wHatS in mY TuMMy?!?!

I never would have guessed I would enjoy Japanese food so much! Maybe its the healthy taste or fresh ingredients...? No complaints!

That's me: de-tirding shrimp! MMM MMM MMM! Lots of these little guys swimming around my tummy!

Another amazing meal prepared for me-at my house! Yuriko made a surprise visit and prepared these wonderful salads. She said she wanted me to learn "easy salad recipes" and that is exactly what these were. Pictured above are 3 salads with cucumber, lettuce, cabbage, seaweed, tuna and mackerel...each with its own special dressing! Japanese dressing is to die for...er, I would probably die eating this stuff withOUT it!

What a pitiful post! Don't feel sorry for me..there are the occasional amazing finds like this pie to completely make up for the horrific experiences below!

Well, I did it. I finally ate Uni (sea urchin, and Taneichi's #1 choice of food). Yep, raw uni...just like the locals! Cute litte bugger isn't he? Apparently the Japanese shoguy (vodka) I was imbibing at the time must have completely thrown my inhibitions outta whack, and down the hatch it went! I had managed to go almost a full month of avoiding having to try it, but that nite was my time and I am glad the time has passed. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! It looks like peanut butter paste in the dish, and knowing that it was just yanked from its spiky skin, and probably still carrying a pulse, I quickly took a small chunk and downed it. It has a musty smell, surprisingly salty taste and several lumps in it (which I told myself were garnishes, not the digestive tract and innards of the urchin). Terrible after taste though...had to gulp the rest of my drink--aw, shucks! ;)

This was an excellent feast! Yakisoba (one of my favorites, those sweet friend brown noodles you see here), a green salad with beef slices (cooked--thank you Masato!) and a special soup made with those potsticker-looking things and oyster seasoning...very delicious! Great job Masato! Very impressive!

Mayumi outdid herself cooking a traditional meal of pike eel sushi rolls with fresh cucumber and ginger on the side and a cold chinese noodle (aka ramen) salad. Interesting textures and flavors, but it all complimented one another! And how beautiful does that look! Too pretty to eat........well, almost.

This was one of my meals at a traditional dinner in Morioka a few weeks ago. Almost 30 of us Iwate JETs gathered in a large tatami room for a huge feast! I stuck with what was safe..soba, tempura and some salads with god knows what kind of meat inside. Pretty tasty and again, gotta love the presentation!

You all know that I am like a 4-year old when it comes to food. This isn`t a new thing,...I have been relatively stubborn and closed-minded at the dinner table for ....uhm, pretty much my entire life. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I swear I could (and have) subsisted on nothing but pineapple, oatmeal and applesauce for days at a time. FOOD was THE biggest concern for me in coming to rural Japan, but I`ve learned not to ask "WHAT IS THAT?" anymore (as i know it is something I would never eat on my own free will.) Curiosity always wins out though and I end up asking afterwards. The anxiety and panic attacks that ensue when realizing what it was usually cause mild indigestion.

Here's a list of some of the "Japanese delicacies" I have been subjected...er, so thoughtfully offered by many kind-hearted folks!

OCTOPUS (tako) too rubbery, too many appendages to swallow = too much work! so upon seeing it all purple and tangled/mangled on the dish...the panic attack begins in my toes...
TOFU-everything! (in soup, in cereal, on salad, served cold, made into scrambbled eggs, served hot, served as a dessert with milk--if it is NOT in something, i am shocked!)

SQUID (ika)--grilled is best and a surprisingly delicious texture. this is one that i will actually ask for at a restaurant. can you believe its even me talking!?

ABALONE -This was stretchy and c

hewy, but mild..which is scores huge points on my seafood ranking scale!

SCALLOPS (hotate) we grilled them in their shells--*dissecting* it OUT of the shell was especially memorable and completely unappetizing! i think back to tommy boy and david spade eating the shrimp..."why do you always have to de-tird these things.." but this was 500 times worse!

BEEF (yep----red meat free for 10 years and after a few weeks in Japan, I have choked down all sorts of cow parts...shockingly, it was pretty painless. maybe because it is more familiar than octopus and when placed next to sea urchin....uhm, you need to choose the lesser of the two evils. Cooked beef is always a bonus, the raw stuff didn't score well w/ me (what a shocker eh?)

CRAB (kani) the raw crab was super sweet and fluffy! its hard to find flaky seafood here! so i must get used to this one soon!

EGG SUSHI (salmonella anyone?) but its one of my favorites!

Chicken (toriniku). my saving grace! EXCEPT for the time i had to eat CHICKEN HEARTS! hearts!? come on people, unless there is some kind of depression going on in japan and the agribusiness industry has collapsed and the economy in complete ruins...I really don't think we need to consume such things. Life is just too short!

PICKLED APPRICOTS (japanese dessert)...sounds safe eh? NO NO NO! terrible...the most INTENSELY BITTER/SOUR taste I have ever had in my mouth. ever. completly disgusting--the ONLY thing i have actually spit out of my mouth!

Mackerel and Salmon - These are the fishiest tasing fish ever. I have been spoiled for too many years with delicious walleye and northern meals to want to eat fish like this. The noxious smell is completley unappetizing and makes for a pretty smelly dining experience. (No one makes fish like my Dad`s fish!)

and the list continues............

Check back often for new stuff swimming around in my stomach! i update this often...however unfortunate that is be for me!

Hikage Homestay!

This is Hikage's home. It was magnificent! Hard wood floors throughout, except all of the tatami bedrooms. The vaulted ceilings and quiet household made it so relaxing and offered opportunities for reflection and meditation (things I never made time for back in the States!)

This was my bedroom. Lovely tatami-room. Interesting decor isn't it?

Barbeque nite--all sorts of spooky foods were consumed that nite, but the beverages helped everything go down well. Japanese shugoy is a new favorite--its a vodka made with rice. As you can see, everyone is sporting the deuce, which in this case means: we survived the meal! Only kidding....

Fireworks are the Japanese 2nd love (food comes first!)

Careful Akida-your hand looks like it's on fire!

We played lots of card games. Go Fish was really fun, our rules were: they had to speak English and I had to speak Japanese! Go Fish has never been so tricky!

One big happy family! See the scallops being grilled...we had to dissect them to eat them. I am a bit sketchy on regular scallops served in nice bowls...but to have to peel them outta there and disconnect its circulatory system-whoa, that is just too much for me!

Hikage loves fishing so this MN fishing shirt was most appropriate omiyage.

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delayed posting-I haven`t had a moment to myself in over a WEEK! As some of you may have heard, we lived through both an earthquake AND a typhoon!
I arrived in Taneichi yesterday, and was greeted by a surprise homestay opportunity! My family has been MOST wonderful! They are pictured above--Hikage and his wife Yuriko, and their children Auka and Akida. They are super people (willing to work on their english!)and are very hospitable! Their objective was to give me a very "traditional Japanese experience"--complete with new foods (squid, octopus and chicken hearts), new customs (Japanese bathing etiquette) and new ways of life (7:00 AM stretches at the bus stop each morning). Hikage's electronic dictionary proved particularly useful! Their house is so lovely and Yuriko is such an amazing cook! I will be with them for the rest of the week and will move into my new home at that time. I have been living out of my carry-on for almost 10 days now...unreal. I miss the Hikages graciousness, but I am excited to settle into my place as well! Thank you Hikage-san and family!

gambatte

Well, here it is! The last day has FINALLY come! Having purchased new luggage (not to mention several other techie-toys/er....tools!), received immunizations, learned some survival japanese phrases, sold my car, switched over bank accounts and finished packing....whew, sigh, yawn---is about all I have to say! My last nite in Cloud was an enjoyable one, surrounded my swell parents and super friends! Thanks to all that showed up, it meant a lot to me! I'm off to the cities tonite to rest up before the beginning of my long journey. I'm flying to Chicago early Friday morning and then on to Japan Saturday morning! Should arrive in Tokyo Sunday evening!!! I will post pics of my stay in Tokyo after my Internet is connected! Thanks again for sending me out in style last nite! Enjoy the pics--you can find other pics from the evening on my "predeparture" message below. tOOdlEs! ~anne.

whErE in thE woRlD is aNnE?

A: This shows the various regions of Japan. I am in the green region-called Tohoku. Northern Japan is the least populated part of Japan, but very beautiful!
C: This map shows the prefectures that make up the Tohoku region--they are Aomori, Akita, Iwate Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima.
B: This is a political map of Iwate. I am in Taneichi-machi in the northernmost part of Iwate. Can't remember why some of those are colored in blue!?

The map below shows the bigger cities in the area. I am about 45 minutes from Hachinohe, Aomori. So most of our shopping runs and such are done up there. Hachinohe has about 300,000 people and is the biggest hodgepodge of dimly lit, swervy mountainside roads ever. I hope and plan on NEVER driving in Hachinohe..ever!

CAN YOU FIND ME IN TANEICHI!?

YOUR FEEDBACK

I must say anne, what a beautiful endeavor this journey has been for you: writing/pictures/travel/children/learning. That you will have experienced a year so full of art, beauty, love and self discovery...well, I'm slightly jealous.
~Isaac 6.30.06.Minnesota.USA

In our search for info about Iwate we came across your blog and got to read your excellent posts. They're very informative especially for us who are interested in the activities and places you've gone to. Your doing a good job. More power to you. 'Frank' (location unknown) 3/5/06


Honestly Anne, your BLOG SITE is so amazing! You may think it isn't much much but to journal & record your experiences is such a gift to all of us back home! Thank you! ~Mom 3/02/06 Minnesota, USA



















"I feel like I am in Japan when I read your site!"
~Lyndsey (MN)

"I'd been meaning to check up on your adventures for a few days, but i don't have internet access at home yet. So i thought i'd open the page while at work and minimize it to read at home. So I open your page at work and my eyes immediately flick down to this single isolated line of text: "Yup, stark naked." Well needless to say, I had to read about your Hokaido trip after that, then i got hooked and started reading some of your other stuff before I ever left the office. So this is my long-winded way of saying: I dig your site!"
-Chris (Okinawa Japan)

"Hey hon, I love your "blog" it is so cool. I bookmarked it. Be sure to write me and update the blog. The clock is ticking, only a few hours left. Have fun your last few nights, I can't believe you are going. WOW is all I have to say."
-Adam (Portland OR)

"Anne-I am absolutely loving reading about your experience...I wish this concept had been around when I went to London. You will love looking back at this when you are all done. You are doing this whole Japan thing absolutely the right way...just jumping right in! I can already tell how much you have broadened your horizons in just the short time you have been away." -Sara (Alexandria VA)

"I trust this will be a great learning experience and in that I wish you well. I am excited for this new opportunity in your life. Be assured of my prayers for you, for your safety and for a great time-- as you will have your first real big job so far away from home." ~Lucinda (MN)

"Every time I read and check out your blog, I get even more excited about visiting Japan!" -Rustin (St. Cloud MN)

the big count down!

Hard to believe that I will be in Tokyo EXACTLY one week from TODAY! Tokyo will be unlike anything I have ever seen. 30 million people in ONE city! ...completely different than where I'm headed: Taneichi-Machi, Iwate-Ken (pictured at right).
I have so enjoyed spending lots of quality time w/ friends and family during this past week...maybe having a bit too much fun, as I am nowhere near being packed and ready to go!!! Packing, packing, packing...argh. Putting your life into 2 bags and 1 carry-on is much harder than I had presumed. I think I have it down now though---BAG 1 is clothes and shoes. BAG 2 is teaching supplies, omiyage (gifts), tennis racquet and other neccessities.
Despite the stress of PREPARING to go to Japan, I am SO excited and ready to go! Not nervous or anxious, just curious about what lies ahead!
....and of course, those of you who are checking this site out will be the first to hear all about it!

chew on this

Many thanks to family and friends for being so supportive---not to mention making a bit more difficult to want to leave this place! I appreciate you all! Big thanks to Sheila and Rustin for coordinating another great get together! The fish cake was quite edible---unlike the fish I will be eating in Japan! Thanks again!