Media Day
14 Nov 2010 3 Comments
in Windy/ウィンデイー
Today we each had tours related to our vocations so as a Marketing Consultant at an advertising agency I had a chance to visit a radio station and a newspaper.
Touring the newspaper was really interesting. It was similar to the Press Democrat except that everything is done in one building, from writing to printing to packaging.
In the evening my host stopped by one of his restaurant locations. His father opened a deli/grocery store years ago and since then the concept has grown to include 50 locations. I love the selection and that all the food is hand-made and organic!
Then at home we had a traditional dish, Nabe, for dinner. Nabe can include many different ingredients but tonight’s seemed to be all my favorite things in one big steaming bowl.
I learned that Sumiko’s mother made the pickled plums we eat daily and Takeshi’s mother makes miso.
Snacks and Sake
14 Nov 2010 1 Comment
in Windy/ウィンデイー
I have always loved seeing shows about how foods are manufactured and today we got a chance to experience the Seika sweet factory up close, from the mixers to the conveyor belts to the chocolate coating. But first we had to get suited up and sanitized.
After we put on the suits we were vacuumed and blown with air to be sure we were completely food friendly
We were not allowed to take photographs inside the factory but we were allowed to get much closer than I expected. We felt the heat from the ovens and were even allowed to taste a Chocobat right off the assembly line!
My new host family, Takeshi and Sumiko Chiku have made me feel very comfortable in their home. I look forward to relaxing with them each evening. They have had quite a few international exchange students stay with them and keep in touch with many of them. I look forward spending time at home every evening.
I am glad that they enjoy traditional Japanese breakfasts, they are my favorite.
From top left to right: Nori, soy sauce, lotus root, egg, miso soup, pickled plums, raw fish filled with fish eggs and rice...and green tea...mmm!
Tonight we went out to dinner for “Japanese pizza” which is nothing like pizza except that it is flat. Everyone gathers around a table with a cook top and mixes a bowl of ingredients and then cooks it up. Adding sake to the meal made it even more fun!
Checking in
13 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in Windy/ウィンデイー
I’m back! I have the internet once again so I will be posting my notes and pictures from the last week when I was disconnected. Today I will be attending the Rotary District Conference in Hamamatsu but I am hoping this evening I will have time to catch up! Thank you for joining me on this journey! 
Weekend Wandering
07 Nov 2010 2 Comments
in Windy/ウィンデイー
Whew! Our team was granted some much-needed free time this weekend and I spent most of it with earbuds in, wandering the streets solo! Hamamatsu is a great place for us to have some freedom. It is a rather large city and our hotel is huge, so it is the perfect landmark to keep from getting lost. The weather was fair Saturday and Sunday with a bit of afternoon sun.
Gotenba
04 Nov 2010 1 Comment
in Windy/ウィンデイー
Today we explored Gotenba City, about 45 minutes from Mishima. In the morning we participated in a prayer and practiced calligraphy at Daijoji.
Polio and Pirate Ships
03 Nov 2010 1 Comment
in Windy/ウィンデイー
In the morning we visited Shimizu Park, another example of Mishima’s beautiful and peaceful water landscape.
Craig decided to experience the wading pool and a Rotary President was kind enough to dry his feet with a hanky afterwards
Then our team was separated and posted at different locations around the city to collect funds for Rotary International’s fight against Polio.
In the afternoon we took a bus to Lake Ashinoko for a Pirates of the Caribbeanesque cruise.
Kimono and Fire Trucks
02 Nov 2010 3 Comments
in Windy/ウィンデイー
It was wonderful to wake up from a good night’s sleep on the tatami floor to a sunny day!
I was excited to start the day and especially excited to dress in Kimono. Bri, Jillian and I had been looking forward to the experience since we received our schedule three weeks ago.
For lunch we went to sushi and I managed to try yet another new item - crab brain. I knew it was expensive so I couldn’t refuse when a Rotarian bought it for Bri and I, but it is not the most appetizing color or consistency. Everything else was delicious. I especially liked that each table had a jar of green tea powder and a hot water dispenser so I could help myself to as much tea as I could drink!
We visited a second fire station, this time n Mishima. Bri was especially excited to tour the 911 (119 here) dispatch center to see how it compared to her own vocation. The station had 119 firefighters, including only two women to serve the city of 110,000 citizens. It was a new station and very high tech. We had a detailed tour and thanks to an English speaking ’probie’ all of our questions were answered.
Mishima
01 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in Windy/ウィンデイー
Natural spring water has trickled and flowed from Mount Fuji into the waterways of Mishima for hundreds of years. In the past the water was used by the public for washing and cooking, but today it provides a peaceful escape within the city.
The park had a mini-zoo on the grounds. This monkey is famous for getting loose and biting 200 people!
I have been trying to capture the size of the spiders that are everywhere here. No one seems to mind them, apparently they are harmless, but they always catch my eye.
In the afternoon we had an hour and a half to shop at a large mall. I was in desperate need of a hair trim so with the help of Sari, our translator, I found a spot, communicated what I wanted and enjoyed an hour of relaxation in the salon chair. My favorite part was the hair-washing machine.
In the evening I moved to my next host family. Ms. Natsuko Kobayashi and her seven year old daughter picked me up and brought me home. Like most Japanese, Kobayashi learned to read and write English in school but never practiced speaking or hearing the language. Luckily, by week three I understand how Japanese households generally work and I have picked up enough words that we are able to communicate without issue.
Amy, or Amychan as I call her, grabbed my hand within minutes of meeting me and didn’t let go. She speaks to me in Japanese as if I am fluent and I feel so bad when I see her face staring up at me, confused that I don’t know how to answer. Through pointing and her mother’s help we began teaching one another vocabulary and communicating. Amychan could be my best Japanese sensei yet!
Like A Kid Again
01 Nov 2010 2 Comments
in Windy/ウィンデイー
We planned on today being a free day, but Mishima Rotary Club wanted to be sure we experienced what the city had to offer, so at 11:00 AM we met in the hotel lobby for another adventure. It is unusual to have a day that we can wear jeans, relax and just be silly. Today, I felt like a kid again.
We were told that we would visit an aquarium, so I imagined tanks of beautiful fish like the aquariums in the United States. Once again, I was wrong.
When it came time for lunch I was expecting a bento box or sushi but we were brought to an Italian pizza and pasta restaurant. The thin crust pies were baked in a brick oven just the way I like it, but they had toppings you can’t get at home.
In the afternoon we visited a beautiful castle with a museum inside filled with artifacts dating back hundreds of years.
For dinner we had Shabu Shabu! This meal if very popular and we all understand why. It has the same social interaction as fondue, which requires that everyone congregate around a main dish. Everyone eats out of the same boiling pots, sharing thin strips of prime beef, mushrooms, noodles and veggies.
We were introduced to a creative dessert after Shabu Shabu. You skim the fat off the Shabu Shabu water, add a large amount of cooked white rice and three raw eggs to the water. Stir until thickened, then top with daikon paste, green onion and ponzu sauce. It was fun to see our dessert made right at our table and it tasted surprisingly good!
New Home
31 Oct 2010 1 Comment
in Windy/ウィンデイー
I just want to give everyone a heads up that I am moving to a new family and there is always a chance that they wont have internet access. So if you don’t hear from me for a couple days, or even until the weekend that is why! My fingers are crossed that they have it!
