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Shopping Alert
If you are a techno gadget freak, this is not news to you but I’m posting this for all other forms of life in Japan: BUY AN LCD MONITOR RIGHT NOW! I bought two last week because everyone is predicting the prices will rise again soon… I bought a new high performance 17″ Mitsu for 1/2 the sticker price (at an online store I use often – PC Success), and it’s kicking ass for all the games I play. I also got a 17″ Iiyama for Nam, who spends many hours every day working on her doctoral thesis – this should help prevent eye strain. Our old CRT’s are out…
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Endangered Specieswatch: The Humpbacked Obachan
I am too respectful to post a pic, but believe me, I have surreptitiously photographed several. Yes, Concerned Reader, it is true: The Humpbacked Obachan is on the verge of becoming an endangered species. On my island, at least. And seeing how Awajishima is basically a giant, floating retirement community for aoriika longliners and graying mobsters alike, I am an eminent expert on, for lack of a better term, old people. The subject in question, humpticulous spinstrisis, or, “Humpy” for short, is, simply, an ancient, stooped-over (sometimes more than 90 degrees!) lady (some of who sport humps on their backs – duh!). And I say “lady” in the female sense…
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Pic o’ the Day
I beat anorexia! I so want that shirt. Update: Dave found a link where I can get one: LINK
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My high school dean was right
Link found somewhere (just before my browser crashed): 20 Questions to a Better Personality …. You are a WRDL–Wacky Rational Destructive Leader. This makes you a Enemy of the State. You are charismatic and winning and a very dangerous enemy. You favor justice over compassion, and would almost rather see your opponent fail than you succeed. You impact the lives of those around you more than any other personality. People remember your name and respect you. You are a tremendous amount of fun to be around and astonishing to watch. You are generally abstinent in your habits, and you like things tidy and ordered. When picking teams, it is smartest…
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A pile of fish sausages at the market
“Fish Sausage.” Nasty.
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Dumplings and Roadkill
Two good links today: One for the Road: West Virginia’s Roadkill Cookoff Bitter cold spurs dumpling madness
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Mongolian Mustard-seed Antagonism
I’m back, after a five-day stretch being tortured by Koga ninjas in their secret lair under Lake Biwa. Fortunately, I survived by using my wits and took them all out with my killer combos: whooping peony-blossom punch explosive hawk flip double star thrust laughing taoist penetration invincible eagle wall resplendent sage knee yellow emperor’s secret charge burning fox-woman defense abominable goldfish jab unfathomable secret scratch venerable sky elbow illusory scorpion technique fire of the eunuch penetration innocent willow heel When you’re time comes, will your kung fu be good enough?
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Chicken Mayonnaise
Nam just sent me this photo of a chicken-mayo nigiri. Guess it gets boring on that bus to Osaka.
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The Other, Other White Meat
Go check out the Evil Sandmich’s continued writings on his adventures in Japanese cuisine last year: LINK Excerpts: One morning they had a little hit of ketchup with the Japanese omelet (which I never got tired of, the omelet or the ketchup) and I was as happy as a brain eating zombie (I was quite tired and didn’t realize it, but my wife said that I was sucking the contents out of the packet). I got the definite impression that the Japanese don’t make a habit of coating their food with anything (ketchup, BBQ sauce, gravy, or even wasabi). The relative lack of condiments is something you get used to,…
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Fishing Log
Here I will post what we, as a collective, have caught on Awaji up until now, and maybe it will turn into its own updated page. A baby kawahagi (trigger fish). Caught on gokai (bloodworms). Sumoto port. Torafugu (pufferfish), caught on squid. Yura. Small bass, caught on squid. Fugu point. Small snapper, caught on gokai. Takenokuchi. A bera (wrasse), on squid. Yura. Gashira (aka kasago, I suspect, or rockfish in English), caught on squid. Sumoto port. Not pictured: Sea bass (suzuki), aji (jack mackerel), trout, largemouth bass, small jack, and a marine eel (or poisonous sea snake, according to the locals). This gallery will expand over time, and hopefully better…
