japantonette

New Blog

2010-10-04T01:23:00.004+09:00

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

2010-07-05T13:00:00.001+09:00

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

Another Point, Japan: Free Breast Exams

2010-06-03T11:20:00.005+09:00

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

2010-06-03T11:10:00.005+09:00

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

2010-06-03T11:03:00.004+09:00

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

2010-06-03T10:40:00.004+09:00

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

2010-05-16T22:45:00.003+09:00

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

2010-05-16T22:41:00.004+09:00

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

2010-05-14T23:40:00.004+09:00

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

2010-05-14T23:31:00.003+09:00

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

2010-05-07T18:29:00.003+09:00

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

Gargling in Public

2010-05-07T18:16:00.005+09:00

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

2010-05-07T18:12:00.004+09:00

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

2010-05-07T18:08:00.002+09:00

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

2010-05-06T00:31:00.003+09:00

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

Beijing 2010

2010-05-05T23:42:00.005+09:00

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

2010-04-16T21:44:00.003+09:00

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

2010-04-16T21:39:00.002+09:00

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

2010-04-09T14:33:00.005+09:00

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?

2010-04-06T09:10:00.007+09:00

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

2010-04-06T08:57:00.002+09:00

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

2010-04-03T22:15:00.011+09:00

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

2010-03-31T19:36:00.005+09:00

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

2010-03-30T13:54:00.002+09:00

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

2010-03-28T14:42:00.003+09:00

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

2010-03-28T14:38:00.003+09:00

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

2010-03-28T14:20:00.007+09:00

He's getting bigger...

Gay-Friendly Hotel in Beijing

2010-03-26T18:10:00.003+09:00

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

2010-03-26T17:48:00.005+09:00

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

2010-03-07T00:34:00.004+09:00

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

2010-02-21T12:22:00.003+09:00

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

2010-02-12T23:10:00.000+09:00

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

2010-02-12T21:02:00.005+09:00

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

2010-02-11T00:04:00.002+09:00

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

2010-02-08T12:24:00.003+09:00

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

2010-02-08T11:52:00.004+09:00

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

2010-02-08T11:14:00.006+09:00

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.

Christmas in Japan: Year II

2010-01-26T10:04:00.000+09:00

Unlike last year--in which Marlow and I celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple alone at Outback Steakhouse in downtown Nagoya--we have been fortunate enough to have made some great friends in 2009, and were invited to a great, big, awesome party hosted by the Sheppard family. We had a fabulous time with terrific people, and were so happy to have been invited. Here's a short video of our 2nd Christmas in Japan:

Miso Kit Kat Blind Taste Test

2010-01-22T18:56:00.006+09:00

So we sent our friends Tara and Mike in Chicago some gifts for Christmas, which included a snack size Miso Kit Kat bar. I didn't realize it until I saw the awesome video they made for us, that I hadn't told them what flavor it actually was. But they were great sports, and surprised us by tasting it on video! They are so cool.

Oh, and by the way, we didn't send them real penises (you guys are gross) we sent them small gold ones-- key chains from the penis festival of course. And check out Marlow's blog marlowg.blogspot.com/ for the penis festival video, if you haven't seen it already.

Ode to an Oven

2010-01-22T18:15:00.005+09:00

Unlike in America, Japanese homes do not come equipped with ovens, as is the standard back in the States. For over a year we managed without one---and in the meantime got pretty creative---but after trying to make biscuits in a fish broiler (don't ask) we made up our minds. We got this beauty at Eiden near Ozone Station Exit 6, for about 27,500 yen (roughly $275). It's electric with a rotisserie and oven combo and it is awesome! We use it all the time, and I wanted to post some pictures of all the stuff we make with it. Though we did without it just fine, it was something we came to want more and more. However much we enjoy living in Japan, there are things about America we will always miss...but this shortens the list.

Fatblueman on iTunes

2010-01-22T18:10:00.004+09:00

Fatblueman's newest album is now available on iTunes, and the album cover Marlow designed is up as well! Pretty stinkin' cool eh?

ECC Poster #1

2010-01-14T11:57:00.006+09:00

Here's one of the posters that have been released for the new campaign, this is the one that is on most trains. There are four posters in the series, each with a different teacher. So far I've seen it on some JR trains, but almost all the subway trains have it. Pretty cool.

As far as Takeshi and I, we didn't shoot this photo together. Behold the miracle of Photoshop. This kind, understanding and welcoming look of mine was directed not at Mr. Kitano, but at the storage area of the studio...a red ladder to be exact.

ECC Commercial

2010-01-14T11:01:00.003+09:00

My school has recently launched a new series of advertisements featuring various teachers from across the country and Takeshi Kitano, a famous Japanese actor and filmmaker. I, along with three co-workers were chosen from Chubu (the Nagoya area). We went to Tokyo and met up with top executives within our company had photo and commercial shoots all day. About a dozen teachers total are in posters that have been released nation-wide, and among that dozen 4 were chosen to be in the TV commercial, also to be aired nation-wide. Marlow has beat me to the punch and posted it on his blog before I did, but Rocky has kept me so busy that I haven't had as much time until now. Anyway, here you go.

Rocky

2010-01-14T10:45:00.005+09:00

We did it. Finally. Among the reasons we moved to this apartment specifically is that it is pet-friendly, AND it has zero tatami mats--only linoleum. By the way tatami is a traditional Japanese flooring of woven mats that are a @#$%& to clean, if I may say so. Anyway, the plan from the beginning was to get a puppy, and so it happened on the last day of winter vacation. We found him online, at Puki Pet Shop (which has great prices on pets--they are so much more reasonable than inner-city malls and other pet stores) and our awesome friends Nate and Emi called the pet shop for us (after we found out they didn't speak any English) and we trekked to Hamamatsu (about 2-3 hours by train) where we made our final decision. That night we came home with a 7 week-old blue Italian Greyhound puppy. Our boy, Rocky.

Salsa From Hell

2010-01-14T10:42:00.003+09:00

This cracks me up--found it at an imported foods store around Fujigaoka. I'm gonna get this for Aries and my grandfather, both of whom eat lava for fun. They'll probably brush their teeth with it.

3-D Glasses

2010-01-14T10:29:00.004+09:00

We went to see Avatar in IMAX 3-D at 109 Cinemas near Nagoya Station along with Rachel and Juan and it was awesome. For a whopping 2,300 yen (over $20) per person we got these enormous 3-D glasses at the door of the theater (but we had to give them back). As for the movie, papa put it the best: the acting is juvenile, and the story is infantile, but visually it is astounding. Enough said. Go SEE Avatar...don't worry too much about listening.

Inuyama Castle: Take 2

2010-01-14T10:22:00.003+09:00

We also took Rachel to Inuyama Castle, which so far is our favorite yet. The view from the top is nothing less than spectacular. Though it was really cold and windy that day, so we're all bundled up, but it was a good time.

Hikone Castle

2010-01-14T10:08:00.004+09:00

While Rachel was visiting, we made the trip to Hikone (less than 2 hours by train) to see one of "The 4"--being the four original castles that are most famous in Japan. Please someone correct me if this information is totally wrong, but as of now we have been under the impression that there are four major castles in Japan--their importance being that they are original castles that are still standing: Inuyama (seen it), Himeji (seen it), Hikone (just saw it) and Matsumoto (workin' on it). So as of now, We've got three of the four down. Anyway, Hikone was pretty cool, but as of now I'm putting it on the bottom of the list--Inuyama and Hikone castles were way cooler. I'll let you know the final order once we see Matsumoto.

Please Refrain From Drunken Behavior

2010-01-14T10:02:00.001+09:00

Found this gem of a public service announcement in a Tokyo subway station, and couldn't pass up the chance to snap a picture of it.

Santa Try-Outs

2010-01-14T09:45:00.005+09:00

Wow, sorry for the nearly month-long hiatus, I'll explain later. Here is one of many overdue posts. For the Christmas lesson we made Santa beards with paper and cotton balls...wouldn't call it the best of designs, but it made for a pretty cute picture.

A Fat Blue Christmas

2009-12-20T22:03:00.003+09:00

Fatblueman's new Christmas song is out! You can check out the awesome video (by Marlow) on Youtube and if you like what you hear, you can download it for free from Jamendo. You're welcome.

Tokyo Krispy Kreme

2009-12-13T11:24:00.005+09:00

I ventured to Tokyo for the first time last week for work. Though I had a pretty busy schedule, I was very focused on something not-so-work-related: finding a Krispy Kreme donut shop. I hadn't told Marlow of this plan because I wanted to come home and surprise him. I had been told by friends and co-workers that this place can get especially packed--we're talking hour or more-long lines out the door. Just Google "Krispy Kreme Tokyo opening" and you'll see some serious lines, which worried me a bit since I was with some friends, Meredith, Jam, and Jeremy, I didn't want to schelp them all the way there just to wait in line forever and a day. We found it in Shibuya, with only a small line of about 10 people or so--great! We got in, and began salivating over the array presented ever-so scrumptiously in the glass display cases, when one of the staff appeared, white and glowing, and handed us free, freshly baked and glazed, hot, velvety soft and deliciously sticky donuts--did I say they were free? Because they were. I got in and paid 960 yen for 6 plain donuts (which seemed a bit pricey, I can't seem to remember how much they are in the States), asked for a Krispy Kreme hat, and went on my way. I surprised Marlow when I got home, and he put on the hat while he ate them and let me take a picture. The donuts we ate at home were still great, no doubt... but that donut I had while standing in line has since been put up on a pedestal as the best donut I've ever had.

Bee Larva Kebab

2009-12-12T23:48:00.004+09:00

This video is from the same trip to Gifu I took with Tony and Mari. As we were leaving, we stumbled upon this tiny restaurant that served bee larva kebabs. Naturally, I had to try it, and I managed to get Mari and Tony to try it too! It was an interesting experience, and to be honest, they really didn't taste all that bad. Other than the sauce on top, there really wasn't much taste at all, but the texture was similar to that of a Gusher's gummy if you catch my drift (yes, there was exploding bee juice once you bit into it),it might have just been the novelty of it all that overshadowed the flavor itself, but I thought it was pretty good. Here's a short video:

Good Dentist: Minoura Dental Clinic

2009-12-12T00:46:00.005+09:00

If you've ever done research about dentistry in Japan, it's likely you've come across some pretty unnerving, or even downright scary testimonials about dentists in Japan. I've sifted through a lot of stories and information about Japanese dentistry ranging from shady practices, to outdated treatments, and found myself at the brink of panic as I attempted to find a decent dentist in our area. Luckily, I did. There is a little information I found online about this office, and I was also told by a co-worker that he was pretty good as well. Dr. Minoura of Minoura Dental Clinic in Kurokawa is our guy. According to the website, there are two Minouras (I'm gonna go ahead a guess they are brothers), that are visiting professors at Osaka University and Aichi Gakuin University. We have only really dealt with one of the two docs (unfortunately I cannot say who, because I don't know his first name). I think this is because he speaks English, and possibly the other doesn't. In any case, we have check-ups ever 4 months, and so far so good. The office is immaculate, and looks pretty high-tech and modern, and the staff makes an effort to speak English if you can't speak much Japanese-they are also very friendly. You can find the Minoura Dental Clinic in Kurokawa, exit #3, next to the Lawson across the street. Here's a link:

http://www.minoura-dental.com/en/index.html

Ginger Ale Kit Kat

2009-12-12T00:16:00.003+09:00

I went on a day trip to Gifu with our friends Tony and Mari to go hiking. I'll post a couple of videos from this trip, but here's the first. After lunch we, along with the restaurant staff's pet turtle, Rinku, tasted Ginger Ale flavored Kit Kat. Overall, most of us liked it! It tasted a lot like lemon, but still with a hint of ginger ale flavor--I thought it was pretty good. Check out the video:

Royal Milk Tea Kit Kat

2009-12-04T23:11:00.004+09:00

For a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, we invited a few friends over for roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and Royal Milk Tea Kit Kats. After dinner, we did a taste test with our friends Juan, Nate and Emi. Overall, if you like the taste of tea with milk, you'll like Royal Milk Tea Kit Kat. Juan, Emi and myself really liked it, but Nate and Marlow (who don't like the taste of tea with milk in general) weren't too crazy about it. Total, it got three out of five thumbs up! Check out the video:

$200 Chunk-O-Fish

2009-11-29T23:34:00.005+09:00

While shopping for seafood for Marlow's birthday dinner at one of my 'secret spots' I stumbled upon this $200 piece of fish nestled among run-of-the mill cuts of sushi fish. I can't say I was really shocked by it, because we've all see the discovery channel, but I was still giddy enough to snap this picture. A couple friends have since informed me that this hunk a fish is actually from the belly of the Pacific bluefin tuna---aka, some of the very best tuna you can buy (think gold with gills). For the sake of the person who actually forks over the dough, I hope it's tasty.

Ant Masks

2009-11-29T23:28:00.002+09:00

For one of my lessons at school we acted out the part of ants looking for food (for part of a book we were reading at the time). Though flimsy and cheap, these masks actually looked really cute, and seeing as all of the kids in this particular class actually wore the masks, tantrum-free, we took a pic. cute stuff.

How I Look to 6 Year Old Japanese Boys

2009-11-17T09:50:00.003+09:00

This week's lesson was the body: head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, and you know the rest. So to wrap up the last few minutes of my class we played pictionary--and i'm not exactly what it is about whiteboard markers, but my kids usually get really excited to use them. So after we finished the game, I asked my student to clean up and get ready to leave. He then, lightning fast (because he knew class was over) erases the board and draws this little number and points to me--so it's a portrait of me. Yikes.

Minivan Shminivan

2009-11-11T11:12:00.005+09:00

Walking around the city, I spotted this mom with 2 kids on a bike. Living in Japan is very different from living in the US in more ways than I can explain, and when I do try to explain, I find that it is often just too hard to really get my point across. But for this, I was able to snap a picture. In America, this woman would undoubtably have at least a car, if not a minivan with which to schlep these two kids around while she goes about her daily errands. To see this in America would make onlookers think this mom is:
a)very (or too) eco-friendly
b) too poor to afford a car
c)crazy

Now, maybe she really doesn't have the money for a car, but in Japan, that isn't a big deal at all. Plenty of people don't have cars and get by just fine. How do they do it? They just make it work. And as you can see, it is possible. Maybe it's not as convenient as having a car, but it can be done. I had a Nissan Maxima in the states, and I loved that old car, and it was my first and only. And I hope it stays that way. Public transit is the way to go in my book. It's cheap, eco-friendly, and if the train breaks down, I don't have to pay for it...well directly anyway (taxes, I know, I know). Props to this mom for doin' her thing, and doin' it well.

My First Salon Experience

2009-11-11T10:18:00.005+09:00

Up until about a month ago, I had never paid for a haircut in my life. My aunt is a hairdresser and, for most of my life, had been the only one to ever cut my hair. After I moved away to go to college, I didn't have as many opportunities to drive back home for a haircut. My aunt gave me some tips, and just after watching her over the years I was able to cut my own hair, and have been doing so since college. But I was recently compelled to experience a salon as a paying customer. Cutting the back of your own hair is not always easy, so I thought it would be nice to rest assured that it was really straight this time. It's unfortunate that I can't compare my experience in a Japanese salon with that of an American salon. I didn't really have much done, just a trim and a moisturizing treatment, so the overall change to my look wasn't really drastic, but afterwards my hair was shiny and super soft. For the cut, treatment, a bottle of leave-in conditioner, and free shampoo and conditioner samples (yay!) ran me about 12,000 yen or $120, which was a bit steep for me-- remember I'm someone who had never paid for a haircut before. While shampooing, one of my stylists massaged my scalp, neck and shoulders for over 10 minutes (which was totally awesome) and during the moisturizing treatment, these cute small plastic ear-caps were put on my ears to prevent them from getting gunked up. Hiro, who I presume is the head stylist and maybe even the owner of the salon, Cockney, speaks great English and was salon-trained in London. He took the time to sit down with me and talk about what I wanted done. I had a good experience, and when I decide to do something more drastic with my hair, will definitely visit Cockney again. Cockney is located behind Nagoya Station, about a block or two away from Yamachan. Once you go, you can get a point card that will earn you free services like moisturizing treatments. Call 052-451-1584 and ask for Hiro if your Japanese isn't so hot.

Useful Advertising

2009-11-07T22:22:00.004+09:00

In the wintertime in Nagoya, it isn't uncommon to see some poor guy out on the street in the cold, freezing his unmentionables off as he braves the frigid temperature to hand out packs of pocket tissues with his employer's advertisement attached to or imprinted on the packaging. More than once, I've had to tear through pictures of scantily clad women posing for anything from hostess bars to massage parlors to get to the pillowy soft, milky white, deliciously free tissues inside. Our own English school hands out tissues as well. And in the summer, it's plastic fans with advertisements. Whatever is most useful at the time, hence increasing the likelyhood a passerby will take the camouflaged ad. I've handed out tissues myself, and not everyone takes them. Though old ladies are usually a sure bet, there is nothing worse than seeing someone handing out only an advertisement, with no tissues or fans or anything really useful. Poor guy can't seem to lighten his load. Anyway, tissues, fans and the occasional candy or free dry food sample are the most common (in that order) but I recently got an individually packaged mask with an advertisement in the mail. Though it was a first, I cannot say I'm surprised. So simple and practical--I can't get enough.

Japanese Christmas Lights

2009-11-07T22:06:00.003+09:00

I spotted these while browsing in Tokyu Hands, a popular department store in Nagoya Station. LED Christmas lights that run about $70. For this much dough, I'd hope you got the well-deserved bang for your buck: that is, no sporadically lit, or completely dark strands after only a year's use. Let's hope whoever forks over the money for these doesn't have to deal with the same problems those of us who refuse to spend more than the cost of a couple of candy bars on a strand of Christmas lights.

Moving Day

2009-11-07T21:44:00.006+09:00

We've completed our third move since coming to Japan last September. From our overpriced, yet undoubtably convenient apartment in downtown Nagoya, to our 6 month stay in Freebell, the apartment building more commonly known as gajin central, to our newest place in Yagoto. The move from Freebell was fairly easy, as we hired a moving company to do the dirty work. Though Marlow and I have prided ourselves our 'ghetto solutions' (we're the crazy foreigners you might spot dragging 3 futons or a small refrigerator on the subway) we opted for the moving company because our new apartment building doesn't have an elevator. As it turns out, there is a price you can put on not hauling large pieces of furniture up 4 flights of stairs, and it's about $370. Our apartment agency scored us about a $100 discount, which sweetened the deal. We basically sat back and let these two guys do all the work. With 30 minute travel time included, these fellas were done in less than 3 hours. Thanks guys!

Caramel Pudding Kit Kat

2009-11-06T22:07:00.005+09:00

During our Halloween lesson at school, I managed to get my students to taste test Caramel Pudding Kit Kat. Now, this particular flavor is one of my personal favorites. As a matter of fact, I came across it last winter in a 7-11. The thing about this Kit Kit, like many of the flavors I've tried so far, is that it is seasonal--you can only find them in the fall. So by the winter time, all that was left were a few scragglers. I remember Marlow and I tried it, and really liked it, but when I went back to get more, there were none left. Since then, I've searched for them, until I found them about a month ago--yep, they were released again for the fall. Seeing as the packaging had Halloween decor, I thought it would be fitting to use this flavor for a Halloween taste test, and here you have it:

Halloween

2009-11-06T21:27:00.009+09:00

Halloween in Japan isn't quite the extravaganza it is in the US, but it's slowly gaining popularity. I would think it impossible that kids, no matter where they're from, could resist dressing up in costumes and getting candy. At school we teachers are required to wear Halloween costumes, and most, if not all of the kids, usually dress up and have a great time. But outside of school(and the club district) you will be hard-pressed to find anyone else wearing Halloween costumes as it just isn't really that popular here...yet. Though the Halloween sections of those select stores with Halloween sections are typically small, they have grown a bit since last year. As for the future of Halloween's popularity in Japan, we'll just have to see. But this year I had a great time with my kids.

Miso Kit Kat

2009-10-19T12:35:00.002+09:00

For our friend Nana's birthday we went to a Mongolian themed restaurant in Shin Sakae. We had a great time, and the food was really good too! While we were there we tasted Miso Kit Kat, but not before being taken aside by restaurant staff and dressed up in Mongolian costumes. Check out the video:

Salt and Caramel Kit Kat

2009-10-11T16:38:00.003+09:00

Here's another Kit Kat: salt and caramel flavor. I could only find this version in the version of bite-size minis, but they are really good. There is a slightly salty flavor, but the caramel overpowers it, yet without making it too sweet. I also got some more of my students to try some, and they really liked them! Here's a short video of my kids taste-test:

Blind Pictionary

2009-10-02T01:14:00.005+09:00

This week we played blind pictionary in my high school English class. But, I didn't have a handkerchief or anything similar suitable to use as a blindfold, so I improvised. I taped paper to my giant Jackie O-esque sunglasses and had my students wear them as drew--they had a good time, and we all got a kick out of how silly we looked wearing the glasses. They were good enough to pose for me too! They're so cool.

Fukui Beach Trip

2009-10-01T01:12:00.004+09:00

This video is also a bit overdue--Yuki took Jen, Marlow and I to Fukui prefecture, in Northern Japan. We went to Crystal Beach, saw a couple of strange things while we were there, but we had a really great time! The weather was great, and the beach itself was pretty nice--though crowded. We could also see a nuclear power plant right across from the beach! It was a little weird, but no one else seemed to be too concerned...anyway, check out this video of our trip:

Mango Pudding Kit Kat

2009-09-30T00:03:00.005+09:00

This video is a bit overdue-- we did a taste test of mango pudding Kit Kat while at the beach in Fukui. The beach was great! Which is more than I can say for this particular flavor of Kit Kat. Yuki and Jen were able to tolerate it, but I really didn't like it. An ongoing attribute of most peculiar Kit Kat flavors is an overwhelming sweetness that, no matter how good the flavor itself may be, really ruins it, and this was no exception. Anyway, here is a short video I made, check it out:

Cookie Kit Kat

2009-09-27T22:45:00.002+09:00

Walking home from dinner we found another variety of Kit Kat with a layer of cookie added. It tastes very much like an original Kit Kat, but you can taste the crunchy layer of cookie inside, it's really good! Nothing too crazy, really, but definitely a winner! Check out our street taste test:

Sweet Bean Mochi Kit Kat

2009-09-22T17:49:00.002+09:00

Here is another Kit Kat taste test: Sweet Bean Mochi flavor. Mochi is a kind of traditional Japanese dessert made from pounded rice--it is slightly sweet and has a kind of sticky, gummy texture. Here you can see my high school students giving it a try. As for me, I am a bit annoyed at this particular flavor because I don't think it tastes like anything more than an original Kit Kat! Marlow swears otherwise, but I tried it twice, and I'm sticking to my story. Anyway, check out the video:

Dear Mr. President

2009-09-20T23:52:00.003+09:00

I am mailing this letter to President Obama in hopes it will help him keep a clear head during this health care fiasco.

Dear Mr. President,

My name is Antonette Gum, and I want to tell you about my experience having major surgery in Japan.
My husband, Marlow, and I moved to Japan to become English teachers only months after graduating from the University of South Florida, and only a week after getting married. We came to Japan with pretty much everything we owned: 5 suitcases and $5500. We started working in Japan in September 2008 and immediately enrolled ourselves into the Japanese national health insurance program, which is available to anyone who works in the country. Around April 2009 I noticed a bump on my lower abdomen, and being like most 24-year olds, shrugged it off as nothing important—after all, I was only 24 and I ate well and exercised—I was far too young to worry about health problems. Weeks later, the bump had not gone away, as I had hoped it would. I sought out an English speaking gynecologist, and it was then I found out I had a fibroid tumor on my uterus—one that had gotten to be quite large. My doctor recommended I have it removed. I went for a second opinion, where I was given the same recommendation: surgery.
At that time, I had never had surgery, nor seen the inside of a hospital with the eyes of a patient. I was terrified. My terror was mixed with anger at the time, because I had gone to a gynecologist yearly since the age of 19, yet this tumor (now giant) had never been detected. Because of its size, my doctor predicted that this tumor had been growing for years. I found out that this kind of tumor is fairly common among women during their reproductive years; however, a tumor so large for someone so young seems to be rather uncommon. At the time of surgery I had just turned 25 years old, and the doctors removed a tumor that was about 2 lbs in weight, and about the size of a pineapple. Smaller tumors can be removed using a less-invasive procedure consisting of 3 small incisions around the naval area. But because mine was so large, there was no choice but to cut open my abdomen—I now have a 5-inch incision on my lower abdomen.
To say the least, I was shocked at the size of this thing. One should ask, how a tumor so big went unnoticed for so long. Fibroid tumors can grow in different places. Mine, thankfully so, was on top of my uterus. I’m guessing its position, and gradual growth over time allowed it to remain unnoticeable for so long. From talking to other women, it seems as though having a tumor inside the uterus yields more pain before and after surgery. Months before surgery I had terrible cramping in my abdomen—like intensified menstrual cramps—but while I wasn’t menstruating. On a couple of occasions, they were so severe I couldn’t walk. I later found out this was the tumor, attached to my uterus by a stem of tissue, twisting around inside me and causing me so much pain.
On June 29th I checked into the hospital where everything about the coming days was explained to me and I was prepared for surgery the next day. On June 8th, 8 days after surgery, I was released from the hospital. I was in the hospital for a total of 10 days. In Japan, this type of surgery requires 10-14 days in the hospital, depending on how well the patient does after surgery. By the time I was released, my 13 staples had been removed, and I was completely able to walk around and take care of myself. I understand this surgery requires about 2-3 days in a hospital in the US. Three days after surgery I still had staples, and was barely able to walk. To be sent home in this condition would be horrible.
Upon arriving at the hospital, I was instructed to bring about $3000 with me to cover the costs of surgery. For the surgery and 10 days in a private hospital room I paid a total of about $2200, and was reimbursed the remaining $800. But, the Japanese health insurance program has placed a limit on the maximum amount of money someone should pay for any one procedure. Because we were new to the country, language and the healthcare system, we didn’t realize that had we gone to our local ward office and informed them of my surgery beforehand, we would have been given paperwork to lower the initial price. But, because we didn’t go before surgery, we will be reimbursed afterwards. This October we will be getting about $500 back from the government, and I believe we might get even more money back after the first reimbursement is completed. But, the $500 reimbursement brings our total costs down to about $1700.
My total costs actually could have been less had I not gotten a private room, yet all of the cheaper, shared rooms were full, and the cost of about $40 a day was so reasonable we had no problem taking the private room.
Within a year of finishing school, getting married and moving to the other side of the world, my husband and I were taken by surprise by this serious, and potentially expensive situation, yet we were able to pay for it. The costs were so reasonable that, though we did have to scrounge a bit, we were able to afford it! Upon first discovering this tumor, my first thought was: how will we be able to pay for this? I contemplated going home for surgery, but the ticket cost alone would significantly lighten our wallets. At the time, I had no choice but to have the surgery here, but now, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My doctors and nurses took excellent care of me, and were very caring. Finding this tumor was a horrible thing to happen, but I will be forever thankful that I found it after coming to Japan. Because of the Japanese health care system, we were able to afford the surgery, and move on with our lives. I am now 3 months post-op and I feel great. I wanted you to know about my experience because I can tell you first hand: a national health care system that provides affordable care, and really works for the people is possible. I know many people are opposing you, and trying to distort and pick apart the plans you’ve proposed for health care to make them look as bad as possible, but please don’t give up. I am the daughter of immigrant parents who have worked jobs they hated just to provide adequate health care for our family. They, and everyone like them, deserve better, and if anyone can give them better, I hope it’s you.

Thank you for your time,

Antonette Gum

New Yorker's Street Cheese Dog Pringles

2009-09-17T10:38:00.005+09:00

Pringles is another familiar American snack that transforms itself once it passes the Pacific Ocean. The common-in-America flavors like original, cheese, salt and vinegar and sour cream and onion can be found in Japan, alongside flavors like kebab, roasted chicken, and cheese dog. Actually, I often find the most familiar to me in select international food stores, while most major convenience stores carry most of the unusual variety. In any case, here is a taste test video of cheese dog flavor pringles:

Lemon Kit Kat

2009-09-13T22:29:00.005+09:00

Here is yet another Kit Kat taste test video, but this one features my youngest student, Ayaka. Another one of my students, Ken, also joins in along with my co-worker, Daisuke. Unlike most of the Kit Kats I've had so far, this one was awesome and it got a unanimous thumbs up! But, whereas apple carrot and plum soda flavor are readily available at most major convenience stores, lemon flavor is a bit tricky to find (I stumbled upon it in a recycle shop!). Nestle, listen up: forget about plum soda, mango, and apple-carrot, lemon is the way to go!

Plum Soda Kit Kat

2009-09-09T10:12:00.004+09:00

Upon meeting our good friend Yukiko's sister, Tomomi, for the first time, she was good enough to offer to taste test Plum Soda flavor Kit Kat and let me record it. Now this flavor, like many that I've tried, isn't necessarily bad--I actually have friends who like it--but I find the flavor strange, and overbearingly sweet...and especially after Tomomi pointed it out, very eraser-like. Hence, I invented the word erasherish. If Will Smith can get jiggy to be a real word, then it's worth a try.

Apple and Carrot Kit Kat

2009-09-05T22:49:00.004+09:00

Of the many things in Japan that I find unusual is the variety of Kit Kat candy bar flavors. Though the original milk chocolate and wafter Kit Kat is easily found, it often sits alongside a different flavor, such as white chocolate, green tea, tiramisu, or in this case, apple and carrot flavor. At first it might seem like everywhere you go there is a different flavor of Kit Kat to be seen. However, after being here for some time (and of course asking some of my Japanese students) it becomes clear that these curious variations of Kit Kat are seasonal (but still sometimes random...I think). For example, during cherry blossom season, Kit Kat sold a special flavor in honor of the blooms (which I am now kicking myself for not trying). In any case, here is the first of many taste tests of the candy bar that hits so close to home, with an alien twist. I gave some apple and carrot Kit Kat to my students to see what they thought, have a look:

Tubing

2009-08-30T21:27:00.003+09:00

This summer we made some new friends through our buddy John and his family, who were nice enough to take us along on a couple of trips they made to a river in Gifu. The last time we headed out to the river, we went tubing (our first time) and had a blast! My inexperience lead me to lose control while going over a rapid, causing me to hit my thigh on a rock. It hurt, no question about it, but it didn't damper my experience--we had a really good time! Thanks very much to the Janzen, Sheppard and Torres families for including us! Here is a short video of our little adventure down the river:

Our New Mini Cooper Bikes

2009-08-30T19:52:00.008+09:00

Nagoya is one city that is easy to get around because of the numerous means of transportation available. Since we got here we have utilized trains, subways, taxis and good old fashioned walking to get around. But this week we added another method of transport to our list: bikes. Awesome folding mini-cooper bikes that is. Now for the most part, bikes in Japan are pricier than the States, so we've been shopping around quite a bit in order to get the best deal. We ended up paying a bit more than we originally planned for these beauties, but they were well worth it. They are foldable, and much lighter and smaller than other folding bikes we came across. We also opted for these because they have Shimano brakes, as well as gears. Once we picked out the bikes (dark green for Marlow, and burgundy for me) we set out to accessorize with locks, lights and a basket before we sealed the deal. In the States, after you fork over the cash, you can walk (or ride) straight out the door, but in Japan you must first register your bike before you leave. If you bike ever gets lost or stolen, it doesn't necessarily fall off the face of the planet, never to be seen or heard from again. In Japan, stolen bikes are a big deal, and if you are caught with one you can land in some trouble with the law. Anyway, here is a video Marlow made of our new bikes:

Rumble in Aichi: Sumo Comes to Town

2009-08-28T18:14:00.005+09:00

Marlow and I went to our first sumo tournament in Nagoya, and we had a great time! We ended up with nosebleed seats, but that really didn’t affect our experience, we still really enjoyed it. To fill you in, here is a crash course in sumo: there are nine ranks of sumo wrestlers, the top four being the upper ranks including the highest, yokuzuna. We arrived in time to see the pros as they were introduced and paraded around the ring wearing fancy, bright aprons (I read some of these aprons can cost up to $5,000 as they often feature silk and gold embroidery! $5,000?! Believe it). We also spotted a few foreign wrestlers--they were pretty easy to recognize from our distant seats as they were much hairier than the Japanese wrestlers. Here is a breakdown of interesting sumo facts:

*Sumo, though it has evolved a little, is over 1500 years old, and began as part of a ceremony to the gods to pray for plentiful crops.

*The hairdo of today’s higher ranking wrestlers is consistent with those of early sumo wrestlers, and (according to the official sumo website…I’m not making this up) can also help to protect the wrestler’s head in the event of a fall.

*The title of yokozuna has been around for 300 years, yet only 62 wrestlers have ever coveted the position.

*Unlike American boxing, there are no weight limits or ranking systems, so wrestlers can be faced with opponents much heavier than themselves.

*The gyoji or referees are the guys who look like they are wearing fancy pajamas and running around the wrestlers. Their pajamas are actually a type of kimono, and they too are part of a ranking system: the lower ranking gyogi are barefoot and the higher have cool Teenage Ninja Turtlesqe split toe socks.

*Before the wrestlers actually collide, there is a period of pumping themselves up, glaring at their opponents and throwing salt. This part of the match is called the shiriki, and it allows the wrestlers to build up excitement among spectators, but what’s most interesting is the 4 minute time limit that has been implemented recently. The first time limit was implemented in 1928, and it was 10 minutes! I guess ADD has affected even the most devoted of sumo fans. The actual wrestling time within each match is often less than a minute or two long.

Though the 4 minutes of glaring and salt scattering may sound pretty boring, we actually had a great time and found the matches to be quite exciting (they really make up for the 4 minutes of glaring in the last minute of rumble). And the everything sumo souvenirs are cool too. Only real disappointing part was that the two yokozuna we saw parading around earlier didn’t wrestle, but it was still exciting nonetheless. Here is a video Marlow put together:

Clamming

2009-08-27T01:16:00.005+09:00

Over summer vacation Marlow and I, along with our friends Ken and Miggy went to our buddy Clayton's place in Hammamatsu. Clayton invited us to go digging for clams, pretty much in his backyard. We all had a great time, and scored a ton of clams (which were absolutely delicious by the way)--we'll most definitely make the trip back for some more clams again! Here is a short video I put together of our day:

Good Ramen: Ijinkan

2009-08-21T18:52:00.004+09:00

Before I came to Japan, I was tricked into thinking those 20 for $1 packets of dried instant ramen noodles were real ramen--I didn't know any better. Besides, in America ramen isn't part of the international food craze, like pizza or sushi. Americans don't often say "Oh man, I know this great little ramen place..." nope, ramen is something that has remained on the bottom shelves of grocery stores nationwide known only as a cheap meal, and has never really found its way into our hearts. Bottom line: Americans don't take ramen seriously. Well, the Japanese do. I have yet to find a main street, or busy shopping area without a ramen restaurant. As a matter of fact, I currently live within a 5-10 minute walk of 2 ramen shops right now. Though ramen is a Chinese food, the Japanese have developed quite a liking to it, and have adopted it as their own, only of course, after tweaking it slightly. For the record, there are a few different types of ramen: salt, pork bone, and soy sauce being among the most popular. Most Chinese restaurants I've been to serve the clear-broth salt version as a standard, while many ramen shops in Japan give you a few different styles to choose from, most of which seem to be of the cloudier pork bone variety. As it happens, I absolutely love the popular Japanese pork-bone ramen. I've tried ramen in countless restaurants, more times than I care to say, and I haven't been disappointed once. For the most part I think its safe to say that all ramen is really good here. But there is one place that I've found to reign supreme: Ijinkan. The broth is the best I've come by so far: just the right amount of cloudiness and salt combined with the small ringlets of fat floating under and around a heap of beansprouts, bamboo shoots and onion is heavenly. Ijinkan, like many ramen shops in Japan has bar-style seating in which customers just sit and eat at a counter. Ramen shops often seem to radiate a fast-food type atmosphere, though not quite like McDonald's, you can often get in and out in under 30 minutes or less depending on how fast you can slurp those noodles (yes, slurping your noodles is THE way to eat ramen in Japan). Ijinkan is no exception: cheap, quick food that tastes great. Once you enter, you can choose a seat at the counter, or opt for their extra seating in the back of the restaurant. Water is brought automatically, and you can help yourself from pitchers located on the counters and tables (also a common in many ramen shops). After choosing your type of ramen, usually consisting of different toppings as well as broths, you can raise your hand and say "Sumimasen!" ("Excuse me!") or press the bell to get their attention. Yes, I said bell. In many restaurants in Japan, you can often find a bell with which to call a server located right on your table. It usually makes a cute little doorbell sound when you press it too. Ijinken has multiple locations, one of which is in Sakae, downtown Nagoya, at the south end of the LaChic building.

Good Cafe: Comohouse Cafe

2009-08-21T18:41:00.003+09:00

On my birthday my husband surprised me by taking me to the most adorable little "Mom & Pop" cafe you can imagine. Living in the era of Starbucks and its rigid uniformity, it is refreshing to step into a privately owned cafe where everything is so different. Don't get me wrong, I need my Starbucks-short-chai tea latte-hot-with soymilk fix from time to time, and I appreciate the convenience and comfort through familiarity that Starbucks offers. But its the same pros of Starbucks that simultaneously make me yearn for something new. Nestled in a dim, sparsely populated shopping arcade just West of Nagoya Station, Comohouse Cafe is a real find. And by "real find" I mean it's a great place, but you must also try to find it as it is not located in a convenient, or even high-traffic location. But once you do, I'm pretty sure you'll whip out your iPhone almost instantly, to pinpoint your location so you can find it again. Before stepping in, you are greeted outside by a small table draped with a burgundy and white checkered tablecloth and whitewash wooden chairs, a good place to sit and have lunch while bringing your pet. The warm yellow lighting inside beckons you to enter, and as you swing open the wooden door you are greeted by soft music playing overhead. A not too high-pitched "Irasshaimase!" ("Welcome!") follows, and you know you've made a good decision. But it isn't until you find a seat among the few wooden tables situated near the door that you begin to notice all of the attention to detail surrounding you. The steaming hot towels carefully rolled, placed in wicker baskets and presented alongside sweating glasses of water are not of the pre-packaged variety, and small glass vases of various sizes, each with a different sprig of wildflowers adorn every table. And if it hasn't already, the novelty and sheer cuteness of this particular cafe will slap you in the face once you open the menu. Each dark brown page is carefully handwritten in white pencil and accompanied by small drawings of select menu items. But the careful preparation doesn't stop with the decor, the food is also given a lot of attention. Though the menu items may seem simple, the careful hand with which they are prepared makes all the difference. A wide variety of treats and dishes are available, from teas, coffees and cake, to sandwiches, soup and salad, all of which are inexpensively priced and offer satisfying portions. And their homemade cake selection for the day is available for immediate salivation over, in a cooler near the entrance. An English menu is also available, and will most likely just be brought to you automatically if you don't appear to be Japanese, as one of the owners speaks English and will be happy to accommodate you. Comohouse Cafe is located at 2-16-12 Nagono, Nishi-ku, Nagoya; Kokusai Center Station exit 1, walk straight for about 7 minutes until you reach the shopping arcade, and turn left. Open until 7:30 weekdays, 7:00 Sundays and closed Tuesdays. 052-541-1271

Theftless in Nagoya

2009-08-18T23:39:00.003+09:00

In the middle of Sakae, downtown Nagoya, some chicks left all of their stuff--and I mean all of it. Shopping bags, and even purses were set in the middle of the sidewalk on a Friday night, in one of the largest cities in Japan...and no one laid a finger on anything. Even stranger, no one even looked at it like it was strange. I actually stood on this for a few minutes to test my theory and feed my curiosity---I was sure that if no one tried to take anything, someone would at least think this was strange. Nope. No one glanced at the pile of belongings longer than the time it took to realize they had to walk around it. It would seem as though there is a better chance of having things taken from you in the States when you are actually in possession of them, than there is of someone taking your carelessly strewn and unattended belongings on the street in Japan. Japan, 1, USA 0.

I Lick It and Take It

2009-08-18T23:25:00.005+09:00

Many things in Japan make me chuckle, giggle, and occasionally explode with laughter, but few things are as amusing to me as the T-shirts here. Specifically, I am talking about the Engrish on shirts that tickle me to no end. For the most part, the best (and by "best" I stress that I mean, funniest and strangest) are usually still hanging on clothing racks--although there are many people wearing shirts with wacky messages, usually the better ones are still in stores. But walking in Sakae the other night I managed to get a pic of this girl wearing a shirt that read "I Lick it and Take it". I literally ran across the street in an attempt to catch up with her, all the while juggling my many bags and groping around in my purse in a desperate attempt to find my camera...and here you have it.

Cool Melons

2009-08-18T23:20:00.003+09:00

This is the second time this summer I have seen watermelons kept cool via natural resources. The first was by a co-worker and her Filipino family on the beach as they buried their watermelon deep beneath the sand under an umbrella. This is the second, two melons placed near these rocks by the shore. The cool water lapping over them throughout the course of the day kept them cool indeed (yes, I touched the melons). Good idea.

Dope Magazine

2009-08-18T22:39:00.005+09:00

While waiting to use the bathroom at a convenience store this past week, I glance over to the magazine section, strategically placed in the darkest corner of the shop. As most convenience stores in Japan offer a wide variety of adult reading material, complete with tell-tale photos of scantily clad, busty women, they are usually housed in the corners of most stores as to lure the creepy dudes who gather around the glossy pages to a position where they are out of the way. So, waiting for the bathroom placed me right in front of the adult magazines at this particular shop, and this copy of Dope Magazine caught my attention and gave me a chuckle.

Stepping Over the Yellow Line

2009-08-07T00:45:00.003+09:00

I've seen my share of strange, funny, crazy and downright confusing advertisements since I've been in Japan. And yes, I've often gotten a cheap kick out of ads here because of goofy things like grammatical or spelling errors (AKA to foreigners, Engrish) or just nonsensical stuff. But this is actually one of my favorite ads, and that's quite possibly because I can't laugh at it--it's all in Japanese, so I can't read most of it. It's a safety ad reminding people to be aware, and careful not to step over the painted yellow line that runs within inches of the train tracks. The use of Legos alone is just so charming, but combined with the business man who loses his footing while looking at the passing flock of freshly-dismissed schoolgirls is just hilarious...and kinda creepy in a way.

Sumo Wrestler in Nagoya Station

2009-08-06T23:58:00.003+09:00

While walking through Nagoya Station, Mama and I saw this yukata-clad sumo wrestler as he was preparing to leave Nagoya. Giddily, we approached him and asked if he would take a picture with us, and he did! His manager actually took pictures with both our our iPhones. What nice guys.

Nihon Fried Chicken

2009-08-06T23:36:00.003+09:00

For the most part the Japanese like American food, at least once in a while (Japanese people are all pretty thin, so they can't be eating it too often). But one of the reasons foreign food is popular is Japan is that it is often made "Japanese Style" to accommodate the highly sensitive Japanese tastebud. Japanese food is predominantly simple in taste with usually few ingredients, and this style of cooking is often imposed onto foreign recipes. But not American fast food. McDonald's (pronounced mac-a-dun-al-do) and KFC have managed to stay true to their original recipes in Japan. But in this case, the Colonel wasn't able to hang on to his American fashion sense....meh, you win some, you lose some.

Fail in the Gap

2009-08-06T19:11:00.008+09:00

Among my very first experiences in Japan was shopping. The fashion is really great here, and there are countless (and I mean that quite literally) of women's clothing shops. I remember finding the Gap for the first time, and feeling somewhat relieved as one naturally would after finding something familiar in a place where so many things seem alien. But that familiarity would be short-lived. I waltzed in, found some things to try on and shuffled off to the dressing room. The attendant, a very nice and pretty young girl, showed me to my room. But before she drew the curtain, she handed me a neatly folded square of tissue-paper and said something (I presume was an explanation) in Japanese I couldn't understand. Now, at the time I hadn't the slightest idea what this paper was for. Behind the curtain, I held the square in my hand and stared at it for a while, trying to figure out what its purpose was. Don't ask my why, because I don't have a problem myself in that area, but the first thing I thought it could be was a towel for armpit-sweat. Or maybe foot sweat? Oh jeeze, I have no idea. But I did know one thing, when I came out of that little room, the attendant would expect that I used the paper for whatever its used for. So after trying on the clothes, I stuffed the mystery paper into my bag, and sped off hoping the attendant wouldn't ask for the paper back, or come to notice I'm not smart enough to figure out how to use it. A few weeks after that, though slightly jaded, I ventured off into the dressing room of a small Japanese clothing shop. And, as I feared, I was handed the dreaded square of tissue paper again. Deja-vu. Here I am again behind the curtain, bewildered. I looked up, and there they were: directions (with pictures) on how to use the tissue paper. Turns out it is a face cover for women to wear while they try on clothing to prevent makeup from smearing on prospective garments. It really is a very sensible idea, as I can't count how many times I have seen rejected shirts in the States on sale because of makeup smears all over the collar. Japan: land of common sense. Props.

$1,000 Fan!

2009-08-06T18:44:00.003+09:00

I don't know what this thing is made of, but it sure doesn't look like it's worth such a giant hunk of anyone's hard-earned money. I'm sure it's handcrafted from the finest wood in the world, blah, blah, blah, but it is still shocking to me nonetheless. It doesn't even look that fancy. Of course I realize that expensive doesn't always mean fancy per say, but if I'm going to spend a grand on something that can fit in my pocket, it better be good. Perhaps my inner American shines through the most at a time like this--were I to be asked to imagine what a $1,000 fan would look like, this wouldn't even come close--precious metals and jewels come to mind almost immediately. Personally, I don't buy fans that cost over 100 yen--and now that I think about it, I could have sworn I've seen a fan that looks a lot like this for 100 yen...and even if it didn't, who cares? You are just going to be whipping it around and fanning yourself anyway, most people won't even get a chance to notice the "fine craftsmanship", and those that try risk getting whiplash. Nope, if I ever pay this much money for a fan, I'll get one with a TV in it.

Yamachan Trifecta

2009-07-22T18:44:00.004+09:00

Yamachan, or as Marlow and I first called it before we could read kana Chicken Stallone's (because the Yamachan guy looks like Sylvester Stallone with chicken wings), is quite possibly the most popular izakaya (bar/restaurant) we've come across so far. Near our old apartment around Sakae there were three Yamachans within a 10-15 minute walk of each other--and we thought that was excessive. Well, we hadn't seen anything yet. Near our new place we came across three Yamachans within a 3 minute walk of each other (no, I'm not exaggerating...I timed it). So, with what seemed like a bounty of Yamachans fairly close to our apartment, we decided to go there for dinner over the weekend. Would you believe that they were all completely full? And all three actually had a line of people waiting outside? Believe it. We were astonished as we hopped from one to the next, all the while confident we would get into one of them--I mean, there were three of them after all. Nope, all full. We underestimated you, Stallone. Keep doin' what you're doin' because it seems to work.

Marlow's Brand-Spankin'-New Camera

2009-07-22T15:08:00.003+09:00

About a month and a half ago we moved from the downtown Sakae area, to our new apartment overlooking the train tracks of Nagoya Station. The move itself was great, and went off without a hitch...or at least it seemed to at first. We later realized that we could not find Marlow's fairly new HD camcorder. After searching through everything in our new apartment, and even venturing back to our old apartment to triple-check for anything we had left behind, we finally concluded that it was gone. As upset as he was, Marlow has since moved on and bought a new, superior camera and full HD camcorder, the Canon Rebel T1i Kiss X3. I had bought him an older Canon Rebel for his birthday years ago, which he was very fond of. But with the arrival of the new Rebel his old companion has been put to rest, but not before the two are compared first. My husband has made great videos and taken fantastic pictures with lesser quality cameras, and I look forward to seeing how his new work turns out after he takes the new Rebel for a spin. In the meantime, here is a short video I made (my first, so be gentle) as Marlow unveils his brand new camera.

iPhone Scrabble

2009-07-22T14:28:00.010+09:00

As an iPhone scrabble addict, I have collectively passed what seems like countless hours of "in-between time" waiting in line, or on the subway racking my brain, and trying to one-up my arch nemesis: the computer. And as an addict, I've tried some underhanded, and rather sneaky tricks in an attempt to attain the victory I so craved. I would imagine shoving letters together aimlessly and holding my breath as I wait to see if such a word exists within the dictionary would make an orthodox scrabbler shudder, but I can't help it! If I don't get the triple-word score, then IT WILL!!! Confessions aside, since it is a computer it has a vocabulary far superior to mine. There have been words arranged by the computer that, as it stabbed my ego, I have cursed, and swore was not a real word, but secretly accepted. However, a recent match revealed a word that surprised and tickled me so that I am posting it here: since when is "batmen" a real word? I stared at it for a few seconds, thinking I had read "batman". My first instinct linked it to the caped crusader's shooting success over the last century, but it didn't seem right. So, I looked it up and it turns out "batman" is a real word, for which "batmen" is the plural of. Here is the definition according to the New Oxford American Dictionary:

batman

noun( pl. -men) dated

(in the British armed forces) an officer's personal servant.ORIGIN mid 18th cent. (originally denoting an orderly in charge of the bat horse [packhorse] that carried the officer's baggage)
Who knew?

What Did You Say? $100!? For a Melon?!

2009-07-18T16:19:00.002+09:00

It's not surprising that Japan, being such a small group of islands, has limited natural resources. Of course, we're all reasoning adults and we can understand that. But when is it acceptable to match the price of groceries with those of electronics? Or designer shoes? Or any other $100 item that may come to mind, other than these melons? Sure, its costs money to import this eency weency container of raspberries, but $15?! Gas prices aren't that high. It is also important to mention that these fruits are specifically given as gifts (notice the fancier packaging that jacks up the price, but rest assured that is the best bubble wrap that money can buy). Be that as it may, I can still think of a gazillion other $100 gifts I would rather have than fruit.

I'm Alive a Quarter of a Century

2009-07-16T21:27:00.002+09:00

I like to think of myself as detail-oriented, so much so that for the majority of my life I thought such a quality would work against me one day: I could never have a genuine, scare the-hell-out-of-you surprise party. The attempts of the past were good, some of them really good, but none were without my suspicions...until now. My 25th birthday, and my first in Japan, my good friends and my husband broke the self-inflicted curse I had laid upon myself, and succeeded in really scaring the crap out of me. My husband took me out the entire day--literally for about 9 hours. We went to lunch, then the aquarium, shopping for a gift, dinner, a walk, and cake at the most adorable home made cake shop you have ever seen in your life. Arriving home at close to 10pm, I had no energy to suspect that 5 of my friends were hiding in our pitch-black living room waiting (what probably felt like an eternity) for my arrival. Yuki and our roommate Juan did an amazing job of decorating, and putting everything together! It was an awesome surprise, and definitely one of the best birthdays I have ever had.

Juan also made this cool video, check it out:

Surgery in Japan

2009-07-16T20:53:00.004+09:00

Recently, I was quite forced to expose a part of myself that I, until it was unveiled, had not known existed: a myoma (a benign tumor) comparable in size and weight to an average pineapple that had, for years latched on to my poor, unsuspecting uterus. The good news was that I found out about it, and had it removed while living in the great country of Japan, with its glorious and affordable health care program. Had I been back in the US, the 'pineapple' in question might have grown to the size of a watermelon before I might have had the money to pay for surgery to remove it. Three doctor's opinions and a few sleepless nights later, surgery was scheduled. For this type of surgery in the US, you are admitted to the hospital for a period of about 2-3 days, in Japan the same procedure requires patients to stay in the hospital for a period of 10-14 days.

Day one was orientation, which my dear friend Yuki was kind enough to stay for, and translate. For hours we were bombarded with detailed information as to everything I would experience during my time there as doctors, nurses and pharmacists came to tell us about their role in the coming days. I was given my "last meal" at 5pm sharp. The next afternoon, seated in a wheelchair, I was wheeled to the operating room, in front of which the nurse pushing me stopped, and instructed me to get up and go to the operating table. This was a strange and terrifying moment. As a surgery rookie, I had always envisioned other ways of entering an operating room as a patient, usually while lying on a bed with wheels as you are brought to the cutting board. But there was something odd in walking into an operating room, and lying down myself. It all seemed so much more voluntary, and willing than I was ready for. The giant, circular light above me as I was strapped on to the lethal injection-like table, and the countless masked faces staring down at me was all too much for me to bear, and I was unable to hold back the few tears that had begun as a lump in my throat the moment I set foot into the room. Immediately the masked faces produced hands that held mine, and patted my legs, shoulders and arms in attempts to soothe the giant, scared gajin. Sleep rescued me from my fears, and the next thing I remember was waking up in excruciating pain, in my dimly lit hospital room, with my husband's concerned face above mine. The drugs had not yet worn off, and I could not, no matter how hard I tried, focus my swimming eyeballs on anything. Breathing hurt, I could speak no louder than a whisper, and moving so much as an inch was out of the question. Then, one of the worst nights of my life: the pain was terrible, and when sleep was kind enough to grace me with her fickle presence, I was woken up frequently by an automated blood pressure reader, and the nurse's numerous visits in the night. Day 3 in the hospital was Day 1 post-op and it was rough. I could not have imagined being let out of the hospital at this point, or even a day or two later (as it is done in the US), the thought of it just seemed so scary—to be sent home with this giant cut in your abdomen complete with aching staples that has barely even begun to heal is ludicrous. The pain was severe whenever I attempted to move, and I found it difficult and tiring to do anything. But there the nurses were, visiting frequently and asking “Itai des ka? Daijobu?” (“Do you have pain? Are you OK?”). They made every attempt to communicate with me in English, sign language, and even occasional drawings about even the smallest things, like adding antibiotics to my IV, or taking my blood pressure. They also came armed with English-Japanese electronic dictionaries, and took the time to stop and search for a word that would allow me to understand what they were going to do next. On occasion, if there was just too much information, special efforts were made to track down English-speaking staff from all corners of the hospital (who had no other reason for being anywhere near my wing of the hospital) to speak to me. And, without fail, they came in smiling—even those wearing masks came in with crinkling eyes peering at me, all of whom possessed unyielding kindness, sympathy and patience that I had never encountered from complete strangers before. I remember a couple of occasions in which I called the nurse’s station and asking for someone to come to my room—nothing big, I just couldn’t reach the light switch. Moments later, I heard someone running down to hall to get to my room. I didn’t make a habit of calling the nurse’s station too often, however when I did, I only waited longer than about 2 minutes one time. My room was cleaned every day, a fresh pot of hot water replenished daily, and carefully arranged meals (no TV dinners) brought to me like clockwork. And the food was really good! It was nothing shy of what you might find at a restaurant in quality, taste and presentation. The following days crept by rather slowly, with even the smallest tasks requiring the greatest of effort, and I found myself with a genuine appreciation for the amount of work my abdomen does, yet hating it so at the same time. I had instantly become painfully aware of every single move that I made, and was accordingly exhausted after short spurts of movement. But all the while, the nurses were there, still smiling, and monitoring my progress. About a week after surgery my 13 staples were removed by the first and only doctor to handle my incision a little roughly—all the while, Yoshiko, one of my regular nurses, held my hand. The way in which this doctor handled me, made me realize how much of an effort everyone one else had made to be gentle and keep me as comfortable as possible. In many places in Japan, understandably so, I have felt like an outsider, but it was different there. Before and after the surgery, I quickly felt as though I was a member of a team that thrived within these hospital walls. Nurses, doctors, and even the housekeepers raised their fists and softly cried “Gambatte!” (“Do your best, good luck”) in an effort to raise my spirits. 8 days after surgery, able to move around and take care of myself (very slowly, of course) I was released from the hospital, which was actually a little sad. A few of my regular nurses came to see me before I left to say goodbye, and again “Gambatte!” It is really astonishing to think about: these people took phenomenal care of me, yet it is regarded as nothing more than part of their jobs. Everyone gets the same amazing care that I did, and if anything the language barrier made it harder for them to take care of me, yet they still did it with a smile. It was an experience I will never forget, and one that has made my husband and I seriously consider beginning our family here on the other side of the planet, rather than back home.