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A Japanese-American Thanksgiving?

Tuesday, Dec. 5. Wherein UltraMom and Heather cook and UltraBob eats….and eats…and eats…

Today, we are kind of having a kick-back day. The Ultrakids are still trying hard not to get sick, and we have some pretty ambitious plans for the rest of the week, especially Tokyo Disneysea tomorrow. I have been given an Apple Mini-Mac as a gift by my favorite children in Japan, and Ubob is helping me shop online for needed accessories, such as keyboard. Actually, now it sounds like this is the day we will be trying to replicate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, most especially for UltraBob, but also for the members of UltraGirl’s family that can join us.
Heather and I brainstorm and concoct a list. UltraGirl calls “The Chicken Place”, where birds are prepared for sale to make sure we can purchase a whole chicken, which is a hard thing to come by in Japan. A turkey can be had if enough advance notice is given, but the bird will have to be cooked in the toaster oven, so size-wise chicken seems the best choice. Also, though not traditional, Heather’s world-famous Mexican dip will be on the menu, by popular request.
UltraBob, Heather and I go to the market while UltraGirl cleans house. It is so different from American supermarkets, and, as Heather remarks, has a very large “Asian” section! I am unable to find cranberries, so settle on a pudding/strawberry type dessert to which we add extra canned fruit. No canned green beans for Heather’s casserole, so we get fresh ones. Bread, not a staple here is interesting, and is sold in half loaf sizes, usually in thick slices. This will have to do for stuffing; in anticipation I have brought poultry seasoning from home. By the time we have made our selections I have a slight headache; Ubob, trying hard to be patient, has also had enough.
Back at the house, Heather and I get to work. It is supposed to an afternoon off of cooking for UGirl, but we keep her busy fetching ingredients, pans and bowls. I make the stuffing, get the chicken on and prepare mashed potatoes and gravy, as well as beets and the fruit. Heather’s part is a bit more labor intensive as she chops lettuce, tomatoes, pitted olives, almonds, and frenches the green beans. Everything is ready about 1/2 hour after the guests arrive. Not all invited have been able to come, but we are happy to see UltraGirl’s parents Yuri and Motoji and the family friend who works for Karate Uncle and has been working on the Suzuki house.
Dinner is served with small plates and chopsticks, a bit different from the American huge plate groaning with food. UltraBob is a bit cranky when asked to translate; he wants to focus entirely on the meal of his dreams. The tastes are foreign to Japanese palates. Yuri likes only the mashed potatoes/no gravy, but she those she likes quite well, and asks for some to take home for her young “prince”, Mitsuhiro. Motoji, true to form, likes pretty much everything, especially the tortilla chips. He uses the chips as holders for the more insubstantial foods such as green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and turkey dressing. On the whole, the dinner is a great success; at least it accomplishes its main purpose of giving UltraBob a taste of Thanksgiving home, though it would have been much better with the cranberries. Don’t you agree, UltraGirl?
After some socializing, Yuri and Motoji whirlwind through the kitchen, cleaning everything in sight. It is a bit of a mess from UltraMom and Heather’s cooking extravaganza.
Tomorrow will be one of the best days of the vacation. Tomorrow we are going to Tokyo DisneySea. We have to get up early, so I’d better get some shuteye.

UltraMom

UltraBob getting ready to enjoy

Heather’s Famous Taco Dip

Motoji: Everything is better on a Tortilla Chip

Compai! (sp?)

Tour Guide Extraordinaire

Wherein UltraMom and Heather have an adventure in Tokyo with Kristen and Heather has an unpleasant experience

It is now Monday in Japan, two days after the UltraWedding. Both of the UltraKids are under the weather; Ubob has a bad cold and is wearing a white respiration mask around. You see a lot of people wearing those around Japan, although probably not as much now as when the SARS epidemic was at its height. Ubob likes to wear one when he is sick, not only so as not to infect others, but because it makes the air warmer, he says. I think he kind of looks like he’s about to go into the operating room.
Anyway, Kristen has offered to show the visitors some of the sights of Tokyo if UBob will put put them on right train. UltraMom was very happy to, at last, meet Kristen at the Ultras Wedding, but she already felt like she knew her from reading her MediaTinker website, as well as from her frequent, helpful comments on this site. Spending some time in Tokyo with Kristen as tour guide sounded good to us, so UBob took us down to the Zushi station area, where we stopped off for a quick lunch at one of Johnny’s favorite haunts where you could get a sizeable bowl of flavored noodles for a reasonable price. At the station UltraB helped us buy our tickets from the ticket vending machine and find the right gate for the car we wanted. He told us where to get off when we reached Tokyo, how many stops there would be before that, and where Kristen would meet us. He also loaned us his cell phone as an added safety precaution. After all, it seemed very unlikely that anything would go wrong, or that we could get lost, but after all, this was UltraMom we were talking about.
Everything went fine, with UltraMom getting her usual little snooze in on the train ride, a never-ending source of wonder to Heather. Kristen had an ambitious agenda for us, only half of which we actually completed, but we had a great time. I was so glad we didn’t have to navigate train or subway stations alone; I would have been hopelessly lost and confused, although there were sporadic signs and announcements in English.
First, Kristen took us the Buddhist temple at Asakusa. This was an absolutely amazing sight, and one of the best parts, at least for us, was the street full of tourist shops leading up to the temple. Kristen was endlessly patient as we shopped for souvenirs, such as waving paw cat statues and tiny decorative Saki cups. Arriving at the temple, we saw what looked like rows of little wooden cubicles with doors. Also was a rack of sorts with papers tied to it. Kristen explained to us that the cubicles contained fortunes that you could purchase for 100 yen (a little less than a dollar). If your fortune was bad, you were supposed to get rid of it by tying it on the rack and try for a better one. If you kept it, the bad luck would “stick.” Of course we had to try it and shelled out the necessary coin. Okay, time for one of UltraMom’s famous logic problems. Each of the three of us got a different type of fortune. UltraMom was quite happy with her fortune; Kristen, though not overjoyed, seemed satisfied with hers. Who ended up having to tie her fortune to the rack and get a different one? (See picture below for answer.)
We wandered around the temple grounds for awhile, and then Kristen treated us to an afternoon treat at a traditional Japanese sweets shop. Most of the desserts contained fruit, bean paste and small cubes of a clear looking gelatin. It was an interesting experience, but I think bean paste and clear gelatin cubes are an acquired taste.
After all of the shopping, UltraMom and Heather were laden down with many purchases, so a locker was rented to hold the bounty for the return ride home, and we walked around Tokyo a bit looking at the sights. We walked to where we could see the edge of the moats and gardens surrounding the Emperor’s Imperial Palace. The Emperor (merely a figurehead, like the Queen of England) and his family only make public appearances, it seems, twice a year. They appear behind glass and wave to the crowd periodically on those two days, where crowds gather to catch a glimpse. Doesn’t sound like all that much fun to me.
We then went to meet Todd, Kristen’s husband, at his workplace so we could all have dinner together. We ended up at an authentic Chinese restaurant that Todd and Kristen had been to before and really enjoyed. We enjoyed it as well; I wish I could remember all (or even some) of the dishes we tried, but I don’t remember trying anything I really didn’t like. The food was very different from what we consider Chinese food in the U.S: much simpler and more flavorful.
When we got back to Zushi after Kristen helped us retrieve our treasures from the locker and safely stowed us on the correct train for our return ride, UltraBob was there to meet us. What a great day. Kristen, you are definitely a tour guide extraordinaire.
Tomorrow: Turkey, anyone?
UltraMom

Answer: Heather has to tie her bad fortune to the rack. The next time she got a “regular” fortune, like Kristen. Only UltraMom got the “best” fortune. smug smile

Temple/Shopping at Asakusa

Kristen & Todd together again

From the Japanese Sweetshop. Isn’t it beautiful?

Happy Birthday Motoji

Wherein UltraMom and Heather become Better Acquainted with UltraGirl’s Family and UltraBob makes a Bad Translation

Yokuska and the Suzuki house is about ½ hour away from Zushi where the UltraKids live. Tomoko was already there from the morning’s activities. The first thing we noticed when we arrived at Tomoko’s parent’s house, right by the front step was Motoji’s pond. We had heard about it, but mere words cannot do it justice. A painted jack-o-lantern sign proclaimed “Welcome”. The sides of the pond in rugged mountain shapes had been painted green, blue, brown and white to resemble the mountains in Idaho that Motoji had seen a couple of years ago. Delicate yellow and white flowers bloomed in outside crevices. There were some goldfish in the pond, but it seemed they had been dying, so Ubob was asked to install an aerator to see if that would help. All in all, quite an impressive sight.
Inside the house, we were shown into the living room where we sat on the floor around a low table. I really liked the heated carpet we sat on. At the end of this room is a large, comfortable room where the Grandmother lives. She is Motoji’s adopted mother, is @93 years old, and is amazing. The only concession to aging she seems to have made is impaired hearing. She wore no glasses and remembered very clearly the gift of a candle I had sent her several years ago. After a few minutes, she retired to her room, and later we could hear her laughing loudly as she enjoyed her favorite TV program.
Having a conversation with Motoji and Yuri was a bit challenging for Heather and UltraMom as we speak about the same amount of Japanese as they do English: little to none. Ubob helpfully translated, as we talked about the wedding, our families, and exchanged compliments. Tall, beautiful, red-haired Heather made quite the impression, and Yuri asked Ubob to tell her something. “She wants to tell you,” he began, “that you have a gigantic nose.” Heather, rather taken aback made a shocked face, whereupon Yuri hit Ubob both physically and with a torrent of Japanese. When he could stop laughing he explained, “She actually said to tell you that you have a tall nose. In Japan that is a compliment.” Heather took in in stride, even when UltraBob carried the joke around for the rest of the evening (actually rather beyond that). “Heather, watch out for that doorway. Make sure there is room for your gigantic nose to fit through. “ and so on.
Upon our request, the UltraKids showed us UltraGirl’s old room, up several flights of stairs and more recently, UBob’s office. The walls were still decorated with old rock posters from UltraGirl’s teenage years. We also saw the small room off the stair landing where Ubob stayed for awhile when he first moved to Japan. Apparently the room now contained a lot of storage items that weren’t there when Bob lived there, but viewing the cramped little space, Heather and I couldn’t help thinking of Harry Potter’s closet under the stairs. Motoji made a point of telling Heather that when she got married, she could come to Japan on her honeymoon and stay in UltraGirl’s old room. UBob was outraged: “She should have to stay in the Harry Potter room first. It’s only fair!”
Tomoko’s cousin, Yukiko was also there. She and her husband, Makato live right next door. She is the daughter of Karate Uncle, whom I did not get to meet. When Ubob first came to Japan, this brother of Yuri’s did not approve of the young American dating his niece. Ubob, not proficient yet in Japanese names, dubbed him “Karate Uncle” because of his Black Belt Karate status. I believe now they have established a truce, though UltraBob says they always get into a heated (thoroughly enjoyable to him) discussion at the annual New Year’s Day gathering. Yukiko is also a black belt Karate master and operates a massage shop. Though she didn’t speak much English, she was very friendly, as was her husband. They presented Heather and me with very nice gift boxes consisting of scarves, decorative coin purses and ornate toothpick holders w/mirrors. Also at the Suzuki house a lot was a neighbor who was doing some remodeling on the house. I can’t remember his name, but he was an employee of Karate Uncle who owned a business that did that sort of thing.
Heather and I brought out the gifts we had brought: a Yellowstone Park magnet for Grandma, some candy and scented lotion for Yuri, an electronic BlackJack game for Mitsuhiro, and his favorite country apple-scented Bath & Bodyworks lotion for Motoji. There is a funny story associated with Motoji’s gift. One year I sent a Christmas package and include gifts for Tomoko’s family. I hadn’t know her very long at that time, and I had her parents’ names mixed up. As an afterthought I included a tube of apple lotion for her mother, whose name I thought was Motoji. The real Motoji, not her mother, but her father, loved it! Ever since then I try to send some of his favorite lotion when I send a package.
We went to one of the Suzuki family’s favorite restaurant. I asked the name several times, but can’t remember it now…maybe Aiya? It was a traditional Japanese restaurant, and we sat on the floor around a low table. Heather and I had some delicious tempera; I know Ubob had tuna sushi, and I can’t begin to describe what everyone else had. Everything I tried was delicious and unusual. Heather continued to impress Motoji by accepting the beer he offered to buy her, and each time we saw him after that, he made sure to offer her one. They always raised their mugs/bottles and toasted with what sounded like “CompEye!” Motoji and Yuri, as it turns out, are about 10 years older than I am, but you could never tell it by looking at them. I can’t remember for sure what age Motoji turned on this particular birthday; somewhere in the mid-60’s I think.
On the way back from the restaurant, Motoji rode in the front seat of the car with UltraBob, and Heather and I rode in the back. As they chatted in Japanese, Ubob would occasionally translate for us. Once, after Motoji has talked for quite a while, Heather wanted to know what he had said. Ubob, weary of acting as go-between just said, “He told a funny story. When I stop talking, laugh.”, which we obediently did, and Motoji seemed pleased.
Okay, a fun, eventful day, but stay tuned kiddies! Tomorrow UltraMom and Heather are going into Tokyo on the train!

UltraMom

UltraBob, UltraMom, Heather, Yuri, UltraGirl, Mitsuhiro, Motoji

UltraBob and Grandma

Motoji’s Idaho Mountains pond

A Walking Tour of Zushi

Japan, the Saga Continues
Okay, its high time I got back to my Japan posting series. First a little picture viewing to refresh my memory. That was how I started the last three times I tried to do this, and never got past the picture part. But to be fair, I have over 2000 pix on my computer from this trip; a combo of 4 or more cameras, so its easy to get lost in the visual memories. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so just imagine how much I would be able to write if I wasn’t afraid of boring you to tears and of losing the functionality of my hands to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Anyway, as promised, oh about 7-8 posts ago, UltraMom and Heather’s Big Walking Adventure:
Wherein UltraMom and Heather have a big walking adventure and attend a special party.
It is the day after the UltraKid’s wedding. They have gone off to a hotel to be alone and get some much needed R & R after all the wedding stress. UltraMom and Heather have the run of the house and have royally slept in. Somewhere around 3 P.M. UltraBob will show up to collect us and we will go to UltraGirl’s parents house to celebrate Motoji’s birthday. But our two intrepid travelers decide not to waste a precious Japan day sitting in the house. After all, they know how to walk to the Train Station in Zushi, having done it three times now. And Heather is having fantasies about the wonderful grocery store pastries filled with cheese and spices. So, armed with cameras and yen we start the half hour trek.
We reach Zushi station without incident; past the park, turning as directed by the 7-11 store. I’m not sure if I would have noticed this if UBob hadn’t pointed it out, but the sign doesn’t read 7-11 any longer. It says something like 7-(letter i) Holdings which is apparently reflects the name of the Japanese company which bought the franchise. We stop and take pictures of each other at every opportunity: in front of an animal hospital, by the Post Office (Heather’s BF Heath works in a Post Office), of the ubiquitous vending machines. We are particularly amused by the cartoon-like signs picturing adorable blue, pink or yellow puppies posing with a pile of poop. The image is surrounded with one of those big red circles with a line through it, the universal sign for “don’t do it.” Ubob tells us the signs are a warning that owners should not let their dogs “relieve themselves” in that location. People sometimes steal/borrow the signs to post near their homes when this type of thing is a problem from neighboring animals.

When we reach the station, Heather is confident that we can find the grocery store next to the Starbucks where UltraBob had treated us to lunch pastries and coffee a few days previous. We take a street and find a grocery store. It even has a pastry section, but Heather is adamant. “This is NOT the right one. Do you see a Starbucks around here?” so we keep walking. We pass lots of other little shops. Some, like the vegetable or fish market are obvious. There is the shop where my favorite pigeon cookies are made. Other stores mystify us a bit, and of course we cannot read the Japanese marquees. You may be shocked to learn that UltraMom’s sense of direction can be a little shaky. As we turned this way and that through the crowded streets, I became a bit turned around. Thank goodness Heather is a little more directionally-savvy. As we retraced our steps, my instincts would invariable have led us the wrong way, and Heather, for some good reason, refused to listen to me. Back at the station we discussed again finding the elusive grocery/bakery/starbucks. “Have we tried this street yet?” I inquired pointing down a road just past the station. We looked, and there it was! The object of our quest. It had been there all the time, right under our noses, but we couldn’t find it until we really needed to, until we wanted it SO badly that…oh sorry. Got a bit carried away there. But UltraMom was the five-mintute hero for the find, which she always enjoys. Anyway, the upshot was we bought 3-4 different pastries and some Starbucks and pigged out.
Now to get back to the UltraKids house. Should be easy. It wasn’t. Somehow we missed the turn at the 7-i Holdings Store and had to retrace our steps once we finally admitted to ourselves that nothing we were now seeing looked familiar to us. Back at the store, I was sure I knew the way now, and set off confidently. Heather kept wanting to stop and reason it out, but I knew which way we should go , and she was just wasting walking time. Finally she more or less commanded me to stop, and sure enough, I was going the wrong way. When you approach a landmark from a different direction, it casts a magic spell over you making you turn the wrong way. Heather, it seems had built up an immunity to these spells, and at last we were on the path back home, well Ubob’s home, actually. Heather kept admonishing me “Now remember, we knew exactly where we were at all times. Don’t tell Bob we got lost.” Don’t worry, Honey. I won’t.
UltraBob was home when we arrived, and seemed a bit put out to have found us away, but got over it quickly. It was time to go to the Suzuki house in Yokuska and do some relative meeting and some celebrating. Motoji was having a birthday.
Next time join us for Motoji’s birthday dinner. Hope I remember how to get there..
UltaMom

The Wonderfully Addictive Bakery Bread

Corn Soup, anyone?

Don’t even think about it

Who do You want to vote for? Probably the one that drives around your neighborhood early in the morning blaring political announcements from a loud speaker.

Jan 5: Happy BDay UltraBob

I’m a couple of days late, but someone we all know and love (the other half of this duo, as it were) had a birthday, and doggone it, I need to say something about that.
Being his mother and all and being around him off and on for over 31 years, I thought I knew UltraBob pretty well. Well, mostly I did, and mostly I do, but during my recent trip to Japan I saw him in a whole new light, and what I saw blew my socks off. He functions extremely well in a country where a whole lot of things are different than they are in the region where he was born, including the language. When I commented on how impressed I was he said “Well, I have lived here for six years.” But you know and I know people who are transplants into our country and have been there a whole lot longer than 6 years who make no effort to learn the language or customs of their adopted country, so my kudos stand. But what really made me ask myself, “Does this kid really get his genetic makeup from UltraDad and me?” is his utter genius with computers. He liberally shares his knowledge, but UltraMom seems to have reached a place in her life where she must be told and then experience an instruction a minimum of 3 times before she can lay claim to it in her memory banks at some future date. And if she hasn’t used it for a week or so, the process has got to start all over again. I know there are lots of times when UltraBob would like to say, “But you did this yesterday. I explained it and you said you understood. Are you a moron?” What he actually says is, “Just remember the advice from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Don’t panic.” and then he proceeds to patiently explain it to me all over again.
I called UBob on his Bday and was fortunate enough to have a long talk with both him and Tomoko. It reminded me of how much I miss them and of all the reasons they are, currently, topping the Oriko Leaderboard.
So, Happy Birthday, my sweet son. And many, many, many more.
Your favorite Mom,
UltraMom

2007, A New Year Odyssey

Written just after midnight Jan 1, 2007
A New Year—what will it bring? A time for new beginnings? For changes? For a “new me”? Each year I make resolutions to improve: eat less, exercise more, daily Bible reading and prayer, keep the house in better order, stop procrastinating…. But most of the time these good and positive intentions fall by the wayside after a period of earnest effort. Do I, by some flaw in character, not have what it takes to vow and follow through?
Perhaps this year I’ll take a different tack. I will start by opening my eyes to what in this world “lights my fire.” Possessions? Sometimes they play a part, along with sights, sounds, scents and textures that delight my senses. But mostly it is the important people in my life who, by intimately sharing the human experience with me, fill up my need for love, laughter and appreciation.
So, this year, I will make no promises soon to be forgotten. Instead I’ll start 2007 by flooding my mind with images of those I love, thanking God for bringing them into my life. I will remember and luxuriate in the things they do and the things they are; the things that bring meaning and joy to my life. And I fervently pray that, in small small way, I do the same for them.
Happy New Year.