A weekend in Utsunomiya...

The past week was not a very eventful week. The early half of the week, I was still pretty sore from snowboarding. Yes, it’s pretty ridiculous that it took about 3 days to recover. The weekend was pretty relaxing. We are trying to go snowboarding again next weekend, so we thought we would take it easy. Can’t over exert myself! We had a lot of motivation to make some new dishes this weekend. On Friday, we wanted to do nabe because it was a bit cold and it snowed! Yes, snow, sigh. Anyways, we made the nabe soup with a Thai tom yum flavor. It was delicious! We actually drank all of the nabe soup. Saturday, Michael made a Vietnamese dish called Chao Que. Chao Que consists of a rice flour cake, then pan fried with some soy sauce, egg, green onion, and salty radish. We dipped it in a soy sauce and vinegar mix. It was yum! In the afternoon, we rode our bikes around town to run some errands. Nothing too exciting. Sunday was a little more eventful. We decided to venture to Hachimanyama Park in Utsunomiya. It was probably 1km west of the station, so 2.2km (~1 mile) from our apartment. We rode our bikes there, but I underestimated the hill to get there. My lovely Japanese bike has 1 gear, so it was a pain to ride up the hill. There was actually a point half way that I had to stop and walk the bike up because it seemed to be less work. Michael was eventually sweet enough to lower the gear on his mountain bike and let me ride it the rest of the way up. It was soOooOo much easier! To remind me of how illiterate I am in this country, I thought there was a lake in the park, but it turns out to be a race track. They should not have the race track blue on the map! Anyways, the park was very beautiful and relaxing. There were mostly families walking around with younger children. We first went up the Utsunomiya Tower, it was no Tokyo Tower, but still very nice to look over the city we live in. It was one of those, “Wow, we live in Japan” moments. We proceeded to walk around the park. It was very lovely and when the weather gets a little nicer, it would be a great place to picnic. On the way home we wanted to get a snack. We first though Min Min Gyoza, but we rode past and there was a line outside. This was not like a line a McDonald’s. I would guess probably a good 25-30 people waiting. This place is famous for their gyoza’s, but I underestimated it. We decided to pass and found a nice Indian restaurant. It was delicious. People rant and rave about Taj Mahal Restaurant here, but I personally thought this place was better. I still think the taste of Indian food is a bit tame for my palette, but this place definitely fulfilled the craving. At night, we were not too hungry, so I had some motivation to create something new. I decided to make onion pancake. Onion pancake is usually offered at dim sum or as a dessert in Chinese Restaurants. I found a recipe online and to my surprise, it turned out to be delicious! Michael and I were both very happy with the results. I am finding that I have a lot more motivation to make things from scratch here. First of all, I am trying to make things that we cannot find. Secondly, I want to learn how to make most of the Japanese dishes that I like because I am afraid that once I get back to Ohio I will not be able to have them again, hence the motivation to learn things from scratch. Two things I am proud of so far that I have made…creamy miso salad dressing and onion pancake. I’m still working on the breads! Until next time…we miss you!

たかつえ (Takatsue) and うつのみや(Utsunomiya)

On Saturday, Michael and I went snowboarding with some of his co-workers. Azuma-san picked us up in his awesome J-Odyssey at 7:00am, then we went to go pick up Azumi-san in Takanezawa. After that we met up with Hanano-san, his daughter, Otsuka-san, and his daughter in Sakura and began our 2.5 hour car ride to たかつえ, (Takatsue) Ski and Snowboarding resort. The drive up was pretty calm, but once we got closer to the mountains it was beautiful. There’s just something nice about mountains covered in snow with random trees. When we got to resort it seemed a little windy, but when we hit the slopes, it was great. There weren’t a lot of people there, maybe because it was Valentine’s Day?! But, I appreciated it. I haven’t been snowboarding in 2 seasons, so I definitely had to refresh myself. I did however get a new board which I was very excited to break in. I did much better this time around and starting to get the hang of things. I did take one nasty spill falling forward. I can’t even remember what happened because it all happened so fast. Sigh. Oh well. Michael was very sweet and stayed with me most of the time, even though he was probably bored. He was practicing jumps and what not, sometimes a little too close and made me fall. Sad. I took a little break after the nasty spill and he went to go hang out with Azuma-san and Azumi-san. They were very good at snowboarding, so that was probably more exciting for Michael. We called it a day at 4:30pm and then we headed home. I was pretty much knocked out in the car, but on the way back we took a different path. I think we went up a mountain and then back down, but all the roads were super narrow and super windy with multiple hair pin turns. I get a little car sick going on those types of roads, so I kept my eyes closed most of the time. I could hear them say すごい(“sugoi = awesome, cool, super”). We made it home in 3 hours and that was pretty much the day. I must say Michael and I are both very, very sore! Today (Sunday), we met the Hughes up for lunch around the station. I haven’t seen them in awhile, so I thought it would be nice to meet up. It was great! We went to a gyoza place with the famous gyoza dude. Hopefully we can do it again! After lunch, Michael and I took a bike ride to this big Shrine in Utsunomiya (Working on getting the name). We walked up a massive flight of stairs which felt 50 times longer with our sore bodies. Nonetheless, we made it up and back down safely. The shrine was beautiful. It seems like there was a special ceremony going on. We saw 2 sets of families dressed up with a baby wrapped in a kimono-like outfit. It looked really special. I’m going to ask my teacher what that symbolizes. After the shrine, we biked to Orion Dori, a street with lots of shops and restaurants. We didn’t stop to see anything, but it was nice to see it in the daytime. Finally, we biked along the river and that’s when I had to call it quits because my body was so sore. Utsunomiya still has a lot for us to see, we shall continue our adventures.

Random Week

Last week was a pretty mellow week. Monday, I went scrapbooking for a couple of hours. I am so behind on scrapbooking. Sigh. Tuesday, I went to cooking school and made bread with pumpkin, red peppers, mayo and mustard. So for baking school, I will alternate between savory breads and sweet breads. That is good so I can have some versatility. Wednesday, I went to volunteer, but it was cut short because one of the first grade classes closed because of the flu. That is pretty crazy, but it's going around. Since we had some extra time in the morning, Eiko-san and I went to the library. I got a library card! Woohoo, I will probably be checking out the kindergarten books. So Michael and I have started a weekly trip to the golf range. I am still overly amazed that you can stay as long as you want. I must say I was rather motivated this week, so I was able to hit 202 balls. Of course, Michael has to trump me and hit 293. He's one of those "speedy" golfers. Thursday, Michael's chief, Shimazu-san and his wife, Tomoko-san joined us for dinner. They took us to this sushi-ya (Kuro something). It was delicious. We got to sit in a tatami room, which I like. We had raw oysters, pork, salad, tempura, and sushi. It was delicious! I really enjoyed trying some new things. Shimazu-san and Tomoko-san are really nice and I hope to get to know them better. Since we all had a little bit to drink, we used daiko services. (Daiko service is basically a designated driver. Two people come in on car and one person drives your car and the other person follows in the car they came in. I must say I was a tad bit scared. The daiko driver drove a bit fast and the streets were narrow. I would think that since they are driving someone else's car they would be a little more careful, but no. Nonetheless, a nice concept, so you never have to assign a dd.) This past weekend, Michael and I decided to relax in Utsunomiya since we went to Nasu the weekend before and we're going snowboarding next weekend at Hunter Mountain. We watched a lot of movies, I can't remember all of them. Ah well. We also brought out the wii fit. I must say we didn't play it as much as we thought we would when we bought it, plus with the move to Japan we packed it up shortly after we got it, so we never had a chance to get addicted to it. We have begun a daily routine for the wii fit. Michael and I each do 30 minutes, usually a combo of yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. I've unlocked this new snowboarding game and I realize why I fall so much!!! I can't balance on my toes. Sigh. The good thing is, I can practice on the wii fit. I love it. It's been 4 days and we are still going strong, I hope it continues. Hehe. Today, I had another baking class. ABC Cooking recommends going frequently because you build on the techniques from previous classes. I actually forgot some things I learned last week, how sad. Anyways, today I made an almond maple bread. It looks good, but I am waiting for Michael to taste it. I think it will be good, the question is can I make it on my own without the assistance of professional bakers. Hopefully we will be more active this week, so I will have a more fun and interesting post next time!

Random...

The first bread baking course! It was pumpkin, red peppers, and olives topped with panko on a mayo and mustard spread.














My first attempt at Tempura, I must say it was quite successful. Tempura sauce was a different story.

Ohio…Chicago…Back in Utsunomiya…Nasu…

Wow, a lot has happened. I know it’s been awhile, so this will be a long and hopefully entertaining entry. Jan. 6, I had my second cooking class. Eiko-san and I did a tea flavored pound cake. It was delicious, I was skeptical at first because there was grounded up tea, but I really enjoyed it. I love learning the different techniques for baking. I will try to learn the secret as to why Japanese bread is so addicting. From Jan. 8 – Jan. 25, I went home for a couple of weeks to spend some time with family and friends. It was a bittersweet time because I loved seeing everyone, but I had to say “see ya” all over again. Of course, I cried…My brother picked me up from the airport and I was so happy to see him! Loni had made me papaya salad since I was staying the night there. Thanks Loni, I miss it now! I moved over to Chase and Lisa’s Friday, but during the day I went to see my mom and aunt Susan at work. The week was pretty routine, I spent most of my days with familyand running errands and evenings with Chase and Lisa. We enjoyed some dinners with my family, especially hot pot at my mom’s! Yum! Hot pot is just better with oodles of people. The weekend of Jan. 17, Lisa and I went to Chicago and met up with Lisa’s friend, Cynthia from Calgary. Cynthia was an awesome person and it was very nice to meet a friend of Lisa’s from home. Michael and I hope to go to Calgary sometime in the future. Chicago was brutally cold, but we still had lots of fun! Saturday, Jan. 17, was the most eventful one. We started off our day in a café across from “the bean”. Afterwards, we went to the Art Institue of Chicago. This place was amazing, filled with masterpieces from the most talented artists from many eras. I fancy the waterlilies by Claude Monet. Crystal met up with us after the art institute and we made way towards Michigan Ave (the magnificient mile of shopping), but detoured to Ethel’s chocolate for a nice cup of hot cocoa and a chance to reserve some tickets. Cynthia, Crystal, Lisa and I ended up chatting for a couple of hours and before we knew it, dinnertime. We went to a Morroccan restaurant, Tizi something. Crystal said it was more of a Moroccan fusion restaurant, but it was still delicious. One day, I would like to try authentic Moroccan food where you sit on the floor and eat with your hands. After dinner, we went to see Blue Man Group. This was one of the best shows ever. Even though the theater was small, the show still rocked. The best part about it was Cynthia got picked to go on stage! It made it 50 times better. Too bad we could not take pictures inside the theater, but she got a polaroid to take home and some mushed up bananas. It did not smell good. The night was still young so we headed towards the Hyatt Regency’s bar to have a cocktail. Cynthia left earlier in the afternoon and Lisa and I didn’t fly out until later at night. We found our way to Chinatown, “the bean”, h20, then home (well, Lisa’s home). Chicago was cold and exhausting, but a great time!
My week went pretty much as it did the week before. Tuesday, Jan. 20, was an eventful day. Obama made history as he became the 44th president of the United States of America. He is hope! It was timeless to see history in the making. This is something that future generations to come will be reading in their history books. Tuesday night, Lisa and I went to get our hair cut. I took off a little more than anticipated, but a good 4 inches. I am still indifferent about my hair, but I guess there’s no turning back, it can only grow so fast. I must say, I do look a little more mature and maybe people will think I am 22 instead of 18 now. Maybe. Friday, Jan. 23, I went to spend some time with my grandma. I showed her some picks of Michael and I in Japan, talked a little, ate some peanuts, ate an orange, talked about the weather. I think that when I was in Columbus, I took for granted that my grandma lived so close to me. I felt so guilty because I never saw my grandma, unless it was someone’s birthday or Chinese New Year’s. So for all my cousins who read this and live in Columbus, go take grandma out! Grandma has so much to talk about. My 2 weeks in Ohio has come to an end rather quickly, but I do miss Japan, rather I missed Michael. It was hard to say “see ya” again and I shed some more tears as I departed. I miss and love everyone! Happy Chinese New Year’s (Jan. 26), go get your "lai see" or "hong bao" from Michael and I at grandma's you lucky folks!
Ah, back home in Utsunomiya. I didn’t feel tired the first day or two, but I think a little jet lag kicked in. Jet lag is annoying and tough. I think I am ok now. I had a pretty simple week as I knew I would be tired. I had volunteering Wednesday and this time we did colors. I read “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?” by Eric Carle to the group of first graders. The time seems to go by faster every time I volunteer. I don’t know if it’s the material or my comfort level, nonetheless, I enjoy myself and still find it a rewarding experience. I had class twice this week and surprisingly remembered a lot. Yay! Michael and I went to the driving range on Wednesday and the driving range is inventive. The tee reloads a ball once you remove it or hit it. Plus, you can adjust the height of the tee with a control. I don’t have to look or steal tees. It was awesome, no bending down and putting the ball on the tee. I did rather well at the range, it’s nice to know that I didn’t lose all of my “skill”. I might have drove the ball 200 yards, just once though. I felt really good. That about sums up the low-key week. I was probably in bed by 9:30pm every night, sad I know this, but I blame it on jet lag.
Michael and I were going to go snowboarding at Hunter Mountain on Saturday with some of his co-workers, but there was rain in the forecast so we decided to postpone the trip. I was so excited because I got a new snowboard and ready to test it out. I guess in time. Michael and I did go on a one-day trip to Nasu today, Feb. 1. It was a small town about 1.5 hours north of Utsunomiya. We were going to the outlet mall, but the navi failed us and we made 3 attempts, then opted for other activities. I think that happened for good reason because we went to a strawberry farm and picked strawberries and ate them on the spot for 30 minutes. It was delicious and a new experience for us. I love strawberries! Our next adventure led us to our second new experience…candle making. We found this little cute candle store and they let you make your own candles. It looked like a husband and wife business. The lady was very friendly and patient as she tried to use as much English as possible. We each made a candle and I must say that it turned out rather beautiful. Since it was a day of first, we decided to go to an onsen. It was my first time going and Michael’s third. [An onsen is a hot spring or bathing facility] The onsen was a unique experience. There are separate facilities for men and women, so we set a time to meet and off we went. I was a little weirded out at first, but sitting in the onsen made it so much more worthwhile. It was probably 120 degrees farenheit plus in the water, but it totally relaxes your body and mind. I highly recommend it to people, but as a warning you must be comfortable with yourself and nudity. You think that people are looking at you, but they are not, it’s just you judging yourself. That about sums up the past 3 weeks. I probably left out a lot of detail, but I am sure you are tired of reading by now.

*Ok, one more thing...I felt my very first earthquake in Japan today. It was early this morning, I woudl guess around 6am, but the bed was moving in a swaying motion. I was not freaked out, but I didn't think it was cool. Anyways, I felt an earthquake! Michael did not feel it as he is such a sleepyhead.