Sushi Mama: September 2016

So much to see

September 26, 2016

Sorry I haven’t written a post in a bit. We have just been doing life day to day here in Japan. Baby girl is 36 weeks and I have a routine doctor’s appointment tomorrow to see her :) Everything is pretty much set for her to arrive. It’s getting real and the excitement is building by the day!

The last few weeks it’s rained pretty much nonstop. September weather in Tottori is known to be overcast HUMID and rainy. We have tried to make the best of it and use the clear days to get out and sightsee. I am absolutely amazed by the beauty that surrounds us. We are a short distance from the beach, Mt. Daisen, a gorgeous flower park and famous castle. I added a map of the area we live so that you have an idea of where things are from our house. On the map you can see our town called Hoki marked below Yonago City.

Matsue Castle – Located in Matsue a five tiered castle built by Horio Yoshiharu & one of Japan's few remaining original feudal castles. The magnificence of castles in Japan is hard to put into words. Climbing the steps up to the castle is always an incredible feeling.

Mount Daisen (Marked on the map) - a volcanic mountain located in the Tottori Prefecture. It is the highest in the Chugoku region with an elevation of 1,709 meters. It is a designated national park of Japan for its magnificent landscape. Mt. Daisen also has been chosen as one of the third greatest summits in Japan. We drove up and parked half way up. Because it was overcast the views weren’t the best but the area was still gorgeous.

Hanakairo Flower Park – A major flower park in Japan with a gorgeous view of Mt. Daisen. Loved this place! We had some pear flavored ice-cream and walked the winding paths. We will definitely be making trips back during different seasons to see the flowers that are growing at that time.

Itadakimasu!

September 07, 2016

Hey everybody! I thought I would do some posts about what’s different here in Japan. The first topic I am going to talk about is restaurants. A lot of the things that were surprising to me when we first visited are the same everywhere you go in Japan. If you are thinking about traveling here my biggest advice would be to remain self-aware. In the states people are pretty expressive and for the most part being loud or doing things your own way is not noticeably offensive. Culturally in the U.S. we are encouraged to accept people for who they are as individuals. Here in Japan it is pretty different. There is an expectation that everyone should act in a way that is comfortable for the community of people around them. It’s pretty obvious to see what this expectation is if your willing to look around and observe people. As long as you are being polite and kind you will be fine.

-Napkins! OK this sounds so silly if you grew up in the States. Napkins are everywhere and why would I even need to bring this up? To you a napkin is a napkin. WELL. In Japan tissue of all forms is limited. I don’t really know why and wasn’t able to find a reason when I looked into it (I will elaborate when I talk about bathrooms). BUT when you sit down at a Japanese restaurant you are handed a towel. This “washcloth” size towel is called a oshibori. This is used to clean your HANDS before eating. After cleaning your hands you can fold the towel up and set it aside (DO NOT blow your nose on it). You do not use this to clean your face during the meal. Instead if you need a napkin there are these small tissue paper like squares available on the table.

Oshibori

Strange tissue paper napkins available

- There is NO TIPPING in Japan. I absolutely love this. People take their jobs very seriously and service is incredible. I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience with a waiter or waitress in Japan. There is an expectation that people want to do their job well. There is no ulterior motive, people just want to take care of you because it’s their job. And when you get your bill it is exactly what you seen on the menu. Love it!

- Food options are displayed in plastic molds outside of restaurants or in the windows. It's so fun and bazaar when you first see this. Displays like these are pretty much everywhere in Japan. Also, menus are mostly photographs. What you see is what you get. This makes it super easy to order while visiting Japan or living here. I love that I can just point to something and my order is understood. To go along with this though you can’t make changes. I once tried to say I didn’t want a side of rice… The waitress was so confused and I still don’t think she ever really knew what I was saying. The picture in your menu is EXACTLY what you are going to get when you order that item.

Crepes are everywhere! SO yummy

- How to sit in restaurants is also something that can be very different in Japan. A lot of restaurants have two options. You can sit on a mat or you can sit at a western style table. I think sitting on a mat is definitely something everyone should try but I personally prefer to sit in a chair. Generally we are seated at a table with chairs without even asking.

- Chop sticks! There will only be chop sticks available at your table…There are also a couple things that are done traditionally that you should not do at restaurants with your chop sticks. DO NOT pass your food from chop sticks to chops sticks (this is done only during a funeral involving bones of a cremated person) DO NOT stick your chop sticks upright in rice (done only at funerals when rice is offered to the spirit of the dead person). There are cute little holders for you to set your chop sticks on. So it is pretty convenient to just use those when you need to set them down. When eating sushi you eat it in full pieces, do not cut it with your chop sticks.

Hope you enjoyed reading about what I have found different here in Japanese restaurants! If you have any questions or comments feel free to post below and I will do my best to answer.

Uninvited house guest

September 01, 2016

My mother warned me that you would come

Friends told me how they felt about you

I hoped to never know you personally

When I found out we were expecting you were the last thing on my mind

As I watched my belly grow I was so excited

Then I remembered you might come

I thought of you and shuttered

Still, I hung on to the hope that I would get lucky and wouldn't have to meet you

When you first rang my doorbell I jumped

I kept looking at you thinking I was seeing things

I turned on all the lights and took your picture for proof

I thought I must be dreaming and went to bed

The next morning I peeked out at you hoping I had made a mistake

You were still there

Dressed all in purple you were a terrifying sight to see

You barged in and I held back tears

First you left your bright purple scarf in the hall

Then dropped your purse on the floor like you owned the place

You walked right into the living room and plopped yourself down

Announcing that you were here to stay

I had tried everything to keep you away

But nothing worked

A few weeks past and you had taken over

I looked up ways to get rid of you

You didn't care how much I disliked you

You started redecorating and as things moved around you covered them in purple

I had no control

It felt like there was new evidence of you every time I looked

Finally the day came to meet my daughter

You packed your things and told me you were leaving

But you never really left

I now live in a house covered in purple

So much to see

Itadakimasu!

Uninvited house guest

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