Tomorrow, after work of course, we will be heading north to Omihachiman, the city within which reside two acquaintances of Emma's and mine who are know throughout Japan, ney, the world as THE Joseph and Tiffany Eckberg...
Yes, I speak of the same Joseph and Tiffany of www.jtjapan.com...
Emma and I are headed there at about 9:30pm Akashi time... Emma will be on the train back from work, and I will meet her at the Akashi station with our luggage, and we will continue on to Joe and Tiff's... I believe the train ride is just under 2 hours... I might nod off a bit...
We plan to beach the beach, tikka the tikka, and beer the beer... Good time will abound!
8.28.2007
8.25.2007
Vote on the Poll!
Vote on the poll to the right... ------>>>
It's a silly one, but it's an experiment to see how much interest there is in polls...
If there is a lot, I might start making more interesting ones...
Ones where you vote what you want me to do or say in Japan...
Vote!
It's a silly one, but it's an experiment to see how much interest there is in polls...
If there is a lot, I might start making more interesting ones...
Ones where you vote what you want me to do or say in Japan...
Vote!
8.24.2007
Someone is a Movie Star!
And that someone is Emma!
Check her out on the NOVA website! She is kicking the ass of the idea that buying groceries in Japan is difficult!
Check out the movie!
Whoo!
Check her out on the NOVA website! She is kicking the ass of the idea that buying groceries in Japan is difficult!
Check out the movie!
Whoo!
The Cinnamon Roll Experiment Pt. 2
I know you are all hanging by a thread... waiting... anxiously waiting.... the results of our Cinnamon Roll Hypothesis... Well... here's the results...Yum!
After a night of yeasty feasting, our dough was ready to rolled out and rolled up...
The most challenging part was the actual baking, as we do not have an oven... Just a toaster oven, and a toaster oven/microwave... We tried one pan in each... I'd say the one we did in the conventional toaster oven worked better, as the microwave/oven only cooked from the top... We had to flip the rolls!
Other than that, some other observations:
Brown sugar in Japan in basically white sugar that is slightly brown in color...
Frosting tastes good...
I think it was a success... We each had four for breakfast! They were good...
Here's a gallery of more pics...
Enjoy!
8.23.2007
The Cinnamon Roll Experiment Pt. 1
No, it's not the name of my new experimental progressive rock band...
The other day Emma and I were watching an episode of Good Eats (with Alton Brown) in which Alton was making cinnamon rolls...
That made us extremely hungry for cinnamon rolls...
So today we went to the local "SATY" (big dept. store with a grocery store in it) in Okubo (local town two stops to the west) and bought the ingredients to make Cinnamon Rolls.... Got a recipe off of allrecipes.com, and we've made the dough... Right now we're letting it rise, and will make the rolls in the morning...
I will have pictures and results tomorrow... Stay tuned!
The other day Emma and I were watching an episode of Good Eats (with Alton Brown) in which Alton was making cinnamon rolls...
That made us extremely hungry for cinnamon rolls...
So today we went to the local "SATY" (big dept. store with a grocery store in it) in Okubo (local town two stops to the west) and bought the ingredients to make Cinnamon Rolls.... Got a recipe off of allrecipes.com, and we've made the dough... Right now we're letting it rise, and will make the rolls in the morning...
I will have pictures and results tomorrow... Stay tuned!
8.21.2007
Two Packages in One Day!
My New Favorite Room...
Recently I have found my new favorite room in the apartment...
No... Not the kitchen...
No... Not the toilet room...
No... Not even the 105 degree second bedroom that we seal off and never go into...
My new favorite room? The Shower...
When I get home from work, where's the first place I go? That's right, the shower...
Only cold water turned on + me + 10 minutes of spraying the back of my neck = A very good feeling...
I shower at least twice a day, usually more... Every shower is only the cold water turned on...
I suggest you all take moment and consider the humble "Shower"... You'll be glad you did...
No... Not the kitchen...
No... Not the toilet room...
No... Not even the 105 degree second bedroom that we seal off and never go into...
My new favorite room? The Shower...
When I get home from work, where's the first place I go? That's right, the shower...
Only cold water turned on + me + 10 minutes of spraying the back of my neck = A very good feeling...
I shower at least twice a day, usually more... Every shower is only the cold water turned on...
I suggest you all take moment and consider the humble "Shower"... You'll be glad you did...
8.19.2007
Mount Rokko!
Who's Rokko?
Rokko is a mountain near Kobe...
Last night Emma and I were taken to the summit lookout by our Japanese friend Toshi...
We met Toshi last week, he knows a lot of the NOVA people we work with. He invited us to cruise to Mt. Rokko with him...
So not only was it our first trip to Mt. Rokko, it was our first trip anywhere in a car in Japan...
Toshi has two cars, but last night drove in his van-like car... The car looks so small from the outside, but when you get in there's a ridiculous amount of room! Like crazy stretch-out-your-legs-in-the-front-and-back-seat room...
After a crazily wind-y (not a lot of wind, whynding... is it spelled the same? Weird...) route up the mountain (with an increasingly car-sick Emma) we got to the lookout...
It was extremely interesting to look from a great altitude upon the city of Kobe...
I took some night snapshots... They are located here. Enjoy!
Rokko is a mountain near Kobe...
Last night Emma and I were taken to the summit lookout by our Japanese friend Toshi...
We met Toshi last week, he knows a lot of the NOVA people we work with. He invited us to cruise to Mt. Rokko with him...
So not only was it our first trip to Mt. Rokko, it was our first trip anywhere in a car in Japan...
Toshi has two cars, but last night drove in his van-like car... The car looks so small from the outside, but when you get in there's a ridiculous amount of room! Like crazy stretch-out-your-legs-in-the-front-and-back-seat room...
After a crazily wind-y (not a lot of wind, whynding... is it spelled the same? Weird...) route up the mountain (with an increasingly car-sick Emma) we got to the lookout...
It was extremely interesting to look from a great altitude upon the city of Kobe...
I took some night snapshots... They are located here. Enjoy!
Don't be Afraid to Comment!
Is there an inherent fear of commenting?
After each blog entry, there is a spot that says:
After each blog entry, there is a spot that says:
8.16.2007
New Furniture!
Today we also finally got some furniture!
We now have a place to put things that we want to have on top of other things...
Check out the pics here!
Woo!
We now have a place to put things that we want to have on top of other things...
Check out the pics here!
Woo!
1st Package!
We got our first package today...And the winner is...
The lovely Ms. Bethaney Tschida! :)
Her prize? A call from Emma and I... A prize that, I think, is priceless...
We even took pictures! They can be found here.
We, of course, instantly made Mac and Cheese for dinner tonight... IT WAS GLORIOUS!!
I even took pictures... They can also be found here.
Yum yum yum yum yum yum!
And, I have to admit... I've already eaten 3 Kit-Kats... :)
8.14.2007
Who Cut the Cheese?
I did... Just now... From our Wish List...
Alrighty folks... Thanks to an overwhelming response, we are set for powdered cheese for a while... So you can cross that off the Wish List... But now you can add:
PEANUT BUTTER!
Any... A big jar of the cheapest most generic-y stuff you can find... The peanut butter over here comes in 5 oz. jars for 3 bucks and tastes a little off...
Thanks for all those sending packages! We'll take pictures of them when they arrive so you can see the smiles they put on our face!
:)
Alrighty folks... Thanks to an overwhelming response, we are set for powdered cheese for a while... So you can cross that off the Wish List... But now you can add:
PEANUT BUTTER!
Any... A big jar of the cheapest most generic-y stuff you can find... The peanut butter over here comes in 5 oz. jars for 3 bucks and tastes a little off...
Thanks for all those sending packages! We'll take pictures of them when they arrive so you can see the smiles they put on our face!
:)
8.13.2007
Some of Our New Favorites!
So when you go about the process of moving to Japan, along the way you have to tell a lot of people about it... And of course those people invariably want to know the same things... When you tell someone "I'm moving to Japan", their response is one of two things:
1. "Do you speak Japanese?" (As if I hadn't realized that people in
different countries speak different languages...)
2. "Do you like sushi?" (As if that's all Japanese people ever eat...)
So, in an effort to help people understand that all Japanese food is not sushi, here's a look at some of our favorite dishes we've eaten over here so far... Click on the names to go to the Wikipedia article on them:
Okinomiyaki - A "Japanese Omlettey-Pancake" made from eggs and cabbage, usually with some pork and seafood mixed in... Grilled and topped with a sweet semi-barbecue-y soy-y type-y sauce... Okinomiyaki restaurants usually have griddles built into the table and they serve it on your table sizzlin'! Yum!
Takoyaki - Are fried (yaki) balls (mant...) of batter, diced octopus (tako), and spices... A very similar sauce to okinomiyaki is put on them... They are usually fairly cheap (10 for $2.50)... Many many sidewalk shops sell them fresh while they cook them on the sidewalk or in the front window of the shop... Yum!
Yakisoba - Basically very similar to the Lo Mein noodles you get at a Chinese restaurant... Usually has bits of pork, octopus, and cabbage in them...
Beef Bowl - A bowl of rice with thinly sliced beef (or pork) and onions on top... Then a sweet soy sauce is drizzled over it... Served ridiculously fast when you order... I'm talking they take your order, they walk back to the kitchen and walk back with your bowl... Awesome... And most beef bowl places are open 24 hours, and a beef bowl is $2.50... And usually comes with...
Miso Soup - A broth-y semi-salty soup made from soy bean paste and various things... s'Good...
Curry and Rice - Just as it sounds, you get a plate that has some rice on one side, and curry on the other... We make rice in our rice cooker, then heat a curry packet in boiling water... Dinner in minutes! We like beef curry the best...
Nigiri-Sushi - Yes, we have eaten sushi... Yes, it is very good... Yes, it is raw fish... Usually I think people think all sushi is the rolled type of sushi... But actually, Nigiri-Sushi is more popular... It's basically a block of sticky rice with a slice of raw fish on top... s'Good... My favorite is salmon or tuna... Good stuff!
So those are some of our new favorites... Obviously there is so much more... I mean even a loaf of bread is different here!
Yum!
1. "Do you speak Japanese?" (As if I hadn't realized that people in
different countries speak different languages...)
2. "Do you like sushi?" (As if that's all Japanese people ever eat...)
So, in an effort to help people understand that all Japanese food is not sushi, here's a look at some of our favorite dishes we've eaten over here so far... Click on the names to go to the Wikipedia article on them:
Okinomiyaki - A "Japanese Omlettey-Pancake" made from eggs and cabbage, usually with some pork and seafood mixed in... Grilled and topped with a sweet semi-barbecue-y soy-y type-y sauce... Okinomiyaki restaurants usually have griddles built into the table and they serve it on your table sizzlin'! Yum!
Takoyaki - Are fried (yaki) balls (mant...) of batter, diced octopus (tako), and spices... A very similar sauce to okinomiyaki is put on them... They are usually fairly cheap (10 for $2.50)... Many many sidewalk shops sell them fresh while they cook them on the sidewalk or in the front window of the shop... Yum!
Yakisoba - Basically very similar to the Lo Mein noodles you get at a Chinese restaurant... Usually has bits of pork, octopus, and cabbage in them...
Beef Bowl - A bowl of rice with thinly sliced beef (or pork) and onions on top... Then a sweet soy sauce is drizzled over it... Served ridiculously fast when you order... I'm talking they take your order, they walk back to the kitchen and walk back with your bowl... Awesome... And most beef bowl places are open 24 hours, and a beef bowl is $2.50... And usually comes with...
Miso Soup - A broth-y semi-salty soup made from soy bean paste and various things... s'Good...
Curry and Rice - Just as it sounds, you get a plate that has some rice on one side, and curry on the other... We make rice in our rice cooker, then heat a curry packet in boiling water... Dinner in minutes! We like beef curry the best...
Nigiri-Sushi - Yes, we have eaten sushi... Yes, it is very good... Yes, it is raw fish... Usually I think people think all sushi is the rolled type of sushi... But actually, Nigiri-Sushi is more popular... It's basically a block of sticky rice with a slice of raw fish on top... s'Good... My favorite is salmon or tuna... Good stuff!
So those are some of our new favorites... Obviously there is so much more... I mean even a loaf of bread is different here!
Yum!
8.10.2007
Taco Night!
Mexican food is greatly amiss in Japan... At least in our part of Japan...
So what do we do for a nice dinner on our Sunday night?
We make some tacos.
Realize that taco seasoning (that (in America) usually costs 59 cents) costs (in Japan) $2.20...
That should give you a point of reference of how expensive it is to make tacos...
Also realize that Japanese cheese is non-existent... So all cheese is imported...
Thus you can see why a taco night is a big deal here... And worthy of a weekend night dinner and about an hours worth of bicycling, shopping, and walking...
We made the tacos... They tasted good...
Only thing missing... Sour cream...
So on our wish list (for now) is Mexican food...
So what do we do for a nice dinner on our Sunday night?
We make some tacos.
Realize that taco seasoning (that (in America) usually costs 59 cents) costs (in Japan) $2.20...
That should give you a point of reference of how expensive it is to make tacos...
Also realize that Japanese cheese is non-existent... So all cheese is imported...
Thus you can see why a taco night is a big deal here... And worthy of a weekend night dinner and about an hours worth of bicycling, shopping, and walking...
We made the tacos... They tasted good...
Only thing missing... Sour cream...
So on our wish list (for now) is Mexican food...
8.09.2007
Kobe!
Yesterday Emma and I walked around Kobe for about 6 hours... In the 90 degree heat... And the 6000% humidity... Whoo!
It was fun, lots of stuff in Kobe... Shops, restaurants, historical stuff... Here's a pic we took of the famous harbor:
We even stopped at Baskin Robbins.... I had a brownie sundae... Although the brownies were more like chocolatey sponge cakes, the ice cream (Rocky Road) was exactly the same as in America... Yum!
We ate at an Indian restaurant, Shiva.... Emma and I split a "Set" of food... Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Chicken, Curry, Naan, Meat and Cheese Kebab... Good stuff!
The mint chutney was suuuuuuuper good!
Then we came home and sat.... and didn't walk for the rest of the night...
It was fun, lots of stuff in Kobe... Shops, restaurants, historical stuff... Here's a pic we took of the famous harbor:
We even stopped at Baskin Robbins.... I had a brownie sundae... Although the brownies were more like chocolatey sponge cakes, the ice cream (Rocky Road) was exactly the same as in America... Yum!
We ate at an Indian restaurant, Shiva.... Emma and I split a "Set" of food... Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Chicken, Curry, Naan, Meat and Cheese Kebab... Good stuff!
The mint chutney was suuuuuuuper good!
Then we came home and sat.... and didn't walk for the rest of the night...
I Saw a Young Japanese Child Vomit Today...
That's about all there is to it...
It seemed to be mostly water...
I think he ran up the escalator too fast...
Not sure why this is blog-worthy...
...
It seemed to be mostly water...
I think he ran up the escalator too fast...
Not sure why this is blog-worthy...
...
We Have the Internet...
We have assumed control.... We have assumed control.... We have assumed control....
Sorry, a little Rush reference there... I cannot resist...
So we got out Yahoo!BB modem by courier today! Hooray! That means we now have our phone up and running, and we have wireless internet at our apartment! Sweet!
So check our website's Contact Us page for info on when to call us! (Basically we're 14 hours AHEAD)
Whoo!
Sorry, a little Rush reference there... I cannot resist...
So we got out Yahoo!BB modem by courier today! Hooray! That means we now have our phone up and running, and we have wireless internet at our apartment! Sweet!
So check our website's Contact Us page for info on when to call us! (Basically we're 14 hours AHEAD)
Whoo!
8.07.2007
Internet is Almost Here!
Our internet service is set to be hooked up on Wednesday (Thursday for all of you in the States), and we couldn't be happier... This means we can finally start to talk to people on the phone!
We're going with Yahoo! Broadband, and we've already got the phone line hooked up. We're waiting for the modem to be delievered and for the guy who sits in a room with switches to flip a switch...
Once we get it hooked up, you can call us at my cell phone number I used to have in the states... Same one! And it will cost the exact same as if I was there in the states! Bonus!
Who will we call first???? Who!?!?!
You should all be sitting by your phone from now until Saturday waiting for us to call....
And remember, we're 14 hours IN THE FUTURE!
We're going with Yahoo! Broadband, and we've already got the phone line hooked up. We're waiting for the modem to be delievered and for the guy who sits in a room with switches to flip a switch...
Once we get it hooked up, you can call us at my cell phone number I used to have in the states... Same one! And it will cost the exact same as if I was there in the states! Bonus!
Who will we call first???? Who!?!?!
You should all be sitting by your phone from now until Saturday waiting for us to call....
And remember, we're 14 hours IN THE FUTURE!
8.03.2007
A request...
I'm not one to ask for things... But could anyone send us a couple packets of the powdered cheese from a mac n' cheese meal? Kraft? Cheap stuff?
There's 372940 pounds of macaroni over here, but no cheese... NO CHEESE!!! Not even cheap stuff or weird Japanese mac and cheese....
So all we'd need is the cheese packets... You can have the macaroni, we got that covered...
Please?
:)
If you do want to send some, our address is on our website.... willardsinjapan.com
And if you do send some, please put a comment on this blog post so 10 people don't all send some... I like cheese, but only so much....
There's 372940 pounds of macaroni over here, but no cheese... NO CHEESE!!! Not even cheap stuff or weird Japanese mac and cheese....
So all we'd need is the cheese packets... You can have the macaroni, we got that covered...
Please?
:)
If you do want to send some, our address is on our website.... willardsinjapan.com
And if you do send some, please put a comment on this blog post so 10 people don't all send some... I like cheese, but only so much....
New Guitar Notes
Some info on my new guitar...
I put a set of Elixirs on it right when I got it... The strings that were on it were pretty old and were kinda grungy so I figured I get it set up properly... I also sanded the bridge down a sliver to lower the action a bit... Gave it a good cleaning when the strings were off it as well...
I like the neck a lot better than my Fender, it's finish is a lot smoother, more matte, so my hand slides easier up and down... mant...
The action is about the same as my Fender.... And it has much better tuners on it... You can adjust the amount they turn when you tighten them, which is nice... The guitar is less than a year old, and it still has all the warranty stuff with it... And the stuff that came with it, like a polishing cloth, picks, alan wrench, still in their original bags, unopened!
Got a stand with it too...
Came with a soft gig bag too... has backpack straps on it!
It's been great so far, looking forward to playing with someone...
Not sure if I'll ship it home in a year... It's nice... I think it's about a $250 guitar in the states... I got it for 10000 yen, or about $87... Depends on how much it is to ship... Or if I can sneak it on the plane with me...
Whoo! Excited!
:)
I put a set of Elixirs on it right when I got it... The strings that were on it were pretty old and were kinda grungy so I figured I get it set up properly... I also sanded the bridge down a sliver to lower the action a bit... Gave it a good cleaning when the strings were off it as well...
I like the neck a lot better than my Fender, it's finish is a lot smoother, more matte, so my hand slides easier up and down... mant...
The action is about the same as my Fender.... And it has much better tuners on it... You can adjust the amount they turn when you tighten them, which is nice... The guitar is less than a year old, and it still has all the warranty stuff with it... And the stuff that came with it, like a polishing cloth, picks, alan wrench, still in their original bags, unopened!
Got a stand with it too...
Came with a soft gig bag too... has backpack straps on it!
It's been great so far, looking forward to playing with someone...
Not sure if I'll ship it home in a year... It's nice... I think it's about a $250 guitar in the states... I got it for 10000 yen, or about $87... Depends on how much it is to ship... Or if I can sneak it on the plane with me...
Whoo! Excited!
:)
Captions!
I added captions to the pics I uploaded yesterday...
So look at them again...
I oft-times am witty and informative...
So look at them again...
I oft-times am witty and informative...
I Ate a Carrot Today...
That's the news...
Today was the first time I purposely ate a vegetable in Japan...
I've eaten vegtables before while here, but only in a curry or in noodles or something...
But last night Emma noted we hadn't eaten a lot of vegtables and/or fruits since we've been here... So today I had my mission laid out for me... Eat a vegetable...
I bought 3 carrots... Big 'uns... I came home, I chopped up one carrot, I steamed it over steaming hot boiling water (which, when boiling, produces steam), and then salted and buttered it...
Then, I ate that goddamned carrot...
Mission accomplished...
(Insert picture of me getting out of a helicopter that's painted like a carrot, then giving a speech about eating this carrot... Only this speech would be truthful...)
Today was the first time I purposely ate a vegetable in Japan...
I've eaten vegtables before while here, but only in a curry or in noodles or something...
But last night Emma noted we hadn't eaten a lot of vegtables and/or fruits since we've been here... So today I had my mission laid out for me... Eat a vegetable...
I bought 3 carrots... Big 'uns... I came home, I chopped up one carrot, I steamed it over steaming hot boiling water (which, when boiling, produces steam), and then salted and buttered it...
Then, I ate that goddamned carrot...
Mission accomplished...
(Insert picture of me getting out of a helicopter that's painted like a carrot, then giving a speech about eating this carrot... Only this speech would be truthful...)
8.02.2007
New Pictures!
Just got done uploading a ton of pictures to our website...
Work's been going well, Joe and Tiff came, it cooled off a bit, Emma and I had "Kids Training", and I just got a guitar!
Short blog, but tons o' pics! Check them out!
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