Today is an uninspiring, very wet day. While I don't have any new stories, I did think of some old ones! About two weeks ago, my previous Japanese teacher invited Russell and I to go to a French restaurant. We had been talking about it for some time, but had never gotten around to it. Keiko also invited another friend who she had met while they were studying abroad in the same program in Canada.
The four of us together headed to the restaurant. When we walked in, Russell and I instinctively feared for our pocketbooks. There were cherrywood cabinets lined with fancy china and heavy silver. The place was small and sophisticated. We had been assured it wasn't that expensive so we hesitantly continued. As it turned out, the restaurant was awesome. It was fussy, with the aforementioned place settings and tiny, tiny portions, but the set menu was only $40 which was much less than we were worried it would be, and actually included so many tiny, tiny dishes that it was very filling.
We had a small appetizer, two courses we had selected from a menu, a tiny ball of sorbet, a meat (or fish) course, two rounds of fresh baked bread, dessert and finally a cup of coffee. All of this was spread out over about three hours - so we took our time, got to know each other REAL well, and felt like we had had quite a feast on the way out.
Russell and I don't make a habit of going to fancy restaurants, but we will definitely go back to this one some day.
Saturday 26 June 2010
Monday 21 June 2010
A Taste of Home
Just as I finished my last post and published it, I remembered something interesting that we did on Saturday.
On my walk to work in the morning, I go past at least 3 interesting looking cafes. They are often full of people and not too full of smoke - a good sign. They also have reasonably priced breakfast menus. I thought it would be fun on Saturday for Russell and I to go out to breakfast at one of these establishments.
Russell had been down this road early on in our Japanese adventure and the cafes had not jumped out as being especially tasty. After some prodding, though, he agreed to go take a look. I blew right past one place because I was doing too much talking and not enough observing of my surroundings. The second place was closed for the weekend, but the third place was open and doing a brisk business. A couple left just as we were walking up, so we grabbed the open table.
Inside, the cafe was a cheerful American/country style with wood chairs and chalkboard menus hanging on the walls. The menu was also surprisingly American. Keeping in mind that traditional Japanese breakfasts consist of rice, fish and vegetables and common "wester" breakfasts consist of coffee with two tiny slices of toast or (for those with an appetite) and egg salad sandwich, I was more than a little surprised to see "bacon and eggs," "pancakes" etc. Of course, there were more traditional Japanese choices and several hybrid options, but all the breakfasts seemed to be filling portions (though not gut-busters). I had the bacon and eggs and was quite pleased with the result. It tasted quite authentic but had the added perk of not being too huge and including a lovely side salad. Russell got the lunch special which was more leaning toward the Japanese side of things. There was some delicious chicken with onions, a small bowl of rice, miso soup and bacon.
We will definitely have to go back. The only drawback for Russell was that there wasn't internet available. Which means he can't camp out there and work during the day. It says a lot that he was disappointed by this realization. It did seem like a good place to park for a while.
On my walk to work in the morning, I go past at least 3 interesting looking cafes. They are often full of people and not too full of smoke - a good sign. They also have reasonably priced breakfast menus. I thought it would be fun on Saturday for Russell and I to go out to breakfast at one of these establishments.
Russell had been down this road early on in our Japanese adventure and the cafes had not jumped out as being especially tasty. After some prodding, though, he agreed to go take a look. I blew right past one place because I was doing too much talking and not enough observing of my surroundings. The second place was closed for the weekend, but the third place was open and doing a brisk business. A couple left just as we were walking up, so we grabbed the open table.
Inside, the cafe was a cheerful American/country style with wood chairs and chalkboard menus hanging on the walls. The menu was also surprisingly American. Keeping in mind that traditional Japanese breakfasts consist of rice, fish and vegetables and common "wester" breakfasts consist of coffee with two tiny slices of toast or (for those with an appetite) and egg salad sandwich, I was more than a little surprised to see "bacon and eggs," "pancakes" etc. Of course, there were more traditional Japanese choices and several hybrid options, but all the breakfasts seemed to be filling portions (though not gut-busters). I had the bacon and eggs and was quite pleased with the result. It tasted quite authentic but had the added perk of not being too huge and including a lovely side salad. Russell got the lunch special which was more leaning toward the Japanese side of things. There was some delicious chicken with onions, a small bowl of rice, miso soup and bacon.
We will definitely have to go back. The only drawback for Russell was that there wasn't internet available. Which means he can't camp out there and work during the day. It says a lot that he was disappointed by this realization. It did seem like a good place to park for a while.
Nothing Exciting
I feel like I've been horribly negligent of the blog lately... I just can't think of anything new to post. Life has been going along like normal. I did "get" to help out with Open Campus this weekend. I have probably explained Open Campus before, but to sum up, Open Campus is a weekend event - usually on Sunday - when high school students can come tour the school, meet current students, take a few short sample classes, chat with teachers and get one-on-one time with the school counselors. There's also free lunch and an all-you-can-eat cake buffet.
This year is a bit more refined than previous years. There is an organizational meeting at 9am now - something the English teachers have not managed to attend yet due to a mix of inability to follow directions and general lack of information. Hopefully we will get that fixed up the next time around. There's more selection of classes for the students to sample and an "English Party" in the afternoon after lunch. This weekend was my first English Party. It consisted of American-esque snacks and everyone sitting around chatting and grazing. It actually went quite well. It was a good way to give the students a sense of confidence (safety in numbers) but get them talking in English. The proud parents looked on over their endless selection of cake.
The sad news is that Open Campus has stretched from 10am to 3pm to 9am to 5pm. It is now a full extra day of work. No chance to sleep in, no chance to leave early and still do something fun with your Sunday before work on Monday. We have set up a schedule in advance this year, though, so everyone knows when they are on duty and can plan ahead. None of us have to come in too many times. That's a big improvement over last year.
Other than Open Campus, I can't think of anything novel that's going on. Just lots of teaching and not enough sleeping. I'll try to think of something more interesting for my next post.
This year is a bit more refined than previous years. There is an organizational meeting at 9am now - something the English teachers have not managed to attend yet due to a mix of inability to follow directions and general lack of information. Hopefully we will get that fixed up the next time around. There's more selection of classes for the students to sample and an "English Party" in the afternoon after lunch. This weekend was my first English Party. It consisted of American-esque snacks and everyone sitting around chatting and grazing. It actually went quite well. It was a good way to give the students a sense of confidence (safety in numbers) but get them talking in English. The proud parents looked on over their endless selection of cake.
The sad news is that Open Campus has stretched from 10am to 3pm to 9am to 5pm. It is now a full extra day of work. No chance to sleep in, no chance to leave early and still do something fun with your Sunday before work on Monday. We have set up a schedule in advance this year, though, so everyone knows when they are on duty and can plan ahead. None of us have to come in too many times. That's a big improvement over last year.
Other than Open Campus, I can't think of anything novel that's going on. Just lots of teaching and not enough sleeping. I'll try to think of something more interesting for my next post.
Saturday 19 June 2010
Laundry
You may recall the unfortunate laundry wars of 2009.
In case you forgot, or weren't interested in that drama, here's a recap:
Russell and I moved into our apartment. We were thrilled to see a shabby little coin laundry less than a block from our house. One less appliance we would need! Hooray!
Within a month, it had been bulldozed.
We kept an expectant eye on it, hoping a new shiny coin laundry would replace the old one. In the meantime, we were hauling our dirty laundry 5 blocks down hill to another little coin laundry, paying about $5 to wash two loads and then hauling all the heavy wet laundry back up the hill to hang at our house. A couple months after this, Russell and I had been in enough laundry related fights that Russell finally went out and found a used laundry machine. He had it delivered and installed and life turned all rosy again. We kept an eye on the extensive construction project where the first laundromat had been, but no luck. After 6 months, they started building a large apartment complex and there was clearly no coin laundry in the floor plan.
No problems, though. We had (and still have) a perfectly good way to clean our clothes that doesn't involve too much planning or physical exertion.
Of course, there's a reason I'm telling this story again. A month or so ago, we were walking by the apartment complex (recently finished and almost fully populated) and realized that the construction crew was back and was building a small out-building. The cover came down last week, and sure enough, its a little coin laundry. It looks quite swank and has a stylish sign hanging outside. It hasn't been set up inside yet, and clearly we don't need it anyway, but both Russell and I got a twinge of "ooh! should have waited!"
Gotta love irrationality.
In case you forgot, or weren't interested in that drama, here's a recap:
Russell and I moved into our apartment. We were thrilled to see a shabby little coin laundry less than a block from our house. One less appliance we would need! Hooray!
Within a month, it had been bulldozed.
We kept an expectant eye on it, hoping a new shiny coin laundry would replace the old one. In the meantime, we were hauling our dirty laundry 5 blocks down hill to another little coin laundry, paying about $5 to wash two loads and then hauling all the heavy wet laundry back up the hill to hang at our house. A couple months after this, Russell and I had been in enough laundry related fights that Russell finally went out and found a used laundry machine. He had it delivered and installed and life turned all rosy again. We kept an eye on the extensive construction project where the first laundromat had been, but no luck. After 6 months, they started building a large apartment complex and there was clearly no coin laundry in the floor plan.
No problems, though. We had (and still have) a perfectly good way to clean our clothes that doesn't involve too much planning or physical exertion.
Of course, there's a reason I'm telling this story again. A month or so ago, we were walking by the apartment complex (recently finished and almost fully populated) and realized that the construction crew was back and was building a small out-building. The cover came down last week, and sure enough, its a little coin laundry. It looks quite swank and has a stylish sign hanging outside. It hasn't been set up inside yet, and clearly we don't need it anyway, but both Russell and I got a twinge of "ooh! should have waited!"
Gotta love irrationality.
What the weather's up to
The weather has been pretty unpredictable lately. We didn't get much of a spring. It continued to be cold until about April, then it warmed up a bit, then cold, then some rain, then a little humid, then cold. It certainly wasn't predictable. All the rain kept us thinking we were hitting an early rainy season, but in spite of a few humid days, the weather always cleared up. Often we had our nicest weather right after a rain.
That has now ceased. The temperatures and humidity are now steadily building. Our air conditioner is on and its less than pleasant to stroll around outside. It isn't bad yet... if this were as bad as it got we would have nothing to complain about. But this is just the beginning. And its only June. August and maybe even September is usually the peak of the heat and humidity, so we've got a ways to go.
Of course, the weather hasn't been predictable yet, so maybe there will be some respite.
That has now ceased. The temperatures and humidity are now steadily building. Our air conditioner is on and its less than pleasant to stroll around outside. It isn't bad yet... if this were as bad as it got we would have nothing to complain about. But this is just the beginning. And its only June. August and maybe even September is usually the peak of the heat and humidity, so we've got a ways to go.
Of course, the weather hasn't been predictable yet, so maybe there will be some respite.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Beer Garden
Last Sunday's swing lesson was really good. The instructor (who we had heard glowing things about) was a bit hung over when he arrived, but even so, clearly knew what he was doing. We learned a lot - almost too much. Its hard to keep track of all the things we are suppose to be doing. For the moment it feels like we are doing even worse than before... but maybe that's the "ignorance is bliss" bubble popping.
After the lesson we were invited to go to a beer garden. No problems there! We ended up meeting up with a bunch of other people from the Wednesday Swing group and heading to the Hankyu Department Store roof. It turns out a "beer garden" in Japan is an all you can eat, all you can drink extravaganza with a field of plastic picnic tables and chairs covering the rooftop. The regular price was just under $40, but we got a nice discount because the group leader is awesome.
We spent the evening eating and drinking too much while chatting extensively with the people we have mostly only danced with before. Everyone is super friendly.
Once the beer garden closed, a group of revelers decided to continue the party in the form of a game night (DDR, etc) at one guy's apartment. I had to work the next morning (and it was already 10pm with a 1 hour ride home) so I pled out. Russell went with them, though and had a good time. He crashed on the guy's couch for the night and then came home Monday morning when the trains started running again. He was pretty zombie-fied the next evening when our paths crossed again.
After the lesson we were invited to go to a beer garden. No problems there! We ended up meeting up with a bunch of other people from the Wednesday Swing group and heading to the Hankyu Department Store roof. It turns out a "beer garden" in Japan is an all you can eat, all you can drink extravaganza with a field of plastic picnic tables and chairs covering the rooftop. The regular price was just under $40, but we got a nice discount because the group leader is awesome.
We spent the evening eating and drinking too much while chatting extensively with the people we have mostly only danced with before. Everyone is super friendly.
Once the beer garden closed, a group of revelers decided to continue the party in the form of a game night (DDR, etc) at one guy's apartment. I had to work the next morning (and it was already 10pm with a 1 hour ride home) so I pled out. Russell went with them, though and had a good time. He crashed on the guy's couch for the night and then came home Monday morning when the trains started running again. He was pretty zombie-fied the next evening when our paths crossed again.
Strangely Familiar...
So it turns out that tuna innards and mascarpone has a strangely familiar flavor... In fact, while not crunchy, it is identical to Cheetos.
Its nice to find substitutes.
Its nice to find substitutes.
Friday 11 June 2010
Pop Quiz
Pretend you are coming home from work. Your spouse pulls the mail out of the mailbox and and says, "Nice. A Happiness Realization Party."
What is the appropriate response?
A. Huh?
B. Well, we should certainly go to that!
C. No thanks, I'd rather vote for Everyone's Party.
Correct answer?
C.
Japan has a certain knack when it comes to naming political parties. For those of you who guessed B, you are in good company. That was Russell's response.
What is the appropriate response?
A. Huh?
B. Well, we should certainly go to that!
C. No thanks, I'd rather vote for Everyone's Party.
Correct answer?
C.
Japan has a certain knack when it comes to naming political parties. For those of you who guessed B, you are in good company. That was Russell's response.
Saturday 5 June 2010
Swing
I know I've already said quite a bit about Russell and my new swing adventure, but its just so much fun! We are still dancing every Wednesday and now we've signed up for a beginners + workshop on Sunday. Three hours of focused lesson should help a lot. We are looking forward to it.
To prepare, we finally dug into the Charlston YouTube videos Russell's friend Phil sent us. A couple of hours practicing and we are doing pretty good.
Unfortunately, we had to pass on the Lindy Exchange in Korea this August - we are hoping to be visiting Oregon around that time (not confirmed). We're missing out. I guess there's always next year... and other exchanges.
To prepare, we finally dug into the Charlston YouTube videos Russell's friend Phil sent us. A couple of hours practicing and we are doing pretty good.
Unfortunately, we had to pass on the Lindy Exchange in Korea this August - we are hoping to be visiting Oregon around that time (not confirmed). We're missing out. I guess there's always next year... and other exchanges.
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