My Japanese culture is a great part of my life, especially when it comes to food. When someone first sees me, they don't see the Japanese qualities, because I am only 25 percent, but my family says I have the appetite of a full-blooded Japanese man. There are many traditions that my family partake that do not all take place during the holidays.
In the morning, my Japanese grandmother will wake up at 7:00am and cook three cups of rice. My grandmother is very persistent when it comes to her rice cleaning. Instead of just throwing rice in the rice cooker and letting it cook, she spends about 15-20 minutes cleaning rice the old fashioned way--washing and rinsing, washing and rinsing, over and over again, then letting the rice settle for another 15 minutes. All of that hard work does not go unnoticed. Just myself, I can eat 3 cups of rice or more per day, so much rice that my grandmother had to teach me how to cook and clean rice the traditional way.
There are so many Japanese dishes that involve rice. One of my favorite dishes Ojiya, which is typically made with rice stewed in stock, often with egg, meat, seafood, vegetables or mushroom, and flavored with miso or soy. The way we make in our home is just rice with miso, a cracked egg, and green onion. The consistency is comparable to porridge or a soupy risotto. This dish is my "chicken noodle" soup when I am feeling ill.
Unlike typical American families, where their meals are centered around meats of different sorts, my family tends to focus on our rice and then have numerous dishes, scattered around the table. These dinners are not eaten everyday--they don't happen until about New Years. A long growing tradition in my family and throughout Japan is Osechiryori. This meal consists of many different types of traditional Japanese dishes. Think of really big bento boxes but the preparation is immaculate. My favorite item in the Osechi dish is the toshi-koshi soba which usually served at midnight on the New Year. In my family, this tradition just involves two people , myself, and my grandmother. At this time we talk about the great things that can come of the new year and things that we would not forget from the previous years. To me, this is one of my most cherished traditions, and will carry this on to my children.
Over the years, as my grandmother grows older (she is 84 now), she has been trying to pass on old recipes from when she was living in Japan. Now days, there are many Japanese Americans who have either come to America or were born here, so it is typical to purchase pieces of Osechi pre-made or to buy the whole Osechi family dinner, which isn't for the faint of heart if you have a tight pocket. We have been making a few of our dishes at home and it wouldn't be unusual to find us in Central Market or Uwajimaya in Seattle, hunting for the rest of the traditional items.
As you can see, Japanese food consists more of just your mom and pop teriyaki and sushi restaurants. The food that I have grown up to love can now be found in many Asian districts around the world, but my favorite will always be the dishes that my grandmother has cooked for me and the family. Remember, when it comes to Japanese food, it's not always about the California Roll.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Driving is a community.
Whether it is going to work, traveling to school, or rushing to a doctors appointment, you will see many drivers on the road. These drivers may not all be heading for the same destination, but everyone is headed somewhere. Everyone is essentially interacting with one another by acknowledging one's existence. Keeping your distance from the person in front of you or to the side makes for a pleasant, strong community. Letting a car merge once and while is preferred as well. With so many drivers on the road, there is no possible way for this community to be broken or faltered. Drivers on the road are all trying to get somewhere, the quickest, easiest way, and they are depending on the other drivers to get them there. Since there always be traffic, drivers need to be provided with that stability that other drivers on heading for the same place, somewhere. That is what is holding this group together.
Everyday, people desire to get to their destination. It might be work, school, a concert, the local grocery store. Many people are going to the same place or coming from the same place. Take for instance, the 2:00pm traffic rush. I don't know about you but I know this traffic to be the Boeing Traffic. The mass of cars driving south are all sharing the same need. The need to get home. Unfortunately, since there is an abundance of people getting off work at that particular time, they are going to be interacting a bit more with their community. Just like many communities, there will be those who want nothing to do with the needs and acceptance of this massive community.
From time to time, there will be that undesired "crawl" that drivers will experience. Drivers will experience this 5-10 mile hour crawl as a result of different scenarios. There might be an accident on the side of the road that prevents the community from working together to get to their destination. They are too distracted by the "action" on the side of the road (even when it is just a cop pulling someone over and who left their flashing lights on...) Construction also puts a a great tension that works against our community. People end up breaking away from their normal community and finding support elsewhere, until they can eventually find their place back in with the community they fit in.
I am deeply involved in this community, for I drive everyday. This community serves most of my needs to get from point A to point B. I have been established within this community for a few years now and these people accept me and everyone else, only because we have to work together to meet our needs. I enjoy this community because even though it bears it flaws, it always finds a way to come together for its people.
Everyday, people desire to get to their destination. It might be work, school, a concert, the local grocery store. Many people are going to the same place or coming from the same place. Take for instance, the 2:00pm traffic rush. I don't know about you but I know this traffic to be the Boeing Traffic. The mass of cars driving south are all sharing the same need. The need to get home. Unfortunately, since there is an abundance of people getting off work at that particular time, they are going to be interacting a bit more with their community. Just like many communities, there will be those who want nothing to do with the needs and acceptance of this massive community.
From time to time, there will be that undesired "crawl" that drivers will experience. Drivers will experience this 5-10 mile hour crawl as a result of different scenarios. There might be an accident on the side of the road that prevents the community from working together to get to their destination. They are too distracted by the "action" on the side of the road (even when it is just a cop pulling someone over and who left their flashing lights on...) Construction also puts a a great tension that works against our community. People end up breaking away from their normal community and finding support elsewhere, until they can eventually find their place back in with the community they fit in.
I am deeply involved in this community, for I drive everyday. This community serves most of my needs to get from point A to point B. I have been established within this community for a few years now and these people accept me and everyone else, only because we have to work together to meet our needs. I enjoy this community because even though it bears it flaws, it always finds a way to come together for its people.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What is Actually in My Wallet?
When you look inside my wallet you might be surprised that I am a pretty organized person. On the outside, you will see a black leather wallet, with white stitching, and what looks to be the molded edges of my pants pocket. Open up my wallet and you will find a leather "flap" containing a really outdated picture of me along with my date of birth and other personal information about myself. Yes, it is my expired drivers license. Even though I can be organized, I still know how to procrastinate.
Another fun little item in my wallet would be my nordstroms card. It is not fun for me, but for my fiance. She is a shoe-aholoic and a cosmetic freak, so she'll use my nordstroms card so she can fulfil her shopping addiction needs.
I really enjoy a good Orange Julius from time to time so my wallet wouldn't be compete without a punch card from Orange Julius--Buy five get the sixth one free! I only need one more to get my free one. You will find numerous cards that are discount cards or punch cards because I am the type of person that likes to save money or get rewards for shopping.
Just like my debit card from Chase. Instead of a regular debit card, I earn points that go towards "leisure rewards". There is this really nifty bike that I can buy after I earn a few million points. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit.
Like most of this class, I assume, I do possess an Everett Community College ID along with that blue card that enrollment services gives so you can remember your student number. That along with my ID are pretty old, they both look like ancient artifacts due to the fact that I had washed my old wallets numerous times.
There are a number of business cards that are important to me, just in case I need advice or have any questions or concerns. My business card also shares the space in my wallet. It is a support tool for selling my business and to also give my customers the reassurance that they and to be able to count on me. The significance of my business card is great because it reflects a part of my personality. I am a very caring and understanding person. If one of my friends or family members need something from me, I will always be there for them to support them or help them out any way I can.
Sometimes, when my fiance receives important business cards (well that are important to her), she'll hand them to me and stick them in my wallet because she knows that I am organized and will keep them safe. Unlike her, she will stick cards in the bottomless pit of her purse, never to be seen again. So essentially, my wallet acts like a mini, portable filing cabinet that fits into my pocket. I can open it whenever I want to and store whatever I want to and apparently so can my fiance.
If someone came across my wallet, they might assume that I shop a lot because I have a multitude of receipts from random purchases. They also might think that I am an unhappy person because in both my college id and my expired driver's license, I am not really smiling. So, I don't like my picture taken! That doesn't mean that I am an unhappy and depressed human being--just at picture taking time. I do not carry any cash, all plastic. People might think that I am reckless with my money or that I use my debit card without caution. What they do not know, is that I take care of all my bills and credit cards and other expenses with great care. I am one of those people that just cannot stand to carry change in my wallet.
As you can see, I carry many items in my wallet, most of them have meaning. They may not have meaning to someone else, and that is why it is my wallet. You might be able to find a bit of information about me and my personality or values upon finding my wallet, but it is only a pennies worth compared to actually knowing me and understanding who and what is important in my life.
Another fun little item in my wallet would be my nordstroms card. It is not fun for me, but for my fiance. She is a shoe-aholoic and a cosmetic freak, so she'll use my nordstroms card so she can fulfil her shopping addiction needs.
I really enjoy a good Orange Julius from time to time so my wallet wouldn't be compete without a punch card from Orange Julius--Buy five get the sixth one free! I only need one more to get my free one. You will find numerous cards that are discount cards or punch cards because I am the type of person that likes to save money or get rewards for shopping.
Just like my debit card from Chase. Instead of a regular debit card, I earn points that go towards "leisure rewards". There is this really nifty bike that I can buy after I earn a few million points. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit.
Like most of this class, I assume, I do possess an Everett Community College ID along with that blue card that enrollment services gives so you can remember your student number. That along with my ID are pretty old, they both look like ancient artifacts due to the fact that I had washed my old wallets numerous times.
There are a number of business cards that are important to me, just in case I need advice or have any questions or concerns. My business card also shares the space in my wallet. It is a support tool for selling my business and to also give my customers the reassurance that they and to be able to count on me. The significance of my business card is great because it reflects a part of my personality. I am a very caring and understanding person. If one of my friends or family members need something from me, I will always be there for them to support them or help them out any way I can.
Sometimes, when my fiance receives important business cards (well that are important to her), she'll hand them to me and stick them in my wallet because she knows that I am organized and will keep them safe. Unlike her, she will stick cards in the bottomless pit of her purse, never to be seen again. So essentially, my wallet acts like a mini, portable filing cabinet that fits into my pocket. I can open it whenever I want to and store whatever I want to and apparently so can my fiance.
If someone came across my wallet, they might assume that I shop a lot because I have a multitude of receipts from random purchases. They also might think that I am an unhappy person because in both my college id and my expired driver's license, I am not really smiling. So, I don't like my picture taken! That doesn't mean that I am an unhappy and depressed human being--just at picture taking time. I do not carry any cash, all plastic. People might think that I am reckless with my money or that I use my debit card without caution. What they do not know, is that I take care of all my bills and credit cards and other expenses with great care. I am one of those people that just cannot stand to carry change in my wallet.
As you can see, I carry many items in my wallet, most of them have meaning. They may not have meaning to someone else, and that is why it is my wallet. You might be able to find a bit of information about me and my personality or values upon finding my wallet, but it is only a pennies worth compared to actually knowing me and understanding who and what is important in my life.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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