This is the art of...

Finding Comfort in Food

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 07:32:00 +0000

Otaru's illuminated canal

During a trip to Sapporo for the famous Snow Sculpture festival, we decided to take a day trip to Otary - known for their beautiful ice lanterns. I was excited to see the beautiful town. But walking down Sakaimachi street of Odori made me miserable. What once used to be a prosperous harbour town just became as overindulgent as its past opulence! It was a tourist trap. All the shops around the famous old merchant street were filled with unoriginal souvenirs and tacky discount signs. The streets were beautiful and the buildings and old warehouses painted a romantic picture on the glistening snow. Yet, the greedy tourists truly did spoil the atmosphere.

Old warehouses are turned into pastry and omiyage shops

beautiful old warehouses are frosted with snow

After wandering around the town and waiting for some winter illuminations to be lit, we stumbled across an attractive little restaurant on the outskirts of the touristy spots.

On the outside a brightly lit sign “Otaru Take No Zushi” greets visitors and, like many Japanese restaurants, plastic food replicas are neatly displayed outside to showcase what the restaurant has to offer. What immediately attracted my attention was the fresh bright yellow sea urchin, or uni. Hokkaido is known for their fresh uni which is harvested in the eastern part of the island and some sea urchins feast on the kelp that grows in the colder ocean. So I was immediately intrigued and determined to try the delicious uni while they are still (somewhat) in season.

Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe rice bowl (uni to ikura don)

The sushi chef warmly greeted us as we entered and the waitress even tried some English on us. The atmosphere inside was comfortable and homey – small tables create an intimate location for the patrons to spend a meal together. The sushi chef happily chats with customers whilst skilfully prepares the freshest sushi.

Salmon rice bowl (sake don)

I tried an uni-ikura don – a bowl of rice topped with fresh, distinctly mustard yellow uni and some salmon roe, which is very popular in Hokkaido. The texture of the uni was soft, creamy and savoury, with a subtle, yet distinctive seafood taste. The flavours infused perfectly well with the saltiness of the salmon roe and the delicately soft rice.

Hokkaido is also known for their milk products, so I also tried some scallops prepared in a gentle butter sauce. The pairing was delicious and the scallops were perfectly grilled.

Scallops prepared in butter

And so, finally I experienced the authentic side of Otaru, through culinary delights that keep honest to the traditional and unique flavours of the prefecture.

After dinner we enjoyed the beautiful Otaru snow illuminations (小樽雪あかりの路, Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi). It was magical – the snow glistened with small snow statues illuminated with candles. And I realized – it doesn’t matter how touristy a city is, there is always something there that you can try or experience that makes the trip worthwhile. Whether it is a unique view or a delicious dinner – it is always important to find the beauty in even the most over clichéd of places…

Crystals shimmering in the snow

Friendship

Walking around the town becomes magical when the lanterns are illuminated

A cute owl

(The restaurant is bilingual, although most of the menu is still in Japanese. The staff speak some English. Some meals are displayed next to pictures for clarification. Unfortunately I didn’t take a business card, but the restaurant is at the beginning of Sakaimachi street, closer to the station.)

Low quality photo of the outside of the restaurant: Otaru takeno zushi

Goblins, Ghosts and Ghouls, Oh My! Getting your scare on in Shizuoka's Lock Up.

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 04:46:00 +0000

Eyeballs in your alcohol and Russian Roulette. What more could you want for a ghoulish night out on the town? The famous Tokyo’s themed restaurant, The Lock Up, recently opened Shizuoka City and we just had to try it out.

The Lockup Entrance

Whilst waiting to be taken to our table, we hear screams, cracks and eerie music. And all of a sudden we are pushed into a skull-lined room, and greeted by a waitress dressed in a prison guard uniform. She handcuffs and chains one of our friends and led us down the corridor to our prison cell and locked us in. All the private dining tables are themed like a prison cell. Demons, gargoyles and all kind of creatures lurk between the walls and perch on top of the prison cells – keeping an eye on the inmates. The vibe of the restaurant soon becomes intoxicating – especially after one or two syringe or test tube alcoholic beverage!

Roasted Ham, Salami and a Shrimp Salad

Smoked Salmon

Penne Pasta Chips

The name of the drinks all have to do with some sort of crime, from parking ticket to extortion. There are many different kind of drinks, from alcohol-filled syringes which are ejected into milk, to jelly-like drinks filed with a big jelly eye!

Pork Chops

The restaurant is an izakaya-style restaurant; several different types of meals are served alongside drinks. The food was deliciously prepared. Some of the meals were themed - we had to throw some “arsenic” (or salt) on potato wedges and we even played some Russian roulette with some Takoyaki (deep fried squid balls).

Takoyaki Roulette. Which one of these takoyaki has a chilli in???

Without warning, one of our fellow “inmates” started screaming after unluckily biting into a takoyaki filled with burning hot chili!!! Needless to say, the milk served with some of the drinks were immediately downed…

"Arsenic Chips" and chicken nuggets

Test Tube Drinks

And all of a sudden the lights went off and creepy music began to play. And then the screams started! The prison doors slammed open and masked maniacs jumped into the room. My poor husband became the victim of a Jason-X like man rubbing all over him! The scene was twistedly funny.

The reason for this blurry photo has to be because of the ghosts coming to haunt us!

The Lock Up is definitely worth a try to anybody open to some unique restaurant experiences in Japan.

Have you ever been to a themed restaurant? What were your impressions?

Cooking in my Japanese Kitchen (I)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 05:54:00 +0000

Think of a Japanese home cook, and the name Harumi Kurihara usually comes to mind. She’s often described as the Martha Steward of Japan – with her homemaking and cooking empire as well as a cookbook prize are just few of her numerous accolades.

And while the winter is dragging on and I’ve become slightly more familiar with even the most unfamiliar of Japanese ingredients, I’ve decided to embrace the Japanese seasonal produce and our limited time in Japan and follow all of Miss Kurihara’s recipes on her famous NHK TV show, My Japanese Kitchen.

[All recipes I’ll feature are adapted from her original recipes on: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/kitchen/index.html]

So here goes, Day 1;

On the menu:

Rice

Inside-Out Sushi Rolls (Uramaki Zushi)

Uramaki Zushi

The verdict:

Because I’m always pressed on time when cooking dinner, a rice cooker comes in very handy! The Japanese rice comes out very fluffy using this method, even when I cook the rice on a covered pot. The rice is always soft and tastes delicious. I always believe it is essential to properly wash the rice and allow some standing time or time for the rice to soak up some extra moisture.

For the sushi - the vinegar flavoured rice is absolutely delicious. The taste is slightly sweet and tangy and it complements the saltiness of the nori and the fish.

The addition of the shiso (or mint) to the sushi creates a deeper taste to the sushi and it does complement the savoury taste of the sushi.

It is a bit tricky to roll sushi, but it becomes easier with practice. The trick is to keep even pressure on the sushi and to not fill the roll with too many ingredients.

Today sushi isn’t new to most people in the West, yet the tastes different greatly in Japan. For once, sushi is usually served with wasabi inside the sushi roll, unless it’s specified otherwise. And what Westerners call “maki”, actually doesn’t exist in Japan. Sushi is usually either sashimi slices, gunkan (open nori parcels filled with rice and fish) or nigiri (a round, oblong piece of rice topped with wasabi and a piece of sashimi. And tastes in Japan are, of course, more for a Japanese palate – things like raw octopus, sea urchin, clams, natto (fermented soybeans), pickled tuna etc are used.

As for etiquette, sashimi should at all times be eaten with chopsticks, where sushi rolls can be eaten by hand, even if it is in a more formal setting. Also, never throw too much soy sauce over the sushi or add too much wasabi – this is like throwing ketchup all over your steak…

Well, that’s it for today! The recipes (adjusted from the original ones) are below.

Itadakimasu! いただきます

The recipes:

Rice (Serves 4)

The “Right Way” to cook rice

A good rule of thumb when cooking Japanese rice is to add one cup of water for every cup of rice. If you want a little more chewy rice, add a little bit less water. If you want softer rice, add a little bit more water.

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice

2 cups of fresh water

1. Put the rice in a colander. Rinse and rub the rice under running water. (I usually put the colander in a bowl and fill the bowl with water. Then swirl the rice around in the water until the water becomes white. Discard the milky water and repeat the process until the water runs clear).

2. Leave the rice to stand for about 10 minutes.

Putting rice in a colander is an easy way to clean rice

3. Put the rice in a heavy bottomed pot (or rice cooker).

4. Add one cup of cold water for every cup of rice (so this recipe calls for 2 cups of water).

5. If you are using a rice cooker, simply press “Cook” .

If you are using a stove and a pot, place the pot on high heat and allow the water to boil. As soon as the water boils, lower the heat and place the lid on the pot. Simmer for 12 minutes.

6. After 12 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and left covered for about 10 minutes.

7. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Our very useful rice cooker - for every cup of rice add one cup of water

Uramaki Zushi (makes enough for 4)

This is a fantastic starter and it is a good way to use rice, even some leftover rice.

Inside Out Rolls - not beautifully done, but I'm getting there!

I loved the taste of the sesame on the rice

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Canned tuna, drained and mixed with pepper and mayonnaise.

Salmon (smoked or regular), thinly sliced and deboned

Imitation crab sticks

Avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced into thin slices)

Mayonnaise

Shiso leaves (or substitute with finely chopped mint)

Toasted nori seaweed (available at most Asian supermarkets)

Roasted Sesame Seeds (white)

For the sushi rice:

Cook the rice with less water for a more chewy texture

2 cups cooked white, short grain rice

100ml vinegar

1tsp salt

3Tbsp sugar

1. Place the vinegar in a pot and allow it to simmer on medium heat.

2. Remove from heat and dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar. Allow to cool.

3. Mix the vinegar with rice using a large handai (a wooden sushi tub) or a wide cooking bowl.

4. Use a paper fan to cool down the rice (this also adds a slight shine to the rice). Allow to cool.

Rice in a wide cooking bowl (traditionally a handai is used)

Pouring the vinegar over the rice

Assembling the sushi:

1. Place a bamboo rolling mat on a sturdy surface. (The bamboo should lay lengthwise)

2. Place some baking paper on the bamboo mat. Place the nori sheets on the baking paper (the “rough side” should be facing up, and the “smooth side” should be laying on the baking paper).

Rice added on the nori sheets

3. Put the rice vinegar rice on the nori sheets and evenly spread it out. Use water and your hands to even out the rice.

4. By lifting the baking paper, gently turn the rice and the nori over (so that the nori sheets face up).

The nori sheets have been flipped over, with the rice facing down

5. A little below the halfway point of the rice, make a thin line of fish (crabmeat, tuna salad or salad). Once again, the line should be horizontal. Add some shiso leaves (or mint) and avocado on top of the fish. Finally add some mayonnaise on top of the avocado.

Tuna salad and avocado filling

6. Now roll the sushi – using the end of the bamboo mat closest to you, tightly roll the rice over the filling by making a square shaped “hill” over the filling. Continue rolling the sushi until you reach the end of your bamboo mat. Gently press the completely rolled sushi on all sides.

Rolling the very big sushi roll

7. Now spread some sesame seeds on a bread plank or any clean working surface and roll the sushi roll in some sesame seeds. Be careful not to roll too loosely or too tightly as the filling might fall out.

8. Finally, cut your sushi in equal pieces using a very sharp knife.

Serve with some wasabi and soy sauce, if preferred.

Butt bearing Japanese in Obi Matsuri, Shimada

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 04:12:00 +0000

With the arrival off autumn come a variety of local festivals (Matsuri), most symbolising the celebrations or prayers for a prosperous harvest. During this time, many cities become teeming with travellers as they enjoy watching (and sometimes even participating) the local festivities.

A young man elegantly shows his sharp reflexes by dancing

Everyone working together to pull the massive float

Even the youngest participate in traditional dances

Often the cities have one big festival once every three years. We were lucky enough to be able to witness one of Shimada’s big festivals – Obi Matsuri. This festival has been celebrated since 1609 and comes around once every three years.

Awaiting the moment to start pulling the float

The festival has a long procession, symbolising the procession of a 100 000 units of rice (or ju man koku) – hundreds of marchers walk gracefully in the streets, horses carrying delicately dressed children trot slowly in procession and one (unlucky) horse carries a very large throne on its back.

Horse carrying a beautifully coloured throne

Portable shrine

But what makes this procession so unique isn’t the beautiful clothing worn by the participants nor the symbolism of the rice pickers dressed in traditional clothes. It is actually the beautiful obi (colourful cloth belts worn over kimono) carried and worn by oyakku (men dressed as samurai) whilst bearing their butts for the world to see.

Beautiful obi

Oyakku displaying the beautiful obi

Colourful obi draped over heavy swords

The oyakku wear large swords which are kept in place by beautifully painted and printed obi, whilst some obi are deftly draped over the heavy swords. The men carry purple parasols whilst walking in an elaborate manner. But it is only when you turn around, mesmerized by the beautiful obi sashes dangling on the swords, that you realize these brave men aren’t wearing any pants…

And..... we aren't wearing any pants

The reason for not wearing pants is rather unknown to me, but the story for carrying the obi goes something like this:

Recently married women who moved to Shimada, had to go to the main temple to pray for a safe childbirth. They dressed in their beautiful wedding kimono with their elaborate obi dangling from their backs. Because the process was a rather embarrassing one for a woman to endure, some brave men decided that they will take the woman’s obi to the temple for her and pray on her behalf for a safe childbirth.

But the festival offers much more than just od men with their derrières exposed – there are beautiful dances done by children and women and I also had the impression that this festival celebrates children just as much as the beautiful women. The children in the procession are dressed in elaborate clothing, and even the youngest are dancing in the processions.

Young girls wearing beautiful kimono

The strong men bravely pulling and manoeuvring the biggest floats through the streets and there is even a small celebration of beauty by showing the beauty of young girls wearing and dancing in a geisha-inspired fashion.

A beautiful young girl (aged 6) performing traditional dances in a geisha-inspired fashion

Traditional hats and clothes

Obi matsuri is not to be missed but only comes around once every three years. The next festival will be during 2016.

After three days, locals are still beating drums and playing flutes while forcefully manoeuvring the large floats down the streets.

Have you ever been to this festival? What’s your impression of it?

I was truly amazed by the splendour of this festival, even though, I have to admit, the naked behind of old men contributed to the amazement…

Oden (おでん) - a delicious Japanese winter dish!

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 02:46:00 +0000

Home-made Oden

In Japan a few things say "winter has arrived" like the appearance of Oden (おでん) in convenience stores (or combinis). The smell of delicious tofu parcels (kinchaku), chikuwa and ganmodoki simmering in a savoury dashi, the steam clinging to the shop windows, is the harbinger of winter dishes in Japan.

Oden ingredients (clockwise from top) - konnyaku,, satsuma age (egg-shaped ingredients), chikuwa (white cyllindrical ingredients with brown spots), ganmodoki, hanpen (white triangles), konbu (knotted kelp), kurohanpen (grey triangles), atsuage (yellow circle), kinchaku (tofu parcels).

Chikuwa - slices of fish paste cakes

Kinchaku - tofu parcels filled with mochi

kurohanpen - black steamed cake made from ground sardines

Ganmodoki (deep fried tofu and mixed vegetable balls) and fish cakes

It is very easy to prepare Oden, that is if you have an Asian supermarket nearby. All supermarkets in Japan stock a variety of Oden ingredients, such as chikuwa (a tube-like ingredient made from ground white fish), ganmodoki (tofu fritters made with tofu mixed with vegetables and egg), aburaage (deep fried tofu parcels, commonly found on or alongside sushi), sliced daikon radish, knotted konbu (kelp), boiled egg, kinchaku (deep fried tofu parcels filled with mochi (glutinous rice cake) etc.

Konnyaku - a healthy Oden ingredient (often known in English as Yam Cake made from the Konjac plant)

In Shizuoka it isn't uncommon to find kurohanpen (黒はんぺん) - a black steamed cake made from ground sardines - in Oden pots.

The nice thing about Oden is that there aren't any specific rules about which food to pair with each other; every household has their own unique combination as individual tastes differ.

An easy Oden recipe (easily serves 4), using supermarket bought products

For the dashi:

1 L dashi (stock)
(The dashi can either be made by making a basic stock by boiling Bonito Flakes and Dashi Kombu (kelp used to make soup stock) in 1 Litre of water or by using an instant dashi powder. http://justonecookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-dashi/ - this website has an excellent tutorial on how to make dashi.)
A pinch of salt
4 Tbsps soy sauce
2 Tbsps cooking sake (or regular sake)
1 Tbsp Mirin (cooking wine)
1 tsp sugar

After preparing the dashi, add the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a slow simmer.

Possible Oden ingredients:

4 boiled eggs
Konnyaku (sliced into 4 triangles)
4 pieces of ganmodoki (tofu fritters)
One large piece of chikuwa, sliced into four pieces
One piece of surimi (sliced into 4 triangles)
2 pieces of atsuage (deep fried tofu), sliced into four triangles
8 pieces of hanpen
4 pieces of knotted kelp
Sliced boiled daikon
(The above mentioned ingredients seem to be the most popular, but the options are endless...)

Add the ingredients into the simmering dashi and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Have you ever tried Oden? And what are your favourite ingredients My all time favourite ingredient is definitely Ganmodoki.

Tofu-parcels and knotted kelp

What better way to while away long winter evenings with some warm flavours of Japan and a full bodied white wine in hand.

Japanese Rice Art (Tanbo Art - 田んぼアート)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 05:24:00 +0000

It’s the dead of winter already… A bleak winter with blue skies – it truly does remind me of our South African winters (although it’s much colder!). With the little colour left in the pale Shizuoka winter, I realized how lifeless the once lush rice fields around our apartment look. And it reminded me of our one trip to neighbouring Kikugawa to try and find a raved about artwork. A Rice Field Artwork, that is.

Tanbo Art

Rice field art, or Tanbo art (田んぼアート) isn’t uncommon in Japan. Basically, farmers plant different coloured rice plants to form a picture. This year’s theme was “Ultraman” – a very old Japanese TV series.

Ultraman

Our drive to Kikugawa was rather eventful – we were trying to find the location from a Japanese-only map, whilst trying to navigate down the narrow and crooked roads. And finally we found it – rather inconspicuous, despite the “there will be a big crane suspended in the air for your viewing pleasure” information we were given.

Suspended from a crane several meters above ground.

We paid about 300 Yen (30 Rands or 3 Dollars) for entrance – we got some hard hats, climbed on top of a lift crane and were pushed into the air. And then we finally saw the full picture – down below were two clear pictures: Ultraman, fighting some villain that looked like a praying mantis and a picture of a boy with Mt Fuji in the background. It was really impressive to see, considering that someone took the time to outline the picture and plant different coloured rice plants!

The different types of rice

Afterwards we were got 300Yen worth’s tickets to use at the local farmers’ stalls next to the rice art! So we bought some shaved ice (to help cool down in the blistering heat) and some succulent plants.

Once again, I was impressed by the things that the Japanese communities do, making me realize what a privilege it is to be part of such an experience.

So, have you ever been to an artwork made from plants? Or have you ever experienced any Tanbo art?

Cozying in - Boozy Rice Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:23:00 +0000

Creamy Brandy Rice Pudding with lightly caramelized persimmons

(In advance I apologize for the quality of the photos - unfortunately I was so tempted to eat the pudding that I didn't really focus on the quality of the photos...!)

The weather suddenly dropped. Yesterday morning was still cool and pleasant, and all of a sudden a cold wall crashed into us! So we've been cozying up under blankets and finally switched the heat on...

Our house is, like almost all houses in Japan, not properly insulated - there is a terrible cold that cuts through the house. But next week we'll go shopping for some proper winter curtains and perhaps one or two of the "gizmos" available in the shops to cut the draft in the house.

But with some left over rice and some persimmons in the house, what better way to cozy up than with some rice pudding?

Delicious persimmons

So here is the recipe;

For the rice pudding:

1 - 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon (grated rind as well as lemon juice)
2 cups milk
Vanilla (I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup whiskey
ground cinnamon and cloves (to taste - I added 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon clove)

In a sauce pan, mix sugar, milk, vanilla, whiskey and the egg.
Over a low heat gradually bring the milk to a simmer.
Add the lemon rind and, while briskly stirring, add the lemon juice, allowing the milk to curdle.
Add the ground cinnamon and cloves and thoroughly mix it with the curdled milk.
Add the rice to the sauce, and heat thoroughly.

For the persimmons:

1 cup of brandy

1 large persimmon, peeled and sliced into chunks

1/4 cup sugar

Over low heat, in a saucepan, add the sugar, brandy and persimmons and bring to a slow boil.
Allow to simmer for 15 minutes until the whiskey and sugar slightly caramelizes.
(Optional: add an extra dash of brandy and set alight to flambé)

Add the persimmons and the whiskey-sauce on top of the rice pudding and serve warm.

Golden persimmons!

So tell me what you think if you tried this recipe!

Do you like rice pudding? Or what do you do with leftover rice?

Until next time!

Local Cuisine: Hitsumabushi in Nagoya

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 00:18:00 +0000

Grilled eel. The thought of eating eel (unagi) will make the average person think twice. But the thought of passing by a local specialty dish without trying it, would be close to foodie sacrilege. And so, upon setting foot in Nagoya (one of Japan’s largest cities) my mouth salivated, thinking about my first experience with this dish called Hitsumabushi.

And what a pleasant experience it was!

Armand trying his hitsumabushi

Nagoya is Japan’s biggest producer of fresh water eel and the region has also developed its own unique styles of food, which can be seen as comfort foods, such as pork cutlets served with a red miso sauce (misokatsu) or deep fried chicken wings (tebasaki). I wouldn’t classify these meals in the same refined category of most of the big cities such as Kyoto or Osaka, except for the hitsumabushi – which is definitely one of the most popular dishes in the restaurant we went to (everyone in the restaurant ordered the meal!).

Eating hitsumabushi is an experience on its own;

You are served a large bowl, filled with fluffy, steamed rice and topped with strips of eel that has been slathered in a slightly rich sauce and then grilled (not steamed first). Accompanying this large bowl is a rice bowl, a plate of condiments and (in our case) a tea pot containing broth.

The Hitsumabushi set

Grilled Eel

Unagi on rice

You first take the first portion of the unagi and rice and place it in your rice bowl, eating it as is. No toppings or condiments added. The purpose of this step is to enjoy the flavor of the eel. It has a slightly salty taste, yet the texture is slightly flakey. There is also a delicate wooden taste of the grill.

The first portion is eaten as is, no condiments or toppings are added

The second portion is eaten by adding some of the condiments, such as pickles and wasabi and some spring onions. Here the crispness of the spring onions and the slight acidity of the pickles brightened up the slightly smokey taste of the unagi.

Wasabi and Spring Onions

Pickles

Unagi with condiments added

The third portion is eaten by adding some condiments, just like before, but you also add some of the broth into your bowl. The broth was a salty green tea based broth. The tang of the wasabi was lessened by the broth and it, of course, completely changed the texture of the unagi.

Unagi with the broth and condiments

The last portion is eaten just the way you like, with or without condiments.

To me, the experience was definitely worth its weight in Yen. I loved the difference in tastes and textures as you eat the unagi and I can see why it is such a popular dish.

Have you ever tried unagi or more specifically, hitsumabushi? Would you like to try it? Tell me what you think.

In after thought: I do not agree with the over-fishing of wild unagi – unfortunately the population has decreased significantly, worldwide… (But most of the unagi in Japan is farm-reared, which, to me is also an issue...)

So this is something I wouldn’t eat as often, but it is worth the experience while travelling to Nagoya.

A pale view of autumn hills

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Tsumago: view from the old castle ruins

After seeing the astounding view from the top of Tsumago, the title of Ishiguro’s book “A Pale View of Hills” kept echoing in my mind. We were surrounded by the Central Alps and nestled in the Valley Below was Magome, an old and well preserved post town. We just hiked from Tsumago to Magome into beautiful autumn foliage.

Mill close to the entrance of the town

Magome

We started our early morning in Magome. As soon as you get off the bus, it feels as if you stepped back into time and arrived in the Edo period (minus all the tourists wearing full-on hiking gear). No cars are allowed in the area and beautiful paved stones line the roads. Small streams of water cobble alongside the road, feeding lush green gardens and crystal clear fish ponds. One or two wooden mills silently turn in the streams.

Big koi fish in crystal clear water

We tried some chestnut-filled cakes, looked at the various souvenirs of the area (wooden and straw combs, bowls and toys).

Beautiful views of pale hills

Beautiful autumn colours

From there we started walking to Tsumago, which was 8km away, following the Nakasendo route. The Nakasendo route used to be a road that connected Tokyo and Kyoto. The walk wasn’t too demanding and we definitely had more descents than ascents (and this was also evident on the worn-out look from the travelers who were travelling from the opposite direction). We travelled through beautiful forests and were wrapped in beautiful autumn colours. The calm sound of flowing rivers with clear waters echoed through the forests and mountains. The scent of wet foliage and wet wooden fires drifted through the moist air. The hike was actually very relaxing, despite all the “bear bells” around the route (which is supposed to chase the bears away when you ring it, not that I believe there are many bears to scare away to begin with).

Watch out for the bears!

Vibrant autumn foilage

Beautiful stream in the woods

Tsumago

After strolling around Tsumago, we made our way to the train station, but not before Armand dragged me to a lookout point on top of a mountain. The lookout point is situated on the old ruins of a castle, not that there is much left to see of the castle though. But the view was beautiful and made it the slow walk up the mountain worth it (although I was initially too stubborn to admit it!).

Tsumago

Tsumago main street

Kiso valley was definitely worth the trip and it was amazing to see the beautiful foliage and enjoy the very comfortable autumn climate. And, of course, our trip didn’t end without trying some local flavour Kit Kats: Chili Kit Kats and Apple Kit Kats. Delicious.

So, have you ever been to Tsumago or Magome? Do you enjoy spending time outdoors. Please share your experiences!

And then the dynamics changed

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 10:14:00 +0000

Wow, I’ve been in Japan for a month already! So far I’ve been really busy figuring out the yearly schedule, planning the yearly schedule and finally working out some new lessons (which is taking the most of my time!). What took up most of my time is to create a new curriculum and already plan the activities which I am intending to use this term. At least for most of my classes I have a bit more leeway when it comes to lesson planning.

Rice paddies

I’ve also been busy writing a skit for the English Club. The stakes are high, not only because I am the new ALT and I have to prove myself, but also because last year the 2^nd years won the contest! Wow…

But, what have I been up to lately other than planning lessons?

Well, we went to Shizunami beach twice.

Shizunami Beach

We also went to Lalaport (a mall) which is in Iwata city. Note: there are no malls in Kakegawa!

We finally received our new dining table and couch.

A creepy guy, shopping with his wife, took a photo of me. (¬▂¬)

We finally received our internet.

I lost my phone at the ATM. Then the next day the bank returned it to me. They even apologized that they switched off my alarm which was ringing non-stop!

I had my welcoming party at a very nice Italian restaurant in Kakegawa with most of the English teachers.

Starter: a very creamy, cold corn and olive oil soup with a savoury ice cream.

Entree: Miniature leaf salad (locally sourced - like everything in the restaurant) and smoked fish salad

Main: Tomato spaghetti

Spumoni-like dessert, Passion Fruit ice cream and watermelon sorbet

Rooibos tea! Most of the teachers tried it, and actually liked it, especially with a slice of lemon!

The food was fantastic and the company was great! It was interesting to see how everybody became more relaxed and open, leaving the office behind. It was very nice to see my colleagues outside of the very formal school environment. The strangest thing, like many people have wrote about before, is that usually at social events or enkai what happens at the enkai, stays at the enkai. That being said, this wasn’t a real enkai, but more a welcoming dinner. Even though they were a bit more relaxed, my teachers still were very mannered and only touched on topics which, typically, in the West, will be received with a slight frown. Everybody made jokes and even got a lot more “personal” by asking the BIG Question …

How old are you?

My age was received with great surprise! And now it’s out there – I am the kohai (the subordinate junior) by far…

Then, Friday when I arrived at the office, everyone thanked me for last night (I didn’t pay for anything, but thank you for thanking me for joining you and giving me a fantastic dinner party – wow, the Japanese truly have such fantastic manners). Not only that, some of the teachers will chit chat, which is something they rarely did before hand - there was even a joke about my age thrown in the conversation. Again.

Friday was the school's opening ceremony, so I had to make my self-introduction speech today in front of 700 students and about 60 colleagues. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, and I didn’t even make any mistakes. I even received some compliments, although I'm sure I made so many mistakes when it comes to the bowing!

And so, after a month in Japan, I am finally “Welcomed” as part of the group, which to me, is a great honour. When you are in a society where most often you’re seen as the gaijin, the ultimate outsider, who is making one too many cultural faux pas, you feel really happy to be noticed as worthy of the group (even if that group still sees you as the kohai, with no social standing in the Japanese society). At least they see you as the kohai with no social standing who is worthy enough of being part of their group!

Fukuroi Fireworks Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 23:41:00 +0000

It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen so many people in one place!!! Last weekend we went to the Fukuroi Fireworks Festival in Fukuroi, Kakegawa’s neighbouring city. It really was spectacular.

Blue Fireworks

After getting squashed in the train on our way to Fukuroi, we met up with some of the other JETs living in Shizuoka prefecture. And I even got the chance to wear a beautiful Yukata during all the festivities!

Me wearing a yellow Yukata!

Interesting Bokeh

It was really hot and humid! And there were so many people attending, that almost all of the vending machines were out of cool drinks! The convenience store was so full of people that we were queuing through the whole store, wanting to buy some drinks and snacks!

The festival was really beautiful! The fireworks lasted for two hours! Most of it was accompanied by music, which made it even more interesting! It was a kind of competition between pyrotechnic companies. Many food stalls lined the streets, their bright lights contributing even more to the beautiful festival feel! After the show, we gradually headed back home, stuffy, sweaty and very tired!

Part of the Grande Finale

My biggest worry, however, was the pollution and the animals – all the insects were really confused and freaking out! Spiders were jumping over people and crickets were static! Sometimes you wonder why a country will allow a two hour fireworks festival which creates a lot of air pollution and great distress for all the animals, yet they are highly sensitive about Nuclear Energy and Recycling. It’s greatly contradicting! (Although it still was a fantastic experience.)

Some food stalls

Cascading shimmers!

So, have you ever been to the Fukuroi Firework Festival? What is your opinion about it? And what is your opinion about Fireworks?

Taking off - My first week in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 04:49:00 +0000

Pretoria – Johannesburg – Hong Kong – Narita - Tokyo – Shizuoka City – Kakegawa.

Finally after more than 15 hours on a plane, we arrived in Tokyo, beginning to feel the strains of unnatural sleeping positions, dry, recycled air and crossing 7 time zones. And then the excitement kicks in! Upon arrival at the airport in Narita, all JETs were escorted to a separate area in customs to receive our brand new residence cards (which used to be the old “gaijin” cards – at least we’re not branded as “foreigners” anymore but rather as “temporary residents”). Soon after, all the South African JETs were off to Shibuya in Tokyo city - then we entered an ants’ nest of JET Programme Participants at the Keio Plaza Hotel. Some more baka gaijin than other…

Oh Tokyo, how I've missed you!

Only when I walked into our beautiful hotel room, it hit me – I am in Japan, there is no turning back now!

The Tokyo Orientation consisted of various introductions, seminars and workshops. Some were interesting, some weren’t. But to see some of the representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Sport, Science and Education does make you realise that the JET Programme truly is an honourable opportunity. We spent some of our free time wandering around Shibuya (and we ate a fantastic Japanese meal on Sunday), Singing Karaoke with the Irish JETs or just trying to overcome horrible Jet lag (No pun intended).

Shinjuku in all its glory

The bright lights of Tokyo

Armand enjoying his Japanese dinner

Our Japanese-style dinner

Fisherman's Style Tako (Octopus)

Fisherman's Style fried Taco (octopus)

Singing Kareoke with the Irish (and some other random people)

Wednesday morning all the JETs placed in Shizuoka travelled together to Shizuoka city where we introduced ourselves to representatives of our schools. From there we finally travelled to and arrived in Kakegawa! Our new home!

View of Shizuoka City

We arrived in our apartment which was completely empty except for a bed, an old kitchen table and two chairs, a washing machine, an empty refrigerator and aircons (which we had to pay a highly overpriced amount for) as well as a dead rat waiting under our bed! That evening, however, we went to a traditional Japanese okonomiyake restaurant where we met two very nice Japanese people and some of the other JETs in the area. It definitely brightened the mood somewhat after seeing our very empty apartment!

Okonomiyaki

A fun dinner with new friends!

Gradually we’ve been getting a few things for our apartment and making it a bit more like home. It is nice to know who our (Western) neighbours are and that I am getting along well with my new colleagues.

So far I have been well received with a lot of curiosity as well as animosity. Most of my colleagues were very intrigued by the omiyage I gave. Many of the staff will take a curious look at the fizzers and South African sweets I left for all the staff before they come back to look at it again. And then they take some a while later. It is really as if they are testing the waters well before trying out something completely new. At least most of the sweets are gone already! I just know this new life in Japan is going to be a big adventure and I am going to learn a lot, not only about the language and culture, but a bit more about people in general as well.

Have you ever experienced the ritual of omiyage? How did the people receive your gifts?

Making some scrapbook memories

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:27:00 +0000

Upon return from Europe we had so many extra scraps and memorabilia (travel stubs) that I just couldn't incorporate into our digital photo book (which is currently in print - I can't wait for the outcome!), so I decided that I am going to make a small scrapbook to contain all the tickets, brochures, maps etc that we collected during our travels.

I had a very cute book from Typo that was just lying around and I decided it will be the perfect book to use! The idea is to keep the book alongside the photo book so that we can see all the things we did. I used different stamps, incorporated some of the postcards I bought, some printed photos, pictures I drew, stickers, cards and stickers from Sn@p. I wrote what we saw in every city and country onto each page instead of adding elaborate journal entries.

So here it is, I hope you enjoy! And please tell me what you think. (I have to apologise in advance for some of the photos not coming out perfectly - I'm still learning how to properly use my new camera!)

My fantastic Typo Book "Let's run away to Paris and live on Love and Macarons"

Here I added a photo and one of the paper bags I received when buying postcards at the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels, using it as a bag to hold cards, tickets etc.

Brugge - Here I added some snippets from my journal, a postcard, stickers and photos

Luxembourg - Here I added Sn@p envelopes, a postcard and even a souvenir coin

For Aachen and Oostende I used stamps, photos and postcards. For the Aachen page I used the (very expensive) bus tickets as the pocket to place in all the memorabilia.

For Amsterdam I used one of the paper bags I received as an envelope, whilst pasting that on a map of Amsterdam (See below), and I added some watercolour pictures I drew. For Rome I also used a watercolour picture and some Sn@p envelopes.

Map of Amsterdam and a Sn@p Quote Card (on the back I wrote where we went and what we saw).

Venice

Milan and Athens - For Milan I used a postcard as an envelope and for Athens I added one of my watercolour sketches.

Mykonos

Paris (Ah! Paris!!!) - The one page is made up of all the metro tickets and stickers

Barcelona - I used Sn@p pockets and a Quote Card

The back of the Sn@p Quote Card

For Stockholm I used a map as the background and a see-through envelope)

Stockholm page (when the brochures and pictures are removed)

For Brussels I once again used one of the paper envelopes I received at my favourite Souvenir Shop - The Brussels Corner. For the Geneva Page I used a Sn@p envelope stuck on a Sn@p Quote card

Back of the Quote Card

For Budapest and Vienna I once again used Sn@p Quote cards and envelopes. Later on I added my favourite watercolour sketch to the Vienna page (which I haven't photographed yet).

So, have you used Sn@p products before? And what do you do with your travel stubs? I would love to hear your ideas (and opinions)!

Things falling into place

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 10:22:00 +0000

And so it begins...

Yesterday/this morning we finally got contacted by our predecessor and received our essential information booklet - now I know where I will be teaching; Kakegawa Higashi High School - a school Kakegawa City, Shizuoka. So far the description of the school and my "extra" duties sound very exciting and interesting. I really do hope that my experience is similar to what my impressions are!

Map of Shizuoka (found on Google Images)- see if you can find Kakegawa!

In the next few weeks I am going to make a few small "lists" of things I packed and am going to pack etc as well as any "survival tips" that I've gathered over the years of preparations (and what I have experienced so far). But today I want to introduce my new goal - Japanese language learning!

By putting my goals on the blog, it motivates me even more to learn and study even though I know I am not going to always be in the mood to study!

So my first mini-goal:
To be able to introduce myself in Japanese to my neighbors, colleagues, students and new friends upon arrival in Japan.

This may not seem like much but the reason why I am going to post several mini-goals is to make sure that I don't get too frustrated over time when it feels like I'm not able to do anything. If I am able to reach my mini-goals while working towards my ultimate goal (and that is to easily and accurately speak and read basic Japanese - aka to be understood whilst making minimal errors along the way in conversations - in 1 year's time). So basically I am aiming for an elementary level of communication.

Will keep you updated (and will post some more travel posts soon!)

So tell me, are you currently learning a new language? And do you have any goals in mind. If you are a JET - how do you feel about the daunting task of learning Japanese or being submerged in this completely new life?

Until next time!

My Japan Bucket List

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Wow, my last blog post was just after I started working... that is too long ago! But, now I have a month before moving to Japan! And what an adventure it is going to be. I've compiled a short bucket list of some of the things I want to do and experience in Japan this coming year.

During our travels in 2010/2011 we traveled extensively and so experienced so many things - most of those experiences are thus not featured on my short "picture" bucket list (although I won't mind re-experiencing and revisiting all those places and things again).

[I take no credit for the photos in this post - most of them I sourced from around the internet and I just added the captions (thanks Tumblr for the idea!)!]

Well, enjoy! Will be posting much more frequently from here on out.

One of my missions for the year!

And perhaps sleep in a temple...

Sushi Saito is a Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo

Nigella Recipe Challenge: Lemon and Thyme Pasta (4)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:22:00 +0000

When the weather gets colder I love eating pasta. So, what better way to embrace the end of a very hot summer and the colder evenings than with a delicious lemon and thyme pasta?

I tried Nigella's Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms recipe. Once again her recipe didn't fail to impress.

Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushroom Pasta

The recipe represents both summer and autumn. Summer thanks to the citrusy lightness of the lemon and a hint of autumn because of the earthy thyme oozing through the mushrooms. The two elements complement each other perfectly and the garlic just add an extra dimension to the dish. It is really a delicious pasta and white button mushrooms can be used if you cannot find chestnut mushrooms (I couldn't and the white button mushrooms were delicious). Just a little bit of cheese is enough for this dish as not to over power the taste of the other ingredients.

The dish is very easy to make and if I cook it again (which I will) during winter time, I will have a nice remembrance of summer with every mouthful.

Creamy Pasta

So, have you tried this recipe? And what was your opinion about it?

The thrill of the ride - Tokyo's theme parks I

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:43:00 +0000

I sincerely have to apologise for my long absence – work has been hectic and my early mornings were taking their toll. Not to mention that my weekends have been just as packed as my week. But, I’m finally, once again, in the swing of things and I’ve got many more exciting adventures to share! Today I want to travel back to the Far East, to a country where I’ve truly lost my heart – Japan.

For me, one of the greatest things about Tokyo’s popular culture (or the Japanese popular culture) is how it brings out your inner child. Around all the major shopping centres you get Taito stations - the cacophonic jingles of arcade games and their intensely focused players glued to their screens , UFO catchers with the latest of the most kawaii animated characters plush toys (like Hello Kitty, Nyanpira or Rilakkuma) and photo booths where girls of all ages transform their pictures taken with their boyfriend or girlfriends in the green screen-type booths to photos fit for fashion magazines, manga novels or even travel journals. (There are photo booths where you can place yourself in a Parisian street scene).

All my Kawaii plush toys (caught in UFO catchers) - thanks Armand!

The Japanese are often known for the ways in which they blow off steam – from Karaoke to drinking Sake after work with your colleagues. But one of the best ways to blow off steam and bringing out your inner (screaming) child? Going to one of Tokyo’s three major theme parks! Today I’m going to focus on the theme park that boasts some of the worlds’ fastest roller coaster rides – Fuji-Q Highland!

Fuji-Q Highland Entrance

Giant Maneki-Neko (lucky beckoning cat)

The theme park isn’t in Tokyo City but it is a train drive away (to the Mount Fuji area). There lies the mecca for speed- and thrill-seekers alike. The theme park boasts a few famous rides, such as the Dodonpa and the Eejanaika. My favourite was the Eejanaika, which is definitely any speed seeker’s thrill!

Rides rides everywhere you can see!

The Eejanaika

The Eejanaika is a 4 Dimensional roller coaster. Not only does the roller coaster roll around its tracks at around 126 km per hour, its seats also rotate forward and backward while the separate carts (with the free-rotating seats attached to it) itself spin around in 360 degrees! The ride is so crazy that one cannot even shout anymore because your body is so confused as to its whereabouts and the direction it’s going to turn to, that shouting seems redundant. Needless to say, everybody walks a bit askew when climbing off of the ride...

The other ride is the Dodonpa. We probably waited for 2 hours in the freezing cold to get onto this ride and it was well worth it. The ride’s name comes from the sound of a Japanese Taiko drum beat (Don-Don-Pa), which resembles warfare music. As you stand in the queue a drum beat continues to hammer through the aisles, heightening your anticipation even more. The train slowly exits into a tunnel where “engineers” sit, constantly checking the monitors and orange and red lights flashing. As soon as the train enters the tunnel several warnings are given about bracing your head tightly against the headrest as it counts down 3-2-1. Then you suddenly accelerate from 0 to 172 km/hour in 1.8 seconds. Your body is just blasted against the seat as you wizzzzzzzzzzzzzz past several thrilling loops and turns.

Paniclock - it goes round and round and round!

This ride is extremely fun - a giant wheel turning while swinging up and down!

Entrance to the park is about 4500 Yen for a day pass. The theme park offers several other interactive and technologically based games, such as a Gundam-inspired game (Gundam is an anime, featuring robots) where you run around on a space-ship trying to get clues to take you to the next level. There is also a big ice rink, a big Thomas the Tank Engine park for children and the best of all – a very VERY freaky haunted house.

Gundam-themed game

Entrance to the haunted house

Perhaps she is a patient missing from her ward?

The haunted house is themed on an abandoned psychiatric hospital with patients (mostly Japanese students getting a few kicks from scaring others) running around and scaring you in different parts of a very dirty and very scary-looking. (What is it about abandoned asylums and hospitals that is so weird?). The one wing in the hospital has a maternity ward where blood and gunk and echoes of crying babies fill the hallway. At one stage your torch which you are given at the beginning of the haunted house, is taken away from you and a “crazy” person runs after you, chasing you out of the building. The haunted house really is one of the best scares I’ve had in my life and all the detail in the “hospital” makes for an authentic experience. (Well, as authentic as a run-down asylum with insane people running around can be!)

Fuji-Q offers many strange quirks around the park, like this little guy. He isn't even pointing to something specific!

The giant Ferris wheel with the Dodonpa in the background.

Mt Fuji

Yet another funny Japanese sign - do not fight the bear!

Not only does Fuji-Q Highland offer more than a day’s thrills and screams, you can also view Mount Fuji from several viewing points in the park. And you can also buy special Mount Fuji (Blue Berry Cheese Cake flavoured) Kit Kats!

Mt Fuji Kit Kats

The ice rink

So tell me, have you ever been to Fuji-Q (or Fujikyu) Highland? Or what are your favourite rides at theme parks? Do you like theme parks? And have you ever tasted Blue Berry Cheese Cake Kit Kats?

The different outfits of Manneken Pis

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:42:00 +0000

Along the streets leading away from Brussels’ majestic Grande Place (or Grote Markt), one finds several waffle shops and chocolatiers, the buttery and sweet scents wafting through the streets. Yet, in a very insignificant street stands Brussels’ famous icon, relieving himself in front of all to see. Yes, the little Manneken-Pis (literally meaning Little Man Pee) has been urinating on the street corner for the past few hundred years. Although the original statue is kept in the Maison du Roi or Broodhuis (situated on the Grande Place), the replica (which was placed there in 1965) is still entertaining to observe, with his never ending stream of water splashing in the fountain below. But to me, the best part of this little laughing boy entertaining the flocks of people crowding around him, trying to get a picture of him AND them together, is not only the reaction of people spotting him for the first time, but his attire.

Manneken-Pis in a very cute outfit - see how tiny he is!? In this photo and the photo below he is dressed in horse riding gear (he is a Cavalier of the Cercle Royal d'Oxer - Royal riding academy)

But before I begin, let me first share a few of the legends about the origin of Manneken Pis;

One states that in the 12^th century Duke Godfrey III of Leuven was taken to battle along with his troops and was placed in a cradle and hung from an oak tree in order to bring the troops good luck and to encourage them. He then urinated onto the enemy. Duke Godrey’s troops eventually won the battle. To commemorate their victory the oak tree was taken and planed in the street of the same name (Rue du Chene/Eikstraat) and a statue of the little boy was erected.

Another says that in the 8^th century , Vindicien, Bishop of Arras, came to preach in Brussels. The local lord invited the Bishop to stay with him – his alterior motive being that he wanted the Bishop to pray and intercede with God on his behalf in order for him to have a male heir. Nine months later a baby boy was born whose first act was to “pee so high” that it hit the Bishop’s beard. Before the baptism of the baby boy after a quarrel with one Gudula (who later became a Saint – the Our Lady Cathedral in Brussels is named after her) the future saint punished the father of baby boy by saying “Your only son will grow no bigger and will never stop peeing”.

And my preferred legend : In the 14^th century when Brussels was under siege, a little boy, Julianske, caught sight of the enemy preparing to place explosive charges at the city walls. The little boy then urinated on the burning fuse, saving the city from destruction.

On 11 October Manneken Pis wore a yellow ribbon around his eyes, reading "Lumière pour le monde" (light for the world), for World Sight Day.

Now, for his outfits…

Many embassies, sister cities, artists, workers and worker unions, sportsmen and so forth have given miniature outfits, suits or costumes to “honour” the little boy. Today the little statue has more than 800 outfits! Most of them are displayed in the City Museum of Brussels (on the Grande Place). The Friends of Manneken Pis posts a schedule of when he is going to wear different outfits on the gate in front of the statue. They are also responsible for dressing him, usually to the loud music of a brass band playing exciting melodies. He is usually dressed in some attire during festivities and days that honour various worksmen, such as firefighters, policemen etc. There is even a Nelson Mandela outfit and a fantastic South Africa outfit, equipped with gumboots and a hard hat. There’s an Elvis outfit, a Canadian Ice Hockey player, an Obelix outfit (from Asterix and Obelix) and several different quirky and traditional ones.

Manneken Pis as St Niklaas (Saint Nicholas, who became known as Santa Claus).

Manneken Pis wearing a fire fighter outfit

Manneken Pis as St Niklaas

A festive fire fighter

Close Up of Manneken Pis dressed in traditional equestrian gear.

An exciting day in Brussels is during Saint Verhaegen celebrations, where the students of the ULB and VUB (Université Libre de Bruxelles, a French speaking university and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, it’s Flemmish speaking counterpart) have a procession along the streets of Brussels in their traditional university attire (basically they just have an excuse to party and drink beer, something which the Belgians tend to do a lot – I don’t think most of the students even know what the reason behind Saint-V day is!). The students are dressed in large-billed caps, white doctors’ jackets scribbled over with messages from friends and they usually walk around, begging for beer money. You see them throwing each other with beer and food, hence the not so clean jackets. But what does this have to do with Manneken-Pis? Well, on this day he is dressed not only in the students’ attire but he pees beer! Yes, real authentic Belgian beer! Sometimes it squirts out over the fences, soaking the students, all raising their hands to catch some of the beer. And all the while a band joins the festivities playing their loud music for the laughing boy peeing beer! Young and old join together in the festivities. It is very entertaining to see!

Manneken Pis wearing a traditional ULB/VUB outfit

The ocean of heads before the little boy's statue

Manneken Pis as a VUB student (above)
Festive students, old and young (below)

So, have you seen Manneken-Pis and what is your impression of him? Do you like him or don’t you see why everybody is going crazy about him? And if you have seen him dressed up, what did he wear? Or what is your favourite Manneken-Pis outfit?

Where to find him: 46 Rue de l’Etuve/ 46 Stoofstraat (on the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue du Chene/Eikstraat) If you stand on the Grande Place, facing the City Hall or Hotel de Ville (the building with the big tower), take the left side street passing by the City Hall (Rue Charles Buls/Charles Buls straat). (There will be a statue of Everhard 't Serclaes on your left – if you rub the golden statue, you will supposedly get good luck!) Continue straight with the street. You’ll know you are near Manneken Pis because of 1) the tourists flocking to see the little boy 2) there is a pedestrian street (no cars allowed) and 3) you will see a big blue Tin Tin Mural prancing on the right hand side.

Below are a few photos of vintage postcards that I couldn’t resist to buy (€8 for 20)

from the Brussels City Museum. Absolutely adorable!

Manneken Pis Postcards

This one is probably my favourite!

In frosty weather, Madam, that's all you get to see(above)
There is but Brussels to supply us with such showers(below) - Brussels is known for its rainy weather

Nigella Recipe Challenge: Rosemary Remembrance Cake (3)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:10:00 +0000

Today was (and still is) a tremendously hot day. Despite the heat though, I could not stay out of the kitchen. The oven was beckoning me to bake Nigella’s Rosemary Remembrance Cake. Hoping that the heat that was beating down on us, despite the dips in the swimming pool, will break because of some afternoon rain, I baked the cake to be eaten during tea time.

A Rabbit joined us for tea

I am a very patient baker and can spend a long time beating, mixing, kneading and sieving with all the patience in the world (I am, however, not always so patient when it comes to waiting for the baked goods to cool down before trying it out!). But this recipe (like most of Ms Lawson’s recipes) is really quick and easy to make. (Find her recipe here: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/rosemary-remembrance-cake-129)
It basically consists of apple, caster sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, butter, flour, eggs, baking powder and of course, rosemary. The apple makes the cake nice and moist whilst the lemon zest adds something extra to the cake.

Tea time!

The best part of baking and cooking is smelling the aromas develop. This cake is no exception. From the first steps of baking (adding the rosemary to the chunks of apple) the scent of rosemary fills the kitchen, even more so when it is starting to bake in the oven.

Such a moist cake. Hmmmm!

The results: a deliciously moist and golden cake with hints of lemon and rosemary which balances each other out. I will definitely make this cake again – not only is it deliciously fragrant but the sprig of rosemary neatly placed on the cake adds to the visual appeal.

Rosemary Remembrance Cake

The citrus notes of the cake does rather remind me of a Madeira cake.

And the cake was an absolute winner during tea time – when the rain (which only lasted a few seconds) started to cool the very hot Pretoria down.

So tell me, do you still enjoy baking, even if it's warm? And have you tried this recipe before? What is your opinion on it?

Memoirs of Paris: A Tour - Part I (and a delicious Baguette Recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:52:00 +0000

As the Thalys train started to slow, I cannot help but to sing Edith Piaf’s La vie en Rose in my head, the slow, jazzy tune of the trumpets singing of a past classical romance. And so I have come to rekindle mypast romance. Not with my dearest husband sitting next to me, quizzically trying to figure out the answer to a crossword puzzle, but with Paris, the place I call my heart’s home.

Upon arrival at Gare du Nord we are greeted with the familiar Parisian dialect; not the Belgium Flemish and “ch’tis” French I’ve grown so accustomed to. We quickly catch a metro and find our way to our beautiful room in our hotel next to the lush Jardins du Luxembourg. The building, like so many old French buildings, has the most elaborate stucco on the ceiling and greets your ears with soft creaks of footsteps on wooden floors. After settling down we immediately set out in the direction of the Notre Dame. This weekend, I am the navigator as Paris feels to me like my old familiar home. We decided that this weekend we are going to spend time in the old familiar places and just wander around, enjoying the Parisian atmosphere.

The Pantheon

First stop, the Pantheon, situated (close to the Jardins du Luxembourg) in the Latin Quarter. The Pantheon’s facade is modeled on the Pantheon in Rome and today it is used as mausoleum. It was originally built as a church for the patron saint of Paris, St. Genevieve. The Pantheon is one of those buildings that just, once again, emphasizes our minuscule size in the world but reminds us how we have the ability to make a big impact on it, none the less. Many notable people are interred and buried here, including Voltaire, Emile Zola, Louis Brailles and Victor Hugo. Foucault, the French physicist’s famous swinging spherical pendulum was first demonstrated here and a copy of which can still be seen inside. Strangely enough, after rummaging through my old photos from my first visit to the city, I found that I took a very similar photo back then and then during this visit. (The first photo is from my visit in 2007, where a friend and I “accidentally” discovered the Pantheon from below the hill. The second photo is from my visit in 2012 where we passed through this street to get to the Notre Dame.)

My first sighting of the Pantheon (2007)

Leaving the Pantheon to go to the Notre Dame (2012)

From the Pantheon it is best to walk through the city to go to the Ile de la Cite, which hosts the beautiful Notre Dame de Paris, simply known as the Notre Dame. I truly believe that the best way to see a city is on foot, for it allows you to see and experience so much more. One can smell the different scents, and hear the different sounds of the city. A quick and easy way to travel is, of course, the Paris Metro. A carnet (consisting of 10 tickets) can be bought at a slightly reduced rate and can be used for 10 single trips. The metro stops nearby most of the famous Parisian attractions. If you are staying for 5 days or more, the Passe Navigo can be bought at all RATP/SNCF ticket windows at the metro stations. This pass can be used to travel as much as you like on all the Paris Metro lines and the RER network, however it can only be activated on weekdays, which would be problematic if you arrive on a weekend.

The Notre Dame (front entrance and entrance to the treasury)

The Notre Dame was built in a French Gothic style and construction began in 1160. Gothic elements creep from every crevice of the cathedral, most notably the gargoyles looming over the spires, maliciously spitting streams of rainwater onto the ground. It is possible to view the cathedral’s gargoyles up close when taking a tour of the towers, which includes climbing about 400 steps, for a fee of € 8,50 for adults. (Note: the cathedral is currently undergoing some renovation and not all the towers will be accessible. The monument itself will be closed from 19 February 2013 to 10 March 2013, except on weekends.) From the tower a beautiful view of Paris awaits. The cathedral’s treasury is also worth visiting for its various religious relics, most notably the crown of thorns, a piece of the cross and a nail from the cross. The entrance fee to the treasury is €3,00 (the entrance to the treasury is in front of the cathedral, and not in the cathedral itself.). Entrance to the Cathedral is free and it is worth the visit. It boasts with beautiful sculptures, stained glass windows and artworks.

Notre Dame

Beautiful Windows

The Cathedral's famous windows

Arch above one of the front entries

The cold and fog came creeping up from the Seine and nudged us to the Left Bank, where we visited the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, which is worth a visit for any literary lover. Here you can find English books lined on wooden bookshelves, hidden away in narrow passages. You can get the famous Shakespeare and Co stamp in your book upon purchase. The shop next to the English bookshop sells collectors books, such as signed copies and first prints. The store is named after the original Shakespeare and Company, famous for being the hangout place for writers such as Ezra Pound, James Joyce and Ernest Hemmingway, which unfortunately closed during the German occupation of France during World War II.

Paris has so many famous monuments which we were eager to visit again, but our bed was beckoning us to get a good night’s sleep before embarking on our second day’s “monument hopping tour”. We enjoyed a hearty dinner in the comfort of our bed and soon drifted away, the lights of the Eiffel Tower swaying across the orange clouds cast across the horizon.

The famous Shakespeare and Company

Below I share a recipe inspired by one of the most delicious baguettes I’ve had in Paris.

Portobello mushroom, Roquefort and caramelized onion baguette

(Serve with a warm soup of your choice, such as French Onion Soup or Vegetable soup)

Ingredients:

Two large Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Butter

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried sage

(or substitute the above herbs with an Italian Herb mix)

¼ teaspoon dried garlic flakes

Slices of Roquefort (or any blue cheese of your choice)

2 Onions

Brown Sugar

Baby Spinach leaves

Salt

1. Place the mushrooms in a deep bowl. Cover with olive oil and add about 4 table spoons of Balsamic Vinegar. Add the Basil, Oregano and Sage (or the Italian Herb mix) and the garlic. Rub the mushrooms in the mixture and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the caramelized onions by peeling the onions. Halve the onions and slice them lengthwise. Melt some butter in a thick bottomed pan. Lower the heat and add the onions, add some salt and sauté. Once the onions are becoming transparent, add some brown sugar and a little bit of Balsamic vinegar (one table spoon of vinegar for every two table spoons of sugar). Allow the onions to caramelize over low heat, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

3. In a separate pan, heat some olive oil and add the marinated mushrooms and the rest of the marinade. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat, while frequently stirring, for about five minutes. Allow to cool.

4. Prepare the baguette by slicing it lengthwise, adding some butter. Add the baby spinach leaves. Top the leaves with the Portobello mushrooms and add the caramelized onions. Drizzle the mushrooms with some of the caramel residue of the onions. Top with the slices of Roquefort and serve with a warm soup.

Have you tried this recipe? Do you like french sandwiches or baguettes? And have you ever been to Paris?

Nigella Recipe Challenge: Spiced Peaches (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:04:00 +0000

On Saturday I splurged at the Hazel Food Market’s spice stall. The smells and the vibrant colours of the different spices immediately drew me in and I bought a few extra spices; cardammon, star aniseed, cloves and cinnamon sticks. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it – make and review Nigella’s Spiced Peaches recipe (this is my second review). We also bought a wonderful La Petite France Bree cheese, and I knew the peaches would be a great accompaniment to the cheese.

(You can find the recipe here: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/spiced-peaches-95).

Spiced Peaches

Ingredients:

2 cans peach halves (or slices) in syrip (800grams)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)

2 cinnamon sticks

4 centimetres fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thinly into rounds)

· ½ teaspoons dried chilli (flakes)

· ¼ teaspoon table salt ( or ½ teaspoons maldon salt)

· 3 cloves

Add the peach halves and the syrup into a large sauce pan. Add the vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, chilli and salt and heat over medium heat until it starts to boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve (hot or cold).

The result: delicious golden peaches

Note: I added some star aniseed to the recipe, as it is one of my favourite spices and I think it would complement the different flavours. The recipe says that you should add peppercorns, although it doesn't list it in its ingredients list. I added three peppercorns and it tastes great. I also made some more syrup by mixing brown sugar with warm water. The peaches can be kept for a few days in an airtight container, and I am sure they can be kept longer if they are bottled properly.

This is definitely one of my favourite recipes as it is very quick and easy to make. The best part is how the rich aroma of the spices starts to develop, becoming more deep and complex. Only when the peaches and syrup cool down, do you get the full richness of the spiced up peaches. Next time I am going to add some orange rind and see how that goes.

Yummy Petite France Bree Cheese and Spiced Peaches

Nigella suggest to serve this with ham and also suggests using cheese. I paired it with cheese (even baked bree or camembert will make excellent choices), pouring the sauce over a very tasty Bree.

Delicious Spiced Peaches and Bree

I will definitely make this again, in summer or in winter.

Have you tried this recipe? With what will you present it? And do you like spiced peaches?

Nigella Recipe Challenge: Corn Chowder (1)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 07:52:00 +0000

(Bear with this long post – it does go somewhere…)

I have a confession to make – I am a foodie. My day is simply made when I had a nice meal somewhere along the way. I take complete pleasure in eating (although I do still strongly believe in “everything in moderation”) and I never feel guilty about enjoying one of life’s greatest pleasures – food. I am sure you have realized from my previous posts that I usually blog something about what I ate and how it tasted. I see food as an essential part of travelling and I always feel enriched after a flavoursome meal, whether it is a new culinary delight or an old favourite – my days simply revolve around food.

I do, however, believe that I have inherited my mother and father’s fine taste buds. My mother has exceptional taste in food and she is a master in the kitchen – I still believe she needs to open her own restaurant. She can magically conjure up a new dish or spruce up a bland one, using her creativity and fine taste for wholesome flavours. She truly has a “homey” style of cooking, almost French Provencial inspired – her food has a heart warming rustic feel to it whilst it enlivens your senses and feeds your need for a good meal. My father always complains when we’re at a restaurant which doesn’t serve proper food because we could’ve just stayed at home and eat my mom’s cooking! My father instilled in me the finer culinary delights in life. He introduced me to fine (and exceptionally good) wine, to different cuisine types and to fine dining. My mother is the yin, while my father is the yan – they compliment each other and so they are partially to blame for my infatuation with great food.

I always feel sad if I had an “ordinary” meal – bland pasta topped with cheddar cheese, any dish smothered with sauce, tasteless sandwiches and bland wine. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t prepare 5-star meals on a daily basis, but I try to make at least one interesting meal a day and so also expanding my knowledge of food and tastes. I also enjoy eating out or just enjoying one of my mom’s meals. I enjoy learning how to make new dishes and how to use different ingredients. I enjoy using my own creativity (just like my mother) to make something extraordinary from something ordinary. And no, I don’t take photos of my food with Instagram to look hip – I take photos with my camera to remember some of the tastes and ingredients so that I can take inspiration from it later on.

But during my quest for new recipes and ideas, I’ve realized that often recipes are too complex, call for too many ingredients (which are often very pricey) and are sometimes too time consuming. My favourite “celebrity” cook, Nigella Lawson, often makes, quick, simple yet delicious and hearty meals and those I’ve already tried out didn't fail to impress. Her recipes then became my inspiration for my new project. I am going to cook and bake as many of her recipes as possible (I am starting with 1 to 2 recipes a week). I shall be documenting the outcome and the taste. I hope you are going to enjoy this journey with me.

So, here is my first experimentation –

Nigella’s Sweetcorn Chowder

Find the original recipe here:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/sweetcorn-chowder-with-toasted-tortillas-80

Result and Honest verdict:

The Outcome: Nigella's Corn Chowder and Toasted Tortilla

Corn Chowder and Tortillas

The recipe is very easy to make and takes about 15 minutes to prepare and to make. The sweetness of the chowder is balanced lightly by the spring onion and garlic, giving it an extra dimension. Although I am not a big fan of chilli I did opt for some sweet chilli sauce which I incorporated in the chowder. I do believe the chilli is necessary for that extra kick in the dish, otherwise the sweetness of the corn will be too overpowering. I enjoyed the idea of eating the Tortillas with the chowder, the crispness of the hot-out-of-the-oven savoury snack and the chunky sweetness of the chowder complement each other well.

This is something that does resemble comfort food, although I found it to be very sweet.

I will give it a 7 out of 10 because of its sweetness. I prefer sweetness to be the complement to a savoury dish and not vice versa.

Will I make this again? For a light meal on a cold night? Perhaps. For a dinner party? No.

Have you tried this recipe? And what's your opinion about it?

Do you prefer sweetness to be the main taste of a dish or do you prefer something savoury?

Kleinmond (I'm back...)

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:43:00 +0000

I have to apologize for the extremely long break from writing anything! But I have to admit – I’ve been extremely busy. First off we continued with our travels and the last two weeks of my stay in Belgium was crammed with packing, visiting a few last places I’ve wanted to see in Brussels (and I didn’t even get to half of them) and of course touring a last few European countries. Luckily, my long absence has left me with several stories to tell and more photos to share!

Kleinmond

Upon our return we took to the road and headed to Kleinmond, which has become synonymous with “family holidays”. We have been going on holidays in Kleinmond for the past 4 years. Kleinmond is situated in the Western Cape (which is a 16 hours’ drive from Pretoria!). Needless to say we were completely exhausted by the time we got there and New Year’s Eve was celebrated sound asleep. (Well, we argued that it’s already long past midnight in Japan, so New Year’s has already been celebrated by our Japanese friends.)

But our time in Kleinmond was well spent. Not only was it so nice to spend time with my parents after three months of only Skype video calls but we were also soaking up the warm South African sun (which was definitely something I’ve really missed during my stay in Europe).

A Beautiful Sunset in Kleinmond, Western Cape

Our holidays in Kleinmond are always filled with days out in the sun, long walks among the fynbos and the coast, hiking, going to the beach, sleeping in and midday naps as well as preparing and eating delicious meals. The photos below are of our Grecian inspired meal, consisting of fresh pita, dolmades, freshly made tzatziki, olives, orange flavoured hummus, different souvlaki and a delicious salad (I will soon post the recipes!)

Greek inspired Dinner

We had a nice day out on the ocean where we caught some crayfish. It was a long process but time flew by while I soaked in the sun, taking in the beautiful scenery, cocktail in hand. After we’ve caught 20 big crayfish we returned to shore – more than 3 hours later (which, to me, felt like an hour)!

Getting ready to go out on the boat

Look! We caugt crayfish!

Hangklip beach

So this past weekend we finally had our crayfish braai where we prepared some delicious food to complement the delicate taste of the crayfish. I will soon post photos and details about our Kingly feast.

So, I am back and ready to tackle my blog head on. Be prepared to expect some more travelling memories and experiences, what my home country has to offer as well as several food-related posts!

Have you ever caught your own crayfish? And do you have a favourite family holiday destination?

Oostende - a popular sea side resort in Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:14:00 +0000

There is this small seaside town in Belgium, called Oostende. It actually reminded me of a British sea-side town, possibly because the weather was so miserable when we went there. It is a rather lovely place, with many sea-side restaurants and a long boulevard that stretches out next to the beach.

An old Victorian building that stretches out along the beach. It is being renovated to its former glory - with a hotel, restaurant and a few shops. It will be beautiful to see it when the project is complete.

What is there to see and do in Oostende?

Oostende doesn’t really offer a lot of grandiose architecture or spectacular museum. But the town is a very popular beach resort.

Colourful beach sport

There is a Casino as well as a horse track (the latter being eerily empty whilst we were there).

Oostende Kursaal (Casino)

There are several nice restaurants along the pier and boulevard, all serving traditional moules-frites (mussels and fries) and of course, Belgium beer. Close to the station, there are several food stalls selling fresh fish and fruits de la mer (mussels, crab, crayfish etc). We stopped to buy a nice lunch consisting of different types of fish. It made for a tasty, light lunch! Like I always say, you cannot go to the sea without eating seafood!

There is an interesting old ship, the Mercator, now a floating museum, docked in the harbor. The ship, named after a Flemish cartographer, Gerardus Mercator, was built in 1932 and used to be a training ship for the Belgian merchant fleet, a Belgium ambassador on World Fairs and she even competed in sailing events (and she won the 1960 Oslo-Oostende tall ships race). The ship isn’t as impressive as, say, the HMS Victory in Portsmouth (but then again, I don’t think many ships are!), but it is nice to go on board and catch a glimpse of how people would’ve lived on board during more “modern” times.

Mercator

Oostende Harbour

Then there is a beautiful old church, which, ironically, like most other churches in Belgium, is closed on a Sunday. The Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of St Peter and St Paul) was built in 1899 and completed and consecrated in 1908. The original stained glass windows were destroyed during the two World Wars, but fortunately they were eventually replaced.

Sint Petrus en Pauluskerk

There is even an aquarium, which is probably as big as my bedroom in South Africa! It hosts fish, mollusks and crustaceans from the North Sea.

There is a very interesting art display on the pier!

Artwork on the Pier

And there is a lovely, colourful park.

Mermaid in the Park

There are several museums and chapels in the town. I can see that it becomes really crowded during the summertime. Either way it makes for a great day trip during autumn! Just be armed with a warm cup of coffee and some warm waffles when the weather acts up!

Have you ever been to Oostende? Do you like popular sea-side towns?

The disturbing side of Milan’s Cathedral

noreply@blogger.com (Mireille Lubbe) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:39:00 +0000

During our trip to Milan, we came across one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. While touring the Duomo di Milano (or the Cathedral of Milan) I was instantly blown away by the size of the cathedral (it is the fourth biggest cathedral in the world and it is the biggest in Italy).

Duomo di Milano

The church was truly impressive, until I realized that something, which disturbs me even now, was being openly displayed to the public.

What's that down there?

What is that you see below the grandiose statue? Nothing really… just the sarcophagus of a previous arch bishop, his bony, sinewy hands and neck exposed for the world to see!

A little bit freaky, to say the least! Especially that grey-ish gloveless hand resting on his white cloak.

I only took these photos displayed in the blog (for blogging purposes), because I found it rather macabre to stare and photograph a corpse. It is such a shocking sight though – in this holy place entwined with beautiful architecture and art are all these bodies gradually rotting away for all the public to see. I don't think it's really respecting the wishes of the dead to "Rest in Peace", now is it?

The sarcophagi start with the oldest one which is a pile of bones dressed in white cloth… but then it gets creepier as the sarcophagi get “younger”. Some of them wear silver masks, others' faces are exposed with skulls grinning from within their glass coffins.

There is also a crypt of Charles Borromeo who used to be the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan but who has been canonized and is now a saint. People can come from all over the world to see the body of this saint – which doesn't seem saintly at all. And it is rather sad to think that everyone is ogling this corpse after he insisted that he should not be canonized nor embalmed after his death!

To contribute to the eeriness is a statue of Saint Bartolomeo, who was flayed. The statue depicts the saint with his skin dressed around him like a toga. Rather macabre.

St Bartolomeo the flayed

The cathedral isn’t just eerie; it does offer a lot to see. There is a red light in the apse of the church where the supposed nails of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, is kept. The Nail of the Cross is retrieved every year during the Rite of Nivola, where the public can see the nails.

Beautiful artworks along the nave. If you look below the cross, you'll see a red dot - that is where the Nail of the Cross is kept.

During November (when we visited the cathedral), there are beautiful artworks being displayed along the nave. And the architecture itself allows one’s eye to see various intricate elements all over.

The cathedral is truly beautiful and amazing to see. Perhaps the sarcophagi contribute to the dark element of the Gothic style in which the cathedral was built. But in the words of Henry James: it is “a structure not supremely interesting, not logical, not … commandingly beautiful, but grandly curious and superbly rich.”

Have you ever been to the Milan cathedral? What is your opinion of sarcophagi in the modern age? Do you find it fascinating or macabre?