I don’t intend to turn this blog into a daily list of links, but today I’ve got a random assortment of stuff, some of which can’t wait until I get time to write a full post about it, some of which has been hanging around waiting for me to get around to write about. And some stuff which doesn’t deserve its own post. But I’ll let you guess which ones are which. It’s basically a whole bunch of random that I’ve somehow managed to connect together. Food, technology, courtship & marriage, and more!
Category Archives: Food
It Smells Like Victory
Today you get an ode to the anonymous queen of Japan’s flowering trees: the humble jasmine bush. I first noticed it last year in early May, but even more so this year. My first encounter was while walking through a pedestrian lane one evening with Lia, near Tobata station. We actually backtracked to make sure we hadn’t imagined it.
A year later it doesn’t surprise me as much. Every so often, the scent of jasmine comes floating out of nowhere and brings a peaceful smile to my face. I get to experience flashes of this serenity at four or five points on my daily commute, though at 30kph—on a bike—they’re fleeting. The scent is subtle but unmistakeable, and a welcome change from the usual smell of factory emissions and exhaust.
sushiPod Shuffle Again
I’ve been getting a lot of traffic from Mike Davidson’s “meatspace shuffle” pages. If you’re a first-time visitor looking for more pictures of the sushiPod Shuffle I made for the contest, welcome! The pictures are here. If you want to know more about me and my blog, visit the about page. And since you’re here, you might want to check out the Lost in Translation posts—they’re chock full of Engrish—or Strange, which is… well, strange. And there are tons of photos of Japan, if you’re into that.
If you’re one of my regular readers, please note that I’ve set this post to stay at the top of the page for the time being. If you usually come to the main page to see what’s new, you’ll have to scroll down a bit to see the latest posts. Once traffic gets back to normal I’ll refile this post in its rightful chronological place.
sushiPod Shuffle
Last month I stumbled by chance upon Mike Davidson’s web site. I don’t know who he is beyond what’s on his bio there—he’s a web designer/developer guy—but he’s running a monthly iPod Shuffle contest. The contest for April was to make a “meatspace shuffle.” That is, make something that looks like an iPod Shuffle entirely out of food.
I couldn’t resist.
Chinese Food, Indian’s-style
Last fall we got a flyer in the mail for a new Chinese restaurant that was opening up. I was going to scan in the flyer and try to write something witty about it but lethargy set in and I never got around to it. I’ve since passed by the place on the bus a number of times but it’s a major trek for someone without a car so until tonight I didn’t have a chance to take a photo. This evening I was walking home from Kokura so I made a point of going by. With camera in hand.
New Ideas in Marketing
Today my day was filled with mapmaking for a guidebook that’s going to be given to all of the new JET participants at the end of the summer. So in order to keep everyone entertained, I’m falling back on yet more proof of the uphill battle I’m fighting as an English teacher in Japan.
Wrapping Up Food Week
It’s been fun writing about food all week, but I’ve received a request for pictures of the fine city we live in. So enjoy these food-related pictures while you can—they’ll be the last ones for awhile. Next week I’ll be taking you on a tour of the lovely industrial wasteland of North-Nine-Islands-City, more commonly known as Kitakyushu.
Creepy Crawlies
Math according to Ed: Bugs, and Lots of ‘Em + Thailand + Food week on the Bog = culinary mayhem. Q.E.D.
As some of you know, we went to Thailand for our winter vacation. Given that information, the title of this post, and the fact that it’s still food week, I can understand your anticipation of a story about cockroaches scuttling around the food markets and restaurants. Sorry, but if that’s all you can come up with, your imagination isn’t working hard enough. You won’t get roaches—well, ok, a few—but you will get an anecdote about questionable restaurant sanitation. And more.
Today’s Ingredient: Merchandising
It seems to be food week at the Bog. [For those readers who haven’t been with me through the multiple name changes on this site, please note that this journal is no longer called “the Bog.”—Ed> My original plan was to write briefly about one photo. A short note featuring one of Japan’s celebrity chefs. Unfortunately for my wrists, I wrote a lot more than intended.
Legendary Canadian Monster At Large in Japan
Welcome to the Pit of Ultimate Darkness. What vile beast dwells here? No, I’m not talking about Margaret Atwood. What would she be doing here anyway, what with her recent assimilation by the borg?