british hills
just when you thought you had things all figured out, you go on a two day break and land yourself the job of a lifetime! eh oui, i'm leaving good old Tokyo and heading for the hills, got me a job on top of a mountain! that (above) is what i'll be seeing everyday!
goodbye skyscrapers, hello forest, lakes and trees...heaven! all you skiiers out there get your boots polished for the winter, i can see the pistes from my bedroom window!
i'll be teaching everything from English to cooking (errm...) to orientiering to jewellry making in a fabulously surreal place called
British Hills It is little britain...I can visit Japan on weekends
modern technology
it seems anyone can use it out here...
am i on trigger happy tv or something??
highstreet pics from the part of tokyo i call home
my favourite store
cont...
the local butcher's
cont... again...
surely there is only so much you can do with tofu
Bon Odori
On my way home from a normal day at work and I stumbled across this right next to my house, that's the thing I love about this country, just when you thought you knew what to expect...
folks in kimonos and all the get-up, the dance looked very easy but old Mrs 2 left-feet here still couldn't pull it off, maybe I wasn't wearing the right shoes...
Expanation: over a two day period July or August many Japanese celebrate the Bon Odori Festival. This Buddhist dance festival is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward their ancestors. Bon Odori originates from the story of a Buddhist disciple who envisioned his deceased mother in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts where she was endulging in her own selfishness. Greatly disturbed, he went to Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha advised his disciple to perform some charitable act in memory of his mother. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release for the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. He also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or Bon Dance, a time in which our ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.
Today the Bon Odori Festival participants continue this custom as they dance in traditional Japanese dress, including kimonos, yukata (cotton kimonos), and hopi coats (short coats styled like a kimono top). The dances may include the use of fans, castinets, straw hats or cotton towels and recall both daily life in Japan and rememberance of ancestors.
gate to the entrance of sensoji enshrining Buddhist teachings and a statue of Kannon (goddess of mercy) fished from the nearby river by two fishermen in 628 AD
asakusa...
lost in translation...and a bit more
a sign for teapots reads:
A teapot cracks easily and treats politely, please. Please make amends when cracking.
i kid you not. and then I went on a river cruise and wound up a bit lost myself...
ami and yasuo
very productive day! woke up bright and early and set off for Asakusa to see another temple, getting jaded already, seen one seen em all...but i didn't bargain on making 2 new friends, these little cuties are Ami and Yasuo, and they're just learning english so their mum sent them over and asked if they could take a picture with me...finally my 15 minutes of fame!
Got a nice little japanese origami balloon as a thank you gift too...awwww! i think japanese kids just might be the cutest in the world! Kawaii desu ne!
japanese food is good for you...
all of my students tell me that natto (see pic) is not only traditionally japanese but also very healthy and good for you, so i decided to get into the swing of life out here and see what the fuss was about...if only i had found
this website beforehand
.... http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000373.phpSteve, Don't Eat It! Vol. 6
Natto
I recently came across a container of fermented soybeans in the supermarket. I don't mean an old container of soybeans some stockboy forgot to toss. These are fermented-on-purpose soybeans from Japan. That's what Natto is.
I remembered hearing about this stuff on Iron Chef one time when it was the secret ingredient. The judges in the show were commenting on what a great job the chefs had done to "supress the smell" of the natto. I'm no Iron Chef, but I've got a clever way to supress the smell. Don't put it in your fucking food. I might not win "Battle Natto," but I promise you my dinner won't smell like stank-ass soybeans.
I found it slightly unsettling that the sealed styrofoam container had creepy little airholes in it. As if what was inside needed to breathe. I dared to lift the lid, which made me regret that I needed to breathe. The natto was coated in some kind of sick slime and had the complex yet playful aroma of a dumpster in July.
Actually, the little pile inside looked kinda like baked beans. It also smelled kinda like baked beans. If they were baked in the filthy heat of Satan's asshole.
This particular batch was made by a company in Japan called Shirakiku. I haven't been able to determine if Shirakiku is a food manufacturer, or just a store that sells gag gifts and practical jokes. It might be both.
Not unlike Michael Jackson, these harmless soybeans had undergone some kind of hideous transformation. They were now a freakish version of their former selves. (Which, coincidentally, should also be kept away from your children.)
The most disturbing aspect of this stuff is it seems to get "activated" when you stir it. What I mean by this is, (and I may actually weep, but...) the slimy coating on the beans develops into stringy, stretchy, marshmallow-like strands that will forever haunt my dreams.
Basically, if you move it back and forth enough, you're left with a gross, sticky mess. (Hey, natto and I have at least one thing in common!) And now that I think about it, that's exactly what it looks like the pranksters back at Shirakiku did into my beans. You guuuys!
I force-fed myself a big ol' spoonful, and found it to be slightly rancid and extremely bitter. Unfortunately, swallowing didn't help dissipate the flavor because the strings of bean jizz melted, coating my mouth and lips with a glistening sheen of sadness.
The entire experience is difficult to describe, but if you can remember back to the very first time you made out with a hobo's ass, it's a lot like that.
What I find most hilarious is that there is an expiration date on the package. What could they possibly expect to happen to the product on this date THAT HAS NOT ALREADY OCCURRED?!!!
Also, nestled in this mound of compost was a li'l packet of mustard. In its place, I would strongly suggest a written apology.
I do have one last theory about the date on the package. It may be an expiration date, but not for the beans. If you finish the container, that's the day you die.just to let you know, i survived my first experience...but natto is sold in packs of three...
