the last thing I ate from McDonald's in early September of 2001. I probably wouldn't remember the last time I ate it at all, but I picked a friend up from O'Hare a few days before 9/11, and we stopped at a McDonald's when heading back into town.
The decision to avoid the Golden Arches for so long wasn't really planned, more just a choice to eat healthier in general. By the time Super Size Me came out, I'd already been boycotting most fast food items besides salads, and that movie obviously just served to reinforce my stance.
While mass consumption of Big Macs, Whoppers, chicken nuggets, or other fatty and deep-fried foods aren't likely to become mainstream now, at 160 calories a serving the newly proportioned fruit and yogurt parfaits aren't all that bad! Score one for the scary red clown.

Bellaboo's: Adult Torture Center

2011-04-02T10:38:00.000+09:00

   We took my niece to a children's play place today that's about a half hour from home. It's called Bellaboo's, and it advertises itself as such: Bellaboo's Play and Discovery Center is a self-directed play facility providing colorful, fun, and secure areas where children from infants to age nine can explore, create, and interact.
  Which basically means....a huge indoor unsupervised kids' playground that children love and adults hate. Just imagine about 100 hyperactive yelling kids running around like mad. It was great to see Zelie having such a good time....but the noise level started to get to me about 5 minutes in! Apparently I wasn't the only one, since at one point when I asked Keila 'Are you having fun??', the woman next to me, thinking I was addressing her, replied "Uhh, not really!". Hah!

     This kid was adorable. I'm guessing he'd seen Blue Man Group.

The ball room. It smelled of dirty feet.

This place is huge!

Tall Tree Arboretum and Gardens

2011-03-31T10:38:00.002+09:00

We visited Tall Tree Arboretum and Gardens today....unfortunately I don't have time to discuss it in details, but here's their webite if you're interested: http://www.taltree.org/
A beautiful place, but I'm sure even better in warm weather!

Empty Shelves

2011-03-29T10:54:00.000+09:00

This was the scene at several stores we went to on March 16th. Our prefecture wasn't hit by the tsunami or really even damaged by the earthquake, as I stated before. Apparently, however, people have been freaking out and hoarding things such as bread, rice, Kleenex, diapers, toilet paper, bottled water, Cup Ramen (??) and Soy Joy bars. It was rather obvious that it was just general panic in our city, though---note how in the last photo, all of the Soy Joy bars are sold out, but the other brand beneath them is still fully stocked! Honestly people, Soy Joy really isn't all that great!
I'm not too sure how the situation is now, seeing as Keila and I are back in the US, but I've been told that smaller stores are still selling/sold out of basic items. The larger chains, however, seem to be getting stock in, though.

Empty bread shelves....nobody wanted the sweet rolls at the bottom!

Rice is sold out...not the whole grains, however

Kleenex is gone, besides a few 300 yen boxes

Soy Joy bars are all gone! The not-so-famous brand below? Yep, fully stocked.

Keila pictures

2011-03-27T11:29:00.000+09:00

If you're interested in pictures of Keila, feel free to check out her new blog: http://keilaeveryday.blogspot.com/
It will be just pictures of her, no writing since I haven't even had time to catch up with this blog lately. May or may not continue after we're back in Japan (it's mainly for Yuki's viewing pleasure). But for now...enjoy!

We're Back!

2011-03-26T08:53:00.000+09:00

Back in the United States for at least a month, and back online, that is. Long story that I'm sure a lot of you already know, but I'll post details on our return trip later when I have more than a few minutes. Right now, just a few pictures of Keila for her daddy to see, since he had to fly back to Japan this morning. We miss him terribly already, and are consoling ourselves by eating way too much popcorn!

Hi, Daddy!

Eh?? Mom already ate half the bag???

Completely unrelated pic of bath time

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T22:31:00.000+09:00

Thought we'd try to keep up the cheer this week with a bit of Irish celebration...
Who's taking my picture yet again??

Gaaaah!

Mmm, tasty!

Look! Is that a leprechaun??

Baby version of the drink 'Irish car bomb'

A Bit of Cheer

2011-03-16T17:02:00.000+09:00

People in some areas are really starting to panic here, especially because of the ongoing nuclear crisis over in Fukushima. Stores are selling out of bottled water, dry goods, etc, and I'm hearing stories of hour-long waits for gas in Tokyo. Since Shizuoka still seems to be mostly the same, however, I just keep praying for the best and am trying not to let myself get too freaked out. On that note, I thought I'd post a little bit of cheer, since we could all use it right now!
Keila Usagi Pyon Pyon

A Very Sad White Day

2011-03-15T17:09:00.001+09:00

To be honest, I don't really feel like posting. It seems callous to write about mundane occurrences when others are suffering, hungry, or hoping and praying for the safety of their loved ones. Maybe getting back into a routine will help combat the sadness that everyone in this country is facing right now, however.
It was rather hard to try and continue on as normal this weekend too, knowing that so many people were suffering in other areas of the country. But sitting at home and staring at the news just kept inducing anxiety and feelings of helplessness. I didn't really sleep on Friday night and could hear our neighbor's tv on at 4 am, so I obviously wasn't the only one with insomnia.
To get away from the awful scenes on the news (if we were at home, it was impossible not to turn on the tv), we decided to get out and do a little shopping on Saturday. Or rather, Keila and I window-shopped while Yuki got a haircut. It felt so surreal to be out and see everyone carrying on as usual downtown; I kept thinking that we all should be mourning. But maybe everyone else was feeling the same way and didn't know what to do with themselves, either.
Whatever the case, I was once again reminded of just how peaceful and safe Japan is when I came across this scene at Cold Stone Creamery in the bottom floor of a department store:

               If you were focusing more on the guy slouching all over his seat in the background, look again and note the purse sitting on the table. Leaving one's purse out to save a table is an entirely common occurrence here. Crazy, huh? But it's exemplary of how Japan is reacting to this awful disaster: as so many people have pointed out, you aren't hearing anything on the news about rioting, stores being robbed, women being attacked, etc. Why not? Because it's simply not happening here. Maybe there are some cases that I don't know about, but so far all of the stories are of people cooperating peacefully, forming lines for food and water, and trying to help each other. Amazing, but entirely how people SHOULD be behaving after such a catastrophe.
   Moving on to another area of the basement, we came across the chocolate counters. Which were frequented mostly by men this weekend, seeing as yesterday was White Day, and I guess people were still celebrating it. If you have no idea what White Day is, you're probably not alone. Basically, it's a day in response to Valentine's Day. Here, women give men chocolates on Valentine's Day, and on White Day, one month later, men are supposed to respond with gifts more expensive than the ones they were given. A chocolate company's dream.

On Sunday, again to get away from the tv, we used the White Day excuse to go to a nearby cake shop, Nave Noel. It's located close to the Nihondaira Zoo if you're interested. Wonderfully tasty heart-clogging chocolate cake. I'd say that I've lost my appetite due to the stress of the past few days, but to be honest, I'm a stress eater and have been running for snacks every time I hear the words 'nuclear reactor'. That cake went down like water! And then I felt guilty for being able to eat chocolate cake while so many don't have food or water right now.

If you want a temporary mood enhancer, then this is the cake to buy!

One last note...if you want to help but aren't sure what to do besides pray, then I'd suggest donating to the Japanese Red Cross. I'm getting my credit card out as soon as I finish posting this. Here's the Google link to it: http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html
Even $20 will help, and to be honest, are you really going to miss $20? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-12T14:36:00.001+09:00

Well, obviously yesterday's big news here was not, in fact, Keila's roll-over in the morning, but the massive earthquake that struck off the coast up north in the afternoon. It was the largest in Japan's recorded history. We felt the rather long initial quake (it was a 4 here in Shizuoka) and also a large aftershock shortly thereafter, but there was no damage to be seen at our place. Actually, I have yet to note any signs of damage in our area at all, thank God. I did feel rather nauseous for an hour or two after the swaying stopped, but that's really a small price to pay in exchange for safety.
As you likely already well know, the resulting devastating tsunami have caused most of the damage and loss of lives. Shizuoka and most of the rest of the coastal areas have had warnings for large tsunami since just after the quake, but it would appear that we are now out of the danger zone for the time being.
It's rather surreal to turn on the tv and see images of such complete destruction and loss of life so close to home. My heart and prayers go out to all of those whose lives have been affected so much more than ours.

Big News!

2011-03-11T14:22:00.000+09:00

Well, big news in our household, at least: Pooper rolled over this morning! Of course I wasn't home and didn't think to bring the camera, but I did record it on my cell phone (hence the poor quality photo below). The scene: I was about to change her diaper on the floor---we were attending a meeting at a small church, so no changing table---and little Billy decided that today was the day to roll from back to front. She got completely over and then couldn't really figure out how to get past the arm she was lying on, so she just rolled back after a few secoonds. But she did it! If I know Keila, she probably won't bother to do it again for a few weeks, but it won't be for lack of ability! Go Shatner go!

Return of the Tiger!

2011-03-09T22:28:00.000+09:00

     No, not the Bruce Lee movie.
Last year was the year of the tiger on the Chinese calendar, and we just happened to spot a tiger costume on clearance at the baby store a few weeks ago. Fuzzy, long-sleeved fleece, completely impractical for spring. Of course I snatched it up. I'm more than willing to pay 700 yen for a few good pictures!

                                                                  Cutest tiger award goes to...


                                       Inspecting her paws

Gao Gao Gao!!! (Roar roar roar)

Bullet Train Kit Kats

2011-03-08T17:17:00.000+09:00

I found these at the station a while back: special bullet train Kit Kats! They're actually just the regular chocolate flavor riding in this cute little bullet train box, accompanied by a sheet of stickers (pictured on the back of the box; see the last photo). A nice souvenir to take home for a child or train enthusiast...but at 840 yen a box, I just snapped a few pics at the station kiosk.

It's advertising the 'nozomi'; which as far as I know is currently the fastest train in Japan

Look!!! For about 500 yen extra, you can get a sheet of stickers!

4 Months!

2011-03-07T22:06:00.000+09:00

Keila turned a third of a year old yesterday (the 6th). I still can't believe that it's been 4 months since she arrived! We didn't do anything big to celebrate the day, although Keila was apparently still so happy about it that she peed herself with excitement......and her daddy! Haha.

Wheeee! Pee!

Yet another cute baby pic

Hina Matsuri Dinner

2011-03-04T17:16:00.000+09:00

Just a few photos of Keila's reaction to the chirashizushi we had at dinner last night...

What IS that??

Still considering it...

Thumbs up!

Hina Matsuri

2011-03-03T14:17:00.001+09:00

   Today, March 3rd, is Hina Matsuri (literally: Doll Festival), or Girls' Day, here in Japan. There's a lot of tradition behind the day that I unfortunately don't have time to detail, but here's the Wikipedia Link. The history is pretty interesting, so I'd recommend looking at it if you have the time and don't know anything about Hina Matsuri.
Basically though, for girls in the family, a set of special dolls (hina ningyo) are displayed from some time in February until this day. It is said that leaving the dolls out past March 4th will cause the daughter to end up marrying late.
Keila doesn't have a full set of dolls, but she does have several of the Emperor and Empress ones that have been passed down (thanks, Otousan!). Maybe we'll work on getting her the complete collection over time.
Besides displaying the dolls, people traditionally eat special crackers (hina-arare), rice cakes (hishimochi), and/or chirashizushi. Chirashizushi is sushi in which the ingredients have been placed or 'scattered' (literal translation) across the top of a bed of rice, instead of being rolled up in it. There's no specific recipe for chirashizushi, and it tends to vary by region.
Although Keila obviously doesn't care about chirashizushi yet, I did buy some for our dinner anyway. And maybe we'll leave those dolls out a few extra days: we're not superstitious, but I'm also not ready to even think about her getting married yet, either!


                                            Emperor and empress dolls

Our own little doll

Chirashizushi

Spoon!

2011-03-01T17:38:00.000+09:00

Warning--this is a Keila-only photo post. Nothing about Japan, sorry. Well, other than the fact that she's half Japanese, of course.
Today was rather rainy, so no long walks around the neighborhood as usual. Instead, we had some extended play time in the Bumbo. Spoons are amazing things!

Ton Katsu Lunch with Keila

2011-02-28T14:37:00.000+09:00

We went out for ton katsu a couple of weekends ago, but once again I'm only just getting around to posting the pictures. If you're not sure what ton katsu is (or if you want to see some cute pictures of Wasabi as a kitten, click HERE for an older post and explanation. Otherwise, enjoy these new photos!

Hanging out with Daddy before lunch is served

Deliciously unhealthy fried shrimp and veggies

Yuki's massive cutlet and cabbage

Little Billy Shatner reaching for the fried stuff

They're Taking Away Mt. Fuji, And All I Get Is Aluminum Foil

2011-02-25T17:56:00.000+09:00

Yes, sadly, construction on the empty lot next to us has begun. Meaning that not only are quiet mornings a thing of the past, but our lovely view of Mt. Fuji now has a limited number of days left. Sniff, sniff.
As is customary here, the housing agency left us a token gift along with a note detailing the construction dates. The theory being that the surrounding neighbors should get something in return for being hassled by the construction. Or maybe it's just so they're less likely to complain about the noise. Anyway, this time we got a box of aluminum foil. Eh. I'd rather have Mt. Fuji, thanks!

Cememony to bless the land before construction begins

Pathetic substitute for Mt. Fuji

Wara: The Rice Bread Shop (Wasabi's Dream Come True).

2011-02-23T13:51:00.000+09:00

   For the past month or so, I've been watching the construction of this new bread shop with great interest, since it's different from your usual French-style bakeries that tend to populate Japan. The sign for this place, Wara, advertises 'rice bread', so we looked it up online. Originating in Jiyugaoka (a neighborhood of Tokyo), there are now quite a few chains around the country. And yes, it really is rice bread. All of their products are made from rice powder. Plus, they don't use shortening or margarine, a small miracle!
Wara isn't due to open here in Shimizu/Shizuoka (a short walk from Kusanagi station along Minami Kansen, if you're interested) until this Friday, February 25th, but in another stroke of luck, they happened to be having a trial run when we drove by on the way to the grocery store the other night. Upon pulling into the parking lot, we were informed that the trial was invite-only, but since it was nearly over, we were welcome to go on in. Better yet, they weren't actually selling their products for the trial run---they were giving them away! 2 free pieces per person! Of course Keila was counted too, so we ended up with 6 free pieces that we selected, plus 2 more that the cashier threw in for good measure. Yep, 8 pieces of fresh baked goodness. Needless to say, my night was made! I would've happily paid for the bread, especially since it meant avoiding the crowds on opening day, but being free made it taste even better.
We selected 1 raisin/walnut stick, 1 plain white rice roll, 1 sesame stick, 1 roll with curry inside, 1 matcha powdered roll (which contained what seemed to be yomogi-infused bean paste), and 1 hard plain roll. The 2 free ones were soft walnut rolls. With all that to take home, I was sorely tempted to not even bother making dinner! Especially since they had free samples in the shop, too. We tasted a chiffon/sponge cake made with rice powder that was w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l, but unfortunately they weren't giving any of that away at the time. I did manage to refrain from running away with the bowl of sample pieces, but just barely.
If you go, from the ones we tasted I would highly recommend the sesame stick. After having half of it, I was really wishing we'd opted to take 2 of those home. Also, the matcha/yomogi roll is great, as is the raisin and walnut stick. Everyone was actually really good, but those were my top 3 picks (besides the lovely cake). I'll definitely be heading back to this place again once the crowds die down a bit!
Oh, and Wasabi was also in paradise after Yuki gave her a few crumbs to munch on. We'd somehow completely forgotten that her two favorite foods in the whole world are bread and rice...until we caught her frantically trying to rip the bag open!



                        I didn't have the camera, but luckily Yuki had his cell phone on him

Keila thought it all looked good, too!

Posing with the bakers

The new store

Some of our goodies

Wasabi going for the kill

Plain rice roll, designed to look like a grain of rice

One of the hard rolls

Matcha roll

Matcha Kit Kats

2011-02-22T14:06:00.000+09:00

Just in time for spring: strong matcha flavored Kit Kats. I only purchased a mini one to taste, seeing as I've had green tea Kit Kats before...and they're all about the same every season. This newest one was no exception: sweet matcha flavor. Actually, I couldn't even tell that the flavor was any stronger than a regular green tea Kit Kat. Not to mention the whole issue of sweetened green tea (big no-no!). Don't bother trying one unless you actually like sugar in your matcha or ocha.
Side note ...For those of you following along in order to see Keila, she'll be in the next post as soon as she lets me get some pictures uploaded!

Cute packaging, rather unoriginal taste

More Love!

2011-02-18T13:00:00.001+09:00

Valentine's Day, continued...
We went out for kaiten zushi (conveyor belt sushi) that night, seeing as those types of sushi restaurants are baby-friendly. Now, I never thought that a chain like Sushi-Ro would become my go-to sushi restaurant, but it's actually not bad for the price..and if it means that we can take Keila, I'm all for it! So far we've hit them up on Christmas Eve and now Valentine's Day. Maybe I can convince Yuki that we need to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, too?

Shatner loved watching the plates go by

Not so interested in the tuna

Western-style sushi roll

Keila again opted to have milk for dinner

Roly Poly!

2011-02-17T18:23:00.000+09:00

               Keila update! Although she'd previously rolled onto her side about a month ago, she hadn't bothered to do it again until a few days ago. This time, I managed to get it on camera. Go Pooper!
   Also for your viewing pleasure, here's the link to a clip of Keila grunting happily at her Nontan book while Daddy reads to her. We're not quite sure whether she was grunting due to excitement at the story or because of the diaper explosion about 30 seconds after the video, but either way, she was quite content!
   Click here for Keila and Yuki reading Nontan

Sushi's Birthday

2011-02-15T21:54:00.000+09:00

Happy Birthday to Sushi! She's a year old today. We celebrated by letting her wear a party dress, lucky girl! We were also going to give her some milk as a treat, but apparently she too is lactose intolerant, seeing as I found her happily eating one of my Lactaid pills a few days ago. Either that, or Fatty's diet is getting to be too much for her!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T01:00:00.001+09:00

A few pictures of our adorable little Cupid to commemorate the day....

Baby Massage

2011-02-11T14:00:00.000+09:00

Last Friday, Keila and I were invited over to a friend's house to learn baby massage (this friend is an instructor at a local women's center). Well, I got to learn massage; Keila just reaped the benefits. She really enjoyed the whole experience, especially when she got to talk to another 'baby'!

Prepping for our massage

Keila and her new friend

Mariko Day Trip and Togeppo Saiokuji

2011-02-10T22:04:00.001+09:00

This past Sunday, we visited Mariko, a nearby village. We'd gone there once last year to attend the well-known monthly morning market, but we'd never taken the time to explore the rest of it until now. My previous post has some background on the town, so click HERE if you're interested in the history.
The Mariko area is also famous for tororo, which is Japanese mountain yam. It's rather expensive due to the fact that it's hard to dig up, so a lunch of tororo soba (grated yam served with buckwheat noodles) runs about 1200 yen. I'd post a picture of it, but we opted for a 1200 yen set lunch that seemed a much better value. We ate at Takumitei, a restaurant in the Mariko hand-craft arts center...aka the Mariko tourist center. This little set of buildings was built to recreate the feel of Edo-era Mariko, and while it's all obviously new, it's still a nice place to look around.
After lunch, we took a short hike up the hillside to view some early-blooming plum blossom trees, and then we continued on to Togeppo Saiokuji (Togeppo Saioku Temple). This little temple was established in the early 16th century for the poet Saikuken Socho. It's modeled after Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto. Togeppo has been known for centuries as a famous spot for moon-viewing, and it is also called The Temple of Bamboo, due to the massive bamboo forest surrounding it. A old sign in English at the entrance also informed me that they served tororo soup, but apparently that custom was as outdated as the sign, since none was proferred on our visit. Soup or not, I would still recommend it if you're looking for a peaceful day excursion!

Keila put Dad's lunch on hold

Tuna sashimi with wasabi and a shiso leaf

Japanese radish with plum sauce (the white 'flower), shrimp stuffed with potato salad, and an egg sushi roll

Tired Mom with lovely William Shatner

Overlooking Mariko

Plum blossoms

The famous moon-viewing garden of Togeppo Saiokuji

Togeppo Saiokuji, main building

Old village houses

Another small temple, name unknown (ie, I can't read the Chinese characters on the building that state its name)

My favorite picture of the day

Kuchi Doke Almond Kit Kat

2011-02-08T21:49:00.000+09:00

Another new Kit Kat flavor: Kuchi Doke Almond. Or, Melt-in-your-mouth Almond. Since I love just about anything almond, I was quite happy to test this one! Unfortunately, it only rated maybe a 5 or 6: tasted mostly like a regular Kit Kat with a bit of almond aftertaste...and I wasn't feeling any of that melt-in-your-mouth reference, either. It really wasn't bad...but not great, either. Definitely stick with the Almond Meltykiss instead!

Miracle Bread And A Cheese Meltdown

2011-02-07T13:42:00.000+09:00

    Lo and behold, a miracle: I have actually discovered trans fat-free bread somewhere other than in the organic store here! Admittedly, it's still comprised of 100% white flour and the package proudly boasts that it contains real cream, but baby steps are being made! Maybe one day we'll be able to buy whole wheat bread made with canola or olive oil....until then, I'll keep baking my own. (If you're confused about trans fats and why I hate them so, refer to this Mayo Clinic article.)
   Sadly, the trans fat manufacturers pulled one over on me last weekend...I'll blame it on lack of sleep, but when trying to purchase some cheese for pizza and discovering that our usual brand was out, I grabbed a package bragging that it had 50% less cholesterol than regular cheese. Should've realized then and there that it contained hydrogenated oils, but I was in such a hurry and so tired that it didn't register until we got home. Yuki looked it up online after being unable to figure out some of the listed ingredients (my suspicions were aroused by that point, so I asked him to translate for me), and it's produced by a margarine manufacturer. I pretty much lost it at that point, seeing as the oven was already preheating for dinner. Thankfully, my wonderful husband saved the day by running back out for some real cheese...after telling me to just pitch the offending and unhealthy fake stuff. So 800 yen went into the trash can, but I figure it was cheaper than the medical bills we could've incured from eating it. Lesson learned: if it's dairy product in Japan and the ingredient list isn't short, it likely contains man-made trans fats!

The label says 'Please enjoy this Melting Shred with pizza, toast, and gratin, etc'. Or you could just eat a bucket of rat poison and save yourself the trouble.

The ONLY bread I've found in grocery stores that doesn't contain margarine or shortening

Lunch and A Bath

2011-02-06T21:38:00.001+09:00

Last Sunday we went to a local hotel for lunch and some time in the Japanese baths. The plan included the use of a tatami room for the afternoon, so it was the perfect place to relax with Keila. The best part of lunch in a tatami room? Floor-style seating that allows you to have both hands free while your baby rests nearby!

Lunch service

Katsuo (bonito) marinated in vinegar with tomatoes

Mountain vegetables and mushrooms

Sashimi plate: squid, shrimp, and tuna

Vegetables, crab, fish cakes, and udon noodles

Steamed eggs with broth, seafood, and vegetables

Shirasu (baby sardines) and ginger

Keila checked out lunch before her nap

Triple Header: Setsubun, Groundhog Day, AND Chinese New Year!

2011-02-03T22:10:00.001+09:00

Today we get a triple whammy in terms of holidays: it's Setsubun here in Japan and Groundhog Day in the US, while China is celebrating their New Year's Day, the first day in the year of the rabbit. As for Setsubun...if you don't know what it is, click HERE for my post on it from last year; all the details are there. Plus a few cute pictures of Wasabi.
Tonight we're eating ehomaki (also in last year's post), aka futomaki (literally 'fat sushi roll'). As I understand it, ehomaki are basically just futomaki eaten on this day in order to bring good luck, but I could be wrong. Whatever the case, I hear the rolls referred to as both 'futomaki' and 'ehomaki' on Setsubun.
We also got the roasted soybeans out and threw a few, although not at Keila of course. We did try the oni (demon) mask out on her, because for some reason it has 'Digital TV' printed across the front. And every time we turn on the tv, we have a really, really hard time getting Keila to not watch it! She didn't like the mask very much though, smart girl!

Definitely NOT a little demon

The Oni Mask

Keila giving a nod to the Chinese New Year with her rabbit hat

Ehomaki. Apparently this year's auspicious direction to face while eating it is south-southeast. Needless to say, I'm going to throw caution to the wind and not bother locating south-southeast before taking a bite.

Roasted soybeans to throw at demons (and to eat, of course).

Being lacking in groundhogs here, we opted for our own futomaki (fat Sushi roll) and held her up to the light instead. Chunky saw her shadow, meaning 6 more weeks of winter!

And, last but not least...Wasabi enjoying her favorite type of ehomaki!

How 'Bout Them Apples

2011-02-02T20:10:00.000+09:00

It's coming up on entrance exam time again here...if you're not too knowledgeable about Japanese university entrance exams, just click here, since I don't have a lot of time to type about them at the moment.
Basically though, a bunch of students are feverishly studying their days away, hoping to pass either the national entrance exam or an entrance exam of the college of their choice (or both). This is obviously a particularly stressful time, with additional intensity coming from the realization that if one doesn't get into a good university, then it's hard to get a job at a well-regarded company upon graduation.
So, of course, why not capitalize on this stress any way we can, right? Hence the slew of various products designed to bring good luck on the exams. I've seen entrance exam Hi-Chew candy in previous years, but this was the first time I found 'good luck' apples. I guess they're grown with special stickers pasted onto the sides, preventing light from reaching the apple in certain spots...which results in....

'Good luck on entrance exams' apple

Hopefully the good luck they bring is way better than their taste, since they were quite mealy and gross! I inadvertently bought 3 (before I knew what the Chinese characters said) and after tasting one, the other two are going into my banana bread recipe so nobody has to suffer through eating them plain!

While we're on the higher education subject, I also found daigaku imo Kit Kats a while back. I only saw these in Yokohama however and didn't bother to grab a bag, seeing as they seemed too similar to the sweet potato Kit Kats we previously tasted. Click here for that Kit Kat
In a nutshell, daigaku imo (directly translated as 'University sweet potato') are candied deep fried Japanese sweet potatoes topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. This treat probably originated as an affordable snack sold to students in colleges around Tokyo during the Taisho period (1912 to 1926), hence the name. That's it for today's lesson!

Hands!

2011-01-31T22:13:00.000+09:00

Keila has discovered her hands! She actually found them for the first time on the 21st, but I wasn't certain about it, since she was also batting around at her mobile then. I did take some pictures just in case, so we do have the initial moments of recognition on (digital) film. Sure enough, she's been happily staring at them on and off since that evening. They must look pretty appetizing, since the moments of staring invariably lead to attempts to shove both into her mouth at the same time. Go Pooper. Al Perkins would be proud.

(Who is Al Perkins, you ask??)

Hand, hand, fingers, thumb!

Melty Kiss Goes Nuts

2011-01-28T21:13:00.000+09:00

Another new product update: the much-loved and seasonal Melty Kiss chocolates have snuck over to an adjacent line in the chocolate factory, mixed with Meiji's chocolate-covered nuts, and produced some truly incredible offspring!
A little background: Melty Kiss traditionally comes as little airy cubes that are said to be too soft to be sold in any season but winter (hence the 'Melty' part). These chocolate cubes may contain various flavors such as green tea or strawberry, or they may simply be solid (airy) chocolate. Meanwhile, Meiji Macadamia and Meiji Almonds are usually just covered in regular Meiji chocolate, not Meiji's 'Melty Kiss' chocolate.
So, you can probably see all this is leading. Yep, this winter we now have the birth of Macadamia Melty Kiss and Almond Melty Kiss. The Almond type is covered in a dark Melty Kiss chocolate, while the Macadamia type is more of a truffle or bon bon shape: bits of macadamia nuts swimming in Melty Kiss milk chocolate.
Top points go to the almonds. Choice nuts coated in velvetly smooth and rich dark chocolate; buy these now if you can manage to find them! They're a bit elusive, so stock up if you do hunt them down. The macadamia ones are just as hard to locate, but I wouldn't waste too much time trying to find these. They're good if you like milk chocolate, but the overall effect is simply not as stand-out as is that of the dark chocolate/almond combo.
We did manage to find a pile of these little goodies at Jusco, so I've got 4 boxes of the Melty Kiss Almonds in the cupboard...maybe I'll save one until spring to see if they really do melt when the weather warms up!

You want to buy these. Trust me.

Zelie tasted the almond ones in December. Verdict: great!

Baby Buddha Meets Daibutsu

2011-01-27T14:05:00.000+09:00

After lunch last Sunday, we took Keila aka 'Baby Buddha' to visit the famous giant Buddha statue of Kamakura, Daibutsu (literally, Big Buddha). I had no idea that we'd attract so much attention, but it seemed like almost as many people were checking out our little Buddha as they were the big one! Keila was a champ for pictures, sleeping through most of them...although she did wake up at one point to protest the paparazzi-like flashes coming her way.

Keila and Grandpa impersonating Buddha

Not a happy Buddha

Incognito in her kitty hood

Peaceful Buddhas

Hachi no Ki

2011-01-26T13:59:00.001+09:00

　　 Sunday we had lunch at an amazing restaurant in Kamakura, Hachi no Ki. It specializes in shojin ryori, which is traditional vegetarian cuisine for Buddhist monks.
Hachi no Ki (literally 'potted trees') is divided into 2 buildings: one with tatami-style seating where the shojin ryori is served, and the other with Western-style seating where seasonal (non-vegetarian) Japanese food is offered. Both types of food are absolutely wonderful, but we ate shojin ryori this time. Instead of trying to describe the various dishes, I've gone ahead and posted pictures of them all below. Hachi no ki is definitely the place to eat if you happen to visit Kakakura!
http://www.hachinoki.co.jp/site2/

Keila opted to forgo the gourmet meal and drink her milk as usual

Appetizer plate: lotus root, shiitake mushroom, chestnut and tofu square, burdock root, canola blossom, and Japanese mustard, in no particular order.

Fried yuba with Japanese citrus fruit (yuzu) inside. Yuba is the 'skin' that's skimmed off the top of boiling soymilk.

Japanese mustard with fresh shiitake mushrooms

Okara salad. Okara is soy pulp, which remains after soybeans are filtered to make soy milk. Nothing goes to waste here!

Goma dofu (sesame tofu). It's made from sesame seeds and actually contains no soy, despite the tofu reference. It's one of the most famous shojin ryori dishes and is quite difficult to make from scratch, as all those seeds must be ground into a very fine powder. Traditionally, this long and tiresome job, said to be good for the character, was given to low-level monks. As for the taste? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Vegetable tempura: onions, Japanese squash, sweet potato, and sweet green pepper

Tofu, Japanese radish, carrot, shiitake, and peas in broth

Mushrooms and 2 types of tofu (ganmo dofu and ofu) in a miso paste

Kabura mushi: a grated steamed turnip dish that's way better than it sounds

Keila, full and happy

Taki komi gohan: rice seasoned with broth and then steamed along with various vegetables

Thanks again, Otousan!!!

Fresh strawberries and poached apple slices

Monaka and Matcha. Monaka is a traditional sweet composed of sweet bean paste sandwiched between thin crispy wafers. Matcha is the expresso of green tea.

We need to work on those armpit-high pants!

Keila's Coos

2011-01-20T20:43:00.000+09:00

We finally got some of Keila's cooing on video. She really likes to talk to herself in the mirror, but as for performing in front of the camera, not so much thus far!
Probably not an interesting video unless you really like babies or are a relative, but here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLNiRWpui00

Icchou Revisited

2011-01-19T22:22:00.003+09:00

Seeing as it's an incredibly slow week here at our place (Yuki is confined to the second bedroom with a lovely case of influenza A, which Keila and I have so far avoided), I thought that I'd finally get around to posting some pictures from our birthday dinner in November. Better late than never, right?
We ate at our favorite restaurant, Icchou, which is pricey but well worth the money. I posted about it once last year: http://tofubunny.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-sushi-dinner.html
This time, we again chose the 6000 yen (per person--which is why it's a celebration-only type of restaurant) course menu, and it was wonderful as always...for the most part.
I do have to admit that this time, one item on the menu threw me for a loop, though...I will try, and usually enjoy, eating almost any food (dolphin, whale, deer, bunnies, etc. excluded) but for this meal, they served us shirako.
Shirako is a dish consisting of...let me phrase this delicately...the male fish reproductive sack (and its contents). Now imagine me gagging if you're not already doing so yourself. It was pointed out that most people have no problem eating fish eggs, or any type of eggs, for that matter...so what was the difference, exactly? I couldn't argue with that logic, but somehow it just didn't seem like the same thing!
Well, to cut this short, I did end up eating it. I did NOT, however, enjoy it. Squishy, somewhat rich, and warm, mehhh! Not the worst thing I've ever tasted, but I'm rather certain that I wouldn't have liked it had I not known what it was, either. Good thing the chef at Icchou takes requests, because I definitely have one dish I'm going to ask that we skip next time!

Icchou. Apparently the sign of a great sushi bar is that they try to hide from the general public: this place is hidden off a side alley.

Me on about 3 hours' sleep

Appetizer: leek sushi, awabi, and egg

Icchou special: chawanmushi (steamed eggs in broth) topped with salmon roe

Shirasu (tiny local fish) and green onions

The sashimi plate

The lovely shirako!

Anago: a type of eel. It. was. amazing. More than made up for the previous dish!

The final course: nigiri zushi

Ishibashi Unagi-ya (Ishibashi Eel Restaurant)

2011-01-17T19:47:00.000+09:00

      We tried out a different eel restaurant for lunch yesterday, instead of the one that we tend to frequent. The restaurant, Ishibashi, is ranked #1 online for Shizuoka eel restaurants; our usual one being #2. While an eel meal set at our regular restaurant costs about 2000 yen, the one yesterday was 2400 yen, so we'd been debating on whether it was worth the extra money. Figuring that we might as well try the place at least once, we packed up Keila and headed across town to see what all the hype was about.
Upon arrival, the place was packed, so we waited about 15 minutes for a table in the tatami section, although seats at the counter did open up faster than that. Ordering was quite easy, seeing as there is just one meal offered: grilled eel (complete with the head!) with rice, soup, and pickled vegetables on the side. The only choice to make was whether to opt for extra rice (50 yen more) or not.
Our meals arrived rather quickly, considering that the eels are quite fresh and take a bit of time to grill. We were so hungry by that point that we even devised a great way to feed Keila her bottle at the same time: Yuki held her in his left arm while I held the bottle with my right, leaving both of us with free hands to eat. Being left-handed pays off sometimes!
Sadly though, while the eel looked gorgeous, it just wasn't to our liking. The sauce, which is basted onto the eel during grilling and varies by restaurant, was just too strong and sweet, while the eel itself was somehow too greasy. I'm sure that some people would argue it was delicious, but we were both somewhat disappointed. Not that it wasn't good, but we were expecting 'amazing', coming from the #1 ranked restaurant in the area. I'm glad that we tasted it once, but next time we'll stick with the usual!


                                    Entrance. I love how the う in うなぎ is always an eel

Some of the interior decor

It was William Shatner's lunch-time, too

On the shoulder again

Lunch set for 2400 yen

It looked really good, at least

The head!!! And no, you don't eat it

Keila and her triple chin

Splish Splash, I Was Takin' A Bath...

2011-01-15T14:00:00.001+09:00

Yesterday was a day of firsts for Keila! I awoke at 6:02 a.m. in a panic upon realization that Shatner had slept through the night! It took a few seconds to process the fact that her sleeping for just under 7 hours was a GOOD thing and not cause for concern. This incident was also the first time that I slept through the night since some point before the third trimester, so we both started the day off well.
Unfortunately, Keila's other 'first' wasn't such a good thing...yesterday was also our first 'pooping in the bathtub' experience. Which, gross as it was, might not have been quite so horrible...except for the fact that in Japan, it's customary for fathers to take a bath with the baby. Needless to say, thus ensued quite a bit of uproar and laughter (laughter on my part, evil person that I am). I even went so far as to run and grab the camera before we hosed Pooper off. In my defense, I did ask if I could go get it; I didn't just leave the poor guy stranded there. Major props to Yuki for being such a good sport!
Last night, there was no repeat 7-hour sleep stretch, but at least progress is being made. And if we're lucky, there will be no repeats of #2 (pun intended), EVER!

Shatner strikes again! Look carefully in the back left corner of the tub...or rather, don't look!

She's taken to sticking her tongue out when she's feeling good....note that Dad is NOT sticking his out!

Baby Vader Uses The Force

2011-01-13T16:18:00.001+09:00

By popular demand: a Keila update!
1. Her hair is finally coming (back) in, so I don't think we'll be able to call her 'Baby Vader' much longer.
2. She now weighs more than 11 lbs, although we won't have an exact number until next month's check-up.
3. Finally, while her neck is still not quite set, we're making visible progress day-by-day. See for yourself!

Strong girl! She just started doing this yesterday

We had a face plant after this attempt, however. Ouch.

We're liking tummy time more now that our face isn't always stuck to the mat

Big smile!

Have a Baby, Get a TV!

2011-01-11T15:35:00.001+09:00

I've been meaning to post this since early last month but never quite finished typing the last few sentences...wow, does Shatner ever look a lot smaller in these pictures!

Here in Japan, the government has decided that merely giving people extra money for having kids isn't enough incentive to increase the dwindling population: now you get a free large flat-screen tv upon the birth of your first child! Hah, no, not really. Well, you do get a monthly allowance for having children, something around $100 I think, but no tv.
The story behind our new tv: it is customary for coworkers to give money for births and deaths here, with some of that money coming back to them in the form of 'return gifts'...basically, a thank-you gift for the gift. Yuki's kind coworkers didn't want us to have to spend the time buying return gifts, so they decided to pool their money and get us a present instead. And, when asked what we wanted/needed for the baby, Yuki half-jokingly replied 'A new flat screen tv'.
So, in a nutshell, there you have it. I'm pretty sure that his male coworkers were just as excited to buy a tv as Yuki was to receive it! We're very thankful for their generosity...and it really has been nice to be able to watch a show on a screen larger than a paperback when I'm on the couch nursing Keila! Thanks again, everyone!



                                          Keila posing with the new tv

William Shatner and Arnold Schwarnenegger

Uogashi Zushi

2011-01-09T22:31:00.001+09:00

Yesterday we had some friends come into town, so we all went out for a sushi lunch at Uogashi Zushi in the S-Pulse Dream Plaza, a building located near Shimizu Harbor. (On a side note, I just learned that the first sushi museum in Japan is also housed here. I've yet to see it though, since it's on the third floor---the games floor, which I tend to avoid like the plague due to the ever-present din of ringing bells and the crowds of hyper-active childen).
Uogashi originated in the city of Numazu, at the fishing port, and it has slowly expanded to 3 shops in Shizuoka (the one in Dream Plaza and 2 in Shin-Shizuoka station) and now a couple in Yokohama. It may have other locations too, but those are the ones I'm aware of. If you're interested in checking it out, here's the website: http://www.uogashizushi.co.jp/
The shop in Dream Plaza offers conveyer-belt sushi (kaiten zushi), or you can also order a set if you'd prefer. Yesterday we did both, choosing the local set and some other plates to complement it. Uogashi usually has a large crowd on weekends due to its reasonable prices and quality fish, and yesterday was no different. Since sushi is a sort of fast food, however, we didn't wait more than 15 minutes for a table. I'd have to advise going on a weekday if possible though, since yesterday's fish seemed to be not quite as good as on the other, calmer days I've been there. Or perhaps it was just an off day. Either way, I'd still recommend eating there if you happen to come across one of their shops. But a word of advice: don't try the tempura ice cream. Yuck!

The local nigiri set

Sakura ebi (cherry blossom shrimp, so named for their color) and shirasu, a tiny little fish that's only served raw in this area of Japan, since this is where it's caught. It's usually boiled before being shipped out to other prefectures.

How to eat sushi with a baby in tow

Kani ziru: Miso soup with crab

Example of the general reaction upon tasting tempura ice cream. Eh. Definitely not worth wasting 500 yen on!

Cookies!

2011-01-07T22:29:00.000+09:00

    It was a really cold day out today, so Keila and I stayed in all morning and baked some cookies. Well, I worked on the cookies and she hung out in the Bjorn. But she was kind enough to give me a few cry-free hours, which I appreciated tremendously!
Seeing as we were house-bound besides a quick trip to the grocery store, I also had some time to play with our camera, the Canon Kiss X3. Sadly, it's taken me over a year to find the time to mess with it! I wouldn't say that I made any great improvements on my usual photos, but below are a few test shots. Here's hoping they'll continue to get better....

                                              My cute little model

Smiling for the camera

Cookies! Coconut, cocoa with cranberries, s'mores, dark chocolate Toppo (it's like Pocky), and chocolate chip. Thanks to the December MS issue for the basic recipe.

2 Months...Goo goo, g'joob!

2011-01-06T14:06:00.000+09:00

Keila is 2 months old today! I can't believe that the months have passed so quickly, yet at the same time, life without her seems a far and distant blur. My entire sense of time is a bit off right now, however. Since we didn't do much to traditionally celebrate Christmas or New Year's, I'm still awaiting the start of the holiday season. At least, that's my excuse in case the Christmas decorations don't come down until March this year!
Keila started 2011 off with a nice surprise for us that first evening, though: cooing! Before, she had been making random noises, but this was the first time that she was definitely 'talking'. Fittingly enough, she was wearing a Beatles onesie that we'd gotten her: I always thought they were singing 'Coo coo c'coo' in I Am The Walrus instead of the actual 'Goo goo g'joob'. Whatever the case, our little fashion queen has been babbling up a storm this past week. Maybe she'll be singing Yellow Submarine by the time she's 3 months!

The little beatnik, looking a bit too boyish for Mom's liking (hence the pink pants)

　　　　　　　Hats are big this season

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Crying because her leopard hat is already out of style

The hair really is growing back, albeit it rather slowly...

Sayonara Bunny!

2011-01-02T23:05:00.000+09:00

The Wasa-monster has made short work of the cute little New Year's bunny pictured in my last post. The poor thing lasted all of one day in 2011 before meeting its sudden and tragic death. Wasabi, however, seems to be thoroughly enjoying the year of the rabbit thus far!

Grrrrr!

Die bunny,die!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T18:17:00.000+09:00

       New Year's Day in Japan is akin to Christmas in the Western world....time is spent visiting relatives, as opposed to partying with friends and drinking. Not that drinking doesn't occur here, too, but usually in a much quieter manner.
On New Year's Eve night, most people stay in, watch some holiday tv shows, and maybe go to their local temple at midnight. For dinner, they traditionally eat toshikoshi soba, which basically translates to 'passing from one year to another' soba. The exact recipe varies by household, but the noodles are often topped with shrimp tempura or 'kaki age', a tempura patty that's a mix of vegetables and seafood.
We wanted to have our toshikoshi soba for lunch instead of dinner, but it almost didn't happen at all. Upon arrival, we discovered that the local grocery store had jacked its tempura prices from around 150 yen per piece to 280 yen! Now, I love tempura, but I'm not about to pay over 3 USD for a piece of fried shrimp! Apparently nobody else minded the extortion, seeing as there was quite a crowd around the fried foods section. However, the logical part of my brain simply balked at the price.
Luckily, a nearby yakitori (grilled chicken) shop also happens to sell a small selection of tempura at much more reasonable prices, so our meal was saved. I'm still figuring out how to take decent pictures of steaming-hot food, but I posted a picture below anyway.
Finally, there is one thing in common between the Far East and the West around New Year's Day: sales!!! Keila has been making out like a bandit, seeing as I simply cannot resist all the cute baby clothes on markdown right now. She's already happily soiled 2 new outfits in as many days. This morning, she gave a great big honking welcome to the year of the rabbit, so big that I'll have to post pics of her new bunny outfit after it's been washed!

                                                Toshikoshi soba

New Year's Decor

One of our recent purchases

Rrrroar! (In Japanese: Gao Gao!)

Enter the year of the rabbit!

Yamadaichi Shop and Restaurant

2010-12-29T21:27:00.001+09:00

    Last month, we went to a great little restaurant near the Toro Iseki (Toro Ruins) in Shizuoka. It's owned by the Yamadaichi company, which makes Abekawa mochi.
   Mochi is a type of soft rice cake, made by pounding sticky rice into a paste and then shaping the paste into balls. (It tastes way better than it sounds). Abekawa mochi gets its name from the nearby Abe River, around which it was originally sold, and it is plain mochi that's usually been dipped in sweetened kinako. FYI: kinako is a toasted soybean powder.
The Yamadaichi company is located directly next to their restaurant, so obviously the main reason people eat there is to try Abekawa mochi. You can choose from selections such as the original (dipped in kinako) style, mochi covered in anko (a sweet bean paste), mochi with shredded Japanese radish and wasabi, mochi with roasted soy sauce, and mochi with nori (a type of dried seaweed). They're all great, but I'd recommend the sweet ones and the savory wasabi one if you ever go.
Soba is also a popular offfering, and their soba lunch sets run between 700-800 yen or so and include some Abekawa mochi as dessert. Here's the link to their website (all in Japanese of course) if you'd like to see more pictures or look up directions:   http://abekawamochi.co.jp/

                            The restaurant is housed in a building more than 200 years old

The second floor dining area

Right rear bowl: kinako-covered mochi (front) and anko-covered mochi (rear).
Front bowl: mochi with daikon and wasabi.

Close-up of the wasabi type mochi

                                       Japanese-style seating is great when there's a baby around

Soba

Baby Keila enjoying the atmosphere

                                                        Restaurant Entrance



                                                    Foreigner invasion!