Lets see. LOTS of fun stuff has happened since the last blog, but because of my blasted rut, I didn't take many photos, or write most of it down. Hmmm we went into Sakae to celebrate Ms. Mihoko's Birthday, which was a complete blast. I've tried even MORE new foods, and it's all been delicious. Hmm I can remember a few of the foods.
Ok I tried this today. It's called dango. Basically it's a mochi dumpling with a sweetish soysauce glaze. (Mochi is rice squished into paste, usually mildly sweetened) I see it sold everywhere, and I had no idea what it was. for a little while I thought maybe some skinned fruit or something? But yesterday Ms. Mihoko brought some into school for the teachers. Did I mention my boss is a wonderful woman? One of the reasons I like her so much is her sense of humor. It's very much like mine. She makes me laugh my head off.
Now that I've tried the soy dango, I'd like to go out on a limb and try these versions of dango. I'm taking a WILD guess and saying that the green one is probably green tea flavored lol. I'll probably love it.
Last weekend, Ms Mihoko and Ms Minori were going to Mie prefecture to get their hair cut, and they invited me to come check out the area. I of course said yes. Ms Minori's sister lives over there so that's how they know of a good hair stylist in that area. We picked up Minori's mother and drove over. Minori stopped by a treat shop and bought everyone some treats, which was really sweet.
I can't remember the name of this one, but it's basically soft rolls filled with red bean paste. Ok I tried bean paste about a year ago, when I went to Hawaii, and I tried it when my amazing tutor Yuko made some for me, and both times I found it interesting, but strange. It was a very new taste and idea for me, eating beans as a dessert. I've been munching on various red bean treats for a few weeks now, and I think it's finally grown on me!!!! They were delicious. It definitely took some time to get used to the flavor, but I like it now!
The other treat was delicious as well. In Japan they are really big on "Jelly" (jello). They have all sorts of flavors. Even my little students have small jelly "shots" packed in their bentos for lunch. The 'shots' come in the same kind of container as those small jelly or honey containers you find at denny's or something. ANYWHO. The jelly she bought was coffee jelly. It came with a little thing of cream to douse on top. It was SO GOOD. Loved it. There's another thing I notice I've gotten used to. Cold coffee and cold tea don't weird me out anymore.
We stopped by Minori's sister's house and said hi, ate our snacks, and met her nephew. They were all sooooo nice. Minori has a great family, and I see a lot of her in her mom. When they all were speaking Japanese, I'd understand bits, and when we were all speaking English, Mihoko would say to her, "wakarimashitaka?" and she'd reply, "hai, chotto." which is "do you understand?" and "a little bit". So Minori's mother and I were in the same boat you could say ha ha. I liked her. While Minori and Ms Mihoko were at their appointment I went to a mall. I had two hours to wander around, and I only got through 4 isles. HA HA HA HA that's how it is for me here. Every thing in every isle is so interesting that I take forever to look at it all. I found a few small things, including my own Bento Box!!! Lunch at school had gotten to the point where I felt weird with my Tupperware, surrounded by bentos, so I'd been keeping an eye out for one I liked. And I found one. It's SO CUTE I LOVE IT.
After Minori and Ms Mihoko finished, Ms Mihoko wanted to treat us all to dinner. Minori's sister couldn't come because of her cute little boy Kiyoshiro (too young), so it was just Ms Mihoko, Minori, Minori's mother, and me. We went to an awesome Japanese restaurant, sat on mats (I never get tired of that), and ate. I asked them to choose for me since I didn't care what I got, it's always good. There was so much food, and we all tried each other's dishes. I got multi-grain rice of some sort, which surprised me when it came out because...
It was purple. It tasted great of course. And, being the curious person that I am, we spent a little bit talking about which grain it was that turned the whole thing purple. We don't know ha ha ha. Hmm some of the other food included miso soup, cow INTESTINE (tasted great), Pork pieces, a big pile of sliced cabbage with some sort of light sauce mixed in it, and a potato dish I can't remember the name of. It begins with T....dang it I'll remember. I looked at the cabbage and my first thought was "man that's a lot of garnish", but turns out you eat the darn stuff. And I ate. And enjoyed.
Minori's mom surprised us all and paid for dinner. She is such a sweet woman, she was so kind. She said she felt that she knew what I was currently going through, being in Japan alone, because Minori had gone through the same thing when she moved to Australia. Minori's Mom was always hoping that Minori was doing ok when she first moved to Australia, and she figured my mom might be feeling the same way. So she was incredibly sweet, looking out for me like that.
Twas a good night. Afterwards, stopped at a grocery store, got some stares (never gets old), and got dropped off.
Anywho, this is a close idea to what I cook up for my bento every morning. Although I usually don't put meat in my bento. Just rice with furikake on top, grape tomatos, apple slices, and some other veggies. Everyone eats very healthy. During my Tupperware days I would also bring a yogurt. Cause I thought they were healthy, right? Well here they are considered desserts, so I was basically teasing the kids with my yogurt every day. I stopped that once I found that out.
Here are two VERY accurate images of what my student lunches look like. I've seen all this stuff at one point or another. Every last bit is eaten. If they get a school lunch, it's very healthy as well. Rice with furikake, with veggies and meat changed up everyday. Things like tofu, spinach, onions, peppers, LOADS of different veggies. And they eat them all. I'm so proud of these healthy little guys. Once they all eat their healthy food they can have their treat food. Grapes, oranges, jelly shots, apples, maybe a small thumb-size chunk of Camembert, or the rare delicious jelly filled pancake!
I have a
love/hate relationship with lunchtime. I eat my food within 2 minutes,
because I have ten 3-4 year olds that have to have their bowls empty, teeth
brushed, and table cleaned in 40 minutes. I have the kids strategically placed around the table so that I can sit nearest the kids who get distracted, or take an hour to chew one bite. But at the same time I've also placed the kids so that the older, faster ones are spread out, setting a good example for the smaller ones. Once we sing our lunch song, it's like a gunshot and a horse race has begun in my head. Which student will finish first??? I can usually predict who the top 3 will be, but honestly it's random most of the time. Sometimes the fastest eaters have off-days and take the longest. Sometimes my youngest student will suddenly get starvingly hungry and finish in 5th or something. I've got one student who is a very fast eater, but he always finishes last. It's because he has to eat a school lunch and a second lunch from home. Always eats everything, but it's a lot, hence why he's last. It's surprising how much food they can shovel in their mouths. They have amazing manners. One thing that still takes me off guard is their gag reflex. Sometimes students put too much food in their mouths and start gagging. But you see this look of determination in their faces and they hold their hands up to their mouths to stop anything from coming out, and they continue on. I could go on for hours about just LUNCH ha ha ha. It's a fun time.
Anywho. I'm back off hiatus. I'm feeling a lot better at the moment, one reason perhaps is because I am trying to eat healthier and I got to exercise today! It's been three months since I worked out. I can't do aerobics in my apartment, I'd get heard by my neighbors. And I've wanted to jog, but I get stared at. Pale skin. Living in Japanese small area. Perfect atmosphere for stares. It freaks me out. So all the exercise I've been getting is my biking to school (not far) and my biking to the store (further, but not much).
Ms Minori and I had been talking last weekend about exercise and all that, and we decided to try running today. We hopped in her car and drove to Miyoshi Pond. On the way we talked about what music we listen to when jogging. When I said that my workout playlist is mostly Takarazuka songs (I'd found some that keep me jogging at a fast pace), she insisted that I let her hear some. Tis a mystery to me on why those songs get me sprinting faster than I can with other songs.
It's a large pond. 5k to go around the whole thing. Lots of trees, forest, even some shrines and wild cats. It smelled fresh and amazing. It was GREAT! I'd been dying to work out for a while. I feel great now, and I'm experienced enough to know that I shall be in great pain tomorrow. No big dance moves in class for the next week, I expect ha ha ha.
Ok. I hath rambled enough for now.
Oh. Forgot. I found Cantaloupe bread in my grocery store today. Couldn't resist. Twas good.
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