Supermarket Adventure (blog by Luis)

Every time I travel, one of my “fetishes” is exploring supermarkets and see what type of food can you find, what do people normally eat in those places/countries. In Japan, there are convenience stores and supermarkets everywhere. Moreover, these are most likely to be open any time, I mean 24/7. In the remote scenario that you cannot find one, you will surely pass by several vending machines.
Once inside the supermarket you feel immediately in an unusual territory.. You start by entering through the left door(the opposite to Europe/US), corridors are quite narrow since the shop tends to be smaller too. I haven’t found any really big supermarkets where you find everything you need (hypermarkets, big grocery stores), here they are more specialized in food (they might have a second floor with clothing and house products). The products, well.. where to start, totally different and very hard to find the brands you normally would find in Europe or America. Foreign brands and products are almost non-existent. If found, they are priced 2 or 3 times above a European/American store. Thus, to save money in Japan, you will need to invest some time exploring Japanese products and brands first. Nonetheless, 1L of Japanese milk costs about 1,50Eur and the only pasta (I wanted penne, there was no fusilli, and only a 2~3 brands of spaghetti) I could find was in a tiny 125g package and cost more than a 500g package in Europe! On the other hand, there is quite a lot of fish for reasonable prices though.
The fruit is curious, the sizes I mean. They look like the fruit in Europe or America, but while the taste is similar to the European (Yummy!), the size is closer to the over-sized American “bland and tasteless plastic” fruit (I am referring to the apples for this comparison). On the other hand, you get vegetables like a cucumbers which are thinner and smaller than the ones overseas.
Time to pay! The payment process is quite similar to anywhere else, the funny part is the gestures of the employee and how they meticulously pass the products through the machine and count the money you give them and the change they give you back, it looks like a ritual (to avoid the word robots) or maybe more like an assembly plant. Another difference is the cash machine they use, there is no till!! Well, there is one but it does not open, the machine has an automatic coin counter and bank note reader and gives back the exact change. Those employees at the counters could easily be replaced by no-one! Nothing revolutionary, we already have self-payment checkouts in Europe, and US has them too.
I almost forgot one important part. Ah! Except for bicycles, there is no parking lots at many of the convenience stores.

Japanese Cooking (blog by Luis)

The other day I cooked: Boiled udon with thin pork slices mixed with vegetables, with Korean kimchii as side dish.
It was my first attempt to cook Japanese food and I must say it was damn good. My meal portions have to be always quite generous. And thus they are not so fancy to the eye. Of course, the Korean kimchii was not prepared by me, but it is considered to be the healthiest food on Earth (by me!), very spicy cabbage, and I love it.

Favorite quote(by Luis)

"Some people see things as they are and ask why.
I dream things that never were and ask why not!"

Below are photos of the front and back from my(Glenn's) parents house. My father recently completed this big project. He did a great job!!

"Let's go for a drive"

Recently I got a Japanese driver's license. It was an ordeal to get it. First I had to do a lot of paperwork, then take a written test, and lastly pass a difficult driving test. But to be honest, it was much better than the other option, which is go to Japanese driving school which requires an exuberant amount of time and money!! One of the main reasons I wanted to get a driver's license was to be able to go for a drive and check out many "nature spots" with my wife around the Kansai area. As soon as I got the license, I said to my wife, "Let's go for a drive!" It was the first time I have ever said that to her.

Ms. N talked about going for a drive to Lake Biwa with her husband a few months ago, and that info stuck in my head, so the first place I decided to go to was Shiga Prefecture. It took about one hour, or one hour and a half, from Nishinomiya to Otsu City last Sunday. There wasn't much traffic on the way there. But on the way back, there was a lot of traffic before getting on the highway. We had to sit in traffic for about 40 minutes until the toll booth. I was in the right lane, which was moving like a snail because many other drivers used the left lane and sped to the front and did a snake job(=cut in the line) at the last minute. What do you think? Is that style of driving dangerous/reckless or clever/smart? I guess it depends on your perspective...

It was cloudy on Sunday, but Lake Biwa and the mountains and countryside scenery were all really beautiful. After we arrived at Lake Biwa, we stretched and ate an egg-salad sandwich for breakfast while gazing at the Lake. Then we drove to a couple of spots on the lake. It was fun to watch a local fisherman catch a lot of fish using a net in a river going into Lake Biwa. He threw out his net about 3 or 4 times, and each time caught about 20 fish. In all, he was there for about 20 minutes or so. It was very efficient fishing I thought. And near him, there were many other fisherman using a rod. But, they didn't catch anything. NOTHING. ZILCH. I wonder what they were thinking...If I was them, I would have bought a fishing net pronto!!
Then, we headed to a local market and for a snack, we ate Mackerel Sushi and a red sweet-beans rice cake. I liked the sushi a lot. Then we drove to the most Northern part of Lake Biwa, but the road was closed so we had to turn around. And then for lunch, we found a small cafe and ate a pizza which was baked in a special pizza oven, and drank an apple juice and ginger-ale. Tow pieces of chocolate cake also came with the pizza lunch set. Everything was good. Do you think we ate a lot? ;) Then, we went for a drive in the mountains. I love the tiered rice fields and countryside scenery of Japan so that was my favorite part of the drive. And before we went back home, I also went in a nice hot spring. It was refreshing.

Some random comments:
1. I got lost two times. Once was in the mountain, and the second time was when I returned the rental car. FYI, the rental car was a Toyota Corolla. It was a smooth ride.
2. The automatic navigation system is truly a great and convenient device. It saved me a lot of time finding many places. Whoever invented it is a genius. But at times it can distract the driver because it beeps a lot and also sometimes gives wrong directions. And, drivers must concentrate on the road, so when we use a navigation system, we should be careful.
3. I would like to to especially thank my mother, my wife, my friend Mr. BD, and the driving teachers who taught me how to drive on the course and pass the driving test, for all of their help in getting the license.

Enjoy the photos!

Cool Biz

What do you think of Cool Biz?
For those of you who don't know what "cool biz" is, please refer to the following explanation which I got from Wikipedia:
"The Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MOE) began advocating the Cool Biz campaign in summer 2005 as a means to help reduce electric consumption by limiting use of air conditioning. This idea was proposed by then-MOE minister Yuriko Koike under the Koizumi cabinet."

Some of the rules are:
1. Offices must set the air conditioner temperature at 28 degrees Celsius(=82.4 degrees Fahrenheit). In my opinion, that is HOT! If you open the windows and use an electric fan, or even a hand fan, I think it would be cooler.
2. Men are not allowed to wear ties or jackets. Instead, they have to wear button down collared shirts. (Be careful, golf shirts are not permitted.)
3. Shorts are prohibited, but Aloha shirts are not.

And it is important to note, that participation in the Cool Biz Campaign is voluntary, not mandatory. That means that all companies don't have to do it. They can do it only if they want to.

Personally, I like to dress up sometimes, and I understand that many business people in Japan feel the need to wear a suit and necktie to please their clients. Especially for salespeople, I can understand why dressing formally may be important. However, I think dressing down in the summer is a great idea for many reasons. One of the reasons is of course to save energy. Anyway, I am definitely for more company participation in the Cool Biz Campaign! How about you...for or against?


"Cool Biz campaign goes 'Super' this summer"
from "The Japan Time Online"
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20110602a1.html

The rainy season is almost over...

Spelling Bee

When I was in 3rd grade in elementary school, I won the Spelling Bee! I won it three years in a row, and then I was dethroned in 6th grade. Those were the glory days!!
Do you know what a "spelling bee" is? Well if not, let me tell you. It is a spelling competition.
Read below for this year's champion! And fyi, the final winning word of this year's tournament was "cymotrichous," which means wavy-haired. Are you good at spelling?

"2011 spelling bee is won by a hair"
from The Japan Times Online
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110604a6.html

And below is one of my favorite sweets to cool down in the hot and humid Kansai summer. Vanilla and Green-tea (Ma-cha) soft ice cream!! Yummy!!!

The Rooster

Last night, after I finished up class with Mr. M at 10pm, I did some paperwork and cleaned up and headed to Kita-Shinchi station on foot. There was a nice breeze, and it was a nice and basically normal night...UNTIL right before I arrived at the station. And then, I couldn't believe my eyes!! There was a rooster on the roof of a car!! I thought I was delirious, maybe sick or something, so I rubbed my eyes a few times and slapped myself in the face (like an Inoki slap!) to wake up. But when I opened my eyes again, the rooster was still there. I was not hallucinating!! It is true, and I am totally serious!! ON THE ROOF OF A CAR, THERE WAS A ROOSTER!!! Now tell me, am I lying?




p.s. Actually, a few months ago, or maybe more, there was a special on a tv show I often watch, "Tantei(Investigator) Night Scoop," about this "rooster on the roof." So I knew about it. But to actually see it with my own eyes, well, that is something different!!

Wajian

The other day I went to a great restaurant with my wife. The name of the restaurant is Wajian, and I definitely recommend it to everyone. It is in Edobori/Higobashi.

I heard about it from Ms. M. She lives the neighborhood and said "Wajian is one of the nest izakayas in Osaka. Take my word for it, you'll love it."

So, I followed her advice and just as she said, it was fabulous!!
What was so great about it?
Well, for starters, the food. The menu is enormous, and my wife and I actually both got tired from reading all of it, so we ordered the "Leave it up to the chef 3800yen Course." It included a raw fish assortment, a grilled beef plate, and some type of nabe(=a hot pot, or vegetables and beef boiled in a pot) with ramen noodles, plus a bunch of other original small dishes. I was more than full. And very satisfied.
In addition, there is a wide selection of beverages; beer, wine, sake, shochu, whiskey, cocktails, and more!!
The owner/chef is around 33 years old, and a nice guy. Two guys, I think one of them is his classmate from high school, help with the cooking. And two ladies, who are very beautiful, help with the floor(=help with waitressing.) For all of you ladies out there, I heard that many people also think that all of the guys are good-looking too. But, I didn't notice...

Take a look at the link below for the menu, and exact location, and oh yeah, the telephone number. Because if you go, reservations are recommended!!
http://www.wajian.com/

Below is my sister-in-law's new project. She is collecting rain using the red buckets on her deck. If she lived in Japan for the past two weeks, I think she would have collected A LOT of rain!!!

Cool bird house!!

A friend? A neighbor? A roommate?

Rainy season, and music

Today is May 31st, the last day of May. Tomorrow will be June 1st, and the first day of June. And June means the summer!!
But before the summer really comes, we have to waddle through the rainy season.
Recently I notice many women walking around town sporting new, slick rain boots. I am considering getting myself a pair!
This year the rainy season began quite early, about two weeks earlier than usual.
When it rains all day, like it did last Sunday, what do you like to do?
Last Sunday I went to the gym for a swim in the morning and then came home, had some lunch, and took it easy in the afternoon while listening to some new CDs I recently bought. Speaking of music, what kind of music do you like? Except for heavy metal and hard-core rap, I basically like everything.

"Tokyo: What's your favorite Japanese music?"
from The Japan Times Online, VIEWS FROM THE STREET:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20110531vf.html

Below is a Buddhist monk in training. ;) That is a joke.
Actually, his mother made a mistake when cutting his hair.
She wasn't used to using the electric clippers because it was her first time to use them.
I think little K looks good and should keep the new hairdo forever!

Luis and Sachiko's Wedding Photos

I had the pleasure of seeing some of their wedding photos; from the photos of the ceremony in the church to the reception and dinner at Luis' cousin's house. It looks like Luis did it right! A top-notch job! I wish I could put more photos up on the blog, but I can only put 5 photos up at one time-that is the max, so I chose 5 of my favorite. And I want to thank Luis for permission to put these photos of his and his wife's very personal moments on the blog!! Now, I hope everyone takes a look and enjoys!

Luis making a toast...Cheers!

A very cool black-and-white shot of the dinner party

Their friends and family in the church.

I think Luis's brother is somewhere in the back laughing.

Hollywood Style!!

Cutting the cake!
I wish I could show you the photos of them feeding each other the cake too...
they were too cute!!!

The Big Day (blog by Luis)

The wedding day is more than a single ceremony and reception party. It requires several months of preparation organizing every detail for that big day.
We flew to Portugal a week earlier and had literally a marathon running around between the catering service, flower shop, church, hairdresser, meeting the DJ/cameraman/photographer,... and end up not being able to sleep more than 5h in any of those nights.
In between, I had to "babysit" my wife's parents and guide them around North of Portugal and Spain. Fortunately they really enjoyed the sightseeing, food and were surprised how helpful and friendly Portuguese people were to them.
Time flies when you are a busy bee and the wedding day came faster than a blink of an eye. Everything was perfect, the flower arrangements in church and we also had a "quarteto" of singers in church, and the reception place and catering service too.
As we were leaving the church we got surprised since there were dozens of French tourists waiting to congratulate us.
Then, we moved to my cousin's house around 6.30pm. At this time of the year in Portugal the sunset is very late, around 9pm. So, we had a few drinks and appetizers by the pool before changing to our kimono&hakama. Everyone wanted to take pics with us.
Dinner started around 9.30pm and lasted until mid-night. After, the party continued around the pool again and finished with the sunrise just after 6am!
We were exhausted but relieved and glad everything went well and our families and friends enjoyed.
The next day was time for some grocery shopping (wine, smoked dried ham, 'choricos', cheese,...)and packing.
Now, after 2 nights back in Japan I am heavily jet lagged and cannot sleep more than 3~4h at night, and extremely sleepy after lunch.

Rice Omelet, New York, Roses

First, does anyone know how to make a rice omelet? If you do, and if you have a good recipe, please tell me because Mr. M is on a mission to make a superb rice omelet, but he seems to be having some trouble. He has tried the past two weekends to make a "good looking" and "good tasting" omelet. However, unfortunately, he has failed. The first time he failed miserably. The second time, he fell one step short of the success line. But I believe this weekend, his third time to try, will be a success!!

The ingredients he used are the following:
milk, eggs, butter, chicken, tomato, onions, green peppers, scallions, ketchup, and oyster sauce.

Is he forgetting anything? Did he leave anything out?
The below photos are proof of his effort and also the results.

Prep work

More Prep work

The second time's result. So close!!!

The first time's result. So far away!!

Grocery shopping

To change the subject, do you know how many roses are in Utsubo Park right now? I have gone to the park every day this week during my break time and counted. The final tally is 3400 roses!!! Actually, I didn't count. That was just a joke. But 3400 is true. I heard it on the radio this morning.

And before I go, I want to pass on some good info. Earlier this week, Ms. J told me that a "New York Fair" is being held at Hankyu Department Store from the 18th of May for about a week. There will be a variety of booths with food, clothes, and a bunch of other stuff. I like bagels, so I am going to grab a few New York bagels and eat the for brunch this Sunday. If you are interested, check it out!

Edobori Blues, Kawaramachi Blanche, a new pizza joint, and Isetan vegetables

Last weekend my wife went back to her hometown in Kyushu, so I was flying solo. On Thursday, I went out to dinner and a few drinks after work. The name of the restaurant/bar which I went to is Edobori-Blues. It opened about 6 years ago, and I pass it almost every day on my way to or from work. I like jazz, especially the blues, so I was curious about the place from the first time I saw it. Plus Ms. T, who lives right across the street from this place, told me "Edobori Blues is always full with middle-aged or old guys like you when I go home," so I was interested in it. Here is what I thought.
When I walked in, there were two men sitting at the counter, and a group of four,two girls and two guys, sitting at a table. I took a seat in between the two guys at the counter. The counter has about 6 stools. There are two tables. The place is quite snug. The chef/owner is a nice guy about the same age as me. One woman helps him behind the counter. They are both friendly. I like shochu, so I ordered a potato shochu on the rocks and two small dishes to start. The shochu was good and cheap. The food was alright, not fantastic, but not bad either. To my surprise, the place is not a "Blues Bar," but the owner plays a lot of American music from the 1970's...it was nostalgic. Basically, I liked it and it is really convenient for me cause it is on my way home, so I plan to go back there again from time to time. I recommend it if;
you like drinking
like 1970's music
don't mind tight places
don't mind second hand smoke
and are not so interested in food/eating.

Also, I wrote about dinner at Kawaramachi Blanche a while back. But I have never written about lunch. I went there for lunch the other day. I know it is a popular lunch spot, so I arrived at 11:40am because I thought it would get busy from noon and I wanted to beat the crowd. But, it was wrong. It was already packed when I got there. There are tables and a counter. I choose a stool at the counter because I was by myself. There are two choices for lunch, "A", which was breaded chicken something something, or "B", which was a cheese hamburger. Both sets comes with soup, a salad and rice. When I saw the chicken, I immediately knew why it is popular. It looks delicious and tasted even better! It was EXCELLENT! If you are in Honmachi, I highly recommend this place. However, it is a little small, crowded, and smoking is allowed, so if any of these points bother you, then you should better not go I think.

And, I tried a new pizza place which just opened in Honmachi last week too. There was a buzz about this place last week in Honmachi, and every day a long line formed in front of the entrance. This is because as part of an "Opening Sale," everything on the menu; pizza, appetizers, drinks, dessert, was half price for the first 5 days. And lunch, a pizza, soup and salad, was only 500yen!! That is a great deal, and pizza is one of my favorite foods, so I really wanted to check it out. But I was disappointed. The pizza was alright, but it is not worth the regular price. The salad was fresh and good. But the soup, I ordered minestrone, was minute!! In addition, I don't really like the atmosphere so I will probably not go again. I am rooting for this pizza joint to succeed because I root for all new businesses in Honmachi, but I would be very surprised if it made it.

Oh yeah, before I forget, my wife really recommends the vegetable section of the food area at the new Isetan Department Store in Umeda. She said the other food sections are nothing special, but the vegetable section in "Very Great" with many kinds of unique and fresh vegetables at a reasonable price.

Below is the new outside furniture which my folks bought for their house. Don't you think it looks great!?

Raw and Royal

First, let's talk about raw beef. As many of you know, many people got food poisoning and as of today, four people even died from eating "Yukke," which is raw beef topped with raw egg. That's right, a "double raw" dish!! It is my impression that many Japanese like and order this dish, a delicacy in Japan, when they go to a Yakiniku restaurant.
I have eaten it a handful of times. I only thought it was really delicious at one restaurant, which I have been to two or three times and is located in the southern part of Osaka. Except for the "Yukke" at this restaurant, I thought all of the other "Yukke" I have eaten is "just alright," which means it is nothing special.
In general, Americans don't eat any meat; beef, chicken, pork, or even fish, which is not cooked. I know you are thinking, "What about sushi?! There are many sushi restaurants in America with strange sushi rolls like California Roll, New York Roll, Philadelphia Roll, Spicy Tune Tempura Roll, etc!!" Well, please remember that sushi became popular, main stream, in America only within the past ten years or so. For example, if you ask my father now in 2011, "Hey Big Guy, would you like to go out for some sushi?" He would say "Sure! I'd love to. Count me in!" But if you asked him the same question 20 years ago, he would say something like this: "Sushi!? What are you crazy!? You should get your head examined."
Personally, I love sushi now, but I had never eaten even one piece of sushi before I was 21 years old. And that was the only raw food I ever ate while I lived in America. Since, I have come to Japan, over the years, I have tried raw egg, raw horse meat, raw chicken, raw pork...I think that's about it. I could eat everything and for the most part liked everything, but to be honest, I would choose scrambled eggs over rice over raw egg over rice any day of the week. The same goes for beef, chicken, and pork.
How about you? What do you think about raw meat? Do you like it?

Now, on to the next topic. The Royal Wedding! Did you watch it? I watched it live because I am really interested in these types of events!! They are so exciting and glitzy and glamorous! Actually, that is not true. I watched it because I had no choice in the matter. My wife reserved the rights to our TV two weeks in advance because she wanted to see Kate's dress and see William and Kate smooch! Anyway, did you watch it? What did you think?

Below is a photo of Moco, Mrs. K's new family member. Moco is a mix of a poodle and chihuahua I think...but I am not 100% sure so don't quote me on that.

Y's (a repeat)

After work on Saturday, I went to Happy Hour at "The White Bear"by myself in Shinchi. I got my favorite seat outside and while sipping on a few brewskies, I relaxed and watched the pedestrians strolling by. Then my wife came and we headed to one of her favorite places, Y's. It was our second time there, and she was really looking forward to it. Compared to last time, this time was better for a few reasons I think. First, I asked Mr. Yoshida (the owner/chef) to recommend a good wine, and he recommended a nice one. Second, the bread was more delicious this time. But I ate one piece too many, and this came back to haunt me later! Third, my entree, the duck, was good! And My wife's entree, the special Okinawa Pork, was perfectly cooked and the portion was GIGANTIC!!! It was definitely worth the extra 1000 yen. But again, like last time, I couldn't finish my meal so I had to bring some of the pork home in a doggy bag. Lastly, we were fortunate to meet a very nice couple who I will refer to as Mr. and Mrs. Fukushima. Mr. and Mrs. F sat next to us by chance. My wife was sitting next to Mrs. F. My wife and since we usually don't talk so much, my wife had ample time to eavesdrop on Mr. and Mrs. F's conversation. It is not so polite, but it is interesting! She likes eavesdropping and is very good at it!! It was Mrs. Fukushima's birthday, so when the chef prepared a special cake with candles for her, we both said "Happy Birthday" to her and then the four of us began talking. Mr. F is originally from Nagano and came to Osaka about 10 years ago for work. He is in the fashion industry. He originally worked for a top trading company and then was head-hunted to work in a client's apparel company. He speaks Chinese fluently, is in charge of vacuuming in the house, dresses very slickly fashionable but not too flashy, and is a very good listener I think. This quality is very important for him in his job because he is a salesman, and also in his home, because his wife Mrs. F talks a lot! A good talker always needs a good listener!! Mrs. F is from South Osaka and speaks very politely, but in Osaka dialect. She is very fashionable but doesn't wear too much make-up. She works in her cousin's company, is a good cook, and loves her dog very much! She and my wife got along very well! Mr. and Mrs. F dated for a while before they got married about two years ago. We probably talked for about an hour and a half. We talked so much that Mrs. F couldn't even relax and eat her special birthday dessert!! According to Mr. F, it was love at first sight. My wife and I had a really good time and it was nice to have a good dinner and also meet good people at the same time. In a sense, we "killed two birds with one stone." Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Fukushima!!

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of Golden Week vacation!!

Golden Week Vacation...

GW Vacation is just around the corner. Do you have any plans?As of now, I plan to go hiking one day. Except for that, I will chill out the rest of the time. I might also meet some friends for dinner or something a night or two, but I haven't decided yet. I am looking forward to spending a lot of time outside jogging, walking, cycling, sleeping, and more.

To change the subject, yesterday morning there was sudden storm in the morning. When I walked to the classroom in the morning, the sky was blue. And then, while teaching, I heard loud thunder and then saw some lightening. When I looked outside, it was dark and seconds later it began pouring. I looked out of the window and saw many frantically people holding newspapers over their heads while running towards their offices. Maybe the didn't expect it to rain.

Anyway, this week is a short week. Hope everyone enjoys it!

p.s. Last week an old friend of mine Mr. B.D. sent me an email with some photos from an excursion he went on the other day day. I hadn't spoke to him in a while so it was nice to get a note from him. He said the cherry blossoms and river and mountains and spa, and everything were great! Can you tell from the photos below where he went? If not, guess!! And ask me for the correct answer when you see me.

Trail Running

This morning I went for a jog and stretched a little. Only about 5km, but it was nice. And I was lucky, cause right after I finished running, it began to rain.

Then, on my way to the classroom, I stopped at The Big Issue office in Dojima, and donated two bags of clothes. For those of you who don't know, The Big Issue is an Organization which publishes and sells a magazine called "The Big Issue" to support homeless people. Here is the conversation at the office.
Staff Member: Hello. Can I help you?
Glenn: Yes, last year I came here and donated some clothes. I'd like to do the same today.
Staff member: Oh really?! Thank you very much. Do you read The Big Issue Magazine?
Glenn: Yes, I buy every issue. It's interesting. Anyway, there are pants and sweaters, all clean, and there is no underwear or socks in the bags. Is that alright?
Staff member: Yes, that's fine. I will distribute them to the guys.
Glenn: Thank you.

And, then this afternoon, I got a great email from Mr. K. Read it for yourself.

"Hi Glenn. I ran Hiraodai trail running race 40km on April 17th.I completed the full distance. But my upper legs was cramped at the 30km point... Hiraodai is a beautiful mountain in Kitakyushu. The mountain scenery on Hiraodai is amazing. I felt great while running in Hiraodai. For details, please visit the following my blog's article. You can see the beautiful photos in Hiraodai. Enjoy my photos and race report. Best Regards, K"

I love nature, and walking, hiking, running. And I also like Kyushu. I am very jealous of Mr. K. But more importantly, Congratulations to Mr. K for finishing this great race!! It is a triumph!

Tokyo Report

Two weeks ago, Luis went to Tokyo for a job interview. When he came back, he gave me the low-down. Here it is. Tokyo was dark. Many of the train stations and convenience stores and shops keep many of the lights off, or only use half of the lights. There wasn't any water on the shelves in the convenient stores. Business was as usual, and there were many people walking around. But the people seems a little tense, and tired. Maybe this is because of dealing with and thinking about the blackouts, the many smaller earthquakes, and the radioactivity.

Have you been to Tokyo, on business or for pleasure, recently? If yes, what did you think? If not, do you have any plans to go to Tokyo in the near future?

Who is that shadow lady?!

The answer: Ms. F in San Francisco. She loves it there and lived there for about ten years. Some day, one day in the future, it is her dream to go back and live there. I hope her dream comes true...

Housework (blog by Luis)

Do you like it? I don't recall anyone saying they enjoy doing it. I am no exception either. However, lately I find myself doing many chores around the house. With the exception of cooking, which I do occasionally, I do the following tasks regularly; laundry, dishwashing, cleaning, vacuuming, and throwing away the trash. This may sound a bit odd to most Japanese, but not so much for Americans and Europeans. Nowadays, couples in America and Europe tend to split the housework. About 50-50. They both share the responsibility of housework. One of the reasons for this tendency is that many women work full time now. When I was a child, my parents taught me to clean up my room and help out cleaning the house every weekend. Then in University I lived with so friends in a flat so we couldn't rely on our parents to do the housework! We had to do everything by ourselves!! When I was 18, I moved out of my parents house. Since then, I have always lived on my own, with friends, by myself, or now with my wife. This experience made me more independent and resourceful, not only with cleaning, but also with fixing stuff at home. And now, because I am a student again, I have more time than my wife who has a full-time job. Thus, I don't mind taking care of our flat. But, to be honest, I really hate doing the dishes! How about your place? Who does most of the housework?

Below are some cherry blossom photos courtesy of Ms. e. Thank you.

"Diet Challenge," and Cherry Blossoms

In January I decided to participate in my gym's "Diet Challenge." The rules were the following: 1. You have to be weighed at the gym by a staff member in January. 2. Three months after this "weigh-in day," you have to be weighed at the gym again. 3. For every 1 kg that you lose, the gym will give you a 500yen gift certificate which must be used at the gym. That's it. It was a no brainer!! And an easy win and easy money! On Jan. 7th, I was 82.15kg. On April 8th, I was 77.45. That is a difference of 4.7 kilograms, and when rounded up, 5kg! That's right, in 3 months I lose 5 kg!! How did I do it? Well, that is a secret!!! But if you ask me directly, I will be happy to tell you. And 5kg X 500yen=2500yen! I already used one of the 500yen gift certificates. I bought some exercise drinks. The expiration date of the certificates is in October, so there is plenty of time to use them. I am looking forward to it.

Speaking of gift certificates, I used 5000yen of my eco-point gift certificates and bought stuff for a cherry blossom picnic with the Mrs. last Sunday in Shukugawa. It was my first time to Shukugawa, and I was really impressed. It was crowded, but it wasn't too crowded, and we got a great spot under one of the pink trees, and ate and drank and "people-watched" a lot, and talked a little. The blossoms and the area were really beautiful!! It was a great day!!

TV and AC

I like TV. Usually when I get home, I watch the news while eating dinner. In the morning, I don't watch tv. Instead, I listen to the radio, usually ABC Radio. On Sunday, I usually wake up early and watch a talk-show or a news program while drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. After that, I usually go for a run or walk. In the afternoon or at night, I like to watch various sports, some variety-type comedy shows. If there is nothing good on tv, I pop in a DVD. Do you like TV? If yes, what kind of shows do you like? not like?

Speaking of TV, I know all of you have seen those commercials. You know the ones I am talking about, the ONLY ones on TV now after the terrible earthquake-tsunami-nuclear accident disaster. The "AC" commercials. (Not Air Conditioner!!) I didn't know what AC stands for, or why ONLY AC commercials were on TV, so I googled it. Here is what I found.

The following is from From The Japan Times Online

"CM of the week: Advertising Council Japan- When commercial stations returned to partial normalcy Monday they started airing adverts again, but except for an occasional spot from the part-book publisher DeAgostini, the majority of traffic has been taken up by Advertising Council Japan (AC), a nonprofit organization that coordinates the production of public service announcements with major advertising companies on a volunteer basis. Several of the spots focus on specific campaigns, such as the one featuring former Japan national soccer team coach Ivica Osim about the importance of receiving medical attention quickly following signs of a stroke; or the message from actress Akiko Nishina and her daughter advocating checkups for cancer of the breast and cervix. However, most of the AC spots promote positive social values, such as respect for the elderly, the pursuit of knowledge and common courtesy. The subtlest message, and the most beautiful, is a series of "echoed" statements taken from a poem by Misuzu Kaneko that represent the special relationship between a brother and sister. The purpose is to encourage people to speak to one another in a kinder fashion."

"Let's Play Ball!!

Good morning. It is still chilly, but according to the weather forecast, it seems that it will warm up a little in the end of this week and the weekend. Then, maybe the cherry blossoms can bloom, signaling the beginning of spring.

The first topic of the day is "a touching speech."Ms. N told me that she was touched when she watched one of the high school baseball players give a speech in the opening ceremony of the national baseball tourney. This tournament is being held at Koshien Stadium and there are 32 teams participating in it. One of the teams in the tourney is Tohoku, which is located in Miyagi. Fyi, Tohoku lost yesterday in the first round, 7-0.

Here is a loose translation the high school baseball player's speech that moved Ms. N.

"All of us were born in the same year as the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, 16 years ago.

Now, our hearts are saddened by the loss of many precious lives in the Great Higashi-Nihon Earthquake.

In the areas affected by the disaster, all of the people, friends and strangers alike, have come together and are doing their best...

With each other's support, I believe that people, we, can overcome anything...

What can we do now?

We, the players, must pull ourselves together and play with all our might in these Games.

Japan!!! Come one, don't give up! Hang in there!!

In gratitude for Life, We pledge to stay true to the spirit of fair play and play with every ounce of our heart and soul."

What can I do to help?

"I can't do anything..." or "There is nothing I can do..." are the incorrect answers.

The correct answers are:
"I can do something!" or "There is definitely something I can do!"

Mr. M is a doctor. I met him on Monday morning. He works for a National University's hospital and told me:
"My friend, another doctor, is a member of the DMAT team. (The DMAT team is a special unit of doctors who respond to disasters.) He already went to Tohoku, and he told me he is trying his best, but the situation is bleak...I want to help if I can. But my turn is not now. Now is it DMAT''s turn. In the future, I will be able to go to the area on a different team of doctors and help people. Then it is my turn. So, I just have to wait for my turn."

Mr. M is correct. Everyone's turn to help will come. We just have to wait and be patient. And we have to take action and make our turn.
And in the meantime, we have to do whatever we can, from Osaka, to help. There are many ways to help! Many many ways. You just have to think. "How can I help?" "What can I do?" If you think long enough, you will find the answer. Even if you can not help the people in Tohoku directly, now, then finding a way to help indirectly is OK.

An old wise man used to take me out for dinner and drinks often. I once said to him. "I feel very bad because I can never repay you for all of this." He said, "Don't worry about repaying me. In the future, when you can, please take another person out. Please help another person. If you do that, then you will also be repaying me."

This is a very simple example of helping indirectly.

Here is another example.

Since the earthquake my wife has prepared a super earthquake evacuation bag. It is filled with food, water, batteries, flashlights, clothes, underwear..and more. Preparing this bag is great for us, but that doesn't help other people. However, she tells her mother, and her co-workers about this bag and how important it is. Then, maybe her mother will tell her grandchild, and maybe her co-workers will tell their children, and then maybe those children can learn from that. This is helping. It may be a small, but it is what is necessary to be done now. It is what she can do now.

Then, yesterday, we donated 30,000yen to the Japanese Red Cross.
If you want to do so, here is the link:

https://gienkin.jrc.or.jp/application/corporate

If that money is big or small or medium, I don't know nor care. But it was what we could do now. In addition, I also want to donate clothes to the survivors in that area as soon as possible.
And donating blood is also a good idea.

Next, I will think of another way to help. The ways to help are endless...

Also, I really think that it is important for everyone to keep this motivation to help for at least one year. At least! Keeping this motivation, continuing to try to help, and not forget, is so so important!! I urge you. Please think of how you can help, and also please keep this motivation for at least one year!!

Flickers of Hope...

We must believe...There is hope.

Here are a few stories I heard this morning on the radio.

In Miyagi, an old man in a shelter was in disbelief and said "What are we going to do?"
A young boy who was sitting next to him said "Don't worry. When my friends and I become older, we are going to rebuild this town."

A man in Sendai twitted "I have never seen such beautiful stars. Everyone, look up at the sky!"

Two Osaka business men were stuck in Tokyo without a place to stay. They had no hotel reservations, the Bullet train was stopped, and they had no where to go. At that time. a homeless man handed them a folded-up cardboard box and said "It's cold and wet outside. Sleep on this. "

An old woman in Fukushima said, "In the morning I saw two blond hair, flashy-dressed teenage girls, talking loudly and pushing their cell phones hanging out on the corner in town. Later at night, after the quake and tsunami, I saw the same two girls handing out candy and sweets to little kids who were crying."

Earthquake (Continued...)

I am really at a loss for words. Stunned. Speechless...
When the earthquake happened last Friday, I don't think anyone could have imagined the aftermath...

We should all do what we can, if anything, to help.
And pray.

All I can say now to all of those people suffering from this tragedy is, Hang in there...

Earthquake...

Here is the play by play at around 2:45pm today while I was teaching Mr. T.
Mr. T is a President of a big company around here, and we were on the subject of cherry blossoms. This is the dialogue:

Glenn: You should have a cherry blossom party with your employees at Utsubo Park in the end of March. It just around the corner from your office.
Mr T: Really? Utsubo Park has cherry blossoms? I didn't know that.
The voice in Glenn's head: Is the room shaking?! Or swaying? Is this an earthquake?! But Mr. T is fine, he looks fine, he isn't saying anything...Am I sick?! It has been a really long week, maybe something is wrong with me, because the room really feels like it is going around in a circle...
Of course while the voice in Glenn's head was talking, Glenn's real voice was also saying: Yes, Utsubo has beautiful cherry blossoms! I can't believe you don't know that. How long have your worked in Honmachi?! 6 years, right?! Ustubo is truly beautiful when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom! You should definitely check it out!!

Then, all at the same time;
1. I noticed that the calendar on the wall was swaying back and forth a lot!
2. The Junior High school girls in the school across the street were screaming in high screeching voices
3. The nice lady who works above me came running down the stairs with her husband and said from outside the door, "Glenn, are you OK?! It an earthquake...We are gonna evacuate and get out of the building...are you coming?... In Tokyo, it's supposedly really big!!"

To be continued...

Chapped Lips and Chain Mail

Yesterday, when I woke up I thought "My lips are chapped." And I remembered that I bought some chap stick last year, so I searched my house, opened all the drawers, and then I found it. I immediately applied the chap stick to my lips, and like magic, my lips were soothed and felt better.

When you get chapped lips, what do you do?

And, I got a chain mail from my mother this morning. It is a little interesting, so please read it:

[2011-This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So, forward this to your friends and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui the one who does not forward.....will be without money.]

My mother said, "Not taking any chance! I hope it works." So I am forwarding it to all of you via this blog!

Hay Fever, and curry

This morning I got an email from my father about hay fever. Here it is:
"i have hay fever. when i was younger i got two shots (needles) per week during the HF season. have taken various meds through the years. at one point, many years ago, i had specialty pills that were given to me by an allergist. that went on for years! they say it gets better when u r older, and i find that to be true. past 2 years have been mild for me. love, dad"

To change the subject, recently one of my favorite dinners is curry. And curry comes in different colors, green, red, yellow, orange...I don't have a favorite color, they are all good, but the spicier the better! Usually if I am lucky, I eat curry on Friday night. If not Friday, sometimes on Thursday night. And curry is also convenient because I can eat leftover curry the next day. I eat leftovers about three times a week! I know that sounds poor, but this type of recycling is also ecological and good for the environment!

March

Welcome to March! Yesterday was rainy, but it was also quite warm...about 18 degrees Celsius. It was nice, and it means that true spring is really just around the corner.

I love spring, but for people like my wife who have hay fever, spring is not such a pleasant season. Off the top of my head, I can name at least 10 people I know who have hay fever. Mr. F, Ms. T, Mr. S...and the list goes on and on. The symptoms of hay fever are miserable. Itchy eyes, itchy nose, red and puffy faces... I feel really sorry for all of you who suffer from this terrible allergy. And, I read in the newspaper today that over 20,000,000 Japanese people have hay fever. Do you know the population of Japan? Well, compared to that number, 20 million folks is a lot!!! And according to the news, this year the pollen count will be 5 times larger than that of last year. So get ready Hay Fever people, unfortunately it is gonna be a long spring!!

To change the subject, last week two people said some pretty harsh things to me.
The first person was a guy, Mr. C. When I went out with the guys for a few drinks last Saturday night, out of no where he said, "So when did you start to lose your hair?"

And then, on Monday at the Spa, a friend of mine said, "Wow, you really gained a lot of weight!"

Last week was a tough week for me. I hope this week is gentler! :)

Below are some wonderful photos from. Ms.e. She took them when she went to Osaka Park to see the Plum Blossoms. Thank you!