The Reality of Processed Foods and Restaurants

This morning, I forgot my gym stuff at home, so I ran back to home and ran to the station to catch my usual train... Isn't it my day? According to the astrology, the stars were in my favor... Hope I'm lucky today.

Anyway, starting from China's milk formula products, melamine has been detected in many of the processed foods in Japan... Also, after pesticide has been detected in a package of frozen gyoza dumplings imported from China, I hear the similar news almost everyday.
But this might be nothing new. We should have eaten something unhealthful without realizing. Isn't it scary? Not positive for our economy, but I want to cook and eat at home.

I will list recent news I found:
10/21: Saizeriya to pay back charges for its pizzas after melamine detected in ingredients
10/25: Insecticide found in Japan instant noodles
10/25: Melamine detected in fresh caramel in Saitama

The weather forecast had proved wrong and it was cloudy and rainy this weekend. Finally, the cloud cleared this morning! But the good thing is that the typhoon won't hit Japan this year!
I found a bird at the river near home. I took it with my cell! My boyfriend said it's a cormorant but I am not sure what this is...

Okay, I gotta go now.
Will see you tomorrow ;)

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First Anniversary

Time flies! It's been already a year since I started this blog. I realized it few days ago.

Thanks all for coming, taking a look at my work. I really want to thank to those who always leave me some comments. I never thought of being this close to them because I am not the person who gets along with anybody...

This is my "Thank You Tart". I used edible roses ;)

Enjoy your day!!!

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Hamonepu

Oh my god, it is already 3AM! I am staying up late tonight!!! Maybe because it's Friday night.

I am not writing here about food today, but found very interesting videos at YouTube! I will link here one of the best ones I found! It is in Japanese but please take a look! They are not playing any musical instrument but singing! They are all students. Amazing!!! I don't watch TV often so I have just realized about this program. Sorry, if I am way behind the times.



Okay, will go to bed now!
Have a great weekend!!!

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Medical Check-Up

This week, temperature dropped down with a high of only 68F (20C). Kind of chilly... and it's been raining all day long today. Maybe because of another typhoon approaching Kyushu area :(

Yesterday morning I had a yearly medical check-up at the institution of my corporate health insurance association. Time flies. I though I had the check-up quite recently. Usually the check-up is done at work by the circular medical check-up bus service, but I don't feel comfortable in that way, so I always go to the institution directly. I can't say it loud, but you can have a half-day off in this way ;)

So yesterday, after the check-up, I went to my bank to organize my account. Banks are only open during my working hours and closed after work, so I'm glad that I could finally go there!!!

Then I went to the gym and had 45 minutes of yoga class (Hatha Yoga - Deep Breath Flow). This yoga class is also only held during the day, so it was nice I could attend.

After that, I went to the supermarket to claim the reward points that I lost :( I didn't know that they disappear after a year. I had about 1600 points which is about 16 dollars!!! Luckily, they gave me 2000 points back, so I am okay now.

There are many things that I can't do because I work!!!

Okay, see you again.

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Kitchen Scale

Today, we have nice fall weather again.

Last Thursday, my kitchen scale broke. I accidentally dropped on the floor and the needle got damaged :( I had used this for more than 5 years so I was kind of shocked. To tell the truth, I wanted to get a new "digital one" someday, but at this moment I don't think I can throw the broken one away... By looking carefully, I can tell where it points, so I used it for a week in that way. However, it is obviously inefficient.

I guess it is time to change.

Oops. I'm getting drowsy again.
Bye for now...

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Six Unremarkable Things About Moi!

On Saturday night, I changed my hair color. Somehow, I used the haircolor for "white hair" and my hair turned out to be very dark (brown)! That wasn't the color I wanted!!! On the package, the color sample was very bright (greenish color) but now I realized that the color was based on the "white hair"! I need to pay more attention when I get something new...

Well... back to my topic! My blog friend jo tagged me for this meme, so I will list mine here:

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Six Unremarkable Things About Moi!

1. I seldom watch TV on weekday nights. After work, I go gym, cook dinner (take pictures), take a hot bath, use Internet, and go to bed. I just don't have time to watch it! I watch news in the morning though.

2. I take good news (or fortune-telling) negatively, so that it won't turn out to be worse. I just don’t want to get carried away.

3. I like to eat lunch at my desk at work. I don't really get full eating chatting with my co-workers...

4. I don't work over-time!

5. Like a child, I thrive on praise!

6. I love my boyfriend but sometimes want to be alone...

7. Like jo, I like sevens! I believe in lucky numbers, so I will do an extra one, too!
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I won't be tagging anyone but feel free to pick this up if you run out of topic to post ;)

You know, again, I slept before I complete the post... I hope I can keep my diary!

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Jyugoya: The Harvest Moon

Today, after the gym, I saw a round full moon in the sky! But there were too many clouds and it went behind the clouds once in a while :( And what is more, now it's raining cats and dogs!!!

9/14 (this year) is the night called "Jyugoya" or "Chushu-no-Meigetsu". It is the night with a beautiful full moon! In a fairy tale, it's the day Kaguya-Hime (Princess Kaguya) left for the moon.

On this day, we view the moon. This moon viewing is called "Tsukimi". We offer "Tsukimi Dango" (small round dumplings like mochi), sake, and seasonal fruits with "Susuki" (Japanese pampas grass) decoration. Some people read poems under the moon.
The image is from Wikimedia.


Long ago, when I was small, I cerebrated the day with my grandparents, but now I don't really do anything. However, one year, I made Dango! But with pumpkin with dashi sauce! Because my boyfriend doesn't like sweet stuff...

Today, my boyfriend went home (Shiga Prefecture) to see his mom. He told me over the phone that she still can't speak well but doing fine. Hope she gets well soon.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna have a haircut for the first time in about 3 months, so tonight, I'm gonna change my hair color. Maybe darker a little because it's autumn ;)

Okay, bye for now!

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Change in Garbage Collection

Hi! We are still in the 86F (30C) with lots of humidity! But while it's hot, we don't have to wear heavy clothes, which is good!!!

Anyway, how do you throw out your garbage?

We recently had a change in garbage collection. We used to throw plastics and rubber as noncombustible garbage, but from October, those are collected as combustible garbage! (I translated the image.)

The reason for the change is landfill shortage. They say there gonna be full after 30 years, so they need to burn up plastics and rubber. However, some people say that they have actually started to burn up those recently... so we've been meaninglessly separating those for a while... :( Anyway, I hated to separate plastics and rubber from combustible garbage because it's too detailed, so this change reduces my housework!!!

In our area (depending on the cities) garbage should be divided into 7 groups before you put them out. Some items will be recycled. The collection days vary according to the groups and the areas.

*Recyclable*
1. Paper (newspapers, cardboard and magazines)
2. Glass Bottles
3. Cans
4. Plastic Bottles

*Non-Recyclable*
5. Combustible Garbage (kitchen scraps, fallen leaves & branches, clothing, diapers, paper scraps, plastics, rubber, etc.)
6. Noncombustible Garbage (Metals, glassware, etc.)

*Large-Sized Items*
7. Items with any side 30 cm (12 inches) or larger.

We should put out our garbage by 8:00 a.m. on the collection day! Regarding the kitchen scraps, we need to cover garbage bags with fine-mesh nets to keep crows from pecking them open!

I now got used to this garbage rules, but when I first came back from NY, it was a pain in the neck!!!

Okay, I gotta see my orthodontist!
See you again next week!
Have a good weekend :)

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Being Healthy

The cold front has moved through and today we finally have no rain! However, the lingering summer heat is so intense that the temperature went up to high 86F (30C)! Too hot for September!!!

Speaking of September, many groceries and commodities prices have increased because of the soaring gasoline and grain prices: Beer, cheese, noodles, beef bowl, refrigerator, car, etc. have increased...

Anyway, very very shocking bad news. On Saturday, my mother-in-law (I'm not married yet thought) was hospitalized after suffering a stroke at a ballroom dance school.
I still can't believe it! She was very healthy, worked hard at her age, and kept up with the housework... Now she can't speak and move! All on a sudden, Why she?! Life is unfair!!! I really hope she recovers. I want to talk to her again like before.

Being healthy (balance in taking care of health?) is not easy.

Today, I lost some contests :(
Very bad start, but I hope I can improve my luck!

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It's Not My Day!!!

Hi! I was going to write about my cooking stuff, but I am running out of time!

Today, I went to the gym after work as I planned. My boyfriend told me that he's gonna go out for a drink with his ex-co-worker (which means he doesn't need a dinner), so I did an extra work out! When I went back to the train station, I found the crowd, and it rapidly grew larger!!! Then there was an announcement about the injury accident or suicide which blocked the way home!!! Shit!!! They say they don't know when they can start the train..., so I took a different train, took a bus, and walked back to home!!! It was a two-hour journey! Another work out?! Such things have never happened on me, so I was very upset. Actually, I was carrying a big umbrella with me with my gym and office bags, because the rain was predicted tonight but it was off the mark!!! The forecaster apologized this evening. I saw while I was jogging... If I knew it earlier, I could have left my umbrella at work :( Oh boy!

I just checked the web and found that the train started after an hour! It was a tough decision because it doesn't make any change in terms of the time!!!

I think I let the stress out at the gym but gained again... I'm gonna take a hot bath and forget about all those hassles!

Will write about my cooking tomorrow!!!
See you!!!

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GYM

Hi! It is raining and we only have high 77F (25C) today. It seems like the fall weather has come. The forecast says it won't be back up to 90s any more. I hate the hot humid weather but how sad... I haven't worn all my summer clothes yet :(

You know what!? I just joined a gym last Friday! Don't say that I'm influenced by Olympic athletes! (well... maybe a little though.) I have been there everyday since then, so I have sore muscles. But I realized I like to jog and work out! Hope I can continue like I cook everyday. I need to burn fat, and improve my strength and metabolism! Right now, I have a low basal metabolic rate, which means I am more likely to gain weight if I eat much.

Anyway, I lost the prize at Haagen-Dazs's contest. I thought my work is creative... The prize was gift cards for the ice cream, so I am sure that I don't need them now but I am dissatisfied with the result :(

Okay. Time to go to bed.
Good night!

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