I MADE MOCHI!!!! <3

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2007

This Friday for Americas is Black Friday. But in Japan, it is Labor Day.
I have a video of me making mochi, from REAL steamed rice.
But it is too big to upload, SORRY GUYS, i will upload it when i get back to michigan!
I volunteered at a festival and made mochi all day XD


---
Here are some pics.




After the rice is pounded and made into mochi (rice cake),
we cover it with flour and make its shape.
The first tries were horrible.
But after some practice, i made really pretty shapes XD




This is an Osaka dish.






Me and Bri - DUAL mochi maker!



HEHEHEHHEHEHE SO CUTE


STEP ONE


STEP TWO


I had a lot of fun, and the women asked me to help them out again in new years XD

Switzerland Exchange Student

We had a foreign exchange student visit Matsubara High School (actually studying abroad in Aichi, Japan) for a week - 11/19 to 11/23!

It was the first time I have ever seen a 100% Swiss guy and talked to one.
So here are some pictures. lol.
Since Swiss's main language is German (not real German, Swiss's German), and surrounded by many countries. He can speak Swiss German, German, French, Italian, English, and some Japanese.

Eating Out with Host Family!

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2007

The family goes out to eat once a month only because there are so many people total in the family.
It adds up, you know? We either go out for sushi or Korean BBQ.
This past Monday was Korean BBQ!!!
(Next time we go out for Sushi, I will take pics.. !)
I swear I have the best Host Family everrrr!!! <33

Notice this is the JAPANESE way of eating Korean BBQ.
The Japanese has a side dish of soysauce in front of them, and dip the meat in the soy sauce.
Whereas, the Korean way is a wrap by rice and the meat on the green vegetable leaf with some gotchujang or samjjang (spicy hot sauce) on it!

So.. I just eat the meat and the rice alone.
I think putting it in soy sauce ruins the taste and it doesn't taste that well.
But that is just me.

Enjoy the pics! <3



This is the restaurant, about 20 min bike ride from our house.
GREAT MEAT!


At first we always get the same appetizer: pieces of cabbage and a kind of light soysauce.


After we stuff ourselves, the three kids always lay down and just sleep on the restaurant floor.
hahaha XD



me and my host sister, Moeka (14)


Host parents <3

BONUS!


lol Kosuke was just laying there, so us girls decided to do something funny XD

Shabu Shabu!!

It was all the kids' first time for Shabu Shabu!
Two weeks ago, I asked my host family if we could eat Shabu Shabu...
... because I always saw it in dramas or commercials. lol.
So yesterday, surprisingly, we had Shabu Shabu!!!
It was delicious, and I ate a lot of veggies <3
Here are some pictures, enjoy!

P.S. the meat is pork!

EXTRAAAAA!! ---- Kanoka and her friend who slept over.

Haha remember when you were young and tried to act old?
hehehee. so cute, brings back memories!!

My day with Ai! (Thursday!)

Ai eating lunch, lol.




My bento!!

--

When Kamyo was here..







Who's eye is which?

In our English Convo II class..






My english convo II teacher.
He asked me how big the steak was.. and I was showed him with my hands.
And then he asked me, how many centimeters, and i go WTF?!?!
Even Ai started to crack up.
And then he mispelled T-BONE steak to T-BORN steak, rofl XD

THE COOLEST PENCIL CASE EVER.


Look closely.. 'Chees.. Tibe'. hahaha.


Entrance to the Thai Restaurant in Namba.



The picture means something.. Ai told me but I forgot.
Something about the King.




Thai Colors..!


Appetizer.. omg this was sooooooo good.
I have no idea waht the name is.
But it was sooooo good.


I heart this drink- Lychee Juice. (Lin Jie)
The first time I drank this was at the Asian Festival (w/ Yamada teacher, Ai, and Brin).


MY PAD THAI!! was delicious <3


We shared this! It was my first time eating GREEN CURRY!
My god it was good!! <3
We had to order rice to finish off the soupy part, hehe.


Dessert finally! We ordered the Tapioka Coconut Mlik dessert!!!
It was really good!!! There was lychee (that the spoon is pointing) in it too!!!
I dont really like coconut, but now I do! haha.

Ai ordered another dessert, she finished most of it tho, haha XD
I was sooo full!!!

And of course.. the most famous lights of NAMBA!

Fun Day with Hitomi + Yuki!!! <3

I met Hitomi from Sign Language class and Yuki is her friend.
They live really close to me, especially Yuki!
They are really good people, and I am really glad to now be friends with them <3

Today after school, we went and bought Takoyaki (osaka food, inside is octopus)
and went to Yuki's house down the street.
It was my first time in a student's house before.. so I was pretty excited XD


Cool huh? I am not sure if it is religion or whatever... but yeah!






We ate and talked a lot, and she has a really cool turtle.. and it's neck is pretty unique, hehe.
Afterwards, Hitomi had to go to the bathroom, but the toilet wouldn't flush, and it was kind of overflowing. Lol, it was really funny. And Yuki's mom is really funny too.

Yuki has an older brother and younger brother.
And her younger brother was going out to play with his friend.
The mom was like, 'the friend is so HANDSOME (handsome in english)!'.
She was like 'come outside for a second'.
Hahhaha, I guess he is the talk of his school and the neighborhood moms.
They are both 15.
The girls brought out my camera, and i was like 'for real?? (take a picture)'.
Hahhaha so funny XD



These are the girls' cellphones.. cool huh???!!! omg i want one so bad.




Afterwards, we went to the 100 yen shop and it has a lot of cheap stuff.
Here in Japan, the dollar store is here for YOUR convenience.
It isn't just cheap shit, its really good cheap shit, lol.
Anyways, we did PudaKura (the picture stickers).
Omg it was so cheap, only 2 dollars! (it can go from 4-5 dollars in other places).
Sorry you are going to have to see these pictures when I get back!!!

French Students' Last Day in JAPAN!!

We had French foreign exchange students for about 2 and a half weeks.
But today was their last day. =/
They go to the same school together in Paris, and they live in Paris.
The boy, Hector (14), he lives right around the Eiffel Tower... lol.
Here are some pics of them!!!

Btw, the girl is really pretty, she is half japanese (dad) and have french (mom)!!!
What a mix, right?!!?!!





In English Conversation II class!!


In the library first hour.. holy crap is this kid hyper.



What a beauty, right?!??!

Korean + Spanish Class COOKS lunch!

Today, Friday, for my Korean class and the Spanish class who's class is always next to us...
and we always have Korean class on Tuesday and Friday for 2 hours...
.. today we went to the kitchen room (which is big) for home economic classes...
...and we cooked!!!

For the Korean class (my class), we made Kimchi Bogeumbab and Duk-gook w/ gyoza on top.
Here are some pictures ! Enjoy! <3


In my Korean Class, we only have three students total including me and my Korean teacher (who really is Korean and is fluent and living in Japan). Both classmates are 18 (3rd year).


One of my classmates in Korean Class... what do you think?
Boy or girl? hehe



Ai and the Spanish teacher (forgot her name).
But the teacher teaches Ai (Thai), Brin (Canada), and I (USA) Japanese on Fridays!



Spanish food!
Yeah I tried saying the name.......... I can't pronounce spanish for shit. lol. Nor French for that matter.


The guy in the back is a 3rd year in Matsubara High, and he was an exchange student in
America (Minnesota?? Wisconsin??) for a year. His english is really good fyi.

The teacher knows Spanish fluently and can speak/translate some english.
At first I thought she was Filopino, until Ai and Bri told me she is 100% Japanese!! lol