Google Street View in Japan

Hi! Last night I heard thunders again... How changeable the weather is! But today we have clear skies (no clouds in the morning)! Hope not rain tonight.

I forgot to write about this, but Google has just supported "Street View" in Japan on August 4th! Now you can take a virtual walk in Japan ;)
For instance, search "Tokyo Japan" on the Google Maps and click the "Street View" button on the map! You can explore cityscapes, landmarks, points of historical interest, and more!

Searching your neighbors might be fun!
Unfortunately, Google's street view car didn't run near our home, so I couldn't view my house. Hope you can find yours :)

HERE is the search result of Shibuya!
The cylinder-shaped building you see right in front is Shibuya 109, where I mostly shop my clothes.

I hope you enjoy exploring Japan ;)

By the way, HERE is Manhattanville College!
It is the college I graduated from!!!
You can't tour the campus but the linked view is the entrance!

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Doyou no Ni no Ushi no Hi

Hello! After the storm, we have a clear sky with some clouds!

Last night, since the rain was very hard, I changed my plan and went home... but it didn't rain after that. I regret that I didn't see my friend. It was after 7 years or more to see him :( I hope I could see him someday again.

On the way back to home, I shopped at the supermarket and realized that it was "Doyou no Ni no Ushi no Hi" (8/5), the second day we eat unagi (eel) in summer. (The first day was 7/25.)

Last time, I made something strange..., so this time I served the unagi in an ordinary way, which is called "unadon": a bowl of rice topped with broiled eel with salty-sweet eel sauce. I served it in a small bowl, but usually larger.

I also bought some croquettes because those are my boyfriend's favorites. Every 5th, 6th, 15th, 16th, 25th, and 26th of the month are the croquette days at the supermarket near my house. Croquette in Japanese is pronounced Koroke. 5 is "go" and 6 is "roku" in Japanese, which sounds similar to "korokke", so this is why they are on sale.

HOWEVER... my boyfriend didn't come home that night. He was thrown a surprise party at work because he held a seminar on that day and successfully finished it.

He did a good job! Who can blame him?

He came home in the morning and he was sorry about the unadon. And he ate it (just the unagi though...). He couldn't eat the croquettes because he was drunk and sick.

I just can't believe he went to work after a few hours.

Okay, I'm gonna get the croquettes again today!
I hope he can eat them today ;)

Oops! Cloudy again... the weather is changing very fast!

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Haagen-Dazs Flower Cup

Hi! We have rainy stormy weather with close thunders. Very scary... Our skies are gloomy all day long :(

Yesterday, I tried to start up our home PC after a while, but it didn't turn back :( It stops before it boosts Windows! I hope that power supply unit is not broken...
Anyway, I am glad that I did back up all my recipe images on 7/17! And the rest up to yesterday, I had them all in my camera.
A technician of our PC manufacturer is coming on Saturday. Hope everything will turn out fine!!! By the way, the phone company is still saying they don't know and they can't support about this.

Changing my story, I love Haagen-Dazs ice cream! In Japan, we have only 5 flavors for the pints (473ml), but we have 16 or more for the mini cups (120ml cups)! To tell the truth, these mini cups cost almost the same as the pints in the US!

This weekend, I decorated cute flowers on the green tea ice cream! Those flower petals are almond slices :) I drew around with a chocolate pen.

My boyfriend liked it ;)

You know what?! I love to have cold ice cream in a warm room in winter! Am I strange?

Tonight I have a plan to see my friend... Should I go in this storm?!

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Swarovski Crystal Decoration

Hi! It is extremely hot and humid today... We have high 95F (34C)!!!
I really hate to take a packed train on this kind of day :(
Of course I tried not to stand next to sweltering passengers!

You know what!? I just changed my cell phone to SAMSUNG mobile 920SC!
I was thinking of getting iPhone, but I changed my mind. The big concern was the "touchscreen" and I thought I will not get used to it!
SAMSUNG mobile 920SC specializes in camera function, which I thought was useful, but it actually lacks in quality and wasn't that good... it was only a phone!
Anyway, I am satisfied with my Swarovski crystal decoration ;)
It took me 2 hours!

Changing my story, today is not my day!

This morning, I couldn't nicely put my makeup on because of the sweat...

Then, when I connected my cell phone to the PC using the provided USB cable, our main PC (at home) froze... and Windows didn't start up after that. I called the support team but they just kept on transferring my call X(

I hope this is the last bad thing, but the recipe I made yesterday was way off task! I should read more carefully the next time...

Hope I have a happy day tomorrow!

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When Do You Wash Your Fruits and Vegetables?

This morning I realized my goya has gotten moldy...
It was on sale this week and I bought it on Monday... only a few days ago :(
It sometimes happens if I don't wash before I refrigerate.

When do you wash your fruits and vegetables?
I sometimes do wash before I store in the refrigerator if I think I won't be able to use them for a few days. By the way, I never wash greens until I am ready to eat them.

Some people say that by washing them, you can remove harmful substances or putrefactive bacteria and block the oxidation process! However, some people say vitamins will run out by washing and lower the freshness...
I couldn't find out what is right or wrong by searching the net, but I think I'd better wash depending on the situation.

Recently, I realized some dish soap have direction for washing fruits and vegetables on their packages: dilute 0.5tbsp of dish soap with 1000cc water. Sounds weak though... Anyway, I use dish soap sometimes.

Today I had an interview after work. Then I had a plan to join my co-workers at a beer garden but I didn't... because today was one of those days! I missed a train in the morning and evening, and couldn't finish my work on time because of my supervisor's long story, so I thought I'd better stay at home...

Anyway, I'm drowsy now.
Time to go to bed!
Have a nice weekend!!!

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Kit Kat Flavors

Hi! It is again sunny here in Tokyo :)

This morning, I bought a watermelon flavored Kit Kat on the way to work at a convenience store. Yes. I bought it on impulse near the cashier. On the package it says that it has a slight salty flavor. I was just curious to try it out...

In fact, Nestle Japan produces the Kit Kat in many unique flavors for a limited time only. I will list what they had this year!

2008/06 double berries (cranberry and strawberry)
2008/06 triple berries (cranberry, blueberry, and strawberry)
2008/06 cherry
2008/05 mango
2008/05 brown sugar
2008/05 azuki bean
2008/04 banana
2008/04 kinako (soybean flour)
2008/03 soy sauce
2008/03 green tea
2008/03 pudding
2008/02 mandarin orange
2008/01 gianduja
2008/01 tea

I remember they once had a pumpkin flavor and that was terrible...
I got sick... I'm serious!

Well... the watermelon wasn't that bad! But one is enough! Ha-ha!!!
Just to have a break, Kit Kat would be nice ;)
I enjoyed my snack today!

Tomorrow, I will be interviewed by a TV station. I hope I can do my best!

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My Accomplishments

It is very sunny here in Tokyo! We expect no rain for a week or so! But the sky is not clear... It's smoggy a little.

Okay. Today, I will list my accomplishments!

On 7/12, I won 2 dozen of Kirin Ichiban by submitting my Chinese recipe: Stir-Fried Chili Bean Sprout! It wasn't a contest, so I was just lucky enough to win :)
Surprisingly, my boyfriend was really happy with it! I asked him why and he told me that the beer I used to serve him was Happoshu (low-malt beer)! I don't drink beer, so I didn't realize it until then!!!

On 7/17, I won the grand prize at the Yodoran (iodine-enriched egg) contest! This was my second time to win the top prize :) This time, they asked for the summer sweet recipes using their eggs, and I submitted my "Danish French Toast with Lemon Sauce"! I wrote that I went to the cafe on 7/21, which was the prize.


On 7/21, I won "the Idea Pon Award" at Cookpad's Ajipon recipe contest. Ajipon is Mizkan's citrus seasoned soy sauce! They asked for stir-fried recipes using it and I submitted my "Ajipon Stir-Fried Colorful Vegetables".





On 7/28, I won 2 awards at mozuku recipe contest organized by Itoman Mozuku Sangyo in Okinawa. Mozuku (Cladosiphon okamuranus) is noodle-like seaweed which is mainly produced in Okinawa. My "Mozuku and Nameko Soup Rice Bowl" won the second prize (outstanding performance award) and my "Ginger Vinegar Marinated Mozuku Tomatoes" won the third prize!

Then today, on 7/30, my "Watermelon Broiled Eels on Rice" was introduced in the Cookpad's e-mail newsletter as an amazing summer treat recipe ;)







I'm changing my story! Speaking of summer, we need to be careful of food poisoning! There was a news that 5 people fell ill with food poisoning at a yakiniku restaurant! The source of food poisoning was Campylobacter! It is said that chicken is the most common food implicated as the source of Campylobacter contamination. Any raw poultry - chicken, turkey, duck, goose, game fowl - meat and its juices may contain Campylobacter, including organic and “free range” products. We Japanese sometimes eat those raw, so we need to be careful, or cook thoroughly!!!

Tonight, my boyfriend doesn't need dinner, so I am kind of lazy not cooking anything!
It's OK sometimes ;)

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Mont Blanc aux Marrons

Just few hours ago, we had a heavy rain after a long time!!!

The past few days, it is raining hard in many parts of the country. Yesterday, there was a concentrated heavy rain in Kobe. 4 people were killed by a muddy stream! They were playing at a river area and suddenly the stream hit them!!! How scary...

Anyway, nothing related to the rain, but I will show you my Mont Blanc aux Marrons! But this is not a cake! It is EGG SALAD :) I made this few years ago to make fun of my boyfriend because he doesn't like sweet stuff! I served it for a dinner and I still remember his uncomfortable face! Ha-ha ;)
The recipe is in Japanese, but I think you can understand the procedures (images).

To tell the truth, I am finishing my diary in the morning...
I fell asleep again while writing last night.

Okay, see you again!

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Fortune-Telling Onigiri

Hi! This weekend I had a normal weekend.
My boyfriend was so busy every Sunday that we couldn't even eat dinner together! But finally we could, this weekend!!!

Today, I was going to summarize my recent events and accomplishments but some of them are not yet announced in public, so I will wait till then ;)

Anyway, do you believe in horoscope? Maybe I do... Every morning, I check my horoscope on TV. Actually, I don't check, they show us our horoscope!!! Sometimes I miss, but if I see, I will be concerned, especially when something bad is expected :( And things just come true and turn out bad, strangely! My boyfriend says I worry too much though...

Talking about horoscope reminds me of my fortune-telling onigiri (rice ball) recipe! I made this long ago. It is very easy! You just put a bite-size cheese in one of them, which is a winning ball! Yay ;)

I think I never mentioned this, but we eat onigiri every morning! Like a bagel, it is digested slowly, so you won't get hungry until lunch time! Also, to eat breakfast has dieting effects, so we try not to skip it! I'm not losing weight though...

Okay, I gotta go now.
Good night!

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Doyou no Ushi no Hi

Just me? It was extremely hot this EVENING and sweat dribbled down my back while walking back to home!

Yesterday was "Doyou no Ushi no Hi". It was a midsummer day when the oriental zodiac is ox. On this day, we eat unagi (eel) to take nourishment and beat the summer heat!

But why unagi?
I just searched and found that it can be anything that starts from "U" on this day! Can be "udon" or whatever! Interestingly, now we eat unagi just because someone has promoted to do so! Like getting a chocolate for your loved one on Valentine's Day! I couldn't find who started though.

Anyway, we had unagi last night! I served it with "Thai red curry marinated natto, mulukhiya (is a leafy gooey summer vegetable), and okra"! Why I used Thai red curry is because I won a free sample of it and had to use it. Also, yesterday I had natto and gooey vegetables for my lunch and got energy, so I used those vegetables for my boyfriend to get the same :)
I think I made a pretty entertaining dish.

Once in two years, we have another day to eat eel in summer, which is called "Doyou no Ni no Ushi no Hi" (8/5), so the next time I will serve the eel in an ordinary way ;) Of course I don't have to wait till this day though.

I'm drowsy now...
I'm so lazy tonight that I didn't even cook anything! (My boyfriend doesn't need dinner, so that is my excuse.)

Okay. See you next week!

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