Every 24th of August is the Gangara Fire Festival (Gangara Himatsuri or Gangarabi)--Ikeda's most traditional annual event. Ikeda is a city in Osaka prefecture and is one train station away from us.
A torchlight procession goes up to Atago Shrine on Mt. Satsuki. There are also 2 fires that are lit called Daimonji and Dai-ichimonji. The Daimonji is lit on the west side and the Dai-ichimonji is lit on the south side of Mt. Satsuki. These fires are considered sacred and are the symbols of prayers for inner satisfaction and world peace. I could see the Daimonji from the entryway of our apartment.
Today was beads class, this was a necklace that I finished using the netting stitch.
You know that grape flavoring that is used for candies and sodas?That's what these grapes, called Delaware, taste like.
In Japan, most people do not eat the skins of fruits because it is thought that many farms use a LOT of pesticides in order to perfect their fruits. If you ask me, a lot of times the skins are very bitter and hard.
This 99% cacao is made by Vernost Kachestvu, a Russian confectionery. I bought it to try 99% dark chocolate. I'm glad there are only 6 pieces, it is very chalky in taste, really salty and doesn't taste anything like the chocolate I love!
4 comments:
Hi Kate, Love the necklace. Oh and I could'nt eat any chocolate more than 70% Cacao. It just does'nt taste like chocolate anymore, so what's the point, right?
Oh, in response to your question, I'm not sure what "one of the 5 blogs needed for blog day 2006" is.
Could you tell me a little more about it? Thanks, Annie
Hi Annie,
You are right, it doesn't taste like chocolate, I think I'll use it in cooking chili or something instead.
I'll write to you about Blog Day.
Thanks.
Kat
That necklace looks beautiful! And I remember those grapes from when I lived in Korea - we always squeezed the inner grape from the skin with forefinger and thumb as the skins are so thick and bitter and generally unpleasant! I do miss them though, they're much smoother and sweeter than the grapes here in Australia...
Hi Ellie,
Thank you!
The skins from those grapes are really bitter, but the insides are really sweet.
Thanks for letting me post about your blog on 8/31 :)
Have a nice weekend.
Kat
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