Obon Special ― 2010/08/11
As yearly big spiritual event called Obon (please refer to Wikipedia or something to see what it is) is approaching, people get busy preparing to welcome souls of their late relatives. I myself don’t do anything, though.
Offering flowers, fruits, and sweets to the deceased is one of the customary of obon. Florists have stocked blue and white flowers; white lilies, blue bellflowers, for example, which express solemn and spiritual feeling. Confectioners sell lotus-shaped sugar loaves and rice-flour cakes that also have lotus-related shapes. And Greengrocers’ are full of offering fruits and vegetables, such as first-supplies of grapes and autumn citruses, small-sized pumpkins, and green banana (I don't know why banana got this position), and other related vegetables.
Sounds too much trouble? Then go to supermarkets.
You can get ready-made offering packs there. From the sweets and vegetables; everything is compactly packed in an ornamental plastic tray. So what you need to do is just unwrap them (or not, if you don’t want to invite flies) and offer the package in front of your home-shrine (altar, or whatever). I wonder when supermarkets started selling these items. I don’t think they didn’t do this marketing effort when I was younger.
Spotted Knifejaw ― 2010/08/12
JPY280/100grammes
This size (please compare it with the fishmonger's hand in blue glove to see how big it is) was JPY1,050 at a local fishmonger’s
As the wholesale fish markets are going to be closed until the end of Obon period, Mon, 16th. I rushed to fishmonger’s in order to secure our protein supply.
Why don’t I count on my husband’s catch? You see, we are not supposed to take life of anything during obon (don’t ask me whether before obon is OK to kill).
Anyway, today’s recommendation and what I got was a spotted knifejaw, half of which became sashimi and the other half was cut into two pieces and will be baked afterward.
The sashimi was quite nice; firm and springy, and light and somewhat sweet.
A whole fish will supply our dinner for two days.
However, you need to be careful about this fish. Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, has warned that some of them might have toxic substance called ciguatera (you can see the original article Here). Although in Fukuoka any incident caused by this fish haven’t been reported (as of 2010/08/13), just in case, you’d better buy this tasty fish from reliable fishmonger’s or have them at restaurants, rather than catch and cook it on your own.
Academic Lunch ― 2010/08/13
Behind this red brick wall
is a open-to-public canteen of a local university.
When you feel fed up with tourist meals or fast-food but still want to have a reasonable meal, this might be one of alternatives you can choose from.
The system of this canteen would be similar to any university or school canteen you have known; choose something and pay at the end of the counter or central till. Water and green tea are free of charge.
This is a “today’s lunch special” called Café Lunch C (there were A and B as well) costs JPY420; a soft (probably because of loads of breadcrumbs mixed in the mince meat) hamburger steak with some garnishes, baked potato with cheese, a bowl of white rice or a bread roll, miso soup, and a bite-sized piece of custard pudding. Much more reasonable than McDonald’s considering their nutritional values, isn't it?
Other than set meals, there are some light meals, such as fried rice, Ramen, Udon. You can also chose your cutlery from chopsticks, folk and knife (but using your fingers is not very common in this context).
I think every portion served here is bigger than you would be served at commercial restaurants probably because the main guests of this restaurant are hungry young students. I used to assume that I had a quite big appetite, but having had to leave some rice, I had to admit my appetite wasn’t as big as the university boys/girls.
The dinning area is very spacious.
You don’t have to share a table with strangers. But may I suggest we go there after/before lunchtime (usually from the noon to one) showing respect to the students and those who are working here.
If you like, and don’t mind getting bitten by mosquitoes and other sub-tropic insects flying around, lovely terrace seats are also available.
Today's Cat ― 2010/08/15
Today's Cat ― 2010/08/16
It’s not easy being a cat in summer.
However hot it is, they have to wear fur while many dogs have their fur trimmed.
‘Get me out of this hell!’ screaming this young cat, fed up with unbearable heat. I’m sorry I know what you mean, but everywhere is muggy in August…
Cool Place ― 2010/08/18
It’s truly a penance to go somewhere by bike in August weather. Sunshine tries to burn you to death, oppressively wet wind makes you feel suffocated and reflected heat rising from asphalt roads literally grills you. You are in a big oven (gass mark 8).
Some people attempt to keep themselves in shade by attaching a parasol to their bike,
or wearing monstrous sunhat
(I call it Robocop hat).
Me? I just put on a hat with wide-ish brim. So shopping becomes a do-or-die type task during summer. Only I can do is watching weather forecast carefully so that I can go out when the weather is cloudy and bit less unbearable.
Today, I went to my regular shopping tour, which usually involves one-hour cycling, with desperate determination. Then, thanks god, I found a nice route where the path is under trees with densely grown leaves providing comfortable shade to the pedestrians and cyclists.
Plus, there is no annoying traffic right so you can cycle without stopping and having to do unnecessary thigh and hamstring exercise (by vigorously pushing the pedals to start the bike again).
My usual route along the river has no sun-protection at all,
so I get and nearly evaporated when I cycle there.
But from today, I can cycle comfortably, maybe humming a tune or two.
Thank you the public works bureau! You are not always wasting our tax!
His Summer Pavilion: Revisited ― 2010/08/19
In the beginning of summer, he didn’t appear to realise his privilege to be given summer equipments to his house.
Since then, his house has been improved with more summery gears; new umbrellas and new screen.
And he seems to have begun to enjoy his privilege.
Sweet Potato Stem ― 2010/08/20
From post- Obon period (ended in 16th) to the middle of September, we have a bit of vegetable shortage. To be more precise, there are plenty of supplies of everyday vegetables, such as cabbages, tomatoes, or green leaves, if you don’t mind their outrageous price tags. Why? Probably because now it is a time for farmers to shift from one crop to another.
Instead of vegetables that are usually sold everywhere, there are ‘half-finished’ crops available for us on market to get out of this pinch.
Stems of sweet potato are one of them. They are simply stems of potatoes that have been cull out to fatten the potatoes underground.
Our mothers and fathers’ generation would detest them. They were fed with these types while the severe food shortage during/after WWII. Even now we still have this humble vegetable, though the stems is said to have been improved to be softer and edible.
Could I raise a question about this vegetable? Is it too greedy to wish potato stems to be freebees for those who buy a certain amount of vegetables, say, more than JPY1, 000 or something? Isn’t it unfair that four cucumbers or ten okras grown with care and culled (meaning useless, isn’t it?) stems cost the same: JPY100.
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