Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Nagoya Writers Group


The Nagoya Writers Group holds public readings of prose and poetry the last Sunday of each month at Misfits, a bar in Imaike. Fun stuff as everything from mini-stories, bits of novels, and various styles of poetry are read out to a group of 12 to 20 people. Expats from various countries attend as well as some English-speaking Japanese. Each person reads their work for 5 to 10 minutes. I always enjoy hearing an author read out their own stuff. http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/NagoyaWrites

Movies


The movie Scarface though made more than 20 years ago was an interesting movie. Great shots of Miami and excellent acting by Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. The story of underworld passion and power held my attention. And the character development of Tony Montana was fascinating. Ultimately a trace of goodness in an otherwise ruthless character leads to his purposeful self-destruction.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Coffee in the Morning


Coffee can be great, especially on a morning when it is difficult to wake up. And there is nothing like a good drip coffee to pierce your nostrils and tell you to wake up. Recently I have found hot milk and sugar and a pinch of cardamom good additions to the usual black cup of coffee. The milk adds some nutritional value and ease to the stomach, while the sugar and cardamom are pleasing to the taste. Cardamom is one of the world's oldest spices and grows wild in southern India and other parts of Asia.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Smoking is Cool?



Definitely smoking changes the image of a person. No doubt. But so many smokers develop lung and heart problems. Is it worth it? I don't think smoking is worth it. But I found some chocolate cigarettes that look pretty cool and taste better than tobacco!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Summer is Coming


My outdoor plant is blooming in the presence of the warmer weather. Good laundry weather it is too (warm and windy). Soon the rainy season will hit Japan and last a couple or three weeks. And then the hot and humid summer will begin. Mixed blessings for me - I love the heat but it is a reminder of another year gone by really too fast. And what did I do or accomplish? Hmmmmm.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Progress a Mixed Blessing


Well, they did it. This apartment owner (the city of Nagoya) has no shame. They trashed the kid's playground to make more parking spaces. Bummer. Create jobs. Create revenue. (Parking is expensive). I suppose the kids can go play across the street. As long as they don't attack the park over there! "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot" - Joni Mitchell song.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Pottery Exhibit


Opening Night at the "Miyabi Gallery" in Shinsakae (center of Nagoya) hosted 2 potters and watercolorist. Nice! Wali Hawes and Atsuko Ito threw together a lovely assortment of refined stuff to delight the eye. Usable objects and objects just for art's sake. Most guests were local Nagoyans but some expats from South Africa, Israel, and America attended. Wali provided home-cooked food and foreign wines that were rapidly consumed. 20 to 30 people attended.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Nagoya International PC Club


Geeks? Computer enthusiasts? The Nagoya International Personal Computer Club meets 3rd Saturdays http://www.nipcc.org to discuss all kinds of geeky stuff relating to computer hardware and software and latest trends on the Internet. This Saturday Ernest Schaal demonstated Internet podcasting. Podcasting is kind of like blogging but with rich additions of voice and music.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Internet Radio Can Be FUN


Recently I hooked up a Yamaha Amp and 6.1 Speaker System to the back (earphone port) of my computer, and then surfed over to http://www.pandora.com/ for a free Internet Radio Station creation. Absolutely recommended for entertaining yourself and your friends. : ) Imagine being able to control what you hear on the radio!!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Rainy Days

Nagoya is having rainy weather. But it is a light rain. Relaxing. Easy to stay inside and read or sleep. And it creates a soft atmosphere too. But bad for doing laundry! My clothes have been hanging 3 days and are still damp.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Aojiru is Kale Juice


Aojiru is Kale juice, "the miracle green". Kale is a kind of cabbage that grows on a tree and is perhaps the most nutritious plant ever found, rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, and K. The name Aojiru comes from Ao (green in Japanese) and Jiru (which means juice). Dr.Niro used Kale to treat his own son and the nutritionally deprived after World War II. His son took up the work and popularized the drink. Today there are over 150 companies marketing Aojiru. Research has linked drinking Aojiru to many types of health recoveries. It has a strong bitter taste (Yuck). I prefer to eat it frozen while it is still rather tasteless. Benefits? Maybe fewer colds and possibly more energy.

Birthday Party Band Received

We did six songs at the Sunday birthday party for Rina Nagatani (5 years old). Half the audience was kids (see photo) and Rina played the Happy Birthday Song to herself on the piano 5 times. (Rina is 2nd from the left rear row) Throwing and popping balloons added to the necessary chaos we needed to win over the audience. Definitely Jumping Jack Flash and Twist n Shout were the favorites, though Gone Fishing also was popular. The food was all hand made by Grandmother Nagatani, an amazing feat.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Operation Success

It has been 9 days since I had an operation on my face to remove a suspicious looking spot. (previous blog "The Operation"). Good news - it looks OK. Better than a knife fight wound, a little more serious than a cut while shaving. But it is healing. My Japanese Plastic Surgeon gets a good grade!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Band Practice

My friend's daughter is turning 5 years old this Sunday. Our band has been asked to play at the birthday party. Oh Oh! We haven't practiced nearly a year! We don't sound too good. It was a painful practice session. We practiced 7 songs in 3 hours. But it was fun.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Coconut Tea


Who would of thought you can brew tea like coffee using a filter and a percolator? Be careful not to add too many tea leaves. Separately you can heat up some milk, add a dash of coconut powder and a tad of sugar. Stir well and add to the tea (3 or 4 parts tea to 1 part coconut concoction). Yum.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

The Right Way


It feels good to do something right. Whatever it is - doing the dishes, parking a car, kissing a girl, or making a pancake. Today I did something right. I made a fine pancake. Though to some it might appear to be half crepe and half pancake. Definitely the egg to flour ratio is high. But this insures flippability and fast cookability. Also, the nutritional content is good. Pancakes need not be only a sweet indulgence but may be fortified with peanut or sesame butter or yogurt to add some protein and minerals.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Yakisoba


Are you familiar with Yakisoba? Yaki means fried and Soba is a kind of noodle available in Japan. Usually the noodles are fried in a pan with oil and a kind of sauce. Then selected vegetables, shrimp or chicken or meat is added. They say this dish is originally from China but Japanese have modified the sauce to their own taste. You can buy Yakisoba packs in Japanese markets with pre-cooked noodles and easy-to-make sauce. Delicious, easy to make, and not expensive.

Pancakes


Pancakes are pretty fun to make and delicious too. I have a friend who is crazy about pancakes. The ingredients are simple - flour, salt, baking powder, an egg and milk. But getting the exact proportions can be tricky, especially if you are the spontaneous chef type! Too little milk and the pancakes will be dry. Too much milk and the pancakes will look and taste like pudding! (see the photo) Too much heat and you get crispy critters. It is not a science, but it is an art.

Maple Syrup


Maple Syrup - Discovered first by hungry squirrels and later by North American Indians, it is rich in minerals and of course, sugar! It takes about 40 liters of sap to boil down to one liter of syrup. Maple trees can grow up to 25 meters high and live over 200 years. There are many varieties of Maple and several are used for syrup. Nowadays the sap is harvested via plastic tubes and vacuum pumps, but in the old days (30 years ago or so) sap was collected via spigots and buckets.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Who Sent the Army?


City Housing Apartments do have drawbacks. No control for one thing - an army has taken over the parking lot! What are they doing down there? And why does it take 10 men to hedge a garden? Am I just in a bad mood?

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Gloomy Day Feels Like Prison


It is a very gloomy day today, rainy and cloudy. No sun in sight. Edgar Allen Poe would delight in this weather. For me, it is OK as well. I am recuperating from a combo cold and post-operative miniature trauma. But the cold steel bars of my apartment veranda appear not unlike bars in a jail cell. Am I over reacting? Or do I need to move?

The Operation


Today I went to the plastic surgeon to get my darkened pigmented spot taken off my face. "No problem" said the doctor. Then 2 shots to the face, a laser, and some scissors, scalpel, and stitches. Finally a shot in the butt for precaution. I look like I have been hit by a car. But the highly pigmented skin has been completely removed and sent off to the lab for evaluation. Boy, do I feel better.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

The End is Coming

Golden Week is almost over. God has been nice to Japan. Three straight days of lovely weather. Wonderful. But, I caught a cold, bummer. Though I can imagine all the families out there traveling and having fun. A much needed break from the humdrum of work and routine. God Bless Them All.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Another Sunny Day

Another sunny day today! Golden Week is cranking! Lots of people must be out enjoying themselves in this God-provided paradisical weather! I am home resting deeply and doing some light housework. It was a lovely breakfast today of pancakes and Indian spice tea. Things could be worse! Today's plan is to do some image editing and (if time) try some creative writing. But who has time to read all this stuff? And who cares?

Golden Week

Yep, Golden Week. Sunny days so far. And lots of stuff to do. Saw a great movie "In Her Shoes" - neat story with a message or two. And today visited a lovely friend at a scenic University half way to Toyota City. Plenty to do without joining the migrating crowds across the Japanese mainland in search of pleasure. What a blessing to be able to stay home, read, answer email, clean house, and watch movies. No complaints. Though this vacation promises to pass quickly!