Eating Disorder?
Hello!One of the first things that thwarts the foreigner living in Japan is eating in Japan. Whether it be that first supermarket run or a trip to the local convenience store there are challenges at every turn. I'm proud to introduce a special guest blogger today (yay! less work for me!!!) named Stephen. Welcome! Maybe we can get him to write more often? Muahahahahaha!
Hi, I just thought that I would take this opportunity to share with you my top 5 disappointments in the Japanese supermarket. Don’t get me wrong, I love Japanese food, but let me know if you agree with the following. #1 - Peanut Butter: Have you ever made the mistake I have when searching the shop for peanut butter and naively purchasing a tub of what encouragingly calls itself “peanut cream?” If so, I bet you didn’t make the same mistake twice…… I find it odd that they call it “cream” - it is a disappointing jelly-like substance with perhaps a hint of peanut. I recommend staying away. In fact no, try it. It’s that bad!
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#2 - Indian Curry: Ok sorry not actually found in a supermarket but it is an important issue for me so I thought that I couldn’t go without mentioning it. I love curry, and by that I actually mean the type of Indian curry that can be found in every town and city all over the U.K. Here in Japan it’s been constant disappointment. I’m still looking for a place that does not describe their dishes as “Hot Chicken Curry” and “Hot Beef Curry”. Even if the chef is Indian he seems to conform to Japanese tradition. Oh, and what’s wrong with throwing a few vegetables into the mix as well?
#3 - Doughnuts: (or “donuts” for my American friends)
I once, unaware of what was to come, took a huge bite into a chicken curry doughnut. The taste has stayed with me for 2 years (and counting).
#4 - Chocolate Bars: Yes, I enjoy my Kit Kats, but some days I fancy a change, However the choice seems severely limited. I’ve seen Snickers, but there seems to be a hole in the market here. Someone import Dime bars. Please. I’ll take 20.
#5 - Sushi: A controversial issue? First let me say that I absolutely love sushi. However what bothers me is that there is always a little green fiery surprise of wasabi waiting for me. After that, it's all I can taste. Seems like a bit of a waste if you ask me. Why can't sushi be wasabi-optional like when buying it in other countries? Yes, sushi is Japanese, but I'm doubtful everyone enjoys it.
Thank you Stephen!
The Japanese Peace Sign
Hi all!Ever wondered why every Japanese person does the peace sign when they are having a picture taken? Hah, well me too. This is a habit that I, too, struggle to free myself from. From child to adult, a Japanese person will instinctively stick those two fingers up for a picture.There have been quite a few discussions about this by foreigners like here and here. Most of these discussions come to the conclusion that Japanese may have seen it in American or European pictures back in the day and decided to copy the imagery to say yes for peace. That very well may have been its origin. And we all know how things can easily spread and become part of a culture. I think in the case of the older generation that do the peace sign unconsciously, that may be so. But for the younger generation (junior high and high school girls especially) I think it's one of those things done to enhance cuteness. Ask a high school girl to make a cute pose and she'll widen her eyes, purse her lips (or open her mouth in an anime-like cute smile gesture - see picture above) and make a peace sign. Even without a smile, the peace sign makes a person cuter and/or makes a person look like they are having a good time. And the Japanese do like their pictures. We've been known to go on marathon vacations taking pictures at every known picturesque spot known to man. How better to sum up the fun of the trip without a smile and a peace sign? I concur.
Rei-chan's Ode to Fashion
Hello all.
In this post I'd like to make mention of a new directory added in our photo section by our own Rei-chan. Fashion is one of her passions and Japan fashion, in particular, is definetly something to see. This is the only country where one can wear their pajamas under three layers of brightly colored skirts and not be considered a fashion nightmare.
The men's fashion is also quite interesting. When we see those crazy European fashion shows in other countries where the people wear items impossibly showy or slinky, we just laugh. When we see the European men's magazine featuring the "man broach," we also laugh. In Japan, this fashion comes to life. As a result, some of the guys are beginning to look a bit feminine. They come complete with jewelry, rhinestone belts and man purses (this is often quite similar to the lady purse).
Women also follow the ravishing and expensive style shown in grande Paris. And I honestly don't know how they keep up. When something as simple as a scarf costs more than 10,000 yen (about 100 dollars), I know I'm in trouble.
So what was I talking about? Oh yeah!
Visit Rei-chan's Ode to Fashion here.
Enjoy!
Su - Do - Ku
Konnichiwa!Have you ever seen this somewhat complexing type of puzzle being done by salarymen on the trainride to or from home?It's called Sudoku!Sudoku was actually created in America, but was refined to its current look in Japan. It was named Sudoku which is an abbreviation of suji wa dokushin ni kagiru (the digits must occur only once).Though the rules to the game are simple, depending on the level of difficulty of the puzzle you might find yourself stumped for hours.Let's discuss the rules.There are 3 basic rules to the game of Sudoku.1. Each row must have the numbers 1-9 occuring just once.
2. Each column must have the numbers 1-9 occuring just once.3. The numbers 1-9 must occur just once in each of the 9 sub-boxes of the grid.
Want to give it a try? Play it
Started those resolutions?
Hello!
Sorry for the wait everyone. I hope everyone's holiday went well. After the holiday we had been a little busy. We promise to get back on track now.
This is the popular time of year to make those New Year's resolutions. The most common, of which, is to become healthier. What better way to do it then to join your local gym. If you cringe horribly at the thought of a fitness facility as I do, there are several other ammenities that the gym offer. My favorite are the programs. While I could never mount a treadmill and have it amount to anything, a half hour aerobic class I could stand.
So, step 1. Find a gym. You don't have to go to a large chain like Tipness or Gold's Gym. While they are sprinkled across Tokyo, they canbe quite crowded and are located in the popular areas of Tokyo. My best advice is to choose a gym close to your home or close to your work so it is never an effort to go. If it's an effort, you may find yourself back in front of the tv in a month. So where to find a gym? This link will help. It features links to several gyms throughout Tokyo with some brief information about each one. Though this site is in English, the links to the individual gyms may not be. But a good thing is that many of them seem to have a new year sign-up campagin still in effect.
There! No excuses right? Good luck!
Do you believe in magic?
Most of us have grown out of the sparkly mystery of magic. Instead we've developed practicality and logic. Magic is merely a slight of hand or clever imagery often leaving an unconvincing bad taste in the mouth. However, the hot new Japanese-American magician Cyril can make you a believer.Born and raised in sunny California, Cyril discovered magic at the precious age of 6. With the practice of magic everyday he quickly became skilled at this art. Now he romes Japan and occasionally the US and has quickly gathered a large following. One of the good things about his tricks is that he does them mainly in English, even in Japan, so any English-capable person should have no problem following.Cyril performs many styles of magic from the personable street encounters on the average person to major shows with major tricks. My favorite are the street encounters. They feel more "magical" then the large shows, which kind of feel like the smoke and mirror effect. It's the little things that inspire the awe of my inner child.So, wanna see what he can do? We've added a special folder in our photo/video section.
The Kimono: Traditional and Fashionable
Happy New Year all! Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday. Most businesses are back at it again today or tomorrow unless you've taken a bit of extra vacation.During New Years, one of the traditional Japanese things to do is to visit a local temple or shrine to give a first prayer for the new year. Places like Meiji Jingu (shrine) near to Harajuku in Tokyo are quite popular at this time of year. Should you go to visit one, you will get to see a plethora of beautiful kimono.That brings me to the point of my post today. While the majority of Japanese don't wear a kimono everyday it's still an important part of their lifestyle. They'll wear it to their coming-of-age ceremony when they become an adult, at summer festivals, at weddings and at new year. It's patterns and intricate beauty have attracted attention worldwide and we've experienced a huge growth and adaptation of the kimono with European and North American style. What's so intriguing about it? When I think of a kimono one of the first pictures I see is that of a geisha in her uncomfortable but infinitely beautiful silk kimono. Perhaps the mystery and deep ethnicity is what is so intriguing. Certainly there are other ethnic costumes that are just as, if not, more beautiful. One thing remains clear though, the kimono, unlike many other older Japanese traditions, won't be dying out anytime soon.Do you have one? C'mon! When in Japan right? If you choose to go expensive there are several shops around Japan where they will fashion you a beautiful kimono from scratch. But if a simple cotton kimono is what you are after, you can find these in places like Asakusa in Tokyo, outlet stores (in one size during the summer) and even the airport. The good thing about the airport is that they have more sizes to accomodate the non-Japanese shaped person. Even I have one. Though that puppy won't be seeing the light of day.....hehe.
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