New Blog

So I've moved to a new blog using Tumblr...and...I totally forgot to mention it on here! Oops! My bad. From now on I'll be using my new Tumblr blog, Japanniesfood instead of this one. See you there!


http://japanniesfood.tumblr.com

Rocky IV

No Russians this time, but its still worth a look.

Another Point, Japan: Free Breast Exams

Got this in the mail a few weeks ago, and was lazy and forgetful about getting one of my co-workers to tell me what it was about--for which I am now kicking myself. Turns out it was a coupon for a free breast exam that was sent to me by the City of Nagoya. They gave me a huge list of doctors I could go to with my coupon to get a check-up for free. Did I mention it was FREE? Because it was. I found out the day before it expired so I wasn't able to take advantage of it, but if there's a next time, I'll be sure to jump on it. Japan, you rock.

Sad Penguin

I was at Loft in Sakae the other day when I came upon this rather strange sample photo in a frame. We've all see the smiling faces or the wedding photos or just photos that are generally and generically somewhat pleasing (or just tolerable) to look at while you choose a frame. But this person in a penguin suit with it's head against the wall seems sad...maybe? This is weirdly cool and very amusing. So much so that it almost made me buy the frame...almost.

Hairstyling 101

My student, Ken, came to class last week with a chunk of hair missing from the front of his head. Turns out he took a stab at cutting his own hair--literally. I immediately thought of the time my brother, Mike, did the same thing when we were kids. But in my brother's defense, he did a much better job than Ken. Ah well, at least I'll have something to make me smile for a while, until it grows back.

The Great Wall of China

Been there. Yea, I said it. It was one of the most amazing things I've seen yet (and I do plan to see a lot more). We visited the Mutianyu section of the Wall which was an excellent choice because it wasn't crowded (these photos were taken between 10-11am on a Monday during a holiday season) AND, are you ready for this? You can toboggan down from the wall. So now not only can I say I've stood on the Great Wall of China, but I can also say I've tobogganed down it. Now that's something you don't hear everyday. Video to come.

Awesome Japanese Sink

Midland Square Theater, across from Nagoya Station has these amazing 3-in-one sinks. Kudos to you Japan and your excessive awesomeness. Take a look:

Paella: Delivered

Among the restaurants that deliver food in Japan: pizza and Italian food, curry, sushi and recently paella. We got seafood paella delivered to our front door, and it was pretty good! A little on the pricey side at about $30 for a large, but they do put a nice amount of seafood on it though. Check out the video:

Maple Syrup Kit Kat

Talk about following a tough act--it may not be as exciting at seahorses on a stick, but it sure did taste better. Here's a taste test we did of Maple Syrup Kit Kat:

Seahorse Taste Test

The food in Beijing was a combination exciting, beautiful, gross, delicious, and just wrong at times. Don't get me wrong, we thoroughly enjoyed eating our way through the city, and took advantage of short stay and basically ate everything we saw...well, almost. The night market in Wanfujing is among the most famous spots in the city because of it's strange variety of snacks. You'll see more in the video later to come, but just for starters here's one weird thing we were brave enough to try: deep fried seahorses. Check it out:

Rocky III

Here's the latest video of our puppy, Rocky.

Gargling in Public

Gargling is a daily part of many Japanese people's lives--many do it as soon as they get home as to prevent themselves from getting sick. But, has gargling at this particular water fountain really become so much of a nuisance that someone had to go to the trouble of making a sign to ask people to knock it off? Among the list of things that are cool to do in public, gargling isn't on mine. I'm with the sign.

Strange Shop Names: Unrelish

I don't get it, but by the looks of Marlow's face, he might. According to my dictionary, this isn't even a real word.

Best Salon Name Yet: Hair Unevenness

We were in Osaka last week and we came across this gem of a name for a hair salon: Hair Unevenness. Really? C'mon guys.

New Rocky Pics

He's about 4 kilos now, with up to 2 kilos left to go.

Beijing 2010

Just got back from our vacation in Beijing. More pictures and videos to come. Overall we had a great time! Here's a quick breakdown of the best, and worst parts of our trip:

Awesome:
*The Great Wall
Mutianyu section is great because it's not as crowded as the more famous Badaling section AND you can toboggan down from the wall!
Drawbacks:it's not as easy to reach as Badaling, but well worth the trouble.
*Peking Duck
Da Dong Restaurant has a super-lean version that was just fantastic.
Drawbacks: Was on the pricier side compared to other restaurants- 99 Yuan for half a duck.
*The Forbidden City
Very cool. Spend the money, and go for the Palace Museum tickets, there's a lot to see beyond the gates.
Drawbacks: Very crowded during peak seasons and it's also huge! Be sure to allow plenty of time to look around (at least 2 hours).
*Night Market at Wanfujing
Ate scorpions and seahorses. For real. You can check out all kinds of crazy foods alongside awesome traditional dishes, like dumplings and noodles.


Not Cool:
*Chinese toilets
You're in for a surprise. Toilets are the squatting kind that are flush with the ground, but often dirty. At one point, the public toilet was literally a row of holes in the ground in a open room. That's it. Western toilets were few and far between.
*Pollution and/or yellow sand
A haze covers the city, part pollution part yellow sand that blows all over the city making it quite dusty. Your nose will need a good cleaning daily.
*Rude people
This is purely culture shock, as we now live in one of the politest societies in the world, and have grown quite accustomed to it. The people of China can seem outright rude at times, especially to the sensitive, but there is a line between those that really are douches and those that are just a product of their culture though it can be hard to distinguish.
* Visas
For Americans, it's really expensive. We paid about $200 per person! This price may have been higher as ours were arranged through a travel agent. Americans have a much higher price than the rest of the world, it's about double.

Strange Shop Names: Starvations

I think I'm going to begin a series of these, because there are just so many here. English shop names in Japan seem to be really popular, but among them lie these downright weird ones that will make you snicker, giggle, gasp or just stand there confused and dumbfounded asking "Why?". I see them all the time, especially when shopping. And believe me, when I've got to the point where I can't lift my arms past my belly button because I'm carrying so many bags that I actually stop to snap a picture--it's gotta be good. And here you go: Starvations.

Free Hugs

Yea, I think I was the only one to take him up on this. Most of the Japanese people around didn't even look at him.

Sakura Season Come to a Close

The cherry blossoms are nearing the end of their two week life span (yes I know, so much hype for such a short run!) but it's really one of the most beautiful sights to behold cherry blossoms at sunset...and pretty much any other time of the day as well--they're just so pretty! Not a huge array of photos or videos this time around as this year weather was simply crappy most of the time (especially on our days off, which was just awesome) and colder than last year, so we didn't get to see them as much as we would have liked. The sakura have already begun to fall in some places. Til next year...

Vacuuming...Outside?

Can't remember what happened to the footage, but a while ago I saw a lady cleaning the steps of Nagoya Station (yes, the biggest station in the city) with a small cordless vacuume. Now this was inside the station, which I still think is a bit excessive, but she's got nothing on this lady. This lady was cleaning the outside of the Immigration Office with cordless vacuum. It's outside! There's no reason to take the dirt away--because more is just going to come back immediately. Someone should get here a broom.

Japanese Supermarket Fish Tank

My last day at Kozoji ECC, I arrived at the station early to stop at the grocery store. Now, I never really go to this particular grocery store, and when I have, I just ran in and out because clock-in time was approaching. But today I had some time to wander, and boy was I kicking myself for not bringing my camera (sorry for the crappy quality by the way, this video was taken on my iphone)...in the corner of this supermarket there is a big fish tank with what appears to be sharks...for sale...in a grocery store...does that seem strangely awesome so anyone else, or it is just me?

Rocky II

I'm just going to come out and say it: I've become one of those people that is obsessed with their dog, and thinks that everyone else is as crazy about him as I am--so much so that I have no intention of ever NOT making videos or snapping a tons of pictures of him. Forgive me. Here's the second Rocky video installment, two of many more more to come. Can't say I didn't warn you.

Trust in Japan

This snack stand is a familiar sight to anyone who has been around the Asunal area in Kanayama. Located in a hallway near the JR and Meitetsu main entrances, this spot sees a decent amount of foot traffic all hours of the day. This photo was taken at about 9:30 pm on a Tuesday night, when there are still many people hustling around, and the hallway is open to allow people to cut through the building a little faster. The shop is quite obviously closed...but is it? Really? Because everything is pretty much still exposed, and in my book that's either because it's open for business, or you don't mind getting your stuff stolen. But not here. Oh, it's closed all right, and it's only my paranoid, suspicious American mind that can't wrap itself around this idea. It isn't an issue. No one touches any of the soyjoys, cookies, drinks or potato chip bags that are so tantalizingly unsupervised and would pretty much scream "TAKE ME!!" to most of the people I know back home. But, no one bats an eye. They just keep walking. Props yet again, Japan.

Lemon Soda Kit Kat

There is a lemony soda that is popular in Japan called Ramu Rei that Nestle has chosen to make into a Kit Kat. It didn't turn out too bad, but it's not one of my favorites. Check out the video:

Sashimi Sampler

I love free samples. And I wholeheartedly think anyone who says they don't is a filthy liar. Wandering through a high-end grocery store last week I came across this tuna sashimi sampler table, and for once, the first thing that came to mind wasn't to immediately snatch some. Instead, I marveled at how this exact same scenario would have been seen as an atrocity back in the States. People would think (or shout, which are often one in the same for some Americans) "Raw fish? I don't care how free it is, I'm not touching it." Their loss, more for me.

Macho Parking

Found this sign for a local business (called Macho) while Rocky and I were out for a walk. I guess sissies can park out front.

More Rocky Pics

He's getting bigger...

Gay-Friendly Hotel in Beijing

Big news! We're going to Beijing to see The Great Wall for golden week (like Japanese spring break) this year. The preparations have kept us quite busy, and have been somewhat stressful and even overwhelming at times. But, among the confusion and frustration that can come with planning a trip like this, this little tidbit made me crack a smile. Among the amenities our hotel offers, it boasts that is is "Gay Friendly". See it there right above airconditioning? As someone who doesn't give a rat's behind about other people's sexual choices, this totally bewilders me--is this necessary information in China? I'll let you know. On a side note, I bet they have queen-sized beds too. You can't make this stuff up.

End of the School Year 2010

In Japan the school year runs from April to March, and this marks the end of our first full contract at ECC, as well as our first run-in with what some of my Japanese co-workers have dubbed "goodbye season...and it aint easy. I have to say I was really sad to say goodbye to some really awesome kids. I know all good things must come to an end, and so it did. I'll miss these munchkins.

New Rocky Pics

He's grown quite a bit in the last couple of months, so here are some of my favorite recent photos of Rocky. I have to say, the one with him and the giant stuffed animal with testies is one of the best yet.

Takeshi and Me

Before the day was over, back in December when we were in Tokyo shooting for the new ads, Takeshi Kitano was nice enough to pose for a picture with all of the teachers that participated that day. Until recently, we had thought this photo was lost forever, as none of us had been successful in our attempts to track it down. But about two weeks ago, ECC presented us with this nicely framed photo of our group shot with Takeshi. Sweet.

Mode Gakuen Fashion Show: Behind the Scenes

Here's a video I made of all the hours of hair and makeup magic before the fashion show last Friday at Mode Gakuen.

Chicken Soup

Just like nonna's. God bless Japan--and it's butchers. It is so easy so find chicken bones here in almost any supermarket you may stumble upon, and for cheap. I can't remember how many times I'd look for them in Publix, or other grocery stores in Florida and, even after asking the meat dudes, leaving empty handed. Chicken skeletons may look gnarly, but when it comes to soup, it's gold, baby.

Rocky: The Homecoming

Here's a video our puppy Rocky when we first got him, and his first few weeks at home with us. You can see he's gotten much bigger in the last month, and he seems to grow every day. More videos to come, but here's the starter:

Wasabi Kit Kat Taste Test

On Christmas Day we tasted what might be one of the strangest Kit Kat flavors yet: Wasabi. This is also one of the biggest taste tests so far. As for the Kit Kat itself, overall it was alright, most people gave it a "so-so" though there were also quite a few where were disgusted. Only a small minority actually liked it. I'd never buy it again, that's for sure. Check out the video:

Billboards in Nagoya Station

Marlow made this really cool video of the ECC billboards and posters all around the Higashiyama platform of Nagoya station. Holy cow, my face is huge.

Mode Gakuen Fashion Show

Walking through Nagoya Station about two weeks ago, I was approached by six young girls with outstretched arms encircling me--essentially trapping me. I look up, thinking I must know them--were they students of mine? Nope. Eyeing each of them, I didn't recognize anyone. Turns out they spoke pretty decent English and told me they were students at Mode Gakuen, a cosmetology school located just across from Nagoya station in the spiral tower--which I'm just now finding out is actually pretty famous. They asked me to appear as a model in their end-of-the-year fashion show--what is actually more like a test for them. So I agreed, and last Friday spent about 4 hours getting dolled up along with my new buddies and fellow models, Angela and Deya. There's a behind-the-scenes video I'm working on to come, but for now here are some pics.