made it...and a funny story

Made it back. We were actually scheduled to arrive early but had to wait for some kind of clearance so we ended up landing at the original arrival time.

The plane was filled with lots of families with little ones, so it was quite noisy. I was seated in between of two men, one who kept dozing off on my shoulder...geez!

I got to see "Mamma Mia" which was a nice musical and "Inside Out".

Immigration was krazy with all the visiting foreigners, I'm glad they re-vamped the way foreigners living in Japan go through, so we don't have to wait in the krazy lines!

The weather has gotten significantly cooler, and there was a slight drizzle yesterday.

Since I was arriving on a weekday, I asked Satoshi to pick up some things over the weekend, so that we could have breakfast the day after I came back.

Well, this is what happens when you ask your husband who grew up in the city to buy bananas...he sticks them in the fridge.

He then was shocked that they turned black.

After rolling on the floor with laughter...I told him "when have you ever seen bananas in the refridge? they are tropical fruits and need the "warmth" of the outside"

Of course, afterwards, Satoshi says, "Kat, you don't need to blog about this"

Oh, but I must!

Needless to say, most of the bananas were inedible this morning.

On the up side, we tried blog reader, Ryan's mom's ohelo (oh-hello) berry jam. So good! If you are not familiar with ohelo berries they are similar to cranberries.

Thanks again Ryan!

I need to re-train my sleep pattern so as not to wake up at 4:30 when my "niece" used to wake the household to be fed her breakfast.

I hope my bags will be delivered on time today, am interested to see if TSA touched the insides or not.

Have a good week everyone.

funny

I am amazed at how time oriented my "niece" is.

She's been on a diet since I last saw her, so she's lighter but seems to be hungrier...

She wasn't too verbal last year, but, has gotten very verbal since.

Everyday when my brother's alarm goes off, she knows that it is breakfast time, so she comes to wake all of us up by meowing loudly.

Then every afternoon at about 4-ish, she and I have this convo...

Malia: "Aunty I'm hungry"
Me: "but it's too early to eat, wait until 6"
Malia: "No, feed me now"
Me: "No"
Malia: "Please?!"
Me: "No, it's too early"
Malia: "C'mon..." (then she brushes up against me)
Me: "No" (then I ignore her)

At about 6, when I eat, I feed her...then when my brother comes home, she meows loudly thinking she'll be fed again.

It's funny because the only way to get her to look straight at the camera is when she is in "feed me" mode.

Cute, yeah?!

fun

I've shown you the army men near the Tokyu Hands before, well, I'm starting to get quite a collection...

Here is a photo of them in the "snow"...

And this one with the nanohana (rapeseed blossoms), they are ready for Spring even if Mother Nature isn't...

Anything fun happening where you are?

funny

I gotta share with you this funny story.

I've talked about how "on it" our delivery system is here in Japan.

Well, recently, I had scheduled something to be delivered between 14:00-16:00 and the delivery guy came at noon!

I opened the door and while I was signing the paperwork, I told him, "I thought you were supposed to come at 14:00?" He looks at the invoice and says, "No way, you're right! I didn't look at the time just thought it was supposed to be at noon"

I told him, "no prob, you're here already."

He profusely apologized and then handed me the package.

As I closed the door, I could hear him saying to himself out loud, "No way" several times.

One more funny story...the other day, Satoshi was giving me his reasonings why I should let him have a beer everyday.
S: "Kat, you know what would be good?"
K: "What?"
S: "If you let me drink 1 beer a day"
K: "I don't think so!"
S: "Kat, you don't understand how hot summer in Japan is..."
K: "Did the doctor say you could drink everyday?"
S: "No she said I should have some non-drinking days"
K: "Well..."
S: "But you haven't been in Japan during the summer, so you've forgotten how hot it gets"
K: "So, when you go to your baseball alumni functions you're only gonna have 1 beer?"
S: "That's different"
K: "I don't think you should be drinking everyday"
S: "But it is so hot in summer"
K: "So, drink ice water..." (end of convo)

Funny, yeah?!

funny

Saw this sign at the movies the other day..."Smoking Room, for adult smokers only", um, is there also one for children somewhere?!

I can't believe Japan wastes space to accommodate smokers. (I don't smoke so I am not empathetic.)

Good thing that I found at the movies, curry flavored popcorn.

Bad thing, they told me "once you enter the theatre, you aren't allowed to shake the box (it comes in)"...boo!

The curry flavored popcorn was good though, nice and spicy.

We had flurries on Saturday which lasted all of 10 minutes...how was your weekend?

funny

I know Satoshi tries his best when it comes to pronunciation of words in English, but sometimes it is just so funny what he hears and what he says.

Once we were talking about Victoria's Secret and he said they sell "blahs" yeah?! I said, "bras", he said, yeah, "blahs".

And then another time we were talking about "pride" and he says, "plied"...

The funniest was when I was talking about "baguette", you should know that most Japanese call "baguette", "france pain (pahn)" and don't call or know it is called "baguette".

So, when I was talking about "baguette", Satoshi motions with two pointer fingers and motions out a square "bucket"...

Poor guy, hope he does well on the TOEIC test he's taking today...

on the way to the market

I usually go to several different markets, depending on my mood, depending on what I want to cook.

On this particular day, on this route, there is a "house" in our neighborhood that has 3 sakura trees on their property.

I say "house" but on their property there are actually 3 houses! (I've seen the inside when their gate opened to let their car in)

In the foreground there are also these huge sequoia trees, Satoshi says "you can really tell the seasons with these trees".

Actually to the left of this shot, is the other house.

Then in a small alleyway, you pass by a little garden and can see a huge sakura tree which overhangs onto a parking lot.

I love how people here have trees and plants that can be enjoyed throughout the year.

I want to share with you another funny conversation between Satoshi and I recently:
s: (he's reading the newspaper in english) "Kat, do you feel geo-para-dized?"
k: "what?!"
s: geo-para-dized
k: "what?!"
s: geo-para-dized
k: "what are you reading?" (looks at what he is reading)
"jeopardized!"...
(she rolls on the floor laughing...)

funny

One day, as I was passing by this construction area. I noticed their truck which said "boring construction". It was the first time I'd heard of boring something being called construction.

Though if you look at the flag men, they do looked a little bored.

A couple of days later, I passed the place again and had to take another look.

Their truck now said "boring constraction". I looked up to see if constraction was actually a word, but apparently it isn't, maybe it is in another country?

Anyway, why do these people continue to pay for mis-spellings??

wha??

People watching especially on the trains can be entertaining. Sometimes though I get irritated by the lack of manners some have...

If you ride the train in Japan, one thing you should try to do is keep your packages on your lap or on the rack up above and not on the seat next to you.

Even if you've bought a lot, there are others that probably would like to sit down.

Plus, sitting is safer than standing.

If you ride the train in Japan, please put your "face" on before boarding the train. I know we Americans do this while driving in our cars during morning rush hour, but when you're on public transportation...we're face to face.

Though it is pretty interesting to watch you use 4 different types of mascara during a 15 minute ride and I often wonder how long it will take you to take all the mascara off at the end of the day.

Or the guy who concentrates on zhooshing his hair, which no matter how much he touches it, still looks like he's just woken up.

Sometimes while people watching, you come across some interesting fashion choices...

If you're a guy, I think you should know that M.C. Hammer went out with the 90's....so why would you want to dress like him now??

I just can't understand how comfortable it is to have your crotch hang by your knees.

And even if plaid is in, why would you want to wear all of them together??

Oh and leggings and skirts are apparently in for guys too...

(this skirt photo is from the internet).

While I don't knock men who wear kilts, when your "skirts" are from a shop called "cross gender" but you profess that you aren't...

I caught this guy crossing his legs on the train and could only think of one thing....ow!

People watching....fun, yeah??

samovar

There is a food court of sorts inside the Yodobashi Camera building in Umeda and is called Sweets Museum.

At first when this area opened, there were all sorts of sweet shops but as businesses folded, they have started bringing in many savory shops.

Recently, when I passed by, I noticed this shop with a vertical rotisserie and it smelled wonderful!

I made a mental note and finally got a chance to try it.

This shop specializes in Turkish doner kebabs, which I found out is the vertical rotisserie.

Satoshi chose the beef with curry and I chose the chicken with cheese.

Each kebab was topped with shredded cabbage and some red onion.

My kebab wrap was also topped with a yogurt sauce.

I loved how the edges were cripy and the bulk of the wrap was chewy.

The chicken was a little dry, but the taste overall was delicious. Satoshi enjoyed his kebab also.

Total with soft drinks, 1500 yen (about US$15).

I also wanted to show you some funny sights and signs...

I love how you can always find someone sleeping in remote areas of buildings. This guy was snoozing away near the restrooms.

And in the bathroom, most signs say "no smoking" but this one is gently asking you to "please give up smoking"...

Happy Sunday!

Samovar
Yodobashi Camera Building Umeda, Sweets Museum, 7F
Kita-ku, Osaka
Open from 11:00-22:00

UPDATE: as of 12/3/2010, this shop has closed

iyokan

There are many times when my lack of Japanese knowledge creates problems. At the time they happen they are problems, afterwards, it turns out to be a pretty funny story.

Seeing the iyokan in the market recently reminded me of this story...

Awhile back, while I was in Hawaii, a relative called from Japan to say that she wanted to send a couple boxes of "iyokan", one for my Grandma and one for us.

("Iyokan" is actually a type of citrus, which I've posted about previously here.)

Since I didn't know (at the time) that what she was talking about was citrus, I heard "ii yokan", which I thought was "good yokan" (bar of sweet bean paste).

Thinking that the boxes were small, I told her to send them to our Osaka address, thinking that Satoshi could forward the boxes of yokan to us later.

A couple days later, I get a phone call from Satoshi..."there are 2 HUGE boxes of oranges (citrus)..."

I told him, I thought she said "ii yokan", he said no, "iyokan" is a type of orange....sigh.

Since I knew he couldn't send them to us in Hawaii (agriculture restrictions), I asked him to send a box to his mother and bring the other box to work.

Then I called the relative to thank her (without telling her my mistake, of course).

I still have lots to learn when it comes to Japanese.

Fast forward to the present...I made some muffins using the juice and zest of one iyokan. I also added a handful of pecans and dried cherries. This was nice with some earl grey tea.

And since I'm talking about citrus/orange, I wanted to share with you something I found at the convenience store, Orange M&M's.

These are not only orange in color but orange flavored too. It was interesting to see these white M&M's in the bag.

It's Friday here, hope you have a nice weekend!

funny sign

I found this chicken shop near Sakurai station in Minoo.

Their awning said they have the "fresit" eggs and chicken. I am hoping they intended it to mean "freshest".

Hope I made you smile.

an apple a day (and laughter is the best medicine)

It is o-seibo season, the time when you send gifts to say thank you to those who have helped you out during the year. About this time of year, one of Satoshi's classmates from college sends us a big box of apples.

My grandma once told me that instead of being greedy, if you know you can't eat something by yourself, you should share. My grandma is a smart lady and I respect her a lot. So, I usually give some away because there is no way we would be able to eat them all by ourselves. In Japanese we call this o-susowake.

So, the other day, we ate one and they have these natural sugar spots in the middle....delicious! (Thank you!)

I have to share this "Satoshi story". Whenever we go to sleep, Satoshi always wears an eye mask. I think this is because our curtains used to be thinner and the sunlight would bother him, plus I usually wake up before him to make breakfast and turn on the lights.

Anyway, the other night, he had his mask on and with the back of his hand, he ran it over my pillow. He immediately said, "Kat, your face feels unusally cooler...."

I burst into laughter, he takes off the mask and realizes he was feeling my pillow and not my face...did I make you smile or laugh? I hope so.

Have a great weekend!

funny fish story

Wanted to share with you a couple of funny fish stories (well I thought they were)
Funny fish story #1:

Do you like fish? I do, if it doesn't have bones to take out while eating and especially if I don't have to clean it...I know I'm a wimp.
Anyway, the other day my MIL gave me some guji (aka-amadai = type of snapper) to bring home for one of our dinners.

So, the next day, I was ready to rinse and put the fish into the oven, but when I ran my hand over the skin, I realized it still had the scales on....sigh.

I took out my fish scaler (which has been waiting for me to use it ever since I bought it) and started to scale the fish.

Scales were flying everywhere...ack!

I stopped and debated...should I just cook the darn thing with the scales on??...blah, no....

So, I ran the water and began to scale the fish under the stream of water. No scales flying into my face or onto the kitchen walls. (after sharing this story with some housewive friends they suggested that I place the fish into a plastic bag and scale it in there...makes sense! maybe next time...maybe not)

After the fish was scaled I salted it and put it into the oven and had dinner....delicious.

When I went to take a bath, I happened to look in the mirror, I had fish scales in my hair, on my face....sigh.

Oh well, at least the fish was gutted and the insides cleaned. (Thanks MIL!)

Funny fish story #2...this one happened before Satoshi and I got married.

He had received a cooler bag from a friend and put it into his trunk. Out of sight = out of mind so he had forgotten about it.

Fast forward a week. He pulls the cooler bag out of his trunk. Ewww the stench!

Rotten fish! He looks at me and says, "can we eat it?"

Me: "um...no!"...sigh

He threw the fish into my parent's garbage (which they ended up washing after he left).

My mom says to my dad, "THAT is going to be your SIL..."

My dad says back to my mom, "yours too!"

The stench in the car lasted several weeks, you couldn't ride in it without the windows rolled down.

To this day, we talk about that fish story.

Hope you have a great weekend.

signs

Sometimes walking around Japan, you just have to laugh at some of their signs. I sometimes wonder where they are looking up the meanings to some of the words or phrases that they use. There are also signs with major spelling errors which I can't believe people actually paid someone for!

Like the car dealership that was in our neighborhood called "Risky". They were selling high-end cars like Mercedes & BMW's...When I first laughed at this sign, Satoshi couldn't understand why. He then looked up the meaning and understood...they eventually went out of business..I thought they were a little suspicious, don't you??

While walking around Kyoto last week, I found these signs. SNOB corporation, after googling, I found out that they are a hair salon. With haircuts starting at $60 (the average price here is $30) and coloring touch ups at $80 (the average price for a touch-up here $40) and to have them style your hair after a cut at $15, you too can become a hair snob...where is Fantastic Sam's or Supercuts when you need one?

Another one was Bruce-Pee, I would be a bit cautious about buying clothes from a place that has pee in their name, wouldn't you? Plus, on the second level there is the Ill Store (I googled and found out that ill is the slang for "good")...although you may become ill from the pee clothes...

And as if everything isn't expensive already, the price of some everyday items went up 6-10% on June 1st here in Japan. Here is a list of what they mentioned...TP (toilet paper), tissue (hmm, I wonder if this will put a stop to the free ones?), coffee, dry cleaning and mayonnaise. Part of the reason is the rising fuel costs and also the popularity of biofuels. As of today, they have just added corn and soy beans to the list, soon we won't have anything to eat!