shojin ryori

Among other things i did today, i finally ate shojin ryori for lunch. It was composed as follows:
first course-- sesame tofu (a firm and chewy brown tofu with sesame oil topped with wasabi), potato porridge (which was very thick and gooey and topped with shredded green leaves of some sort)
second course-- five cubes of roasted tofu on wooden sticks topped with a green sauce (consisted of sweet potato and spices and something to make it green, maybe tea powder)
third course-- vegetable tempura (shiso leaf, nori seaweed, japanese pumpkin, snow pea, a dark flavorful mushroom, and some kind of sweet gluten) with a sweet soy sauce dip
fourth course-- five slabs of tofu in a ceramic bowl with with steaming water and kombu seaweed as a soup base, placed in the center of the table on a larger ceramic pot heated with a candle, and a small dish of shredded scallions, dish of ginger and spices, and a ceramic flask of soy sauce, kept in the boiling water and taken out when served. along with this was also served a bowl of white rice with shredded nori flakes and two slices of pickled daikon
It cost 3200 yen, which is about 30 bucks, but it was worth every yen. And i did other stuff too, including visiting the nearby temple and surrounding forest complete with stone idols and incense, strolling along a walkway called the "Philosopher`s Path" and helping the staff of an organic cafe translate some more of their menu into English, visiting the "Silver Temple" and enjoying the beautiful autumn colors and carpets of moss crawling up the slopes where a splendid view was had. And a delightful dinner at a vegetarian restaurant with a fat cat who took pleasure in being pet.
Tomorrow... onward!

kyoto

I am in Kyoto right now, on a hostile computer. (If you like that clever pun, you will be pleased with the rest of this blog).
I`m on a hard-earned five-day vacation in Kyoto, Japan`s old capitol and home to an absurd number of temples and an even absurder number of tourists, most of them Japanese. The autumn is in full swing, and autumn colors are all the rage here in Kyoto, so much so that everyone in Japan has decided to come here with their cameras and children. But really, the scenery is gorgeous, and the trees surrounding the beautiful temples and lining the ponds full of fallen leaves are breathtaking. My breath has been stolen ruthlessly a number of times by countless trees.
I accomplished two things today that i wanted to accomplish in Japan. One--drink green tea in an old-fashioned teahouse. This morning in the middle of a stroll around a temple-filled area, i rested my weary feet in a teahouse that overlooks a small pond with colorful carp and a meticulously planned garden. I drank matcha (powdered green tea) from a bowl and ate wagashi (Japanese sweets) topped with kinako (a powdered sweet soybean topping that makes you gag painfully if you breathe too hard while biting). The other task was to eat at a good traditional vegetarian Japanese restaurant, which I did. The restaurant i ate at focused on yuba (the skin that boils off of soymilk), and the food came in many small bowls, each with a different yuba creation, all delicious. I plan on eating at a shojin ryori (literally--the cuisine of people who are on the difficult path to enlightenment) restaurant soon, which essentially in Japanese temple food created during Buddhist times for monks, and now enjoyed, though expensively, by people with a taste for the painful advancement of the soul into the plain of eternal light. Much like me.

Well, more later. I also visited some temples but to describe them would only diminish their beauty. I am saying this to avoid more lengthy descriptions. Perhaps i shall reconsider later.

bloggery - bliss or bane?

i am traveling to Okayama tomorrow with fellow coworker Neil from St.Louis, Missouri for our Kids Training. Afterwhich, we can teach youngsters. I finally made myself email my phone photos from the cell's memory to my email mailbox. A technological feat! So now you can all view some scenes from my Osaka debacle. Well, that might be taking it a bit far, but i like how it sounds. Nice assonance. By the way, that might be a good pick-up line. At least outside the literature department in college.
If i ever figure out how to upload images onto the darned blog. Let's face it. It will never happen, so let's be realistic. I am no techno-wizard, and my magic is severely limited to operating this ordinateur in the most basic of ways. The internet is one of the most dangerous tools that humans have made. First of all, it is the first information trading tool that is both widely accessible and intangible. It will be the end of us all, but not before we enjoy flashing advertisements that cater to the subjects of our emails and the horrendously self-satisfying and egotistical phenomenon that is bloggery.

two frames of mind

This title refers to how i am often sullen and unenergetic at work and suddenly bursting with joy at home, or other times, sometimes even at work! It really is the strangest thing. I think it may be correlated to my caffeine intake. But often enough, the relationship of caffeine intake to joy level is indirectly porportional. I am no scientist, but my musings on measurement give me great pleasure. Perhaps i am simply severely misled in dealings of the mind, and i should seek out some psychiatric assistance, or at least a shoulder to cry on and a personal tape recorder to speak to, since most people do not enjoy hearing my arrogant and self-absorbed rantings. The wall shall do for now, though it does not answer back, but this has not been a problem.
It is a great danger to be alone for so long in the house. More specifically, a danger to the mind, because it longs to reach out to some other entity, and when there is none to be found, it will bounce these urges around within the cranium, creating a perilous amount of energy that must be displaced before the head explodes.
A side note---whilst on the road up the mountain past Kamojima, a large bulldozer blocked the way. A man passed us on the road and spoke to us while picking up rocks and dropping them to the floor, motioning for us to do something with them. We didn't understand him, and assumed we were supposed to throw rocks at the vehicle. After he passed, everyone was hesitant but me, and i picked up a small stone and threw it at the window, which regrettably resulted in cracks snaking across its surface. I didn't realize at first because it didn't shatter, but everyone else saw its color change and told me they thought it cracked. When we got closer, the answer was clear, and the bulldozer stopped to let us pass, probably to prevent further damage. I approached the window and saw a young man inside, laying back and smoking a cigarette with a smirk on his face. I apologized in the best Japanese i knew but he said nothing, only gave me a look as if to say "i don't care. i get a smoking break." We proceeded onward, unscathed.
Onward, ho!

kamojima and the garden of eden

Two days ago I went to Kamojima with three chums--two who work at nova and another who works at some small english school. One of the nova teachers lives there, and he met us at the station early in the morning, afterwhich we walked up the road, passing rice fields and irrigation ditches. Kamojima is a very small town with beautiful mountains in the near distance, and at their foot is a cluster of small temples and the beginning of a trail that ascends and descends three of these mountains. At the top of the third is a larger temple where pilgrims stop who are making the eighty-eight temple pilgrimage. The forest along the trail is superbly beautiful, full of tall trees, bamboo groves, and sub-tropical plants. The hike was strenuous, but initially we were all ambitious and full of energy, leaping up the log steps and keeping a quick pace, stopping only to admire the views when we encountered a level break. Whenever we looked out at the expanse below us, we saw slopes covered in trees and small fields dotted with tiny houses. While hiking, we often passed a solitary pilgrim dressed in white robes with a straw hat and walking stick who would step aside to let us pass and wish us a good day. Towards the top of the second mountain, there is a resting spot with an enormous tree in the center surrounded by a stone gate. Set in front of the tree is a large stone statue of a pligrim in traditional garb. As we climbed the steps up to the statue, sunlight crept out from between the branches of the tree and dazzled our faces. Near the bottom of this mountain was a tiny cluster of houses with large fruit tree gardens and small old women tending the plants. We picked some oranges and found some fallen kiwis, which tasted better than any other we had eaten before. Past the kiwi trees was a small stream that became a small river, and a bridge that led over it to another trail up the third mountain. Below the bridge was an array of large stones and a deep blue pool where the water gathered. We clambered down the slope and sat on the rocks for a while, listening to the sounds of the stream and endulging in the peaceful silence that embraced this place. As we were leaving, Jeff, the other nova teacher, jumped over the rushing stream from one rock to another, and i contemplated doing the same, as the distance was not great, but my mind froze me in place. I realized that i had a fear of jumping over water, which was interesting to discover but frustrating to deal with. As everyone was leaving, i was still bracing myself for the jump, and trying to concentrate. They signaled to me at the top near the trail, and i motioned to move on and that i would catch up, but they remained and chatted, waiting for me. I had to try to ignore the fact that people were waiting and i had to remind myself of the safety of the jump, and i remained determined. I finally broke free of the hold my mind had on me and jumped, landing very safely, and rejoined the group on top. We soon reached the temple after the longest and most difficult uphill climb, because by then our legs were giving way. The temple was beautiful, with old chipping statues of angry gods and decorated interiors with statues of the meditating Buddha. We had the priviledge of hearing the pilgrims pray together, led by a monk, in what i assume was a Buddhist prayer. It sounded like a chanted drone, much like an orthodox Jewish service, but less melodic. The cedar trees surrounding the temple were huge because they were allowed to grow for so long. After visiting the temple, we proceeded down a slope to a road, and followed it until we found a free ride to town from a nice bus driver who told us the drive was "top secret" (in english... one of the only english phrases he seemed to know for some reason). After getting into town and traipsing around a bit, we caught a bus back to Tokushima station. A splendid day!

as for japan... (and tanukis)

they're still pretty much the same. At least sleepy-eyed Tokushima. Except for a tanuki festival in the works in the city square. None of my students seem to know the story associated with this festival, just that there was once a famous tanuki who resided in Tokushima that was originally from somewhere else. As for why he was famous, what he was famous for, and how a tanuki can be famous, i am still at a loss. But he must have done something right, because the whole city will celebrate him soon.
Here are some photos of tanuki in action (ridiculously called raccoon-dog in English... i think i may have put some information on them up already, but what the hey)
http://www.ingo-bartussek.de/Photos/RACCOON-DOG/raccoon-dog_1_10/raccoon-dog_1_10.html

It is a merry beast, looking much like a raccoon but having little relation, being a canine. During mating season, its testicles swell to a gargantuan size. Most tanuki statues, which sit outside many Japanese restaurants, exhibit the swollen testicles, and if you're lucky, even a penis to boot! Check em out!
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tanuki.shtml

If this blog has been too obscene, i apologize. It is not my fault, it's this danged Japanese culture, and the fact that tanuki never wear pants, something i cannot unfortunately help. I have asked students many times why tanuki refuse to wear pants, and have not gotten a straight answer yet. I believe it is because no pants can be made to accomodate such massive testicles.

damn nation

Well, looks like we are doomed. Besides the obvious, such as prolonged murder and destruction, and many unmarried gay couples, and many unwanted babies breathing their first breaths, we will probably watch as whatever is left of our natural areas will disappear. Or rather, turn into wood chips and living room tables. And the new oil fields will produce some more black gold to help power our vehicles. Oh glorious progress, how you shine brightest when you beat down nature with your metal pipe of modern convinience!
Koizumi, the Japanese president, gave our renewed president an election gift: a lifted ban on american beef. Now both Japanese and Americans can enjoy diseased meat products! Koizumi decided that his people need to relish all things American--processed cheese and starbucks coffee were apparently not enough--now, mad cow disease takes center stage in the introduction of the hottest new american culture!
I feel compelled to sing the star spangled banner, but only the part about the "twilight's last gleaming"... it reminds me of the last gleam of democracy our nation once had, when all of us liberals were vote-craving hopefuls, hoping in vain that our youth would actually get out there and remind us all what democracy was about. In turns out that the same number of youths voted in this election as in 2000. So much for the "sudden awakening" of the drowsy and unmotivated american youth. Will they ever decide to stand up and speak their mind, or have video games and MTV drained whatever was left of their minds already? Not to mention processed cheese, starbucks coffee and the blossoming of mad cow disease in their little brains.