I've come to realize that the most interesting experiences I've had in this country... somehow end up involving food. Tonight was no different.
I went downstairs after finishing my homework and chatted with my host family. My second host brother who lives in Hokkaido (the northern-most island in Japan) is here for 2 weeks because he has an art exhibition in Osaka (he's an artist and his stuff is really awesome. Here's his blog where you can see some pictures, although it's in Japanese, so try just clicking random stuff: http://www6.plala.or.jp/seiji_honda2008/)
Anyway, whenever he comes down he brings lots of... interesting snacks. Today my host father issued me a challenge (he even used the English word "challenge" to dare me to do it) and put a small plate of brown liquid with small black things floating in it. I tasted it, and it was absolutely delicious. My host mom and dad then gave me the Japanese word for it, of which I understood a few words here and there and put together that it was some time of squid. I was wrong.
They looked up the word in the dictionary which gave the following description: "fish guts pickled in squid ink." Whoa. With this information in mind I tried another bite. Somehow not quite as appetizing as the first one, and when my host mom asked me some question I can't remember, I gagged a little bit in the middle of my answer, although she didn't seem to notice.
I went for a third go, and, in the end, it was pretty good. The texture is like eating a slug with a thick rubber band inside it, and it stuck in my teeth like a bear in a trap, but, somehow, it was good.
I honestly think that if I had tried this before coming to Japan, though, I most likely would have ejected it from my mouth at high velocity the second it hit my tongue, but I'm just so used to eating weird variations of sea food that I almost feel like no food from this country can phase me anymore.
I told my host family that it was delicious (honestly because there is no word for just "good" in Japanese, it's either delicious or it's so-so or it's horrible) at which they offered me another challenge for the future: Natto. A.K.A. rotten soybeans. Oh boy.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
This semester
Well, I won't beat around the bush. Last semester my classes were awful. My Japanese teacher was Satan realized in Japanese Person form, my electives were on par with a community college course on spirituality, and the only Japanese I learned all semester was slang from my Japanese friends.
This semester, however, looks awesome.
My Japanese teacher tells jokes in class, there is laughing, there is discussion and conversation, in just a few days I can already tell my Japanese has gotten better.
I'm also taking Japanese religion, which seems like it's going to be pretty dry. Straight up info, most of which I know already, and a teacher who drones on and on. But, it's good stuff to know in light of the culture, and it seems like, at the very least, it'll be like any normal (boring?) lecture class at Middlebury.
My translation class, on the other hand, is going to be awesome. The teacher is lively, funny, and really really really knows her stuff (from what I gather she's a rather famous interpreter...) Our homework is actually fun and engaging, and besides getting a little practice for a possible career path, it's really interesting to investigate exactly how English and Japanese differ, what makes them unique languages, and how not just to convey information from one to the other, but ideas.
That's all I have to say at the moment, that things are looking good for the next four months.
P.S. with Obama's inauguration in 5 days (6 for you guys, I guess) it's just so awesome to know that America elected a president with integrity, who we can trust in to solve our current problems (Guantanamo closed in the first few days of office? I'm sold). It's good to be proud to be American.
This semester, however, looks awesome.
My Japanese teacher tells jokes in class, there is laughing, there is discussion and conversation, in just a few days I can already tell my Japanese has gotten better.
I'm also taking Japanese religion, which seems like it's going to be pretty dry. Straight up info, most of which I know already, and a teacher who drones on and on. But, it's good stuff to know in light of the culture, and it seems like, at the very least, it'll be like any normal (boring?) lecture class at Middlebury.
My translation class, on the other hand, is going to be awesome. The teacher is lively, funny, and really really really knows her stuff (from what I gather she's a rather famous interpreter...) Our homework is actually fun and engaging, and besides getting a little practice for a possible career path, it's really interesting to investigate exactly how English and Japanese differ, what makes them unique languages, and how not just to convey information from one to the other, but ideas.
That's all I have to say at the moment, that things are looking good for the next four months.
P.S. with Obama's inauguration in 5 days (6 for you guys, I guess) it's just so awesome to know that America elected a president with integrity, who we can trust in to solve our current problems (Guantanamo closed in the first few days of office? I'm sold). It's good to be proud to be American.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Mo' Pictures
So these ones include pictures from when I went skiing in Nagano at a place called Nozawaonsen, as well as a day trip to the city of Nara that I just returned from.
In other news, it snowed last night!
Pictures!
In other news, it snowed last night!
Pictures!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Hello, all, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
I got back this morning from a 4 day ski trip to Nozawaonsen, which was a blast. There wasn't a whole lot of snow the first day, but my friend Nestor and I gave it our best shot (he had never skied or snowboarded before, he tried snowboarding and did great), and the second day the mountain did not open because of strong winds. Surprisingly, we got a full refund for our lift ticket that day, which just goes to show how much Japan really is dedicated to service.
That night, though, the mountain got about a foot of snow, and the next day was great, although apparently when snow falls in Japan, instead of letting you ski the freshies, they groom it. Go figure. Either way, more of the mountain was open for us to explore and we took advantage of it. The final day we went with some friends who were also in the area to a monkey park where the monkies actually have their own outdoor hotspring. There are tons of awesome pictures of that excursion and they are coming soon.
Tonight I ate dinner with my host family, but before it started they brought me into the living room where they have their Christmas "tree" set up (it's plastic, but they decorate it and friggen love it), and presented me with my Christmas gift: 3 bottles of wine.
My host mom's words were the best part though:
"Gooraygoo, (my name pronounced in Japanese) happy birthday! Oh, I mean, Mayree Kooreesoomahsu!"
The whole family has work tomorrow, so we're not actually celebrating Christmas traditionally, but I'll be thinking about all of you! Have a great holiday!
I got back this morning from a 4 day ski trip to Nozawaonsen, which was a blast. There wasn't a whole lot of snow the first day, but my friend Nestor and I gave it our best shot (he had never skied or snowboarded before, he tried snowboarding and did great), and the second day the mountain did not open because of strong winds. Surprisingly, we got a full refund for our lift ticket that day, which just goes to show how much Japan really is dedicated to service.
That night, though, the mountain got about a foot of snow, and the next day was great, although apparently when snow falls in Japan, instead of letting you ski the freshies, they groom it. Go figure. Either way, more of the mountain was open for us to explore and we took advantage of it. The final day we went with some friends who were also in the area to a monkey park where the monkies actually have their own outdoor hotspring. There are tons of awesome pictures of that excursion and they are coming soon.
Tonight I ate dinner with my host family, but before it started they brought me into the living room where they have their Christmas "tree" set up (it's plastic, but they decorate it and friggen love it), and presented me with my Christmas gift: 3 bottles of wine.
My host mom's words were the best part though:
"Gooraygoo, (my name pronounced in Japanese) happy birthday! Oh, I mean, Mayree Kooreesoomahsu!"
The whole family has work tomorrow, so we're not actually celebrating Christmas traditionally, but I'll be thinking about all of you! Have a great holiday!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Update!
I don't have much in the way of Japanese cultural experiences this time. I did go to my first onsen (public bath) with my host family recently, and that was very relaxing, but filled with naked.
I've got finals this week, just two, on tuesday and wednesday, and after that I'm pretty much free. I'm leaving friday night for a hard earned 4 days of skiing, which I'm looking forward to with my entire being. This year is going to be the least skiing I've done since I was 5 years old, and that means I gotta cherish every moment of it. For those interested, there's some information about the mountain here:
http://www.vill.nozawaonsen.nagano.jp/info/english/start.htm
It's called Nozawa Onsen (the town is also filled with onsen, the public baths, including one that only monkeys, not humans, may enter) or for those more hip to the Japanese language, 野沢温泉。
The snow conditions are not looking great at the moment, unfortunately, but I'll take what I can get. Perhaps now would be a good time to try some telli, I'll see how that goes. I promise to take lots of pictures, too.
That's it, for now. I hope you're all doing well! It sounds like Vermont is getting a bit of snow. Lucky...
I've got finals this week, just two, on tuesday and wednesday, and after that I'm pretty much free. I'm leaving friday night for a hard earned 4 days of skiing, which I'm looking forward to with my entire being. This year is going to be the least skiing I've done since I was 5 years old, and that means I gotta cherish every moment of it. For those interested, there's some information about the mountain here:
http://www.vill.nozawaonsen.nagano.jp/info/english/start.htm
It's called Nozawa Onsen (the town is also filled with onsen, the public baths, including one that only monkeys, not humans, may enter) or for those more hip to the Japanese language, 野沢温泉。
The snow conditions are not looking great at the moment, unfortunately, but I'll take what I can get. Perhaps now would be a good time to try some telli, I'll see how that goes. I promise to take lots of pictures, too.
That's it, for now. I hope you're all doing well! It sounds like Vermont is getting a bit of snow. Lucky...
Sunday, December 7, 2008
More Photos!
Took me long enough...
More Japan!
Most of these pictures are from Tokyo, when it starts getting green again, it's back in Kyoto.
More Japan!
Most of these pictures are from Tokyo, when it starts getting green again, it's back in Kyoto.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Two posts in two days?! Say it ain't so!
Yes, that's right, I had ANOTHER cultural experience worthy of mentioning here, and I'm ready to share it with you all. This time it's about food, specifically, "how the hell did i eat all this stuff without throwing up all over the table?" No, actually it was all delicious, but, tonight for dinner we went to the same restaurant we went to for my birthday (which makes me think I may have eaten this all before and just not known what it was) but I ate the following in this order:
1. Chicken heart
2. Chicken esophagus
3. Chicken cartilage
4. Ostrich
5. BEAR MEAT, RWARRRRR!
6. Frog
7. Horse. No, just kidding, my host family ate it but I refused, mostly for Pam's sake
I have to say, eating bear meet made me feel like a man. It wasn't that great though, for future reference, too chewy.
I don't know what else to say about that, it all kind of speaks for itself. I've often been surprised at what I can eat, though. Spinach, for example, has grown on me quite a bit. Never thought that would happen.
I should clarify this whole thing, too.
I have a host brother, of course, but I also have another, older host brother who does not live at home but in Hokaido, the northernmost island of Japan. He came here for the weekend (my first time meeting him) and so there's been festivities since saturday. He's really cool, he's an artist, and very interesting, and has treated me like a family member since the moment he arrived. His wife is here as well, and while I haven't talked to her as much, she seems every bit as out there and with it as he does. Quite a cool couple.
I guess this post is kind of short, but I don't feel that bad since I posted yesterday as well. Hope you're all doing well! Sorry to those I missed on skype this week, the weekend has been very busy.
1. Chicken heart
2. Chicken esophagus
3. Chicken cartilage
4. Ostrich
5. BEAR MEAT, RWARRRRR!
6. Frog
7. Horse. No, just kidding, my host family ate it but I refused, mostly for Pam's sake
I have to say, eating bear meet made me feel like a man. It wasn't that great though, for future reference, too chewy.
I don't know what else to say about that, it all kind of speaks for itself. I've often been surprised at what I can eat, though. Spinach, for example, has grown on me quite a bit. Never thought that would happen.
I should clarify this whole thing, too.
I have a host brother, of course, but I also have another, older host brother who does not live at home but in Hokaido, the northernmost island of Japan. He came here for the weekend (my first time meeting him) and so there's been festivities since saturday. He's really cool, he's an artist, and very interesting, and has treated me like a family member since the moment he arrived. His wife is here as well, and while I haven't talked to her as much, she seems every bit as out there and with it as he does. Quite a cool couple.
I guess this post is kind of short, but I don't feel that bad since I posted yesterday as well. Hope you're all doing well! Sorry to those I missed on skype this week, the weekend has been very busy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
