Meat the Coast

Wow what a cringeworthy title.

This beautiful meat is from this heavenly place, a yakiniku place in Ginza. Cat said this was the best meal she had last summer in Japan, so we decided to go have a nice dinner after work one day! Our waitress was able to explain the whole menu in English which was kind of awesome but kind of annoying because she assumed we knew zero Japanese.  Even when I asked her questions in Japanese, she'd respond with English. Then I just felt stupid. But all feelings of linguistic inferiority aside, man that was an absolutely delicious meal.  We many different cuts of meat, but I honestly couldn't keep track of what was what. Cat and I grilled each piece one by one and ate so slowly relishing each slice that our waitress even commented on it lol.  It was pretty beautiful watching the fat melt and cook the meat, so beautiful in fact, that we were mesmerized and didn't realize that it was on fire. Apparently you're supposed to put the meat on the side of the grill so it can cook slowly. We figured that out when another waiter suddenly appeared, turned our fire down, moved our meat to the side, and promptly left without a word.  We had literally been sitting there staring at the fire and taking pictures like idiots (photographic proof found below). But even though our first few pieces were slightly burned, they were nevertheless juicy (crispy) and delicious. Our meal concluded with delicious mochi-like desserts wrapped in fragrant leaves. We spent a good minute or two smelling the leaves while eating our dessert, raving like lunatics about the fresh mountain air... I hope they didn't see us again. I left feeling full, but not too full, and very very satisfied. 満足 - satisfaction AKA my word of the summer.

Beautiful beautiful meat T_T

Us watching our meal getting engulfed by flames and doing nothing about it lol. The lanterns are a random street in Ginza we passed on our way home.

The second half of this post is about Izu! The weekend following this wonderful dining experience, we headed south to the Izu Peninsula to stay at a ryokan and see the coastline. Unfortunately on our way there we were too busy playing word games to notice that we had been on the wrong train for more than an hour. So we got off, switched trains and was delayed by two hours lol. Luckily we made it to our ryokan shortly before the typhoon was scheduled to hit.  We arrived to a wonderfully elaborate meal made up of a billion little things (included a sketchy snail thing) and knocked it back with some chilled sake and hot tea. After spending some time digesting, we donned our yukata and made our way to the outdoor bathes. They overlooked the coastline which was black and ominous at night, but the outdoor deck was cozy and decorated with rocks and fake plants. It was very relaxing sans the moment when Kristin spotted a gigantic spider and we freaked out and jumped into the bath. After our bath we relaxed in our room, playing contact (another word game lol so nerdy) and knocking back a few drinks. I also got my hair braided haha - it felt like middle school all over again.  The next morning we had another beautiful meal and I took a walk with the two Cats (two people named Catherine) while the other two took a quick nap.  The air was humid like no other but I enjoyed the beautiful wild flowers, rice fields, and rocky coastline. By the time we arrived back at the ryokan, we were very damp. However, turns out the bathes were closed in the morning! So we quickly packed up and walked to the train station, still very damp.  We stopped somewhere along the way to see the cliffs and waves, and I was being a grouch about walking so much until we reached the coast and I was blown away by the view. The water was a bright aqua, and it gleamed and shimmered as it broke on the rocks even though it was an overcast day.  Just imagine it on a bright clear day! It was if someone was photoshopping my vision in real time. Crazy. We spent the next few hours exploring the coastline and climbing rocks. The wind was amazing! We sat on the edge of a cliff for a while, watching the waves crash on the neighboring cliffs and being enveloped by the wind.      

The Izu crew! 

The beautiful scenery of Izu- Just look at that water!

たのしかっ「たね」！

Last weekend I went to Tane, a small village in Shiga prefecture, and participated in a bunch of workshops that aimed at revitalizing the community there. College students from many places in Japan gathered at the village and together we designed an iconic bento of Tane, made scarecrows with local children, created play spaces, and tackled issues of animal crop damage. I also participated in a workshop with Keio University students where we paired together with local high school students to design and build easily assemble-able furniture! I forgot to take pictures, but in a few hours we designed, cut, and constructed a chair! That night we had an outdoor barbecue party where I got to talk with my cool coworker and her very attractive friend. I also got stuck talking to my boss at one point, and it definitely made me like him a lot better than before, maybe because it wasn't in a business setting. Then I milled around talking to people here and there while devouring three strawberry shaved ices...

Afterwards I watched 4 hours of TV with my host sister, Haruka-san, while talking about random things (mostly boys lol). I really liked her! She was honest and goofy, and I appreciated her laid back personality. I also really enjoy Japanese commercials, and it amused my host family when I kept chuckling to myself during commercial breaks like an idiot. #foreigner 

At this balln' restaurant in Meguro where I had super delicious curry with Jason and Kristin before going to Tane. Kristin at Ebisu Matsuri right before catching my bus to Fukui lol. Coworkers at lunch smiling for once in a picture because he was trying to mess up my food picture. Food at Tsukiji Matsuri with Korean Sam. Beautiful decorations in Shibuya! 

Liu in the middle looking DAF at lunch. Surrounded by many delicious foods that I'm too lazy to talk about.

Remen (cold ramen) at Fukui! Chicken at Liu's farewell party. Best chicken ever at a place we frequent for lunch in Daikanyama. Tsukemen in Ebisu the night I almost got stood up twice .__. Rockin' vegetable sandwich from this hip new sandwich place! Too bad it took them an hour to make it....Curry at Tane! Green curry from Unice. More curry from the wonderful-interiorally-decorated restaurant in Meguro (Those carrots and potatoes were so soft @__@) and last but certainly not least, AFURI TSUKEMEN from a delicious godsend ramen joint near ebisu station. 

In beautiful Tane! Riding in the back of a truck past fields and fields of rice paddies with a bunch of people who I don't even know the names of. Plopping down our adorable scarecrow. With Hikari-san and Scarecrow-chan! Selfies with Mariko-san (my coworker). Host family's house. Delicious first dinner at Tane! Haruka has a younger brother and twin younger sisters! They were such a lively bunch haha

Top half- fireworks in Yokohama with new and old friends! The guy all the way on the left introduced himself as Mr. Muscle...I wonder if he actually goes by that. But either way, he is super dedicated to his muscles and it shows.  The fireworks were beautiful! There were some pretty cool ones I hadn't seen before, and the show went on for over an hour. Also there were thousands upon thousands of people! The sea of humans was crazy @_@ 

At a hipster little restaurant near work- creamy cheesy orange sauce with bits of ham topped with super soft pumpkin and oranges.  Sounds sort of strange, but they were owning that combo @__@ Probably my favorite of the lot. Also the little salad on the bottom middle was really good! I had it in fukui and the ingredients were super fresh and included sweet yellow kiwis!

Over a month ago now, we spent the weekend at Kichijoji and Shimokitazawa! Pretty boats and sexy stuffed bears at Kichijoji where we enjoyed the Boho shopping scene and the park.  Color-coded boy group performing on the street. Thrifting at Shimokitazawa! The whole place has a nice relaxed atmosphere and if I were to sum it up in one stereotype, it'd be hipster.

Check out that parallel mealage at the bottom. I had Omu-rice two nights in a row, followed by similar-looking desserts. Top was a place in Ikebukuro, and Bottom was at a cute place in Shimokitazawa... spoiler the bottom one wins @__@ Just look at that pan-fried french toast topped with ice cream, banana slices, almonds, chocolate, and powdered sugar. Oh man. 

Man I love the matsuri atmosphere. Beautiful lanterns, dancing people, street food, mixed with the sound of laughter, speech, and music is so wonderful ^^

Chasing Fireworks

I’m currently sitting on an overnight bus, only half an hour away from Fukui.  Watching the outside scenery pass by is calming and exciting at the same time: Traditional architecture with their slanted shingled roofs make up small towns that give way to bright green fields and lush forests.  The whole scene is framed by an endless row of large mountains, dwarfing the already small clusters of houses.  We just entered the city so the buildings are getting larger and larger, but the houses stay the same. It’s super interesting to me to see the juxtaposition of old rustic structures housing beautiful sleek Porsches. Like seriously, what?

Now I am sitting in the dark in the kitchen (it’s 1am and this is the only room I get wifi) thinking back on the day!  It was such a nice break from the city. Driving in the mountains and along the sea, smelling fresh air, and being able to see stars! (Haha do I sound poetic enough yet?) But in all seriousness, it really was a wonderful experience. I arrived at Fukui station looking like a piece of sweat-covered-shit before Shizuka-san and Akari-san immediately showed me to the car, and before long we were headed to Toujinbou! On the way there, I realized they were the famous suicide cliffs we learned about in class….And once we arrived I could see why it is so popular, as dark as that sounds. It’s both scary and beautiful, terrifyingly scenic – but maybe that’s because it was introduced to me within the context of suicide(?). Either way, we trudged around enjoying the view but melting from the sun (high of 97, I kid you not) before driving a little while away for Oshima Island, a small mysterious island where compasses don’t work…(jk, I just googled it and it says that it’s due to the magnetism in the rocks. Sorry to ruin the mystery.) We hiked through the island, which is super steep at first, but gives way to a slightly leveled forest. There really isn’t a better way to describe it than as a “Totoro forest” with little paths, large blue-accented black butterflies fluttering everywhere, and deafening cicadas. Afterwards we stopped at Awara spa, a nearby onsen, basically experienced a rebirth, and journeyed onward to an adorable craft shop/café in a slightly secluded (but also very scenic) area for a delicious curry lunch. Another car ride, several grocery stops, and one ice cream break later, we arrived at home! It was so nostalgic seeing the old shrine almost two and a half years later. Okaasan was the same as I remembered her, slightly goofy and very hardworking and honest. Obaachan was also the same, getting flustered when she didn’t remember my name. I helped out with some preparations (tomorrow there is a summer camp at the shrine for the local kids) and enjoyed a pretty good talk with Shizuka over iced coffee at a nearby café while gazing out at the sea. Before long, it was time for a local summer festival, so we suited up in yukata and hobbled over in our shoes. There were many children and old people, but not many young adults- probably away at school. Either way, I enjoyed learning how to dance bondori and eating yakitori. Then we drove up to another café high in the mountains to watch the fireworks while munching on snacks. It soon became clear that the café was actually really far away from the fireworks, so okaasan loaded us into the car and we literally chased the fireworks. It was pretty awesome, looping in and out of view, as they loomed larger and larger. We were practically under them when the final round went off. With the windows rolled down and the night breeze whipping at my face, we drove along the ocean, homebound. I felt absolutely rejuvenated! When we got back, Obaachan went to go watch a drama, but the rest of us sat around the kitchen table eating fried matsuri food and drinking beer while listening to Akari-san’s bargaining tips (according to her, she’s a pro). After a while, we said our goodnights and headed off to bed. Or atleast I was supposed to go sleep haha.

Reunited at long last :) Toujinbou cliffs and jumping on the bridge to Oshima!

More scenic shots of Toujinbou and Oshima, and of course a few obligatory selfies. See those cool jack-like structures? They are for breaking up waves during storms! 

The local summer matsuri with the beautiful Fukui scenery.  Suited up in our yukata! Beer and fried matsuri food with Akari, Shizuka, and Okaasan. Delicious breakfast of bread, jam, fried hot peppers, omelette, tomatoes, ham, peaches, and plums. @__@ Karaoke before I left! Akari and Shizuka both have really strong voices, and I enjoyed listening to them while Okaasan enthusiastically shook her maracas and cheered. She kind of reminds me of my mom actually haha 

I'm really glad I made the trip to Fukui that weekend. It felt so nice to get away from the city, and I finally got to see my old host family again! I missed their goofy antics and straightforwardness. When I asked them if there was anything they wanted from America, Okaasan simply said "letters".  What an answer! I will definitely write to them when I return home ^^ 

Oh Deer

Damn it's been a while! It's been almost a month I think since I last posted... aka brace yourselves for the onslaught of overwhelming collaged content that's about to ensue.  Actually, four weeks ago I did start typing up a blog, so here it is:

"Last night Kristin and I went to En Dance Studio in Shibuya for a S**tkingz workshop! Lol I accidentally just typed worship...but honestly that would've worked just as well.  They're awesome on my computer screen, but damn , in person it's just mind blowing.  A lot of the other people in the class were also super boss, including apparently Rihanna's choreographer...???"

Apparently that's all I managed to type, but daaamnnnn re-living that moment right now. @__@ Since then, I've taken four more classes, taught by Noppo, Shoji, Tatsuya, and Saya! I actually just got back from my class with Saya and holy shit was it difficult. Her style is house, so a lot of weight shifting, light footwork, grooving, and loose limbs. I was so out of my comfort zone I almost cried, but by the end I was having a blast being awkward but not giving a fuck.  I'm really glad I ended up actually taking these classes! Just being around all of these extraordinary dancers makes me feel super inspired (and admittedly, disgustingly fangirl-ish). It's also been a lot of fun so far and I feel like I'm constantly learning new things!  Now I just need to somehow make my body better at moving....

Food and good company! I had my first real "bad day at work" so me and cat grabbed some delicious food and drink at the yakitori place across the street to de-stress. #workinglife

Kyoto!! Haha I wasn't lying when I said a lot has happened. Beautiful shrines and temples everywhere: Kinkakuji, Kyomizudera, and Fushimi Inari!

Selfies at Kyomizudera with the twins and our nice volunteer ushers. Food, drinks, and the softest mochi in the history of the world. We got to watch as three men pounded the shit out of some glutinous-rice as they made the mochi. It was really entertaining because they worked super quickly, kneading, tossing, and pounding the mixture while rhythmically shouting so no one would lose a hand underneath the hammer. 

Nara! The grounds surrounding Toudaiji are filled with deer who ignore you if you don't have food, and practically maul you if you do. Also there's a picture of the intense mochi-making!

Our wonderful wonderful Sunday trip to Hakone! It was pouring and windy and freezing...but I enjoyed the trip immensely! We grabbed some delicious curry for lunch and were on our way up into the mountains! Wow I forgot to actually include a pic of the mountains, but they were beautiful, take my word for it. We went up by cable car, and at one point you kind of suddenly break out into this clearing where you can see all the onsen water being transported, and the rocks covered in sulfur.  We ohh-ed and ahh-ed like the tourists we are. We grabbed snacks (dorayaki with ice cream!) and froze our asses off eating them outside, half getting rained on. Eventually we climbed the path to the black egg stand, (there is a picture of the path included) and bought our black eggs. They're hardboiled in the onsen water, and the chemical reaction with the sulfur gives it its dark color! There's also some bullshit that if you eat one you will live 7 years longer....so i ate one just in case hahaha. By the time we made a loop around the mountain and went back down, we were soggy and gross aka perfect time for...hot springs! 

Disgusting, sweaty, and fan-girling hard after our workshop with the s**tkingz! Friends, co-workers, food, and drink ^^

Karaage and adorable rice mounds at a hawaiian cafe, tofu salad at a restaurant near our station,  in-between-fried-and-grilled chicken strips near work, I don't even remember eating that ramen but i'm sure it was good, co-workers beautiful curry, my beautiful pad thai, freshness burger & mango smoothie (!!), delicious egg+fish over rice, Ichiran ramen!! (everyone is served in their own personal stall so you really focus on the ramen lol) @_@

And the food continues: Ballin' tsukemen near work (I didn't know the regular dish already came with pork so I ordered a bunch of extra by accident....shit) No recollection of salad happening, Curry dinner with friends in Shibuya, MATCHA ICE CREAM, pork katsu (at the same place as the fried/grilled chicken, takoyaki at coins bar (where everything on the menu is 300 yen....) Eating katsudon with Ryu-san....but it was too fatty and chewy ^^;, Ice cream + mochi + green tea + red bean = @______@ Amazing yasai katsu set at Kichijijo: a place known for its young hipster crowd. After that delicious katsu meal, I was spacey for the rest of the day

Small lake by the temples of Kichijoji, according to Cat, the most feminine groceries ever, post karaoke elevator selfie. boats at Kichijijo, Roommates! Dr. Dre and four Quick Fucks (I made Jesse order so we don't have to say it) Lunch with my Chinese co-worker who doesn't know how to smile for a picture.