Day 95 - 刮包...?

June 30, 2011

Haha, I wish I could have a real 刮包. The writing that I've always known is a bit different than this, but whatever. Haha, it's just a little model to show the students. Haha, I quite like that piece of "meat". It's just play dough that I got at Daiso. Man.....how I love Daiso. Haha!

Ohhhhhh, I wanna eat it!!! When I was viewing the pics and making the models (some better than others...unfortunately...), I really miss having many different Western and Chinese food! Well, one day...one day.

Ugh....seeing all these food make me hungry. Wouldn't it be nice if this model was a real thing...!? =P

Day 94 - Singing in the rain~

June 29, 2011

Ok, this was not from today. I believe it was from Saturday, but whatever! It's interesting nonetheless.

Many Japanese cities have this kind of arcade shopping streets. Sendai is also one of them. It was raining on Saturday. After having lunch w/ Emily, we decided to get our poker dots umbrella. We heard someone playing organ. He was up there....on the top of the arcade!! Although I didn't know what songs he was playing, it was definitely pleasant to hear music during a day of wetness and humidity.

I'll miss this kind of pleasant surprise on the street.

Day 93 - A taste of home...

June 28, 2011

I have been spending a lot of money. I mean I have spend A LOT!!! Wow, it's crazy how fast all those bills disappear......... Yeah, I was burning money... Well, the money mostly went to booking places for my summer holiday. I guess it'll all worth it in the end.

Sigh. What was I thinking????? I was just complaining how much money I've been spending, then I ate out. What's wrong with me??? Well, I passed on Subway on the way home. Wow! I haven't had Subway for a loooooooooooooong time!!! I remember I used to eat a lot of Subs during my ubc years since it was one of the cheapest and somewhat "healthiest" food on campus. I used to hate it, but I got myself to love it. =P

Well, the price of Subway is...somewhat similar to Van I think. They also have sub of the day. The sub for Thurs was teriyaki chicken. Mmmmm....sounds delish already. It's 290 yen for sub of the day. The Vancouver subways have Teriyaki chicken sub too. It was ok. However, I really really like the teriyaki chicken sub here!!!! It tasted like real chicken!! =P I think it's chicken thigh. You can have as much veggie as you like as well. I believe the Japanese Subways don't have as many veggie and sauces and their Canadian counterparts. I added a sauce called "basil mayo". Well, I think it's just....basil...or PESTO!! It tasted SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!! I think it tasted better than the Canadian ones. Vancouver Subways should have that pesto-like sauce too! It was soooo goood!! Yeah, it tasted like pesto! (or perhaps it was pesto)

When I was biting into the sub, I felt like I was in Van. I missed the food. I miss many aspects of home.

Day 92 - 中総体結果発表会

June 27, 2011

I actually can't remember the exact name of the event. The students from each sports team basically presented their sports day results in this special assembly. I think my kids did pretty well in most of the sports. Well, I guess the size of the school makes a difference. Seeing the kids play actually made me more interested in sports. The kids look extra cute (both boys and girls) when they were working hard. Good job kids! =)

Day 91 - 一生懸命勉強しなくちゃ!!

June 26, 2011

I had my tutoring lesson again after 4 months. Yes...4 months. Well, しょうがないなあ～ I bet the quake changed "everything".

It was nice to see Kikuchi sensei again. It's good to know that her family is well; however, a few of her acquaintances passed away... That's tough. One of her co-workers passed away from the tsunami. She was talking to her co-worker on Thursday and her co-worker was gone on Friday! That's quite scary...

Hmmm, I really need to study hard, but I have so many things to do!! Hmm, Kikuchi sensei even doubted if I could pass N3 in Dec. I doubt I would pass too...... =S Well, I'll try...

ファイト！

Day 90 - 雀踊り~

June 25, 2011

Since the summer festival is fast approaching, our dance group, Tsubasa, is holding practice every week. There are the kids who will be in the dance. Aren't they cute!!?? =) I sort of want to try the dance too since it's a bit challenging, but playing drum is fun too!! Haha, they said I always rush..... I will not rush next time! I promise~~! Haha, from this group, I learnt a word - 油断. There has NOTHING to do with oil. It means being careless. Haha, our team leader, Kage san, would say that whenever I make a mistake. =P

I'm glad I joined this group. I'm playing to do it again next year. Although I have to buy their special wear, at least it's something I used and did! =)

I am really looking forward to the performance on July 24! =) がんばるぞ！

Day 89 - There's still a loooooooooooooooooooooooong way to goooooooo.... Ohhh...

June 24, 2011

TGIF! Well, It's just normal to actually work before a holiday. My "private lesson" yesterday had come to a test. I had to teach that speaking activity to the 3rd years by myself. I seriously thought I should know more. In the ESL world, teachers teach by themselves anyway... Why couldn't I do it????? As per yesterday's discussion about the lesson, I wrote down the different possible questions to ask the students to check their understanding. The vibe somehow was just not there. Well, I bet there were many factors. I guess I didn't set the "tone" of the class well...? I guess I should have had some sort of ice breaker activity. The classroom was very warm, and the students were mostly tired. When I was asking questions, a vast majority of them were unresponsive....Anyway, both of the classes didn't turn as well as expected....or not even close to not even close...

Yeah, I still have a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG WAY to go for this teaching craft. I guess as always, I learn a bit slower than normal people. Ugh, I can't wait to be an effective educator.


When would that be???



I wonder...

Day 88 - Here comes the expert...!

June 23, 2011

Ohhhh, I thought I could do better than what I've been doing. I guess I still need more experience, thoughts, practice, effort.

Anyway, I had and have to do a speaking activity with the 3rd years. I didn't really know what was the best way of doing all everything. I guess the good thing of teaching 7 classes is that I have the opportunities to change things up in different classes. I did this lesson 3 times now. There were somewhat help from my JTEs. However, since one of my JTEs won't be in school tomorrow, I'll need to do them by myself. Well, I feel like I should be able to do it, but I still feel like I don't know how to get the message across.

After the seminar today, I went to the BOE to pick up something with our educational adviser. He was SUPER helpful. He told me a lot of things that a native speaker may not notice. These are the notes he gave me. He taught me techniques that may work and how the lesson could go. Man, when he was telling me all the ideas, I could envision how effective that can be in the classroom!! However, I am not so confident in being able to reproduce the same effect. Well, I will try some aspects of method tomorrow! Hope it would work...!

Ugh, I sometimes feel 有心無力 in my teaching... I want to do well...I want to do something, but I don't know how to do things effectively. Aiya...I wonder how many times I have to screw up to learn the good ways...!

keep on learning laa....add oil.

Day 87 - 蒸し暑い!

June 22, 2011

I believe today is the first day of summer. Ugh...it's so hot already!! It's probably not the hottest time yet... That's the temperature at school. It actually doesn't feel as hot as it can be. I just don't like how sticky and wet it is! Oh well, I chose to be here...so I'll need to adjust to it. I want air con...

Day 86 - Mr. Donut pumpkin baked donut

June 21, 2011

There's a MIster Donut right outside of the station that I use for work. It is definitely a dangerous place to have a Mister Donut. Well, I actually don't go there very often. I worked a bit late today, so I decided to dinner on this... =P What a baaaaaaad dinner choice...sigh.

Anyway, as expected, it was very cakey. However, it's not really like a cake cake. It's quite crumbly. It was ok. I think I like regular donuts more. Ha, it was very ignorant of me to think a baked donut would be less fattening. When I checked at home out of curiosity, the baked donuts were the most fattening donuts in the store.

Ugh, I'm not gonna have these donuts again. Their overall taste didn't worth that extra calories... I am indifferent to these donuts.

Day 85 - Bugs bug me!

June 20, 2011

It's getting hot in here. Whenever I got home, I had to open the sliding door. Although I do have screens, small bugs somehow managed to come into my space. I really don't like bugs. Well, I got this bug thing...so hopefully bugs would stop bugging me.

Ugh, I need summer work clothes...and I've over-spent this month. どうしよう？！ Summer is another large spending season...oh nooooos... However, I still want the "holiday" to come. =P I am so lazy. ha!

Day 84 - Summer is here! and this is the day that the Lord has made.

June 19, 2011

You know summer is here when you start to see festival food on the street again. There has been suzume odori teams performing these two days. I'm in a suzume odori team as well, but our team will perform in July. I was actually really looking forward to practice today. we had practice in the afternoon. Man, my arms are soar from the constant drumming. It is hard, but I had a lot of fun! I am really glad I joined the team!

Yup, this is the day that the Lord has made, so I shall rejoice and be glad in it. Growth often causes struggle, frustration. Growth also takes effort. I'm glad I went to church today. It was great to see Megumi again! She was one of the first persons who greeted Amanda and I when we first went to church. She also invited us to a bbq at another person's place before. She's going to get baptized later this year! I'm very happy for her! During lunch, Thomas, an exchange student from Germany, Megumi, and I talked about baptism. Yeah, I think baptism is like 入学式. You publicly announce that you are a follower of Christ and you are determined to learn more. Hehe, she is such a nice sister. She said we can all go somewhere in Japan since she has a car! I am looking forward to that day. =P

I've been here for a year now! Time flies!!! It's time to reflect and set some new goals for the next year. I guess I want to be more involved in this community...whether if it's in school or outside of school. Yup, I wanna do more.

Wooooo, I heard that there's gonna be a retreat in Aomori in July! I'm gonna go!!! I can finally make to a retreat! Thanks Thabisa!

I am looking forward to this summer! woohooo!!
(by the way, people back home, I'm still still thinking of you guys. You will always be in my prayer.)

Day 83 - 與其想爆頭腦，不如努力向前。哈！

June 18, 2011

Haha, the title actually doesn't make much sense. I sincerely thank my friends who show care and support. I am definitely fortunate to have caring people around me. That's right. While I thought I have gone through my "quarter life crisis", it is somehow back...perhaps in a slight different form. I'm still trying to figure out the line between accepting myself and changing...

Oh well, instead of keep thinking...thinking...thinking and be frustrated, it might be better to move forward. I just found out a very cheap gym near my place. I initially thought that 12,500 yen/month w/ 1 year commitment was the only gym near my place; however, I found one that is 1,600 yen/month or 300 yen each time! Most people pay about 6,000-10,000 yen/month for going to the gym. Since I have such good facility nearby, why not use it? Man, I should have exercised more loooong time ago! Oh well, it's better late than never I suppose.

That's right. Working towards something that's good for me would make my time here more worthwhile.

我要努力！加油吧！！がんばるぞ！！

Day 82 - Kinki trip CONFIRMED!

June 17, 2011

It was a relaxing day today. I was quite tired from cherry picking. I finally got the chance to skype my family. To be honest, I haven't skype my family for a while. It was nice talking to them.

In the afternoon, I received a phone from my aunt in Taiwan. Because my older cousin, Jasmine, got accepted into her chosen high school, my cousins and aunt are gonna come to Japan for a week in the summer!!! I'm so excited! =) Haha, my aunt was surprised that I booked all the accommodations already.

I can't wait til the holiday!

Day 81 - さくらんぼ狩り!

June 16, 2011

After 10 straight days of work, I'm getting my daikyu today and tomorrow. Today, Hung and I went to Yamagata for cherry picking. It was too bad the girls couldn't join. I would be more fun w/ more ppl. Anyway, Yamagata is Miyagi's neighbouring prefecture. It is famous for many fruits, and one of them is cherry. The cherries I see in supermarkets are soooo expensive! The ones I saw was like perhaps 100g of cherries for $8. I bought cherries twice here. I bought a box from Yamanashi and I was a bit disappointed. Then, I went back to the N. American cherries and those cherries reminded me of home. However, since Yamagata's cherry is so famous and I'm in Japan, I figure I should take this opportunity to eat some Yamagata cherries.

When we arrived a city in Yamagata called "Sagae" (寒河江), we instantly saw a bunch of cherry-related things in town. For example, the signs of the city have cherries on them, the manhole covers have cherries, even the fences have cherries!! It is truly a cherry city. We walked from the station to the cherry picking places. There were soooo many cherry trees everywhere!! There were also some peach trees. Seeing so many cherry trees made this trip seemed promising. One the way to cherry land, we passed by a cherry farmer. The lady said we could pick the cherries of a particular tree because the cherries are not sweet. That's the picture of the cherries on that tree. The cherries actually looked very pretty, but they're not very flavorful. The lady said we could pick those cherries for free because they wouldn't be able to sell those cherries. That's very cute of her. =)

After about a couple hours of walking, we finally arrived Cherry land! We bought our tickets for cherry picking and we started our cherry tabe-hodai (all u can eat cherries) at a nearby cherry farm! Because it's a weekday, we were the only cherry pickers at the farm. The farmer was very nice! He toured us around, introduced different kinds of cherries, and took pictures for us. Since we were the only pickers, we chatted with the farmer. Well, I tried my very best to converse and understand what he said, but I would have to say I didn't understand everything he said.

Cherry picking was a very interesting experience! It reminded me of my imaginary garden of Eden. We just picked and ate the cherries as we were walking around in the garden. We could simply spit the pits on the ground. That made the experience even more...interesting..."nature-like". Although I would probably still prefer having a big bowl of cherry and enjoying them on my couch in front of my tv, picking and eating was definitely an interesting experience to have!

After an hour of cherry picking (to be honest, we didn't need the hour...), we went to catch a bus back to town with our full stomach of cherries. The cherry farmer was sooooo nice that he walked us to the bus stop and checked the bus time for us. Before we went back to town, we bought some cherries at a local stand. Those were seriously the freshest cherries one could find. I was not very smart. I should have had bought more... =( They were 500 yen for about 300g. People said they were cheap, but to be honest, I didn't how cheap they really were until I went back to town. I only bought 2 boxes. That was not very wise of me...

At Yamagata station, we saw the cherries that we bought. They were something like 1050 yen for 200g!!!!! Wow, I totally didn't know what kind of deal it was back at the local stall. I was not very smart. =(

Well, it was a fun day to eat cherries! Perhaps I would go to Yamagata again to get some more cheap and fresh cherries. I can't wait to get more fresh fruits at this neighbouring prefecture! I like where I live. =)

Day 80 - 卵焼き~

June 15, 2011

This is my first attempt to make 卵焼き (Japanese egg omelet). I always wanted to try making it, but I was always so lazy as well. One day, I went to Don Quixote and saw a cute little green, seemingly good, and cheap omelet pan. Well, I actually don't know how often I would use it, but it's cute and cheap! =P Today is the day to make tamagoyaki la! I just went online to search for recipes. It's actually quite easy to make. However, I think I would add more dashi to it next time. It would taste better with more dashi flavour. I was somewhat proud of myself...ahaha! =P

I love sharing food. Well, I guess I do make the food myself. It would be nice to make food w/ others, but it's not always possible. I think food can somewhat bring people together. Since the teachers worked so hard before and during the sports days, I made them white chocolate hazelnut mousse. It wasn't the most successful mousse I've made, but I guess a small bite would still be tasty! =P I'm glad at least some of the staffs liked the mousse. It was also good to be able to briefly chat with some of my colleagues. I love food.

Haaaaa, don't know what's wrong with me. I decided to vacuum and wipe the floor. When it comes to cleaning, I totally don't miss having a big place. My apartment feels clean again now. =) Well, I'm not sure how long it's gonna last, but at least it's clean now!

Yay! going to Yamagata for cherry picking tomorrow!! I'm gonna eat sooooooo many cherries!! (wait, is it all u can eat cherries?) Well, I'm just glad that I can take a day trip to see a bit more of Japan. =)

Thinking of food makes me hungry. Good night!

Go Canucks Go!!!! Bring home the cup!!!

Day 79 - Burnt...in & out

June 14, 2011

Today is back to school day after the 3-day sports days. It was good that we only had half a day of school. Well, I didn't think the kids would be super focused even if we had full day classes anyway.

Yeah, my arm hurts. After 2 days of 野球応援, I am officially burnt. Oh well, I really enjoyed seeing my students play.

Somehow my brain felt "burnt" to...ashes too. I just didn't feel...right. I guess I still haven't figured out where the line should be. Man, it was awesome to see friends in days like that. You're awesome. I was lucky.

Well yea, I guess like the song says, "人家說的話，隨便聼一聼，自己做決定。"

Thanks.

Day 78 - 頑張る人はすっごくかっこい~~！

June 13, 2011

It's the 3rd and last day of the Sendai sports tournament. I actually quite enjoy watching the kids play sports! Along with many teachers and students who didn't have specific competitions to attend, we went to support our baseball team. I went to see baseball yesterday as well. They beat another school w/ a score of 10-0. Today's team was stronger. However, our school team still beat the opponent with a 2-0. Seeing the students work so hard make them really cute and cool!! hahaha.. =P It was funny that some girls were looking at guys from the other schools and kept on saying "超かっこい！！" XD

After baseball, we went back to school and had a quick bite before we went to a soccer game. Haha, it was a very spontaneous decision and I'm glad we went! Again, seeing the students tried soooo hard made them extra cute and attractive!! =P Well, we were a bit late for the game so we missed half of the first half. At last, we won by a 8-0! It was a really exciting game! Well, I haven't really watched many games....perhaps that's why it was exciting. I guess knowing the players make it extra fun to watch! I was a bit surprised at how well some of the students play!! The weather was really great too. It was sunny for the entire morning. It started to rain after the soccer game. What a great time for rain. Since it was super sunny yesterday and today, I had successfully burnt myself... Boooo! Oh well, it was well worth it. I am soooo glad I went to the games I went! When the kids joyfully said "Joyce sensei!!", they totally made me smile inside and out!

Actually after seeing the games, I am now quite interested in sports...well, at least the watching part. I wanna watch more sports now! I wish I could play sports though. Perhaps I should/would try.

Yes, 頑張る人はすっごくかっこい. People who try hard are extra attractive. Seeing the joy of the students after they won totally made my day! It was great to see one of my former co-workers. Wow, he purposely took day off to support the kids! In my opinion, all the cute teachers have left, and he's one of them. =P

Well, back to normal again tomorrow! Let the lesson planning continue...

Day 77 - Sports day 2 & "Taiwanese cuisine" fix.

June 12, 2011

It's sports day 2 and I first went to baseball in the morning. I actually didn't really know baseball rules, but I think I learnt a bit more from watching the game. Wow, the pitcher was pretty good! Go number 1! He's a student in 3-4. When I went to that class for lunch last time, I was sitting in front of him. Along with another kid beside him, he tried to converse with me. He's a very cute kid. Ha, apparently, the kid who was sitting beside him is also a very bright soccer player! That's too cool.

Wow, we won the game w/ 10-0. I burnt my arm, but it was awesome to see my kids play!! =)

After baseball, I went to see the girls volleyball with one of the office staff and nurse. The girls seemed quite surprised to see me. Well, they seemed pleasantly surprised. Haha~ It was an exciting game! The girls were good! (well, I don't really know volleyball, but they seemed good!) We won with 2-0. When I was about to leave after the game, I saw the girls. They were soooooooooooo happy and they were excitedly running towards me. "Joyce sensei, 勝った！！！！！ Yay!!!" and We high fived each other. Haha, I think I was just as happy as the kids! They were soooo cute!!... especially with their super red faces~ =P



After work, I went for "Taiwanese food" w/ 2 others Taiwanese in JET. Well, 小籠包 isn't really Taiwanese, but I did see things like 擔仔麪. However, I didn't think they would be super authentic. However, the 小籠包 did taste pretty good! I would say it was more like Chinese food than Taiwanese food. Nonetheless, it was a good dinner.

The question remained. Where is the line between accepting myself and making changes? I wonder.

Perplexed.

Day 76 - 中総体 etc.

June 11, 2011

It's day 1 for the city sports tournament. Along with the brass band students and teachers, I went to see a softball game. It was too bad that it was raining, but that didn't stop us from cheering for our school! =)

Since it was brass band, they practiced different cheering tunes and slogans to cheer the softball team. The cheers really brought a "go go go!!!!" atmosphere. It fun. Our girls won w/ a score of 9-2!! Yay!!

After work, a friend and I went for yakitori. It was gooood yakitori. Our conversation really got me thinking. I guess I do need the push sometimes. I was frustrated, but I guess growth often causes frustration. That's true. I have been here for almost a month now. What have I achieved? What more do I want to achieve next year? I do like to spend time with friends...but I wonder what happened to me that makes me spend so much time by myself... Perhaps I'm starting to be more and more disconnected. I'm not sure. I don't know. I guess I don't know what's the best... Perhaps my own little bubble is formed again.

I guess I'm just contradicting myself.

I'm not sure where I am. I'm not sure how I should be.


I am lost.

Day 75 - K eve

June 10, 2011

Man, how can I forget to take pictures?? Haaa, oh well, it was the same store anyway...just that we didn't have dessert.

Emily, Winsy, Sophie, Amanda, and I went for a 4-hour karaoke session after work today. It was fun singing with you girls! =) It was too bad we have to work tomorrow! We should do karaoke again. =P I promise I will practice before going. hehe

Day 74 - がんばるぞ！！

June 9, 2011

It will be the Sendai city Junior high school sports tournament on coming Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We had our "Support ceremony" today. All the athletes were introduced to the rest of the students to give them a mental energy boost.

広瀬中、がんばるぞ！

Day 73 - Natto...

June 8, 2011

That's right. This is the legendary Japanese fermented soy bean. This is probably my 4th time trying natto. The first time eating it was...8 years ago (?) when I first stepped into Japanland. I actually didn't think it was bad when I first have it. I just thought it's like melted cheese mixed with somewhat flavorless beans.

This is my 2nd time having natto as part of my school lunch. I did not like it the first time I had it at lunch. I tried to have it but I just could finish it. I ate half of it last time. I wasn't even going to take it this time, but my tea lady said something like since I eat w/ the kids, it's probably not good to not eat it...so I did. Yup, I didn't like it, but I finished it because I was w/ the kids. The kids ubberly enjoyed the natto. They taught me that when you're eating natto, you're supposed to slurp the natto and rice just like eating noodle. I tried, but I haven't mastered it yet.

I wanted to take a picture of natto after lunch. Since I showed the concern of having to eat it once opened, one of my co-workers had kindly offered to eat it for me. He described it as "ネバネバdelicious". (the Japanese means "sticky")

It was not a pleasant lunch since I had to try hard finishing that natto. Well, がんばりました...I tried.

Day 72 - Patience.

June 7, 2011

Haaaa, this is a SUPER random thing. I did a little trip to Don Quixote, and I saw this "step ladder" stool thing that I was looking for when I first came to Japan. The ones I saw before were either too short or too expensive for what they were. Hehe, I saw this at Don Quixote for 50 yen ($0.5) today. Sweet. I'm getting it.

When I was walking back home, I suddenly thought of how sometimes we have to wait for the things that suit us. Like the drama I'm watching now, we sometimes need patience for the best thing or chance to come. Well, of course it doesn't mean that we should passively wait for the best, but I guess we do have hope for the good to come. Perhaps we can only do the best of the things in front of us, then the "harvest" would come at the right time...whatever form that is in.

Well, the cheap stool is such a trivial thing. However, I'm glad I found the cheap stool...and it's green! What a happy colour. =)

Day 71 - It's getting hot in here!

June 6, 2011

Yeah, it is definitely getting hot here! It was a very nice day, and I had to leave school early to get to our ALT meeting. It was nice to get out a bit early because of the great weather. I could feel the heat already. There are also more bugs... Ugh, not my favourite..=( I could feel the mild stickiness...

I think...summer is here!

Day 70 - お帰り！

June 5, 2011

Yay, Sophie is back! =) It's great to see you back!! All of us girls can finally re-unite ever since the quake. I was nice to dine w/ you all again. I wish you good health~ お大事に！

cheers!

Day 69 - Drama addiction...

June 4, 2011

Well, my drama addiction isn't just from yesterday. Other than watching drama on TV and try to understand the Japanese, I also watch the older dramas. I'm recently watching a popular drama from last year. It was played in the morning, Mon-Fri, 8-8:15 in Japan. It's a biography of the wife of the writer of 鬼太郎. There are 156 episodes. I'm about half way. I started watching it since last week... I initially wasn't really that interested. However, since a few of my students recommended to me, I decided to give it a try.

It showed how tough life was for them. The writer would spend hours drawing comics, but he might not get any compensation for his work. It was very strong of his wife to be so supportive regardless of their living circumstances. I can't wait to see more success in the story!

Sigh, I'm sooooo bad. I spend so much time watching drama. That's basically what I do when I'm home alone (which happens quite often). Although I've been watching a lot of Japanese drama, I don't feel my Japanese improving....!! (泣) Perhaps I should do something more productive when I'm at home eh?

Day 68 - Yamanashi cherry (さくらんぼ)

June 3, 2011

I start to see cherry in grocery stores. I guess the cherry season has come. Most grocery stores sell both American and local cherries. Interestingly, American cherries are cheaper than the local cherries. Since I'm in Japan, I just thought it would make more sense for me to give it a try.

Here are a few differences I find between Cherries from the States & Japan: (based on the ones I saw...)

1. Size
-the local cherries I saw were quite small. They were about 3/4 of their American counterparts.

2. Colour
- The local cherries are pinkish red, which is unlike the deep red cherries in the States

3. Texture
-Well, it's probably just the ones I bought, but I find the local cherries not as firm as American cherries

4. Taste
-Again, I can only speak for the one box of cherry I got. The local cherries were more sour, and not as sweet as their American counterpart.

5. Price
-With similar weight, a box of American cherry was 197 yen while the local one was 397 yen (I saw more expensive ones too...). Well, I guess you do get more local cherries in a box just because they are smaller tho...

I like the cherries back home more than the Yamanashi ones I have to admit. I like firm, sweet, and flavorful cherries. Well, perhaps I just bought a wrong box. I actually meant to buy the Yamagatan cherries because Yamagata is just north of Sendai and I heard they're famous for their cherries. I think I'll give the Yamagatan cherry a try next time. Hope it'll taste better for my liking! =)

Day 67 - Gokuri Green apple drink

June 2, 2011

I'm a big sucker for new food. One of my favourite things in Japan will definitely be the food and new things Japan has to offer. I first saw this drink in Sunkus, the convenience store right in front of my place. Since things in convenience stores are more expensive, I didn't buy the first time. In my regular trips to Seiyu, I saw this drink for 89 yen instead of 129 yen in Sunkus, so I figured it was time to trip this little drink!

I actually didn't know what "Gokuri" meant. Maybe it means something like "w/ pulp"?? Haha, it's just a random guess. XD I remember trying the grapefruit one in Vancouver and liking it back then. This drink should be a pleasure to have.

After I opened the cap, I could smell a pleasant scent of green apple. Good. That's a good start. When I took a sip, it was SO SWEET! It was so sweet that I found it a bit tart. Wait, I'm not sure if that it possible. ha! I did taste traces of "apple pieces". It was so sweet that I couldn't finish it in one sitting. Well, since I don't like wasting food, I will probably slowly finish it.

It was nice to try it, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Day 66 - When the missing piece meets the big O

June 1, 2011

This is a book I wanted to buy along with my CD and cookie cutter. I saw this book in the school library. I really like it. It's a very simple book, but I think it's quite meaningful.

The book is about a "pizza slice", or part of a circle searching for its "missing piece", which is the rest of the circle. It keeps on searching for the missing piece and couldn't seem to find it. One day, it saw the big O. The O said, "why don't you become your own circle?" The piece looking for the missing piece then starts to try rolling. It was hard in the beginning because the piece is full of sharp edges. However, as the piece starts to roll, it has become a circle!

Well, I guess that's a short summary of the story book. I really like it. I guess different people would have different takes on the book. Some people say it is about love; some people say it's about life; some people say it's about friendship. I thought of people who are eventually become independent (or grow) by trying to roll. Yeah, I guess sometimes we had to do things that are difficult; however, if we do try to "roll", we would become a different us and grow! Rolling with edges may be difficult in the beginning, but if we persist, we could become an O!

Interesting. I will continue to roll. =)