I'm on a Bus!

Hi! It's been a while, hasn't it? Well between bus trips and midterms, I'm still not sure if my head's still on straight. Please be a little more patient with me. Thank you!

Today Okaasan and I went on a bus trip sponsored by local neighborhood community thingie. Hannah was there too. It took around an hour to get to Kyoto, but we weren’t near any place I’ve been before. We were further west, near Lake Biwa.

Drunk Goldfish

First we went to the Sagawa Art Museum (wherefore referred to as SAM), an art museum sponsored by Sagawa Express (a delivery service). The outside is breathtaking, a modestly large building with a huge reflection pond surrounding it. The museum mostly focuses on three artists: a painter, a sculptor, and a potter, but it had a special exhibit on ukiyo-e (comic woodblock prints). For those of you who don’t know me, I absolutely adore ukiyo-e. My favorite picture there was a group of drunk goldfish. In other interesting things, I was most impressed by the pottery exhibit designs (Museum Studies minor at heart~!). They were the most amazing I’ve ever seen. The lighting was almost pitch black (we were in a basement) and the foyer was only lit by a strip of sunlight. Going over to inspect the source of light, I realized that the sunlight was shining in through the reflection pool that surrounds the museum; it was beautiful!

Now the way they exhibited the pottery was excellent as well. Using light to draw the viewer towards the various flower vases and such, I was astonished at how well it allowed the viewer to move through the exhibit. I also noticed this in the Genji Museum, but not in any of the other museums I’ve visited in America. Maybe it’s a technique used mostly in Japan? I don’t know. What I do know is that that exhibit filled me with a reverence that is usually only found in my holiest of holy places—the library archives, full of information and ancient books for me to peruse. Despite museums being held up with a ton of worship in my life, I’ve never experienced the same feeling that I did in the SAM. I am very impressed. For their explanation of this concept, please click here.

After visiting SAM, we went to lunch at some weird fish place. I don’t really know the name, but it was a mix of grocery store and really fancy restaurant. Don’t believe me? Check out these pictures of their decorations.

It had a bow tie  and top hat. I have no regrets!

It was bucketloads of fun, though. For lunch I had something called kaminabe (paper nabe). This title is due to the fact that the soup is heated while being encased in paper. 

Mmmmm....kaminabe

There's a flame, right under the paper. I still don't understand how it doesn't catch on fire!

There were also fish on a stick. They were staring at me...

"Don't eat us, Sarah!"

I have no regrets...except the skin was pretty bitter. I don't know how everyone else managed to munch it down...

Following that, we went to a planetarium, where I promptly fell asleep. I did wake up to see the cool graphics and a movie that really had nothing to do with stars or planets at all…but some very inventive uses of fish and cherry blossoms. In the beginning, I also noticed an interesting use of the Detective Conan theme song (a popular cartoon for children and adults alike) to keep children from getting scared from the dark. Okaasan seemed to find it pretty boring…I kinda did as well, but I think it had to do with the fact that the guide was talking at the speed of light, and my Japanese isn’t that good yet.

We went up a mountain on a gondola to see a shrine. I took pictures and went to the Inari (fox god of rice and the harvest) shrine.   

The view from the gondola

Then we went out for tea at an old wagashi shop (this means that the family has spent hundreds of years perfecting their sweets recipes). I found them delicious, yet weird-tasting. My dessert had something called agar-agar in it. It looked like an ice cube but wiggled like jello and crunched like waterchestnuts. I found the sensation very strange, but there was anko and the sweet rice dumplings (called mochi) had the consistency of someone’s first matzahball attempt (a.k.a. crunchy, chewy, grainy, and sinkers).

Soft, chewy, and delicious

...it was okay?

What do you do when you've finished your final test for the week...?

Toji Temple - The largest wooden pagoda in Japan

You go to Toji Temple and check out their flea market, of course!

Hi all! It’s really been a while!

While midterms are not quite done yet for me, I have heard that some of you are asking Dad about me (no, I have not fallen off the face of the earth...yet). It’s all okay, I’m not dead (but the midterms are trying to kill me!).

So today after my midterm in Reading/Writing, I decided (spur of the moment) to go to Kyoto’s Toji Temple. This had absolutely nothing to do with the giant flea market that happens monthly, I tell you. Needless to say, I took Smitty and we had a blast!

Smitty and I

Since this was spur-of-the-moment, I did not have my trusty camera with me, but Smitty did and very graciously allowed me to borrow it for a few shots. But why are you asking about pictures? What you really want to know is what I bought, right?

I, Sarah [Last Name Omitted Because of the Internet], have finally achieved my two-year dream. I have a furisode. And it’s pink~! Furisode are the types of kimono worn by young, unmarried women. They are known for their long sleeves that flutter gracefully in the wind. They are sold new, usually on the $3,000 range. Luckily I was shopping for used kimono and, due to spotting an imperfection that the owner supposedly didn’t know about, managed to get it for about ¥4,000 (~$52) which is a great deal, especially for a hand embroidered furisode. There’s a little damage, but I think it can easily be covered. Okaasan said it might not fit me though, so over the next couple of days, we’re going to try and see what is the best fit is.

I also bought several obi—the main sash used to tie kimono shut. According to Okaasan, only one of the three I bought is usable. I bought obi to match my kimono, but obi aren’t supposed to do that. The esteemed Alex (my upperclassman and Japan Club appointed Queen of Kimono) had already taught me this, but I had forgotten in my lookit-all-the-pretty-fabrics-and-patterns-and-oooh!-it’s-pink haze that often occurs when I am in the presence of pretty things. But pictures! They will be up soon.

Danjiri Matsuri

I went with these two jokers, and Heather (not pictured)

Hi! It’s been a while! This is mostly due to midterms week being next week and also me settling into a more boring routine than what has been previously broadcast. Anyways, today I went to a danjiri festival in Osaka.

The circle is a drum someone sits inside with and beats

The Danjiri matsuri was all sorts of epic awesome. We went to two shrines, the first where I received an onmamroi (good luck charm) for safe driving (though I’m thinking of having it always on my person when I’m on the harrowing streets of Japan) and I got to take lots of pictures, which were ruined by the low lighting, my lack of flash, and the constant drizzle.

We also got to slip away from the group for a short time to find our own dinner. I found a lovely family restaurant which had the most delicious miso soup I could eat. In addition to that, I had a fried chicken (karage) bento box. Again, this was some of the best food I’ve eaten here (including some of Okaasan’s!) and I can only wait to bring more people back to try more of the menu.

Seriously, the broth was  mind-blowing

Here’s the thing about Japanese festivals (matsuri)—they’re pretty darn awesome. I mean, it’s like a mini state fair or something. There were ring tosses, cotton candy, and even grilled things on a stick (which were delicious).

Goldfish catching game

 

Some of the stalls

Ring toss!

HAVE I SAID HOW MUCH I LOVE FESTIVALS, YET? 'CAUSE I REALLY DO!

Dancing Dragon Dude

The main shrine (last two pictures above) we visited was next to Korea town and had some really fun booths and stalls (see above). Unfortunately, the matsuri had a ton of rain, so the danjiri was covered in plastic bags, but it was still excellent, despite the water dripping down my back. The danjiri traveled across the town (even passing the restaurant we were having dinner at) and made a stop at the shrine where someone got on top of the slippery, plastic-covered roof to dance a dance that, according to my poor translation of an old man talking to me, was supposed to imitate a dragon but also looked like a cat. Thanks to the marvels of modern technology (and my cell phone), I managed to get some video of the event, even if it is of slightly poor quality. In the video, the music just sounds like noise, but standing in the rain, listening to the beat of the gong in addition to the beat of the rain just sounded to me like the heartbeat of the matsuri. I couldn't stop the silly grin from sprawling across my face. There's this vivid sense of community you get while watching this. I couldn't find anyone in a bad mood; everyone was laughing or smiling.

And then it was time to be off! Everyone grabbed their ropes and hauled the danjiri off to more parts of town. And then it really started to pour.

Guy in the danjiri--one of the musicians (gong, I believe)

After the danjiri left, I made a prayer at the temple, first paying, then ringing the bell...

...then praying

Eventually we got home. It just took two trains and a bus to do it. What a late night (though it would have been later if they hadn't canceled the main danjiri event due to rain!)!

Pencil Sharpeners and Festivals

Today I finally bought a pencil sharpener. I had searched high and low for one in many different shops, before finally finding one right under my nose in the campus bookstore. Japanese take their stationary stuff seriously, so it’s of good quality (which is good because I spent over a buck on it due to that darn exchange rate!). 

I’m finding it useful already and it cuts really nicely. And yes, if you’re wondering, I have spent the past month or so using presharpened pencils that I brought from home and I haven’t sharpened them until now (yes, I adore the old fashioned pencils despite being in a mechanical pencil-ized Japan…). Maybe as souvenirs for everyone, I’ll just bring back the incredibly high-quality stationary stuff Japan has to offer!

This weekend I’m going on a fieldtrip for my anthropology class to the Fall Festival (aki matsuri). I’m not really sure what to expect, but there’s sure to be pictures up and around sometime after. This festival also has a danjiri, but will be taking place at night, so I’m all excited over how I don’t have my tripod with me to capture the lights display. >.< But it’ll be fun, the teacher knows a bunch of people in the area and is getting reservations for dinner there!

つまらないね。。。(Boring...)

Today was a holiday! Hooray! I spend the day alternately studying and doing nothing. Yeah, nothing much happened. 

Also, I appear to have misunderstood the rules for sorting trash yet again, when I tried to dispose of my disposable razor. I wonder when I will be able to fully function (or even partially—I’m not picky!) in Japanese society instead of stumbling around like a blind, drunk, madwoman. Not that I’m denying the madwoman part, but I always feel like I’m catching everything at the tail end. I’m just assuming that this is culture shock—the whole not always catching everything deal—but it’s kinda hard. I still don’t understand half of what Okaasan says to me, because it’s a mix of Japanese and English and my brain hurts switching between the two, but I’d like to think that my skills of inferring things are getting better.

Danjiri and Street Market!

This morning I got to make pancakes! At last, something I can do correctly without fumbling stuff up. I remember countless mornings of helping Dad make the pancake batter, watching him create his own buttermilk, and slipping chocolate chips into the batter when I thought he wasn’t looking (he was). Okay, sure, this batter was from a mix and not created from scratch as in my youth, and I wasn’t there to make the batter, just to pour it, but it was something that I could do and that I can do well—a pleasant change from the (apparent) disaster of last night.

After that, I studied for classes on Tuesday—did I mention that tomorrow is a national holiday so I have no school? I’m planning on reveling in sleeping in—Monday is one of my 9am classes.

The children's danjiri

The adult danjiri

In the afternoon we went to a small street market. On the way, we met a couple of danjiri. What are danjiri you may ask, and how does one meet one? Danjiri are traveling shrines, hoisted on the shoulders of many muscular men in revealing clothing. It is joyous. Inside the shrine are people with drums who are singing and chanting. It is quite a cacophony. Even children enter this event, dragging smaller shrines of their own. The shrine is supposed to represent the kami (god) of the area; through this event, the kami is shown around town to view all under its protection.

At the street market, I bought a pair of earrings for a ridiculously good price. They’re my style and they look great with what I like to wear. I’m very pleased by them.

Welcome to Yamadajinja

Throw some money in the box, ring the bell, then pray to the gods

Following the street market, we went to the Yamada Jinja (the Yamada Shrine). It’s a very small shrine enclosed by a small grove of trees on top of a hill. Due to the festival, the guardians (called komainu or liondogs), have fresh bibs on to celebrate.

New bib! Look at how white and fresh it is!

Also at Yamada is a small shrine to Inari (the fox god) that imitates the famous Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto with its many tori (gates).

The tori gates

The shrine

Inside the shrine reside two stone foxes, a manjuu (type of sweet bun (the white thing)), and some fresh produce (persimmon and cucumber), also sake. You cannot have an offering to a god without sake. 

For dinner, we made sushi--both maki (rolled in seaweed) and Inarizushi (with aburage). As usual, I did not live up to the Japanese standard, which is okay because, unlike Okaasan, I have not spent my life devoted to the art of Japanese cooking and standards.Okaasan took over the stuffing, so in my sushi I had egg, shrimp, octopus, cucumber, fish, fish paste boiled with bamboo, asparagus, and (a Kansai specialty) a hot dog.

That circle = hot dog. Only found in Kansai area sushi...

My maki sushi and Inarizushi

Okaasan making Inarizushi (which I failed completely at...)

Cucumber sushi -- named Kappa Sushi after the water dwelling monster that is said to be fond of cucumbers.

The sushi Okaasan allowed me to make for her with fishpaste, egg, cucumber, octopus, and shrimp.

Okaasan's Cooking

So, how do you explain table top gaming to a 68 year old Japanese woman in Japanese? I’ve done so, but I’m not so sure about the answer….

Today I also had the opportunity to eat Kitsune Udon. Now, as some of you might know, kitsune means “fox” in Japanese—no, I did not eat fox. What I ate instead was udon (white noodles) topped with aburage—fried tofu skin. Now, aburage is said to be a favorite of foxes, which is why aburage stuffed with rice is called Inarizushi (Inari being the god of foxes and rice, while “zushi” being a derivative of “sushi” (trust me, it works in Japanese…)) and soup with aburage in it is called “fox noodles” (kitsune udon).

 Okaasan also made the udon by hand (or by foot, as it actually appears to be mixed in a plastic bag while you stomp on it. But hey, freshly made pasta is the best kind of pasta) and I could feel how tender the noodles were. They were chewy and I reveled in them, slurping them up with gusto (here slurping is considered good manners! Ha, Mom! I’ve finally found a place where I can “hoover” and not get in trouble!) I usually reserve for Mrs. P’s pasta (the Italian cooking goddess who has been a friend of the family for many years), Mom’s meatloaf (on a scale from 1 to yummy, rate a rush to the table for seconds), and Dad’s pizza and his polenta casserole (which have been blessed by the gods of culinary delights). Okaasan’s udon noodles were delicious, and I can’t wait to eat them again. This is considered a “winter” dish, so I’m expecting them to be hanging around. Whoo hoo!

However, aburage appears to be the same taste and consistency of maple-syurp drenched pancakes. It was a surprise to find something so teeth-hurtingly sweet in the savory soup. I was a little (and by that, I mean very) surprised. It’s very unlikely that it actually used any maple syrup (which costs an arm and a leg and very possibly part of your soul as well for a very small bottle); I think she used sweet cooking wine and soy sauce, but whatever it was, it was sweet.

So, cooking with Okaasan. Well, I had a far out dream that maybe, just maybe, I could be able to impress Okaasan with my cooking. After tonight, this is a dream no more. I absolutely failed at helping Okaasan make okonomiyaki. My cutting was uneven and not as small as it was supposed to be, I couldn’t hold the chopsticks properly for mixing (though that was a surprise that I hadn’t expected—here they use chopsticks, not spoons, for stirring heavy materials. My hands hurt for the rest of the night!), and some green onion jumped out of the bowl no matter how slowly I stirred. It was kinda humiliating; here I was

Tentacles!

thinking that I knew how to cook, and I could barely stir the bowl. Okaasan has much mastery over me, but I thought I could do a little right, maybe at apprentice level. But tonight I was at beginner—or negative beginner—level. However, the okonomiyaki were filling and tasty and I enjoyed chewing on the tentacles.

The completed okonomiyaki! Yummy~!

After that, I went on a night walk with Okaasan. It was the perfect weather. Twilight had stolen over the land, the crickets and other insects of the night were chirping, and it was neither hot nor cold. Apparently, a ton of people walk at night, because the streets were almost as bustling as they were in the day.

Following that, it was a shower, then blogging, then bed. Good night!