A Summer Barbeque

Ever wonder what they have at a Japanese barbecue? Sushi? Wrong, they have tons of food, but none of the typical American burgers, potato salad, etc., and you still use chopsticks to eat. I went to a barbecue this past weekend, and just like back home, there was way too much food (even considering I don't eat meat). We had grilled pork, beef, shrimp, and scallops for the carnivores. There were grilled vegetables, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, smoked salmon and cheese, yaki soba (grilled noodles, meat, and vegetables), and beer and coffee. Although I ate a ton, considering it was mostly vegetables (and a little of the delicious smoked cheese for the Wisconsin girl in me), it was quite healthy, unlike its American cousins often are.

And don't forget the marshmallows. Yup, here's Toshiaki roasting one to perfection for me with the propane torch. :) Shu, one of my fellow teachers, tried to convince me that Japanese eat marshmallows with grilled green peppers as a type of sandwich, and unfortunately, this backfired on him. It lead to some fast-talking dares that combined green peppers and marshmallows, lettuce and marshmallows, and smoked salmon and marshmallows... all of which were choked down by brave souls.

This is a final group shot of all of us. Can you spot me in the picture? I know... it is pretty hard to do. Although later that evening, I found myself feeling pretty darn short for the first time in a long time, when a friend and I found ourselves out with a group of foreign rugby players. I think minimum height was about 180 cm (or around 5'11" for the Americans tuning in).

Things That Make You Go Hmm...

Why would someone living in Roppongi need a truck like this? For the street cred? I mean, you are living in the 23 Wards of Tokyo (a population of roughly 8 million in the wards alone), and the "country" is a good few hours away. Do you move a lot of friends in the city?

Welcome to my neighborhood. This is looking down the main street leaving Takanodai, my local train station, at 6 am on Sunday. Japan definitely lives up to it's nickname "land of the rising sun"; the sun rises around 4:00 am here so the birds are definitely up when you wrap up your night on first train.

Lastly, I hope I don't have any more roommates this summer! This is a cockroach that I found in running across my kitchenette. Although most Japanese people seem to dislike cockroaches just as much as me, they seem far more tolerant of them. Although my coworkers screamed when I brought them my cockroach in a sealed jar, they seemed a bit shocked when I suggested we call the building management and see about professional pest control. Instead, they suggested I go to the store to buy some DIY pest control. At the grocery store last night, it turns out that they have a large display of cockroach sprays, traps, and poisons prominently displayed in the entrance. To the Japanese, cockroaches just seem to be another part of life.

Cottage Industry

Come and get your Lake Balls kids!!! Goldfish are so last year, but lake balls are the new and hip kitchen counter accessory. Apparently these "pets" (if you want to call a ball of algae a pet) are fairly common in Japan. Mom and Dad, maybe we can think of a creative use for Lake Winnebago algae when I come home?

Edit: to celebrate Hokkaido Fest (Hokkaido is the northern island of Japan), my local FamilyMarts are now selling Lake Balls. There are even two little fish in the jar, so the lake ball doesn't get lonely!

Adapting to Suit Local Tastes

They say that to be successful internationally, you should consider altering your product to suit local tastes if possible. I went grocery shopping today and found two great examples of this idea, and in the spirit of adventure, I decided to try them. The cantaloupe-flavored KitKat wasn't too bad. It had a sweet, slight melon flavor to it. KitKats are continuously changing flavors over here. I have seen chestnut, green tea, strawberry, peach, white chocolate, red bean, cherry blossom, and probably a few others that I have forgotten. They are good, but the American in me is still a fan of the original. As for the "Ice cucumber" Pepsi in the photo, I can't say the same. I really tried hard, but I could only finish half of the bottle. It tasted a bit like Pepsi Clear from a few years ago, with a strong cucumber after-taste. I'm assuming this is a local market product; I can't see there being a strong demand for vegetable-flavored sodas in the States.

Also, here is a little garden walk of my neighborhood. Summer is here, but it hasn't gotten too hot yet. Although grass is a pretty foreign thing in my neighborhood, the people seem to be flower fanatics! There is an older man who I often see pruning his bonsai trees/flowers. This is one of my favorites.

Hydrangeas are also extremely popular in Japan and are just starting to bloom. They seem to be everywhere, and it is hard to believe that these blooming beauties are a sign of the impending rainy season in a sense.

Holiday in Cambodia

I wonder if the Dead Kennedys really thought about how expensive a holiday in Cambodia really is? I know, Cambodia is supposed to be a foil for American greed in the song, but I'm not so sure rich people would decided to go there on a whim. My ticket to Cambodia in August is going to be really expensive! (even from Japan, darn peak-season pricing) I'm still planning on going though; I just hope my laptop doesn't short circuit due to excessive amounts of drool while I plan my trip.

This past weekend, I enjoyed the Rikugien Garden in the Komagome neighborhood of Tokyo. It was billed as a traditional Japanese garden dating back to the Edo period. It was a beautiful day, and I figured I better enjoy the sunshine and pleasant temperatures before the rainy season starts soon!

There were a ton of turtles fighting the koi for the bread crumbs a guy was feeding them. It was fun to watch. The big turtles would just push the small ones under (sometimes flipping them on their sides in the water), and the turtles would simply use one of their legs to push the koi under/out of the way if they tried to squeeze in (even though the koi were about twice as big as the turtles). I guess limbs work better than fins in situations like these.

Yet another tiny doorway at the entrance to the gardens. Am I really that tall? I don't think so, but I often feel this way in Japan.