Author Archives: crayten

Complicated

Dear Sun,

How nice to see you today! I know you won’t be here for long, but your 2 hours are great. I guess till next Thursday. Have a great one.

Finally a day with some blue sky and sun. Guess it won’t last long,… there it goes! More rain,… weather is quite awful here but I hear it’s only Shimane with this special weather. Must be lucky lucky for me.

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Food

Okonomiyaki

Ok, so food is kind of one of my favorite hobbies. Since arriving here I’ve been mangled several times. Out of all my travels, this is the first time where I kind of wish I just had some good old HOME cuisine. In France, I never desired food from home. Here is a whole other story. I have spoken several times about school lunch and that’s where most of the adventures come from. So instead of talking about all those meals that put me in the corner of the room in silence, I’m going to give you some good stuff to try!

Phone Camera Action

Phone Camera Action

So the title of the post is the food I want to mention. Okonomiyaki is probably Mom’s best friend in Japan (and mine too)! It’s super easy to make. You have the mix, add an egg, some water, assorted vegetables and some meat. BAM! You have okonomiyaki (after some frying pan action of course). They have a spiffy sauce you toss on there with some mayonnaise and you have dinner. In Japan of course, each region is famous for something in every category. Famous lighthouse, famous food, famous omiage, famous tree, famous rock, famous street sign pole. Whatever. In Hiroshima, they are well known for their Okonomiyaki because it comes with a twist. You have the choice of Chinese Noodles or Udon! It’s alright, but classic okonomiyaki is just as good. Come on over, we’ll grab a drink and hit the okonomiyaki bar.

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Complicated, The Job

Sites Galore

So the new site is coming along nicely. This will be the second site I have built in the past month. I have a third in the sketch book and one more to follow shortly after the completion of these projects. Some are work work, while others are for fun. This one is more so for that absent job market that I eventually aim to join.

More posts to follow as more things go down in Japan.

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Complicated

Working Women:

I have to say out of all the countries I’ve been to thus far, I find women to have an exceedingly profound visibility within the Japanese workforce. Now, just to clarify, I am referring to the everyday job. The higher paid positions I wouldn’t have a clue only because it’s not as if I work for a Japanese corporation. It does surprise me however to see women: driving delivery trucks, pumping gas, driving a taxi, and many others. Gender for these jobs seems to be of no consequence unlike in other countries. Speaking on this, even some leisure activities have lost the gender stereotype such as riding a motorcycle. Yes, now I know women ride motorcycles in the US, but I don’t think to the same extent as here! To be honest, I have probably witnessed more women riding motorcycles here than men. And I’m not talking a Suzuki or any other Japanese brand, but most often it’s a Harley Davidson. Of course, those who drive motorcycles here are of a younger age and typically I get the feeling it’s a fashion statement made amongst those individuals. It’s comforting in a way to see the mold broken.

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Complicated, Food, Lessons Learned

Michael Jackson

So the other day I used my aweosme Japanese skillage. I had the most intelligent conversation ever! Then I came and said “マキャルジャクソンは人参です.” “Michael Jackson wa ninjin desu”. My teacher just stared at me and laughed. I said, “Real encouraging!” Here’s what I really said,… I guess with all the surgery he had it isn’t far from the truth.

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Complicated

Bird Bombs Away!

Now mom always told me never look up when a bird flies overhead. She also said if you did, it could get you in the mouth. Well, today I did the exact opposite, I looked. Sure enough, I got the chance to see a crow missile with a perfect arch in my direct path of walking. So…. I stopped, and guess what,… it landed harmlessy inches from my feet. Had I been walking it would have been a direct hit on the head. If you don’t look ahead of where you walk, how can you know to prevent it?

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