Tuesday, September 30, 2008

October starts




From tomorrow October starts. It means -- "winter" comes.

Now I've already had a slight cold, I'm easily effective by cold, on the other hand my husband still wears short-sleeved polo shirt. So, most people say " it is a nice weather".

It cant' be helped, it is what I am.


What event comes to mind immediately from October? Falling leaves? Halloween? Halloween is getting familiar in Japan. Here and there we can see pumpkin ornaments. At some cities they hold an event "making Jack-o'-lanterns" using American pumpkins. ( It means not Japanese pumpkins, usually Japanese pumpkins are hard and the outside is green. These days some farmers grow American pumpkins for Halloween.)


So I also put some ornaments on the entrance hall. Now my daughters are not with us, but students comes to my house, so I'm able to enjoy Halloween with them.

Can you see the net bag? It is a work. You put into the bag and make any shape as you like.

I call it "a ghost bag", though the artist doesn't agree with this name.


I put some books in my classroom. What books do you recommend on Halloween?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Halloween books might include ones about ghosts, haunted houses, graveyards, black cats (supposedly unlucky and associated with witches)...all things "scary." Jan

Anonymous said...

A friend said
American ghosts like to play, trick or do something concretely to scare people.
Japanese ghosts just say URAMESHIYA! (show their grudge) and disappear.

Which is scary?
Only hearing sounds is also scary.

Anonymous said...

One thing you may not be familiar with concerning American pumpkin, is that we sometimes wash and roast the seeds when carving jack-o-lanterns.

You should try it some time!

Wash the seeds clean, and put them in a pot with lots of water (are you familiar with imperial measurements?) usually 2 cups (200 ml) of water for 1/2 cup of seeds (50ml).
Put 1 tablespoon (about 15 ml) of salt for every 100ml of water.

Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Then, put about 20ml of cooking oil in a pan, and roast them like you would goma.

Don't eat a lot though!
1 cup of seeds is about 800 Calories!

Anonymous said...

I know that pumpkin seeds are edible, these days I see them here and there as a snack as nibbles.
BUT I didn't know that they ars so high-calorie, though it might be hard to eat one cup of seeds.
Well, do you that when weroast GOMA, we don't use oil.