Hokkaido, Winter 2007

spent a week in the cities of sapporo and otaru. stayed and lived with the monks for a weekend and practiced zazen

kobe scenes

i'm uploading photos to free some space in my notebook. these are under the folder: kobe scenes. i don't know why these pictures got under this category but pressed for a description to write here - i think these are the everyday kobe scenes, season after season, that i want to capture and remember...

i guess, i'm preparing to leave this home for the real one.

kobe shinrin shokubutsuen

after hiking and climbing mount rokko three times, i finally got to bring my camera. went there summer last year and twice this spring. now i have this sense of fulfillment - i think i can now understand the rush and excitement that photographers from the national geographic feel. it's as if you are given the chance to capture fleeting moments of beauty, wonder and miracles....

i can cook

I am cooking!  Believe me that sentence requires an exclamation point at the end.  For eternity, I have stayed away from the kitchen.  My idea of cooking consists of placing eggs with the rice inside the rice cooker.  Mishima-san, the former director of JICE Hyogo, was horrified that I have been living here in Japan for almost 2 years and that's all that I have managed to learn.  I told him,  I really don't need to learn.  Surviving without cooking is easy.  I go to restaurants, university cafeteria and noodle shops to get my dose of nutritious food.  I heat up cooked things in the microwave from kind souls who know how to cook.  Of course all those pre-cooked meals from the convenience stores or supermarkets are the staple. 
My cooking expedition all started with a packet of sinigang mix (sort of seasoning for the famed Pinoy stew) and of course the marked down prawns in the nearby supermarket. 
First, i have to confess about my methodological way of going through the aisles in supermarkets.  I look at the lay out of the store and then decide how to criss-cross the aisles in such a way that I would not miss any of the sections.  I am telling you people, there is an art and science to it.  I directly go to the fruits, then the meat and vegetable (but just to check out their kanji's and the specials) and in Japanese supermarkets these are usually found in the corners.  Then I get to criss-cross the aisles.  Of course, not to be missed is the dairy section for the milk and yogurt or even the pudding.  Next is the deli section for the frozen pizza and hot dogs.  Beverage follows for the weekly supply of fruit juice and then the aisle for ice cream - just to check out if they have new flavors.  Last stop - bread and some pastries, usually found near the bento boxes.  
To cut the story short, I came back to Kobe from a two-week vacation in New York and  noticed that I did not  even have my usual breakfast provision.  So after eating out for two days, I hit the supermarket - then there they were - prawns on sale!  Those things got me started.  I bought them and figured, I can cook them - boil the water, add some vegetables, then the prawns and seasoning.  Voila, two meals!
I got to eat them and soon I was buying spices, pasta and all kinds of sauces.  Then last Sunday, after church, I fried some vegetables, grilled fish and boiled the pasta.  I spent total of two hours in the kitchen.  That is definitely something for a person who just pop things into the microwave.  Last night,  finally cooked the sauce.  Well, even before that,  I checked out the foodnetwork on line but still, the site is not yet marked as favorite in my computer. 
Whoah, I have to restrain myself from embracing this whole cooking thing!  For now, i find it omoshiroi (Japanese term for interesting).  Good thing, I am writing my thesis, I tell myself, take a hold of yourself, you can't be passionate about this thing - TAXATION is your focus.... uh-oh....

waiting for lulu

In Haskell, New Jersey, I got to watch this scene every morning.  Like Vladimir and Estragon of the Samuel Beckett play, Pipay and Honey - these dogs have been doing it for almost a year, waiting patiently for Lulu every morning.  They just know that she'll be coming.

resolving the dilemma - i stayed put

I've become a creature of habits who cherishes luxury (long showers and high rise view), so I stayed put.  After this decision, things kinda got settled and then I went on to roam around and fell in love with another city...

relatives in Japan

    
These people made my last spring break in Kobe Uni difficult (I got sick while touring them around) but precious (I got the kick out of being the most important person in the family).  I even got to order mommy around with the support of Tito Eric... What can they do?  They don't speak or understand Japanese so they depended on me all the time.  Kinda difficult for the two New Yorkers - my cousin Santa and her hubby Kiril.