convenient kitchen tools

These days I bought two kitchen tools. They are really convenient.

Now there are two members in this house, I'm still a house wife. And even if I were single, I would be a house wife. Though some (Japanese ) men enjoy cooking, most women enjoy cooking. On the other hand most (except my husband) enjoy do-it-yourself, probably. (I hear "what an old-fashion thinking!")

Anyway these tools are really convenient.

This one I bought at a 100-yen shop (kind of 1$ shop, or one coin shop).

We can cut leek really thinly like a hair. In Japanese the way of cut "SHIRAGA-NEGI" (SHIRAGA means white hair).

Now it is the season of UDO, I cut it thinly.

Another one is a glass bowl to make pickles for one meal. It's not so expencive.

Last night I put some cabbage and carrots, and this morning "here you are".

Did you find some intereseting or convenient kitchen tools these days?

Did you update it?

What is "it"? Here! This is a present from my daughter's father to my daughter.

The day before yesterday, it was "White day".

Do you know "White day"? On the day in Japan men "have to " presentg something to ladies who presented Valentine chocolate to the men.

Do you have such a custom in your country?

Anyway my husband did. And he asked me whether I updated it in my blog. He says "it's not fair, if you updated only her Valentine chocolate.

So I did it.

BUT where is the present for me?

Nothing. It can't be helped.

Actually he had forgot the day until I told him.

On the day my dauhther mumbled "though I know it, anyway it was white day, and I gave Valentine cholate to him, it was not leftover"

So I told to him. And yesterday he asked me where the good sweet shop was.

So we (my husband and I) dropped by at "my" favorite sweets shop.

He bought it by himself, and I bought sweets for my family.

Actaully the chocolate I boungt on the Valentine's day, was shared with these three members.

So the sweets I bought was also shared with us.

all lessons in this term are finished.

Yesterday it was the last lesson in this term. From today my spring vacation has begun.

In the last adult's lesson, we enjoyed having a light snack: sour daugh bread, homemade jam and margarine through this book written by that Eric Cale.

In this book he introduced an origin of pretzel.

Until I read this book, I didn't know that pretzel was bread.

Lately pretzel crackers seem to be common in Japan. It was the first time for me to know pretzel cracters when we went to America about 10 years ago. We (my daughters and I) ate them in the plane for the first time. At that time for us they were strange taste. But during our staying in America, here and there we "met" pretzel crackers. So We brought them to Japan as one of souvenirs.

And now I knew, pretzel bread was made without milk.

So I baked sour daught bread again, because it is also baked without milk.

These days I'm really into picture books especaily about "food".

From next term, I'm going to held a small workshop "enjoy English picture books through reading and eating by aunt Mieko's way" with some charge (not volunteer work).

As soon as I finished all lessons in this term, I started to think about next step not to be caught by empty syndrome. (Unfortunately I've been caught with by a pollen allergy.)

Came back from Canbodia

Who? not me, my daughters and my mother-in-law. And now my younger daughter came home and is still in bed.Yesterday I talked with her.
It seemed for her to have had many or some troubles with her grand mother and have had lots of valuable, interesting, and enjoyable things.I was able to expect some troubles would happen with my mother-in-law.So I also talked to my mother-in-law on the phone yesterday.
But anyway generally the trip seemed to be good for everyone.Actually all of them came back JAPAN without troubles.
I'll tell you each complaints later. Most of them were caused by the difference of their generation.
Well, the most surprised thing for me was that;she (my younger daughter ) said "I reconsidered you (me), your (volunteer) work is actually needed. I'm proud of you."
What ? What ? What happened to her?I was really surprised.
As you know, my family is registered as a host family. We had lots of guests from various countries. Some guests came from Asian developing countries. Because some of my friends are really eager to do some volunteer work for them (for example to collect and send unused stationery). The friends are really attractive. Against my surface I'm not so eager to do volunteer work, but more I know them, more I want to do something with the friends. I always think that I might be a hypocrite, so I hesitate to do something for people or refugee directly, but I want to help or do something with my friends.When my daughters were small, they did together without thinking. But older they got, more they hesitated to do such volunteer work. Because they also think themselves to be hypocrites.
And this time they went there by themselves. Probably places they visited were not so poor area. But for them it seemed to be enough. Doing what we can do is necessary. Pretending to be sleeping is insincere.So my younger daughter seemed to reconsider me.
AND my daughter seemed to talk a lot with some Japanese girls who are doing volunteer work there. And --- I don't know, what will happen.
But anyway this trip gave a concrete opportunity to look at another world.

UDO

Yesterday I got fresh eggs and fresh HIJIKI from my friend.

She has some hens, and lives near the sea. So last weekend her husband (he is a vet) went to the sea and pick HIJIKI.

We (Japanese ) usually use dry HIJIKI picked this season. So only this season we can eat fresh HIJIKI.

There is no sea around this city, so the fresh HIKIKI is a great present.

On the other hand there are mountains arount the city. I get(not pick) fresh SANSAI (edible wild plants) easily and inexpensively. I got UDO.

This time I inew, UDO is a JAPANESE vegetable, so the English name is "UDO".

Have you hard of it?

Today's breakfast was a sunny-side-up egg, and HIJIKI and UDO salad.

sour dough Itaran bread

These days I try to cook something after reading picture books or books in which some meals or sweets are introduced.

And I try to bake Itarian bread using sour dough.

What is Itarian bread? Is it right that it is bread using olive oil istead of butter and including Itarian sezoning?

Anyway I tried to bake it with that home bakery. ( Did you remeber I bought that appliance last year?)
I heard some sour dough is hard to use home bakery, but some sour dough is "easy" .
So I bot SHIRAGAMI ferment, and I tried.

Well done!

On the other hand I got some BUNTAN (looks like grape fruit, but sweeter), and make peel.

Well done!

So next week I'll bake ORANGE bread with the home bakery.

Cooking is fun -- until now. (Probably after a while, I will be tired of cooking.)

FUKUJYUSOU

This morning I found some buds of FUKUJYUSOU in the garden.
Yes, "real" spring is just around the corner.
Though I turn on the heater early morning, in the afternoon my stduents ask me to turn off the heater. I know it is getting warm though I put hot compass on my back.

Well, untill now I don't any news from my daughters, it means they are in safe travel.
Today, it is the last day of this week, after adult's lesson, I'm going to go out for luch with my adult students to celebrate late HINAMATSURI.
(It is said we have to put away HINA dolls right after HINA MATSURI, if we don't do that it is said ladies can not marry. BUT all of us are married women, so we don't mind celebrateing HINAMATSURI later.)

HINA MATSURI

Today it is HINA MATSURI;a girl's festival.

This morning we had special sweets that was sent from my friend living in NAGASAKI.

This sweets is one of specialty in NAGASAKI.

HINA MATSRU has another name. It is MOMO no SEKKU. MOMO means peaches, and SEKKU means a celebration. And in NAGASAKI Kasutera (kind of pancake) is really famous. So, it seems to be natural to bake KASUTERA decorated MOMO there in this season.

Did I tell you?

My job of making lunch box finished. Instead of it, I bought a new box, and keep making three dishes .

Light green; pickled vegetables

Orange; marinated carrots

White; simmered yello tail with leek

AND this specail sweets

My husband and I had it this morning.

And probably my daughters and my mother also had eat the same sweets last night.

Yes, now there are two members in this house.

Anyway this week has started.

This week my students and I are going to craft easter eggs again.

graduation ceremony

My younger daughter graduated from high school. It was a good ceremony.

This time I really thought that it was like my "ceremony".

It might be the last time sing traditinoal songs for a graduation ceremony, and to sing the national anthem, and to wear my blue suit.

I really thought my mother's job has finished.

She went to this private school for 6 years, through the junior high school and the high school.

When she entered the high school, her feet was so small that she bought specail shoes instead of regular shoes. So se didn't need to worry about the pain because of new hard leather shoes; she had worn kids' shoes for a few years. Her friends would envy her.

She and I had lots of troubles about friends, fashion, and grade though those troubles were usual things for the awkward age.

I really thought the ceremony was not only for her but also me. I really realized I also graduated from mother's job.

Today my husband and I ate this sweet. On the surface there are the emblem of her high school and the director's name of the school.

Well, the last father's job for him is carrying her stuff to TOKYO by car.

Hina dolls

I put hina dolls in the living room. My hina dolls were handed over from my "grand mother". They are full set hina dolls.

full set hina dolls means ;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri

But they are so old that most tools have gone.

But I try to keep them and want to hand them over to my daughters (though I have only one set). So I need to dry them, but it's troublesome. So I put main pair and a trio of hina dolls.

And can you see round dolls? They are made by my grand mother.

And can you see wood dolls? They are made by my daughters when they went to kindergarden.

Next year the ladies who enjoy these dolls will be only me. Anyway this year I enjoy this season with hina dolls. Today a friend of mine came with these SAKURA sweets.

From winter to spring

Yesterday morning, we had snow, though not so much.

And this morning, all snow has gone, and I found them.

They are buds of tulips.

It seems that spirng is just around the corner. But it might be back to winter sometimes.

This weekend it is goint to be a guaduated celemony at my daughter's high school.

It is going to be the last time to attend kid's celemony as a mother wealing my navy blue suit.

I have wore the same suit to attend such a formal celemony for their school days.

It is also going to be the last time for me to wear the suit.

And the day after the celemony, my husband is going to drive her to TOKYO with her chest and some stuff. And my two dauthers are going to travel to Canbodia to sightsee A.Vat with their grandmother (my mother-in-law)

Before she leaves home perfectly, there are many events.

Anyway this week has started.

Well, I'm looking for an English version book of Caca bo.

Does anyone have any imformation?

HINA dolls

In Japan "HINAMATSURI" (Girl's festival) is just around the corner. Children who went to a kindergarden nearby (including my kids) had a good memory; that was making hina dolls from wood that planted in the garden. And until now this craft is continued in this season.

I always put the HINAdolls made by my daughter's though it was more than 15 years ago. And most my students and mothers always say "I did it" or "I had it" seeing them.

This year I got aromatic tree, so I made another dolls with my students. What a hartwarming craft time!

Well, I need a favor.

Today I went to a exhibition. I could see many picture books : Japanese picture books, foreing countries' picturebooks translated in Japanese. It was a wonderful time. And I met some intereseting books. One of them is this book, the original is written in French. Unfortunately I couldn't understand French. But the Japanese senetences were really fun. I'm looking for English version. If someone know the title, please let me know it. And If some one has it and doesn't need it, will hand it over it to me?

The French title is Caca boudin. And the author is Stephanie blake.

Do you know her?

What a nice morning!

I know very well, being a housewife is a kind of luxry. Now I'm thinking about my life without kids. Am I able to accept being a housewife without mother's job?

But anyway yesterday and today I really enjoyed with my adulut students pretending to be a leisure class women.

In my English lessons for kids I started to make some easter-eggs. And I introduced the eggs for my adult students.

And we made some easter eggs using cutting cloth, and soft paper.

I prepared some whole eggshells for them. And I baked scones using the real eggs for them for these early morning for them.

And for these days I ordered "clotted cream" on the net. Clotted cream is not so populer in Japan, so in this town we cant't get my favorite clotted cream.

So I prepered, eggshells, cutting cloth, homemade scone, clotted creadm, and a friend of mine in Canada send me "candy cane tea".

Perfect!!! We really enjoyed our morning lesson.

my mother

A report recalled me to my mother.
Well, these days I sometimes complain like that
"I'm almost being empty nest syndrom." "Do I need to be independent ecnomically?"

Well, an eldery woman critic wrote an essey on the news paper. The title was "the way to live for women". Probably she is as old as my mother, or in the same generation. So it must have been unusaly to live as both a mother and a working lady.

She said
"My husband suddenly passed by when I was thirty. At that time my daughter was 4. I had been crying for one week, and I took 3-weeks off. My friends came to encourage me. And one of them said to me. It made me really surprised."
The friend said
"You can afford to cry because you work, you are independent from your husband ecnomically. So you should cry as much as you want. If you were a housewife, you had no time to cry. Such housewives must really worry that how they and their kids would live from now".
She said
"I understood, being independent ecnomically means to be able to cry when women want to and should cry as much as want"

My father passed away suddenly because of heart attack, at that time my mother was 43. Though I was 18, my younger daugter was still an elementary school student. I don't remember my mother having cryed. As soon as his funeral, she went to the tax office on my memory. I was absent from school for one week, but probablly my brotehrs went to school, and I did housework instead of my mother.
At that time, the city, the company my father had worked at, and even schools got us lots of help. For example it was really easy for me and my brothers to get scholarship. And my mother says "at that time verious kinds of taxes were excused".

Fortunately we could live as usual, my mother didn't need to work outside becuase of lots of help and my father's asset (not so much). So even now (she is past 70) she is a "housewife". Now she is able to live with her pension, and we (her kids) don't need to get money to her, on the contrary even now we "sometimes" depend on her about our kids. It measn my daughters often get pocket money from her.

being independet ecnomically--- I'm thinking about this.

I was a still girl!

Do you remember that the other day I couldn't have high-quality lunch outside. Instead of it I bought curious food for dinner "Kasuzule of Sujiko". Well later I heard that it was a usual food in NIGATA. I've lived here for long years, but I thought there were many food I've never seen yet.

Well, today I went out, and I was going to have high-quality lunch outside. But I couldn't do again. Before going to a restaurant I dropped by at a sweet shop. And I found this cute thing. This box is hand-made by the shop's owner's wife. How cute! And what a suitable thing for HINAMATSURI (March 3rd is girl's day in Japan) and Easter.

I bought it with some sweets. And my last bill in my pass has gone.

So today's my lunch was 100 yen hanburger and 100 yen coffee at Mac.

And Today I put HINA dolls on the shelf in the entrance hall.

Putting them in Feburary is OK. BUT, it is said we have to put them away on March 3rd. If we forget it, our daughters will not marry.

Today, it is Valentine's Day

This morning "we" (my daughter and I) presented my husband (or her father) chocolate.

The chocolate on the picture seems to be populare in KOUBE, and KOUBE is a famous city as a trend city. So I bought it on the internet.

Of course three of us ate it for dessert after breakfast. It was really thick and delicious.

On the other hand my daughter also presented her handmade chocolate to her father. It was the first time and she said "it will be the last time". Untill last year she used to give him leftover of failed chocolate to him. This year she gave him special chocolate. As soon as he got it, he ate it. So I missed taking the photo.

Yesterday she made lots of chocorate for her father, her friends and her teachers. Now she is going out to exchange chocolate with her friends. Probably next norning there will be full of chocolate on the kitchen table. It is the usual scene until this year.

Well, now instead of making lunch box for my daughter, I keep making three dishes for breakfast and put them into this new tray.

My husband changed from eating bread to eating rice. So I even now cook every morning. Though it is troublesome, it is good for me. I do cooking for someone, but I won't cook for myself.

I eat breakfast with my familiy, but usualy I eat lunch and dinner alone, so the left over is really useful. keeping three dishes is to keep in shape for us.

What are these?

Can you guess what these two things? They are "food".
The left one looks like fish, and the sign on the right one reads "SUSHI".

Now Valentine's Day is just around the corner. We see various chocolates in shop.Expencive one, cheap one, high-quality one,--- and these are "funnyt-look" chocolate.

In Japan it is getting a custom to present chocolate from women to men to show love, gratitude, friendship. And everybody seems to enjoy the day.

Actaully I enjoyed when I was looking for various chocolates.
Well, I don't know whether these chocolate tastes good or so-so. Anyway they were not expensive, realy "cheap".

fashion

The other day I found these words about fashion in an English text book.
Pants hanging below boxer shorts, Velour jogging suits, Pants worn backwards, High-water pants, Leisure suits, Acid-wash jeans, Hammer pants, Poodle skirts.

Do you know all of them? Are they in fashion now in your country. In Japan some are in fashino untill now among the youth, and some are not.
Probably acid-wash jeans used to be popular when I was young.
Now many young people seem to wear jeans with some tears. Some one wear jeans with ripped bottoms. I don't like them. And my grandmother didn't like "jeans" themselves.

Do you follow fashion? In my case, partly I try and partly I can't accept these days fashion.
How has your style changed for these 10 years?
In myc ase I seldom wear a skirt, because I usualy put a knee pat on my left knee.
So I usually wear pants. BUT these days pants are quite different from ones of ten years ago.
These days you wear pants with bottoms, not hips.
(I'm sorry I don't know how to desclibe. What I want to say is the place of belt is changed. these days the place got lower than before.)
So when you bend your back, sometimes your back is seen. I don't like it. But it is difficult to find trendy but high waist pants. So I have to accpet these days pants.

Do you have any problems in currently fasnion?

Skidamarink!

Valentinw'a Day is just around corner. My daughter is going to bake chocorate cake for her father this year, (usualy she gives the left-over of her homemade chorate that is for her friends.)

In Japan, probably you know, women presents chocorate to men to show their love , friendship, gratitude or duty(you can say sympathy esepcialy to a man who will not be able to get any chocorate)

Well, next week I'll go to two nursery's school to read some English books.

One book is "Skidamarink!".

I ask a question, what does "skidamarink" mean? I was heard that it has no specail meaning, a kind of spell. Does any know the meaning?

And is it right? -- when I say the spell to someone, the person loves me. And when you say the spell you put your elbow in your other hand and wiggle your fingers, it means to shoot a beam of love.

On the other hand, this week my English lessons are all making a craft using a core of toilet paper. Of course we put some chocorate inside.

I'm a really Japanese woman.

Now I often think about my future life in my 60's, and from next April.
Fortunately I can manage my life thanks of my husband. But I want to be independent economically because untill now we share our "job". It means he works outside and I bring up children inside. Now my job at home is almost finished.
On the other hand I want to enjoy my second life by myself. I sometimes think "though my husband has to continue work out side for a while, my job inside is finised earlier than he, so I should "enjoy"(it means not need to earn money) your life without constraint to him."

Basically I'm lazy, I don't do anything if I don't need to do them.

On the other hand I put adds in the news paper more than usual year.
But untill now I don't have more students, fortunately the numbers of students from next spring will be as same as this year.

Anything doesn't seem to change except my daughter's leaving.

Now there is a brochure on the desk. A friend sent it to me. Next week a meeting organized with NPO and NGO groups in this area is going to be held. A friend said "now your job is finished, come out here again".
Five years ago I stopped some vorunteer activities, becasue I didn't use family time to do voruteer activities. I started them with my kids, but when they grew up, they didn't want to join them. So Only I continued.

I might start some vorunteer activity. It means I will not be able to be independet of my hasbund ecomically.

Only Japanese men?

Yesterday I talked ( and took lessons) with a New Zealander, who has lived here for many years.
He is a man and he gets used to Japanese life, he seems to see things strange even now.

Yesterday I talked about my daughter's coming of age day. He has two boys, so I said "you are lucky not to waste money to clothes". (On the day girls' parents use more money than boy's parents). And I also said "I'm afraid you missed a chance you were be able to get impressed".

It is said girls' fathers have three opotunigies to cry with joy and impression.
The first time is that they meet their kids for the first time; it measn their babies were born.
The secomd time is that their girls become 20 years old. The fathers cannot look at their daughters without tears because of their beautifilness. (Though my husband didn't cry. He said "I was too busy as a chauffeur to get impressed".)
The last time is that their girls get married.

He said it is strange that men cry with deep emotion.
We often see men crying with deep emotion. For example at high school baseball toranaments, the member of the winner team usually cry at the moment they win while they are striking a victory pose. And the tears makes the audience crying.
He said
Do you notice? Only japanese men cry when they get medals at Olympic games.

Is it really?
We have two kinds of tears, sad tears and emotinoal tears.

homemade buns

Yesterday it was snowing all day, so I was staying at home all day while cooking. Yes I baked these buns. As soon as they were baked some were eaten quickly because my husband was also staying home. And this morning all buns have gone. How quickly!!!

Yesterday I thougt, if someones stay home, I have lots of thing to do as a home maker. And yesterday I enjoyed being a home maker -- sometimes is OK, being everyday makes me tired. I'm getting used to be alone at home.

Well, this week has alreday started. Fortunately we don't have lots of snow now. Everything started as usual--- except my daughter must have been late for school because of frozend roads.

The food I bought yesterday

It was KASUZUKE of SUJIKO.

Do you know KASUZUKE? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuzuke

It's something marinated by SAKE lees. The typical Kasuzuke is sarmon KASUZUKE. Actually yesterday I ate it for my lunch.

Yesterday I found SUJIKO(eggs of sarmons or trouts) KASUZUKE.Usually Kasuzuke is directly marinated bySAKE lees. But this Sujiko Kasuzuke was rapped with paper sanded sake lees. It's intereseting, isn't it.

It was the first time for us to taste.

--- strange (not bad meaning) taste. It was not salty and fishy than we expected.

And it really suiteed to hot rice. If you like NATTO, you might like it.

Well, now we have snow. The ground seems deeply covoered with snow. Today, it is Sunday. So foutunately we have no problem, all members of my family are staying at home. Tommorrow?? what will happen? Now my daughter says "Tommorrow I'll be abset from school, I don't like go to school by crowded bus"

Anyway today's my job is cooking.

At the end I'm a housewife.

In the morning I had a job. This morning I decided to go out for high-quality lunch alone.

I left home at 9. I finished my job at 11. I went to a big book store in a big department store.

The wrong thing was that the book store was in a big department store, and it was next to the area for specail sales at the department store. NIGATA products festival was held there.

I browsed there, and I bought a specail food for my family (collectly for today's dinner of my husband and me) in NIGATA.

And my last bill has gone.

what left in my pass was some coins. I dropped by at a coffee shop (not Macdonald), and enjoyed a little bit high-class coffee and went home.

Today's my lunch was that frozen rice balls (of course I microwaved them), and grilled sarmon ( I bought it there for only me).

complaints about products

Now frozen GYOUZA producted in China is a big isse in Japan. Thease days not only GYOZA but also foods and toys made in China seem to be a big problem in the world. In your experience, do cheaper items tend to have more defects than more expensive ones?

In Japan products made in China or other Asiang countires tend to be cheaper than domestic products, more to say we cannot live without import products including foods. Actaully I try to cook using domestic foods, it's difficult. Some people eat everything that grows in their farm --- it means they don't eat fish, meat (in this case if they don't have cows.) and fruits.

I always buy banans. Thery are usually imported (I've never met domestic bananas. Do we have banans that grow in Japan??) And I tend to buy cheaper ones, because I just use it as a banana yogurt every morning.
I don't think they have defects, it means I've never heard of their defects.

On the other hand when I buy lemons, I buy domestic lemons.
Because I've heard that imported lemons don't go off passing a few months, but domestic lemos usualy go off after a month. It means the former is added so lots of preservatives that having them is dangerous.

It is really difficult to judge what are safe foods for us, isn't it?

Yam OKONOMIYAKI (pancake)

The other day I got a big yam. my neigor went to a mountain to dig yams. This yam is not raised, spontaneous.

I cooked it to TORORO-SHIRU, TENPURA. But we still have it.

And usually we eat grinded Yam. grinding it is troublesome, and when I'm grinding, my hands feel itchy.

Well, do you know OKONOMIYAKI? It's a kind of unsweetened vegetable(mainly cabage) pancake. We often make it. The other day a high-class OKONOMIYAKI restaurant was introduced on TV. They use only yam without flour. (Usually we use flour to put together the ingredients)
So my husand and I tried. He grinded all yam. I mix it with sliced cabage, egg, fried pork. And fried it on the pan like the photo above.

Yes, it was really YUMMY!!!!

--- but while I was eating it, much yam made my lip a little bit ichty,though of course I didn't stop eatting.

waitting is valuable

I found an inteseting report. These days most pf people have a cell phone, though I don't have a cell phone. It is really conveninet, especailly to meet people. Probably the young cannot meet their friends without cell phones, because they don't make a schedual to meet each other when, where. While they are keeping contact with each other by cell phone, they look for each other to meet.

The writer of this report says that
The other day on the way to the town I lost my wife. She doesn't have a cell phone. So what I could do is just waitting for her at the our destination. In this case I knew where we would go. It was a deaprtment store. While I was waitting I was thinking if I should go back home or not. Anyway I could meet her.
While I was waiting I sometimes got angry, worry, or nervus. I though she should have a cell phone though she said "don't need".

But now I think, having cell phones make the life convenient, but on the other hand we are loosing feelings of anger, anxiety or tension. We tend to the result quickly, we tend not to stand the process. We are getting bad at enjoying waiting.

It is intereseting.
Last month I met my mother. Unfourtunally my train stopped on the way to TOKYO. I don't have a cell phone. And even if I have had a cell phone, my mother don't have a cell phone either.
What I could do was to go to the meeting place somehow. And what my mother could do was just waitting. I got there half and one hour later, and she was still waitting. We were really glad to meet each other.
Of course if it had been a business meeting, we would have lost the job.
When I got there , could you guess what she told me?
"Thanks of your coming late, I could finish reading this book, so I'll give you this book"

She is a really laid-back person.

KINKAN

Do you remember that last year I was into fresh KINKAN. Now the season of KINKAN has come. Until last year I cooked KINKAN --- simmered some KINKANS with honey. KINKAN is said to worrk well to protect from a cold.

Yummy? Bitter? Anyway I love it, and I "make" my husband eat some KINKANS for breaksfast.

Well, do you remember another thing of KINKAN? I bought a small tree of KINKAN, now it has some KINKANs on the tree, but they are still green.

steak

When you hear the word of steak, what kind of picture do you draw in your mind?

When I was a child, "steak" meant beaf steak, and usually they were served at Frenc restaurant.

When I came here, the image was completely changed.

There is a famous steack franchaise restraunt, here. The compamy started from one restaurant, but the steake saure is so ordiganl that it made the restraunt famous.

And most people here love the sauce, so not only the franchaise restruants but also other restaurats, they prepare saurce of this type; made from grinded Japanese radish, onion, vinegar, apple, and soysauce. I also love this sauce.

But a friend of mine who is New Zealander says " I like to eat typical steak".

What is your typical steak?

Conming of Age day -2-

At the ceremony she got some books and handouts. They are really intereseting.
A book written the history of this city, handouts about DV(Dmestic Voilence), tax,fraud. And a handout that recommends to vote in elections. ( In Japan people more than 20 years oldcan vote in public elections). And the other handout that recommends to have a donor card.
I'm really surprised. When I was 20 years old, what I got?

Anyway compared with my 20th day, these days seem to be more dangerous, rude. So they have to present handouts about eleciton, tax, DV. On the other hand about medical field, many laws seem to be set.

Every handout is really intereseting to "me". I've read well. Why? Because she put them here. I wonder how many new 20-year-old people read these handouts? Is it a kind of waste of our tax?
I think they should set a law to write a report about these books after attending the ceremony.

Coming of Age Day

In Japa we celeblate the youth when they become 20 years old. It is Coming of Age day "SEIJIN NO NI). This year my daughter got 20 years. My family celeblet her. She attend the ceremony hosted by my city, wearing FURISODE.

FURISODE is Kimomo, but the sleeves are longer than usual Kimomo. This Furisode was sewed by my grand mother. It measn I wore it when I got 20 years old.

At that time I preferd to pretend to be a boy. I never wore skirt. So I didn't have an idea to attend the ceremony wearing "KIMOMO". But a week before the coming of Age day, suddenly my grand mother brought this KIMOMO. I was really surprised. Though I used to strike an attitude of defiance to my parents, I couldn't do that to my grand mother. I accepted her desire unwillingly. At that time I "hate" feminin color like pink, sky blue. But the Kimomo was full of these colors. Anway I wore, and attend the ceremony. Of course my grand mother was really glad to see me.

This oppotunity gave me a change. I showed an interest to Kimomo. So I started to take Kimomo lessons. Thanks of lessons I can wear Kimomo by myself. When I go to my husband's house for the fist time, I wore this KIMOMO. (My mother in-law remembered it, but my husband didn't remember it.)

This time my eleder daughter wore it, and probably in two years my younger daughter is going to wear it again. My grand mother must be really glad.

Well, my grand mother brought up my father sewing and teacing Kimomo. (Her hsuband passed away in the war.) So she was really knowledgeable about Kimomo. This Kimomo is KAGA YUZEN. It is really valuable.

When I become a grand mother, I will not be able to do such a thing for my future grand children.

Ox fibrous meat

Last year we ate real ox tounge.
And this morning I simmered oxx fivrous meat with vegetables and seasoned them with soy sauce, suger and SAKE.
It was delicious than we expected.
Have you ever cooked ox fiverous meat?
If you have, how have you cooked them?

Well, Jan, I have a question. You told me "tail soup" was not made from real "ox tail". What was it made from?
When we go to YAKINIKU restaurant we often order "tail soup". I thought it had used ox tail.

When I was a child, I used to eat giblets(chiken's guts). I love the feeling of chewing, some part is really chewy, and some part is really soft. At that time there used to be many chicken shop hear and there.
Now I seldom see chicken shop (though we have buthcers), at a department there is a chicken shop. I sometimes buy steamed and seasoned chiken guts.

I love to eat chiken guts, but I hate livers of ox and pig.
Do you like them?

Snow man

When I was listening to radio, I knew that; American Snow man is made up of three snow balls.

Japanese snow man is usually made up of two snow balls, and we use charcol to make eyes and nose.

Intereseting.

Why I didn't notice this thing, though I've read books about snowmen for many years in this season.

Tomorrow I have a meeting to read English picture books. I'll explain this thing.

The middle snow ball seems to be "belly". What is the lower snow ball? Legs? Hips?

What shape is your snow man?

Happy New Year

Now I'm relaxing at home. Since 29th I have really been busy.

This year my elder daughter will be 20. In Japan it is really meaningful. Though the celebration day is 1/13, she had a phtographer take a memorial picture at a photo studio ahead, wearing special KIMOMO. ( It took a few hours to wear it.) I have a specail memory about the KIMOMO, I'll write about it later.

Next day we (my family and my mother) went to Sendai. Sendai is a famous sightseeing spot. But our aim (or my husband aim) was eating GYUTAN (ox tail) and my mother's aim was eating ZUNDA (gree soy bean paste)

I put the photos on the phto page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/choro/

On 31th it was a shopping day, though my younger daughter had a part-time job. My husband and my husband went shopping here and there; mainly elctorailcal sore to buy a new digital camera for her.

On the other hand my mother and I went shopping here and there; maily food stores, and went to see a movie.

In the eveing my daughters went to TOKYO ahead to visit a shrine in Tokyo.

At night my mother and I was so tired that we went to bed early. My husbad "finaly" started to tidy up his room on the New Year Eve.

On the New Year Day, early morning we went to TOKYO. We dropped by my mother's house and picked my daughters and went to my mother-in-law's house. His borther's families came there and we celebrated starting this year.

Yesterday we came back with lots of presents (including small stuff that my mother-in-law didn't use.)

And today, my younger daughter went to work a part time job, my husband went playing golf (According to him, finaly he is able to spend "his" winter vacation".

I tidied up the things we brought from my mother-in-law's house, clearned the rooms in the morning, and now I'm relaxing.

I'll introduce my daughters.

The girl wearing KIMOMI (This KIMOMI is called FURISODE) is my elder daughter.

And the funny gilr who tries to drink "ZUNDA" shake is , of course, my youghter daughter.

Happy New Year!!

My students and English

Now I'm waiting for two students. It is going to be the last lesson this year.
They are high school girls. They have taken my lessons since they were elmentary school students. So they seem for me to be my kids.

They will go to college in this area, and probably their major won't be English. But anyway they continue taking my lessons. Why? One reason is of course to keep good score at school. and another reason is to enjoy English.

We seldom have chance to communicate foreigners using Enlish here.
And they don't like reading not only English books but also Japanese books.

For them using English here itself seems to be fun.

For more than 10 years I have taught English to kids, for most of them the goal is to keep good score at school and to go to good leveled high school or college.
So lower grade students say "English is fun".
but when they grow up they tend to stick to good score. (Or they are sticked to good score.)

But the students I'm waiting for now, say "English is fun".
I'm really happy to hear that.
And their words recall me "English is fun".

As I told you, I organize a meeint "reading English books to kids" once every two months.
The next meeting is in January.
They are going to act a small English skit there.
I'm really happy.
the skit acted by young high school students must get the meeting more fun!

My knee hurts.

A few weeks ago I dislocated my knee. Though it recovered, my rught knee has hurts. So I am wearing supporter on the knee.

The ohter day my huband bougnt me kind of stickers. The sign says "these stickers chase away your pain to the space!". I think it must be a trick. But he said they were sold at his favorite place for golf practice. (Now he is into golf).

Though I didn't want to do that, but I didn't ignore his kindness either, and his back has hurt also. So we are putting these dummy? stickers.

Until now it doesn't work well for me.

Shining YOUKAN

Can you see the top of YOUKAN is shining?

The top is a little bit hard because of suger and salt skin.

These are HISHIYA's SHIO-YOUKAN. Usually Youkan is really sweet. But this Youkan is a little bit salty. So it is called SHIO(salt)-Youkan.

My yonger daughter doesn't like Japanese sweets very much. But she loves some. One is FUKUSAYA's KASUTEA, and another one is this Youkan.

As I told you, this shop deals with only this kind of YOUKAN. And on holidays or weekends, usualy they are sold out in the morning.

school trip

Now at most public high schools it is the season for the last school trip for the second grade students. Recently in this area going to OKINAWA is populer; to get the knowlege directly about the World War 2nd, and at some schools, they organize to let their students stay at American army camp family's houses. One of my students stayed with an American family. She said "I could talk with them somehow, and the family prasied me". I was glad to hear that.
And she also said "I know "yes or no" is really important".

Japanese people are said to tend to get everything vague, Probably it is right. So she said "sometimes it is hard to decide my will"

anyway she had a good experience. this week another student is in OKINAWA. I'm looking forward to hearing her comments.

Well, her suvenior is the famous "CHINSUKOU" kind of cookies. Chinsukou is one of my favorite cookies. But in this season we have some kinds of cookies (Wallkers Christams shortbread, chocochip cookies etc.) I hope next suvenior will be BENIIMO(kind of sweet potatoes) chips instead of Chinsukou.

NIKKO

Have you ever been to NIKKO in Japan? In NIKKO there is TOUSHOUGU that is registered as the world heritage. This weekend we(my husband, my youger daugher and I) went to NIKKO, but not visited TOUSHOUGU.

As I told you, this fall she was accepted by a college. And now she is given to assignments. One is solving one math book. And another one is report about 5 buildings with the skeching. So we went NIKKO to take some pictures.

The right photo is our favorite and really famous Japanese sweets 'YOUKAN' shop. They deal with only one kind of YOUKAN. Usually in the morning all YOUKANs are sold out.

We drove up IROHA-hill, and went to OKUNIKKO. There is a lake. On the day though it was cold, it was really clear day.

Near the lake that is called CYUZENJIKO, there is a villa that used to belong Itariaembassy. Now it isn't used, it remains as a memorial house. The house is built by marquetry way. It is the left photo.

Thanks of her assigments we had a good drive!

It's cold.

This morning it was really cold. When I got up at 5:30, and went to the kicthen. The sensor of temperature of heater showed "0". It meant the temperture got below freezing.
(Though I oftne told you, most of Japanese houses, we don't have central heating system.)
I turned on the heater, and started usual morning chores.

I usually wake up my husband at 8. At the time, the temperature of his room was 10 degrees.
In thisis April my daughter is going to leave home.
Though this winter I have got up earler, next winter I'm not sure if I get up at the time I should wake up my husband.

Now it's about ten o'clock. And the temperture without turing on the heater is 13 dgrees.

Anyway we are in the hard winter.
I'm going to the library, today.

homemade things

There are lots of farms in this prefecture. some of my friends are farmers wives. I think they are really powerful.

As I told you, a friend started to sell their homemade YUZUKOSYOU.

This year I also got some.

She said "This year we could make only green type. When we plant the first seedlings of green peppers, we had hail, so most of them couldn't grow. So, we got enough ripe red green peppers".

I konw how hard the making process is hard. Though once I tried to help, I gave up instantly.-- though I'm a city girl.

And the other day I got strawberry dumplings. For strawberry farmers, it is the best season now. Actaully the pack of strawberries of this prefectuer is the most in Japan. the sign says "a fresh strawberry picked up early morning". These dumplihgs are made our local straberries and rice powder.

And I also got rhubarb jam. Rhubarb itself is not still so famous in Japan, but I know among her lovers rhubarb is really famous. So a farmer in this prefecture started to grow rhubarb and sell the homemade jam.

Country wives are really powerful!!!

And I'm happy to have such powerfull freinds.

Do you know the word of presbyopia glasses?

A few days ago I wrote about my new glasses. And I got a question. What are prebyopia glasses?

I'm nearsighted, so I need wearing glasses, MEGANE in Japanese.
And usualy most Japanese people need wearing "ROGANKYO", when they are gettin old and it is difficult to read small letters. Though they are kind of glasses, we call then "ROGANKYO", and my dictinoary says "prbyopia glasses".

These days bifocal glasses mainly used. So on the day I went to buy bifocal glasses. But the clerk suggested "there are five kinds of lenses, you should think when you use the new one most?
if you often drive you should chose bifocal glasses, but you often read books and use PC you should chose the glasses that are for PC and reading books.
So I decided using to glasses according to the situation.

Do you know the word of prebyopia glasses?

Finally the last month of this year has come.

December has come. This weekend, it was very warm as the weather report expected. So I cleaned most of windows and lamps ( not all) in my house. I finished my winter house cleaning.

Though it is not perfect, but I'm satisfied with having done. Here and there we see dirt left on the window. Though it is funny, everybody said "Oh, you cleaned the windows!". The dirt proves that I have done the house cleaning.

Anyway Decemer, it has 31 days like other months, but I feel I'm busy.

This week, I have to attend two meetings, and weekend my family will go to NIKKO to take some pictuers for my daughters. Next weekend I have to attned a concert. And the next weekend es Christmas. I'm going to held a party for my students.

And as soon as Christams is finished, my mother will come to stay with us to spend new year's eve. We are going to go to SENDAI.