new findings

Click here for more November pictures :)

This is the oatmeal that has recently arrived in stores for the winter in Japan. At first, I thought the mushrooms shown in the picture were included in the box so I didn't want anything to do with it, but I've just found out that the small box doesn't, in fact, include mushrooms. I can now enjoy my favorite food any time I want. Thank you to those who have spent your life savings in shipping to sustain me in the meantime. Now I know that I can just go to the rice section (duh) of the grocery store and find oatmeal without mushrooms.

I have a newfound love for downloading tv shows (especially The Office) and podcasts from itunes and putting them on my tiny ipod nano. These are especially handy when making long trips on trains. Also, you can also use itunes' (free!) podcasts to learn any language.

A couple weeks ago, I started a cooking class here. It will probably be for just a month unless I decide to continue, but I've already learned how to make some delicious things. We've made inari zushi and another sushi using kiku (edible flowers that are only ok to eat for a very limited time in the fall season). Last weekend was a special Christmas holiday meal, which was not actually so Christmas-y. It was, however, very tasty - a Chinese chicken salad, meatball soup, baguettes with different spreads, and pineapple cheesecake.

The cooking instructor speaks English well and used to work as a manager and head teacher at my school years ago. She and her husband were nice enough to drive Susan and me to Mount Tsukuba "Tsukuba San" last weekend. The weather was a little foggy and rainy, but we were still able to see some really pretty colors from the top. In the future, I'd like to hike it!

This is a picture from Tori no Ichi, a festival held in Tokyo every year. I went over the weekend and got to see all the rakes that are decorated and displayed for sale in hundreds of booths. They are supposed to bring good luck and good fortune (raking in big $), but ironically, they are too expensive for many to afford. They are really beautifully made though. They sort of remind me of the mums/garters we made in high school for homecoming. It was very crowded but well worth the crowds just to see what it was all about.

growing accustomed

"Bento Corner" is the name of a blog where a mom posts pictures of the bento lunches she makes for her kids. It must be kind of a common trend based on the number of seaweed cut-out/punch-out tools I see in stores. This might seem ridiculous, but you have to admit that it's the cutest thing you've ever seen. When I buy lunch in the grocery store, it's just as neatly made as these but unfortunately doesn't usually include faces. Also, I was never a huge rice fan before coming to Japan, but I now crave it at every meal.

I've been here for two and a half months! I think I've gotten used to everything strange/different here. Things I once found really surprising are not so strange anymore. Here are some examples I can think of:

I might have mentioned that the vending machines are ubiquitous (not sure if I can use that word, but I'm going to), and they sell cigarettes and hot drinks in cans in the winter. And corn soup! And I forget whether I've said this, but corn is a common topping on pizza. And pizza is expensive (like $30 for a small one) but delicious.

I felt an earthquake the other day while talking to my momma on skype, but all was well, and I went to sleep soundly a few minutes later. 

I have come to the realization that I cannot buy shoes, and I can only buy certain types of clothes in this city because they only make things up to size M, and their size M is a Japanese person M (probably an American S). I've gotten used to getting stared at like a freak. It's as if I'm the only one dressed up for Halloween (which I was the other day) all the time. The fashion is more normal to me now - Flannel is really in right now for girls, and everyone has really cute boots; if not boots, then heels always. And they also wear knee high tights with skirts...I don't quite get that, but I do have some flannel and am looking for boots.

I'm completely used to the cars driving on the left side of the street now and the slurping of noodles in public. I can't say I'm an expert at this yet, but I'm slowly improving my slurping skills for fear of being perceived as rude for lack of slurping. Starbucks sizes are tall, short, and shorter or something like that. I've learned to order short to blend in.

A couple hours ago, after watching Obama's acceptance speech online (yay!), I turned on the TV and happened to catch a show where two men were playing a game. Someone put pantyhose on both of their heads and then tied them together and made them run away from each other, which made their faces smush up. And now "My baby takes the morning train" is playing in the background of a winery tour.

I miss you, friends. Xoxo.