Read the printed word
28 Mar 2010 7 Comments
in Books, Life, News, Reading Tags: Read the printed word
Take the pledge…
- We support the printed word in all its forms: newspapers, magazines, and of course books.
- We think reading on computers or phones or whatever is fine, but it cannot replace the experience of reading words printed on paper.
- We pledge to continue reading the printed word in the digital era and beyond.
Donut delight
26 Mar 2010 2 Comments
in Japan, Japanese Culture, Life, Thoughts, Travel Tags: Kanazawa visit, Mister Donut
My goal on Wednesday was to get to Kanazawa’s Kata-machi district, where all the restaurants and shops are, on foot and unassisted. The proof of my achievement: a bag of donuts. So off I go down Minami Odori Avenue arriving 20-minutes later at my first landmark: the Saigawa Ohashi Bridge. The bridge crosses the Saigawa River, just southwest of downtown Kanazawa, and leads directly into Kata-machi.
Across the bridge on the right my immediate goal: one of several Mister Donut shops located in the city. I enter the store with trepidation: Japan is intimidating to an American who doesn’t speak nor read the language. I’m greeted with the gentle susurration of certain Japanese words that, after five days, have become familiar: the sibilance of ohayou-gozaimasu (good morning) and sumimasen (excuse me). These words follow wherever I go.
My limited vocabulary of konnichiwa (hello) and domo arigato (thank you) helps complete the purchase. I point through the display window; the attractive young sales person brings out a single donut on a tray. Is this what you want? She seems to say. Hai (yes). Four fingers for four donuts. I point to a box. She pulls one out, demonstrating the box is too big, the donuts would slide around. She packs them in a plastic bag in typical Japanese fashion, very neat with napkins added, sealed with Mister Donut tape, and offers a paper bag with handles to carry them. Perfect for this wet and windy, 100 yen donut-sale day.
Kata-machi is a busy and crowded shopping district. I’ve been here before with friends and am starting to decipher the geography. Down the street, the restaurant where we ate a dinner: an om-rice, omelet made with eggplant, bits of ham, & tomato sauce, served on a bed of buttered rice. We ordered a serving of fried potatoes: tiny ones cut in wedges, served with delicious Japanese mayo & ketchup. A popular place with the English teachers, the manager & staff know them well. A coupon gave everyone a free gelato: green tea, espresso, my scoop of black sesame is delicious.
Nearby is Cote d’Azur where we spent a few hours singing karaoke. I know much has been written of karaoke, the Japanese love of the activity is well-known. I’ll try to post on the topic at a later date. For now, suffice it to say that the hour was late & I was a bit shy around my new friends, but the kids were fantastic, accepting & supportive, fun-loving and free. Songs old & new, in English & Japanese.
Across the street the Starbucks coffee shop. The size of the crowd reflects the store’s popularity, doubly so for English speakers. The signs are in Japanese and English, the products are the same offered worldwide, the staff speak English (grande latte). It’s familiarity makes it a refuge of sorts for those looking for a familiar touch of home. A good place to shelter from the weather. I set aside my bag of donuts while enjoying a latte & slice of pound cake, secretly watching the Japanese businessmen, young people & school kids enjoy theirs.
Donuts & umbrella in hand I start for home, the gusty wind off the river turning my umbrella inside-out, breaking a rib. I keep carefully to the main avenue, never straying down the tempting side streets, passing now familiar landmarks: the bicycle shop, the garden nursery, motorbike shop, Buddhist temple, watching for the intersection where I turn for our apartment.
In the cold rain the passing buses are tempting, but I don’t know where the buses go, afraid one will take me past my destination. After 2 ½ hours I walk past to the Shinto shrine, down the side streets, donut offering in hand.
Links:
Welcome to Mister Donut
Miss Mister Donut: In conjunction with its 40th anniversary, Mister Donut brought together 40 lovely ladies from all over Japan to announce their new line-up of donuts for Spring season.
~MadSilence to&w
Way of the flowers
24 Mar 2010 2 Comments
in Art, Life, Thoughts, Travel Tags: floral design, flower arranging, Ikebana, Kanazawa visit
Carolyn has been studying ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, for several years. I had the opportunity to view an exhibition of ikebana art held on the 19th floor of the Ishikawa Prefecture office building.
Anyone who has received a beautiful arrangement of flowers is familiar with the art of floral design. There’s a real skill to creating an aesthetically pleasing floral display. But the ikebana art I viewed takes floral design to a whole different level. It’s not just the flowers, but the arrangement of the flowers, branches, leaves and stems, and the container that holds them, that combine to create an aesthetic display that is a work of art. I found myself viewing the arrangements as I would a painting by Wyeth or Cassatt, noting how the arrangement of the organic materials, the choice of container, and the use of empty space combine to impact the viewer.
Carolyn’s arrangement communicates a peaceful spring-like setting, willow branches overhanging a stream, the buds just opening.
There were over 100 exhibitors, mostly older women, who worked diligently for hours to construct their arrangements. I was especially drawn to the traditional forms of ikebana, with their minimalist approach and use of open space, and also found intriguing the more contemporary arrangements, with their use of modern materials. The ephemeral nature of the art added a poignancy to the exhibition: in a few days these artworks would be gone forever.
Unfortunately my photos were unable to capture the beauty of these artistic creations. Go to the website of IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL for images of Japanese floral arrangements.
Ikebana (Japanese: 生け花 or いけばな, literally “living flowers”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as kadō (華道)—the “way of flowers”.
In contrast to the decorative form of flower arranging in western countries, the Japanese flower arrangement creates a harmony of linear construction, rhythm, and color. While westerners tend to emphasize the quantity and colors of the flowers, devoting their attention mainly to the beauty of the blossoms, the Japanese emphasize the linear aspects of the arrangement. They have developed the art to include the vase, stems, leaves, and branches, as well as the flowers. The entire structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on three main points that symbolize heaven, earth, and humankind.
~MadSilence to&w
Artful evening at Kanazawa Matsumoto
23 Mar 2010 5 Comments
in Japanese Culture, Life, Thoughts, Travel Tags: Kanazawa visit
Our first Saturday night together we visited Kanazawa Matsumoto for a traditional Japanese meal with geisha and entertainment. Honestly I didn’t know what to expect from the evening, thinking it would be a formal event and rather boring. The night proved to be fun & entertaining thanks to our Japanese hosts.
The floor of the dining room was covered in tatami mats, the traditional type of Japanese flooring. Interestingly, as we walked to the Japanese inn (ryokan), we passed a shop where workers were making tatami mats by hand. The dining room was filled with six round tables each seating five guests, the tables facing an open area at one end of the rectangular room. The five people at our table were the only non-Japanese guests.
What made the evening special was the care & attention the geisha showed to every visitor. Each table had a geisha attendant to make conversation, engaging each guest individually. Our Australian friends got a “good day mate” in a creditable Australian accent, Laura from Italy was asked what city was she from, Carolyn & I spoke of New York. With our hostess’ limited English & Carolyn translating from the Japanese we communicated very well, although the important message was communicated without words: that the well-being of the guests really mattered. It was this concern for our comfort that made the evening memorable.
The meal started with thin strips of raw squid marinated in brine, served in a tiny ceramic bowl, perhaps an inch in diameter, to whet the appetite and encourage thirst. Then a plate containing tiny squid (hotaru-ika or firefly squid), a large shrimp, two fava beans, some greens, a large snail in its shell, & a slice of beef decorated with a blot of mustard. Dinner was seafood & vegetables in miso soup followed by rice. Our attendant was always at our side, serving food and pouring sake and beer.
The entertainment for the night consisted of traditional Japanese music, song and dance, and what I found most surprising, games for the guests. The instruments used were the voice, the three-stringed lute (shamisen) and drums. The guests were encouraged to join in the entertainment. The ladies joined the geisha in traditional dancing. We learned to play the Japanese drums. Finally a raucous round of janken (rock, paper, scissors), with the loser paying a penalty: drinking a cup of sake. The geisha encouraged every guest to participate. It was simply great fun and for me, unexpected. One of the most enthusiastic guests was a Japanese women, tall and thin in denim, there with her daughter. She challenged both her daughter and geisha in janken, gloriously happy in her victory.
After playing the drums and beating Carolyn at janken several of the Japanese guests shook hands and congratulated me. They seemed genuinely happy we were there enjoying the evening with them.
Image source: Kanazawa Matsumoto
Related MadSilence post: A woman of the arts
~MadSilence
You know he’s turning Japanese
22 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Japanese Culture, Life, Thoughts, Travel Tags: Kanazawa visit
The next few weeks will find me in Kanazawa visiting MS the Younger and Hungrier so look forward to joint posts from this beautiful Japanese city.
According to the Kanazawa City Home Page:
Kanazawa, the biggest city in the Hokuriku region has a population of 450,000, and is a castle town that was ruled over by the Maeda family for three centuries after the first lord Toshiie Maeda entered Kanazawa Castle in 1583. The development of its special products like rice, sake, sweets, etc. was due to its temperate and rainy climate with heavy snow in winter. The city is surrounded by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. Two rivers run through the city; the Sai is said to be a lively masculine river and the Asano to be a sweet, feminine river. Such a natural background of great beauty gives the city a relaxed feeling.
Since the Kaga Clan invited many artists and craftsmen to this area, it achieved a high level of craftsmanship that continues to flourish to this day. Colorful KUTANI POTTERY, earthy OHI POTTERY, elegant KANAZAWA LACQUERWARE, glittering KANAZAWA GOLD LEAF, unique-to-Kanazawa PAULOWNIA CRAFT, specially hand-painted KAGA-YUZEN SILK, KAGA ZOGAN, KAGA EMBROIDERY, KAGA FISHING FLIES, MIZUHIKI, and KANAZAWA BUDDHIST ALTARS.
The buildings that gave birth to these traditions stand tranquilly and blend in with the modern atmosphere in Kanazawa to create a charming ancient castle town.
Photo credit : Kanazawa City
~MS the Older & Wiser
10 Ten Things to Try in Japan
20 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Japan, JapanBlogMatsuri, Japanese Culture, Life, Thoughts, Travel
Muza-chan over at Gate to Japan hosted February’s Japan Blog Matsuri! The theme is “Top 10 Lists,” whether that means foods, places to visit, people to meet, etc. etc. etc. Sadly I didn’t submit my list on time, but why not share it anyway?
Now, Japan is a normal place to those who already live here, but to the rest of us outsiders there are some things that are down-right off-putting. Like getting naked, or eating things raw, buying condoms from vending machines… but those strange things really are the best parts of Japan! So here’s 10 things you should do, no matter how weird they sound, because they’ll become some of your favorite things!
1) Give jellyfish a chance!
Jellyfish Salad from Life Loves the Curious.
Something I learned from Japan: even the strangest and most dangerous-looking sea creatures can be delicious. Ok, I haven’t given fugu (blowfish) a try yet, but jellyfish definitely fits into this category. Is jellyfish jelly-like? Surprisingly not. It’s actually…. crunchy? Chewy? Both? If you’ve eaten konnyaku, it’s kind of like that, except with a little more bite. They don’t have much flavor though, being 95% water with no interesting innards or bones to give them flavor. You can eat their skin, bell, or tentacles. The other ingredients give them their flavor. I like them best as pickles or in steamed jellyfish salad with spicy dressing, cucumber and steamed chicken. MeltingWok has a nice little post about Chinese-style jellyfish salad and preparing jellyfish over here. Life Loves the Curious does a more step-by-step Japanese version too. And did you know you could grill it Indian Satay style? Of turn it into a caramel? Luckily you can eat the immense jellyfish that are currently attacking the Japanese coastline….
2) Getting Naked with Strangers.
Outdoor rotenburo bath at an onsen!
America was once land of the Puritans, and it sure lingers on in some ways, like prudery about nakedness in groups. Ahh, once I was part of that group of people who go “DEAR GOD TAKE OFF MY CLOTHES IN FRONT OF STRANGERS??!?!!” but my ways have been changed by that miracle called the onsen. Onsen, or natural hot springs, are one of the greatest natural blessings of Japan – I guess you need something to balance the earthquakes and volcanoes! Shuck your clothes, wash at the scrubbing stands in the main area of the bath, and then relax outside in the hot water. Back in the day baths were not segregated, but these days most baths are, so you don’t have to worry about getting ogled by old men, although gaijin guys will get eyeballed by people in the bath (or so I’ve heard). Well, that’s one reason you get a modesty towel XDD Check out OnsenJapan for some more info on onsen etiquette and famous onsen in Japan, or head to North Carolina, where there’s a Japanese style bath you can try without the plane fare!
3) Eating it raw!
Egg on rice - the prefect Japanese breakfast, by PcFan.net on Flickr.
Yes, yes, sushi comes into this, but also raw egg, raw horse, raw whale, etc etc etc. And as gross as it sounds, give it a try. At least once. Some people have this amazing fear of their food and most don’t feel comfortable eating anything that isn’t cooked to a Health Department approved temperature, but there’s no need to be afraid. Japanese chefs are very careful about fresh ingredients and most things are cut up right before you eat them. Eggs for dipping your sukiyaki or topping your mornings rice with will not kill you. Get over your fears and enjoy the slurpy slimy-ness of raw food!
4) Buy just about anything… from a vending machine.
5) Strangely flavored sweets.
Soy sauce ice cream! Some companies even make a soy sauce syrup to put on top of vanilla, just like hot fudge.
Kits Kats in roasted soy bean flavor? Soy sauce or wasabi flavored ice cream? Cherry blossom scented rice cakes? Salt, beer, or edamame flavored gelato? Sweet red bean flavored caramels? If it’s an odd flavor (at least to the Western palate), you’ll find it in Japan. Surprisingly, the majority are quite delicious. Salt gelato is something I’ll miss back in the States.
6) Bean paste.
Home-made anko.
Made from beans? Yup. Mealy and melty like beans? Yup. Savory like beans? Nope. Anko, bean paste, is made from sweet azuki beans that are cooked until they fall apart and make a thick paste. It’s stuffed in bread to make the ever-popular anpan, rolled around balls of mochi to make ohagi, eaten like a soup, put on top of ice cream, and even used in some beauty products! Weird? Yes. Takes some getting used to? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
7) Walk and bike everywhere. I walk or ride my bike to work almost everyday, in all types of weather. It’s good exercise and produces a very small carbon footprint. The world is very different when experienced while on foot, in the first-person: the sun on your head,wind & rain in your face. You get a real feel for the land and its people. For the visitor, walking and biking gets you “off the beaten track” and allows you to experience this beautiful country in ways not accessible to the motor-borne traveler. Give it a try…you’ll have good company and plenty of it.
8) Giving Japanese a try. Japanese is spoken in Japan and virtually no where else. A few basic words: Konnichiwa (kon-nee-chee-WAH): Hello. Dōmo arigatō (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh): Thank you. Sumimasen (soo-mee-mah-sen): Excuse me.
9) Love hotels. I’ve heard stories… Enough said.
10) Getting Lost… and Un-lost. In Japan you’ll get lost. It’s virtually assured. It’s not just that you can’t read the street signs…oftentimes they’re just not there. I once asked a Japanese friend about the lack of street signs and was told they like it that way: it assures privacy. If invited to his house you’ll be given detailed travel directions. But don’t worry if you get lost, the Japanese get lost also. Being lost can be an adventure and a portal to unexpected discoveries. So relax and enjoy the adventure. And don’t worry, the polite Japanese are always willing to assist.
~MadSilence
geographically and socially, that is not easily accessible to most visitors to the country.
Sweet, Sweet Defeat: Another food processor triumph!
11 Mar 2010 2 Comments
in cooking, Craft, Creativity, Food Tags: crafting, crochet, hummus, quinoa, Recipes, spinach
Hey all! What have you been cooking this week? The weather here in Japan has been bouncing all over the place – we go from 5C to 15C in the course of a day or two, and we got an inch of heavy wet snow yesterday. Spring, where are you?? So I’ve been cooking a lot to keep warm!!
Sweet, sweet defeat - only because I forgot to take a picture of this amazing casserole before I ate it!
This picture is of something amazing I made, something warm and gooey and good for you… something that was a recipe for 3 that I ate all in one sitting it was so good…. but I forgot to take a picture of it before I ate it all! Oh, the tragedy! So you only get a picture of the dishes, licked clean. That casserole dish was full of “Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese” from NYT. I finally scored a bag of quinoa at a local import store, which made my day because grains beside rice are decidedly hard to come by here in the Land of the Rising Rice Field. Combined with a chunk of ($10 for half a cup O.o) Gruyere and some tasty fresh spinach, this bake made a great main dish! Quinoa is full of protein and cooks in only 15 minutes, so it makes a good addition to any menu. The idea came from this awesome article over at Planet Green called “31 Recipes to Warm Up Your March” and I highly recommend you head over there and check it out because they’ve put up an entire month’s meal plan with recipes, and they all look delicious! Black Bean Chili with Avocado Salsa, Spinach and Lemon Soup, Venison Stew… I’m drooling just posting about it!
Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves
4 cups cooked quinoa, (1 cup uncooked)
2 large eggs
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère, and the sage. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Second this week was something I haven’t eaten in over 2 years: hummus! This was inspired by first: the
Hummus party baby!
food processor!! and second, the fact that my local bakery has started making whole wheat pita!! First time I’ve ever seen it in Japan. Anyway, I used Mark Bittman’s hummus recipe and loved it, it has a great balance of flavors. I topped mine with some toasted pine nuts and used half and half cumin and paprika.
Hummus
Makes 6 to 8 servingsTime: 15 minutes with precooked chickpeas2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, cooking liquid reserved if possible
1/2 cup tahini, with some of its oil if you like
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for garnish
2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
1. Put the chickpeas, tahini, oil, garlic, spices, and lemon juice in a food processor (or a blender for even smoother hummus), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and begin to process; add chickpea-cooking liquid or water as needed to produce a smooth purée.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Serve, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of cumin or paprika and some parsley.
I think the best part of the whole adventure was bringing this to work for lunch the next day and giving one of my coworkers a taste. She had a very interesting look on her face as the cumin and paprika hit her tastebuds! Hummus is definitely not something Japanese are used to.
On the craft front, I’m starting a new Spring project in honor of National Craft Month! NHK’s Oshare Koubo (a crafting show on Japan’s version of the BBC) is doing crochet projects this month, so I’m starting this adorable little convertible shawl! This will be my first time working completely from a chart, so it’s going to be interesting @_@ especially with all the notes in Japanese.
NHK Textbook and the gorgeous cranberry cotton yarn!
Convertible shawl as bolero!
Happy crafting, campers!
~MS the Younger
State of the craft: quilt explosion
08 Mar 2010 2 Comments
in Art, Life, News, Quilting, Thoughts Tags: National Quilting Day, quilt, Quilting, textile art
The popularity of quilting continues to grow, both within the United States and internationally. Quilting is now a billion-dollar industry where creativity and skill entwine to create textile art of great beauty and creativity.
This CBS News video, Quilts for Sale, reports on the booming art form and talks with quilting celebrity, Ricky Tims.
From The National Quilting Association. Inc.:
Join us in the celebration of the 19th Annual National Quilting Day on March 20, 2010. Whether you celebrate with your quilting friends or alone, take time to reflect on the rich traditions of quiltmaking and the contributions to family and community made by quiltmakers for many generations.
The art of the quilt has garnered international appeal. The TOKYO International Great Quilt Festival 2010 was held in January with amazing results. These are not the quilts your grandmother might have made.
Here are the Winners of The 9th Japan Quilt Grand Prix. The First Place prize was awarded to Yoshiko Miyamoto for Fly Me to the Moon:
Fly Me to the Moon by Yoshiko Miyamoto
The Friendship Award was presented to Yoko Sekita for Great day to be busy!
Great day to be busy! by Yoko Sekita
Ai Kijima is a Tokyo-born contemporary artist currently residing in New York City. She is noted for her use of traditional quilting techniques to create colorful fabric collages from found materials such as bed sheets, vintage kimonos, t-shirts, curtains, and dishtowels. Her quilt, Burn It Up (2006), is made from recycled materials including bed sheets, curtain, pillow case, clothes, apron, handkerchief, tablecloth. 104”x 91”
Burn It Up (2006) by Ai Kijima
The Quilting Bloggers website reports there are 3,904 quilting bloggers, or bloggers that quilt, with representatives from 69 countries and all American states.
Related MadSilence post: A crazy patchwork quilt of craft and art
‘Topless’ snowlady in New Jersey
06 Mar 2010 1 Comment
in Life, News Tags: 'Topless' snowlady, snowman
According to the New York Daily News:
She had the curves of Venus de Milo, but her bare bosom drew an icy reception. Cops ordered a New Jersey family to cover up their saucy snowlady after receiving a complaint that the frosty front yard figure was X-rated.
Go here for more snow people, Japanese-style.
~MadSilence to&w
Great Wipeout
05 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
“The Great Wipeout Off Kanagawa, after Hokusai” by Mike Licht. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a famous woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai. Like other well known images including Munch’s The Scream and Wood’s American Gothic, the Great Wave has been frequently copied and modified. The images have become integrals part of Western visual culture.
Here’s a cool adaptation by Mike Licht over at Notions Capital.
Listen to the main theme of Hawaii Five-O while enjoying the image.
~MadSilence
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