Test Your True Grit (i.e., How Texan Are You?)

Yee-haw!!
I scored a six, which I was disappointed with, however, that did put me in the "Top Hand" rank.
Let's see how you do.

Springtime with Mom

Korean BBQ. Because we looked a little lost, one of the women working at the restaurant showed us how to do it. Basically, just cut up the meat and grill, then dip in various sauces and eat with lettuce, garlic and green peppers. Delish!








Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures in Korea. The first day it rained. We met up with Dave and went to an indoor amusement park. But the attractions were either really expensive or had long waits, so we ended up just getting ice cream. That night we got more meat and kimochi (kimochi, spicy pickled cabbage, is literally served with everything, and though it's okay, I definitely don't need to eat it 3 times a day). Then we went to a fun bar and tried to drink shu-jo, the Korean equivalent to sake. It was pretty harsh and I didn't fare very well (interpret that as you will). The first half of the second day mom and I spent in the most kick ass spa ever! We tried 3 different saunas (hot, hotter, eucalyptus) and several different baths (milk, orange, ginseng, mudwork, bubble), got a thorough exfoliating scrub-down from Korean women dressed in black lingerie (the scrubbing was borderline painful, but I've never looked more like a spring chicken than after those Korean women were done with me), painted ourselves with mud, had our hair washed and got an oil massage. Then after that we headed to the hotel for a much needed lie-down. All that pampering can really wear you out. Later on, we made it to a really cool market and did some shopping. All the stuff being sold was handmade. That night we met with Ron, who lived in Koga for 6 months, for dinner. We got some kind of fire-chicken and cheese dish that was spicy and conducive to beer drinking.

Sakura (cherry blossoms) in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
Mom in Ueno Park.

The transition. In each particular locale you can only view sakura for a week tops, because as you can see in the picuture, the blossoms quickly turn to leaf buds.
A matsuri in Tokyo!
Portrait with sakura.
Yours truly

Koga no Momo Koen (Peach Park). I skipped out of school early and headed to the peach park with mom and Dave. On the way we picked up picnic supplies: beer, rice crispies, soba, sushi, nuts, and enjoyed under a pink canopy.
Mom in the flowers.
Festive "Boys" carp. Each family that has a new baby boy displays these wind socks during springtime.

Peach girls.

Dave, Mom and me with the Peach girls.
Playing in the mud is fun.
Really fun.
Dinner at Maruman (famous for its baked cinnamon gyoza) with Akemi and Narisada-san, members of one of the adult English classes I teach.

Pink + Yellow, Gougendo, Saitama-ken



Matsuri (festival) vendors can be found at any decent sakura viewing spot, as sakura season is bascially a prolonged matsuri.

These guys are making okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake).

Yaki soba (fried noodles with vegetables). My favorite matsuri food!
The wind was blowing so hard at times it seemed to be snowing sakura petals.
Satsumaimo (sweet potato) fries dusted in sugar.
Tako yaki (fried octopus balls).

Indian Bananas. Seriously, that's what they're called. But aside from being almost inedibly cute, they were a nice departure from the usual candied bananas.
Hanging poetry in the sakura.
The mother of all Culinary Experiences. Mom and I got to go to Iron Chef (yes, as in the Iron Chef from TV) Kobe's restaurant, Massa. Kobe is the "Italian" Iron Chef, and so his restaurant serves Italian inspired dishes.
First course: Salad with sashimi, tomatoes, and lemon bits

Itadakimasu! (Let's eat!)
Second course: Crunchy-fried salmon served with cabbage and pesto.
Third course: Handmade pasta with tomato sauce, octopus and squid.
Palate cleanser? We weren't positive what this was, but a girl from Korea thought was a type of fungus. It was interesting, but not exactly tasty.

Course 4: Japanese white fish with radish and tomato puree.
There were two different desserts served, so we could share with another person and taste the whole assortment.
Dessert 1: Moose cake, chocolate gelato, fresh fruit.
Dessert 2: Strawberry-cream tart, mango gelato, fresh fruit.
After dinner we had our choice of drinks. I opted for the espresso, which was the strongest espresso I've ever had.

Tiny biscotti! One bite or two?
And then the highlight of the evening...not only did we get to meet the actual Iron Chef Kobe, but we got our picture with him! He was so sweet and patient; he took individual pictures with our whole 9-person posse, and even signed autographs. Yes, we were a bit star-struck.
Hiro, mom and me at dinner at my favorite restaurant in Koga, Dalwhinnie. Cheap, delicious make-it-yourself okonomiyaki and an amazingly well stocked bar (as Sarah noticed, they even have 2 kinds of absinthe!).
Perikyura (Print club). A Japan-only experience. Take a variety of pictures in a humongous photo booth then decorate the pictures with more special effects than a Jerry Bruckheimer movie, all to the beat of exceedingly crappy, yet frenzied J-pop.