Travel Clinic in Idaho

I will start hosting a monthly Japan travel clinic and travel share. I might make some Sakura shortbread for the event....

Information below
http://www.meetup.com/TennyoTours-of-Japan-travel-clinics-info-and-travel-share/events/129396102/

I am starting up a new business and I need your help!

It's been a really long time

I guess I'll start up this blog thing again......slowly and randomly in true Amie fashion. There has been a lot going on and it will probably end up as a spew section on this blog. For now, I just want to reminisce about my family in France. Whom I miss so much.
so here is a link to my cousins grocery site: http://www.le-relais-fermier.fr/
enjoy!

Greek Green Beans

Yes, it's the holidays again. Since people have been interested in my cooking I figured heck, if I am going to cook it, I mind as well take pictures of it and give the recipes.


Ingredients:


1 large sweet onion


2 cans of green beans


1 can of diced tomatoes


sugar to taste


salt to taste


pepper to taste


2 Tbl








Step 1. Open cans

Step 2. Chop onion and sautee until slightly brown. Add a bit of sugar (approx 1 tsp)

Step 3. Add caned ingredients all at once. salt and pepper, more olive oil if you like.

Step 4. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Japanese Arachnids

Spiders kirai!
Totemo kowaii da ne.
Yet, Japanese spiders are kinda interesting.

I met this brown one when I snuck into a temple

I guess both of these spiders are quite harmless. The bright colored one is really common. Infact, one laid eggs on my neighbors ledge. I am glad it didn't hatch while I was in the apt. I am sure it will soon though! The brown on eats cacaroaches. Yes, it is really big and kinda looks like a tarantula(is that how you spell it?)

I have heard randomly, but with out much explanation that the Japanese believe spiders to be good luck. I tried to kill one in art class one time, but my friend Tomoko chided me for it. But her reason for not killing wasn't convincing.

After quite the mystic encounter with a gargantuan arachnid, I thought ask why spiders are good luck to Asami and Shiho sensei. Ok, ready? And the answer is: that at night spiders are the souls of our dead ancestors. (or that they inhabit spiders?) Therefore, you can't kill the suckers at night. They are fair game in the day! Bwahahaha! Die! But, what if you kill a spider in the day time? Does your ancestors' spirit have no place to go if there aren't enough spiders? Does that mean that our ancestors spend more time in fields wishing they picked the spider closer to their relatives place? Wakaranai, but luckily I am Christian and don't have to worry about that dogma.

On My Way

Chiisai update:
I am hanging out in a hotel near the airport today. I got sick a couple of days ago, so instead of doing anything interesting I am resting. For those of you who don't know, sometimes I get really sick and pass out. It's been happening more frequently than I like and it is extremely scary for me. I am thinking I got some intestinal or nerve damage when I got food poisoning in Turkey,(well it's my best guess and it's fun!) cuz that's when I started passing out. Thank God I have Keiko for a Japanese mom, otherwise, I don't know what I would have done.

A little about Narita: There's an airport! And some hotels! Wow! The airports in Japan are nice, but getting to any airport is a bit of a journey. I had to take the local from Shimizu to Shizuoka, the Shinkansen from Shizuoka to Tokyo, and the Narita express from Tokyo station to the airport. The total cost is around 8,700 Yen. Ouch, and it took a little over 2 1/2 hours. Yuckie...Just think a country the size of California with 3 international airports.

Other things:
I can't wait to see my dog! Shugii is the best. I love my bedroom. I am sure my bed misses me as much as I miss it. Although, I am bringing home my futon(for guests, but Shugii will probably end up marking it as her own.....no, not pee, fur). I haven't watched a T.V in over 4 months. I am sure that habit will fall back in place. I have a job interview....sorry bad economy, I've got things to do. I bought way too many strawberry flavored goodies as omiyage. I really hope I impacted peoples lives. I will miss my students so much. They were so encouraging and bright. I learned more from them than they did from me. without them, I wouldn't have learnt anything about Japan. It's greedy, but I hope they miss me too!

Sorry if this post is odd. I am very rummy from being sick and traveling.
See ya in Seattle,
Amie

CEMETERY TIMES!

This is the cemetery I hopped into.

The street had no entrance to the cemetery across the street from my house. So, I walked into some one's back yard and scaled the 9' or so wall to get a pick of the cemetery. Unfortunately, it had been raining cats and dogs (or neko and Inu) all day and when I jumped down I got stuck in the mud to my ankles and fell square on my ass in a huge mud puddle. It was so funny!

To the left is the side street where I trespassed to get to the cemetery.

The proper entrance to the cemetery behind my house. I previously thought it was a temple. Man, I am surrounded by dead people.

Some tomb stonage. Notice how fresh the flowers are. Japanese cemeteries smell really nice too. I love the smell of the incense they use.

the back ally path to the cemetery behind my apartment(I always use this one). If you look carefully, you can see that it is carpeted! It's like the Oscars for dead folk!

Below is a super nice example of a Bonzai tree. I would not feel right being in Japan and not letting you all see one. Think Karate kid and Mr. Miyage. It may make you appreciate it more!?