Thursday, March 30, 2006

Seaweed Heaven

ahhhhhhhhhhh... Sorry, I just had the most relaxing weekend and I can't contain myself. ahhhhhhhhhhh
Ok, it's out of my system, now down to business.

It was a girl's day out, and three of us travelled two hours to get to this magical place. It's a spa - a different kind of spa - that uses seawater, varying levels of water pressure, and sea weed to relax and refresh you.

Treatment 1 - Seaweed wrap. They smeared my body with a seaweed mixture and wrapped me in plastic and a heated blanket to nourish my skin and draw out impurities.

Treatment 2 - Water Exercise. They used a combination of hot and freezing cold water to improve blood circulation. They also used jets of seawater and key body movements to target muscles we usually neglect.

Treatment 3 - Seaweed lunch? Yes, I had a bowl of seaweed soup. It's supposed to have anti-cancer effects and provides soluble fiber and omega 3 fats and promotes thyroid health. But tasted like a bowl of hot seawater to me.

Treatment 4 - Water Massage. They submerged my body in a tub of water and a handsome Japanese guy used high water pressure to massage my entire body: head to toe. No hands, only water, and it was gooood. And I got a quick lesson on the Japanese names for body parts.

Treatment 5 - The pool of Eden. Sure to be related to the Garden of Eden. The pool is constructed so intricately that each different spot, wherever you stand, treats a different part of your body. All of it filled with nothing else but 100% fresh Seawater.

At the end of it all, I felt like a new woman. Even though the trek back home was painful, it was well worth it and I'd definitely do it again.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Lesson in Illiteracy

By now you should be able to tell that I'm learning a lot of things here. Among them, a lesson in illiteracy.

I have a new found respect for people who can't read and still find ways to live independently. I have respect because I'm illiterate and it's so hard to just get by. I can't read one thing: no signs, menus, labels, nothing.

One incident stands out in my mind. It was the perfect Saturday morning and I wanted breakfast - banana pancakes to be exact. So I lovingly mash the ripe bananas and prepare the mixture just right. Then I laboured over the hot stove until they were golden brown and fragrant. Then I sat back, relaxed, took a bite and then... YUCK! I bought salt not sugar! Awww man, all that hard work down the drain.

I blame that mean shopkeeper. She knows that I can't read. Why didn't she warn me? Why would I need a 5 pound bag of salt? Do I look like I own a restaurant?

What makes it even trickier is that several products are packaged the exact same way. Between my friends and I, we have bought miso soup paste instead of peanut butter. We've bought soup instead of milk. Also bought vinegar instead of soy sauce and salad dressing instead of cooking oil.

This has been the pattern of my daily life - full of mystery and suspense.

And The Lesson? Well, Illiteracy is expensive.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Cook it your Damn Self

So I'm here in this new place and of course I want to try all the exotic food and cooking. Then why are they making me cook it myself? More importantly, why am I giving them all my money to do this? Shouldn't I be the one getting paid? Enough of me griping...

First stop: Shabu-Shabu.

We all sit around this table with built in electric burners. Then servers beautifully dressed in kimonos bring in copper bowls which we'll be using to make our meals for the night. First came the crabs, which I quickly tried to eat raw before I realized what the copper bowls were for. Then came huge platters of various vegetables and noodles along with the most perfect slices of beef. It felt like an endless stream of food, all cooked communal style in the same pot of boiling water.

Cost: 7,000 yen ($70)

Second stop: Okonomiyaki.

The table in this place has an electric grill instead of a burner. Here we make Japanese-style pancakes - the scariest pancakes I've ever seen. This one is not for picky eaters. You get these bowls with all sorts of unidentifiable objects to be mixed in and grilled. It's impossible to pick it apart to remove all suspicious objects. The mixtures are made into big fat pancakes and coated with Japanese barbecue sauce, swirled with mayonnaise and then topped with dried fish flakes. It wasn't too bad. Of course it was also accompanied with lots of vegetables, seafood, and sausages.

Cost: 6,000 yen ($60)

Great! Now I need more cash...

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Pray for the Girls

This entry comes to you a little late. I prefer to prepare you in advance and give everyone a chance to participate. Fortunately, this is something that can be done and should be done all year round. On March 3rd, we pray for the girls.

There's a very interesting story behind it. As it was told to me, many years ago Japan had a very high infant mortality rate. Particularly among girls, it was a special event if they made it to their 3rd birthday.

Distressed parents frequently asked healers to pray for the health and long life of their babies. They would remove the evil spirits and transfer bad luck and sickness to the dolls. Afterwards, they would throw the dolls into the river or sea.

Today, families buy these elaborate dolls so that little girls would grow up healthy and beautiful. They are ceremonial dolls and kids don't play with them like Barbie dolls. Rather, they are handed down like an heirloom and taken out to display only once a year for a few days. And they cost a mint! Believe me.

The full doll sets are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet. At the top are the Emperor and Empress. The next step contains three court ladies, followed by five musicians, two ministers, and three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display. There are also small pieces of furniture, small meal dishes, and other things. How much? More than 1million yen ($10,000) Wait! For that price, where's the cowboy, the police, and the indian chief?

Yes, yes I agree that there should be a day to pray for the boys. But hey, sugar and spice and all things nice, that's what little girls are made of.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Rub a dub dub not in the Tub

I'm taking you back in my bathroom again. Out of my 40m2 apartment, I swear the bathroom takes up a solid 1/3 of it... maybe more. It's big. Bathrooms are much more important than kitchens here.

Typically you'll find the toilet in a room, the wash basin in another room and then the shower and tub in yet another. Phew, that's a lot of rooms. Once, when I was stumbling around at 2am, I realized that I didn't want all those rooms when I almost peed in the tub. My apartment just has a two-room bathroom: toilet & basin and shower & tub.

My instruction to you today is on how to take a bath. Whatever you do, don't shower in the tub. The tub is meant for relaxation. What you do instead is stand outside the tub - yes on the ground - and take your shower there. I feel so naughty doing it sometimes. But, it is such a liberating feeling to shower on the floor. I'm telling you, you need to break free of those pesty shower curtains.

Then after you clean yourself you get into the tub, which are super deep, to soak and relax. No soap, no bubble. It's just a wonderful thing. Gosh now I feel like I need one...

I think that's all I have to mention... except a story of course.

Ok remember some weeks back I introduced you to this sweet old couple who took their very first trip outside of Japan. Remember how they pooped all over the bidet. Anyway, this time all they wanted to do was to freshen up. Of course they had to take a shower the proper Japanese way. However, their family wasn't very happy to find that the old couple left the entire bathroom soaking wet - toilet paper and all - and the entire house flooded. Hehe =)