Ho Ho Ho

Christmas is nearing and despite being in Japan I am feeling the ho ho ho. Last weekend put together a splendid cookie house, complete with Santa stuck in a chimney. Thank you MUJI. Taku and I also made it to the Luminarie in Kobe a few weekends ago. Chose the best night as it wasn't so crowded- only took 30minutes from Motomachi to the end of the path. Have also eyed some houses in the inaka with lights displays and planning to pop round and ogle them on Christmas Eve. Christmas dinner will be KFC style- did try to nab a whole chicken but the store was sold out so will make do with the regular secret herbs and spices. Special touch for christmas dinner is a 100yen lucky dip for everyone. Thank you 100yen heaven for yoyo's, novelty lighters, Winnie the Poo combs and plastic Minne Mouse cookie key chains!



Off to interview the local priest tonight. Very looking forward to it and glad to be back in the freelancing spirit again. It has been a long long time since I had any inspiration to write. Have been researching Buddhism and Shintoism a lot recently and feel a little wiser to the Japanese and why they tilt their head like a perplexed puppy when someone asks them if they have a religion.

And in true sense of the expression 'when you least expect it' another job offer has materialised. In a pickle now about what to do. But in the spirit of positivity I have decided to weigh up both options and if possible negotiate my way into the best situation for myself.

Don't know if I'll be making an appearance here again until the Year of the Tiger (though really should be this year after Mr Woods was exposed for his philandering ways, no?) so I will wish you a Merry Christmas and a much better year/decade ahead dear Blog.

Stay tuned...

Sardine cinema

Well after gazing over my previous post, I owe Kobe an apology. I finally found a cinema in Sannomiya showing New Moon (at the exorbitant price of 1800yen!) and peddled/trained myself over there today. Was an odd experience really, not the movie, but the cinema placing. Arrived with about 30 minutes before the flick was due to start, browsed the snacks on offer- churos, chicken nuggets, caramel corn etc-and after grabbing a much appreciated blankie at the entrance, made my way to my allocated seat. Was enjoying the central location in a virtually empty cinema until two teenage girls came in and after checking their tickets plonked themselves down right next to me. Took a deep breath and slurped away at my caramel machiatto. Five minutes later two young women entered the cinema, checked their tickets and plonked themselves down right infront of me!? Scanned the room for hidden cameras in case I was being taken for a ride but nothing. Not 2 minutes later a middle-aged and creepy looking man with bad skin made his way down the aisle and, you guessed it, plonked himself down on the other side of me, while at the same time a loved-up couple bunked down behind me. Effectively I was sandwiched in from all corners, in an otherwise empty cinema!! What the truck is with allocating patron's seats in a cinema so that they are huddled in a little pack while the rest of the room is empty?? As soon as the lights dimmed, I grabbed my machiatto and headed straight for the back of the room where I enjoyed New Moon in peace. Was a bit put off by the few eldery men scattered about at the back though. What would bring them to such a film? Ah well, can't complain, after all I was there solo too. Am just so very satisfied I managed to see New Moon around the same time as the rest of the world and can now waste my time contemplating the change in directors and Edward vs Jacob blah blah blah:)

Popped on over to GAP after the flick (of course) and was miffed to find my must-have blazer ridiculously reduced. Forgot GAP goes nuts with discounting very shortly after premiering new looks! Will be more GAP-savvy next time. Well was today, as well, really. Picked up a 3/4 army green hooded jacket reduced from it's silly original price by 6000yen! Also nabbed a lovely grey grandpa cardigan at an also ridiculously slashed price. Woop woop for me.

Haven't been to 100yen heaven lately, however, a few weeks ago it came in quite a treat when I snagged my brand new 80denier opaque tights on the ride to the station. Ducked into 100yen heaven, grabbed some needle and thread and shut that little ladder up! Also managed to walk away with some suprisingly un-tacky christmas decorations which I put about the classroom. Thank you 100yen heaven.

Stay tuned...

Old moon

This post will be short and bitter. Just checked the cinema listings in Kobe and Himeji for New Moon and couldn't find one bloody cinema that is showing the second movie in the Twilight saga. Is this some cruel joke? Why is the rest of the world nuts about Twilight except Japan? Thought it might be a stretch for Himeji to be showing only one of the most hotly anticipated premieres of the year, but Kobe? Kobe can't pull its finger out and get into the spirit of things? Needless to say, am deflated and defeated. Didn't help that my mum and sister sent me a text earlier in the night letting me know they'd already had the pleasure. Someone call me a waa waambulance!

My name is Erin and I buy magazines for the gifts.

Just got back from ユニクロ. It took pretty much all I had not to buy out the store. I don't know what comes over me when I go there. But today found everything super cute. I held back on some of the unnecessary but walked away with everyone's winter must-haves- HEATTECH tights and tops. Have discovered ユニクロ sizes have also expanded since I last lived here. There's now XL in womens wear which if I remember correctly didn't use to exist. Which is a bad thing really because it was the limited sizes that was keeping me motivated to exercise! What's also a bad thing, on the shopping front, is these bloody bonus gifts in magazines. Since around September, I think, all matter of magazines have been offering 'free' gifts with their mag. I now own a ユニクロ bag (mag was all in English so very happy with that one), a BAPE army print watch (quite nice really), a HELLO KITTY tote (who wouldn't want one anyway?) and a 3 pack purse set of some brand I've never heard of called 'Hamburggirl'. Settled on 'Hamburggirl' after realising it was bloody stupid to buy the 'See by Chloe' magazine just for the pencil case and pen when the magazine cost almost 2000yen. It was also after that purchase that I had to have a word to myself and say NO to any more magazine purchases. I have fooled myself, however, into believing the purchase is two-fold in that I can study Japanese at the same time. But really, who am I kidding? I have a 'free'-gift-with-magazine problem and I acknowledge it!

100yen heaven came up a treat after I ransacked ユニクロ though. I got myself a little mat to pop under the computer so it doesn't slide (not that it ever did really) and a very cute little wicker bowl to pop bits and pieces in. Both items I didn't know I needed. Again. From 100yen.

Stay tuned...

Domestic Goddess

Well don't I feel like the perfect house guest. Woke up this morning to a chilly and rainy day. Am feeling very spoilt in the castle what with heated flooring AND heated toilet seats!

Fluffed around until midday watching telly. Caught the beginning of いいとも where Quentin Tarrantino made a very awkward appearance in a poncho. Most of the time his head was stretched to the side desperately listening to his translator. Methinks the translator was shite because Mr Kill Bill did lots of odd things while the host looked very unimpressed. Consequently one of the coolest directors in the world just looked like a donkey amongst all the "ehhs", and "soo desu ne's". If I was a super famous foreigner in Japan I'd definitely get myself a decent translator. Reminds me of the time Madonna was on BISTRO SMAP and introduced herself as "Madonna san". Surely Madge could have booked herself a top notch translator who would have told her you don't refer to yourself as san.

Anway, clipped on my uber fashionable 100yen heaven hooded rain coat and cycled down to the local supermarket. Got lost and ended up at another supermarket but was very grateful to the staff who helped me read the kanji on the minced meat packet and didn't make the mistake of buying pork mince when really wanted beef. Turns out purely beef mince is as rare here as whale meat in Australia and had to settle for a mix of both pork and beef.

Was a bit miffed by that because today is my day off and also the day I promised to cook the family lasagne and cheesecake. Wanted everything to be right, so called mum in a panic who told me it was no biggie, just needed to add lots of garlic. So four hours later have whipped up a cheesecake and lasagne, both recipes from my mama. Will list the recipe here not to show off my culinary chops but rather to document the process for future domestic goddess days off:



CHEESECAKE

2 250g blocks of PHILADELPHIA cream cheese
2 lemons
1 can of condensed milk
1 pack of plain milk biscuits
1/2 block of butter

Base:

Must crush biscuits into a fine crumb-like state. Best done with food processer but being without the pleb method is to use a spoon and grind them in a metal sieve. Good for arm muscles.
Melt butter and then pour into crumbs. Mix around with fingers then pour into cake tin gently manipulating the crumbs into the contours of the cake tin. Let set in freezer for 30 minutes or thereabouts.

Mixture:

Make sure the cream cheese is really soft. Stir until smooth and then add condensed milk and lemon juice. Make sure all ingredients has become well acquainted before pouring onto the lovely base. Then back in the freezer for 30 minutes. Could garnish with kiwi fruit for aesthetic points or leave naked! Yummo.

LASAGNE

500g BEEF mince
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 jar of tomato sauce
2-3 cloves of garlic (how I like)
1 onion
1 spoonful of basil/oregano/thymme/salt/pepper
1 bay leaf
1 box of pasta sheets (very hard to find here)
1 tub of cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 big bag of grated mozzarella cheese
1 big bag of regular grated cheese

Meat sauce:

Dice up the onions and garlic and swish around in olive oil until nice and soft. Add mince and mix until brown. Add tinned tomoatoes and herbs. Mix a bit, then add tomoto sauce. Cook for thirty minutes and then let simmer and gather flavour.

After 2 hours of meat sauce plumping itself with flavour put pasta sheets in boiling water for 4 minutes. While that's happening mix two eggs into the cottage cheese. Now you are ready to stack the masterpiece.

Line tray with pasta sheets. Add a layer of meat sauce, then cheese sauce, then add another layer of pasta sheets and so on until all mixture is gone. Ideally 3 layers looks best. Then sprinkle with mozzarella and regular cheese.

Put in oven for 40 minutes on 180degrees. Try not to watch lasagne bubbling away in oven like I do. Tis far better to return to a lovely layer of bubbling toasty brown cheese.
Enjoy!

p.s
thanks to 100yen heaven for making day easier what with hooded raincoat and cute cake tins.

Stay tuned...

A few of my favourite things...

I've only been here for just over a week and already my shopping addiction is getting the better of me!

Made it to Sannomiya today in far better shape than my trip a few days ago to Himeji. Thankfully Taku took me and the punctured bike down to the bike hospital last night where I also scored a nice little basket, so I didn't have any drama peddling to the station today.

I did however, puncture my wallet after only a few minutes inside GAP. Have been hunting a blazer with silver buttons and striped cuffs for a while now and bloody GAP has to have the only bloody blazer that I absolutely love. Unfortunately it wasn't ridiculously slashed in price like most other Autumn items instore so I walked out of there with a gap in my wallet as well. Ah well, it is a fiercely fashionable crowd in Sannomiya so I am pretty chuffed with my purchase.

When I shop in Japan I get a feeling not unlike, I'm guessing, heroin addicts get when they watch the needle bubbling before their veins. Give me give me give me- or perhaps more like a pig in a trough. I dunno, anway I spied so many things today that I had to put myself on a train ASAP so I wouldn't try to justify throwing down too many ichimans and be left without a train fare.

I've come up with a list of some of my favourite things to buy in Japan:

(in no particular order)

UniQlo tights

UniQlo slimfit jeans

Hello Kitty paraphernalia

Astro Boy paraphernalia

(A new one) Care Bear paraphernalia

Shiseido oil blotting film

じゃがりこ　（チーズ）

Angel Heart Perfume

GRANIPH T-SHIRT DESIGN t-shirts

無印 pens from FAMILY MART

7ELEVEN ツナマヨ　おにぎり

UniQlo undies/camisoles

GAP blazers:)

+ much much more.

Stay tuned...

いなか！！

Well I certainly had it drilled into me yesterday that we aren't in Tokyo anymore Toto. Had the most epic trip to Himeji which left me a stinking shell of my former self!

Wanted to arrive at Himeji around 12pm so could swan about FORUS and sit back at Starbucks before work but my idle fantasies were quashed by bus timetables and punctured bicycle tires. Set off from home about 11:15 to catch the bus because the weather outside was frightful and the bus stop is only a 5 minute walk from the house. Felt quite satisfied I'd found the stop without incident until I scanned the timetable and saw the next bus wasn't untill 12:38! No drama, tottled back to the house to pick up the bike and made way for the station (a 20 minute ride), only to be on the bike for a mere 2 minutes before the back tyre burped itself a bloody hole and started hissing air. Consequently I had to peddle extra hard to make it to the station by which time my lovely straightened hair had gone afro on me and I was dripping sweat from my chin like a leaking tap! Tried to compose myself and popped into Family Mart where I mopped myself up with some powder sheets and avoided looking in any mirrors for fear that the afro would send me into hiding. After feeling slighty cleaned up headed on up to the station (by this time it was 12pm) and bought my ticket only to see that the next bloody train wasn't until 12:30pm! By that stage it was mother f****rs all round. Made it to Himeji by 12:45pm and although I couldn't sit back and hog a Starbucks couch for a good hour, I did get a cappucinno in before work.

I certainly haven't lost my cool yet but have definitely re-adjusted my thinking about how gorgeous the area is and oh what a nice change it is from when I lived in dirty, stinky Tokyo. I was spoilt in Tokes where the trains run virtually every couple of minutes. The upside though, is that Taku is going to let me wizz around in the Wagon R tonight for some practice. And when I get my confidence up will hopefully be able to either drive to Himeji or the factory by my big self!

Stay tuned...

p.s managed to hold off on the cute monochrome compact shopping bag at 100yen heaven the other day but did sneak away with a liberty print laquer box which I have no idea what I'll do with!

ただいま！

Well I'm finally here- after two weeks tying up things in Australia- living in Japan officially. Picked up my foreigners card on Monday, set up a bank account with Taku and Taku's mum and have moved into Eri's (sister's) room. All that's left to complete the masterpiece is get a phone...and health insurance!

So Tuesday was Takuya's festival. After two months in the making it was fantastic to finally see him in all his glory. Despite the fact I didn't want to make this a photo blog it's totally necessary to post these shots of Taku in his traditional garb:



That's Taku underneath the cloth manipulating the lions head.

Matsuri Takuya in his traditional dress. I love those shoes!!

I'd post more photos but I've just spent about 15 minutes trying to align these ones up! Ha, need to find out how this works. Perhaps it is better to upload images before I start writing? Anywho, went to Osaka on Wednesday for a job interview. Was 1o minutes late because I still haven't managed to get used to the constantly- changing- trains -at- every- second- station- just- to- get- somewhere nature of Kansai. Send me to Tokyo and I'm a gun on the trains but here I'm a real duffer. In short did the whole interview, demo lesson and psych test and left feeling happy but not really sure about things.

Managed to get myself to Shinsaibashi where I ever so coolly kicked back with a coffee frappacino and the 35th Anniversary book of HELLO KITTY (complete with tote) and watched the crowd on Dotonbori. On the walk back to the station put The Gossips's Heavy Cross on repeat and snaked through the crowds with a far more upbeat approach than if I was ipod-less. Felt good. Very good song to play if alone and faced with large Japanese crowds in narrow spaces.

But it was when I got home that things really got better. Mie called to let me know her plum job in Shinjuku's Park Hyatt building was paying off with massive discounts on Shu Uemura stuff (amongst other drool brands) and wanted to know what I'd like. Requested some oil cleanser at a fraction of the price and sat down to check emails. Have recently unsubcribed to a million mail lists and wasn't expecting anthying in the inbox. But 1 little message was waiting for me from the Osaka mob. And it wasn't a rejection letter! Have finally scored a job in the school system!! Hooray for moi! Starts next April. Very excited about the whole thing. Can't wait to be cutting and pasting stuff and eating school bento! But must be patient with my part-time job which starts this Sunday in Himeji. がんばります！

So today, am relaxing in the castle with the window open and gorgeous breeze coming in. Taku and I celebrated my new job with dinner at Gyu Kaku last night. It was good and kind of funny because if I had gone there 4 years ago with Miranda we'd have gushed about the smiles on all the staff's faces. Last night, however, I asked Taku what he thought about their super genkiness and he said "Fake". I had to agree with him. They do pride themselves on top-shelf service though- so much so that one of the staff popped off to the local conbini to get Taku some Mild 7's. Now that's service.

Put on Love Actually this morning and had a chat with mum on skype. Might ride down to 100yen heaven later and find something I didn't know I needed. Yesterday it was a mini bamboo tree!

Stay tuned...

My dum dum

Haven't really figured out how this blog is going to go but I'm not going to put too many photos up because I would like it exclusively to be about writing and not snapping. I think this photo, however, warrants posting because it is the most important reason I am relocating to Japan.

Here goes

Well here it begins. My first blog. I am shamelessly ripping off the idea from the movie Julie/Julia. I'd like to think though, that like Julie finding inspiration from Julia Child so shall I carry on the tradition of honoring women who inspire other women. This, however, is not intended to be a blog about cooking, but who knows.

I'm 28 and moving to Japan permanently in 5 days. My boyfriend, Takuya, who is 24, lives in a small town near Himeji in the western part of Japan known as Kansai. This is where I too will live and work.

Stay tuned...