mixedpizza

Gardening

2009-09-08T19:12:00.002+09:00

Well, the summer has passed (almost). What started out as an empty plot on which to plant endless varieties of veggies has turned out to be an overgrown, out of control mess. Back in march of last year when I started the plants from seeds, I had no idea how easy it would be. Take a seed, sow it, nurture it then plant it out into the garden and wait for results. I'm sure a lot has to do with how fertile the soil is. I could probably bury a banana and be munching away a few months later. The fertility of the soil is obviously what causes the transformation from organised to jungle within a few months (as well as not bothering to do any weeding). Being the lazy gardener that I am, next year, I shall be planting root varieties only. Plant, forget, harvest. Definitely the best way to garden!

Nihongo pera, pera desu ne!

2009-09-03T13:32:00.000+09:00

Nihongo pera, pera desu ne! (Your Japanese is really good)

A: Ohayo-gozaimasu.

B: Ah, Nihongo pera pera desu ne!

If I had 100yen for every time I've had this 'conversation' I'd probably have enough to retire on (well almost).

I've always thought it would be interesting to say the same thing to someone in London. I'm sure it wouldn't end with embarrassing smiles.

From the plainly uninformed to the rude and presupposing:

In a local bakery (to my wife):

A: Please try some of this cake. Can you translate that? (for the foreigner standing next to you)?

B: It's ok, he understands Japanese.

A: (Embarrassing giggle)

I usually say that my Japanese really isn't that good (which isn't far from the truth) but once I said thank you for saying so. This, for some reason was met with a quizzical look. I suddenly found myself wishing I hadn't sounded so proud. This brings me onto 'Kenson' (Japanese modesty)

Kenson is really the denial of one's successes and positive attributes. Of course, there are people who want everybody to know they are experts in almost every topic and love the praise lavished upon them. I believe a certain amount of modesty is necessary but things are taken to their extreme in Japan.

A: Congratulations on conquering Everest at the age of 80 – you truly are an amazing person.

B: No, really. Without the help and support of all those yaks and Sherpa's, I never could have done it.

'Eco' this, 'Eco' that

2009-09-01T10:38:00.002+09:00

'Eco' – a real buzz word in Japan these days. Eco drive, eco tire, eco paint, eco car, eco bus, eco house, even eco cute! The list goes on. It seems Japan has gone 'eco' mad. But, what does it mean to be truly ecological. The word 'ecological' broadly implies having a concern for the environment.

The problem lies in the opinion that any product or action labeled 'eco' is considered of benefit to the environment. A common example, 'eco drive', often found on the back of huge, empty buses or trucks spewing exhaust fumes seems paradoxical.

People should be aware that the word 'eco' doesn't necessarily mean you are in any way buying something that can be considered environmentally friendly. Simply, by driving a car, you are contributing to environmental pollution. Riding a bicycle could be considered ecologically friendly, not a car, any car. Unfortunately, the lack of alternative transportation (especially in rural areas of Japan) means driving is unavoidable.

I believe that there should be legislation regulating the practice of 'eco' labelling by corporations taking advantage of the consumers inability to distinguish between what is truly good for the environment and what is not.

Weekend in Fukushima (Sohara Lake)

2009-07-06T19:11:00.001+09:00

cont.....

2009-07-06T19:09:00.003+09:00

Weekend in Fukushima (Sohara Lake)

2009-07-06T19:06:00.001+09:00

2009-06-21T12:16:00.000+09:00

Alina with a bowl full of acerola from the garden.

A bit of Pink Floyd - One Of These Days

2009-06-17T18:48:00.002+09:00

2009-05-29T09:44:00.001+09:00

I came across this story on the BBC website today http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8071865.stm
Some coincidence as only the other day, I was flicking through an illustrated
version of the bible and could swear that in one of the pictures, Jesus looked
exactly like a smear of Marmite.

Freaky eh?

2009-05-26T10:03:00.000+09:00

2009-05-20T09:54:00.001+09:00

I took this picture around 7pm the same day.

2009-05-18T07:15:00.000+09:00

I took this picture from the kitchen at about 7am this morning.

The scariest insect in the world

2009-05-07T10:19:00.003+09:00

This is what greeted me as I came in to the living room, a 13cm long centipede! Just looking at the damn thing sends a chill through me. I promptly grabbed a stick, attempting to strike a deathly blow. Unfortunately, I missed the head completely and almost severed it in half. This, however was not enough to stop the two sections from crawling under the floor at top speed - . What ARE these things made of ?

Kids Day

2009-05-07T10:08:00.002+09:00

May 5th was kids day so we took them to Lina world to see the Pretty Cure 5 show (プリキュア５ショー ) There were only four of them though. I guess the stress of touring just proved too much for the other one. It was probably the busiest day of the year and I think I discovered the true definition of madness - Paying 3,800 yen to stand in a queue all day long - yippee!

All in all, a fun day out!

At the zoo!

2009-05-01T22:05:00.003+09:00

We went to Yagiyama zoo in Sendai on Wednesday. Alina took a sketch pad with her - can you guess the animals? Leo was trying to get a closer look at the caiman. Lucky there was an inch of perspex between him and it!

Playing with mud

2009-04-20T23:44:00.003+09:00

The kids thought it was the first day of summer and decided to get out the hose and play in the mud. I should have stopped them but I had important gardening to do! The other picture is of Naoko standing outside a snack bar in Kaminoyama that was used in the film 'Okuribito'

Sakura

2009-04-18T10:20:00.002+09:00

Naoko and I took a walk around an old shrine near where we live. It was just off the main road. It was incredibly silent and the air so fresh.

Anyone for salad？

2009-04-10T22:14:00.002+09:00

On the menu today:

A wild onion and milk salad with crushed strawberries and bread flour.

(Alina was the chef, not me)

Rock

2009-04-08T21:59:00.002+09:00

I thought I'd spend 30 minutes trying to dig a rock out of my drive. What looked like something I could ease out with a spade turned out to be something quite a bit larger. As deceiving as an iceberg and almost as heavy. Naoko came out to help and we managed to budge it a metre, a couple of hours later. Now, she wants me to move it to the other side of the house. Anybody know superman's telephone number?

Kids Vegetable Patch

2009-04-05T17:20:00.006+09:00

The kids have been pestering me to make space for them to grow a few veggies. They helped out for about 2 minutes then disappeared. Leo said he wanted to plant a few bananas too. I'm not sure that he'd have much success growing tropical fruit in the frozen climes of northern Japan.

New Blog

2009-03-20T18:12:00.001+09:00

I've just started a new blog highlighting my gardening exploits - check it out www.ogurabeetroot.blogspot.com

Egyptian Beer

2009-03-18T09:57:00.003+09:00

It was actually quite good beer. The 10% Sakara was especially good!

Street Artist

2009-03-13T12:52:00.003+09:00

I came across this street 'artist' while walking around Trafalgar Square in London. Just a matter of time before the pigeons get him.

Pacman

2009-03-12T13:00:00.001+09:00

Another classic game. Setsuko - Enjoy!

Pacman

Play more games at Fugly.com

At Tesco (Supermarket)

2009-03-10T13:52:00.002+09:00

Easter eggs and various Japanese food at the local supermarket.

Kids enjoying themselves in London

2009-03-02T04:10:00.010+09:00

Tetris

2009-02-23T17:10:00.001+09:00

Flash Tetris

Play more games at Fugly.com

I'll be updating this blog soon. In the meantime, enjoy the game.

Karaoke

2009-02-11T17:53:00.003+09:00

Naoko's mother bought a home karaoke machine which we borrowed last weekend. Not sure if Alina knows the words to 'Stand By Me' but she enjoyed posing with the mic. I was surprised by the large number of English hymns on the song list....It's been a while since I last sung any of them!

Ichigo Daifuku (Strawberry Daifuku)

2009-02-03T10:11:00.002+09:00

Naoko tried her hand at making 'Ichigo Daifuku' yesterday. It was surprisingly good! Alina, perhaps, ate too much and crashed out shortly after dinner.

Pizza and Cake

2009-01-19T00:03:00.002+09:00

Not sure how many calories we consumed this evening but it did taste good. Rice and fish tomorrow I think!

Nabe Matsuri

2009-01-17T12:01:00.002+09:00

We had to cook lunch for the kids at Alina and Leo's nursery on Friday.

2009-01-15T18:34:00.001+09:00

Niigata Aquarium

2009-01-06T15:51:00.001+09:00

Dr. Fish - I didn't!

Niigata Aquarium

2009-01-06T15:49:00.001+09:00

Snow

2008-12-27T16:56:00.001+09:00

Naoko seems to enjoy shovelling the snow so I just let her get on with it.

The 'real' santa

2008-12-19T16:51:00.001+09:00

Making biscuits with the kids

2008-12-02T22:09:00.004+09:00

Tuna mayo pizza..............

2008-11-27T14:15:00.002+09:00

MMMMMMM......nice!

This morning

2008-11-27T14:14:00.002+09:00

Nice view of Asahi renpo

Kids first (proper) haircut

2008-11-27T14:09:00.002+09:00

Snow

2008-11-21T21:54:00.001+09:00

The first snow this year...

Garden

2008-11-13T17:52:00.001+09:00

I've started to lay out the garden for next year. Hard work. My muscles are already starting to ache. I really should exercise more!

Lemon Balm

2008-11-04T11:59:00.001+09:00

This herb seems to be popping up all over the garden. Dried, it makes a nice tea

Yakon

2008-10-27T16:59:00.001+09:00

Tastes a bit like a carrot crossed with a watermelon - fresh from the garden - nice!

Bread

2008-10-27T15:44:00.001+09:00

My 2nd attempt at baking bread in the woodstove. The first was a cross between a meteor and a deflated football.

Scavenging for wood

2008-10-23T11:53:00.001+09:00

All cut to size - nice!

Tree

2008-10-22T13:49:00.002+09:00

More wildlife in the garden

2008-10-09T14:26:00.003+09:00

The frog didn't notice the snake!

Snakes under the house!

2008-10-08T09:45:00.003+09:00

I wish we didn't have snakes living under the house. On the plus side, I suppose they keep the bugs and mice at bay!

Radiohead - Saitama Super Arena 5/10/08

2008-10-07T14:13:00.004+09:00

The Radiohead concert on sunday was pretty damn good. Favourite song - Weird Fishes

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower

2008-10-07T14:06:00.001+09:00

I came across this amazing 50 story building whilst walking through the concrete jungle that is west Shinjuku. Due to open later this year, it will house the Mode Gakuen design school.

Alina having a dodgy haircut.

2008-10-02T21:50:00.001+09:00

Kids Sports day

2008-09-24T11:32:00.003+09:00

We went to the kids sports day (Undokai) at nursery on Saturday.

Kakashi(scarecrow) festival - Kaminoyama

2008-09-16T20:55:00.001+09:00

My first attempt at home made soba....

2008-09-15T12:10:00.001+09:00

a bit chunky...

At the park

2008-09-15T12:04:00.001+09:00

Yamadera

2008-09-11T23:12:00.003+09:00

Jumbo hamburg bento (Hotto Motto)

2008-09-11T17:58:00.001+09:00

The first few mouthfuls were ok....

Curry Party - Sunday 31st August

2008-09-04T08:45:00.005+09:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the curry party on Sunday. I hope you all enjoyed it. The weather turned out fine in the end! (Yoko, it looks like you're about to saw off your foot!)

Carrots..................lots of them.

2008-08-28T19:51:00.002+09:00

Kitchen

2008-08-22T13:56:00.001+09:00

I managed to finish the kitchen island. The entry on 8th August shows the cabinets after they were rescued from the old school. Just a clean, a new coat of varnish and a new top and it's all done.

Wood stove

2008-08-21T15:12:00.000+09:00

All finished!

Goya

2008-08-18T19:49:00.004+09:00

It's Goya season (bitter melon). I'm trying to think of as many different ways to cook it as possible, as I seem to have an endless supply. One of the more common ways is to add fried pork, egg, tofu and a little soy sauce and sake - very tasty!

Yamagata Fireworks

2008-08-15T16:47:00.001+09:00

We went to the Yamagata fireworks festival last night. Lots of beer and loud bangs, not sure which is responsible for the splitting headache I woke up with...

Shigi no yachi numa - Zao

2008-08-10T20:43:00.000+09:00

Pickings from the old school

2008-08-08T12:35:00.001+09:00

The cabinets on the left are heading for the kitchen and the two little tables on the right are for the kids, once i've restored them of course....

Old School

2008-08-06T14:25:00.003+09:00

The old elementary school in the village was demolished last week. Good news for us! We now have a fresh supply of firewood.

2008-08-01T14:55:00.000+09:00

Finished!

2008-07-31T14:35:00.001+09:00

After more arguments than I can remember, the woodstove base is finally finished....

2008-07-31T10:49:00.000+09:00

www.bookmooch.com check it out!

Flowers

2008-07-30T10:07:00.001+09:00

Lots of orange flowers popping up in the garden.

Footbridge at Haguro-san

2008-07-28T09:47:00.001+09:00

Haguro-san

2008-07-28T09:45:00.001+09:00

Trip to Haguro-san,Yamagata 27/7/08

Yudono-san

2008-07-25T20:54:00.000+09:00

We stopped off at Yudono-san shrine on the way back from the seaside. This a photo of the shrine gate. It's forbidden to take pictures of the inner sanctum or even describe it to someone who's yet to visit. The view around the shrine is worth the visit alone.

Tomato ice cream

2008-07-22T11:39:00.001+09:00

Surprisingly good.(Tomato shop, Yunohama, Yamagata)

Hamburger sushi

2008-07-22T06:27:00.001+09:00

not that bad....

Too much sushi?

2008-07-22T06:25:00.001+09:00

Naughty camper

2008-07-22T06:23:00.001+09:00

Camping

2008-07-22T06:21:00.000+09:00

Camping at Nishihama camp site near Sakata

Ugly fish

2008-07-19T14:13:00.001+09:00

Came across this whilst surfing the net - reckoned to be the world's ugliest fish.

Spiders everywhere

2008-07-18T21:55:00.001+09:00

Almost...

2008-07-17T15:16:00.001+09:00

That's the sides done - now for the base...

New toys...

2008-07-16T22:19:00.001+09:00

Ogura matsuri (summer festival)

2008-07-14T13:32:00.001+09:00

Saturday evening saw the annual summer festival in our village. Lots of beer, yakitori and dancing. This year we won a blade for the garden strimmer and a night in a local hotel. Last year it was a pair of gray tights!

Too many weeds

2008-07-14T11:01:00.001+09:00

There's a house in there somewhere

Getting there!

2008-07-10T15:52:00.001+09:00

Strange bug

2008-07-10T15:51:00.001+09:00

Something that looks like a sea anemone has decided to start eating my potato plants. Haven't a clue what it is....

Just a few more rows!

2008-07-09T12:05:00.001+09:00

I didn't realise there was only 'one way' to build a brick wall...

Bandai-san

2008-07-07T09:41:00.001+09:00

Cottage

2008-07-07T08:35:00.001+09:00

We spent the weekend chasing the kids round a cottage in Bandai nationalpark, Fukushima

Daikon...

2008-07-06T08:44:00.001+09:00

Garden veg

2008-07-05T12:46:00.001+09:00

Fireplace

2008-07-05T12:42:00.001+09:00

We're in the process of building a fireplace for the new woodstove. I hope it's earthquake proof.

Lunchtime at the ramen shop

2008-07-05T12:37:00.001+09:00

A nice crop of acerola

2008-07-05T06:57:00.001+09:00

1st potatoes

2008-07-05T06:48:00.001+09:00

2008-07-04T17:39:00.000+09:00

Wood shed