tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70271193463661475432012-01-24T05:46:53.249+09:00learning to play the old-fashioned way... parenting in the Land of the Rising Sunyokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.comBlogger2101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-8193787884726401512011-11-29T08:16:00.001+09:002011-11-29T08:27:39.686+09:00

Tanuki-chan... brought home on Papa's birthday (Monday) So... I have a sick and/or injured Tanuki (Japanese Raccoon Dog) in my garage. As you can see. And anybody who's been following along on this blog knows exactly who brought it home.. (*cough*Koshi*cough*) This time I swore the kids to secrecy--they were absolutely *not* to tell Papa, as I didn't think the poor man needed a heart

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-79367831309913141022011-11-16T12:14:00.001+09:002011-11-16T13:06:54.993+09:00

Kinmokusei...Osmanthus fragrans There's a lovely Tang in the air.  I love the smell of this tree in the fall... That's literally Tang -- the orange powdered breakfast drink, originally formulated for the Apollo astronauts, for those old enough to know about that;-) Wiki has just tried to tell me that it is cultivated in Asia, Europe, and North America  "for its deliciously fragrant flowers

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-40091084668212847532011-09-30T22:38:00.001+09:002011-09-30T23:05:19.843+09:00

Summer festival was loads of fun... at least, 'til the thunder started... *So* sorry to be gone this long-- I had no idea we would have to move out of the company housing right after summer vacation.  That's where I've been-- a houseful of kids all summer, and then as soon as  I got them all back to school, I had a month to effect a move.  Found a place September third... and we move on Monday

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-30256101408192286072011-07-28T22:45:00.000+09:002011-07-28T22:45:13.159+09:00

Kappa Maki! Gomen nasai!! Apologies for the sudden blog break-- but Dominic was right, last week was the last week of school (meaning that this week is the first week of summer vacation). Last week was thus spent getting things done (well, *attempting* to get things done) that are hard to do with three or more kids in the house.  I was mildly successful...;-)  This week has been largely

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-81925619769029878402011-07-19T22:55:00.000+09:002011-07-19T22:55:20.102+09:00

...listening to scary Typhoon Wind outside... It's been raining/ pouring in bursts all day (no pool at school:-(( ... and we're supposed to be getting whacked sometime tonight or early tomorrow (Wednesday for me) morning.  It was quiet around dinnertime, then suddenly about an hour ago the wind kicked up.  So I've had to go 'round, shutting the windows, in spite of how stuffy it will likely

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-55523719755105571402011-07-18T13:04:00.000+09:002011-07-18T13:04:34.795+09:00

When Japan plays America, well...  I have to sit on the fifty-yard line (you know what I mean) wearing stripes and polka dots ;-)  Who do I root for?  Both, of course, not being a rabid fan of anything but a good game.   And this was a seriously good game: Especially this bit-- this save by Kaihori-san ought to go down in soccer history as one of the great all-time saves. Look at that foot!

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-62870473419825935362011-07-15T00:42:00.000+09:002011-07-15T00:42:33.064+09:00

Groups of Geisha Crossing the Spit of Land to Enoshima, Hiroshige, c. 1850 The boys had baseball all afternoon last Sunday, so it was just me and Papa at home... plus Cici, who decided she had a hankering to go the Aquarium at Enoshima. Enoshima Island, off the Shonan Coast So we hopped the train and went, since it's not too far from where we are (just change trains at Fujisawa and go

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-17806491526316641732011-07-13T19:05:00.001+09:002011-07-13T19:05:26.937+09:00

Two days of laundry... Sometimes I think Japanese housing is so arranged to keep women permanently chained to the home... Of course, the weather is also partly to blame--  high humidity that encourages mold and a rainy season followed by a long, humid summer that is the perfect environment for Dani (bedbugs-- those bites itch).  So you don't just, you know, put off-season things in the

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-76210043589498258182011-07-11T10:14:00.001+09:002011-07-11T10:15:01.656+09:00

"Yeah, so?"  I hear you say.  "It's a zippered stationery case.  Not a very interesting one, either." So you think-- this is a magic stationery case. No--really!  Hermione has one just like it (I think hers is green, though).  Professor McGonagall lent it to her at the start of term. "The stationery and small articles of life are unified." See?  Haven't lost a thing since-- this is a

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-37392212700112005862011-07-09T02:50:00.002+09:002011-07-09T02:59:29.153+09:00

An Ajisai as big as my head!  The biggest one this year--I put my hand on it for perspective:-)) I didn't get a chance to take an actual walk last week or this.  When I sat down to look through photos taken willy-nilly over the last two weeks, I was surprised at how many things I'd stumbled across without particularly looking-- just out and about.  On my way here or there (usually to or from

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-66019778770397527092011-07-07T23:50:00.000+09:002011-07-07T23:50:44.715+09:00

1852 Hiroshige woodblock print of Tanabata in Old Edo 7/7...July seventh is Tanabata (七夕）, the Star Festival, the most romantic festival of the year. I just love the story behind this one:-))  It goes like this: "Orihime (織姫 Weaving Princess?), daughter of the Tentei (天帝 Sky King, or the universe itself?), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (天の川 Milky Way, lit. "

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-28326553082567612082011-07-07T02:47:00.000+09:002011-07-07T02:47:34.582+09:00

...have I seen hydrangeas so beautifully, naturally blue.  Hydrangea macrophylla. I took a walk the other day--but not around here.  I went someplace special because the hydrangeas were in full bloom, and if it's ajisai you want to see...   ...off to Kamakura you go!  There are hydrangea bushes spilling over every wall, adorning every corner right now.  But one temple in Kamakura is so

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-22967806670320047612011-07-05T22:58:00.000+09:002011-07-05T22:58:11.181+09:00

Kokuwagatamushi (Small Stag Beetle)... Sometimes kids wake up with the *weirdest* afflictions. Koshi woke up Friday morning... and laid in bed.  I nagged him to get up and get dressed.  He continued to loll.  I nagged.  He lolled.  He finally made an effort to put his clothes on--while moaning that his leg hurt.  I assumed he'd just slept on it funny, and it would be fine if he just got up

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-88594266309012223282011-06-29T22:16:00.000+09:002011-06-29T22:16:31.882+09:00

枝豆　Edamame... "twig beans", immature soybeans still on the twig The first time I ate Edamame at a friend's house, I was very rude. I think I snarfed nearly the entire bowl down all by myself. Those were some *good* beans--still slightly warm, salty, and my friend's mother gave us all glasses of cold beer to go with.  It doesn't get much better on a hot summer day, let me tell you:-) See

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-86878001405873519622011-06-28T16:52:00.000+09:002011-06-28T16:52:32.073+09:00

My all-time most favorite chip flavor:  UmeShio!  (Pickled Plum Salt) Everything is seasonal in a Japanese supermarket-- including flavors of chips.  At left, my favorite chip flavor *ever* (even better than Salt & Vinegar). thank goodness the bags are small... When the plums ripen in June, it's time to make Umeboshi (dried, pickled plums-- I like the kind, pictured at right, made with

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-4438283634370892842011-06-27T21:20:00.001+09:002011-06-28T11:46:02.403+09:00

"I see the splendid future over... It do not be please smashed." One of my English students (a fourth grade girl) came in wearing this hat. I do not have a hat like that... I wish I had a hat like that... I plan to look for one and wear it the next time somebody predicts the end of the world;-))

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-24502640275518380912011-06-24T03:19:00.000+09:002011-06-24T03:19:38.471+09:00

The neighbor's ajisai are the loveliest blue... Around the time I went to Germany, I used to have a recurring dream that was so vivid I can recall it to this day in its entirety. I remember standing in a square room with no doors or windows, although it wasn't dark inside.  The entire floor was a sort of jungle gym of square pylons of varying colors and heights--some near the floor, low enough

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-41159341345222272852011-06-21T22:52:00.000+09:002011-06-21T22:52:09.759+09:00

The cherries have nearly disappeared from the trees already... Wow--the last post on bilingualism prompted loads of *fascinating* comments that made my brain run off in a hundred directions...hence my lateness in replying.  Had to go chase my brain down:-))  (Actually, three sick boys are my excuse for my absence--hopefully that won't happen this week).  Before I head down some of the *very*

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-71775650546126224772011-06-20T17:09:00.000+09:002011-06-20T17:09:32.904+09:00

The pediactric ophthamologist... Since my little Teddy Bear has wonky eyes, we pay a visit to the Yokohama Children's Hospital every three or four months for checkups.  He had surgery for strabismus when he was three--just when they opened the new building.  From a crowded, dark, sad old building to a huge, light, bright place that's kind of fun to go to-- especially since the children who go

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-64611654265602381792011-06-19T16:30:00.001+09:002011-06-21T09:49:30.216+09:00

O-Soji... The Honorable Cleaning;-) Once a year the kids have school on Saturday-- an "open house" day when moms and dads can drop in any time during the day to watch their kids' classes.  Fortunately everybody recovered from colds that have plagued us all week (all three of my boys home for the last three days-- Koshi, Teddy, and Papa--in case anybody was wondering where I went;-), so

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-5404451977351467942011-06-15T18:08:00.001+09:002011-06-15T18:08:01.204+09:00

Two of my three kids bring the Outdoors in... and it's not my boys. It's Big Brother and Little Sister (middle brother Teddy tends not to bring me bugs--he'd rather go fast.  At seven he asked me whether Jr. High was 'grown up', and could he have a motorcycle...). It's in the washing machine... Yesterday Cici came bombing in the door shouting that her school hat was stinky. Why?  (...do I

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-61451762762511455442011-06-15T10:46:00.000+09:002011-06-15T10:46:41.099+09:00

[I know it's not actually Monday now-- but this was written on Monday.  Blogger, for some mysterious Blogger-ly reason, wouldn't let me post for two days.  Again.  I also avoided commenting since a friend who comments here said she'd had a bunch of comments lost-- gomen!  Blogger seems to be having quite a few hiccups these days...] This is what happens when I go to the store without my camera.

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-24130115874803867612011-06-10T14:07:00.002+09:002011-06-10T19:03:07.519+09:00

I have so many more experiences with this flower now in Japan (and therefore in Japanese), that "Ajisai" is the first word that comes to mind.  I usually have to think for a minute to pull "Hydrangea" up out of storage... ...And with this post I feel I've jumped into the frigid waters of Lake Superior, bound for the other side, with little confidence in my ability to swim that far.   Ma, yaru

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-22781356301292507472011-06-08T22:35:00.000+09:002011-06-08T22:35:56.529+09:00

Why are commercials on Japanese TV so much better than commercials on  American TV (I speak generally, of course)?  Their commercials involving animals-- usually cats or dogs-- are just *adorable*.  "Watashi wa Nyaran"--  "I am Nyaran", the white Japanese bobtail spokeskitty for Jaran travel service (his name is a play on the name of the company and 'nyan', which means 'meow').   Recently,

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-7054411737448110402011-06-07T20:40:00.001+09:002011-06-07T20:41:24.439+09:00

Boys are boys, no matter where you go...;-) Papa got home around seven this evening (*very* early for a Japanese Salaryman).  Put his briefcase down and walked back to the bathroom to wash his hands. I heard a loud, startled "Ehhhhh!!" Procambarus clarkii-- the Louisiana crawfish, an invasive species. Poor Papa-- coming home tired after a long day at work... only to find his sink filled

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-19149321206114814502011-06-06T16:47:00.000+09:002011-06-06T16:47:47.774+09:00

Wagashi erasers-- the set of Japanese Sweets Wagashi-- Japanese sweets... but you can't eat these because they're all erasers:-)) Last time was the Going To School Set of erasers; today-- the Set of Japanese Sweets, most of which I think you've seen! O-Dango!  And green tea, of course, which matches the taste somehow of Japanese sweets (coffee or black tea taste... odd with Wagashi.  *No

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-56630876573446154922011-06-05T00:11:00.000+09:002011-06-05T00:11:51.215+09:00

Take no Ko in the field... When I went to the store day before yesterday, I picked up some snacks for the kids.  They got to have a 'special', so they asked for a snack called Take no Ko no Sato... which happens to be one of my favorites as well. Take no Ko no Sato (Bamboo Shoot Village) ...and since I just posted a recipe featuring Take no Ko not too long ago, it occurred to me to

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-21864189364694863742011-06-04T00:28:00.001+09:002011-06-04T00:34:39.298+09:00

オオミドリシジミ... Favonius orientalis (the Oriental Hairstreak) Walking the kids to school this morning I saw the most gorgeous blue butterfly, and couldn't stop to take a picture of it because I had my hands full of crawdads. Koshi's Zarigani (crawdads) Koshi caught a boxful of crawdads yesterday and left the whole mess--box of crawdads, bowls of water with more crawdads, nets, dried fish bait

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-65469048372097933012011-06-02T22:17:00.002+09:002011-06-03T12:14:09.939+09:00

This is the first post in  what I hope will be a series exploring bilingualism. The hardest question for me to answer concerning my bilingualism is, naturally, the one I am asked most frequently:      Are you fluent in (X)? Such an obvious question, so innocently asked, but without an obvious or easy answer.  I know that the person asking it usually doesn't have the faintest idea how hard it

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-2579736188873118172011-05-31T23:45:00.000+09:002011-05-31T23:45:52.303+09:00

Japanese cucumbers are rather smaller than the ones I always see in the US, but no matter.  I think this can be made with either kind, though you may need a little more oomph and/or a heavier rolling pin.  Shovel would work fine, too. A shovel for... what?? "Cheery... and violent"  (why do I hear that in Terry Jones' voice in my head?  Was it in a Python sketch that I can't quite remember?

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-81053064008715174562011-05-31T10:42:00.000+09:002011-05-31T10:42:39.063+09:00

We got to go down to Kawana (near Ito, on the Izu Peninsula) to visit O-Jiisan and O-Baasan over the weekend. We got to go because baseball practice was cancelled Saturday and Sunday on account of rain.  Typhoon, to be exact.  The second one of the season, already--and rather too early. Granted, the hydrangeas seem to like it and the plums are getting nice and fat... ...but we've had a fair

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-51546272300928584442011-05-30T22:11:00.000+09:002011-05-30T22:11:28.396+09:00

A Cool Towel-- Must Haz! So, I had to go to the drugstore to buy a new thermometer (or a "tempehchuu", as my kids call it;-)...the other one was lost and I was pretty sure Cici was running a fever this morning (yup--38.7.  Eek.) So I walk in to get a thermometer... and walk out with Cool Towels!  For Baseball, of course, for Koshi and Teddy at practice when it gets hot.  It says you're

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-73065401833890686692011-05-28T21:52:00.002+09:002011-05-28T21:52:00.247+09:00

I put this up-- not because I wish to point out what a great scientist Feynman was (which, of course, he was)-- but because he says something in this interview that I think (*gasp*) he got wrong.  Not entirely wrong--just, I think he never thought about it further, beyond it's being something he learned from his father, whom he admired tremendously. Feynman was an amazing scientist-- a

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-55349614283926889482011-05-28T08:30:00.001+09:002011-05-31T16:43:12.342+09:00

Did you drink?  If you did, you'll have shrunk down small enough to see the 6mm spider whose world is a Bachelor Button... Thomisus labefactus, Azuchigumo. All I had to do was return the community center keys this morning.  But I took the camera along.  I know what happened the last time I forgot to take it.   Satokimadarahikage  Well, no sooner was I down the stairs than I noticed somebody

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-39412607200737254012011-05-26T13:16:00.002+09:002011-05-27T01:11:19.248+09:00

A cake...what? Guessing Game Time! They had slices of cake out at our Daiei today.  Sometimes I get some for dessert.  Today, I just took a photo because what the sign says is one of my favorite loan words in Japanese. Here's the game (open to those who don't speak Japanese, or at least not very much.): The sign above the cake (the one telling you that it's Y98 each) says "Cake Viking".

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-86233104934260406892011-05-24T17:13:00.000+09:002011-05-24T17:13:00.643+09:00

You know what that dark brown thing is... right? It's Take No Ko... a bamboo shoot.  A baby bamboo (or, well... maybe an elementary school bamboo, judging by the size). You can cook with these-- I got one of these once a year after Koshi started kindergarten, as the third year kids were taken out to dig bamboo shoots.  The first time he came home with a large something wrapped in newspaper,

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-3406897712430079582011-05-23T18:53:00.001+09:002011-05-24T10:51:30.689+09:00

I've said before-- I think 'weeds' ought not to be overlooked.  But even when you look-- there are things you miss.  I never noticed the aphids under the stem of this 2mm diameter flower ('Cucumber Herb' Trigonotis peduncularis ) 'til I got it uploaded.  Then I wondered-- Is the ant 'milking' these aphids, just like E.O. Wilson (among others) discovered?  I had heard of the Encyclopedia of

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-48587992398978132402011-05-23T09:49:00.000+09:002011-05-23T09:49:36.010+09:00

My kids get cute erasers every time they go to the dentist-- that's an eraser in the photo at left.  Came in a pack of erasers I found at the snacks-n-stationery shop at our Daiei. Please bring color pencils, tape, and stapler by Friday! As a matter of fact, it came in a set-- the "Going to School Set" of erasers.  I bought it and have taken pictures of it, because it struck me as a

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-46089227047044727852011-05-21T08:35:00.003+09:002011-05-21T19:42:04.269+09:00

"Singin' in the bathtub!  Gettin' squeaky clean!" I heard strange sounds on the porch.... oh noes!  It's The End of The World As We Know It!! Nah-- the sparrows have discovered that they can take dust baths in my empty flower pots.  They're makin' a Big Mess, too--but that's alright.  They're so cute while 'bathing' in my flower pots, I haven't the heart to chase them off. Busy, busy-- I

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-43265925326610203752011-05-17T14:55:00.000+09:002011-05-17T14:55:33.232+09:00

Why are we looking at a butter tub? The first time my parents came to Japan to visit me, my mother took one look at my butter tub and said, "As soon as we get home, I'm having your father nick all my butter tubs for me!" ...and she did.  ...and he did.  And now my mom can just leave the butter knife in the butter tub and close the lid all the way so it doesn't fall off next time she takes

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-16545269260708253432011-05-16T13:22:00.000+09:002011-05-16T13:22:39.334+09:00

"Skallberry" The Skull motif has infiltrated *everywhere* lately.  It started out mainly on boys' or adults' clothing in the usual biker designs... then it made it's way to young boys' t-shirts and jackets... then it migrated to girls' shirts and such, where the skulls began appearing with stars and hearts for eyes...  This year, they've gone totally cute--hearts for eyes, pink sparkles,

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-10042229513249376732011-05-14T16:18:00.000+09:002011-05-14T16:18:24.563+09:00

Gobo (Burdock Root...Arctium lappa) and Asparagus A recipe today for one of my favorite vegetables--Gobo, Burdock root in English. Kinpira Gobo (I'll post that recipe the next time I make it:-)) is the most common way to eat that looong brown root, and it's also my kids' favorite.  But I was making Gobo and Ham Salad today, so I'll just put this up first. "So what's the asparagus in there

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-6697279860403916372011-05-12T19:04:00.000+09:002011-05-14T05:36:31.851+09:00

It's still raining... the neighbor's bearded irises are sagging a bit under the weight of accumulating raindrops. I like my bike, but too many days in a row hauling to the store in the rain makes my shoulders droop as I trudge down the stairs.  Shoganai, ne... Look what I found at the store today, though! ...ooh!  The water- melons are here!  Any guesses as to how much a water- melon costs

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-41864589471399726602011-05-11T21:16:00.001+09:002011-05-11T22:55:01.762+09:00

Itterashaa---i! (Go and come back!) We haven't had much rain so far this year, but we're getting it now.  I'm sitting here listening to it pour outside, which it's been doing since about this time last night and looks to continue doing 'til about this time tomorrow night.  The kids walked to school this morning in rain boots, carrying umbrellas. They walk to school like that every day--in a

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-48860509106346005812011-05-10T08:15:00.000+09:002011-05-10T08:15:04.775+09:00

Salad Breeze!  So this is therefore a .... laundry product? Laundry? Oh yes, indeed-- see?  Laundry pinches, for hanging things over my laundry poles and clipping them in place so they don't blow down on the ground.  I hate having to haul down four flights of stairs to get stuff that's blown down there.  At least now, though, I can usually get one of the kids to do it;-)) Well, I see a

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-68331452232100379792011-05-09T08:58:00.000+09:002011-05-09T08:58:22.273+09:00

Don't look at my messy house!  Here... look at this butterfly.  I found it yesterday.  Kiageha... Papilio machaon  The Old World Swallowtail (the type species... yes, I know. I'm looking up butterfly taxonomies when I'm supposed to be cleaning my house...) This won't be a terribly long post--I've got house cleaning to do, as I mentioned-- because today is the day that *all* the moms are

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-47489039345201743292011-05-07T16:29:00.008+09:002011-05-08T01:19:34.541+09:00

Ayame?.... or Hanashobu? The kids had school, but my husband was off for the last day of Golden Week.  So, since the weather was fine, we took a walk (bike ride) up to Maioka Park, something we rarely get to do by ourselves:-)) Tsubame... Hirunda rustica, Barn Swallows, nesting under the Karate Dojo We weren't even up to the stoplight before I jumped off my bike and motioned for Shun

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-65082951427139558522011-05-06T17:16:00.001+09:002011-05-06T19:50:39.498+09:00

Fold the Kabuto (Samurai Helmet) for Children's Day! Here's a pretty simple kindergarten level origami--all three of my kids folded this in their third year of kindergarten when they were 5. It's the Kabuto--the Samurai Helmet that, along with the Koinobori carp streamers, is the traditional symbol of Children's (originally Boy's) Day on May 5.  This is one origami that's not only easy to

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-34450540908111031072011-05-06T00:53:00.000+09:002011-05-06T00:53:58.603+09:00

Happy Children's Day! 5/5, May fifth, is Children's Day--the time of year you see undulating carp streamers hanging off balconies or strung across rivers.  Koinobori (Koi-- carp, nobori-- streamer) are actually windsocks painted with eyes and fins and scales and shaped tails to resemble the giant Koi that fight their way back upstream every spring. Here they go: waving from a neighbor's

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-61938769200935135382011-05-04T21:12:00.001+09:002011-05-04T21:13:57.888+09:00

Rhododendron subgenus tsutsuji-- evergreen Azaleas  Komuroyama Koen  (Komuro Mountain Park) Ever since my in-laws built a house down on the Izu Peninsula, we've gone every year for Golden Week to see the Azaleas at Komuroyama Park (near Ito City). We can actually walk to the Azalea park from the house by walking through the Camellia park... Tsubaki... Camellias have

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-14149291557797070192011-05-02T23:35:00.000+09:002011-05-02T23:35:17.605+09:00

Tsutsuji Fair at Komuroyama Park-- Azaleas in brilliant bloom... It's "Golden Week" here in Japan-- so called because there are five holidays that are nearly back-to-back so that most people get a week off for travel or visiting family.  We went to O-Baasan's house near the city of Ito down on the Izu Peninsula-- and it's Azalea Time.  More about that tomorrow:-) Since we just got

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-82960689512041325392011-04-30T00:24:00.000+09:002011-04-30T00:24:12.933+09:00

As if the tadpoles.... ...and the crawdads weren't enough to be keeping in the house,  Wednesday night Koshi came bombing in the house shouting, "Mama!... "...Mama!  There's a kitty in the middle of the road and his eyes are hurt! Can I go back and look for him?!?!" I should have said no.  We live in company housing--no pets allowed. I should have said no.  But looking at

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-12966132986570032672011-04-27T11:46:00.000+09:002011-04-27T11:46:13.840+09:00

Fuki no Tou (Petasites japonicus, left)  and  Kogomi (Matteuccia struthiopteris, right) Oooh!  It's springtime and all the interesting, "what-on-earth-is-that?" vegetables are appearing in amongst the usual broccoli and green peppers.  The one on the left I may just go ahead and buy, since Cici will be thrilled.  Or at least interested.  The very first story in the second grade language

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-55576277272818424842011-04-22T10:54:00.002+09:002011-04-22T15:23:33.142+09:00

Nephila jurassica...  (found in the Daohugou beds in northeastern China) ...And this is exactly why I can't get *anything* done.  That up there is the biggest spider fossil ever found (thanks, Alice!!).  Not just any old spider, either.  I took one look at the name and said, "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Nephila!!" That's right-- that amazing, 165-million-year-old Mid-Jurassic fossil is in the same

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-74990436101097403702011-04-21T21:30:00.001+09:002011-04-21T21:41:14.608+09:00

Tsukushi means Spring! (Field Horsetail) If you happen to have any of this growing in the backyard or a nearby field... did you know you can eat it?  I'd never seen it before we moved down here to Yokohama, and at first I only saw the children playing with it, in mud pies, peeling off the little skirts and such.  It wasn't until a year or two later that I noticed H-kun's mama (Koshi's friend)

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-54918949898829531062011-04-20T09:56:00.001+09:002011-04-20T13:22:30.729+09:00

There's nothing much to see in this video because the Japanese Bush Warbler is notoriously difficult to spot since he's tiny (about 15cm long) and drab (he's nearly the same color as the leaves and branches).  You're far more likely to hear than to see him.  This is his springtime breeding song--doesn't he sing beautifully?  He's sure to have the ladies swooning...;-)) Uguisu... Cettia

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-62821320570275465402011-04-19T13:09:00.000+09:002011-04-19T13:09:36.510+09:00

To adult readers--from time to time, I buy snacks not because I want to eat them, but simply because the packaging just slays me. This was one of those snacks-- nice little vanilla wafers.  "You can enjoy this wafers, for good tasty and healthy life." I just love Manglish that can actually be turned to good purpose and used to comic effect in conversation or writing.  Laughter is good for you

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-65325259163891322602011-04-16T22:43:00.003+09:002011-04-20T13:46:43.769+09:00

Momo no hana... Prunus persica, peach blossoms The peach blossoms bloomed this year (and last year, too, if I recall correctly) nearly at the same time as the cherry blossoms, which seems a bit late since they are associated with the Hinamatusri (Doll Festival) in the beginning of March.  This is a problematic state of affairs for my husband, who has a hard time telling cherry blossoms from

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-50345590353823649642011-04-14T22:37:00.002+09:002011-04-19T08:04:36.825+09:00

お花見!　　お花見！ [Yes!  This is my first cherry blossom viewing!] Funny Maru...(see the full blog post about Maru and the Cherry Blossoms here)... ...then, of course, Maru wants to know where the dumplings are.  See--even kittehs know you're supposed to have dango when viewing the cherry blossoms (the flowers in the photo--via ShishinMaru-- are artificial, according to Maru's human). These are

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-61345231782941964822011-04-13T13:36:00.000+09:002011-04-13T13:36:56.619+09:00

Available now as an e-book (for Kindle, or KindleforPC, KindleforMac), Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake (or "Quakebook" as it is also known).  For $9.99 from Amazon, the entire purchase price of the e-book goes to the Japan Red Cross.  I've ordered it myself and have begun reading--definitely worth $9.99 to read snapshots of many people's experiences, foreign and Japanese, plus

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-71645936253016333032011-04-12T16:49:00.000+09:002011-04-12T16:49:57.093+09:00

Mercy--I was just about to start writing this post about the several quakes we've had today... and my phone went off "whoop!whoop!whoop!" before I could start typing.  Nagano prefecture--nothing big this time, though.  Fourth quake today. The JMA shows it to have been a weak 5 on the Shindo scale.  I'm not sure why my phone went off--looking at the JMA map, the shock waves didn't come anywhere

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-3738994245861276942011-04-12T00:12:00.000+09:002011-04-12T00:12:56.518+09:00

Sakura, sakura  (cherry blossom, cherry blossom)  Composed in the pentatonic scale, the traditional folk song Sakura, sakura sounds positively haunting to Western ears--at least, it always sends chills up and down my spine (the last phrase, especially).  Since I've so many photos, I thought you'd enjoy looking at them while listening to the song (captions give the lyrics one line at a time,

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-23728479341047235392011-04-11T09:03:00.000+09:002011-04-11T09:03:22.700+09:00

Sakura tunnel beside the river... You wanted to see a zillion photos of cherry blossoms, right?  Good--because this week's posts will be full of them:-)  The trees over the weekend were "Mankai", in Full Bloom (the TV news reports every day from the day the first blossom opens, what percentage "open" the trees are.  That's right--the opening of the cherry blossoms is front page news.  This is

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-17833491116525501452011-04-11T08:15:00.000+09:002011-04-11T08:15:00.091+09:00

(ignore the hole in the middle of the napkin, please--somebody touched before Mama could photograph...) This particular Manglish expresses, rather endearingly, just what I'd like to say to all you Dear Readers:  Thank you for your coming! My husband still says this, in spite of many gentle reminders of the correct format... I quit correcting him because, as with the cute things that

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-35520421937277945482011-04-10T07:48:00.000+09:002011-04-10T12:52:36.346+09:00

Namazu-e... Catfish prints ...but of course, you knew that.  Namazu (catfish) anciently symbolized disorder, then gradually a specific kind of disorder-- earthquakes.  The rumbling and shaking of an earthquake was said to be caused by thrashing catfish deep below in the mud (well-- it makes a certain amount of theoretical sense... sort of... vaguely... in a folklore-ish kind of way). Great

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-26531134603108744012011-04-09T23:36:00.000+09:002011-04-09T23:36:19.815+09:00

Spiraea growing from a pipe in the river wall.... ...trailing graceful fingers on the surface of the water pink Spiraea begins to bloom Boke (Flowering Quince) with Spiraea buds Hiyodori enjoys the last of the plum blossoms ...as peach buds swell Sakura prepare for entrance ceremonies Green

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-80462167747565141952011-04-09T15:39:00.000+09:002011-04-09T15:39:52.119+09:00

Rolling blackouts have stopped for the time being since it's warmed up and people aren't using heaters.  And now that school has started as well, it should be easier to post--apologies for having made everybody worry! Dominic is right--another 7.2 quake hit Sendai day before yesterday.  We'd had a few quiet days--no quakes, not even small ones.  I hadn't realized that I'd gotten used to the

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-21945392919523028522011-03-25T21:27:00.000+09:002011-03-25T21:35:35.728+09:00

My brother-in-law, Matt Wagner over at Hellion Gallery , put up this video of Watanabe Ken ("Letters From Iwo Jima" and "The Last Samurai" for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) reading Ame Ni Mo Makezu (Strong Against the Rain) which I found both simple and powerful.  It's a poem that expresses the Japanese "gambare" spirit well, I think (there are subtitles accompanying

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-65366236108778077612011-03-25T00:02:00.000+09:002011-03-25T00:05:41.733+09:00

Farmers in Ibaraki, Gunma, and Tochigi were pulling their spinach and other greens up by the roots last night on the news-- over less than 0.1microsieverts of radiation detected.  At Daiei today, I noticed that all the greens were from prefectures *other* than those three--with stickers over the original origin listed on signs above the produce.  Hmmmm--did they really throw out all the "tainted"

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-78046677030647712622011-03-23T23:47:00.000+09:002011-03-23T23:47:03.727+09:00

We had 4 earthquakes (which we felt as Shindo3 or less) this morning for breakfast... That's one of them above--the strongest one (my phone went off again.  It did last night around 1:30am, too--only I left it on the counter, and had to get up to open and shut it to make it stop whooping...). But if you want to get a real feel for just how many earthquakes there have been since March 11, 2:46pm

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-66520949659556019792011-03-22T23:40:00.000+09:002011-03-22T23:40:29.090+09:00

Cici drew a picture for you about the earthquake-- this is how she felt during the bigger aftershock that happened while she was in school.  Everybody had to get under their desks (that's her yellow school hat and backpack on top of the desk)...   She's drawn a bubble where she's saying "Kowai, yo--" (I'm scared).  They all seem jumpy when the room starts to sway (none yesterday, but four

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-55251006814529024282011-03-21T22:39:00.000+09:002011-03-21T22:39:33.150+09:00

quake damage at the store A little quake damage to the front steps...  and everybody rushes to the store to buy up (as the sign outside says) all the rice... all the batteries... all the candles... all the flashlights... all the toilet paper... all the tissues... all the cassette gas (for cooking)... also... ...all the tofu (or nearly all of it)... ...all the milk (they've

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-21375787609256504682011-03-17T13:23:00.000+09:002011-03-17T15:25:41.700+09:00

So sorry to everyone who has been worrying--we are (relatively speaking) fine here!  Gomen nasai! (bow) I started  to post yesterday--but an early pick-up from school, regular English teaching duties, preparations for dinner *before* our scheduled blackout time, and the evening blackout made finishing posting difficult.  So--today.  Morning, while the kids are at school 'til noon, and we have

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-22562153046198425792011-03-14T09:27:00.000+09:002011-03-14T09:27:54.091+09:00

My husband came on home--trains are shut down going in to Tokyo.  TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company), which services the whole Kanto area cannot keep up with demand since the reactors in Fukushima are shut down.  In an effort to keep power supplied to Tokyo and the affected prefectures to the north and the reactors themselves (to avoid a meltdown, I assume), TEPCO announced this morning that

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-46623691965860109092011-03-14T06:19:00.000+09:002011-03-14T08:49:36.079+09:00

It is a testament to how well-prepared and organized for disasters Japan is that I was able to return home on my originally scheduled flight--I thought I'd be stuck for a couple of days for sure.  Yokohama had power and water services back up within six hours of the quake, Tokyo a bit longer.  By Saturday morning, most train and subway lines in Tokyo and all (I think) lines in Yokohama were

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-50375895630925045452011-03-12T04:03:00.000+09:002011-03-12T04:03:30.255+09:00

I can hardly express what it means that so many have stopped here to let me know they were thinking of me and my family.  If you could see me, you would see me bowing in deeply felt thanks for your concern.  If there are typos in this, I hope you will overlook it.  My hands are still shaking.  The report from Kyoto news service has just said over a thousand dead.  And that is only a beginning

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-88744166376249145302011-03-11T17:45:00.000+09:002011-03-12T03:01:39.126+09:00

I have been in San Diego this week visiting my family--just me.  My husband and kids are in Yokohama. An 8.9 quake just hit off the coast of Sendai, a city about 30 or 40 miles north of Tokyo.  A 30ft tsunami has hit the coast. I was talking to my husband about three hours before it happened.  He just happened to be at home today instead of in Tokyo--Teddy had a cold, so he stayed home. I can't

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-18510645778799158092011-03-09T22:03:00.000+09:002011-03-09T22:03:00.836+09:00

I never cared much for so-called Enka music favored by older Japanese (it's mainly extremely sentimental ballads that musically resemble traditional Japanese music) for the first several years after coming to Japan. Until I heard boyishly handsome (and very *young*) Kiyoshi sing what is now considered his signature piece "Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi", a sort of samba-fied enka piece with a fun beat

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-67304934514182391432011-03-08T01:00:00.000+09:002011-03-08T03:37:17.635+09:00

Awwww..... Isn't that just the most *adorable* little backhoe you've ever  seen?  I know-- backhoe isn't the word you expect to follow "adorable".  But-- this is The Land of Cute.   Backhoes can and will be Cutified, according to Federal Cute Code, Sec. 109b.05 effective 02/14/50.  The Ministry of Cute, Division of Public Construction, which oversees construction sites and equipment has

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-71069911021796311462011-03-04T00:56:00.000+09:002011-03-04T01:07:15.473+09:00

Itakima---su! Chirashizushi is what everybody eats on March 3--Hinamatsuri.  That's Koshi up there holding the Shamoji (rice spoon) getting ready to dish some up for himself and Cici.  Chirashizushi is sushi...with sprinkles!  No--not chocolate sprinkles, nor sugar sprinkles.  Egg sprinkles, ikura sprinkles, sakuradenbu sprinkles (I'll explain in a sec)...and something green, too, so you get

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-19909812810402857042011-03-02T23:59:00.000+09:002011-03-03T09:55:13.634+09:00

Hisamochi Hinamatsuri, in addition to the Dolls being put up, has several snacks and foods associated with it, one of which is pictured above.  It's Hisamochi, though you don't eat it as is.  Mochi has to be grilled first so that it gets soft and chewy.  This is the one snack that is also a part of the doll sets--you can usually see plastic versions on little stands (yesterday's post shows it

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-23596615382722193202011-03-02T00:59:00.000+09:002011-03-02T01:01:46.344+09:00

Mikado Dolls (Mikado = Imperial) The custom of the Doll Festival-- Hinamatsuri--dates back to Heian Japan, when originally people used to float straw dolls (Hina)  down river to the sea, thus carrying away bad spirits--somewhat in the manner of the biblical scapegoat, though rather less costly.  Celebrated on March 3rd as the plum blossoms are just beginning to fade and the peach blossoms are

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-25746732501231886092011-02-28T20:51:00.000+09:002011-03-01T00:18:32.253+09:00

Hina-Kitty!  Kawaiiiii-- Is it possible?  Can the Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival on 3/3) be made cuter than it already was to begin with?  Don't be ridiculous!  This is the Land of Cute!  Of course it can be cuter-- via a simple Kitty-fication process.  Anything innately cute can be bumped up a level by making a Kitty-chan version of it;-)) Here's what real Hinamatsuri dolls look like (they have

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-24238918516781976882011-02-27T21:45:00.000+09:002011-02-28T01:39:47.003+09:00

Corvus corone...Hashibosogarasu... Carrion Crow A couple of weeks ago, biologist Jerry Coyne over at WEIT featured a post on Corvid Savants which just fascinated the heck out of me:-)) It reminded me of a TED talk a while back by Joshua Klein on the Intelligence of Crows , which stayed in my mind for a long time after watching it because I agreed so strongly with Klein's motives for studying

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-42230435947451412702011-02-27T01:53:00.000+09:002011-02-27T01:53:26.387+09:00

I know you're all secretly dancing in your bedrooms, seeing our socks and all--but this is about the hanger and the laundry poles.  I bring up this most mundane of subjects because my husband, recently talking about Arizona and using the drier at my parents' house, wanted to know why they even *had* a drier.  I said I had no idea why, since in the summer clothes dry even faster outside than in

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-17790521244902014122011-02-25T23:09:00.000+09:002011-02-25T23:26:53.650+09:00

Allium tuberosum... Garlic Chives... Nira One of my favorite winter dishes is Nira no Tamago Toji, "Nira" being garlic chives, a member of the onion family.  The strap-like leaves are used in Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and widely in Korean cuisine.  They have a wonderful, onion-y--garliky smell and come loaded with Vitamin A (just the thing for keeping your body warm from the inside when

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-75901623272041889152011-02-24T20:40:00.000+09:002011-02-24T20:40:40.778+09:00

That last resounding THUD was Mama, felled by Da Floo... First Cici Sunday night, then Teddy Monday morning, and me later on Monday.  It's bad enough when more than one of your kids has flu, but it's an order of magnitude worse when I get it alongside them... So let me just state right here, in large letters, THANK YOU to my husband who stayed home for two days from work to take us all to the

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-77891727890498466152011-02-19T19:24:00.000+09:002011-02-19T19:24:32.209+09:00

My kids' pencil cases for school in the photo above (Sugar Bunnies for Cici, Pokemon for the boys).  From the day Koshi started first grade (or rather, slightly before, when we got the list of things to get *for* first grade), I thought these were the coolest pencil cases I'd ever seen.  Seriously.  ...Look at this!  I'm slightly jealous of my own kids, they have such awesome, well-designed

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-59620857366948538402011-02-19T01:28:00.000+09:002011-02-19T01:28:29.441+09:00

Plum blossoms washed by a morning rain... The plum blossoms are most of the way out--my favorite of the flowering trees because of their elegant, faintly cinnamon scent. White plum and lichen... ...this morning I had to wait 'til the rain stopped before going to take a couple of pictures of my favorite weeping plums up the road... bonsai.. ...taking a detour on the way home, I

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-71964591665401002172011-02-17T21:50:00.000+09:002011-02-17T21:50:05.420+09:00

Ichi Go... One "Go" of rice in a wooden "masu" (also used for drinking sake) Don't think I'm dissing plain rice--we eat it nearly every day, and I would hardly know how to cook any more without my Suihanki (rice cooker).  But sometimes it nice to gussy it up a little... We had Shiitake Gohan for dinner yesterday--which everybody loves, especially the rice along the sides of the rice cooker

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-22189549317558866272011-02-16T21:25:00.000+09:002011-02-16T21:37:46.400+09:00

Koshi's first year in Yochien (kindergarten)... *mercy* that's already seven years ago!... was the year the MushiKing (King of Beetles) phenomenon hit Japan which I've written about before.  About a year later, when Koshi was four, the animated series began on Wednesday nights.... which we duly watched every Wednesday night as long as everybody was fed, bathed, and properly jammied.  I was

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-74902153268373115472011-02-15T21:23:00.000+09:002011-02-15T21:23:22.726+09:00

"This town is a happy!" Just when I think things can't possibly get any cuter...my daughter has a birthday and gets presents from her friends. ...she got adorable notepaper.  "Lucky Animal" and "This Town is a Happy!"  How is it that they are able to draw small characters that are simultaneously innocently cute and well-drawn?  ...she also got some stationery-- "Moco Moco Sweets", sweets

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-18318871534583890092011-02-14T22:52:00.000+09:002011-02-14T22:52:32.654+09:00

Pokemon chocolate hearts for the kids :-) Valentine's Day-- yes, there is one in Japan-- is a rather different holiday than the one westerners are accustomed to.  "hand-made Valentine!" ...it's all about chocolates, first of all.  Hand-made chocolates if you can manage it.  Gambare! (do your best!)  Specifically, chocolates from girls to boys.  Our doorbell rang this evening--one of the

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-75789663194316528562011-02-13T22:48:00.000+09:002011-02-13T22:48:03.060+09:00

Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share a few Origami Valentine's hearts!  Three hearts, in fact--from Very Easy to Medium Easy to A Little Bit Harder. This first one uses just 1/3 of a sheet of origami paper (a 5 x 15cm strip from a 15x15cm square), so of course you could make three hearts from one sheet if you wanted to.  I'm folding in the video below, and Koshi is camera-man (

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-14757338370330638182011-02-12T23:31:00.000+09:002011-02-12T23:31:56.616+09:00

This is where you throw away trash and put your tray at a McDonald's in Japan.  I have never seen a trash bin like this in the US, and I'd love to know--why not?!  Paper trash on the left,... ...plastic on the right.  There's even a drain (see it? above the plastic side in the top photo?) to dump out left-over drinks before throwing out your cup (paper), lid (plastic),

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-18028644578702606022011-02-12T03:27:00.000+09:002011-02-12T11:34:36.400+09:00

The weeping plum begins to bloom.... I noticed the scent before I noticed the flowers, riding by on my bicycle.  I was stopped by the scent--faintly cinnamon, a sweet, elegant fragrance...  We'll go up to Mogusaen soon to visit Mr. Harris who comments here.  "Mogusaen" means "Park of the Hundred Blossoms"--I can hardly wait to be surrounded by hundreds of plum trees...  As long as the

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-77246463901156789942011-02-10T22:43:00.000+09:002011-02-10T22:43:48.692+09:00

Nabe is almost my favorite thing ever to eat in the winter.  A warm, simple dish with a simple name--"Nabe" just means "pot".  ...assemble some vegetables, tofu, and protein (chicken meatballs, here, and later I put crab legs in so the soup would taste good). Clockwise from top left corner--Hakusai (napa cabbage), naga negi ("long" onion, like a leek), carrots, shimeji mushrooms, kinu tofu (

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-71388381070966599282011-02-09T21:50:00.000+09:002011-02-09T21:50:18.293+09:00

One of my favorite J-Pop bands since coming to Japan is Dreams Come True--lead singer Miwa has a powerful voice, as well as good range and expression.  I like to listen to her sing most anything, but my favorite song of theirs is "Asa Ga Mata Kuru"..."Morning Will Come Again".  Great vocals, and you just can't help but move to it! I had the actual video of this song bookmarked, but, alas, it

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-36138777079763741732011-02-08T22:11:00.000+09:002011-02-08T23:41:39.869+09:00

...And we are looking at a construction site, because....? There's been a large construction site next to the elementary school for a year and a half or so now--lots of kids walk by it every day.  So you'd expect to eventually see that pristine white wall covered with graffiti...right?  Well...sort of.  You see something on that wall, right?  Here's a closer look: ...that's a nice drawing,

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7027119346366147543.post-43095349820241207352011-02-07T21:56:00.000+09:002011-02-07T23:24:59.709+09:00

The title of the above video (for maximum laffs) is "Store Manager Leon:   Goalkeeper"...Kawaii, desho! Cute--but not actually the point of this post, which is Manglish...and why you shouldn't put your implicit trust in Google Translator;-)) Here is the Translator version of Leon's character description from the NekoCafe Leon website: The temperature" signs son (?) You Leon. ちょっと頼りなさそうに見えちゃう

yokohamamamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17098212549844656652noreply@blogger.com2