For A Good Cause
29 Nov 2011 2 Comments
in Art, Japan, Uncategorized Tags: charity, Geisha ware, Japan, JETAANY, porcelain
T-Minus 2 days and counting until the JETAANY Art Showcase and Auction! At this point, all the tickets are sold and the venue (the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence in NYC) and the volunteers have all been prepared for the big day! MadSilence the Older and Wiser has been kind enough to donate 3 pieces from his collection of “Made in Japan” Japanese export ceramics to be auctioned off for the benefit of the people affected by the Great Tohoku Earthquake. Here’s what we’re donating:
Ceramic figurine, Chinese coolie holding a covered basket, circa 1940s, marked “Made in Japan,” 6.25 inches tall. This delightful example of Japanese-made export ceramics probably served as a cigarette holder. Evocative of Japan’s influence upon Western design (Japonisme), the figurine’s Oriental theme and colorful shiny glazes proved popular in the United States, Europe and Britain. The finely molded ceramic body with skillfully applied glaze suggests this decorative piece was destined for the high-end export market. The Chinese coolie figure with pigtail and vest reflects the influence of Chinese culture upon the Japanese aesthetic.
Vase, ceramic, 5.25 inches tall, blue iridescent glaze, hand-painted flowers, circa 1940s, marked “Made in Japan.” This exquisite and diminutive ceramic vase is reminiscent of spring afternoons spent lolling in showers of cherry blossoms on the banks of Kanazawa’s Saigawa River. The iridescent finish, a product of mineral salts added to the potter’s glaze, augments the hand-painted flowers. The ceramic body is glazed with a single hue and sparsely decorated is faithful to the beauty and simplicity of the Japanese aesthetic. The use of floral design is an integral element of Japan’s decorative arts.
Porcelain two-handled soup bowl and saucer, “Geisha ware,” transfer design with hand painted colors and gilt accents. Unmarked but consistent with Japanese export pottery before 1940. This beautiful set features two women and two children frolicking in an idyllic Japanese landscape garden blooming with a profusion of botan (peony). The outlines of the figures are a transfer pattern, which was later painstakingly hand colored by artists. The women wear brilliantly colored furisode, or long-sleeved kimono. Note the delicate scrolled gilt-work that highlights their obi sashes, hair combs and fans. The underside of the saucer bears a black pock-mark cause by a piece of coal getting stuck in the glaze during firing, indicative of the small kiln in which it was made.
Here’s to hoping they’ll bring high bids and plenty of money for the people in Tohoku!
~MS the Younger
Chopsticks: History, art and food
22 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Culture, Japan Tags: chopstick rests, chopsticks
I was surprised to learn that one-third of the world’s population uses chopsticks.
Check out this video from CBS Sunday Morning News to learn more interesting chopsticks facts: Chopsticks: History, art and food
Learn about proper chopsticks handling techniques & manners from Chopsticks NY
Chopstick rests (箸置き, Japanese: hashioki) (筷子座 Chinese: kuaizi zuo) are tableware, similar to a spoon rest, used to keep chopstick tips off the table and to prevent used chopsticks from contaminating or rolling off tables. Chopstick rests are found more commonly in restaurants than in homes. They come in various shapes and are made from clay, wood, glass, porcelain or precious stones such as jade. If the chopsticks come in paper sleeves, some people fold the sleeves into chopstick rests. Via Wikipedia
Chopstick rests make a perfect collectible: small and affordable with an infinite variety. Check out these vintage chopstick rests from the MadSilence collection. These delightful blue and white ceramic fish are three inches long with the paper label, Made In Japan
~MS tO&W
Fundraising Event for Tohoku and Education Industry Panel Coverage
18 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in Japan, Job search Tags: art show, Higher Education, JETAANY, JetWit, NYC, Silent Auction
Hi all! So, this week’s updates:
First, a chance to support the people who have been affected by the Great Tohoku Earthquake in Japan. JETAANY is running a great Art Showcase and Silent Auction on Thursday, December 1st, 2011, at the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence in NYC. Tickets for the event are $15 until 11/26 and $20 after that. They’re also still looking for people to donate artwork, so click here to head on over to the announcement to check out the details.
Second, check out my coverage of JETAA’s International Education and Exchange Industry Panel over at JetWit if you’re interested in hearing some great advice about finding a job in the higher education world.
~MS the Younger
“Date A Girl Who Reads” by Rosemarie Urquico
15 Nov 2011 10 Comments
in Books, Reading, Uncategorized Tags: Books, Reading
Hey all! Happy Tuesday! In between applying for jobs to art galleries and writing articles about the recent JETAANY Career Forum, I took a bit of a break and stumbled across this awesome essay posted on TheHealthyWarrior. Normally I don’t re-post entire entries, but I LOVE this essay and think you all should read it!!!
DATE A GIRL WHO READS
by Rosemarie Urquico
(In response to Charles Warnke’s You Should Date an Illiterate Girl)Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.
Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.
She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.
Buy her another cup of coffee.
Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.
It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.
She has to give it a shot somehow.
Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.
Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.
Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.
If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.
You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.
You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.
Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.
Or better yet, date a girl who writes.
Being one of those “girls who read,” I could really relate to what she says here – especially about smelling the pages of books, or knowing that books are fiction but still trying to make a little of their magic true in the “real world.” Books are their own kind of magic. They allow us to dream while we’re awake, and give hope and support when you don’t have any. Books are a kind of magic, they way they sit in your hands with the same warm weight as a friendly hug. I hope you all enjoyed reading that essay as much as I did! Viva la book readers!!!
~MS the Younger
Fun Thanksgiving Stories
13 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Culture, Thoughts Tags: butterball turkey hotline, cranberry production, memorable Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving memories, Thanksgiving side dish, turkey
Every American family has them: memorable Thanksgiving stories, tales that are told & retold at the Thanksgiving table
Here are a few unforgettable ones:
- The Thanksgiving Day my sister called the Butterball Turkey Hotline to ask: What to do with a grilled turkey burned to a charcoal husk? The answer: scrape off the char to the meat below and enjoy!
- Then there was the Thanksgiving uncle threw the turkey out the kitchen window. A little early with the holiday cheer perhaps?
- Among my earliest Thanksgiving memories are packing up my father’s turkey dinner to deliver to the police station where he worked the midnight shift. The cold & quiet village streets, my siblings & I shyly delivering his meal, smiling to the police officers on duty
- And the memories of food: my first shrimp with cocktail sauce, the delicious cool & spicy treat of salami rolled with cream cheese, the delectable combination of turkey, mashed potato, gravy, spicy turnip & veg piled high on the plate, flavors mingling to enhance the whole
Care to share your Thanksgiving memories? Thanksgiving is the day we celebrate all that we are grateful for. For my family the greatest gift is being together for the first time in five years.
While you are going down memory lane consider these Fun Thanksgiving Facts:
- 248 million:The number of turkeys expected to be raised in the United States in 2011
- 46.5 million: The preliminary estimate of turkeys Minnesota is expected to raise in 2011. Minnesota was tops in turkey production, followed by North Carolina (30.0 million), Arkansas (30.0 million), Missouri (18.0 million), Virginia (17.5 million) and Indiana (16.0 million). These six states together account for about two-thirds of U.S. turkeys produced in 2011
- 750 million pounds: The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2011
- 2.4 billion pounds: The total weight of sweet potatoes — another popular Thanksgiving side dish — produced by major sweet potato producing states in 2010
- 1.1 billion pounds: Total production of pumpkins in the major pumpkin-producing states in 2010. Illinois led the country by producing 427 million pounds of the vined orange gourd. Pumpkin patches in California, New York and Ohio also provided lots of pumpkins: Each state produced at least 100 million pounds. The value of all pumpkins produced by major pumpkin-producing states was $117 million
- 266.1 million pounds: If you prefer cherry pie, you will be pleased to learn that the nation’s forecasted tart cherry production for 2011 totals 266.1 million pounds, up 40 percent from the 2010 production. Of this 2011 total, the overwhelming majority (210.0 million pounds) will be produced in Michigan
- 2.01 billion bushels: The total volume of wheat — the essential ingredient of bread, rolls and pie crust — produced in the United States in 2011
- 656,340 tons: The 2011 contracted production of snap (green) beans in major snap (green) bean-producing states. Of this total, Wisconsin led all states (258,320 tons). Many Americans consider green bean casserole a traditional Thanksgiving dish
- $7.8 million: The value of U.S. imports of live turkeys from January through July of 2011 — 99.7 percent from Canada. When it comes to sweet potatoes, the Dominican Republic was the source of 60.1 percent ($3.2 million) of total imports ($5.3 million). The United States ran a $3.6 million trade deficit in live turkeys during the period but had a surplus of $41.7 million in sweet potatoes
- 13.3 pounds: The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2009, with no doubt a hearty helping devoured at Thanksgiving time. Per capita sweet potato consumption was 5.3 pounds
- $1.38: Retail cost per pound of a frozen whole turkey in December 2010
Source: US Census Bureau Facts for Features: Thanksgiving Day: Nov. 24, 2011
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff21.html
Preparing for Thanksgiving – Sweet Potato Cashew Bake
11 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in cooking, Food, Recipes Tags: Food, Recipes, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day
Hey guys! As we’re moving into pre-Thanksgiving preparation time, I’ve been dreaming up my ideal Thanksgiving meal… the one that’s going to make up for the last 5 years I’ve not had it in Japan! I wanted to share some of the recipes with you. I hope you’ll give them a try and they’ll become part of your yearly traditions as well!
One of my ultimate favorite things at Thanksgiving in sweet potatoes. Of course we have sweet potatoes in Japan, but they’re actually a completely different vegetable! And they’re definitely not prepared in the same way.
American sweet potato - browny-red outside, orange inside. Japanese sweet potatoes are purple outside and white inside.
So in honor of the American sweet potato, here’s my favorite dish. It’s from an old version of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, which is a staple in our family, no matter how old it it!
Sweet Potato Cashew Bake (serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
- 6 medium sweet potatoes (2lbs) or 1 2lb can of sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup broken cashews
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- An 8 3/4 oz. can of peach slices
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions:
- If you’re using raw sweet potatoes, peel and cook them in boiling water until tender, then drain. Cut crosswise into thick pieces. If you’re using canned sweet potatoes, drain and give them a quick rinse.
- Combine brown sugar, cashews, ginger, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
- Drain peaches well.
- In a 10x6x2-inch baking dish layer half each of the sweet potatoes, peach slices, and brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Dot with butter.
- Bake, covered, in a 350 deg. over for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake about 10 minutes longer. Spoon brown sugar syrup over before serving.
MS the Younger’s notes:
The brown sugar can sometimes be a little much, especially if your potatoes are quite sweet. I suggest cutting down a little – maybe 1/3 less. And absolutely use salted butter to dot your potatoes, it balances the sweet nicely!
~MS the Younger
“Fiber Futures: Japan’s Textile Pioneers” and “Postcards from Japan: Messages from Tohoku Artists” @Japan Society, NYC
09 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in Art, Culture, Japan, Reviews, Uncategorized Tags: art shows, Fiber Futures, Japan Society, NYC, textiles
Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the Japan Society in NYC. Hidden behind an outwardly unassuming facade across the street from the United Nations, The Japan Society has been promoting Japanese-American relations since 1907. Inside, the Society shows its true character as the indoor gardens, water features, and shoji-inspired walkways wow visitors as much as the broad range of classes, exhibitions, and lectures they hold each year.
Currently showing (until December 18th) is “Fiber Futures: Japan’s Textile Pioneers.” It’s a collaboration between The Japan Society and Textile Network Japan along with Tama Art University Museum. As you enter the exhibit, you walk through the first piece of art! The doorway is covered with a noren, or traditional door curtain, made of space-age materials that look like watered silk and gold leaf. It was one great example of how the 30 artists who contributed pieces combined traditional techniques and modern materials to show the versatility and beauty of textiles.
One piece that particularly struck me was a hanging sculpture by Shigeo Kubota that reminded me of a frozen sunset. Kubota took natural hemp and wove it very simply together with nylon. He then dyed the material into all the colors of sunset – shimmering crimsons, glowing oranges and strong yellows. I especially liked how ambient light played differently over the different materials. And the sculptures aren’t the only things that are pushing the envelope at the Japan Society. They have designed an app to help guide you through the display, which has a lot of information, like artist statements and videos, that aren’t available in the actual gallery space. It goes by the same name as the exhibit and can be downloaded for free for both iPhone and Android.
“Fiber Futures” is a great show to see, even with its $12 admission fee for adults. However, if you’re not in the mood to pay to see very modernistic textile-based sculpture, try going down to the lower level of the building instead. The hallway is often used as a gallery space and is currently exhibiting “Postcards from Japan: Messages from Tohoku Artists.” The organizers, Hironori Katagiri and Kate Thompson, were inspired by the Japan Post. The Post played an important part for people in Tohoku who had no electronic means to reach out and tell their families if they were ok – and they did it in masses, sending out postcards to their friends and family outside of the affected area. Katagiri and Thompson asked Japanese artists to make a postcard-sized piece of art to express their feelings about what had happened.
"Eyes Welling Up" by Kamo Sachiko
Many of them incorporate the sea. Many of the artists felt scared and saddened by the ocean – that a source of beauty, joy, food, and water could also be so inimical to human life.
"Building Up Hope" by Saito Yoshitomo
But many other artists showed their hope for a better future for Japan, as do we as we look at their art.
"Sprouts (MOEMOE)" by Motomura Kenta
Japan Society
333 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 832-1155
Gallery hours (during exhibition dates):
Tuesday through Thursday 11 am – 6 pm
Friday 11 am – 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
Closed Mondays & 12/24, 12/25, 12/31, 1/1
~MS the Younger
Food for Chilly Nights – Bratwurst and Sauerkraut Skillet
04 Nov 2011 3 Comments
in Food, Recipes Tags: bratwurst, cooking, German, Oktoberfest, Recipes, sauerkraut
Bratwurst, King of Sausages! Sauerkraut, Queen of Cabbages!
Inspired by our the Steuben Day Parade viewing, we decided to sign up for a German cooking class at our local library. Much fun was had by all, even though there was no beer ::le sigh:: I’d love to share with you the recipe we liked best from the class. It’s for a hearty sausage skillet utilizing that wonderful meat, bratwurst!
Oktoberfest Bratwurst and Sauerkraut Skillet
Ingredients:
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine (opt)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 lbs sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
- 1 teaspoon caraway seed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb fresh bratwurst (about 5)
- 2 medium apples, cored and sliced
Directions:
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove from pan, drain, crumble, and set aside.
- Drain off all but 2 tbsp of drippings (or use the 2 tbsp of butter or margarine if you prefer), add onion and garlic to drippings, cook over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in sauerkraut, potatoes, 2 cups water, apple cider, brown sugar, bouillon, caraway, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, brown the bratwurst on all sides over medium heat in another skillet. Slice.
- Add the bratwurst slices to the sauerkraut mixture when it comes to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, stirring occassionally.
- Stir in the bacon and discard the bay leaf, then serve!
~MS the Younger
Post-Halloween Wrap-up/501st post!/Japan Job Resources
01 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Holidays, Japan, Job search, MadSilence, Uncategorized Tags: Halloween, Japan-related organizations, Japanese Culture, Job search, November, NYC
Hey all! Hope you had an awesome Halloween yesterday! Mine included awesome stripey knee socks:
They even have bats and witches on them to compliment the awesome stripes XD
And my first Jack o’ Lantern in 5 years! I think I might have to practice my carving a little ^^;;;
This pumpkin needs an orthodontist...
Sadly it did not include a single trick-or-treater! Ah well, must have been my pumpkin was too terrifying for them!
Anyhoo, how time flies! It’s November 1st, and I’ve been home for 3 months now – and this is MadSilence’s 501st post! Certainly doesn’t feel like we’ve been around for that long! Appropriately, the entry for November in Sarah Breathnach’s Simple Abundance (which I picked up at the sale rack at the library for $1) is a Japanese haiku:
All freezes again -
among the pines, winds
whispering a prayer.
~Riei, 18th century Japanese poet
Luckily we haven’t frozen yet, even in that dreadful winter storm that passed by this last weekend. Though my job-search seems to have frozen at a stand-still! Luckily, the people in all my groups on LinkedIn have been keeping me on my toes. Here’s some information for anyone looking for Japan-related organizations in the NY area:
| In New York | |
| Consulate General of Japan (Japan Information Center) | Telephone: 212-371-8222Fax: 212-319-6357http://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/b/01.html |
| The Asia Society | NY Headquarters and Museum:725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street)New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212-288-6400 Fax: 212-517-8315 http://asiasociety.org/centers/new-york |
| The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership | CGP New York Office152 West 57th Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10019
Tel: (212) 489-1255 Fax: (212) 489-1344 http://www.cgp.org |
| The Japan Foundation, NY branch | 152 W 57th Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10019Tel. 212.489.0299 / Fax. 212.489.0409E-mail: info@jfny.org
http://www.jfny.org/ |
| Japan Society | Japan Society, Inc. 333 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017Fax: (212) 755-6752http://www.japansociety.org/ |
| United States-Japan Foundation | New York Office (Headquarters)145 East 32nd Street New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 481-8753 Fax: (212) 481-8762 info@us-jf.orghttp://www.us-jf.org/ |
| Japan External Trade Organization | 1221 Avenue Of The AmericasMcGraw Hill Building, 42nd FloorNew York NY 10020
Phone: 212.997.0400 Fax: 212.997.0464 |
| Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations | 866 United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017Tel: 212-223-4300
http://www.un.emb-japan.go.jp/index.htm |
| Fukui Prefectural Government, New York Representative Office, c/o JETRO, New York | Telephone: 212-997-0445Fax: 212-730-8546URL: http://www.pref.fukui.jp/english/ |
| Japan Local Government Center NY (CLAIR NY) | Address: 3 Park Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10016-5902 Tel: (212)246-5542Fax: (212)246-5617E-Mail: jlgc@jlgc.orghttp://www.jlgc.org |
| Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, Inc. | 145 W. 57th StreetNew York, NY 10019Phone: 212-246-8001
Fax: 212-246-8002 E-Mail: info@jcciny.org |
| Nippon Community Center | 50 Columbia AvenueHartsdale, NY 10530Telephone:914.949.2071
FAX: 914.949.2072 E-MAIL: contact@nipponcc.com |
| NY de Volunteer | 601 West 110th Street Suite10K5New York, NY 10025 USA212-932-7208
http://www.nydevolunteer.org |
| The Nippon Club | 145 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019T. (212) 581-2223 F. (212) 581-3332E. info@nipponclub.org http://www.nipponclub.org |
Hope it’s helpful for people looking for jobs or looking to learn more about Japan!
~MS the Younger
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