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).