They're not quite the same here as at home. The flesh is more white, but the skin is still purplish. And they're not as sweet. But they are good and they are especially plentiful in this are. I can't remember what they're called in Japanese, though I've heard it at least a dozen times.
Last weekend, I heard a parade of people walking past my house. Tons of families with their 5-7 year old children in tow were walking toward the fields just down the street from me. Zuma was barking at them, so I went outside to shut him up and ended up waving at the kids that knew me (there are too many of them for me to know all of them yet). A few hours later, I saw them returning with blue drawstring bags full of sweet potatoes. I waved to a few of them again, then went inside. A few minutes later, Zuma started barking. A 6 year old boy was timidly trying to get past Zuma's defenses to deliver me a bag of potatoes. Too cute! I thanked him and his mom and they smiled and went on their way.
I still have about 10 servings of sweet potatoes left. I've boiled them, put them in salads and curries, mashed them and fried them. They're good, but they're a lot for one person. Fortunately, I rather love them as fried wedges with ketchup. Good snack food.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Few Firsts
My First Japanese Pun! I came up with it completely on my own!
How does Zuma say "Hello"? .....Konnichihuahua!
Today marks the inaugural use of my heated table. It is wonderful! I'm sitting in a cold house with warm and toasty legs. It's basically a coffee table with a small heater below, and you can lift the top to put a blanket between the table cover and the heater, so that it keeps the warmth gathered around your legs. It's quite nice.
Someone described the seasons in Nishihara as going from Summer to Winter, and I can understand why. It got cold FAST! One day I'm jogging in my shorts and sweating from the intense humidity, and then two days later I'm pulling out the turtlenecks! I'm told our location next to the mountain makes this village particularly susceptible to cold winds and cold winters. What a bummer. I was rather looking forward to a nice, brisk fall.
And...I lied. There are only two firsts listed here. That's ok. It was mostly the pun that I wanted to brag about. You can be sure I will be listing more as I flex my pun-muscles in this new language.
How does Zuma say "Hello"? .....Konnichihuahua!
Today marks the inaugural use of my heated table. It is wonderful! I'm sitting in a cold house with warm and toasty legs. It's basically a coffee table with a small heater below, and you can lift the top to put a blanket between the table cover and the heater, so that it keeps the warmth gathered around your legs. It's quite nice.
Someone described the seasons in Nishihara as going from Summer to Winter, and I can understand why. It got cold FAST! One day I'm jogging in my shorts and sweating from the intense humidity, and then two days later I'm pulling out the turtlenecks! I'm told our location next to the mountain makes this village particularly susceptible to cold winds and cold winters. What a bummer. I was rather looking forward to a nice, brisk fall.
And...I lied. There are only two firsts listed here. That's ok. It was mostly the pun that I wanted to brag about. You can be sure I will be listing more as I flex my pun-muscles in this new language.
Oh, Japan!
Even your parking garages blow my mind! When I went to the live music performance last week, I didn't expect the simple act of parking to be part of the entertainment! I can best describe this particular parking garage as a Car Vending Machine Building. You drive your car into this small garage, parking it square in the middle of this circular Metal Grate Thing. You get your ticket from the attendant and your car is literally lifted up into the building above, on this Metal Grate Thing. Then when you come back, you show your ticket, pay the fee, stand back behind the metal bars, and watch as your car is retrieved from one of the ten stories above, placed on on the circular platform, and rotated to face the exit.
I should have expected no less from the Land of Vending Machines. And maybe such garages exist back home, too, but this was the first I'd seen. Tomoko said these garages are common in Japan. I was gawking enough to thoroughly amuse my two Japanese companions. Oh, Japan!
I should have expected no less from the Land of Vending Machines. And maybe such garages exist back home, too, but this was the first I'd seen. Tomoko said these garages are common in Japan. I was gawking enough to thoroughly amuse my two Japanese companions. Oh, Japan!
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