I'm a horrible blogger.

Ugh. I am such a horrible blogger. So much has happened since my lazy days of summer in June making sun dried tomatoes, but instead of writing about that I will write about something totally mundane: broccoli.

This is a photo of broccoli out on the town. Back in May before I changed jobs, on my way to work I transferred to the Hibiya Line at Hibiya Station one rainy morning. As I walked down the crowded platform I thought I saw an empty seat on the bench, which I was determined to get because there are never any open seats at Hibiya Station in the mornings. But when I got closer I saw that it was just some broccoli hanging out. Broccoli at 8:30am in a station that has absolutely no supermarkets around it... I wish broccoli could talk so I could ask it how it got there.

Gyoza galore

Gyoza galore
Originally uploaded by deena_in_tokyo

R and I were on a short road trip this weekend and we drove through part of Tochigi last night. Tochigi is famous for gyoza so this was our dinner. Yum!

Some of the best buys I have ever made

1. My region-free DVD player that I bought on the internet for 5000 yen. It is made by some no-name manufacturer that I have never heard of and it is mainly flimsy plastic, but it has seen me through over four years of almost constant use. Buying this really expanded my options DVD-wise and has allowed me to see a lot of shows not available on DVD in Japan. Thank you, cheapo DVD player!!

2. Diner Dash 2, a computer game I bought at WalMart in the US for $10. This has provided hours of mindless (and I mean really mindless) but great fun. I love this game!!

3. My clothes dryer. I bought this used for 10,000 yen four and a half years ago, and it has been well worth it. It is getting old and could give up the ghost at any time, but it has made my life so much easier, especially in the rainy season! Of course electric clothes dryers aren't exactly environmentally friendly...but my sanity was worth it, especially when I lived in Urayasu in a little tiny shoebox with no room to hang clothes. Thank you, clothes dryer! I look forward to more years together.

4. Our dishwasher. It takes up a lot of counter space and it wasn't cheap, but it has more than paid for itself in reducing the number of arguments R and I have about the dishes!! Unfortunately it is not as high-powered as I would like and sometimes we have to wash a few cups twice, but it has made things much more peaceful between us when it comes to chores. Worth its weight in gold!

Pleasant surprise

Until last week I had been using the same Toshiba Dynabook laptop for five years, and every time I had used it in the past year I wanted to throw it out the window because it was so slow. One of the mouse buttons on the computer (hard to explain) broke, so I could no longer do right-clicks. Then one day last week it took me several minutes to open Internet Explorer, and that was the final straw.

R and I headed to Bic Camera and found that the computer I had my eye on for a while had gone down in price! It still was a large chunk of money, though, so we tried to negotiate with the sales clerk to get the price down further (tacky, I know), but all we got for our efforts was a 1GB memory stick and a Toshiba note pad (not bad, I guess). But I went ahead and bought the computer anyway.

I took a week to transfer data and clear files off of my old computer, which took an unbearably long time to do. When everything was complete, we took it to Sofmap to see if they would buy it. It was dirty, and as I said one of the buttons was broken, so I told myself I would be happy if they would just take it off my hands for free. Much to my surprise, they paid me 22,000 yen for it!!!! Wow...completely unexpected, but very welcome.

Needless to say, dinner was on me today. :-)

In a tomato mood

Tomatoes are everywhere right now. I am not a vegetable (fruit?) expert, but they must be in season.


The tomatoes I see in the supermarket have all been so beautiful (and on sale to boot!) that I can't resist buying them. So...it's tomato week at our house!



Yesterday I made curry-flavored tomato ratatouille for dinner. Today I got inspired by a TV show I saw this morning and decided to try my hand at making dried tomatoes. The results looked like this:

The one I sampled was quite good!

Dinner will be spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and...you guessed it! Dried tomatoes.

I also made tomato bread, which I think we'll be having for dinner as well.

This was shot to hide the slice at the back that I cut off because I couldn't resist taking a sample. I wish I could link to a scent, because the aroma of this baking was fantastic!


Unfortunately I am not skilled enough to turn tomatoes into a dessert...any ideas? :-)


P.S. Thank you for the wishes for my friend. She had a 13-hour surgery last Thursday that was apparently more complicated than the doctors aniticipated. She is doing well, however, and sent me an email today from her phone!

Update

Well, yet again it's been forever and a day since I have updated my blog. I won't even try to make excuses.

My friend who found out she has a brain tumor is doing ok. She was hospitalized for a while, and she is now at home resting until her surgery on June 5. She is understandably nervous about the surgery, as I guess with brain tumors the doctors don't really know how bad it is until they get in and try to take it out. The doctors can't give her any guarantees about paralysis or anything else that might result. We'll see. She is a really positive person, thank goodness, and it is really amazing to watch her go through this with such grace.

In other news, I am changing jobs. My last day at work is June 3 and then my next gig starts on July 1. I'm nervous about the new job, but it's no use looking back now that I have made my decision. Wish me luck!

On an unrelated note, I read with sadness that ex-TBS announcer Ako Kawada commited suicide today. I really didn't know who she was, but I do recognize her face from TV. The article said that her blog had been filled with entries for the past few weeks about how down she was feeling and about how she didn't want to even go to work anymore. I can't help but think that this woman probably suffered from depression and her life might have been saved if someone had encouraged her to get help. Of course, it's very possible that someone did try and she refused, but either way it's sad.

With wishes for a friend

I have been at my current job for a year, and while it has its ups and downs and I'm not sure how long I will stay, I will never regret joining the company because of two wonderful friends I have made there, S and T. All three of us joined at the same time, and we hit it off immediately. We support each other, cheer each other up, and encourage each other to take on new challenges. It feels as though we have known each other for years. We are truly great friends.

Today one of those friends (T) got some bad news.

I wasn't at my desk when it happened, but apparently this morning T was suddenly unable to see out of one eye and felt nauseous and collapsed. S (who sits closeby) rushed to her desk and called an ambulance. T was rushed to the hospital, the right side of her body numb, and vomiting and unable to see the whole trip. S went with her and called T's family.

This evening T's mother called to let us know that T would not be staying overnight in the hospital. However, an MRI showed a brain tumor...

A brain tumor?! How is this possible???? T is still in her 30s and one of the most genki and healthy people I know.

T is going to have more tests done on Friday to determine if the tumor is malignant or not. While it is of course too early to know what is going to happen, S and I are shocked.

My birthday is coming up and R keeps asking me what I want. I couldn't decide on anything, but after today I know the only thing I want: for T to get well.

Cambodia, day three highlights

Our third day in Cambodia started leisurely. We got up and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel (included in our package) and then hung out at the pool!

Besides for the two obnoxious old men there, we had fun just hanging out and swimming.

After lounging at the pool, we headed for Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia. It was about a 30 minute drive out of the city on extremely bumpy, dusty roads. I'm glad we were in a car and not a tuk-tuk like most of the other tourists we saw on the way!

Tonle Sap has a floating village with over 5000 people living on the lake. Most of them make their living from fishing, but I imagine most of them are extremely poor.


The lake is fairly popular with tourists (though there weren't nearly as many as at the other sites in Siem Reap), so boats with villagers selling drinks and souvenirs pull up next to the tourist boats and try to pressure them to buy something. This was a boat that was just leaving ours. Notice that the little girl has a snake around her neck! She wanted people to give her money for taking pictures. The little boy rowing the boat was old enough to be in school and it was a weekday...


The lake also has a place with crocodiles!


It was hard to capture it on camera, but the lake was a really beautiful place.

On the road back to the city we passed numerous houses. This was a typical one (albeit a nicer one), and I think it speaks for itself. Cambodia is not a wealthy country. In fact, according to JICA, 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day.


We then went to the Old Market in Siem Reap (forgot to take any pictures!) and then headed to dinner. We decided to splurge at a really nice place, but even then it was only $11 a person for a full-course meal, including this amazing fruit salad.

Unfortunately that was our last day, and after dinner we headed to the airport. We had an uneventful flight to Seoul, but the Seoul airport was freezing and the five hours we had to wait in the Seoul airport (from 4:30am to 9:30am...that's what you get for buying a cheap ticket!) were very, very cold.

My impressions of Cambodia: some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered, fabulous food, unforgettable sights, and a reminder that there is so much in this world is that is unfair. I would love to go back, and next time maybe for a short-term volunteer opportunity instead of just sightseeing.

It was hard to go back to work after this vacation...

Cambodia, day two highlights

Day two started with breakfast at the hotel, and then it was off to see more sights!

We spent most of the day on the outskirts of Siem Reap. This was a scene from the road out of the city after we got past Angkor Wat. Buses, donkeys, elephants, bicycles, etc... you see anything and everything on Cambodian roads.


We then climbed Pre Rup, a temple older than Angkor Wat. It was still early in the day and the climb up the temple felt great in the sun.


Next was a visit to Banteay Samre, a temple built almost like a smaller-scale Angkor Wat. This was a fun place to explore, but what I remember most is the little girl outside the gates trying to sell scarves. She couldn't have been more than seven, but her smile and her enthusiasm were signs of natural-born charm that set her apart from all the other kids we saw in Cambodia peddling stuff to tourists. I wound up buying a scarf from her for a dollar, though I later wondered if I should have just given her a dollar and told her to go to school. Dilemma.


Last on the itinerary for the morning was Banteay Srei. This was an amazing place because of the beautiful, intricate carvings that cover it. Hard to believe these carvings have been around more than one thousand years.


It was then back to the city (Siem Reap) for lunch. We had amok fish, a steamed fish dish that is at nearly every restaurant in Cambodia. We were lazy so we ate at the restaurant in the hotel, which was quite overpriced. But even at ridiculous hotel prices, we had fish, curry, rice, and drinks for $8 a person.


After lunch we spent some time at the pool, and then headed into the city for shopping and to search for a restaurant for dinner! We got there in a tuk-tuk, a motorcycle-powered rickshaw. This was the view from the back. Unfortunately this picture doesn't capture the crazy traffic that we were in the middle of...lane lines that are more suggestions that rules, horns blaring, dust, people crossing the street right in front of cars....I LOVED it!!

As we headed into town in our tuk-tuk and watched the sun go down over Siem Reap, I almost felt like bursting with joy. I had *finally* made it to Cambodia, a place I had been wanting to visit for so long. There I was with R on a warm night, enjoying ourselves immensely and amazed at the youthfulness and energy of this country that had undergone such a remarkable transformation. I felt extremely lucky to be there, and more than that, unbelievably happy.

Cambodia, day one highlights

Rather than starting another blog post about how I don't post enough, I thought I would go ahead and just jump into some photos of our trip to Cambodia!

The morning after we arrived, we got up early and went to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat.

It was a clear day and so warm....such a nice change from the wind, rain, and cold in Tokyo:



We then went to Bayon, which was truly an incredible place. Amazing reliefs showing daily life, huge towers with faces representing the 49 cities of Cambodia that existed when Bayon was built, and just really amazing architecture.

This group was posing for photos with tourists, but I liked this picture of them talking together better.


We then had mango shaved ice. It was much bigger than we expected, and very yummy!

Next was Ta Prohm, a site that has apparently been left in pretty much the same condition it was found in. This place, with trees growing over the walls, gives you a sense of just how old the ruins are.


It was then back to Angkor Wat for a full viewing of the site.


We watched the sun set from Phnom Bakheng. The best part of the place was the view of Angkor Wat in the distance, and the fabulous people watching - there were lots of people waiting for the sun to go down. The climb up the hill was pretty tough with the steep steps, and the way down was even harder!

I have lots more photos of day one, but those are the highlights. Oh, and here's a bonus shot for anyone interested:

While walking around I stepped in cow dung...and it was fresh...and green! This photo was taken after I wiped off as much as I could. I washed my shoes after I got back, but I'm afraid my shoes will never be the same. A little souvenir for myself?!

It's been a long time

It has yet once again been forever since I've written anything on my blog. I'm surprised I even remembermy Blogger password!

Things have been busy. My boss told me I need to "work more overtime," which is absolutely ridiculous as I already work more hours than are necessary, not to mention the fact that I get to the office every day before anyone else in my section (not that it's a content or anything, but give me some credit!). Work just generally sucks. Time to make another move? I haven't decided yet, but I do know that there is no light-waiting-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel where I am now. It's this or nothing.

One very bright spot, though, was the trip that R and I took to Cambodia last week! I will be posting photos for sure. If you haven't been to Cambodia, I highly recommend going!

I'm in love.

Back in December I had time to kill at Narita so I stopped in one of the duty-free shops. I saw the Shu Uemura counter when I walked in the store, so I decided to take a look around. I wound up buying a mini-size bottle of their cleansing oil since I had read so much about it in magazines, and I must say...it has made washing my face fun!

I have always had slightly oily skin so I have shied away from oil cleansers, but this is different. It makes my skin feel so smooth and soft after I use it, and it removes makeup easily and completely. And there's no need to cleanse again after using it! Perfect. I am in love.

The only problem is...*ahem*....the price. It's an expensive habit, so I had better not fall too far.

It's February

Given that it is now past midnight on Thursday, January 31st, it is now officially February!

This past month has been challenging, and all the stressful stuff that has been happening at work has given me a stomachache (literally, unfortunately...I hope this isn't the beginning of an ulcer).

But!! One must look on the bright side. I think R and I might go to Kyoto this weekend (haven't decided yet). We have an trip to an onsen with friends planned this month. And every day of February is another step closer to spring.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Every year around Valentine's Day I suddenly panic. Why? Because, as those of you who live in Japan know, Valentine's Day is (mysteriously) a day when *women* give chocolate to *men*, including men they work with but have no romantic feelings for (which is called "giri-choco"). At my last two jobs all of the females in the office banded together and said we would not buy the giri-choco, which has eliminated much of the headache that Valentine's Day used to be for me. But one source of panic remains.....what to get for R?!

Although he is slowly developing an appreciation for sweets, for the most part R is not a huge fan of chocolate or candy (as I write this I have to wonder how we have stayed together, because I could LIVE on chocolate and candy and be perfectly happy). If I buy him chocolate on Valentine's Day he thanks me, but then it tends to just sit around with only a few pieces eaten (in symbolic thanks, no doubt). I then feel upset that the chocolate is being wasted and that I wind up eating the chocolate that I bought for him, and I always feel more upset that I can never think of something better to give him that he would like but that would still be Valentine' s Day-ish.

Hmmmm....any suggestions? A couple of weeks ago I made carrot cupcakes and he gulped those down like they were going out of style, so I could make those. Decorating them with hearts or something would be cute, but come to think of it, although he loved the cupcakes he didn't like the frosting I made because it was "too sweet." *Sigh* How did two people with such very different tastes get together????

The dinner problem

Yes, once again I have gone forever without blogging. I have no excuse and therefore I won't even try making one.

----------------------------

Things have been good since R and I started living together in October. We work well as a team (for the most part) so I can truly say it's been a fun experience to get settled in, work out where to put furniture, etc. The apartment is of course a work in progress (and probably will be for a while), but it's coming together.

The one thing we haven't worked out yet, though, is dinner. Both of us work, and unfortunately both of us work in offices where it is considered a slow day if you are able to leave at 6pm. I have really gotten fed up with this mentality (as has R), but I will save that rant for another day.

But since neither of us can really leave the office until 7:00 or so, it is usually about 8:00 when we get home. And the prospect of coming home and then starting dinner, meaning that we won't eat until around 9:00, is not appealing for either of us. (And that doesn't even figure in time to stop at the store and buy ingredients...)

So what is the solution? We have pretty much been eating out every night. This is of course not entirely economical, but our neighborhood has a lot of cheap restaurants. But more than that, I don't think it is very healthy. We need to eat more vegetables and fresh foods and reduce oil and fat, which is hard to do when you eat out every day.

What does everyone else do? Make meals ahead of time and freeze them? Use a crock pot? I'd like to hear your ideas!!

People, people, people

I know this is a given since this is Tokyo and all, but...

For the past few days I just can't stop noticing how many people there are in this city!!

It especially strikes me on the train. My train is very crowded during rush hour (what train isn't, right?), but more than that what surprises me is the shinkansen! The shinkansen run on the track next to my train, and no matter what time of the day (morning, noon, night!) or what day of the week (weekdays, weekends!) the shinkansen are PACKED. Packed as in not an empty seat on the whole train. And the shinkansen run several times an hour...during busy times on the weekend, even once every 5-6 minutes!! Where is everyone going all the time??? And why don't they take me? :-)

I also notice the number of people in this city when I get off the subway to go to work. If I don't ride in the (jam-packed) car nearest the exit at my office's station, I have to wait in line to get up the stairs and out of the station. But...that's a story for another day.

People, people, people!

He passed!

Today R got the results for the third of a series of three tests he took to become a benrishi (patent attorney) in Japan. He passed!!!!!!

(Of course, this means that he essentially studied four years for the privilege to pay $200 a month to be allowed to use the certification....smirk.)

He has studied for nearly four years for these exams, and only 10% of people who take each exam pass. The fact that he passed all three this year makes him one of only 500 people who are awarded the certification each year.

I'm so proud of him!!

Now if I only knew what I want to be when I grow up...

Vera Drake

I just watched one of the best films I have seen in years: Vera Drake.


This has already been out a while, so I'm sure many of you have seen it, but if you haven't, GO RENT IT!!! This is superbly acted, and it is one of the best portraits of a family I have seen in a long time. Imelda Staunton as Vera is truly incredible, and the way her husband (played by Phil Davis) supports her throughout the film had me teary-eyed to the end...really a touching performance and story all-around.

Hello...???

Not sure if anyone is reading this anymore, but I am still here. Sorry for the hiatus.

A lot has happened in the last two months...

1) R and I went to New York for a week on free business class plane tickets. Awwwww jyeah. Not sure I'll ever be able to fly economy again (though I'll have to). NYC of course never fails to deliver, and we had an awesome time.

2) R was transferred to the Kanto area!! We had been waiting for years (literally) for this. He was given one month's notice of his transfer, and it just so happened that three weeks of that month he was scheduled to participate in a three-week training in Tokyo. So it was insane...house-hunting, arranging for movers, etc. But we wound up moving into the first place we were introduced at the first realtor we went to. So...as of one week ago, we live together! :-)

3) R passed the second exam of the qualification exam he is taking. YAY!!! But that means he has the third (and final) exam to take on the 15th. He's pretty stressed.

4) We had major organizational changes at work and I now have a new boss. Whether this is a positive or negative thing remains to be seen, but I am trying to be optimistic.

So....lots of changes here. 2007 has been a wild and crazy year so far!!

Random stuff (again)

1. I ripped big hunks of skin off of two of my toes on a sharp part of my sliding glass door handle on Friday. Ouch! This of course happened when I was late for work. Needless to say, I wound up being quite late for work.

2. R and I both got sick to our stomachs on Saturday and had to miss two parties. Sorry, Tari!

3. On my way home tonight a random guy passed me and said (in English), "Hello, Sexy." BIZARRE! I was so surprised that it didn't even freak me out.

4. R and I are going to NYC on Thursday! YAY!! But so much to do before then...*sigh*

Hope everyone is well!

Random stuff

Just some random stuff...

1. I went to a wedding on Saturday. It was a lot of fun and a very intimate affair (only 30 people including the bridge and groom!) so I was very honored to be invited. I must say, though, it was easily the most disorganized wedding I have ever been to. The ceremony took place in a restaurant with a dinner and party to follow, and the brdige and groom didn't even decide where in the restaurant they wanted to do the ceremony until the priest asked them (and everyone was already seated and watching). I was also way overdressed...I didn't realize there would be people there in crocs and shorts. Ooops. The bridge and groom really seemed to enjoy themselves, though, which is the important thing.

2. I've been trying to clean up my apartment recently (which is a very long process) and I have been selling stuff online. It's kind of a pain because you have to deal with some unreasonable buyers, but I think I'm kind of hooked! Wish I could do this every day.

3. I cannot wait for the three-day weekend coming up!

4. I went to lunch at a friend's place and noticed that she was wiping all the dishes with newspaper before she washed them. I asked why and she said that was to remove the oil so she doesn't need to use as much soap and water when she washes them. Wow...I'm not sure I can go that far, but I am trying to be a little more environmentally-conscious these days. I try to put a small tote bag in my purse so I don't need to get plastic bags at the grocery store. I try to turn off lights and try not to use more water than I need to. I try to open the window and bear the heat instead of just turning on the air conditioner. I recycle every piece of paper that I get rid of. But I'm having trouble thinking of other things... What do you do to be environmentally-conscious?