Birthday Dinner

I took David to a favorite restaurant for his birthday. A very hot brazier full of burning charcoal is placed into a pit in the table. A variety of raw meat (we chose beef) is brought and you cook it yourself until it is done just right. It is melt in your mouth delicious.

Shopping alone

I ventured out this morning to go shopping alone. About every 10 days or so we get hungry for something "American home cooked". Today I am making chicken soup.

Off to the grocery store I went.

Since I know the difference between the Japanese character for chicken from that of pork I was able to find pieces of chicken to make broth.

I did have to ask the person stocking produce if I had indeed chosen spinach (horenso). It could have been anything since there are a huge variety of green leaves from which to choose. And everything is seasonal. Not much flown in from Chile or Mexico here like in the states - some from China. Mostly local food or at least grown somewhere in Japan. I am very happy that it is strawberry season here. Yum.

On my way back to the house I saw a little white truck with many of my neighbor women crowded around. I peeked under the canopy flaps and discovered a grocery store on wheels. Everything from fish - mackerel, sardines, - to pickles and eggplant.

Perhaps next Monday morning David and I will shop from the little white truck.

We've Arrived

Our travel to Kyoto was without incident. Still, twenty-four hours of travel door-to-door plus an eight hour time change has left us a little punchy for now.

We are pleased to discover how natural it feels to be here. Familiar sights, sounds, and smells are around us everywhere.

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