Unagi!!!

Hamamatsu is famous for its unagi (eel). In fact, delicacies of the area include fried eel bones (not my favorite snack, they are kind of gritty), unagi pies (not too bad, they are basically a high-calcium cookie, made from crushed eel bones), and grilled eel (haven't tried it yet, there is only so much eel a girl can take in one day!) Supposedly baby eels are born in the really deep ocean but then slowly migrate to Lake Hamana (right near my house) which is primarily a fresh water lake. The baby eels have to cross several lanes of traffic, stop at all cross lights, and constantly watch out for the cars before they make it to their new watery home. Its actually interesting because the grease spots on the road are actually kind of long due to the squished little eels ;-)

For Nathan

So Nathan, I thought about getting you this sweat shirt for Christmas.... What do you think?

I Love English In Japan (Part 5)

How many mistakes can you count????

I never knew that tweezers could be so dangerous!

Eki-den and rose-colored glasses

Some of my kids had an eki-den (a long distance marathon) a couple of weekends ago. It was really cold, wet, windy, and rainy, but the kids still ran. Now that's endurance (and the Japanese style)!!!!! For those of you who have asked to see my new glasses and haircut, here you go... more later, alligators :-)

Harp Cookies

Oh chocolate chip cookies, so high on the shelf hiding inside of the jar, I'm not tall enough to reach you myself -- so near and yet so very far....


The above is an excerpt from one of my favorite children's songs by Sandra Boyton. I have thought about it a lot recently as I have sought to find a harp in Japan. Hamamatsu is the "city of music" thus I am constantly surrounded by it. From the huge Yamaha store downtown (that wanted to sell me a harmonica instead of a harp) to the street musicians on every corner to my students' band and choir concerts, I am immersed in music, but I have not been able to participate. I never realized how much music was part of my life until I was completely stripped of the opportunity to play (yeah I know its kind of a weird realization coming from an 18-year music veteran who has a degree and once despised practicing). My attempt to locate a harp has been quite fruitless due to the language barrier (ie. Yamaha and the harmonica); however, just yesterday I was able to finally "taste" the proverbial "harp cookies" as the music teacher at my junior high school finally located one for me. It is at a local private catholic girl's school that has an internationally-renowned band. There are two students who play in the band (though neither have had any formal training) and it has been decided that I will teach them in exchange for practice time. The news was so sweet and music to my ears :-) My prayers (and yours, too) have been answered!

I Love English in Japanese School

At my elementary school the fifth graders and I have been working on learning the phrases "Where are you going?" "I'm going to the (library)" I have been belaboring the point for two weeks now with chants, games, and constant practice. Last week I found this poster of me on the bulletin board. Obviously, my work is still yet unfinished! (For those of you wondering about the toothy creature on the bottom, it is an alligator. I taught my students that instead of saying goodbye at the end of class they say "See you later, Alligator." The teachers get the biggest kick out of it, and it is absolutely hilarious to see the little ones make alligator hands!

Dear Clara....

Dearest Clara,

Its hard to believe that you are turning one today. My how time flies.... It seems like just last month that I got a phone call from your mommy telling me she was pregnant with you. I was so excited to be the "first" to know and it was so hard to keep the secret from your Grammy and Grampy. Then, the day that you came, sadly, I wasn't there (thanks to a great big test at FSU and OpZip), but I was so eager to hear the news that you made it that I literally slipped in the shower as I rushed to the phone. Instead of hearing "It's a girl!" or "Her name is Clara!" I was instead greeted to the most beautiful sound on earth -- your voice. I have to say, that I have always thought it strange that parents like to count their children's fingers and toes, but when I actually got to see you for the first time a week later, that is exactly what I did, for the entire Thanksgiving break, I loved just rocking you and staring into your eyes.

When you finally wear old enough to travel, your mommy brought you to Tally several times to visit me. Though you probably don't remember it, we had lots of fun splashing in the sink, dumping over cups of cold ice water on your mommy, baking your six-month birthday cake, and accidentally hitting your head on the only hard surface in the house making me feel like a horrible babysitter.

This summer, we had the chance to have so much fun together -- in Houston, Orlando, and Yosemite. People sometimes thought you were mine, which I didn't mind (you are my niece after all). I hope you didn't mind either. Of course, only an auntie would paint toenails on a 7-month-old and take her out for doughnuts!!! But then of course, only an auntie would also accidentally lock her beloved Clara in the car -- once again I felt like an absolutely horrible babysitter.

Its hard to believe that now, a year later, you have gotten so much bigger. You are walking, talking, and eating real foods. You have also become really responsible -- you are a wonderful caretaker for my ice cream maker while I'm in Japan.

I'm sorry I can't be there in person to celebrate your first birthday. I wish with all my heart I could be there... of course dearest, baby bug, I will never forget you and I miss you terribly and love you dearly. But don't cry too much, because I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me. Please have twinkle toes and lots of bows, and no sushi!!! See you soon dearest and happy birthday.

Lots of Love,

Auntie

Japanese Cuisine

One of the most common questions I have been asked is "What are you eating?" Hmm.... The simple answer: rice, fish, rice, chicken, rice, fruit, rice, unidentifiable vegetables, rice, oh and did I mention rice? When I first arrived in Japan, I was quite overwhelmed by the grocery store, and actually during my first trip there, I almost bought powdered milk instead of sugar (its annoying not being able to read Japanese!) Since I arrived during the summer holidays, I was told I had to bring my own lunch to school everyday. After several days of eating just rice and tomatoes (two things I could recognize on the supermarket shelves), my vice principal asked me if I wanted to go to the store with her. We went exploring and she bought all the ingredients for miso soup (the traditional soup of Japan made from fermented bean paste). Then, I had a lesson in the staff room kitchen on how to make it (picture above). For the rest of the day, all I heard around the school was "blah, blah, blah, Emily, blah, blah, blah, miso soup, blah, blah, laugh." I can just imagine the teachers were saying, "The vice principal was afraid Emily would starve so she taught her how to make miso soup." Now, that school is in session I don't have to worry about making lunch as everyone (teachers, staff and students) eats the same set menu for the day. When I eat with my students, I am required to eat whatever is placed before me to set a good example. So what have I been eating? Rice, fish with eyes, raw fish, fish with eggs in their bellies, eel bones, chicken hearts, chicken liver, unidentifiable grey matter that is quite chewy... the list goes on and on. The convenient thing about it all, I'm not hungry for dinner!!! Eating is a necessity not a pleasure. The inconvenient thing, I have given up my vow to never be a binge ice cream eater :-)


Addendum: Actually, I have found several things here in Japan that are quite tasty including fried noodles, meat dumplings, cabbage pancakes, and traditional ramen. So please don't be scared to visit, I will make sure you will be well fed!

I Love Japanese in Japan

So what do you think this sign means? It was in the castle's park...

Hamamatsu Castle

This weekend was a three-day holiday so I decided to take the opportunity to explore Hamamatsu's own castle. It was originally built by Tokugawa Ieyasu (don't ask me who he is, my Japanese history is still a bit rusty!) whose rule begin the Edo Period (1603-1867). According to the English brochure "many famous bettles" took place here. At the end of the Edo Period, the castle was destroyed, but ultimately rebuilt in 1958 by the people of Hamamatsu. Thus the new castle only looks like the old from the outside as the interior is a museum, but it was still fun to snap pictures!

Images of Fall

Yes, fall is coming.... The leaves are changing, the air is getting cooler (actually its freezing for this Floridian who currently has no heat in her apartment) and today seemed like an appropriate time to make mini caramel apples.