Festival Food

Life Cycle of the Noodle

It seems like there is a festival somewhere every weekend and every festival has food. Today's pictures are from Hibiya Park just up the road from the apartment. There was some kind of a festival which seemed to involve wood because there were a lot of wood crafts there. There was also a band playing Brazilian tunes. Nice band although I'm not sure of the connection (not that it matters).

Noodles aren't exotic food at festivals but seeing them made fresh is a bit different. Here we can observe the more important phases of the noodle life cycle:

1. Roll the dough out very flat with a big pole the size of closet rod
2. Fold the dough up and then cut it with a big knife into long noodles
3. Cook the noodles in a great big pot and put some tempura on it
4. Eat the noodles and go back to step 1. because there are more hungry people

I had a bowl of the noodles and thought they were oishii but not outstanding.

Cooking Pancakes on a Stick

OK, so noodles aren't exotic enough for you. How about cooking your own pancake thingy (or maybe it is an omelet? I should have been more observant) on a big bamboo pole. This is a two person job and I was by myself today so I didn't get to try it. But basically you put the dough on a stick, rotate it over a charcoal fire until it is done, and then cut it off and eat it.

Those are today's recipes. Please try them yourself at home and enjoy.

Happy Birthday Megan!....

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Nihonbashi Bridge Dragon

I may have written about this bridge before. It is located on the edge of Ginza as you head North away from where I live. It was designated as the starting place for roads in Japan during the Edo period. The bridge itself isn't too impressive anymore. It is relatively new and looks pretty insignificant compared to the buildings and overpasses that jut out around it. But I liked this dragon.

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International Expo in Nagoya

Yesterday I went to the International Exposition in Nagoya. Nagoya is about a 2 hour ride away on the Shinkansen. The exposition is pretty good sized and countries from all over the world participated. Qatargas has a liason office there and we were invited there as guests to see the "Gas Pavillion" which has a theatrical demonstration of natural gas.

Anyway, we were VIP guests at the "Gas Pavillion". I am not going to try and hide from you the disappointment I experienced when I got home, downloaded my pictures, and realized I did not have a single picture of the Gas Pavillion! Not inside or out. Instead, all I had was these pictures of pretty girls in native dress posing with me. Can you believe it?!

It really was an enjoyable day. The weather was beautiful and the exhibits were interesting. The people at the exhibits were genuinely nice. Most of them spoke English and I think they enjoyed the odd gai-jin going by. It reminds me of all the places in the world there are left to visit. Maybe I should go back - we only got half way around and didn't get to see the South America or European exhibits.

Note to young people (and their parents): Get out and see things and meet people - it is a lot more interesting than watching TV. How can "Road Rules" compare to even the county fair or a trip to the local craft show?

Note to Cody: I put a picture taken in Shimbashi in the Yebisu pictures just for you. See if you can guess which one it is.

Nikko Shinkyo Bridge - Daiya River

The lacquered carmine bridge crossing the Daiyo River at Nikko was originally built in 1636 for the exclusive use of the Shogun. Even today we peasants aren't allowed to cross it. It was rebuilt in 1907 after a flood. I had never seen it befoe this month because it was covered and undergoing restoration again. This is not the normal angle from which photographs are taken of it but being an engineer I liked the way the stone supports are shown here - shaped like a torii gate. The water is beautiful too.

This week I've been doing "stuff". I had management in to see the project earlier in the week and spent a bit of yesterday catching up. I've been negligent in my study of the Japanese language and so I am rededicating myself. I have set out a 8 week course of study and plan to learn hirigana, katakana, and the first 100 or so kanji characters. I figure if I put it down in electrons and tell people about it then maybe I'll actually do it.

The weather was gorgeous today and I rode my bike to Asakusa which is a fair ride. I went through Akihibara on the way up and then back through Ginza. It was the first day I have seen many people wearing short sleeves outside. Next week there are several of us thinking about going to the World Expo at Nagoya. Take care and try to get out and do something while the weather is nice...

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Street Entertainment is Alive in Japan

The smile and costume are enough for me but she can sing too. There is lots of street entertainment in Japan. This pretty woman was singing on the quayside in Yokohama along Yamashita Park. You can see lots of musical entertainment consisting of anything from a single accoustic guitar player to an electric jazz band.

I've seen Peruvian Indians, Scottish bagpipes, Croatian marching bands, high school bands, garage bands, and a guy playing violin tunes on a saw. There have been jugglers, mimes, acrobats, balancing acts, and several guys with monkeys. One of the monkeys played the drums.

Of course there are fortune tellers and caricature artists. I saw a guy who would write a poem based on your name and birthday and there are people who write your name in beautiful artisic kanji calligraphy.

All of this is on the streets. If you want to go into clubs and theaters I am convinced there is just about everything here. That is one of the pleasures of a big cosmopolitan city.

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This was the Best Weekend for Sakura

Shades of Cherry

The Sakura come in all shades of pink from almost white to nearly maroon. There are single flowers and doubles. Some bloom early, some later. When they fall it can look like it is snowing. The peak only lasts a few days so enjoy them while you can!

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Shinjuku Gyoen

It was a beautiful day for viewing the cherry blossoms. It was very crowded at the parks. I've posted a few more pictures that you can see by clicking on Yebisu.

Carps Rule!

Nishiki-goi at Atago-yama Shrine enjoying Ohanami (and hoping to get a handout).

Liberty and Justice for all...

Hana Matsuri - Buddha's Birthday

Hana Matsuri - Ceremony as seen from my balcony

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Hana Matsuri - Buddha pointing to heaven and earth after birth.

Count the good luck charms in this photograph. How many do you get?

Sumo Groupies

Ohanami at the Park

Mitsuike Koen

Qatargas II Ohanami

Fuji-san and Hakone

Sisters at Fuji-san

Ohanami - The flowers are coming!

Aunt Pauline and Mother under a cherry tree at Zojo-ji.

Aunt Pauline and Mother at the red brick warehouses in Yokahama.

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Batter up!

I like the Carps this year.