Singapore Chicken Rice
Maeda sensei works as a nutritionist at Narao School Lunch Center (奈良尾給食センター) and is responsible for planning all the school lunch menu. Just a note for some who may not be familiar with the typical lunch scene here, many schools in Japan do not have canteens or cafeterias due to small student population. Some schools go by the bento system where students bring lunch boxes prepared from home. Others order lunch from kyuushoku center that specifically prepare meals for schools located within a certain area. All students and teachers will eat the same food and because there are no canteens in the school compound, classrooms are transformed into lunch rooms everyday for an hour during noon. Whether your lunch is appetising or not really depends on the school lunch center and the individual nutritionist. And it's worth a mention here that fortunately for me, the lunch center in Narao is reputed to be the best among the three on the island.
Which brings me to the point of this entry. So last Sunday's dinner was at Maeda sensei's place and you can bet i really looked forward to it. After eating school lunch for half a year now and liking most of what's been served, finally i get to meet the mastermind behind it all. Moreover I've heard much about Maeda sensei's good culinary skills and dedication when it comes to planning a well-balanced diet for the kids at school so i was really excited to be invited to her place for a meal.
Before going, I was informed that Maeda sensei was going to prepare some Singaporean style dish especially for me that night. And that she would like to know more about Singapore food and cooking and perhaps even design a Singaporean menu for school lunch one of these days. The ALT before me is from Britain and i learnt that a British menu consisting of roast beef dish and bread pudding was served during lunch before.
I hope you are as curious as i was to know what Singaporean fare i had for dinner last Sunday. Yes, you are right, it's none other than the famous chicken rice! Well, actually friends who know me well know that i am not a fan of chicken rice really. In fact i can't recall when was the last time i had it. Though i sort of suspected that the taste might not really be the one we know, i didn't expected it to look entirely different either. If you are doing a double take, no you're not mistaken, those are avocadoes mixed with chicken pieces and served with tumeric powdered yellow rice! Yes, this is Maeda sensei's Singapore chicken rice, or rather her idea of what chicken rice in Singapore is like. While it wasn't bad tasting at all, it's definitely nowhere near the original! Now it's really time to get one of those Prima Taste pre-packed chicken rice paste and get it send over to Japan so the folks can have a taste of the real stuff :p
Sunday brunch
Was intending on sleeping in last Sunday morning but for some reason i kept waking up throughout the night. Finally gave up at 730am, went downstairs, washed up and summoned every ounce of effort and courage to step out into the cold for my weekly bike ride.
The first 10 minutes or so is always the hardest but as the body starts to get used to the cold air and warm-up sufficiently after a considerable amount of exertion, I never regret the decision to lug the bike out. In fact, I really enjoy cycling around the neighbourhood these days. For one, there are hardly any cars on the road throughtout the day and also I do not need to travel half way across the island and pay to cycle at the perpectually crowded East Coast Park.
After the ride, I was in a really pretty mood and decided to make myself a healthy and sumptuous Sunday brunch. Toasted bread to make a nice sandwich together with a huge salad. I do eat an occasional bell pepper but i must admit i wasn't much of a fan back home but recently I've developed a huge liking for bell peppers, green, yellow or red, if it's not obvious enough from the picture :p The other must have these days is really a nice bowl of plain yogurt topped with fresh fruits and complete with a cup of black coffee. The perfect combination for a perfect Sunday brunch :)
Was somehow in the mood to just make something (anything really) in the afternoon and decided to use the remaining kiwi fruit in the fridge to make this agar-agar. I've always love agar-agar since i was a kid. To me, agar-agar is one of the most amazing food around though i know of friend who will object strongly to this (agar-agar is what she calls 意味ない食べ物, in other words, they are what she considers 'meaningless' food or food that doesn't serve much of a purpose when eaten). But of course i beg to differ. Agar-agar provides good fibre and aids bowel movement, satisfies one's sweet tooth adequately, serves as a good subsitute to sugar and dairy product ladened dessert and yet has almost zero calorie content. Tell me, what other food you know fits the bill??
Anyway, the agar was a sidetrack to my actual plan of making something to bring to a dinner that i was invited to later on that night. After several experiences of being invited for meals and going empty handed while the others whipped out chocolates or bottles of wine for the host, these days i try to cook and bring along some stuff to avoid being the odd one out at parties. As i was running out of time after experimenting with the kiwi jelly, i searched around my pantry and found the remaining half packet of green beans that my mom brought over last Nov and a sweet potato and decided that a pot of steaming green bean soup should make for a nice dessert after the meal. Moreover, green beans are not that commonly eaten in Japan (in fact it's not sold in that many places) so it's somewhat Singaporeanish i figured. And the most important bit is, green bean softens quickly and is a good match with sweet potatoes. In a matter of 35min or so, i ladled the cooked green bean soup into a container and was just in time to hitch a ride for dinner.
Nothing beats homecooked Cantonese porridge
Today is one of the coldest day in the whole of January. According to the weather forecast, going forward the weather will only get colder by the day. Up till now, it had been an unusually warm winter (of course not by my standard) but the general consensus is that this year's winter has been a mild one.
It would have been a perfect lazy Sat afternoon to stay indoor and relax had it not been the cold that proved to be getting rather unbearable in the house even with the heater on. It was only when i spotted the pile of library books on my table and it hit me that i've forgotten about the one really warm and cosy place in Narao- the library! I hurriedly threw on some more layers, grabbed the books and headed out in the cold. It's only a short distance away but the cold and wind was really blasting on my face and while i had the warmth of the library to look forward to, the walk itself was quite a toll.
The cold made me developed this huge craving for a big bowl of hot porridge, mom's style. So it was with purpose as i made my way home when it was time for the library to close.
Dried scallop,cuttlefish and mushroom Cantonese porridge:
1. Boil 1 bowl of cooked rice in 3 cups water for 15min adding some dried cuttlefish (mommy brought these over when she came visit) and a handful of dried scallops.
2. Add sliced mushroom and seasoning (stock, a little pepper and soysauce) and boil for another 15min.
3. Add sliced carrot, sprinkle spring onion and little pepper to taste. Ready to serve.
35min was all it took and the gratification from having the steaming hot porridge lasted me the entire night. Now why did it take me so long to rediscover the joy of this major comfort food from home!
I made sure to cook enough to give some to my next door neighbour too. Think mom would be proud of me? :p
Sukiyaki (上を向いて歩こう)
SUKIYAKI
It’s all because of you,
I’m feeling sad and blue
You went away,
Now my life is just a rainy day and I love you so,
How much you’ll never know
You’ve gone away and left me lonely.
Untouchable memories
Seem to keep haunting me
Another love so true
That once turned all my gray skies blue
But you disappeared,
Now my eyes are filled with tears
And I’m wishing you were here with me
Soaked with love all my thoughts of you
Now that you’re gone I just don’t know what to do
If only you were here,
You’d wash away my tears
The sun would shine,
Once again you’ll be mine oh mine
But in reality, you and I will never be cos
You took your love away from me.
Girl, I don’t know what I do to make you leave me
But what I do know is
That since you’ve been gone there’s such an emptiness inside,
I’m wishing you to come back to me.
If only you were here
You’d wash away my tears
The sun would shine,
Once again you’ll be mine oh mine
But in reality, you and I will never be cos
You took your love away from me.
Oh—Baby you took your love away from me.
This morning's class with the first graders at Narao JHS, we spent the first half of the lesson practicing listening skills. After discussing with Takase sensei(the new English teacher who came to replace Kawasaki sensei after she went on maternity leave) we decided to pick the song 'Sukiyaki' for the students to listen and fill in some missing words in the lyrics.
Many of you would have already know that Sukiyaki is originally a Japanese popular song sung by Sakamoto Kyu, more affectionately known as 'Kyu-chan' by the Japanese. He was an internationally acclaimed singer whose most famous song, Ue o Muite Aruko (I Look Up When I Walk; 'Sukiyaki'in the West) became an instant hit when it was released in the U.S in 1963. Despite the incomprehensible lyrics to the foreign listeners, it captured the heart of many with it's earnest and simple melody. Till this day, 'Sukiyaki' remains the biggest international hit and most recognizable Japanese tune by a Japanese popular singer.
I've always been perplexed about the origin of the title of this song so a quick search threw up many explanations of which i find the one from Wikipedia to be most succint and rather amusing. "The term sukiyaki (which is a Japanese steamboat dish) had absolutely nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song; the word served the purpose only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to most English speakers (very few of whom could understand the Japanese lyrics anyway). A Newsweek columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew."
The students were as expected highly amused too by the song title. In fact, some of them were probably wondering what is the relation between their last night's dinner (it's a popular winter one-pot dish in many households) and an English song they were about to hear.
As I looked at the many heads bent over the worksheets while straining their ears, I was transported back in time when I was singing along to the original version in one of my lectures in NUS by my ever favorite lecturer, Guo sensei. The song was chosen because Guo sensei wanted to introduce a new grammar point (the volitional verbs such as 歩こう、食べよう、帰ろう etc) and also because it's one of his personal favourite. I remember really enjoying the particular lecture and even many years later, the lyrics remain fresh in my head. It is a nice thought too that someday these students could recall some foreigner who once introduced them an English song made famous by a Japanese singer.
上を向いて 歩こう
上を向いて 歩こう
涙が こぼれないように
思い出す 春の日
一人ぽっちの夜
上を向いて歩こう
にじんだ 星をかぞえて
思い出す 夏の日
一人ぽっちの夜
幸せは 雲の上に
幸せは 空の上に
上を向いて 歩こう
涙が こぼれないように
泣きながら 歩く
一人ぽっちの夜
思い出す秋の日
一人ぽっちの夜
悲しみは 星のかげに
悲しみは 月のかげに
上を向いて 歩こう
涙が こぼれないように
泣きながら歩く
一人ぽっちの夜
一人ぽっちの夜
My Red Muffler
This is my new red muffler. And it is no ordinary muffler cos it's handknitted by the very sweet Marie and Michelle! The girls had told me earlier that they would be sending a belated Xmas gift and had asked me to be patient and wait.
While they were in Sapporo for a short holiday over the new year period they mailed this lovely package consisting of the muffler, Xmas card and present. You bet i was delighted when i opened up to find the pretty muffler. Now, we all know that the girls are really good at baking and make the most delicious desserts during the countless potluck gatherings that the bijins had over the years. But knitting is definitely something new and when i told the rest of the girls about my gift from M&M, naturally all were very impressed! How many girls you know these days can not only cook but sew as well? さすがマリーとミーシェルのことだわ(^.^)
The red muffler makes for a bright and happy addition as the ones i have are dark colored. I've been using it often these days and whenever i see any of my jpse friends, i never fail to wave my red muffler and announced proudly that it's handknitted gift from my friends back in Singapore.
Thank you Marie and Michelle-chan! I like my red muffler a lot! :)
I am back
I took a break from blogging to reorganize some aspects of life here now that it is almost going to be halfway through my contract.
Time to take stock and reflect a little, from when i first arrived till today, what exactly had i done or accomplished in the past 5 months or so. It would be my greatest horror and fear to leave this place after a year not to be able to remember what i really did and how i had spent my this one year abroad. In this sense, I am really glad that i started a blog to remember my Japan days by. Somehow, as one grows older, it's really harder to rely only on memory however good it used to be. It would be a real pity if all i can recall after leaving here are but some vague and fuzzy feeling of happiness when i look back at some old photographs in the future.
That being said, there were moments when the lazy streak in me hampered my intention to constantly update and write about life here. What kept me going is the knowledge that friends and family do indeed check out my blog regularly to see how i am doing.
What with my good friends' (you know who you are :p)encouragement to keep blogging and how much they enjoyed reading about my stories here, i know i shall not let these people down :)
I still have so many stories to tell and pictures to share. A couple of funny episodes when i first arrived which till now i had not even find time to back blog. So many thoughts and revelations going through my mind that i want to chronicle. Little highlights of my days in this small and sleepy town. My parents' visit last November. Japanese songs that i heard over the radio and tv here which i like. English songs which i sang with students during lessons. Pictures and recipes of the food i had or dishes that i cooked. These are things that will inevitably evoke so many precious memories, I want them to put them down one by one.
Happy Birthday Daddy
Sometimes when i think about it, even myself is amazed at how close we are to our father even though he was away more than half the time during our growing up years. It's not like he has a choice. It certainly isnt't an easy feat bringing up four kids in Singapore while earning the Ringgit all this while. And it certainly isn't luck that he remains such a big part of all his children lives even though he could not always be by their side. It takes a lot of hard work to raise a family and even more work to keep it going and for this I respect and love my Daddy dearly.
He is this very homely and sentimental man who places his family above all things else. He is someone who still keeps all the birthday cards we made for him when we were kids, remembers all the birthdays and anniversary dates and listened attentively to all our school stories and later workplace stories ever so eagerly. Which is why till today, he still could share in all our jokes and partake in all the activities whenever he comes back to home in Singapore.
There are many things i want to thank my Daddy for on this special day. For making the decision to send us to Singapore and giving us an education which opened more windows of opportunities in lives.For inculcating in us the habit of reading from a young age and buying all the Enid Blytons, Bookworm club series and Sweet Valley Highs we could ever wanted. For introducing to us the world of Beatles, oldies and evergreen classics which we all love till today and for sharing all the Aaron Kwoks and Jimmy Lins with us. For being with us in all stages of life and giving advices which usually proved to be the best course of action at hindsight.For creating such a wonderful home which we always look forward to going back to. For being our father, mentor and ever greatest fan.
It is my greatest wish that we can all be financially independent soon so that he can slow down his pace and spend more time at home. I want to be able to provide for my daddy and give him a good life after he had provided for us for so many years now.
Like every year, i wish him good health and happiness on his special day.
Happy birthday my dear Daddy :)
Fukue getaway
Today is a public holiday in Japan, being the 'Coming of Age Day' or 成人の日. Over the weekend I went to the biggest island called Fukue in the Goto chain of islands for a short getaway. From Narao, there is a direct ferry to Fukue which only costs ￥740 for a one way trip and the journey is just slightly over an hour.Riddhi, an ALT from India picked me up from Fukue terminal when i reached there last Saturday afternoon.
As expected, Fukue in Goto-shi(五島市, the blue part in the simplified map of Goto island) wasn't that much different from where i am in the upper island of Shinkamigoto-cho (新上五島町, the green part). As the name suggests, in the Japanese system of town planning, Fukue actually has a city status as compared to Shinkamigoto which has a town status. So in a way, the little city of Fukue does have a fair bit more in terms of shops and restaurants when compared to here. But it's worth noting that 'city' in the Japanese sense does not mean the usual images of big bustling cities that most people have in mind. In Japan, cities, towns and villages are established according to population figure in each area. Any area with just over a population of 30,000 people will be qualified to apply for the 'shi' or city status. To illustrate with some figures i found from online sources, the lower island is a city of over 47,000 people whereas the upper island is a town of about 25,000. In short, be it 'city' or 'town', Goto island is essentially still very much countryside or inaka area as the Japanese themselves call it.
The weather was very bad when i visited Fukue (the ferry was tossing in the sea due to the huge waves and hence delayed by almost 40min)so we did not do as much sightseeing as we planned to. The strong wind made it difficult to walk along the streets so we simply drove around the island as she showed me the various sights and places from inside the car. I was thrilled when we drove past a little Mos Burger joint (yes! the 'city' has one but not my little town you see) and unabashedly suggested if we could have it for dinner. It's quite hilarious isn't it considering that here i am at the birthplace of Mos Burger and yet i hadn't had any since arriving. I am not a fastfood fan but i always make an exception when it comes to Mos. And so it was Mos Burger for dinner that night, woohoo! :P
This is Riddhi preparing an authentic Indian curry meal for me. Though several years younger than me, she is more mature than most of her peers and we got along really well right from the beginning when we met each other at the prefectural orientation in Tokyo. She is an extremely easy going and chatty girl hailing from Bombay. Through her, i probably learnt and understand more about India than i ever did the past 20 over years :p We chatted about so many things under the sun, the education system in India, the great literate-illiterate divide problem existing in the country today, Bollywood and Hindi movies, Singapore and her muliti-racialism, Japan and some of the weird antics that we witnessed and experienced while working with the locals :p
Being a vegetarian, the curry consisted of only onions and potatoes (which suited me just fine really) and i was surprised to learn that they actually put chopped tomatoes or tomato puree inside their curry besides all the usual spices thus the slighly tangy flavor.
And this was my Sunday brunch before i hopped on the ferry back to Narao. Now what are the chances of having authentic real SPICY Indian curry on a remote island in the middle of nowhere in Japan? :)
Taste of home
I woke up on the second day of the new year and received a belated Christmas present from my home. It actually arrived on 1st Jan but as i was out the whole day, the postman left a note at my doorstep instead. I rang the post office and got them delivered whatever it was to my place and was delightfully surprised when the post lady handed a small and compact parcel to me. I've always love it when i receive things in the mail but somehow it is an even more special feeling when one is abroad and receive things from loved ones back home :)
I hastily opened the parcel and was astounded and touched to find a loaf of Gardenia Fruit and Nut bread and a box of Lipton Gold Tea! Friends who know my family well will know that the one thing we like most is teatime (ok and sometimes coffee too)at home. Teatime can be anytime really. From the usual late afternoon when we will sit down and chat over all sorts of tea and snacks to weekend midnight teatime when we will usually catch soccer matches and enjoy drinking tea together.
As for the loaf of bread, Rosie sent it over because i was complaining to her sometime back how it is really difficult (if next to impossible on this island) to find wholemeal bread (and brown rice) in Japan. I am sure you can certainly find some good stuff in the big cities but one thing's for sure,you'll definitely have to pay a premium for those. But in general, Japanese just like their bread and rice WHITE and i just so miss my chunky, high fibre wholemeal loaves terribly! :( Even though the fruit and nut load is not entirely wholemeal, compared to the ones here, they are like godsend! Thank you everyone back home, love you all so much!
So i brewed myself a cup of hot tea and enjoyed my first slice of wholesome fruit and nut bread in a long long while. Gardenia has never tasted so good before! :p
As for the rest of the loaf, i've preciously wrapped each slice with clear wrap and put them in the freezer so i can toast slice by slice and eat leisurely during breakfast on weekend, yay!
The long way home
The bus i usually take home from work at 4:16pm stops running during the winter break as students do not have to come to school for 2 weeks.
Instead i would have to take the next bus at 4:46pm. Or hitch a ride home with one of the teacher but that would mean staying in school till 5pm.
Though a little chilly, the weather was generally very fine yesterday so i decided to walk home for a change. I figure i could do with some exercise too. Winter is not a good excuse to derail all forms of physical activities!
It's not really that long a distance from school to home, about 4km. The only challenge is the numerous uphills along the way. But oh well, with every uphill there will be a downhill right so with that in mind, i took on my first time challenge of walking all the way home. (actually it's my 3rd time but the previous occasions, i was picked up halfway by people i knew who happened to be driving past and insisted i get into their cars :p)
Below are the MANY shots i took along the way. I hope you enjoy these pictures as you 'stroll' home with me : )
A view of my school as i walked upslope.
The beautiful seaview when i finally got up the most treacherous slope of the entire walk.
A zoomed in view of the sea. Wanted a close up of those 2 boats floating in the middle you see.
The sea hadn't look that calm and blue for a very long time now and i just couldn't help stopping every now and then to take in the beautiful sight and to breathe the fresh air.
Nature abounds on this little island...
Little sideway stopover. See the bald trees along the way? Those are cherry blossom trees. Come spring when the sakuras are in full bloom, the island will be transformed into a garden! Am really looking forward to spring time already : ) But that would mean that it's time to leave the island soon :( What an emotional dilemma...
As you can see from the pictures, there are hardly cars on the road and trust me, i didn't wait till when there were no cars to take any shots :p
The first spot since leaving school that is flat enough to have a settlement of sort. This is where many of the students at school live, a place called Onarao.
These are some rather typical looking houses on the islands. There are some modern looking and concrete ones but some of them look really traditional and old don't they? Can you spot the zinc one amongst them? Many of these families actually have small plots of land where they farm their own sweet potatoes,vegetables and even mandarin oranges.
Moving on, I was still on elevated ground when this shot was taken. Can you spot the cemetery in between the hill?
A closer view of the cemetery. If you see carefully, it is built just next to the road.There are many of these small cemeteries all over the island, in fact there is another one very near my house. Somehow, these Japanese cemeteries do not feel as eerie as Chinese ones do. I was kinda spooked initially whenever i walked past one but had since gotten used to it now. Instead of individual pictures of the deceased, Japanese tombs simply bear the family surname which perhaps explains the reduced spook factor. In countryside places where people are still pretty conservative, it is still common practice to be buried at the family grave when someone pass away.
On the left: The bus stop where my students will alight at Onarao. You must be wondering where is the bus stop, haha. The little box like thing with the blue and red stand next to it! :P On the right: A very steep staircase leading to all the houses you see in the earlier picture. This is the general feel of the place here, it's like a maze at times with plenty of slopes and staircases around. Till today, i am still 'discovering' new and hidden staircases as i walk around the neighbourhood.
Finally i've walked to level ground and near the waters now. These boats belong to the local fishermen who return once a month to their hometown for a break after having been out in the sea. 30 years back, Narao was once a thriving fishing town and was way much livelier than what it is today. As it is in most parts of the world today, the waters have been overfished and these days, the fishing scene was but one-tenth of what it was in its heyday.
From here i walked on for another 15min and finally it was home sweet home.
You see the small block of white building with 3 units in a row? That is my little kampong apartment/house, somewhere in the middle of a hill. My unit is the first from the right, the one with yellow curtains on the 2nd floor. Welcome welcome! :)
あけましておめでとうございます
Happy New Year! Can't believe it but it's 2007 already!
No countdown parties, no glamourous firework shows, no romantic dates or cosy family dinners.
Don't worry it wasn't a lonely New Year's Eve either, just different from the usual.
I am glad to have the chance to spend New Year season on the island and experience the way Japanese celebrate and usher in a brand new year.
The Hanasakis (鼻崎)knew that i am not going home for the holidays and invited me to their house and to spend new year's eve and day with them. Mr. and Mrs. Hanasaki are really like stand-in parrents in Narao. They've met my folks when they came to visit last year and in their usual warm-hearted style treated us to dinners and showed my parents around the island. They have 2 grown-up sons who are living in the city so on usual days it's only the 2 of them at home.
New Year's Eve is called Ohmisoka (大晦日) in Japanese and we had Tohiskoshi Soba ((年越しそば)which means 'crossing the year' soba literally for dinner. It is just normal soba noodles but it's a custom to eat before the New Year comes. Like the Chinese tradition of eating food with names that sounds similar to things that bring good luck and fortune, the Japanese too have similar belief and practice. By eating soba, the Japanese hope to live a long and thin life and gather happiness and good fortune.
Through the night, we watched the Kouhaku Uta Gassen(紅白歌合戦) or Red & White Song Battle, on tv while waiting for 2007 to ring in. The 'red' team or akagumi (紅組)is made up of all female artists while the 'white' team or shirogumi (白組)is all male. Traditionally it is considered a great honor to appear on Kouhaku as performance is strictly by invitation so only the most successful J-pop artists abd ebka singers can perform. However in recent years, viewership for the show has taken a dip and it is now not consider that much a big deal anymore as many in the cities celebrate new year's eve by partying the night away instead of staying at home to watch the program. I've got to admit for all the build-up and hype over this annual mega new year's eve event, the show was a tad bit lacklustre. Since this is gonna be my one and only New Year in Japan, i sat through most of the 4-hour show and by the way the white team evetually won the battle.
When i said i spent New Year's eve and day with the Hanasakis, i literally stayed over at their place that night even though my own house was just right opposite the street and down by a little hill. They said that this way, i would not feel sad and lonely on the first day of the year. The next day, i was fed more, given more food and driven home by them with more promises of meeting up over the holidays. I was told that whenever i feel cold and want a hot bath (i only take shower at home which the Jpse consider prone to catching a cold during winter), i can just pop by their place anytime. The room which i slept in is 'my room' till i return to Singapore. Even then, their hospitality and warmth do not stop just there as they repeatedly stressed that anytime in the future when i come to Japan, and back to Narao for visit, be it on my own or with my family, their door will always be open for me. For sure, i will certainly be back to visit my wonderful otoosan and okaasan in Narao :)
The other family which i spend a lot of time with are the Matsumura(松村). On the second day of the new year, i joined them and their children, who were back for the holidays, for a game of tennis at Wakamatsu before going over to their place for dinner.
There, i was treated to the traditional and very delicious Japanese New Year cuisine called Osechi ryori which consists of many different kind of dishes.
Osechi was originally a way for the Japanese to survive the first several days of the New Year, when stores throughout Japan were closed. As the food that made up osechi can be prepared in advance and last for a few days without spoiling, housewives finish cooking osechi dishes by New Year's Eve so they can relax and enjoy the next few days of celebration without having to worry about preparing meals. Each dish and type of food in osechi has meaning, such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, and so on. However,nowadays, it is not uncommon for many to buy osechi at stores instead of cooking them at home since it is rather time-consuming process.
All in all i had a pretty good and relaxing break. Did nothing much really, blogged and cooked a bit here and there. It's back to school again from tomorrow onwards even though classes will not start till next week. I am looking forward to this coming weekend when i will be going to the lower island (下五島) for a short getaway!
A fellow ALT friend will pick me up from the port and we hope to do some shopping and sightseeing together. Even though we are both staying in the Gotos, I've heard much about how different the upper part (上五島) is from the lower part. Well, glad to finally have a chance to take a look myself.
