The long wait begins

I was first introduced to umeshu - plum wine - when I lived in Japan 15 years ago.  It was love at first taste.  The liquor envelops your mouth with a sweet coating that allows you to taste the fruit much more than the alcohol.  It doesn't typically burn going down.  And yet, it lingers on your lips so you can taste it again after you swallow.  I enjoy it on the rocks, neat, and with club soda. 

Over the years I have found certain brands that I like more than others.  But nothing really compares to what we make at home.  We started making it a few years ago with the Italian plums from the tree in our yard in the US.  It is actually really simple to make - take immature plums (green), rock sugar, and white alcohol.  Mix and let sit for 6+ months. 

Now that we're in Japan, we can use the "right" plums.  "Right" only refers to round, otherwise there are many varieties to choose from.  It is so interesting to see big bags of immature plums for sale in stores right now.  I even saw some bags in the department store market today. 

1 kg of plums (2.2 lbs)

Finding the crystal sugar can be tough in the US.  The secret is to look at Asian grocery stores.  You can use the brown crystals or the white.  It will change the flavor of the finished product.  I prefer the brown as it is a more complex flavor, but we usually mix brown and white.

500  grams of crystal sugar (1.1 lbs)

The liquor choice is actually the least important ingredient.  You don't want anything too nice or expensive because the plums are just going to change the flavor and feel of the liquor.  A liquor with any flavor will change the final taste of the umeshu.  We used cheap vodka in the US so we could have a more intense plum flavor.  In Japan, we get really cheap white liquor in a box!

1.8 Liters (60 oz)

The hardest part is to leave it alone (usually in the back of your pantry or a closet) for 6+ months.  Some of the best umeshu I ever tasted was a homemade umeshu that was 2 years old!

Add 1/3 of the plums and then 1/3 of the sugar

Repeat until you have added all the plums and sugar

Add the alcohol and then WAIT!

If you are so inclined, I highly recommend trying to make umeshu.  It is totally worth the tiny bit of effort and closet space.


***I provided the basic ratio of ingredients for umeshu - 1 kg plums, 500 g sugar, and 1.8 L alcohol.  Stick with these and you won't go wrong.  After trying it out, then you can experiment to find your perfect ratios.  For example, the first time we made umeshu ourselves, we only used white sugar.  After experimenting we found we preferred the taste of white and brown combined.***

Schedule mishap

Japanese kindergarten and elementary schools get out early on Wednesdays.  I've asked if this was for teacher training or something else, but was met with a definitive "it's just how it has always been done."  Ask a silly question and get a silly answer, I guess.

Due to the limited amount of time of the school day, every Wednesday I have a strict schedule.  I go swimming and FaceTime with a friend to study Japanese before picking up my son from school.  Since it is early release, my son doesn't take lunch to school.  Instead we go out for lunch and then hang out with friends.

Today, when I dropped my son off at school, I took a few moments to chat with a mom who is studying English.  She had an exam this past Saturday, so I wanted to see how it went.  After her update, I told her I had to hurry and be on my way since today is the short school day and I have a bunch of things to do.  She looked at me with surprise and said "Today is a normal day!  Did you pack your son a bento?"

I was surprised to hear this information.  I had not packed my son a bento.  Suddenly, my schedule changed quite a bit as I needed to rush home, put together a lunch for my son, and get it to the school before my study session.  I didn't have any hot rice in the rice cooker, so I stopped by the store to pick up a rice bowl.  I then took the rice bowl home and tossed it in his bento box and put a few extra items on top - fish cake and ume.  I then put his lunch into his bento bag, along with his placemat, a spoon, and a banana.  I closed it up and headed back to the school.

I felt bad for this mistake.  I should have known, but it wasn't in the calendar that my husband updates and I didn't send my husband the daily update on Tuesday.  In a former life, I was an event coordinator and these things didn't happen to me.  But, in my current reality, these things do happen.  There is a lot of things that are lost in translation or don't even get translated.  Sometimes it is not a big deal, and other times it results in a bit or a lot of stress.

At first I was beating myself up about it.  But then I took a moment to recognize - my son wasn't left at school when all the other kids were being picked up.  He didn't realize the snafu.  He was blissfully ignorant of the whole thing.  So, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.  I still made it to my study session on time and I can go swimming tomorrow morning.  It really isn't a big deal. 

As I waded through the morning chaos, I had 2 more offers of assistance from other moms at the school.  I now have even more support to make sure I know about schedule changes and happenings at the school.  So, hopefully, this won't happen again.

Bugs

My son and I are under attack.  Everyday we come home with more and more welts all over our legs and arms.  The mosquitos are so bad.  Even though I spray us and we have little mosquito repellant coils burning near us in the park, we are still dinner.

The temperature has been in the high 20°C (high 70s / low 80s).  More importantly, Japan is HUMID.  Really, really humid.  It is so gross.  I can deal with these temperatures, but the humidity makes me a huge grump.  And the bugs (of all kinds) like the hot, humid weather.

My son has been collecting huge ants, about a half inch long, some with wings, at the park.  He gets so excited to capture them in a plastic bottle (with holes punctured in it for breathing fresh air).  I have the duty of freeing the bugs after nightfall, as I'm the one who doesn't want a large collection of dead ants in our courtyard.

Collecting bugs often has it's drawbacks, specifically getting bitten by mosquitos!  He's wandering around in wooded areas, damp from the humidity, away from the repellant coils, and the mosquitos see a free lunch.  This morning, he told me his leg itched.  I found a huge 2 inch wide welt on his shin!  Ugh! 

Other bugs are also making an appearance in the park, like the Japanese rhinoceros beetle or kabutomushi.  This beetle is famous in Japan - often appearing in anime (cartoons and comics) and tv and movies.  It is synonymous with summer, as it lives as larva in the ground for almost a year before appearing as a beetle in late spring where it's main focus is making more beetles.  After mating several times (laying eggs in the ground if it is a female), the beetle dies in September or October. 

Today, two girls at the park found one of these beetles in a tree.  They kindly brought it over to show all the kids.  I have never seen one that was as big as this one!  The beetles can grow to 80mm (3.14 inches) and I think this one was close to that! 

It was so neat to see this famous Japanese beetle up close and personal.  It felt really special since it is such a iconic bug.  However, I still declined to touch it.  I wasn't that curious!

What is that?

I see lots of products that cause me to do a double take.  Sometimes I pause due to a unique flavor of a known product that I've never seen before.  Other times it is totally new to me.  Nonetheless, it is always interesting to say the least!

Recently I've been seeing a lot of peach Coca-Cola.  Since I don't drink soft drinks, I cannot vouch for the taste.  But the thought just make my stomach turn a bit.  I love peach, but peach Coke???  I think not.

I have seen people make s'mores with chocolate, marshmallows, and saltines here.  But seeing s'mores pizza was a bit much.  I've had this brand of frozen pizza before and it is bad.  I can only imagine what they would do with this.  Yuck.

When I lived in Osaka 15 years ago, I got hooked on two types of unconventional American candy - Kit Kats and Mentos.  I loved the grapefruit mentos and the plain yogurt Mentos.  They both really hit the spot.  I prefer less sweet candy with a sour side, so these both fit the bill.  I have seen both flavors since moving here, as they are still around.  But the Mentos flavor that has peeked my interest the most is the chocolate caramel variety!  They weren't half bad.  Not as good as my other preferred flavors of many years ago, but not bad either.

The most unique product I've seen recently is pouches.  I've seen pouches for kids.  Although they gross me out (you should be able to see and smell your food and not just stick it blindly in your mouth), I never even contemplated having pouches for pets.  What an interesting concept!  And they don't even discriminate.  There are varieties for cats and dogs.

In this crowded land, there really is something for everyone.  You just have to keep your eyes peeled for things that are a little different.

A familiar voice

There are times when a certain smell or sound reminds me of America or a trip or something from my childhood.  Most of those flashes are met with a smile along with a bit of surprise.  Suddenly my body is filled with a memory so vivid because of the familiar scent or sound.

While grocery shopping at a store I rarely go to, I had the choice of self checkout (which is very rare here) or cashier checkout.  Usually I prefer cashier checkout, as I think I'm less likely to have an issue getting out of the store.  If something won't scan, will I be able to communicate my needs?  Since I prefer no bag, will I be able to figure out how to tell the machine that I don't want one?  The random thoughts can be plentiful.

But today I was in a mood - not a bad mood, but an independent mood.  I was going to check myself out and everything would be fine.  I took my items up to the self checkout line.  There was a clerk at the front of the line, making sure people would notice the available machines and proceed quickly.  There was a second clerk at the far end of the machines that was helping people when needed.  In a land that still has elevator personnel to make sure you arrive at the correct floor, having 2 clerks covering 8 self checkout machines doesn't seem that excessive.

I walked up to the machine and immediately saw the English button in the lower left hand corner.  I pushed the button and was greeted by the voice.  The same voice that walked me through so many purchases at Safeway in the states!  I paused to smile and fondly remember a certain clerk that always made my shopping experience a friendly one many years ago.  She often worked the self checkout machines, and my husband and I would always chat with her on our way out.  (If she was at a regular line, we'd always go through her line just to have the chance to chat with her for a few minutes.)

She was (and is) such a nice person that it made our day better just by seeing her.  It's funny how a completely out of place voice brings back such feelings and vivid memories. 

I was able to check out seamlessly, as it is the exact same system used at many stores back in the US.  It was nice to hear the familiar and even better to do something without overthinking it.

Hydrangeas in full bloom

We went to Toshimaen Park today to see all the hydrangeas in bloom.  They advertised that they were having a festival, but it was more just a promotion of the blooms than a festival.  In one area of the amusement park, there is a hydrangea garden with more varieties of hydrangeas  than I've ever seen.

I have known for a long time that pink hydrangeas were a result of alkaline soil, while blue hydrangeas grow in acidic soil.  However, I learned that white hydrangeas are native to the US.  While riding my bike back from Toshimaen, I couldn't help but smile every time I saw one of these transplants - an import just like me. 

I was really impressed with all the new varieties.  It always impresses me to see how many different types of something there is.  So many people only see what is offered at Home Depot, but there is so much more to plants than their limited offerings.  I wanted to know the names of the variegated flowers and tiny hydrangeas.  They were so beautiful and interesting.  I want to have several of these beautiful flowers in my yard.  Of course, I don't have a yard right now.  But a girl can dream, even if she's in Tokyo!

This was a climbing hydrangea!  It was so unique!

I could have walked around the garden for a very long time.  My boys were not so interested.  They wanted to go ride on the rides.  I'll have to come back again in the next couple of weeks to go through it again.

Maybe next time I will get the "rent a snail" that you can borrow for free to make your photos more interesting!  (I'm not kidding!!!)

The wheels on the bus

My son is getting tired of riding the subway. Being in a tunnel underground lost its appeal a while ago. I understand his desire to be above ground where we can see where we’re going. There’s so much to see that is new and interesting to us. 

There’s not a ton of above ground options in and out of Hikarigaoka. So whenever we have a choice, we take the bus. You pay when you get on the bus (in our neck of the woods, that is - other bus systems have you pay upon exit based on how far you rode).  Just inside the front door is a place to pay your fare.  You can either pay with cash or a prepaid pass that you scan.  If you don’t have a prepaid pass (Suica or Passmo), exact change is needed. If you don’t have exact change, there is a change machine built into the fare box. You just need to know where to put what money!  

All the transportation systems (bus, train, subway) here have automated route announcements. There are electronic signs that display the next stop in Japanese and English. There is also a recorded voice that announces the next stop. Since I usually don’t know where I’m going (I’m always exploring new places), this is extremely helpful! I am learning to read Japanese. But I can’t read kanji (Chinese characters) and I’m still a slow reader. Since most of the locations are listed in kanji, I’d probably always miss my stop without these helpful aids. 

When you are ready to get off, there are buttons all over the bus.  Press the button to indicate you want to get off at the next stop.  Super easy.

I'm so thankful for the transportation here.  It has been really easy to not own a car.  Once you know how the system works, everything just works together so well.  So when we need to get from Point A to Point B, we're always covered.

Lunchtime

I've been making a lot of bentos lately.  Bentos are the official lunch of Japan.  The whole concept of bentos is having small bits of a wide variety of foods.  Each day the bento is a little different based on the ingredients I have on hand.  Chicken, fish, tofu, cooked and raw veggies, and some fruit as well.  Ninety percent of the time rice is in the bento as well.

Since my son started school, I have to make him a bento 4 days a week.  (The school releases early once a week, so kids don't bring a lunch that day.)  My husband is so happy because that means I make bentos for him as well.  Each day my son comes home to report his satisfaction and that he ate his entire bento.  I've received thank you texts a couple times from my husband, which really encouraged me on this new endeavor.  It's actually fun to assemble the box for my boys.

Yakiudon with vegetables, potato salad, sweetened walnuts with fish,

cherry tomatoes, and strawberries.

Rice, soybeans, peas, ume, seaweed salad, cherry tomatoes,

sweetened walnuts with fish, and gyoza (potsticker).

Yakisoba with ham and vegetables, fish cake, cheese,

almonds, and strawberries.

Two types of fishcake, pickled bamboo, rice mixed with fish and soybeans,

raw carrots, root vegetable salad, and cherry tomatoes.

Sesame noodles topped with ham, peas, egg,

cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes.

Broccoli, cherry tomatoes, grilled steak, rice with sesame seeds,

peas, fish cake, and seaweed salad.

Last week we were notified that I needed to come to the school for a "lunchtime observation."  The whole concept made me laugh.  Why do I need to watch my son eat his lunch?  There are a lot of meetings and things that require attendance of a parent for schools in Japan.  This is just one of those things.  I don't pretend to understand, but I show up.

This morning, I made my son's bento and took him to school like usual.  Two hours later, I returned with other parents to watch the kids eat their lunch.  It sounded like such a strange thing to do.  There we were, standing around the edges of the room, watching the kids eat. 

My son was proud to show me how he gets all set up for lunch by washing his hands, laying down his placemat, and putting out his bento box.  After the teacher served everyone tea, the kids shouted "Itadakimasu" and dug in.  My son turned around to let me know he always eats his fruit first.  He kept eating until a little girl came up to him and handed him her onigiri.  He kindly unwrapped her onigiri and handed the rice ball back to her.  He then told me he does this for her every day.  My heart melted a bit when he told me this.

When the kids were done eating, they cleaned up their place.  Then they played with toys until the other kids were done.  At that point, all the parents went to a nutrition presentation in the gym while the kids continued on with their day. 

Before I attended I thought the reason for the meeting was a bit hokey, but afterwards, I appreciated the glimpse into my son's daily life at school.

Taking a dip in the deep end

I read a story on Facebook today about a young student who moved to the US from Korea.  She had studied English while she lived in Korea, but wasn't fluent by any means.  She entered school and was met with a quiz in her science class on the first day.  Her teacher told her she didn't have to take the quiz, but when she looked at the paper she recognized the diagram of a leaf and questions about photosynthesis.  She knew the answers, but didn't have the English language skills to answer the questions in English.  Instead of just sitting there while others took the quiz, she answered all of the questions in Korean.  The teacher took the initiative and had a colleague help her grade the quiz.  The girl received the best grade in the class on the quiz. 

The moral of the story is that this bright girl was supported and encouraged by her teacher.  The teacher didn't let a language barrier let this girl feel stupid or belittled.  She showed her that the knowledge was there, even if she couldn't explain it in English.

I identified with this story so very much.  There are so many times each and every day that I have the answer, I just don't have the language skills to communicate those thoughts.  Sometimes it is a complex thought.  Other times it is just some instructions.

I went to the pool on Monday to swim laps.  The public pool is located in the second floor basement of the community athletic center.  I walked up to the person at the desk and said "I want to go swimming."  She tried to explain that I needed to go up two flights of stairs to the first floor to get a ticket from a vending machine.  I stared blankly at her, in part because I was trying to process what she said and partly because I was confused why I would have to go up to the main floor to get a ticket for swimming on B2.  As I stood there for a moment, she sighed heavily and reached into a drawer.  She pulled out tickets and told me the fee was ¥200.  I rolled my eyes and bought the ticket.  I then went in and went swimming. 

Today I thought I had it all figured out.  I walked into the community athletic center and found the vending machine.  Since the machine didn't have an English option, I used Google Translate to see what the choices were.  I saw where I could buy the ticket for swimming.  There was also a prepaid pass.  Score!  I wouldn't have to stop by this machine every time I was going swimming.  So I purchased the prepaid pass.  I then happily went downstairs to hit the pool. 

I walked up to the turnstile, similar to the one at the train station, and inserted my ticket.  It beeped loudly and rejected the ticket.  I was confused so I tried it again.  The woman at the desk looked down and heaved an even heavier sigh than on Monday.  She took my ticket and indicated for me to follow her.  I followed her up the two flights.  She stuck the prepaid pass into the machine and selected the one time ticket.  The machine spit the two cards out.  The woman handed both of the cards to me and we went silently down the stairs.

I felt like she was exasperated and annoyed by my "stupidity."  I wasn't trying to inconvenience her.  I was just trying to go swimming.  But she was clearly annoyed by me.  And I "let her win."  I felt stupid.  I couldn't have a simple conversation or understand the basic machine.  I will overcome the language barrier as I learn more and more Japanese.  However, I wish I didn't need to overcome the emotional toll of the negative responses.

Oh, and the student?  She has since learned English and became a successful lawyer and writer. 

Olé!

One of my favorite things about America, especially the Seattle area, is the cultural diversity.  There is always something new to learn about, people with different opinions and backgrounds, and tons of food to eat!  I truly miss the variety of cuisines.  One of the top cuisines that I miss is Mexican.  My husband took sympathy on me and found a Mexican restaurant in Ikebukro. 

We weren't expecting much from a Japanese version of Mexican food.  Our neighbors in the US were from Mexico and we often had dinner together.  I miss all our dinners together - tucked into our dining rooms or out in our yards, laughing until late at night.  They were just so easy to be around and we always had a lovely time together.  Of course, we all enjoyed growing food and cooking good food, so it made the dinners even better.  When we dined at their house, we always ate our fill of homemade tortillas and amazing fillings.  So, we have high expectations when we eat Mexican food.  And, in our heart of hearts, we know restaurant food will never compare to the wonderful memories of eating with our friends (the food was REALLY good, too).

Since Mexican food isn't really popular in Japan, the options are really limited.  In Osaka, I had a favorite hole in the wall Mexican place that I always questioned why it was there.  The food was SO GOOD!  But I haven't heard of or found a hole in the wall in Tokyo.  I've asked around, but have yet to hear of anything worth the trip.  So when my husband suggested we go to a Mexican place for lunch, I was all in. 

As soon as we arrived, I chuckled to myself.  I said "I think we have these back home!"  El Torito is chain that I really think I have been to at some point in my life.  The décor is totally cliché - cactus, sombreros, and more.  But it was also sort of comfortable.  When you haven't been home in a long time, the weirdest things make you feel at ease.  The southwest patterned carpet made me smile in a familiar way.

Once seated, we perused the menu.  My son declared he wanted pancakes.  Seriously?  Pancakes.  We take him to a pancake restaurant and he orders pasta.  We take him to Mexican, and he orders pancakes.  My goodness.  In his defense, there wasn't a single Mexican item on the kid's menu.  Not a one.  Some people would say that the quesadilla on there is  Mexican, but they would be wrong.  That is totally American.  But my son didn't even want that.  He wanted pancakes. 

My husband and I both decided to get combos to get a variety of items. 

My review of the food is not glowing whatsoever.  I am happy to report that everything was fresh.  It just wasn't the food I was craving. 

Although it was a very nice attempt, I'm going to have to keep looking for a good Mexican restaurant.  Of course, I may just have to break down and make it myself.

A helmet rant

Before moving to Japan, my husband and I had a disagreement about helmet usage in Japan.  I was adamant that our son would bring and wear his helmet every time he got on a bike.  My husband disagreed with my stance because he was sure that no one wore helmets in Japan.  I didn't care what other people did.  I wanted my son to be safe while riding his bike.  End of story.

So when we packed, I included my son's helmet.  For me, it is as important as wearing a seatbelt in a car.  Helmets save lives.  My sister went face first over her handlebars as a kid and the accident changed our family biking culture.  My mother marched to a sporting goods store and purchased helmets for each of us.  We were never allowed on a bike without it. 

I've had a number of spills on my bike over the years (mostly as a child, as I rarely rode a bike as an adult), but my noggin was always safe due to being encased in a protective shield.

As soon as we arrived, not only did I notice kids wearing helmets, I repeatedly pointed it out to my husband.  It is a very rare day when I am right and he is wrong about Japanese culture.  Times had changed since we last lived in Japan.  It turns out that a law was passed in 2008 requiring children under age 13 to wear a helmet. 

At first I was very excited to see so many kids wearing helmets.  But then I began to take a closer look.  I saw lots of helmets with very loose straps.  Sometimes the helmets were so loose that the kids would have them hanging off the back of their heads, and others didn't even bother clipping them.  I've seen children wearing helmets with huge cracks in them, too. 

It appears that as long as the child is following the law, the actual safety benefits of the product is for the most part disregarded.  I often want to shout at parents "Don't you realize by misusing the helmet you are giving yourself and your child a false sense of safety!  An improperly used helmet is more dangerous than not wearing one at all!"

When my son started school, they sent home information about bike safety.  They wanted to encourage safe riding practices, like wearing helmets.  I was so thankful for the encouragement.

I don't think people would take kindly to me preaching about bike helmet safety.  But it really freaks me out.  I understand that everyone rides bikes in Japan and they are very good at riding bikes.  But accidents happen and I would hate to see someone needlessly getting hurt.  A properly worn helmet is such an easy way to prevent horrible injuries!

Book heaven

I love a good book store.  There is just something about being surrounded by books that makes me so happy.  Whenever I am in a bookstore, I get lost in all the thoughts and dreams and telling of imaginative stories by authors young and old.

In Japanese class the other day, another student told me about a companion book for our textbook that could aid in our studies.  She mentioned she picked up her copy at a bookstore in Ikebukuro that was 9 stories.  A 9 story bookstore?!?  I had to check it out.

My family and I headed to Ikebukuro this morning on a bus.  The trip takes about 45 minutes, but is quite relaxing since someone else is doing the driving.  According to the GPS, the bookstore, Junkudo, is just a few blocks from the train station (which is the last stop on the bus route).  We meandered over and as we approached the building, my excitement got stronger and stronger.  I couldn't believe how big this bookstore was!  I was actually expecting a narrow, yet tall, building.  But it was vast!  I would venture to say it was even bigger than Powell's in downtown Portland Oregon.  (Which if you have never been to that bookstore, you should!!!  It is one of my favorites in the whole world.)

We entered the building and headed right up to the 8th floor to find my textbook.  The staff were very busy on the phone and running around, but I was able to get some help and the woman took me right to the textbook.  I was amazed at how many textbooks, variations of dictionaries, and other learning aids were available to learn Japanese.  It was practically and entire aisle - 10+ bookshelves - of aids!  In addition to my textbook, I also grabbed some wipe-off hiragana and katakana cards to practice writing.

Once I had thoroughly perused the Japanese language section, we moved onto the children's area.  In all honesty, I can usually be found in one of two sections of a bookstore - children's literature or cookbooks.  For most novels or biographies or other books, I know what I am looking for and go directly for that book.  But I get enraptured in these two sections.  There are so many possibilities and interesting things to see. 

My husband and I looked at so many children's books.  Many are translated from other languages into Japanese.  We recognized many popular titles from the US.  But there were many that we had not seen before, too.  After looking for over 30 minutes, we found a chapter book series for my husband to read to our son.  They sat in the "baby" area and read a bit of one of the books before confirming it was the series they wanted to read together. 

"The Dragons of Blueland" (left)

"Elmer and the Dragon" (middle)

"My Father's Dragon" (right)

by Ruth Stiles Gannett

With his new books in hand, we went down to the cookbook section.  I knew I wouldn't be able to read any of the Japanese cookbooks (and for some reason the English cookbooks were located on the 9th floor, while the Japanese cookbooks were on the 2nd floor), but I wanted to look nonetheless.  There were many beautiful books to peruse.  I got a kick out of the large bento box section - 3 bookshelves worth! 

We also swung by the gardening section, where to my surprise, we didn't just find books, but also seeds!

Before my husband and son's patience ran out, I knew it was time to go.  I may want to spend hours in the stacks, but they do not.  But what that means is I can go back again and again.