Bangkok is for monkeys


I have become the prefectural advisor for our ken, and in doing so, have swamped myself. Smooth move on my part. All in all, I enjoy the added spice to my normal work routine, and I get to take a weekly business trip to Toyama. However, with all the wacky regional meetings and orientations this time of year, things were a bit hectic. And who doesn't enjoy a good whinge?

On top of that fun, Bunny and I are taking the GRE next weekend in Osaka, and have been studying our brains out. What's more (I just wanted to say that, because it is a popular phrase around my school right now, appearing in essays and peppered in my JTE's speech) I am taking sankyuu again in December, and I have no doubt about passing, but am trying to study for that as well as start preparing for nikyuu next year, which is evil (so I hear).

It's nice to be busy, and I am getting into the flow of it now. I have been finding time to cook more (samosas and banana bread recently) and go to the gym somewhat regularly, in an effort to prevent old lady wings from forming under my arms. Eeew, you know what I am talking about, and I don't want them! Also, I need to train for the team marathon in 3 weeks, and for diving in December.


Which leads me to Thailand. I had a fantastic yet all too short two weeks near Bangkok. During the days, I explored the city thoroughly, parks, shopping districts, random streets, rivers, etc.


I took and amazing yoga class at . I swear, I think I saw god. J and I ate too much food, and I gorged myself on fresh fruit from the market near his apt. Mmmm... dragonfruit!


We partied with Holzer and FDan at night, and I managed to see numerous projectiles being shot from interesting locations. This includes a banana aimed at the two of us. Thank god it didn't have a lot of umph behind it!


J had to work during the day, but we had a 3 days weekend escape to Hua Hin. I got my beaching in, we hung out with large narded beach dogs, and we found a delicious and authentic Italian place our last night there. I think the best time was probably sitting on the pier and relaxing with a beer. (bonus, that rhymed!)

Oh and there was a baby elephant wandering around downtown Bangkok, being exploited for money that almost made me cry :( The upside was, I got to meet Thai Elvis!



the end

Hello August, goodbye Japan

Tomorrow afternoon, I am off to Thailand! The typhoon that is rolling through Toyama ain't got nothing on me. It appears to be determined to ruin my supervisor's vacation to Aomori, rather than my excursion tomorrow night towards Osaka.

I get to spend another glorious evening eating kakigori, wandering around Namba, and sleeping at my favorite little capsule hotel. It's like a mini-vacation before my real one.

I am gonna come back brown and hopefully more buff from my attendance at a yoga studio I hope to go to in Bangkok, while J is teaching the kiddies at his school during the week. Mmmm... vacation.

Enjoy Obon, and all that jazz. I will return with photos!

Bit of a Hiatus


I was so hoping that the plural of hiatus was going to be hiati... nope.

In other news, I just returned from a weekend of musical gorging. As previously mentioned, I was to attend Fuji Rock 2007 this weekend. And, I am gonna put it out there now... I want to be at Fuji Rock 2008. Time to start saving up my 10yennies! Here are some stats.

8 Toyama-ites
4 tents
3 days of camping
4 homemade onigiri *mmmm...
3 bagels!
20 bands seen
0 showers
?? beers
1 cardboard robot
4 instruments played in drum circle
2 bowls of vegetarian curry
2 rainshowers
4 times Less Than Jake slagged American girls
2 circle pits
60 years Robert Smith looks like he has aged
1 time I embarassed myself in front of Yellowcard

Please enjoy photos stolen from Timmy and Bunny.

Nikujaga's very own Nikubot of love.


The village of tenty goodness


The boys from the man-tent

Me "impressing" Yellowcard with my old school ways.


Iggy Pop falling in a hole couldn't put a damper on our fun. Hurrah for Fuji Rock!

Some Pictures (because they are nice)

This is the rice near the Okada's home.


The sky that night was something else.


This is the rice we planted last month.


Nekobus in action!!!!




The massive box of cherries that my awesome neighbor Yuta gave to me. It seems his grandma lives in mystical cherry land, and sent him two boxes. He gave one to me, knowing that he could never eat them all in time on his own. He even apologized that some were too ripe! Awwww!


Toga was gorgeous for Leaver's Weekend...

It's OVER!


The 17th annual Toyama Charity Show has finally wrapped up. It was a ton of work for everyone involved, but as usual the last day makes you realize it was worth it. Or is it just the elation of being able to start working on the "after charity show" list that you have compiled? (photos yoinked from Tim L.)

Here be PIRATES~!



Here is Hook having a chat with Wendy. Bunny is scary. I am hiding in a "cage" behind them.



Thanks to everyone who was involved this year, it was a lot of fun.

Rice planting (muddy fun for everyone)




Been a bit slack about posting these photos up here. I would like to thank my stand-in photographer Matsumoto-san for his efforts.



Timmy, Rachel, and I ventured to the Okada's abode a few weeks ago to get muddy and plant edible things. We brought boots for the occasion, but were inspired by our new 8 year old friend, to just jump in.


The Nihon-jin planted rows were beautiful and straight. The gaijin rows... no so much. If only my father were there to tell me "Tuck 'em in!" In my defense, these are my "fall down" pants, and I tied them tight, I swear!


I blame the 8 year old! He was hyper and too excited by our gaijinness to plant straight.


Our adventurers...
Timmy of Kangaroo Island.


Bunny of West Virgina.


I think Yoshi secretly wants to be in a boy-band... (please note me retying my pants in the background... excellent.)


Matsumoto's favorite shot. I think he was getting artsy ;) Hey Timmy, "isa my underwears showing?"


This is our "plaque" of accomplishment. The rice will soon grow taller than it.


What I learned:

• planting rice will make you smell like cow for a full day afterwards
• you plant at least 3 blades of ricey grass per spot
• the spots are in a straight line approximately 4-5 inches apart
• (I just received mandarine orange cake omiyage! yum!) this has nothing to do with anything.
  
• you can use a toothbrush and soap to get cow poo out from under your nails!
• leeches live in gaijin runoff traps... as do spiders

New Ways (to use old shrimp)


The Baron and I were watching a film last night and decided we should have some beverages. A quick trip to Sanko later, we had a bottle of Asti and a bottle of wine. The champagne was not chilled. Adam had the bright idea of chilling it in a bucket with ice, but alas... no ice was to be found in my tightly packed freezer. What did I have? Freezer burned shrimp.


I have a thing about eating shrimp poopies. I won't do it. I make it a point to cut out the little poopchute before I cook them. But, the frozen shrimp I bought were so small, that painstakingly cleaning out all the poopers would have taken ages. I am lazy. So, they got freezer burned something vicious.

Step 1: Breaking up the chunks of icy shrimp.


Step 2: Repeat step 1 more violently.


Step 3: Pour shrimp around bottle in bowl.


Step 4: Admire your handiwork.


Step 5: Add water.


Step 6: Rotate briskly.


Step 7: Strain shrimp... eeew.


Step 8: Pop cork and make me scream like a little girl.


Step 9: Enjoy!









This is what happens when we get bored...

The weekend in brief

The bravest knight of Slimpsonium is leaving our fair city to experience all the Germanic wonders Deutschland has to offer. To celebrate his moving onto darker beers and stronger currency was celebrated on Saturday evening with the moving of his couch. Its new home was about as far away from Simpon's house as possible, so we saddled up with some tall boys and had ourselves a singing transport session.

Afterwards was hiroshimanomiyaki at Yacchin's.

Fair thee well Ittyan and Kaoru, you will be missed!

Sunday consisted of Charity Show practice, which went quite well, after a bumpy start. Then, I joined Kazuto for a party at his dad/my sensei's house. Hurrah for homemade pizza and tacos! I failed to bring my camera, so you will just have to trust me when I say it was a lot of fun. A few things I learned from a full evening of Japanese.

• Kazuto's name sounds a lot like when I pronounce pirate wrong in Japanese *kaizoku (I say kazuko sometimes). He kept insisting that he is not a pirate.
• O-naka ga ippai - I am full!
• One can pan for sapphires in Gifu
• His sister is nicknamed Chibi *little, and he is Saru *monkey... we had a battle over who gets to keep "saru" and decided we have to share.
• I have a new no hassle eikaiwa starting in August, 5 minutes away from my apt!

Sansai (and falling in mud)


I was asked to go to a party at the Okada's last week. We were going to have a lunch composed primarily of mountain vegetable *sansai. I eagerly accepted the invite, and was thrilled to hear the update from Yoshi... "we will be picking vegetables in the morning, do you still want to come, it is hard work!" I told him I was "even more excited" and he commented on what a "unique" girl I was. Offhanded compliment, I suppose, but I will take what I can get.

We headed to the mountains just outside of Oyabe and started the hunt. Our crew included the Okada's, Yoshi, me, the Nakayama's, and two women, their husbands, and 3 little ones (6, 8, and 10 years). Their mom is sister to one of my sensei here at school. Thought that was pretty cool, small world.

First off was teaching me what was what. Helps to know what you are hunting. Wabari are long stemmed, with a little curlie deal at the top, they are usually served after soaking in some kind of dashi or vinegar.




Next up were a small bud that grew on the very top of a bare spikey tree. I found a bunch of these, because Nakayama-san was really excited about how delicious they were when used for tempura. Also, I noticed that they are home to a small black beetle. I had to wack them on the trunk of the tree to rid them of their occupants. Got over the guilt when I tasted them, though. Almost like the stem of broccoli, but a little sweeter.


These lovely things look like lilypads, and you eat the stem after soaking in vinegar. I actually eat them all the time in my Sanko bento, and never knew.


The zenmai were a bit tricky to find. They are essentially rolled up ferns. I was taught that you should pick the ones stil wrapped up tightly with the fuzzy outer shell around the coil. It is the best tasting kind. Some of my first efforts were tossed to the side because they "are not as delicious!" Ooops. We still had bags full, so I wasn't too concerned. I slid down the side of a hill once, since it had been raining the two days prior. No one saw me though... ;)

*not my photo


Lunch rest stop.


These were our hunting grounds for the mid-morning.

Our spoils...




Great day, great dinner of tempura, and good company as always. Days like this make me love Japan all the more.

The kids were a little timid at first, but after they found out they could practice their English on me, and then fall into Japanese if necessary, they wouldn't leave my side. We were climbing on cows,


racing up stairs (note, this is before the racing),


playing with *kemushi caterpillar(毛虫）well,the one in the photo isn't so *ke (fuzzy)


And just hanging out with everyone in the mountains. There was a beautiful temple up there as well, and I got my first *goshuin in almost a year. (御朱印）Which are stamps and *shodou calligraphy(書道) that you can collect in a book that you purchase at shrine or temple in Japan. The shrine maiden or priest will whip out the shodou brush and write the name of the temple and the date of your visit over the red stamp that symbolizes the temple/shrine itself. They are beautiful, and a great way to remember which temples and shrines you visited and when. Thank you Saffer for suggesting I get one almost two years ago in Kyoto!


Here is Yoshi ringing the miniature bell next to the main building.


Very relaxing day, couldn't have had a better time... and I made some new friends. In a few weeks it will be rice planting time!