From the Heart of Tokyo 東京の中心から

Going By So Fast

早くにすぎて過ぎる。

What is going by so quickly?  Well, in this photo, taken by Martin at Kamiyacho station, it's the train that we just got off.  But really, it's TIME.  The weekend.  Our summer.  Our children's childhood.  Life.  I don't mean this to sound depressing, just practical.  If time is speeding by on you, it's better if you notice.  And for me, time is whipping by faster than that train.

The last time I blogged here, summer vacation from school had not yet started for the kids.  As I write this, I sit in a Minneapolis hotel room, during my one day recovery from the trip to America, and tomorrow I will drive nearly to Fargo to pick them up at the end of their one month immersion style Japanese language camp.  (By the way, this time, I'll put the Japanese together with the English).

何が早くすぎて過ごしますか？じゃ、このマーティンは撮ったの写真で、神谷町駅に、降りたばかりだ電車です。　でも、本当に、時間は過ごしています。週末です。夏です。子供たちの幼時です。生活です。うっとうしいじゃなくて、実用だと思います。時間は早くすぎて過ごしたら、気がついったら、いいですね。

ここの最後の書きことに、モニカとジョナはまだ夏の休み着いたので、長い時間前ですね。今、私はアメリカのミネソタ州のホテルにいるので、時差ぼけが病気だけど、明日４時間の運転で、一ヶ月の日本語のカンプから、ゲットをします。（ところで、今度、英語と日本語を書きます。）

After school ended, Monica and Jonah had about two weeks before they left for camp.  So they enjoyed lots of times with friends, some who were moving away from Tokyo.  (It's a fact of life for ex-pat kids that friends are always moving away.)  Also City Run skating, family dinners out, watching World Cup games and plenty of downtime.  And of course, the had to pack for camp.  学校年は終わった後に、モニカとジョナは２週間ぐらい前にカンプに行きます。そして、ひまのときに、友達たちと時間を過ごしました。じつは、あの場合は外国から友達たちはいつも引っ越します。残念です。それと、シティランと参加した、家族とレストラン料理を食べた、ワールドカップを見た、たくさんひまの時間をたのしました。それもカンプのために準備をしなければなりませんでした。

So, they left.  Immediately, I started mailing them letters, because I knew they would be homesick at first.  Also, it seemed that Martin suddenly had no business trips, so he was always around.  It was a good time for us to take Toby on long walks, and find dog friendly restaurants with outdoor seating.  There are several in our Roppongi neighborhood.  And we didn't keep to just our immediate neighborhood.  Martin loves to take Toby on the train and walk around Ginza at night, and Toby loves to get into the doggy carry bag to ride the train. But not when we go for sushi.  Toby stays home when we go there.  One unexpected couple thing we found, is that Martin and I liked watching Desperate Housewives together.  Who would have thought?  それから、モニカとジョナは出ました。直ちに、手紙を書いて始まりました。最初のカンプのときに、ホームシックになると思うので、手紙を貰ったらうれしいと思います。そして、その間に、マーティンは出張がないので、いつも一緒にいます。泣。 たくさんカプルタイムがあるので、トビと長い散歩をしながら、犬が好きなレストランを探しました。近所にたくさんがあります。でも、寿司屋は違うので、毎週寿司を食べて行くときに、トビは家にいます。そして、マーティンは電車で銀座にトビを連れて行く楽します。トビも大好きです。トビは犬の持つのバッグに早く入って、電車を飲んで、銀座のころに散歩をして欲しいです。予期しないことはマーティンと私はデスパレトハウスワイヴスを見て楽しました。それはすごいです。

Once in awhile we would get a letter from one of the kids, and we knew things were going fine at camp.  But Martin's work is very busy, and I had so much to do with preparing for my trip.  Still, we found time to participate in a few skating events.  Besides City Run, we went with Yagami-san to Harajuku to a fun lunch place, and most recently, there was an exciting Saturday Night Skate with Papa-san, ending at a yummy Korean restaurant in Nakameguro.  I took photos, which you can SEE HERE.  (mostly at the restaurant, because too dangerous for me to photog while skating.)  And Noro-san actually made a movie.  If you watch it, about half way through, he passes me going down a very long steep hill.  I'm going slow, because Kinopi is keeping me safe by pulling on my backpack.  To see the movie, click on the link toNORO's SKATE SITE  and then click on the link on the top right.  Looks like this picture.  ときどき、 子供たちから、手紙を貰ったので、安心と思います。マーティンの仕事はとても忙しいので、私の旅行の準備も忙しかったです。 それが、時間が取った、スケートをしました。もちろんシティランだので、やがみさんと原宿に滑って、面白いランチを楽しました。最近も、パパさんの夜のスケートを参加しました。とても楽しかったので、それ終わり時に、韓国料理を食べました。私は写真を撮ったが、危ないから、あまりスケートしながら、取りません。それで、たくさんレストランで写真はあります。のろさんは映画を作りました。見たかったら、リンクを使ってください。その映画を見たら、中間ぐらいにのろさんは長く険しい小山で私を追い越しました。私はゆっくりを滑ります。どして？きのぴさんは私のバックパックを起きておいた、安心しました。ありがとう

Friends are so very important.  Even when we are really busy, it's important to take the time.  I hadn't done a Zoom UP in a long time, but then, I figured that if I tried to fit just one in before I left, when I came back, friends would be more likely to join my fun little English class.  So I put together a class about soccer, right after the world cup ended.  We had seven participants and it was a good class.  I have a new friend, who just moved to Tokyo, Christine.  She's such a lovely girl, and she'll have a great experience here.  One sunny day, I met her and her children, and we walked around looking at nursery schools and potential neighborhoods.  Another very good friend offered to watch Toby while we are gone, and we decided that he would stay at our house and bring his family.  So I had a lot of preparation to do for that, but I am so relieved that I don't have to worry about my sweet little Toby.  Plus running around, trying to find last minute omiyage to take to friends in the US.  Oh, friends are wonderful to make and to keep.  友達たちはとても大切ですね。すごく忙しいですが、時間を取ったら、大切です。長い間にZoomUPを起こらなかったので、たぶんしたら、帰るときに、友達たちはもっと参加すると思いました。そして、ワールドカップの後に、サーカーのテームのクラスをして、７人は参加した、よかったと思います。新しい友達はクリスティンです。最近東京に引っ越したので、とてもいい女人です。最近は蒸し暑い日に一日中クリスティンと二人子供と近所を歩いて、家を探しました。大変ですが、手伝いました。そして、とてもいい友達はトビのお世話をします。私のうちに泊まったので、彼の家族も泊まるので、たくさん家の準備をしてが、私はとても安心しました。トビは大丈夫だと知っていることが大切です。それで、友達たちはとてもすばらしいです。

And not to mention Seoul!  Wow, crazy to try to fit in a trip to Korea just now, but with the kids gone, and Martin had a short business trip there, and I'd never been, and you never know... we could end up moving there some day, I suppose... so we went for a couple days, and it was really fun.  ソウルだ！大変だから、とても忙しかったが、韓国に３泊をしました。私は初めてので、マーティンは出張をしてから、いいチャンスです。もちろん分からないけど、来年あそこに引っ越したら、可能です。急がしだけど、とても面白かったです。

Plus, plus, this whole time, I've been researching and planning and contacting kind and helpful people about our college visit roadtrip.  Learning about colleges, trying to figure out which day we'll be in which town so that we could make a hotel reservation and a college visit appointment.  Seeing several different types and sizes of colleges should help Monica, and later, Jonah, make decisions about where to apply.  Assumptions can be made later about colleges that we didn't see, based on demographics of those we did.  もっともっと、それながら、大学校の探すことの旅行を計画をしてみています。研究をして、連絡をして、いろいろ親切な人と話して、努力をしました。大学校を見つけなかったら、大丈夫です。今から一ヶ月までに、もっともっとを分かると思います。

Ohanami Curry

お花見のカレー

 
Back awhile ago, when the cherry trees were still blooming, before we went to Europe and had our short trip extended unexpectedly by the volcano, we had a fun event with our skating friends.  (ところで、日本語は下に書きます。）Mipo-san has arranged these events before, and they are always pleasant and interesting.  She rented a room in a building overlooking Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens, and arranged with Imu-san to get some delicious take out curry from a special shop, and some others managed the drinks and other things.  All we had to do was sign up, participate in City Run that day, and then skate to the park and enjoy the food, friends and beauty of the gardens until late in the afternoon.  As usual, when we have these types of events with our Japanese skater friends, (including when we do a large porch party at our home) the cost is determined, and everyone pays the set fee at the beginning of the party.  Works very well for all concerned.

That day's City Run went from Ueno to Gaienne as usual, and from there, Papa-san led a small group by skate to Koishikawa Korakuen.  Apparently everyone else was either involved in the preparation and transport of the food and drinks, or would in any case travel there by subway.  The skate route was easy except for one very steep street down, which I didn't expect and was a bit scary for me as I've taken my brake off my big wheeled skates, but the street surface was smooth, and Papa-san timed our descent so that traffic wasn't a problem.

We arrived about the same time as the curry and most of the other participants, and after we got the financial details taken care of, we all had a campai and each got to choose between beef, seafood or chicken curry.  I chose beef and it was so delicious.  Japanese curry is quite different from Indian curry.  I won't pretend to understand it well enough to explain, but I do intend to take the family to this restaurant soon.  See more info about the restaurant below.  As usual, with these friends, the time passes quickly laughing and chatting.

The theme of this event was Ohanami お花見 (お O is honorific) (花 hana is flower) (見 mi is see)  which means cherry blossom viewing.  Since Martin and I had somewhere else we had to be, after the tasty curry and a pleasant social interlude, together we strolled through the park and took some photos before going back on the train.  There are several different types of cherry trees in this garden-like park, which was started almost four hundred years ago by the reigning Daimyo.  Some of the cherry trees are very old, and rely on wooden supports in this meticulously maintained garden.  One of the weeping cherries was completely finished flowering and had broken into lush green, while others were at their peak.  This Japanese garden is laid out in such a way that it seems much bigger than it is, with meandering paths, waterfalls, ponds and exceptional speciman trees.  You can almost forget that it sits here in busy Iidabashi right next to Tokyo dome.  In one of our photos, you can see the roller coaster going over the top.  The park is a lovely enclave of nature amidst the bustle. I especially like to see the many varieties of water birds living here.  

Here's a few relevant links:

Martin and I took photos:   HERE  　マーティンとパメラの写真です。

English page of the park .      小石川湖楽園のページ 

The website for the Curry Restaurant is only in Japanese, but you can understand the map and enjoy the very interesting photos on their blog:    This restaurant (Moyan) has four locations in Tokyo.  The closest to us would be the Shibuya location.  I definitely plan to take the family there for the lunch buffet, as Jonah really likes Japanese curry, and from what I sampled, this is delicious.  このリンクはカレーのレストランのウェブページです。四つ店があるので、私に一番近くの店は渋谷の店と思います。ジョナは日本のカレーが大好きだから、ランチバピュッフェに家族と食べに連れるつもりです。味を見たものはおいしかったからです。このレストランのブログの写真は面白いです。

Wikipedia's explanation of Japanese Curry is very interesting.  I didn't know that curry was introduced to Japan by the British as their version of Indian Curry while still in the Meiji Era.  Now, Japanese Curry is quite different from Indian style, with a unique set of parameters all its own.

先程に咲いた桜木の間に、ユーロッパに行った前に、火山から短い計画した旅行は長くなるさせた前に、スケータ友達たちと楽しいお花見のイベントは起こりました。みぽさんはそのようなイベントを作る上手な人ので、いつも面白いです。今度小石川湖楽園のビルの部屋を予約しました。イムさんは有名なカレー店から、おいしいカレーを持って来ていました。友達たちは飲み物とかも持ちました。 今度マーティンと私は何もない努力したので、いくつの人と公園に 滑りました。いつものように、スケータ友達と、そのようなイベントをしたら、値段が決心した後に、皆は払うと、乾杯をできます。家のポーチパーティーもしたら、同じ方法を使います。

あの日のCRはいつものように、上野から外苑まで行って、あそこからパパさんは小石川湖楽園に導きました。皆以外は電車か車で行ったと思います。あのルートは殆ど全部は簡単ですが、一つとても険しい下り部分です。最近、スケートのブレーキを外したから、それは私にはちょっと怖かったです。でも、道の表面はなめらかなし、パパさんは交通と下に行くことの時間調整念入りに連れて行ったし、大丈夫でした。

牛肉カレー、チキンカレー、シーフードカレーもあるので、ビーフを選びました。 それはとてもおいしかったです。普通日本カレーのほうがおいしいと思います。味はセイボリーだし、少し辛いだし、私の好みにぴったり会いました。もうやんカレーというレストランに家族と連れて行くつもりです。上にレストランのリンクです。いつものように、そのともだちたちと話しながら、笑いながら、時間は早く過ごします。

そのイベントのテムはお花見だから、出た前に、マーティンと公園に散歩を回りました。もちろん写真を撮りました。その公園はたくさんいろいろ桜木があるので、いくつは咲く終りので、いくつは花盛りでした。殆ど四百年間前に、大名はその庭のような公園が始まったので、いくつな木はすごく年を取ったです。保全から、シダレ桜はたくさん木造の支柱があります。その公園に自然は慎重な扱いだから、いろいろ鳥も住んでいるので、見て楽します。小石川湖楽園は大きい町真ん中であるですが、中の人はそれが殆ど忘れられます。曲がりくねった小道があるし、滝があるし、池だし、すばらしい木があるから、見かけほど大きいない。静かな飛び地そうです。

Pretty Food

きれい料理

Too busy living life to write about it.  日本語は下に書きます。Last month, we went skiing with our skater friends, on our 4th annual skater's ski tour.  But that was followed immediately by a trip to Saipan for the 2010 Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Event, where Martin took some nice pictures, but had to leave early and go straight to India for business.  School, work, soccer season, tax forms finished, etc. etc.  First, here's a link to some photos of Monica taking a spill on her snowboard. and ending with a smile.

Thought I might post about the ski trip to Yuzawa and show a few pictures of the beautiful food served at just one meal.  Looking at these photos, I can readily recall the texture of these bamboo shoots above, and the various interesting tastes and pleasures.  This was a wonderful meal.  Thanks so very much to Sasaki-san and Chieko-san for organizing everything once again, including the arangements for the shinkansen and and our stay at the elegant Inamoto Hotel in Yuzawa.  Here's a link to a few of Martin's photos from the ski trip.  Unlike me, he doesn't take pictures of food, but does action photography.

We actually traveled to the ski area of Yuzawa a day early to take advantage of a Friday off school to get some extra skiing and snowboarding in.  That day, we skied at Kandatsu, and since it was Jonah's friend, Ellis's second time to ski, he had a lesson that afternoon, which was really helpful.  We five stayed at a local family hotel (minsyuku) the first night, which was less expensive, but with good hearty food, friendly host and hostess, and a good deal on the equipment rental.  Thanks so much to the Lodge Suehiro.

When our skater friends arrived on Saturday morning, there were 18 of us in all, and we transferred over to theInamoto Hotel which is very near the train station.  Then we set off for the slopes.  That day, we skied at Iwappara, and ended the day with a very fun snowball fight while waiting for the ski bus.  You can see this snowball contest in the You-tube at the bottom of this page.  Shige-san used some of Martin's photos, his videos which he took on the slope, and coordinated it with music.  It's really a worthwhile watch.  Be sure to turn on the the volume and set it to full screen.

It was that night that we enjoyed the offerings you see pictured here.  This kind of Japanese meal reminds me of ikebana, in that it is selected seasonally and beautifully arranged.  You can enjoy it in an asthetic sense, the serving dish is chosen to best present the selected food,  the scent, the colors, and of course the taste is all considered.  Sometimes the serving temperature of the food is also considered, but much of it is served at room temperature with no apparent detriment to the full enjoyment of the meal. 

Later, we enjoyed onsen and also played bingo and yoyo, with much laughing.  The next morning, we all gathered in the banquet room and savored a delicious breakfast.  This is when I found out about the eyeball food.  Ha ha.  This is what they call the egg which is cooked on the slow burner in butter at the table.  We laughed alot about this.  I always enjoy learning Kanji from my Japanese friends.  That day, we all skied and boarded at Kandatsu.  There was a lot more snow on Sunday than on Friday, so it was like a different place.  After we returned to the hotel and enjoyed the onsen again, we headed for the train station and went over to the sake tasting place.  For five hundred yen (about $6), you get a sake cup and five coins to try five different sakes of your choice from around Japan.  For 100 yen, you can also get a cucumber, which you can dip in various salts from around the country.  Whenever I go to Yuzawa, I alway visit this place before getting on the shinkansen (bullet train) to return to Tokyo.  Be sure to watch Shige's video below.

最近生活はしてから、忙しいくて、書きません。先月に、湯沢にスケータともだちたちと、 ４回目の毎年のスケータスキーツアーに行きました。でも、それ後に、サイパンに行って、今年のマリアナスカップのビーチボレボールイベンを見ました。マーティンはたくさんいい写真を撮った、次のポーストで教えます。でも、マーティンはサイパンに、早く出たので、直接にインドに行きました。私は仕事とか、子供の学校とか、サーカーとか、所得税があるので、忙しかったです。最初に、写真はモニカはスノーボードしながら、転んだが、微笑。

湯沢は楽しかったです、マーティンと私も写真を撮りました。それはここにあります。このポーストは、きれい日本料理の写真を使うと思います。上の写真を見たら、いい歯ごたえを思い出します。とてもすばらしい食事でした。ささきさん、とちえこさんも又にすべての計画を作ったので、新幹線とか優雅ないなもとのホテルも打ち合わせを作りました。とても感謝しています。

実は、金曜日は学校の休みから、一日間に早くに 湯沢に行きました。家族の４人やジョナの友達というエリスは金曜日に神立にスキーに行って、エリスは２回目の経験だから、レッスンをしたので、とても役に立ちました。湯沢の民宿に泊まりました。ロージスエヒロに何回も泊まったので、快適なので、良かったです。スエヒロのホストはおいしい料理を作ったので、スキーレンタルもできました。感謝しました。

土曜日に皆スケータ友達以外は着きました。そして、一緒にいなもとホテルに会いました。それから、スキー場に行って、いわっぱらにバスで行きました。よかったので、終わりときに、遅いバスに待ってときに、皆はスノーボールファイトをしました。私は見ただけですが、よく楽しかったです。このポーストの下に、しげしげさんのビデオを載せました。スノーブールファイットは含みました。しげさんはしげのスロープで取ったのビデオとマーティンの写真も使いました。音楽は上手につけました。見てください。音も聞いて、フールスクリーノモードを使ってもいいです。

このような日本料理の食事は生け花のような類似だと思います。両方は特定の季節で 選んだことです。美味しな配置しました。審美的な楽しめます。皿が念入りな選んだ、匂いとか、色とか、もちろん味も考えられました。そして、私には、生け花のようだと思います。上の写真を見ながら、竹の子の歯ごたえが思い出します。

あの夜も、温泉を楽しました。そして、皆はビンゴとヨヨも遊びました。次の朝に、皆はおいしい朝ごはんを食べて、そのときに、なおみさんは目玉について教えました。卵はテブルでバーターの中に焼いたので、おいしかったです。名前の漢字を学ぶことはいつも面白いです。よく笑いました。前の夜に、蕨の餅を食べたので、皆はワラビーを話したので、よく笑いました。

あの日曜日に神立に行って、金曜日よりもっと雪があるから、とても違うところだと思います。ホテルに戻したので、温泉に入れて、帰り準備をした後に、駅に行きました。湯沢駅は面白いお酒店があるので、５００円で小さいカップを貰うので、５個のコインも貰う、色々日本からのお酒を少量をできます。１００円も胡瓜を買うので、いろいろ日本の塩も少量もできます。しげしげさんのビデオを見て覚えてくださいね。

 

 

Skating Fun, Fitness, Friends and Food

スケートの楽しみ、健康、友達、食べ物

Recently, we joined a group of friends for a special skating event organized by Yagami-san.  Usually, on  Sunday mornings, we participate in the Tokyo City Run, starting from Ueno and ending at Gaienne/Jingu, but this time we took a much more rural tour from Shounandai to Fujisawa, Kamakura and finally Chigasaki.  On the way, we met up with our friends who have traded in their skates for bicycles since their twin boys came along.  ところで、日本語は下に書きます。

The gathering point was Shounandai, which for us is a little over an hour by train from our home.  Jonah hadn't skated for about a month, and when he put his skates on, he found that his feet had grown since he wore them last, but he toughed it out, giving that pair one last use.  Just a short skate through the town, and we came to a long bike trail that winds along the side of a river through the agricultural and bedroom communities west and south of Yokohama.

Actually this event was called the Jerato Run, because our first stop was a dairy farm where they make and sell this delicious Italian ice cream in many interesting flavors, like green tea, plum, choko, and of course vanilla and strawberry.  I've been here a few times, but this was the first for Monica, Jonah and Martin.  We reached the farm on the trail, took off our skates and walked between rice paddies and vegetable fields to get to the dairy store where we enjoyed looking at the cows while our cones dripped.

Back on skates again, we traveled for about 10 kilometers before reaching Fujisawa, said goodbye to one family and then boarded a train called the Enoden.  I really enjoyed riding this little train, while my friends showed me a map of the route and explained the various stops, many of them famous sightseeing spots around Kamakura.  The area is packed with interesting sites, including the Great Buddha and many temples and shrines.  On one side of the train you could see the ocean, while on the other was lush rolling hills and quaint buildings.  When we reached Kamakura proper, we walked to a bakery which had a wide selection of homemade yeast breads and rolls which we ate standing around outside the shop.

From there, Monica and Jonah, who have busy social lives, said goodbye and took the train back to Tokyo.  The rest of us walked a little further into Kamakura where we found, guess what!  another Jerato shop.  Finally, strapping on the skates again, we headed for the ocean.  Oh, my!  That was the difficult part of the trip.  I've skated along here before, towards Enoshima, and it is always interesting, but this time the wind was soooo strong, the blowing black sand stung like little needles, and the tile surface of the sidewalk next to the ocean was super slippery from the waves crashing.  It was a really challenging 4 or 5 kilometers, and then Yagami-san called a halt and we got back on the train.

Eventually, we came to goal, which was a Pizza and Beer Hall named Mokichi.  Here we had a delicious and fun banquet of pizza and pasta before picking up the train for the late evening ride back to Tokyo.

I love to participate in the Tokyo City Run every Sunday, and the Saturday Night Skate once a month, but once in awhile it's a nice change of scene to see other interesting areas of Japan, touring on skates with my friends, especially if my family also participates.  Here are links to Iwa-san's City Run site, and to Papa-san's SNS site.  If you like to in-line skate, you are welcome to join us whether you live in Japan or are just visiting.  Remember to bring your gear, especially wrist guards, and if you join the night skate, you must wear a helmet and lights.

Other pictures from this event are HERE.  このイベントのマーティンと私の写真はここにある。

Iwa-san's Tokyo City Run site is HERE.  Iwaさんの東京CRサイトはここにある。

Papa-san's Saturday Night Skate site is HERE.  パパさんのSNSのサイトはここにある。

最近、特別ななやがみさんは作ったスケートのイベントに参加しました。 つうれい日曜日の 朝に東京シーティランに参加するので、上野から神宮に滑ります。でも、今度いなかのツアーは湘南台から始まって、藤沢とか、鎌倉とか、茅ヶ崎に滑りました。途中で家族に会いました。その家族は前にスケートが使ったので、赤ちゃん二人はいるから、自転車を乗ります。

家から湘南台に電車で一時間以上かかってので、あそこに友達たちは集まりました。ジョナは一ヶ月間はスケートしなかったので、スケートははいたときに、足は大きくなったと発見しまったが、がんばりました。町からトレールに滑って、トレールは小さい川のとなりです。

実はジェラードランというこのイベントです。最初の止まったのきれいな場所は酪農牧場ですので、店はおいしいイラリアのアイスクリームを買えます。そのジェラードは面白い味だので、抹茶、チョーコー、梅干し、イチゴ、バニラなどです。ジェラードを食べながら、牛を見ました。

その後、１０キロぐらい藤沢に着いたので、自転車の家族にさやならと言いたので、江ノ電車に乗りました。その電車の乗ることはとても楽しかったです。友達たちは地図を見ながら、地方についていろいろ面白い情報を教えました。鎌倉はたくさん神社やお寺があるので、込みで大仏です。 電車から海を見えたので、他の方向は緑の山腹や風変わり建築も見えました。鎌倉に着いたときにパン屋に行って、店の外に立ちながら、おいしいパンを
食べました。

あそこから、忙しいモニカとジョナとさよならと言ったので、二人は東京に帰りました。 残りグループは鎌倉の町を通って歩きました。びっくりだので、ジェラードの店を見つけました。それ後に、梅向かい滑って、江ノ島へ行くつもりでした。それはちょっと大変な部分でした。風がとても強いです。前にそのところに滑ったけど、今度風から、吹いた黒い砂は痛いさせました。表面もつるつるしたので、４～５キロはチャレンジをさせました。それから、やがみさんは立ち止まると決しまいましたので、電車に乗りました。

結局にゴールに着いたので、Mokichiのレストランです。あそこにおいしいパスタとピザとビールも楽しんだから、夜の電車で東京に帰りました。

たいてい毎週の東京シティーランに参加して楽します。そして、毎月の土曜日のナイットランも参加したいです。でも、時々違うの景色を見たいので、やがみさんと参加みなさんに感謝の感情があります。友達たち一緒に特に家族は参加したら、とてもいいです。スケートをしたかったら、上のリンクを見て、もちろんよこうそ。ギアーを忘れないで、とりわけ手首のガードも、夜のスケートを参加したら、ヘルメットが必要です。

61/2 Hours, 16 Friends, 26 Kilometers

六つ時間半、十六人の友達、二十六のキロ

 

下に日本語で書き事です。もっと写真はここにある。More pix HERE.

Wednesday was a holiday, so many of my skater friends didn't have to

work.  Yagami-san took the opportunity to organize another of his adventure skates, and this one was just exactly what I like.  I will list the things I liked about this skating event.

• It was far enough to give us plenty of exercise, 26 kilometers. 
• The route passed through many different areas of Tokyo, special sections like Akihabara, Nihonbashi, and Ginza, each with their own flavor.  Skating near the bay, seeing the Rainbow Bridge and Odaiba across the water, crossing bridges spanning canals, the hub at Shinagawa, the interesting old timey areas of Oimachi and Omori, then the bedroom communities southwest of Tokyo and finally a lovely, tall bridge over the Tamagawa River before reaching Kawasaki City. 
• The route was smooth for the most part, which is more enjoyable for skating.  I don't prefer skating over rough terrain.  I can stand it for awhile, but I don't like to do it for long periods.
• The route didn't include any dangerous areas, such as long downstairs, or steep downhills, or heavy pedestrian or bike traffic or long distances on busy streets.
• The route was always within reach of vending machines, so I didn't have to carry extra tea.
• The weather was perfect.  It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold, so I didn't have to carry extra layers, and there was no chance of rain.
• The other participants were all very pleasant people, 15 friends who I enjoy spending time with.  It was really nice that Nobu-san joined, it's been a long time since we've skated together.  He's one of my "oldest" skating friends, he was there the day I broke my shoulder on the Rin Rin Road 7 years ago.
• Everyone knows how to skate well, so there weren't any dangerous newbies in the group who could inadvertently make you fall. (I resemble that remark, see previous comment:)

  

• The food was fun and tasty. Yagami-san choose a fine place for lunch.  The soba was very good, not overfilling.  Then, soon after, we skated to a couple of shops to buy bean paste snacks for a dessert to enjoy in a park further along the route.
• The pace was perfect.  Yagami-san planned very well and made sure we rested here and there along the way for short intervals, and for a long time at the park in Shinagawa-ku.
• The goal was sufficiently grand.  The name of the temple is Kawasaki Daishi, which means Big Teacher, and its an amazing place.  I realized I had been there before, maybe five years ago with a different skating group. 

  

  Here's the website for the temple.   I'd like to go and explore it again with my family.
• To top it off, we enjoyed a Japanese sweet called Kuzumochi.  Mochi is a kind of pounded steamed rice cake, and the light brown kuzu powder comes from a starchy mountain root vegetable, like arrowroot.  I had an ice cream sundae that incorporated these and sweet red beans in a shell.  It was pretty good.
• And finally, getting to the start point, and getting back home were both quite easy, start to finish took about 8 hours.  A really wonderful day.  
• Here are all my best pix of the Fall Kawaski Daishi Kuzumochi Run

先週の水曜日は休日から、スケータ友達たちは仕事に行きません。それから、やがみさんは冒険のスケートを作りました。今度のは私には丁度いいです。そして、下にこのスケートの好きものをリストをしました。（でも、上の英語より、ちょっと短いです。

• ２６キロから、運動は十分です。
• 新しいルートから、たくさん面白いことを見えます。上野から始まったので、違い所に通り抜けた、たとえば秋葉原、日本橋、銀座です。湾の隣滑ったので、レインボーブリジとお台場も見えます。品川は中枢ですので、多い町と大森も面白い近所だので、遠くてきれい橋を渡った後に、川崎に着きました。
• ルートは大部分のすべすべしたので、楽しかったです。
• ルートは危ないじゃない。階段や険しい坂や忙しい道もないだので、安心しました。
• ルートはいつも自動販売機があるので、重いバックパックがありません。
• 天気は完璧でした。すごく厚いじゃなくて、すごく寒いじゃないので、

  

  雨が降らなかったです。
• 参加した人人はとてもいい人です。全部は私の友達です。お久しぶりにのぶさんは参加したので、長い時間前に会いました。７年前に、りんりんロードで角の骨を折ったときに、のぶさんはいました。
• みなは上手なスケータから、危ない新人がありません。
• 食べ物はおいしかったです。やがみさんのランチのレストランはいい選択でした。蕎麦はおいしかったので、うんと食べたの感情じゃなかったです。そして、ランチの後に甘えデザートを買えました。公園で食べました。
• ペースは完璧です。やがみさん上手な計画を作ったので、時々短い休憩を取って、品川の公園でもっと長い休憩を取りました。

  

• ゴールはとても雄大でした。のぶさんは川崎大師の意味は大きい先生と言いました。とても面白いところです。あそこにいるながら、前に来たと気づいていました。たぶん、５年前に、まっちさんとスケータイベントで行ったことがありました。家族とも一回行きたいんです。
• 最後のすばらしいことは、川崎のくず餅です。私はアイスクリムのサンディーを食べたので、くず餅と餡もありました。おいしかったです。
• 最後に、私には、スタートポイントとゴールも大体やさしいです。家から出たときから、家に帰ったときは８時間です。とてもよかった一日でした。
• これは私の秋の川崎大師くず餅ランの写真です。 

  

   

Nonbiri Tsukiji Run

のんびり築地ラン

 

上の写真はささきさんから。ありがとう。日本語は下に書きます。 Thanks to Sasaki-san for the above photo. Look below for my version of this story in Japanese. 

Here's a little story about a recent pleasant Saturday morning in Tokyo.  Nonbiri means "take it easy, or carefree" in Japanese, and we often do Nonbiri Runs in various places nearby, as opposed to the more challenging speed and training skates that Papa-san heads up.  This skating event was organized by Yagami-san, who, along with his family, are skilled and experienced slalom and long run skaters, and he appreciates the value of combining exercise, friendship and good Japanese food in the form of a little Saturday morning tour of Tokyo by skate.  It was a small group, so it worked well for our mission of having sashimi donburi (raw fish rice bowl) for breakfast in Tsukiji.

It wasn't a rigorous skate, but we did work up a sweat.  The five guys I was skating with that day are all younger than me, and we skated right along at a good clip, plus it's true that summer has suddenly come to Tokyo.  We started at Shinagawa train station just after 9am, and skated around by the harbor, enjoyed seeing the Rainbow Bridge and looking across to Odaiba, the man-made island, over bridges that spanned canals, and into Tsukiji's famous fish market. 

It was really crowded, as usual, Tsukiji's a very popular place.  The awning in the top photo says:  まぐろどんぶり、maguro donburi.  Maguro is tuna, Donburi is a bowl of rice topped by something, in this case, raw tuna, onion, ginger, and nori and, of course, wasabi.  When we first skated up to the restaurant, all seven stools were full so we took a little tour of the famous fish market, skating slowly and carefully in the crowd, and came back.  Then, four of us plopped down and ordered the same thing, the delicious maguro donburi, for 800 yen (just over $8.00) which also included Tsukemono (Japanese pickles) and tea.  The other two guys went off and had guts, or something like that, acting like it was a treat.  I enjoyed chatting with the proprietess  while she made the food.  My spoken Japanese isn't very good, but we had a nice conversation.

Tsukiji Fish Market is a main tourist target, and though most of the people who work in the market don't speak English, they are foreigner friendly and can communicate just fine.  Tourists are told that they need to get there super early in the morning for the auctions, which are interesting, yes, I went there once, but there's plenty of action in the warehouse till noon at least, if you don't make it for the auction and the market is open all day.  It's a very interesting place to visit, a wonderful place to take photos and buy the freshest fish, seafood and produce.  I go there often.

After Tsukiji, we skated towards Ueno, but I peeled off at Tokyo Station to go home.  It was a very fun skate, and I'm glad I got to go.  Thanks A LOT to Yagami-san.  And Thank You Very Much to Mocchi-san for the replacement skate brake for Monica.  The old one was worn to a nub.  She's just starting to learn how to do a T-Stop. 

There's a few more pictures of this event, please go here to view them:  HERE

この短い物語は最近の楽しい土曜日の朝のスケートイベントについてです。のんびりの意味は（take it easy かcarefree）です。パパさんのスピードとトレーニングのスケートイベントと比較すればのんびりのランのほうがゆっくりです。イベントの作ったやがみさんはもーと難しいスケートができるけど、このイベントは運動と友情とおいしい日本料理も結合したはとても完璧な東京のスケートでツアーなりました。

厳しいじゃないけれど、汗はかいた。他の５人の友達スケータは私より若いので、早く滑りました。そして、夏は東京に着きました。９時ごろに品川駅から始まりました。浜のとなりに、レインボーブリジとお台場も見て、滑って回りました。いろいろ小さい橋とか、運河も渡って、築地の有名な魚市に着きました。私たちはマグロどんぶりをたべるつもりだけど、着いた時に、全部の７つの椅子はいっぱいです。そして、スケートで、市のツアーをして、戻った。その後、４人はまぐろどんぶりを注文して、値段は８００円だので、つけものとお茶も貰いました。２人は他の店に行って、ガツを食べました。店の女の人と話して、楽しかったです。私の口頭の日本語はあまり上手じゃないけど、大丈夫と思います。

築地魚市はとても有名なところです。いつも外国人は日本に来て、マーケトを見たいです。たぶん、築地に働いての人はあまり英語で話さないけど、外国人に好意的なし、英語でなくても、伝達できます。観光者はいつもツナの競売のために、早い朝に行かなければならないと思ったが、築地は一日中で面白い所と思います。色々面白いものを見えて、写真を撮ってできる、魚とかシーフードとかは一番新鮮です。よく行きます。

そして、築地の後に、上野に向かえたが、私は東京駅で、離れまったので、家に帰りました。スケートはとても楽しかったので、私は行ったことから、うれしかったです。やがみさん、どうもありがとうございます！もっちぃさんへモニカのためのブレーキがくれてありがとう！モニカのブレーキはちっちゃななったすりきれたので、安心しました。次に、モニカはT-ストープを練習します。

実は、英語と日本語の物語は違うので、できれば両方を読んでください。

写真は殆ど全部は私は撮ったけど、悪いです。すみません。ささきさんとやがみさんからも、写真を使いました。I took most of these pix, but I borrowed a few from Sasaki-san and Yagami-san.　　このリンクに行って、全部を見えます。GO HERE for all the pix of the skate.

My cookie recipes are in English

私のクッキーのレシピは英語であるよ。

このポストは最近のスケータのポーチパーティについてです。ポストは英語であるので、 英語の後に日本語で別のノートを書きます。その日本語は家族の計画についてです。　　Once or twice a year, Spring and/or Fall, we have a big gathering of Skater Friends at our home in Roppongi.  If the weather is nice, we can make effective use of the porch, and it's wonderful.  If the skies don't cooperate, like last spring's heavy winds and cold rain, it's still fun, but not as easy with the wet tarps, trapsing out to the coolers in soaking wet slippers, dealing with the grill in the rain, and it ends up being pretty crowded in our little Tokyo apartment.  We really got lucky last Saturday.  The 2009 Spring Skater Porch Party will be remembered as a successful outdoor party with a lovely gentle warm breeze at night.  Martin thinks it was our best party ever.

Certainly planning a party like this is a complicated project, with issues such as   how to have as many skaters as possible while keeping the total to less than 70 people, including kids.  My good friend, Kusacchi, made a website for the party with a forum that came in very useful for people to volunteer for the shopping, the cooking and to discuss important issues such as how much fish to buy for the temakizushi, and who's going to bring the wasabi. 

Weeks ago, the five cookie makers were chosen, as well as the small shopping crew who would go with Martin over to Nissen International Market for most of the goods.  An additional crew, The Tsukiji Gang, went straight to the famous Tokyo fish market to pick up the freshest seafood and fish for our handrolled sushi and seared tuna.  Scheduled to come later in the afternoon was the rest of the crew, who would prepare the balance of the food and have it ready by five when the main party would start.  At which time, Mat and Kaorin, doing accounts with their new baby girl nearby, would collect the fee from all the participants as they came in.

A few years ago, before the first Skater Porch Party, Kay-chan came over the day before, and with her developing English, and my much worse Japanese, we made a pile of delicious chocolate chip cookies for the party.  It was the first time she'd had a chance to bake like this, and it was a very interesting experience for both of us, working from an English recipe with typical ingredients, measuring devices and methods.  Since then, we've made cookie baking a regular part of the party prep.  Of the five people who would make cookies, I chose some with experience, and some without, and all who will speak to me in Japanese, but are willing to deal with English to some extent. 

Before the big day, I put all five cookie recipes up on my site, along with a picture of the person who would be in charge of that cookie.  See here and follow the flashing arrow.  Then, I notified the friends to check the site, read his or her recipe, and become somewhat familiar with it.  Each handled this differently.  Junko-san printed the English recipe out for chocolate sheet cake, then, using a translation site and dictionary, wrote out the Japanese translation under the English.  Naomi-san was able to assemble an accurate  Japanese recipe complete with pictures to help I-san make his snickerdoodles.  Yotte-san even went to the store and tried to get all the ingredients, which was very difficult, as he was assigned to make 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars, containing butterscotch morsels and sweetened condensed milk.  Keiko-san pulled a switch and went shopping and left P-papa wearing a frilly pink apron to make the Cut-out cookies with Peach.  Naomi-san also helped Shigeshige with his Oatmeal cookies with raisons, dates and cranberries, and boy were they delicious.  Here's a few COOKING PIX. from Martin's camera. 

In addition to the five kinds of cookies, we made handrolled sushi, okinomiyaki, quesadillas, vegetable cabobs, Martin's steak, grilled tuna, brats, quacamole, cheese, fruit, salad, baked beans and deviled eggs. For me, it is tremendous Japanese practice, very challenging, but just what I need to make progress.  It's also a good chance to share some English practice with these friends.  This time, I was very careful not to allow too many volunteers.  It really is amazing to see what we can accomplish.  I was very pleased that Touma-san brought her wonderful home baked breads, and Luis came with 3 pans of yummy quiche, and thrilled that Yagami-mama brought those delightful quail eggs she makes. The skaters took turns cleaning up the kitchen, washing dishes and carrying things back and forth, as well as creative Piyo-san who just keeps bringing new delicacies out of the kitchen throughout the party.  Seems that everyone feels comfortable, and that's a good situation.   Here's a few PARTY PIX. by Martin.  And here are Masa-don's pictures.

Martin carefully planned what he would do with the grill, used well practiced methods and set a timer every time he'd flip a steak.  He enjoys holding court at his grill, and the delicious morsels that he produces attest to his skill. Fun little video made by Shigeshige.    In addition to enjoying the preparation all day long, I had a good time at the party itself.  I sampled everything, but didn't overeat or overdrink.  I got a chance to talk to everyone who came, enjoying friends with whom I skate regularly, as well as catching up with long-time friends who don't come skating as much any more.  And making connections... introducing this one to that one, mentioning that they have something in common that they might not have discovered...  just enjoying this time together as a gift like the good weather that day.  At this point we don't have plans to move, but one never knows.  In this environment, any moment, everything could change.  So if that wasn't our last porch party in Tokyo, great!  If it was, well, it was a good one!  BTW, here's Iwa-san's City Run Photo Website, for frequent photos of this group skating.

上は英語で、今年の春のスケータのポーチパーティの説明です。いろいろ事を喋るので、とくにクッキーを準備と料理を準備も話します。そうすると、時間があったら、英語を読んでみてください。それは無理だったら、翻訳を使ってもいいですか？それをしたくなかったら、写真を見てくださいね。

別のことを話したいです。最近、彼の会社の難事があるから、友達たちは不思議します。私たちも、何が予期分からない。そして、友達たちは分からないので、それは最後のポーチパーティですかと聞きます。

じゃ、今、引っ越しの計画がないよ。モニカとジョナの学校はとてもいいだので、 彼の会社は何もと言いない、彼の毎日の仕事は忙しい続いたら、たぶん大丈夫です。でも、今週、破産は来ると思います。それの結果が分からないので、待って、見て、聞いて、後に分かってくると思います。　忍耐強いしたいです。

今の計画は日本に住んで続きます。計画は８月に普通のように、子供はちょふの学校に新しい年生に行きます。いつも夏でアメリカに行って、長い複雑な旅行に行くけど、今年私は一週間だけに、両親に訪れます。全部は突然に変わったら、家族はがんばります。

そして、みなは将来が分からないね。最後のポーチパーティですが？分からない。最後のパーティがなかったら、いいですね。最後のパーティがあるだったら、とても楽しいパーティでしたね。笑泣。

 

To see this picture large size, Follow THIS LINK.  大きい写真を見たら、リンクに行ってください。

Broken New Years Resolutions

壊れた新年の抱負

 

日本語は下に書きました。Seems a bit late to be writing about New Years Resolutions?  Not really, because some who have made New Years Resolutions may still be keeping them.  Maybe struggling not to break them, or have broken them, but haven't abandoned them altogether.  I've been doing a little research and found that over 80% of NYR are broken by the end of January.   Experts have plenty of advice, basically centered on keeping the resolutions reasonable, setting incremental but specific goals, making a viable plan based on self assessment and education, and rewarding yourself for small successes.

The very nature of resolutions made for New Years tends to set us up for failure.  The all or nothing approach means that just one slip, and the resolution was not upheld and this makes it easy to forget the whole idea.  Further, there's the tendency to name everything we want to change about ourselves, creating an expansive self-help wish list, and never actually taking it seriously enough to make a plan.

That was my issue.  I had too many resolutions and not enough resolve.  But I'm not feeling negative about this at all.  (Robin, I know what you're thinking:)  Effecting positive changes is very difficult, and requires a multi-faceted approach.  I think it's okay to reach this point and take another look.

Here's some of my New Year's Resolutions and (their current status):

*Lose 7 kg.  (so far, I've lost and gained the same 1 kg over and over) 

*Aerobic work out at TAC more often (went once, first week of January.  Bad hip pain after running on treadmill.  Maybe better try a different approach.  Still trying to decide what that will be....)

*Go to Yoga classes several times a week (I've made it to class at least once a week, and have done yoga on my own at home sometimes.  Still not enough, need to go to class)

*Drink less coffee and wine and drink more water and green tea (doing better)

*Eat more tofu (YES, I'm eating tofu almost every day.)

*Get more sleep (fail)

*Write a blog entry once a week (fail)

*Eat smaller portions and more healthy foods (this week, started keeping a food diary, the shame will help)

*Clean out the den (not yet...) (ditto for all the other cleaning projects on my list)

*Start doing abs every day.  (Uh... starting tomorrow.)

  And there were a couple of others that I'll just keep to myself.  The other day, thinking about this blog entry, I realized that my New Years Resolutions weren't having a banner year, and I came up with a tool to help me rectify that situation.  It's an easy to use excel worksheet where I can enter daily data such as meals, exercise, what I'm accomplishing and how I'm feeling.  I hope to use this to help me improve a number of issues.  Just recording those potato chips and donuts was a deterrent.

Here on this page, and on smugmug from the link below, are pictures from our New Years Eve celebration at Zojyouji Temple near Shiba Koen and the Tokyo Tower.  Yoliko-san and Yagami-san went with us and Toby, and with thousands of people, we counted down the New Year and enjoyed champagne before walking home around 2am. 

The first Tokyo City Run of the New Year, we skaters went to Hie-jinja which is a shrine on our route.  There we got Omikuji, which are fortunes that you pick in a special way by shaking a numbered stick out of a jar.  Monica got one and so did I.  Monica's friends tried to help her translate hers, and I talked to a skater friend about mine, and then later, with the help of my teacher, Matsui-san, I learned even more by studying the kanji and looking up vocabulary.  Apparently it's going to be a pretty good year, with some excellent information such as WEST is my favorable direction, health and wellness will improve, success with school, finding lost things, and several other enticing tidbits.

While skating, I told my friends I was going to try to make shabu shabu that evening for the family, for the first time.  I had ordered everything through the co-op, pork and beef sliced thin, tofu and vegetables such as chrysanthemum leaves, chinese cabbage, negi (long onions), enoki and shitake mushrooms, and I had also obtained the two special dipping sauces, goma (sesame) and ponzu (citron).  As well, I had the right equipment, a nabe pot and a heater.  But I wasn't sure about the water/broth to cook everthing in.  A couple of my lady friends had good ideas, and told me to use instant konbu dashi. (seaweed flavored instant bullion)  Well that was just the ticket.  I already had it, so no problem.  The family really enjoyed the shabu shabu, it was easy to prepare, and a fun family meal. 

At the Christmas Run, last month, Ake-san gave me a present.  It's a cookbook of Japanese home cooking, written by a famous Japanese cookbook author, and it's in English.  I'm looking forward to trying more Japanese foods that I've enjoyed in restaurants and at people's homes, but never made myself.  When we move back to the US, I'm going to miss this delicious and healthy food, and knowing how to make it will be very important.  Thank you, Ake-san!

Go here for some good photos from this story. 　この物語について写真を見たら、私の写真のサイトはここにあります。

上の英語の書き事は新年についてです。最初の話は抱負についてだので、  両方一般と私に特有についてです。たくさん抱負を作ってけど、しにくいです。でも、続くがんばります。それを分かりたかったら、インタネットの翻訳を使ってください。

後で、新年イブについて書きました。よりこさんとやがみパパと増上寺に行きました。とても込んでいました！真夜中までカウントダウンをして、シャンパンを飲んで、全部を見ました。とても楽しかったです。

  今年の最初の東京シーティランで、日枝神社に行きました。そのときにモニカと私はお御籤を貰いました。モニカの友達たちは翻訳をやってみましたが、難しいです。よしのさんは私のを読んで、教えたので、まついさんという日本語の先生と漢字と語彙を勉強しました。とても面白いです。今年はいい年とらしい。方角は西です。紛失物が見つける、旅行は問題ない、健康は回春の兆しある、養生す。いいね。

滑るながら、友達たちと話しました。しゃぶしゃぶを始めに作ってみるつもりと言いました。 そして、アドバイスがくれました。コープから、色々原料を注文をしました。たとえば、牛肉、豚肉、ねぎ、白菜、きく？、椎茸、えのきを買いました。二つソースも買って、ポン酢、とゴマです。なべの皿があるので、ヒータも準備をしました。でも、私の質問は熱湯かどうか出しが使いますか。友達のアドバイスはこんぶだしを使って、インスタントは大丈夫です。よかった！ある、ある。そして、その日に家族は初めての家でしゃぶしゃぶを楽しました。

クリスマスらんで、あけさんは私に料理の本をくれました。とてもいいです。英語であるので、家の日本料理を作り方を学べます。新しい日本料理を作ってみるを楽しみにしています。いつか日本から引っ越すときに、日本料理を食べたいので、自分で作ると思います。日本料理はおいしくて、ヘルシーですね。あけさん、ありがとうございます。ドンさんも、プレセントをくれてありがとうございます。

Umbrella Festival

傘の祭り

   

日本語の短い解釈は下である。I call this picture Yakitori Fuufu, because one name for a married couple is fuufu.  They were working a booth, making yakitori like they've probably done together for years.  This is one of the photos that Martin took at the Azabu Juban Matsuri (yearly neighborhood festival in nearby Azabu Juban).  We've been to this matsuri several times, and it seems like it's usually raining every year at this time for several days in a row without respite.  But when the sun comes out, it seems to get really hot, really fast.  So what can you do.  It's a trite saying, but true, that the rain didn't dampen spirits at the festival.  We thought, even with the rain, that it would be good to go to the festival because it might be less crowded, and maybe it was, but it was still packed, as this matsuri is very popular every year.  Martin took lots of photos of people (mostly of girls, I noticed) laughing and smiling and having a great time even as the rain poured down.  Thank you for letting me share your photos, Martin.  Please take a look at these photos in their larger size on SMUGMUG, as some are quite good.

Toby is very fun to take to a festival, and even though we can take him on the train in his doggy carrier, we chose to walk to Azabu Juban instead, so we wouldn't have to shlep the light but bulky carrier around in the crowd.  Instead, I used a little pouch a bit like a baby sling, and that worked out well when it was too crowded to let him walk.  Toby is a people magnet,and everyone wants to pet him, always saying "kawai" and "cute".  I always enjoy talking to the people, hearing their stories about their own dogs.  Once they realize I can speak a little Japanese, they really get to talking fast, and lose me completely, but I just smile and nod, and it's fun.  When it was time to go, we found a taxi who didn't seem to mind our dog, so that worked out well.  By that time, I was drenched and tired of juggling the leash, the dog, the umbrella and beer.  But we'll do it again next year, if we're still here.  

上の写真のタイトルは焼き鳥の夫婦です。麻布十番祭りで、焼き鳥を作っての二人はいつも一緒に働くと思います。何回もその祭りに行ってので、時々雨が降ります。この時期は雨がよく降ると思います。でも、皆は楽しんでいると思います。祭りはいつもとても込んでいるので、重い雨から、もう少ない人は来ると考えたけど、今度もたかくさん人は来ました。マーティンは祭りで写真を撮って楽しました。殆ど全部はかわい女の人と気づきました。笑。皆は笑って、微笑があります。マーティン、写真を使うこと許可するためにありがとう。ＳＭＵＧＭＵＧで大きいサイズを見たら、よくよいと思います。

トビは祭りに連れて行くことは楽しいです。犬のケリアーを使ったら、電車を乗ることができます。でも、麻布祭りはとても込んでいるので、ケリアーはちょっと邪魔をさせるので、麻布十番に歩きました。それよりも、込んでいる間で、トビのため歩くことは危ない間で、ベービースリングのようを使いました。トビは人の引きつける犬らしいです。皆は彼を触って、話します。いつも”かわいい”か”cute”と言います。私は人と話して、楽しんでいます。人々は自分の犬について話したいので、彼たちは私は日本語を分かると思って、よく早く話して、私はあまり分からないけど、微笑をして、頷いて、大丈夫と思う。出る時に、犬を好きなタクシーを見つけたので、よかったです。その時に、私はずぶぬれになったので、犬とか皮ひもとか傘とかビールを処理しにくいでした。来週も、まだ日本にいったら、行きますよ。

And finally, we rarely see lightning here in Tokyo, nothing like it used to be in Tennessee, but recently, Martin had a chance to get this picture.  ついに、東京であまり稲光を見ない、テネシー州らしくないです。最近マーティンは珍しいチャンスがあたので、下の写真を取りました。                                                           　　　　オリギナルサイズはSMUGMUGである。See it in a higher pixel size HERE.

My kitchen is your kitchen

私の台所はあなたの台所です。

See this picture in large format.  HEREここ　に行ったら、写真は大きくなります。Here are Mine and Martin's pictures from the party.  それに行って、マーティンと私の他の写真です。ＨＥＲＥ

Since 2005, we've had a large skater porch party once or twice a year.  This year's Spring Skater Porch Party, like last year's Fall party, was hampered by heavy rain, wind and cold.  But as evidenced by the photos, people seemed to enjoy the party anyway. 

This posting is a THANK YOU NOTE to everyone who helped make the party a success.  I'll write it in English, with a little Japanese explanation here and there.  If my Japanese friends can't read English, they all know how to use web based translation tools.  このポーストは皆パーティで手伝って、成功をなるさせくれましたがありがとうのノートです。（すみません、前の分はとても間違いと思う）英語で書いて、少ない日本語の説明も書きます。英語無しの日本人の友達はウエブの翻訳の道具を使い方分かります。

The truth is, these parties are a lot of work, and not all by myself and Martin.  Weeks ago, I talked to my very busy husband about his work/travel schedule, and we came up with May 10th as a day that could work.  He decided that he wanted to have the party all in one day.  Before, we have tried various schemes, and I like to have the cookie making the day before, with the main shopping the evening before.  If we do that preparation on a Saturday, then we can have folks come straight from the City Run on Sunday, on skates, which is appropriate.  Probably next time, if there is a next time, we'll return to that method, because this plan was way too much work and stress for me.

So, last month, my friend, Kusacchi,  (yes, you've heard of him before... he and his wife Junko-san cared for Toby last summer)  made a private website  which we used to communicate about the party between the skaters.  This is where people signed up that they would participate, and where they offered to help with specific tasks and projects, and where we discussed various menu ideas.  This site was entirely written in Japanese.  It was good practice for me, even though I often have to resort to assistance from translation tools, and my friends have to use their imagination when they read my Japanese.  くさっち、計画を作ってくれてありがおう。たくさん、いろいろ手伝いありがとう。くさっちとじゅんこさんもいい友達カプルですね。

My first priority was to choose the people who would make the cookies.  Since, most Japanese people don't have ovens, it might be the first chance for them to learn how to bake cookies.  This activity is also a chance for me to practice my Japanese.  The group has to be carefully controlled, with the right people, and the right number of people.  Too small, we can't get the work done.  Too big is an even bigger problem, too many distractions, people make errors which I can't undo because I'm busy with something else, and my stress level goes way up.  Strangers, (friends of friends who come along, tend to get in the way or worse, want to "help" by translating for me, which puts a barrier between me and practicing Japanese.)  And, I like to have a mix of experienced and inexperienced cooks.  As it was, we had an excellent group.  Kate and Hidemi are both attractive young ladies who are working hard on their English.  They both showed serious motivation to do their best to follow the English recipe.  I sent them their recipes beforehand, and they had done their homework.  They were not afraid to get their hands messy, and their cookies turned out delicious.  Naomi is an excellent cook and has participated in this activity before, so I had her wait until last and she helped everyone else.  Jun and Tomoko did a great job with the cookies, and kept on helping after that.  They are a really fun couple.  The real surprise was Kate's boyfriend, Ryuhei.  I thought when she said she wanted to bring him, he would probably be in the way, but no no no, I was totally wrong.  He was a great helper, in many ways, and a pleasure to have in the kitchen.  Kept an eye on the cookies in the oven, did tons of dishes, you name it. 

Long before the cookies were finished, the Special Cooks began to arrive and set up their stations.  First, I want to mention Masa-don and Don-san. まさどん、どんさん、とてもありがとうございます。手巻き寿司を作ったので、安心しました。ごめなさい。私の間違いましたので、魚を買い過ぎるは私の悪い計画です。 そして、はぎれのコースターをありがとう。たくさんスケータはおみやげで取ってので、夏で、残っては家族と友達に上げるつもりです。I don't know their exact ages, but I've known this couple who are in their sixties for several years.  Don-san doesn't skate but she often comes to Goal or the Gathering Place when her husband, Masa-don skates.  The Don's agreed to head the Temakizushi station, which is very important, and my favorite at dinnertime.  Before the party, they gave careful instruction about what to buy, what to prepare, the rice-makers to borrow from neighbors, and brought many of the more complicated ingredients along with them.  In addition, they made it happen at the party, with the constant help of Mat and Kaorin, another very special skater couple.  Ｍａｔとかおりんさん、それもありがとう。隣人は炊飯器を貸してくれてが、早い返すの要求は本当に予期しないので、たぶん彼女は私に教えてみましたが、分からなかった。すみません。Making Temakizushi isn't hard, but making it for 60 people is quite an undertaking.  Basically, you have to prepare the rice, mix in some rice vinegar, fan it cooler (I'm not sure why), and prepare many ingredients including lots of raw tuna and salmon, avocado, cucumber, Japanese omelette, etc, which is all wrapped by the individual diner in nori (seaweed) and dipped in soy sauce.  Thus the name which means hand rolled sushi.  A very special thanks to Mat, who totally rescued me by finding and dealing with my neighbor's Suihanki (rice cooker) when she showed up unannounced and needed it but the rice cooker was full of rice still in the process of cooking away in Jonah's bedroom. (we've blown fuses before, so we spread the rice makers around.)

This would be a good time to mention the all important Fish Buying Team.  Ryo, my good friend who broke his arm last week at Gaienne, got Dai and Aya to help him and they went to Tsukiji and selected and bought the fresh fish for the Temakizushi.  After they got here with the goods, I put Dai and Aya to work making the deviled eggs, and tried to get Ryo to stay out of the way with his cast.  But he's such a lively guy, he was in there helping make the cookies.　りょう、だい、あや、築地に行って、魚を買って、家に持って来てくれてありがとう！

The Gyoza station was outside under a tarp, with pounding cold rain and wind, but KinoP and Piyo managed to make and cook over 200 delicious gyoza (those tasty fried chinese dumplings).  Making gyoza by hand is a multi-step process, starting with chopping the cabbage and special garlic onions called Nira, mixing it with beef and pork and flavorings, and making the dumplings.  After that, they need to be fried in a special way.  They had a lot of people helping them out there, but I'm afraid to list them for fear I'll leave someone out.  Much later, KinoP gave me two fresh gyoza.  They were totally fabulous, dipped in soy sauce, very yummy.  When he first suggested he would do gyoza for the party, I told him no.  I don't want that smell in my kitchen, plus I knew it would be greasy, messy and crowded, but it turned out to be such a hit, it's a keeper... when done outside.  きのＰ、餃子はとてもいい考えです。疑ったごめなさい。Piyo, who has a lot of kitchen experience came through again later, when we found ourselves with extra food... he made some delicious soup with meatballs from gyoza filling, and made the surplus raw tuna more appetizing by marinating it in sake and soy, and then in addition he braised some tuna. I had a taste and that was especially savory.  Someone should hire him as a personal cook.  He is super creative.  ぴよさん、毎日に、家に来て、料理を作れますか。お願いします。

Heseki, who everyone calls Ani (means big brother), made Quesadillas with Tomoko and Chieko's help.  Now, Ani has never made quesadillas before, and he wasn't even sure what they looked like, but since he's so good at making pizza, I assigned him that job, thinking that since he's good at making one round flat thing, he could probably do another.  Good Call!  Ani's quesadillas' went like hot cakes (another round flat thing, by the way).  What we did, was dry marinate the chicken ahead with some spices.  Then, he cut up the chicken small and fried it with half a can of stewed tomatoes.  Separately, he sauted some colored sweet peppers and onions.  Then he laid out the large flour tortillas, applied shredded white cheese, chicken, and, making each on different, various toppings, the sauted peppers and onions, black olives, hot peppers, refried beans, etc, more cheese and the second tortilla.  This went onto a greased pizza pan and into the oven, for both sides.  This should then be served with sour cream (we use plain yougart) and salsa.  But I forgot about it at the party and nobody seemed to notice.  Since Ani doesn't have an oven at home, when he makes it at home he'll have to experiment... a large fry pan should work.　兄とヘルパー二人、あなたのケサヂラは早くなくなりましたね。ありがとう。

  Since the shopping team didn't arrive with the main stuff  until almost 4:30 (as planned) all the ingredients for the above dishes had to be bought ahead of time.  But the shopping team was very important and got all the MEAT for the grill (Martin's domain) and the DRINKS, as well as lots of other food stuff.  This team was headed by Martin, with Kusacchi, Mipo, Neko-an, Yagami-papa and Rai.  When they got back, the cooking party was in full swing, so Martin announced that the party could start and we opened the beer and wine and kept cooking.  We made lamb and vegetable shiskabobs, bratwurst, chicken, pasta salad, bak choi salad, baked beans, etc.  Mipo managed the cheese platters and later, when people were so stuffed with heavy foods, she brought out plate after plate of refreshing fresh cut fruit.  Shigeshige, P-mama and P-papa and others helped alot with various things.  買い物のチーム、楽しかったですか。私もニッシンが大好きです。手伝ってくれてありがとう。みぽさん、台所で長い時間かかりました。いつものよう、とても親切です。

Junko brought some wonderful quail eggs to the party, as well as homemade Japanese potato salad, Namu brought a beautiful Cake, which was gone before I could try it, and many brought wine and various other nice things.  じゅんこさん、なむちゃん、みなさん、持って来て物をありがとう。Since there's no way we could afford to put something like this on ourselves, a price is set and everyone knows to pay at the party.  I so much appreciate Iwa-san for taking the initiative to arrive with a spreadsheet of the participants and to have Yumi and Daichan collect the funds.  They then refunded the various people who had bought items for the party, and gave the rest to us, which covered our bill at the grocery store.  Done deal.  Ｉｗａさん、ゆみさん、だいちゃん、お金を貰ってくれてどうもありがとうございます。By the way, GO HERE for Iwa-san's photos from the party.  As mentioned here many times, Iwa-san does the City Run Photo Website, which we enjoy so much. 

I would like to personally thank everyone who worked in the kitchen, constantly washing dishes and cleaning up.  I'm sure I'll miss someone, so let's not go there.  Suffice it to say that their "behind the scenes work" is totally appreciated.  みな、台所でそうじをして、お皿を洗ってくれて、とてもありがとう。Plus they had to deal with the disgusting problem of the stopped up garbage disposal side of the sink.  Oh, didn't I mention?  Isn't that what every party needs?  Well, I'm making a note to myself right now.  My kitchen is your kitchen... but first you have to be checked off on how to use the garbage disposal.  Japanese homes produce so much wonderful, healthy food in a much smaller space with much less equipment than   the standard western kitchen.  It's really quite amazing.  So I need to remember to tell them how to operate the oven, the electric mixer, the garbage disposal, the dishwasher (not a problem this time, since the GD didn't work, neither did the DW),  and a special thanks to Yuuya, who was very kind and didn't complain when I was dealing with the stopped up garbage disposal full of black yucky water and asked him to reach down in there are try to extracate whatever was causing the problem.  (to no avail) Later, I couldn't believe I had asked him to do that, and I'm sure he felt the same.  ゆうや、ごめなさい！！！

The so-far unsung hero here is Martin, who did so much to prepare the porch, the house, planning, shopping, cooking and recovery cleaning the next day.  He even managed to construct a removable awning on the side of the building over the door out to the porch, which I'm sure we will use again.  Well, Martin, all that work, and look what you have to show for it.  Lots of friends, plenty of fun, and a grateful wife.  Here are other pictures: 

from SASAKI-san,  ありがとう！

from YAGAMI-san　ありがとう！　　

Okay, now can I get back to my normal life please, whatever that is?