As most of you probably know, I'm quite a low tech person - it took me years to get a cell phone, and I never upgraded it since I didn't want to learn to use any new things like texting... I can use the computer for searches, email, etc. but can't fix any problems and have a hard time learning new ways of doing things... BUT!!!
I lost my internet connection last night, which was very strange because I had used it just a half hour before. I spent at least an hour thinking I had to and trying to reconnect to the network, but I don't know which is mine, or which password to use... Finally I came across a message that said a cable was not connected or broken! So today I bought a new one and wala! It works. But in those few hours I was very uncomfortable not knowing how long it would be until I could contact everyone again. And I missed my weekly call (Skype) with Peter so I'll have to try to catch him another day. It's become my habit to turn on the computer first thing in the morning and answer my mail - it's like talking to all of you and I really missed it! And Skype is so wonderful. Being able to see, or at least talk to anyone without worrying about cost (just working out the time difference)! I have a new respect for my computer.
So, about my last couple of days... On Sat. evening I met a friend and we were planning to go to an Okinawan restaurant near my house. But when we arrived the host said we needed reservations. We'll have to try again some time. But that night we went to the smokey yakitori (chicken on a stick) place across the street. It was good, and I left my coat outside so I wouldn't have to wash it!
My zoo/ fire engine event was cancelled due to weather on Sunday (it was really windy and rainy) so my friend Taeko came over during the day instead of in the evening. First she picked me up and we went to look at portable heaters for my apartment. Went home to think about which would work best. (Both she and all the salesmen said the gas/propane would work best but I don't want to have to cart the fuel home on my bike and up the stairs, and then there is the smell, so I wanted an electric model.) Then we made Mexican food - she wanted to learn. Beans are really expensive here so I opted for chicken fajitas. We also made guacamole and pico de gallo salsa (unfortunately minus the cilantro since they don't use it here... a plus for Japan in Lauren's book though). Taeko made a salad with cripy noodles, lettuce, tomatoes, a sesame dressing and fried octopus on top. Not Mexican but yummy. And we used the Japanese pudding as flan and drank Mexican hot cocoa. So it was a nice day/evening, and before she left, Taeko helped me with my heater and electric blanket remote controls! I must have pressed the wrong buttons on the blanket because it kept waking me up with an alarm! Then she took me back to the store and I bought a heater - although the 2nd salesman we spoke to told us the opposite of what the first one told us. Hopefully it will heat the half of the kitchen that I use enough that I won't see my breath this winter! I won't keep it on though, just when I'm in there cooking. I think I'll try it in the bathroom as well.
Today I had a cooking class at the local community center. Only a few people signed up, there were 7 of us including the teacher, which made for a lot less confusion and a lot more understanding (on my part). We made kombu (thick seaweed) wrapped around pork mixed with barley miso with a couple of green beans in it. A very common green vegetable called komatsuma, a 'French' oyster soup, a mix of dried, smoked squid, shredded kombu, carrots cooked in soy sauce, mirin, sake and water (my favorite), rice with taro root and topped with a ground chicken and scallions in a sauce, yuzu miso (citron mixed with sweet white miso), a mushroom mixture, and dessert - a steamed bun made with grated mountain potato and rice flour stuffed with anko (bean paste). Everybody took a lot home!
Tonight Arnim, the Austrian, will come over and teach me to make Spanish tortilla so I'll put out all the leftovers for him to try as well.
Our lunch.
The whole spread.
Oyster soup. Like chowder but no potatoes
Dessert. Steamed 'cakes' with bean paste.
Rice with taro and a minced chicken sauces.
Mushrooms.
Dried squid, seaweed, carrots.
Yuzu miso (a topping for rice or veg.)
Chopped pork wrapped in kombu.
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