Japanese Mardi Gras

At the end of the Mardi Gras party people looked fat and happy, so I guess it was a success :)

Since I grew up in such a Christian environment, I just assumed that everybody knew about "Fat Tuesday", Ash Wednesday, Lent, Easter, etc... Well, apparently they don't! It was pretty interesting explaining some traditions - such as the concept of abstinence/fasting, putting ashes on your forehead...and eating a King Cake.

Don't let the people in New Orleans know what I tried to pass off as a "King Cake"!

I know what a KC is supposed to look like, but what I ended up serving was a far cry from what they've got down in Lousiana. I just didn't have time (or the warmth) to bake something that required yeast, so I thought I could just buy one of those pre-made angel food cakes they always have at my grocery store. Well, almost always, apparently...So much for that. So I grabbed the ONLY cake mix box that they had (they're not so big on baking here, I guess). Even though it was chocolate, I was sure that I could make it look more festive with using purple/gold/green icing. Then I remembered that purple icing doesn't exist. The pre-made icing is only available in pink, white, and brown (I swear I'm not making this up!). The food coloring is only available in red, yellow, and green. Thinking I had the green already, I just bought these grape-flavored "Pure" brand sour gummy things to stand in for the purple.

Then, for whatever reason, the cake didn't really rise, and so when I inserted the plastic baby Jesus, it kind of stuck up and broke that side of the cake! (yes, I AM laughing as I think about all this). ANYWAY, we still had fun decorating it, and the person who ended up finding the baby made a really beautiful Mardi Gras queen!

The chocolate cookies and coconut milk ice cream we made last night were popular as well...and after writing down their "Lenten Promise" on the little board on my fridge, my friends entertained each other with sporadic dancing, card games, and watching Seinfeld in Japanese - so all in all, I think we did a good job living it up for "Fat Tuesday" in Japan!

Mardi Gras

I'm once again trying to do my part to help promote grassroots internationalization...I'm hosting a "Fat Tuesday" party tonight. Should be really interesting since it's really difficult finding beads and a King Cake (New Orleans would faint at what I'm calling a "King Cake"!)...and I can't seem to find PURPLE anything for that matter. Huh. The things we take for granted in our home countries. This whole party thing started because my friend, as soon as heard that I had an ice cream maker, wouldn't let me rest till we had an ice cream party. Well, just so happens I'm off today (have to work on Saturday), and it's FAT Tuesday. So, by having a "party" I can make homemade chocolate chip cookies & ice cream and won't be able to eat ALL of it!
Alright - I'm off to go find the rest of the ingredients for some jambalaya and mochi fried ice cream...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shhhh...don't let their moms know I'm going to take these cuties back to the States with me! They were so adorable as they worked hard to trace their hands and feet to make these.
(but, yes, they had help with cutting them out).

Well, I hope your turkey is plump and juicy,
that your gravy is just right,
that your stuffing is as stuffing should be (?)
and that you can hug your family tight!

OK! OK! I'm stopping, I'm stopping! ...no more Dr. Seuss for me...
but seriously, cheers!
And a big THANK YOU to all of you who read this & make comments,
THANK YOU to all of you who send me letters & care packages!
I hope you know that it's because of you that I'm
strong enough to do what I do here.
You have really been there for me, and I truly appreciate it!
Happy Thanksgiving!

PS - have fun with the little Thanksgiving food survey
I set up over in the left margin there ;)

my fans

One of these days I may, just may, begin to like running...but for now, I really count on my smiling supporters I see every morning at the sports park. I've been dragging myself out there most mornings before school to run, and afterwards I try to practice my Japanese with the otoshiyori ("elderly people") who gather at the park every morning to do rajio taiso (an exercise routine set to music that is broadcast every morning). I happened to see these extra fans on my run this morning ;)

Happy Halloween!

I ordered some pumpkins for my students & the neighborhood kids this year and they had a great time carving them. Everyone was so surprised that these pumpkins are hollow! So cute! I think they first thought something was wrong with them!



Here are the little ones tasked with the job of finding & cleaning all the seeds, while big brother and sisters were designing their jack-o-lantern faces. If they're lucky, they might even get some of those seeds back roasted...but they're reeeeally tasty, so I don't know! ;-0

Happy St. Paddy's!

Hope everyone's sufficiently recovered from the festivities!
So I know you're all wondering "how the Japanese do St. Patrick's Day"...well...they don't, really, but thanks to a gaijin from Ireland (aptly even named Patrick!) who organized a gig at the Spot in Omura, I had a small dose of this holiday. Thanks to my Texas friend, Cara, I even had a fabulous get up! Thanks again for the shirt, C, it was a big hit! I even brought some green glitter paint and we had a good time painting shamrocks and the like (ever the art teacher, yo!). I hopped the train up to Omura, and hung out at the tabe/nomihodai (all you can eat/drink) at the Spot till about 11, when I had to catch the train back (had to go to a school function on Sunday morning). I'm not into most things alchohol lately, but it was entertaining watching the rounds of Irish Car Bombs, and, yes, there was green beer. I got on Patrick's case since there was no Irish music to be heard (I should've just brought mine - but you'd think with at least two real live Irishmen...). There was also a TON of smoke - I keep forgetting that Japan isn't smoke free anywhere - gotta say I REEEEally miss that about the States. Anyway, the best part of St. Pat's here was actually the day before, when we serenaded Reiko san (whose birthday is March 17) with "When Irish Eyes are Smiling". Dad sent over a plush leprechaun that played the song, and so I rallied the troops and we sang to Reiko san after she opened her present. Kyoto sensei (the one who's in the birthday photo with me) should really consider karaoke as a second career!