You may have caught these on your youtube travels, but if not they are definitely must-see!
The first is from a Japanese game show: "Stacking food on animals." I find it to be hilarious and yet somewhat mean to the animals at the same time...I mean...wouldn't you want to eat the food if it was being stacked on you!?!
The next is the youtube dub series, "Cooking with Dog." I'm not really sure how this got started, but these videos are actually super useful.I have already begun planning far more meals than I ever would have attempted here in Japan thanks to these awesome videos.
Enjoy everyone!
Lady Jones
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
Some Awesome Stuff Inspired by Sushi
I heart sushi. I could seriously eat it every day. Don't know how good that would be for me...but I would.
Sushi has traveled the world to become one of the most popular foods to come out of Japan. The so-called "Sushi Boom" of the 1980's and '90s made sushi extremely popular in North America and especially in the U.S.I can remember the first time I went for sushi with my family in high school. The thought of eating raw food, particularly fish, was pretty shocking to most New Hampshire residents and my parents and I were included. We started pretty safe by ordering California rolls (which have artificial crab meat and no raw ingredients) but quickly moved into raw varieties and loved everything we tried. I can remember falling in love with Salmon and to this day can easily pack away nothing but salmon nigiri sushi (Salmon laid over a flat bed of rice) when I go out for Kaiten Sushi (sushi on a conveyor belt that customers pick by plate color/price) here in Japan. Of course, I have expanded my sushi preferences since spending time in Japan (the only sushi I have found that I don't like are Octopus and Natto (rotten soybeans)),
Oh it looks sooo disgusting...I can't even handle how gross Natto is...let alone Natto sushi...
but it occurred to me recently that I'm ordering completely different sushi than I was back in the states and that it is true that only certain Western sushi has come back to become popular in Japan. I have to admit that I really miss Caterpillar Rolls, a popular Western Maki Roll that has Avocado and Eel (unagi) wrapped around it with a special sauce that is absolutely delicious. Of course you can get rolls with avocado and eel here in Japan, but no caterpillar role per se. I mentioned this to a Japanese friend of mine and he said he had never even heard of the variety, further proving to me that there is a lot of Western sushi that is truly of American origin and distribution. Curious about my discovery, I went on Wikipedia and found the following had been written about "Western Sushi:"
"Western sushi
- California roll consists of avocado, kani kama (imitation crab stick), and cucumber, often made uramaki (with rice on the outside, nori on the inside)
- Caterpillar roll generally includes avocado, unagi, kani kama, and cucumber.
- Dynamite roll includes yellowtail (hamachi), and fillings such as bean sprouts, carrots, chili and spicy mayonnaise (In some parts of Canada, especially western Canada, a dynamite roll consists of a tempura-fried shrimp, masago (capelin roe), avocado and cucumber.)
- Rainbow roll is typically a California roll topped with several various sashimi.
- Spider roll includes fried soft shell crab and other fillings such as cucumber, avocado, daikon sprouts or lettuce, roe, and spicy mayonnaise.
- Philadelphia roll almost always consists of smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, and/or onion.
- Salmon skin roll has grilled salmon skin with sweet sauce and cucumber.
- Crunchy roll a California roll deep fried tempura-style, often topped with sweet eel sauce or chili sauce.
- Seattle roll consists of cucumber, avocado, and raw or smoked salmon.
- B.C. Roll contains salmon skin, roe, cucumber, sweet sauce.
- Louisiana Roll contains blue crab and/or crawfish, spicy mayonnaise, creole seasoning or hot sauce, and sometimes green onion and cucumber.
In Hawaii, there is a predominant style of maki sushi that includes shoyu tuna (canned not fresh), tamago, kanpyō, kamaboko, and the distinctive red and green hana ebi (shrimp powder)."
I couldn't help but find this very interesting, and now I think I may have to make some of these sushi rolls for some Japanese friends and see what they think!
Well, enough about Western Sushi...it's making me hungry!
Here are some awesome things I discovered recently that were inspired by the awesomeness that is Sushi.
"Sushi Cat is lonely. Lonely and very hungry. Help Sushi Cat out by guiding him to as much sushi as possible. Watch him grow fat as he eats more and more sushi along his way. Fill up his belly to win."
Sounds pretty simple right? Well, it is for the most part, but sometimes it's true that simple games are pretty damn fun! This game is fantastic and a great way to kill 30 minutes between a class!
This Amazing Sushi Bento Art I found on Google Images is sooo neat! I wish I could buy a bento like this!
The People at SushiorDeath.com brought us this fantastic advertisement from Canada. It reads "Here is a fantastic adverts for a local sushi bar in Canada. Yuzu Sushi in Quebeck used the agency Lg2 to come up with this one. An innovative use of a spare tire, don’t you think?"
And here are some of the best Bentos I have ever seen. Laura, you have some serious talent making lunch!!!
It makes me so hungry...now I feel like I have to run down the street to our Kaiten Zushi bar!!!
and let's not forget the boatload of T Shirts, Pillows and other fun products inspired by delicious sushi!!!
This sweet T Shirt called "Human Sushi" is available at oneinchpunch.net
and this kawaii one is on Zazzle.
Sushi Pillows, Magnets and Plushies...
Those plushies are seriously awesome and making me wish I could afford shipping to Japan because, interestingly enough, I have never seen sushi plushies out here in Japan (though I bet they probably have existed at some point. Just today I saw plushie Mameshiba at Don Quixote.)
Awesometastic.
Well I'm off to go get some sushi...because I'm really craving some now!
Hope you are out enjoying some sushi in the near future.
Lady Jones
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Kotobukia....it's been said before, but I'll say it again. This place rocks!
Just wanted to do a quick post about my recent trip to Kotobukia. It's a chain of stores that has all sorts of fare...but what I'm always excited to see is the floor or two (or more, so I hear, depending on where you go) of collectibles, figurines, plushies and other geeky fare. I mean, I was seriously blown away by this place. I've traveled around Akihabara a bit and I've been out to Nakano Broadway (where you can get a lot of older collectibles that were retired from the Akihabara area since they were either too old or not well-known enough to warrant shelf space there.) but this store is definitely among my must-see stores in Tokyo.
The first floor was so intense I had no idea where to go first! Right upon entering there was a whole row of Star Wars goods like new R2D2 and Darth Vader USB Hub devices and a whole set of glowing chopstick lightsabers (yeah, awesome, I really wanted some). To my right was an entire section devoted to Ghibli films. To my left was rows of Final Fantasy Figurines and Plushies. This is where I had purchased my cute Chocobo plushie (now named Merlin) a few weeks back and since I have taken every chance to stop into this store when I pass it.
What I didn't know after my first trip was if you go to their website you can see EVERYTHING they stock and believe me it seems there is no end to the cool stuff they sell. From Marvel Collectible Figurines (some which say they are Kotobukia exclusives) to DC Collectible Figurines to Indiana Jones to Anime Figurines like this one from the series Air...I even saw some figurines from the movie Gremlins and some other neat and eccentric things like Mameshiba (Little Bean Dog) keychains and Alpaca Earphones/Ipod Case. Yeah, seriously, if you're in Tokyo for only a short while, you should get yourself to one of these stores! There is one in Akihabara pretty close to where you exit the train station. There is an English map in the train station at the information desk if you need one (usually a good idea as Akiba is confusing to first time visitors and you don't want to waste time getting lost!).
The first floor was so intense I had no idea where to go first! Right upon entering there was a whole row of Star Wars goods like new R2D2 and Darth Vader USB Hub devices and a whole set of glowing chopstick lightsabers (yeah, awesome, I really wanted some). To my right was an entire section devoted to Ghibli films. To my left was rows of Final Fantasy Figurines and Plushies. This is where I had purchased my cute Chocobo plushie (now named Merlin) a few weeks back and since I have taken every chance to stop into this store when I pass it.
I really like this Rogue Figure. By the way, her name in Japanese is "Rougu."
Photo Property of Kotobukia.
Used for non-profit, informational purposes only.
I couldn't believe they had these neat Gremlins Figures!
Photo Property of Kotobukia.
Used for non-profit, informational purposes only.
So yeah, if you haven't checked them out yet, give their site a look! It's pretty sweet!
Signing out for now,
Lady Jones
The Sun Came Out Today and Soon the Sakura Will Too!
It was a genuinely beautiful day in Tokyo today. I couldn't believe how warm it was, perhaps because I had grown so accustomed to the bitterly cold February days of Maine. By moving to Tokyo I was able to take my surroundings from a chill 10 degrees farenheit to a warm 56 degrees farenheit. I have to be honest, It's fricken awesome. Not one part of me misses the cold New England weather. Since I can't afford to ski anymore and I don't spend much time doing winter sports it had become a long and arduous season in which I was stuck inside wishing it was warmer so I could go for a run or take a photo walk around the neighborhood. In Tokyo I can go running whenever I like. Better yet, I can sign up for any of a million offered dance and yoga classes, go running, and enjoy the sun even in the "winter." We have experienced a little snow here in the past two months but the cold has been nowhere near what I was used to back home. Today, especially, was beautiful.
I stepped out the door this morning in a T Shirt and felt the warm sun wake me up faster than any cup of coffee I've had this week. It was welcome after last weeks somewhat chilly weather. I spent a moment feeling the sun on my shoulders and watching it shine down on the cute garden behind our apartment. It reminded me that Cherry Blossom Season (Cherry Blossoms are known as Sakura in Japanese) was coming soon. As I walked up to the bus stop and put on my headphones I thought about how excited I was to see my first Sakura blooming in the early spring. Every time I've come to Japan until now has been in the dead heat of summer, when there are still beautiful gardens to view around Tokyo, but sadly the Cherry Blossoms are long gone. They only last a couple of weeks and then they are gone until next year. This symbol of seasonal beauty has come to represent so much in Japanese culture and society. "They have been used to symbolize the transience of life; this symbolism meshed well with the teachings of Buddhism. Also, since cherry trees blossom en masse, they have also been used as metaphors for clouds. Fallen blossoms, not to be ignored, are likened to snow and later, as a metaphor for a warrior killed early in life" (Baird, M: Symbols of Japan).
Every year the Japanese prepare for Cherry Blossom season by planning picnics or walks through the famous spots for watching the trees. As the season moves north through the country, people make their best guesses of when the best time for viewing will come that year. Since it varies by a week or two every year, you can imagine how tough it is to guess the exact time in which they will be "best." By talking to a few people around me, I've come to figure out that there are also a few spots in Tokyo that should be avoided during this time due to crowds. The most cited spot to avoid was Ueno Park because, apparently, people will camp out overnight to get the best spot for their family/friends and therefore the casual observer and/or visitor might be overwhelmed and never find a good spot to sit. Again, this is just hearsay, but I'm going to try to find an ideal spot that is considered "less traveled" for my viewing. I really want to take this in, and take some fabulous photos, so I'm planning on having everything I need in a backpack the week that is scheduled to be "best" and then judge for myself which day I should head out. We'll see how it goes! These are the average days of "first bloom" as reported by
About Japan.com for 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005:
This gives me a little help, but obviously I'll have to judge for myself what seems to be appearing on TV and around Tokyo when the time comes!
Gambarimasu! (I'll do my best!)
If you have any advice on good viewing spots that are lesser known/traveled, please let me know! Thanks!
Lady Jones
I stepped out the door this morning in a T Shirt and felt the warm sun wake me up faster than any cup of coffee I've had this week. It was welcome after last weeks somewhat chilly weather. I spent a moment feeling the sun on my shoulders and watching it shine down on the cute garden behind our apartment. It reminded me that Cherry Blossom Season (Cherry Blossoms are known as Sakura in Japanese) was coming soon. As I walked up to the bus stop and put on my headphones I thought about how excited I was to see my first Sakura blooming in the early spring. Every time I've come to Japan until now has been in the dead heat of summer, when there are still beautiful gardens to view around Tokyo, but sadly the Cherry Blossoms are long gone. They only last a couple of weeks and then they are gone until next year. This symbol of seasonal beauty has come to represent so much in Japanese culture and society. "They have been used to symbolize the transience of life; this symbolism meshed well with the teachings of Buddhism. Also, since cherry trees blossom en masse, they have also been used as metaphors for clouds. Fallen blossoms, not to be ignored, are likened to snow and later, as a metaphor for a warrior killed early in life" (Baird, M: Symbols of Japan).
Every year the Japanese prepare for Cherry Blossom season by planning picnics or walks through the famous spots for watching the trees. As the season moves north through the country, people make their best guesses of when the best time for viewing will come that year. Since it varies by a week or two every year, you can imagine how tough it is to guess the exact time in which they will be "best." By talking to a few people around me, I've come to figure out that there are also a few spots in Tokyo that should be avoided during this time due to crowds. The most cited spot to avoid was Ueno Park because, apparently, people will camp out overnight to get the best spot for their family/friends and therefore the casual observer and/or visitor might be overwhelmed and never find a good spot to sit. Again, this is just hearsay, but I'm going to try to find an ideal spot that is considered "less traveled" for my viewing. I really want to take this in, and take some fabulous photos, so I'm planning on having everything I need in a backpack the week that is scheduled to be "best" and then judge for myself which day I should head out. We'll see how it goes! These are the average days of "first bloom" as reported by
About Japan.com for 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005:
| March 28 | March 20 | March 21 | March 31 |
This gives me a little help, but obviously I'll have to judge for myself what seems to be appearing on TV and around Tokyo when the time comes!
Gambarimasu! (I'll do my best!)
If you have any advice on good viewing spots that are lesser known/traveled, please let me know! Thanks!
Lady Jones
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Mission Statement? Statement of Intent? Thesis Statement? Whatever, I guess that's not the point...
Many of you may have noticed that there has been a serious lack of posts in my usual form. Those of you familiar with my writing probably know that I like to relate to my readers and share my personal experiences and thoughts in order to keep writing and obtain feedback. Lately, I feel as though my posts have jumped around from Borderline-Cliche Travel Blog to Criticism Rants to some Sparse Geek and Game Related Information to all sorts of other random things. Hadn't really been thinking about it until one day when I realized my blog looked like a schizophrenic mess and since I haven't been posting very often it probably looks like a jumbled puzzle to anyone stumbling across it for the first time.
After this realization I sat down and really thought about what this blog is and what it means to me. I think this is the first time I've really thought to myself, so what am I trying to do here? What do I want to accomplish or achieve by writing this blog? Or is it not so much achievement, but more a creative outlet for me as a writer and photographer who likes to connect with others as not only an anthropologist, but as a person living a crazy and eclectic life traveling all over the place. As you can imagine, this was quite the self-reflection. I didn't even know what the blog was anymore. A long time ago I knew, but since I've been caught up in my crazy life I think I lost track of it somewhere (and I can't even remember when).
When I started the blog in 2006 it was a part of a class I was taking in Tokyo Japan in Visual Anthropology. There were some simple posts about my experiences and how I felt about my experiences in Tokyo. At the time blogging was gaining popularity but was not nearly the multimedia home of expression and discussion that it is today. It wasn't yet known not as a social media tool but as a new way to write on the web. Now it is discussed not only as social media, but sometimes as a hub that contains networking, creative expression, news, and all sorts of other kinds of information rolled into one. The blogging-sphere is always changing, and I like that, but I feel like being caught up in the change has forced me to figure out what's going to work for me. I feel like the loss of my creative writing pieces in search of a more cutting edge feel has really hurt this blog, and I want to finally achieve a balance of what I think my readers like with what I think would be good to enhance the blog. Of course trying new social media technologies is great, but I feel like so many people are just obsessed with "having it all" and then end up missing out on what's most important in a blog - quality content. Really I'm speaking from experience because when I go back and read my blog lately I feel like the quality has really taken a dive. If the creator is that displeased then imagine how my readers must feel! I always get so inspired to write on this blog about my thoughts of the day or an experience I've had but what it's come down to lately is that I've been too tired and exhausted to do the blog justice. All that inspiration dissolves and sputters out by the time I get to my computer and I need to find a way around that.
What does this really mean? Well, I think it means I want what I wanted in the beginning - for my blog to be a creative outlet for me to connect with others, but not just some flashy thing that comes off as fancy marketing or a rather cliche travel guide to the non-traveler. (You'll note the google and amazon bars to the right of my blog, but notice that I tried to make them minimal and I don't want to have lots of ads on this site. There is nothing I hate more than stupid pop-ups, and seriously if anyone ever gets a pop-up ad on this page I will tear blogger apart for integrating that function.
I want people to actually feel what I'm going through - to experience my travels as if they were traveling themselves. In many ways I want more feedback because I want to know what other people would do or think if they were in my situation. It's just interesting to me, and I've always liked connecting with others. Furthermore, I want to connect with people through my hobbies of dance, gaming, fantasy, sci fi, hiking, and all sorts of other things. I feel like my blog doesn't even represent who I am anymore, and to me that's a problem.
I feel like the need to re-define this blog has come at around the same time that I am re-defining my life. I moved back to Tokyo in January and found myself asking a lot of questions. Why am I back in Japan? Is it to finally become fluent in Japanese? Is it to get my Masters Degree in Education so that I can teach and travel at the same time? Is it to escape from my student loan debt in the United States and attempt to secure a job in a market where I appear somewhat more competitive as both a degree-carrying foreigner and a woman? Who am I now, really? Am I still an anthropologist if I go into education and TESOL (teaching English as a second language)? What really makes an anthropologist, anyways? Is it just that PhD? Or is it something more? Who do I want to be anyways? Geek girl - well of course. I think I will always identify myself as a geek girl, but when do I draw the line professionally and personally beyond that? I like to think I'm kind of a complicated person and that people sometimes have a hard time understanding me or relating to me, but at the same time is that me just refusing to understand myself and take the time to figure out what I really want out of life?
It's a lot to think about, and certainly I'm not done here, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of maybe what's to come. I'm going to write more narratives and more creative pieces about things I'm passionate about - whether that be adventure or travel or gaming or anthropology, and I want you, the readers, to feedback. I want to connect, and I hope people out there want to connect in return. Joining my blog is my husband, Brian, who also wants to share and connect with the world. I think he'll make a great addition to this blog and since he and I have different opinions and experiences I think it will present an interesting dynamic that I can't achieve alone.
So here's to hoping that this is truly the return of Lady Lara Jones to what she feels is her home in the blog sphere. If you'll excuse me I'm off to study some Japanese, eat some chocolate, and have a power nap.
Signing out for now,
Lady Jones
After this realization I sat down and really thought about what this blog is and what it means to me. I think this is the first time I've really thought to myself, so what am I trying to do here? What do I want to accomplish or achieve by writing this blog? Or is it not so much achievement, but more a creative outlet for me as a writer and photographer who likes to connect with others as not only an anthropologist, but as a person living a crazy and eclectic life traveling all over the place. As you can imagine, this was quite the self-reflection. I didn't even know what the blog was anymore. A long time ago I knew, but since I've been caught up in my crazy life I think I lost track of it somewhere (and I can't even remember when).
When I was a little kid I saw someone spinning a globe on television once and stating to the person across from them that they would go wherever their finger landed. I wanted to do just that. I wanted to spin a globe, pick a place, and see it. Of course when I was nine I only dreamed about eating exotic food or speaking to new people. Now I dream about immersing myself in everything a country has to offer and connecting with all sorts of people, but at times, due to the obvious need for the finances to travel, it sometimes seems impossible to achieve this goal despite the vast interconnectedness of our world today.
When I started the blog in 2006 it was a part of a class I was taking in Tokyo Japan in Visual Anthropology. There were some simple posts about my experiences and how I felt about my experiences in Tokyo. At the time blogging was gaining popularity but was not nearly the multimedia home of expression and discussion that it is today. It wasn't yet known not as a social media tool but as a new way to write on the web. Now it is discussed not only as social media, but sometimes as a hub that contains networking, creative expression, news, and all sorts of other kinds of information rolled into one. The blogging-sphere is always changing, and I like that, but I feel like being caught up in the change has forced me to figure out what's going to work for me. I feel like the loss of my creative writing pieces in search of a more cutting edge feel has really hurt this blog, and I want to finally achieve a balance of what I think my readers like with what I think would be good to enhance the blog. Of course trying new social media technologies is great, but I feel like so many people are just obsessed with "having it all" and then end up missing out on what's most important in a blog - quality content. Really I'm speaking from experience because when I go back and read my blog lately I feel like the quality has really taken a dive. If the creator is that displeased then imagine how my readers must feel! I always get so inspired to write on this blog about my thoughts of the day or an experience I've had but what it's come down to lately is that I've been too tired and exhausted to do the blog justice. All that inspiration dissolves and sputters out by the time I get to my computer and I need to find a way around that.
What does this really mean? Well, I think it means I want what I wanted in the beginning - for my blog to be a creative outlet for me to connect with others, but not just some flashy thing that comes off as fancy marketing or a rather cliche travel guide to the non-traveler. (You'll note the google and amazon bars to the right of my blog, but notice that I tried to make them minimal and I don't want to have lots of ads on this site. There is nothing I hate more than stupid pop-ups, and seriously if anyone ever gets a pop-up ad on this page I will tear blogger apart for integrating that function.
I want people to actually feel what I'm going through - to experience my travels as if they were traveling themselves. In many ways I want more feedback because I want to know what other people would do or think if they were in my situation. It's just interesting to me, and I've always liked connecting with others. Furthermore, I want to connect with people through my hobbies of dance, gaming, fantasy, sci fi, hiking, and all sorts of other things. I feel like my blog doesn't even represent who I am anymore, and to me that's a problem.
I feel like the need to re-define this blog has come at around the same time that I am re-defining my life. I moved back to Tokyo in January and found myself asking a lot of questions. Why am I back in Japan? Is it to finally become fluent in Japanese? Is it to get my Masters Degree in Education so that I can teach and travel at the same time? Is it to escape from my student loan debt in the United States and attempt to secure a job in a market where I appear somewhat more competitive as both a degree-carrying foreigner and a woman? Who am I now, really? Am I still an anthropologist if I go into education and TESOL (teaching English as a second language)? What really makes an anthropologist, anyways? Is it just that PhD? Or is it something more? Who do I want to be anyways? Geek girl - well of course. I think I will always identify myself as a geek girl, but when do I draw the line professionally and personally beyond that? I like to think I'm kind of a complicated person and that people sometimes have a hard time understanding me or relating to me, but at the same time is that me just refusing to understand myself and take the time to figure out what I really want out of life?
It's a lot to think about, and certainly I'm not done here, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of maybe what's to come. I'm going to write more narratives and more creative pieces about things I'm passionate about - whether that be adventure or travel or gaming or anthropology, and I want you, the readers, to feedback. I want to connect, and I hope people out there want to connect in return. Joining my blog is my husband, Brian, who also wants to share and connect with the world. I think he'll make a great addition to this blog and since he and I have different opinions and experiences I think it will present an interesting dynamic that I can't achieve alone.
So here's to hoping that this is truly the return of Lady Lara Jones to what she feels is her home in the blog sphere. If you'll excuse me I'm off to study some Japanese, eat some chocolate, and have a power nap.
Signing out for now,
Lady Jones
Cake does sound pretty good right about now. Image from icanhascheezburger.com
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