Eel Dinner & Philippino Bar

This week one of the men in my department retired from Mitsui. Every time someone comes or goes, it requires a big work party!! This time we went to an unagi (eel) restaurant, which Nagoya is famous for.
Here's my plate of appetizers: seaweed, green onions, pressed rice with peas, gummy rice on a stick, and a shell full of seafood sauce and some kind of mussel. Surprisingly, the mystery shell had the best flavor. Also, the green plate at the top left is my raw eel waiting to be cooked in my pot. Several of the men mistakenly ate their eel without cooking it!! Even with my limited Japanese, I understood the waitress when she said we would cook the eel later!! I think there may be something inherently wrong with your food if you can't tell if it should be cooked or not before you eat it!!
My half-eaten sashimi (raw fish). I tried one of each and then gave the rest to Jazzy Dani.

We are finally cooking the 2 pieces of eel. It's boiling in water with seaweed and some mystery floating object. Oddly, I was the first one to start eating the mystery object, and people were asking me what it was... like I had any clue!! It was kind of like thin, soggy bread.

Next is salad time. Usually I find the salad to be one of my favorite (safe) courses. This one had way too much slimy seaweed for my taste, though. It's garnished with fish flakes and bamboo.

This was one thing that I tried but refused to finish. Uhh, it was a clue when they said the name was "rotten seaweed". Basically it's liquefied seaweed and vinegar and some unknown white floaters. Women eat it with a spoon, so I gave it a try. Yup, it tastes like vinegar and seaweed!! Men drink it like a shot!

Unidentified object, but one of the tastiest of the night. It had vegetables buried inside this thing. No one had any idea what it was! I told them that it's strange to me that no one can identify what they are eating! But they said Japanese are raised to clean their plates. It doesn't really matter what they are eating--they're still going to eat it.

Another eel dish with rice. Each pot is shared by 2 people.

Here are the instructions for preparing and eating the eel dish. Again, should food really require an explanation of how to eat it?! We were all cracking up about these 4 options listed below!!

Notice anything missing? Yup, no dessert... I was even chanting betsu bara, which means "separate stomach" (for dessert even when you're full from dinner) hoping the waitress would get the hint!! No luck :(

Whole department at dinner!

Kerri & Miyamura on his last day. He is the one who said I looked like Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid at the Christmas party, and he brought it up again tonight. He's a firm believer in my Ariel qualities!! Also, he researched my last name online and likes to randomly announce to people that my ancestors are from England based on the origins of "Green".

Finally, Miyamura said the night would not be complete without a visit to the Philippino bar, so we set off in taxis to find the mystical Philippino bar...

In true Japanese spirit, one guy went back to work to finish some things up, but said he would join us there shortly.
So this Philippino bar doesn't have a name or a sign. You just wander around a specific area of town and some guy will come up to you and ask if you are looking for the Philippino bar. Of course, this happened for us rather quickly, and then Miyamura and the guy were "negotiating" for a few minutes. Finally, they whisked us away to a building and put us in a tiny elevator that took us to the Philippino bar. Can you say "shady"?!

I quickly realized that the bar was some kind of gentleman's club because they were no other ladies there, except for the Philippino ones getting paid!! And while there was nothing overtly scandalous going on in plain view, the whole vibe was sleazy!

My highlight of this bar... they have a liquor called "Green"!! My co-workers told the ladies that I needed to take home the bottle since it was the same as my name. We even had to call "Mama" (leader of the ladies) over to discuss it. Mama said I could only take the bottle home if we finished it all. At this point, I got a little belligerent and said something like "Really?! Like you don't have any empty bottles just sitting around in the back?!" Next thing you know... an empty bottle appears in front of me as a souvenir! Either they like mouthy Americans, or they just wanted to shut me up!

There was also karaoke at this establishment, and Philippino-style in obviously like American-style were you sing in front of the whole bar!

I decided to lead the bar in a Beatles classic: Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da. Notice one of our Philippino ladies sitting on my right. They would just make themselves comfortable were ever this was a sliver of a seat and then order themselves drinks on our tab!

The whole group joins in the singing with me. Another Philippino lady sits at the right of this picture. I think she may be wearing a white trash bag for a dress. It was puffy and horrible.

Oh yeah, and the guy who went back to work to finish a few things did show up shortly after us, and he brought all of the other guys with him who were still in the office at 10pm!!

As we were leaving, Miyamura said I will probably come back here again because all of the Philippino ladies speak English! Umm... it was nice to order my own drinks and very rudely demand my own liquor bottle, but it's still not likely that I will return to this place ever again!!

Strawberry Picking

On Saturday I was invited to go strawberry picking with some friends from work, and since I knew this experience would be unlike anything I've done in Michigan, I decided I better join!
I thought this would be a 2-3 hour adventure, but we ended up being gone for 12 hours!! I am often amazed how long it takes to get places in Japan, but no one else seems to realize how inconvenient it really is. (What I wouldn't give for my car and Interstate 75 during these trips!!) Keep reading to hear about about my long day...
We set off for Tahara City, which is about 100 km from Nagoya. (60 miles = 60 minutes in the USA, right?!)
The blue shaded area is Tahara City on the Atsumi Peninsula. The northern side is Mikawa Bay, and the southern side if the mighty Pacific! After 3 hours on a train and in a car, we have arrived at the strawberry "farm". I was impressed by all of the windmills in the distance!

Our group of 15 consisted of Mitsui and Toyota workers, and we have finally arrived at our greenhouse.

Yes, they go strawberry picking inside greenhouses!! I knew something was up when all of my friends showed up in dresses and high heels! This also explains why the strawberry season in Japan lasts from January to May. They don't have to contend with winter weather!!

In Japan you go strawberry picking to eat them right away, not take home with you! So here is Kerri and her friends enjoying their strawberries!

Rows and rows of yumminess!

Many of my friends starve themselves all day just so they can gorge on strawberries, but I must admit that all of that sweetness was rotting my stomach!!

The winner for the biggest strawberry!

I imagine that if my American friends were there, we would have bet someone $5 to eat a green or barely pink strawberry!! LOL. Sick, twisted, immature Americans :)

All you could eat strawberries for just $10. (We stayed there for about 30 minutes.) That's a pretty good deal considering when you buy them at the grocery store in Japan they are available in trays of 6 for $6.
Here's all of my strawberry stems, and many people like to dip their strawberries into the sweet milk creme on right. I wasn't such a big fan of it.

Next, we went to a Tahara City lookout spot. I loved all of the windmills. I never get to see them close up in America!! That big blue building in the middle is the Tahara Toyota plant, which is the largest Toyota plant in Japan. They are an award-winning plant, especially with all of the windmill power right on their own property. The rows of buildings in front of the plant are (you guessed it) housing for the Toyota workers!! I'm shocked that a manufacturing plant has ocean front property (this would never fly in America), but I guess that's what happens when your entire country is an island!

FYI - I did a little research on Tahara City, and surprisingly their "sister city" is Georgetown, Kentucky! In addition, the Tahara plant is the "mother plant" to TMMI (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana), so Princeton, Indiana is a special "friendship city" to Tahara as well!!
Directly to the right of the plant is the Tahara Port, where they ship out Lexus and Toyota vehicles to all over the world. Pretty convenient that they don't have to transport them to the port!! Maybe I should ask at work if I can go for a tour at this place :)

Kerri and Hari enjoy the windy view.

Next stop was the ocean. I always laugh at their palm trees in central Japan because this weather is so not tropical, but they are imported to make it feel more beachy for visitors!! We didn't stay long because it was windy and cold, the ladies in skirts couldn't handle it.

Lastly, here is sign for the restaurant we ate dinner at. I have no idea why the frightening sign says "It dies."!! It was a ramen joint, with the key word being "joint". Oddly, all of the posters inside were related to Bob Marley, Cheech & Chong, and marijuana! Thankfully, I didn't see any more skulls and crossbones.

I finally arrived home just after 10pm. All I could think about was that if I were living in Kentucky, I could have driven to Michigan, had dinner with the parents, and driven home in the time it took us to go strawberry picking. I'm pretty sure if this was the case in America, no one would bother to go strawberry picking!

Japanese class ends

Can you believe that it's already been 3 months since I started Nihongo kurasu (Japanese language class) back in the beginning of January?!
I can. It's been painful every step of the way. I constantly felt like I was the slow kid in class. (And I'm sure everyone else in class noticed it, too!)
About 4 weeks in to my class, I found out that "Beginner 1" was not the lowest level class!! Apparently, I should have considered enrolling in "First Step" or "Basic" before jumping to Beginner. At that point, it was too late to switch, and dropping out would be a waste of money, so I just powered through as best as I could.
As I learned after the final test, my best was just not good enough this time. I wasn't able to make the 70% grade required to pass the course :(
Here's a pic of me and my classmates on the last day of class. The 2 Japanese women sitting in the front are our teachers. (One teacher was for Tuesday classes, and the other for Friday.)

I'm actually really happy this class is over because it caused me an incredible amount of stress. I'm going to continue to build my vocabulary with Rosetta Stone, but grammar rules and verb tenses are history for me! I'm going back to the kiddie pool rather than drowning in the deep end!
Otsukare sama desu. (Cheers for good work!)

Holidays and Time Off

As I've mentioned before, the Japanese work ethic is legendary. Most workers stay late into the night as if they are in some kind of silent competition with each other. But do not be fooled, being a worker in Japan has some benefits, too.
For instance, most companies in Japan give at least 19 paid holidays per year. (Compared to 9 paid holidays with Transfreight.) The rumor is that the holidays force businessmen to spend time with their families, but I also think that the Japanese will use any excuse to have a party! Some of the more unique observed holidays are:
--Spring & Autumn Equinox (What?! The first day of Winter and Summer aren't special, too?!)
--Greenery Day (Not sure what this consists off, but it must be cool since it has the name "Green" in it...)
--Children's Day and Respect for the Aged Day (That pretty much covers everyone, right?)
And my personal favorite...
--The Emperor's Birthday! (How sweet would it be to get August 4th off in honor of President Obama?)
These holidays are rarely observed on a Monday, but rather the day off is given whenever they fall, so I frequently have random a Tuesday or Thursday free from work. There is also a Japanese law that when 2 holidays fall within the same week and there is only 1 work day in between, that middle day must also be given off as a holiday! That rare occasion happened in September 2009 just before I arrived in Japan. Sadly, there are no "gimme" holidays like this in 2010.
Nearly all stores, museums, and attractions are open on holidays (to boost revenue from businessmen and their families). Instead, they take the following day off.

There is no policy about Sick Days, but people are encouraged to take them. In fact, you will rarely ever hear a cough, sneeze, or sniffle in the office. If you are remotely sick, it is expected that you will stay home from work for 5 days. (And computers don't leave the office, so no working from home!) When you return to work, you must wear a mask for another 5 days. (I think it's to warn people that you were recently sick, and they should stay away!!)
In over 4 months, I haven't been sick yet. Not even a sore throat. Some people say it's due to my strong American immune system. Japan is such a clean environment with anti-bacterial paranoia, that in recent years there is a true problem with children not building their immune systems. I guess in my 29 years in America, I've already had everything under the sun that Japan could possibly throw at me!!

Biz Trip to KY Update

I'm back from my whirlwind trip to Kentucky, and I'm finally feeling like myself again. I think a combination of the jet lag and busy schedule last week really caught up to me earlier this week!
It's tough to get me and 18 men at the right place at the right time for several days in a row!! I was stressed out to say the least! But my meeting was a success, and here's a few photos to prove it...
Kerri and her crew of (mostly) foreigners. If we count Canadians as "foreigners", then there is only one other American citizen in attendance!
Jazzy Kerri and Jazzy Dani at the bowling event on St. Patty's Day. It was total chaos, but everyone liked that you could smoke non-stop and seemed to enjoy themselves!!

Pretty funny to see a bunch of guys in suits taking up 5 lanes at the bowling alley!

My final day in Kentucky, I had some "free" time. I use that term loosely because I still had plenty of work meetings, and I felt guilty for not playing tour guide for the few foreigners left in town.

But in true American style, by the evening I got over my guilt and spent some time at Turfway Park betting on the ponies with my friends. (I won 4 races!) Finally we rounded out the busy week by going to a new (to me) bar in Covington. There were stained glass windows all over the place, including the ceilings. I found it slightly unsettling that we were drinking underneath all of these reminders of Jesus, the Disciples, and the Virgin Mary. The bar didn't look like a former Catholic church, but who knows?!

Here's a gift I received this week from a Mitsui visitor from Vancouver, Canada. He felt bad that he was unable to attend my big meeting last week, and I must have really made a nice impression on him through all of my emails!!

It's a special Canadian dollar from the 2010 Olympics, and I'm the only one in the office who received one! (Can anyone say "American Princess"?!) The best part about the whole thing is that if you live in Japan you may actually believe that the Olympics are still happening... I fell asleep last night watching the women's curling event on TV once again!

Biz Trip to Kentucky!!

By the time you read this post, I will likely be on a plane over the Pacific Ocean! I'm heading to Erlanger, Kentucky this week for a big work meeting.
Since I know you will miss my posts for a week, I will share some recent Nagoya photos with you. It's a hodge-podge of random things, but nonetheless I hope you find it interesting!!
First is a really sweet outfit I saw at the bar one night. This lady has on her cowboy hat and boots. I really like that look with the shorts, but I think the best part is the furry fanny pack!!And let's not forget her friend in pleather pants or the one with the flannel shirt and trucker hat. I'm really confused with this whole table!!
It's been raining this week, and I simply think it's awesome that each store, restaurant, and workplace has an umbrella stand at the entrance. I am still amazed at the honesty in Japan. It's shocking that someone doesn't just walk off with an umbrella that doesn't belong to him or her. But actually the tricky part is to remember to grab your umbrella when you are leaving. (Mine is the one with the light blue handle.) If it has stopped raining, I have a problem with that. I'm on umbrella #4 already because I constantly leave mine at work or home, so I just buy a new one for $5 whenever I get caught in the rain... I haven't quite figured this statue out yet. He's obviously a leader dog for the blind, but why is he 3-legged? Either the statue is falling apart, and no one has bothered to repair it, or he's really a remarkable dog. I wish I could read the Japanese plaque next to him...

Here's some special Pringles flavors I've never seen in the US... Mozzarella sticks, Onion blossom, Mexican layered dip, and Tomato. But at $4 a pop I haven't tried them yet. Some day maybe I'll be hungry enough...

I found this sweet old fashioned Pepsi-Cola can in a vending machine one night!! Hello, 1985! I even checked the date on the bottom, and it was not expired! My companions thought I was a total freak show for getting so excited about this. Who knows?! Maybe you think that, too!!

I saw these mini brown cartons in the grocery store, and immediately thought: chocolate milk!!! But nope, it's coffee. Maybe I will have some chocolate milk in Kentucky... yum!!

No attempt in creative naming here: Cocktail Partner. I guess it's not meant to be drank straight up. Only good with booze!!

Here's a tiny watermelon for just over $20. But it does come with a pretty sweet twine handle - maybe that's why it's so costly?! I am still waiting to see the legendary "square" watermelons that Japan grows in order to fit in their small refrigerators better.

Speaking of fruit, Japan's strawberry season runs from January 5th to May 10th, and everything from candy to dessert to KitKats are flavored with strawberries right now. I thought about going to a strawberry farm here for picking. However not only is it a long and costly bus ride, but you can't take your strawberries home with you!! The rule here is you have to eat everything you pick while at the farm!! So bizarre. Again, some people in Japan like to work really hard for their food, I guess. I heard some of my co-workers talking about going. They make sure they don't eat any breakfast or dinner. Just gorge themselves on strawberries all day!!

White Day

Happy White Day to all the ladies out there!
You may recall me saying that White Day is celebrated on March 14th and is the counterpart to Valentine's Day. A Japanese man traditionally gives chocolate to his sweetheart (or the ladies he works with) on this day. True to form, all of the ladies at work received a small box of chocolate on Friday afternoon from the men. I had forgotten all about the tradition but was so excited to receive a treat. I was even more excited when I realized it was Godiva, and therefore, certain to not have any red bean paste hiding inside!!
On my walk home from work on Friday evening I passed by the same department store basement where I went hunting for chocolate around February 14th and was delighted to see that it was mobbed with men and only men!! This made me smile.
Some times I get so frustrated that Japan has silly rules that I don't understand, and no one even questions them besides me. But other times I like the predictability and fact that people always follow through on their sense of responsibility.
Oh yeah, one more thing... I played volleyball today with my International Club, and one of the guys brought chocolate for the ladies!! He's from Canada, but I like that he's embracing the Japanese culture (and that it benefited me)!

An American Taste Test

Soda is not very popular in Japan, but you can usually find Coke at McDonald's or in the occasional vending machine. I told my Japanese friends one day that I prefer Pepsi, and I was just met with blank stares. Many Japanese people have never had Pepsi, or they didn't realize there was a difference!
I decided to hunt down some Pepsi and teach them about the good ol' Pepsi vs. Coke taste test. After a few weeks of searching, I did find a vending machine with Pepsi (oddly it wasn't even available in any foreign food store), and we set a date for the "tasting party".
Here is a pic of me and my friends one day at lunch tasting Coke & Pepsi!

I told them that I thought Pepsi was sweeter (more sugary), and that Coke had more carbonation (bubbles). Four of the girls agreed, and the fifth one said she couldn't tell the difference. Of the 4 girls, they all prefer Coke because it's less sweet. Yuri (far right in the pic) said that if Coke sat out for a couple hours and became flat, it would probably taste just like Pepsi! Hariyama (far left in the pic) looked at the cans and reconfirmed her vote for Coke because it has 3 fewer calories per serving!
I thought it was bizarre that someone so thin to begin with counts calories, but it also got me thinking... On the Japanese cans, the serving size is 100ml, which is about 3.5 servings for a normal 12 oz. can. In America, a 12 oz. can is 1 serving size! Let's just add that to the list as another reason Japanese people are so tiny compared to Americans!
They had fun though, so I'm taking suggestions as to what I should teach them about American food next!! Let me know if you come up with any good ideas that I can find in Japan or bring back easily from Kentucky!!

Toyota Trivia

Since Toyota has been in the news so much lately in the USA, ever wonder why the president, Akio Toyoda, spells his name differently than the company? He is the grandson to the founder of Toyota, and his grandfather also spelled his name Toyoda. Since I went on my tour of Toyota City in December, I have the answers for you:
1. Toyoda is 10 strokes when written in Japanese characters, and Toyota is only 8 strokes. (pictured below)
2. Eight is a lucky number in Japan because it's character resembles a mountain, and the Japanese believe mountains are lucky (like Mt. Fuji).
3. Toyota sounds more clear when pronounced than Toyoda.
4. The founder, Mr. Toyoda, wanted to separate his family from the company. He said the company was for the community of Japan, and did not want to think of it as a "family business".

I find the last one a little ironic because Akio Toyoda has been quoted many times as saying "My name is on every car..." and technically it's not!!

St. Patty's Day in Japan!

On March 6th, there was a St. Patrick's Day parade in Nagoya, and I just knew I had to be there to check out the festivities. I haven't quite figured out why they had it on such a goofy date, but the Japanese don't usually celebrate it. Instead, the parade and after party was sponsored by a foreigner bar.
The parade was actually a small motley crew of people wearing green and other nutty costumes. It was lead by what looked like the pope wearing a green robe!
There was even a leprechaun, and guys with horse masks pulling some kind of odd float...

Me and my new American friend, Kelly, with a Japanese bag piper!

Who doesn't love a giant glass of Guinness?!

I am with a Nagoya cartoon samuri.

Kerri and her new Japanese friend, Daisuke, enjoy their green beers!!

I love a nice Irish man in a kilt...

So excited to see the Guinness guy again!

KG and her new crew of friends. We moved on to another bar. This one was super tiny, but filled with locals who thought drunk Americans wearing lots of green were rather amusing!

The whole event was nutty but fun. I am actually glad they celebrated on a goofy date because I will be in Kentucky on March 17th, so now I can celebrate St. Patty's Day twice this year!!

Office snacks

You may recall me saying that eating in the office is kind of taboo. Every once in awhile (on what I call "lucky days") they do pass out snacks for everyone in our department. I probably shouldn't complain about the snacks we get because I'm usually so hungry, but these are wacky enough to share with you.

1. The wife of a General Manager brought in sticky rice ball treats for us. These were wrapped in 2 sakura (cherry blossom) leaves and hiding inside was azuki (that yucky red bean paste). It's pretty bad when the best flavor of your dessert is minty leaves from a flowering tree.

2. Five chocolate-covered raisins. Seriously?! 5?! That's just a tease...

3. Two soy crackers flavored with pepper. These are actually pretty yummy. I could eat a whole sleeve as long as I had some water to go with them.

4. One chocolate covered almond. Again, yummy, but I'm just getting started at one.

5. Cake rusk. It's basically a chunk of dried cake that is 1.5" x 1.5" x 0.25" thick. Imagine the size of a saltine, and then imagine it not having any taste. Welcome to my life!

6. This one was my own fault. It looked like a soft bite of cake, and I didn't even question it. But but I soon realized that there was something white & mushy & mysterious inside. (At least it wasn't azuki for once!) So I decided to do a little translation and read the package. It said: "sui-to poteto". Sound it out... They thought it was sweet potato flavor. I usually like sweet potatoes, but not that day, and not in my cake!

Why can't someone bring in cookies or brownies or cupcakes just once?!

Oh yeah, the whole "no oven" situation makes that kinda tough...

Hina Matsuri

How would it be another week in Japan without another holiday? "Hina Matsuri" is celebrated every year on March 3rd (but is not a national holiday). It's also known as "Girl's Day" or "Festival of Dolls". The origins of this holiday dates back over 1,000 years to 794 A.D.

On this day families pray for the happiness and prosperity of their daughters and to help ensure they grow up healthy and beautiful. Usually grandparents will buy their granddaughters a set of dolls on their first Hina Matsuri. Often times the dolls are displayed in a very specific elaborate 7-tier design as the picture below indicates. I have no idea where the Japanese find the space to put these displays in their tiny apartments!

These figurines are usually brought out around mid-February, and then are promptly put away after the celebration on March 3rd. I even got my own "doll" figurine from a lady at work (pictured below). She warned me that if I don't put it my doll away on March 3rd, the superstition is that I will have trouble getting married!! I've never had so many people concerned about my marital status before... It's kind of weird! (Just look at the doll that was picked out for me... I think it's supposed to be a bride & a groom!)

There is also a tradition that each household should leave a doll at a shrine or put it on a boat and have it float away to the sea on March 3rd. The thought is that bad fortune will be removed from the girl, transferred to the doll, and then abandoned.

Many of you may be wondering when is "Boy's Day"? In the past Boy's Day has been celebrated on May 5th, but in recent years it has been renamed to "Children's Day" to include both genders, and it is a national holiday.

Everyone please pray for me today, and I will be sure to put my doll figurine away before bedtime!!

Japanese Police

I've heard my fair share of foreigners make fun of the Japanese police, but then I saw this Q&A in Japanzine, a magazine for foreigners, and I thought it explained it quite well!! My additional commentary is in (parenthesis). Please read on...

Yo Japanzine,

I'm confused, Japanese police cars patrol the roads of Japan with lights flashing but no siren. And the cops look like kids in the special education buses because they are wearing helmets inside the car. What is that about? In America, only motorcycle cops wear helmets and cops only put on the lights when the siren is on and they're going after a bad guy. Helmets on Japanese police in cars look ridiculous! And hey, what is it about the small cars Japanese police drive? (Good thing that Japan is so safe because there is truly no room for criminals!!) Sorry, but how can they get respect or catch the bad dude when they look so ridiculous in their tiny clown cars wearing helmets?

Laughing American Monkey Mike

Dear American Monkey,

Actually Japanese NPA, or National Police Agency, made a special deal with Bandai Co., Ltd. in the early 1950s, under the order of Diet (kind of like the House of Representatives) and the Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida-sama. The new law explained that "all Japanese police uniforms must have the kawaii (cute) look and condition, as well as the car, helmet, and other accessories, to enable strong sales of police toys and games, and to keep the obedience image of omawarisan (friendly policeman) strong in the minds of young boys." In America, police are "die hard" with the ripped T-shirts and broken glass in their foot (what?!), and disobey the higher authority. This only teaches destruction to young American boys. As you see, the cute police toy and appearance is for the sake of society. Without the "special education helmet", our society would be lost forever.

Fascinating... you learn something new every day. It's not the policeman's fault he looks like that, but by the order of the government! Japanzine never did explain why they drive around with the flashing lights on. I've heard of foreign drivers who pull to the side of the road, and then get weird looks from the police when they drive by. But then again, I get weird looks every day I'm here...