TV Episode Review: An Idiot Abroad - Climbing Mt. Fuji

Konnichiwa!

So basically.. it's been eons since I last posted. Second semester senior year is crazy . But don't worry I have like 2 pages of ideas for blog posts written up :) Lately I've been really getting into this show called An Idiot Abroad. It's about this disgruntled British man who is sent to all these different countries to experience their cultures (some of which are quite exotic and unpleasant). In this episode Karl, the subject of the show, is sent to Japan to climb Mt. Fuji. On the way, he experiences several little "treats"- a cat-petting cafe, sumo match, Buddhist temple, tea ceremony, eats fermenting fish, an exercise routine at a Japanese workplace, technology/invention center, and finally, the big mountain. (By the way, if anyone wants to see a cool video of a Japanese tea ceremony here's a link - http://youtu.be/7tt7NBIVeMY) It takes him from about 2 pm to 7 am the next day. That's so much time walking! But the view was absolutely beautiful, and I hope to go the some day. Karl actually quite enjoys his trip to Japan, as opposed to his trips in man of the other episodes. The idea of Buddhist meditation and the sacredness of tea really resonates with him. This show is amazing and hilarious, GO watch it :) 

Since I've been slacking on my blog lately, I think I'll make another post tonight (GTOTM) so stay up :)

Keep it kawaii folks!

-Ainsley

P.S. Sorry about the color-backing on the text. My accoun is messing up again

Antique Mall Close-out and GTOTM

Konnichiwa!

I just want you all to know that I am making great progress in learning Japanese through my Human Japanese software. I've really enjoyed drawing the little characters (Japan really is all about cute!)Also I FINALLY fixed my blog so that it is easier to read. Anyway, I'm straying from the topic. Sad news: the antique mall near my house is closing :'( This is extremely disappointing, not only because it's a good place to find cool Japanese stuff, but also because it is a great place for thrifting and buying gifts. As a tribute to its final days, I will show a few other cool Japanese items I found on sale there recently.

Interesting and ornate egg-things. Seriously though, can somebody tell me the purpose of these?

Japanese vase. This one was actually cheap enough for me to purchase. It is currently sitting on the dresser in the front of my room. Hopefully after Valentine's day I can fill it with some flowers ;)

last but not least, tea set!! I am quite fond of tea-pots with bamboo handles like this, as opposed to the traditional Japanese teapots that are dark-colored, ceramic, very wide/round, and flat. I think there must be a difference in eras between the two styles. The kind I like are much more difficult to find. I already have a tea set that I received for Christmas, as you may have read. However, it only contained 4 cups and a pot whereas this one basically contains a whole kitchen! Overall though, I like the way mine looks better and that is more important

Since I'm lazy, I'm combining this post with my Green Tea of the Month for the Month of February. I would have used Lemon Green Tea or Kapchorua Green Tea as my GTOTM, but since I already described those in my Christmas post, I figured it would be a bit redundant to appraise them again. Plus, those are running out, and I've been using the kind that a picked for this month far more often. Drum roll please....

Decaf Green Tea!!

A bit anticlimactic? Sigh, I know. But really, this stuff is great! Second semester has been kinda crazy, and sometimes I'm so busy that by the time I get around to drinking my 3rd green tea, it's too late for any caffeine. This has definitely been my saving grace.

So if you have a fantastic antique mall nearby, raid it while it lasts! I think I'm going to go cry now

Keep it kawaii folks!

-Ainsley

A Day at the Asian Market

Konnichiwa!

So my boyfriend and I really like to frequent the local Asian market because of all the interesting foodstuffs and items sold there. Asian cuisine is SO different than American, it amazes me. There were these huge spiky fruits there which totally befuddled me! Where I live, the majority of the Asian culture is Vietnamese, so there wasn't a whole lot of Japanese things there, but I thought it would be fun to show nevertheless.

 Live critters for purchase- yikes!

 Ramune drinks, our favorite :)

 mochi mochi mochiiiii. I thought these ones looked interesting, I wonder what flavors they are?

Here's the little soup spoon I purchased for 99 cents, which I absolutely love

If you are blessed to have a local Asian market, go check it out! You might just be surprised by some of the cool finds.

Keep it kawaii folks!

-Ainsley

A Day at World Market

Konnichiwa!

If you are an American you know yesterday was the infamous... Black Friday. Getting up extremely early and heading out for good deals is what I was all about. As part of my "holiday" experience, I took a trip to a store called World Market. They have products from around the globe: Italy, Sweden, Germany, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese- you name it. While I enjoyed browsing all of these cultures I mainly, of course, enjoyed the Japan sections. Here are pictures of some goodies I spotted while shopping.

 Hello Panda & other treats

 mochi & other treats

 ramune drinks (I spy a Hello Kitty ramune)

 traditional Japanese teapots with steepers inside (i find their extremely flat and round shape rather intriguing)

 the picture says it all

 teacups with lids

 a kokeshi Christmas ornament- bringing something Japanese into an American tradition. And its adorable!

 and my personal favorite... SUSHI ERASERS. Definitely want for school

 sushi stapler

sushi rolling mat with chopsticks and a rice paddle- perfect dining packer

So if you're looking for a gateway to the rest of the planet, check out World Market. Clearly it has captured other cultures with class! (props for alliteration there hmm?)

Keep it kawaii folks!

-Ainsley

Movie Wars- Jiro Dreams of Sushi vs. Sushi: The Global Catch

Konnichiwa!

My family recently got Netflix so I've been movie binging, of course. My boyfriend and I have watched two sushi documentaries this month (see blog title) and I'd like to give you my reviews of each, anddddd determine a winner!

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

This documentary follows the life and training of famous artisenal Japanese sushi chef, Jiro Ono, at his expensive (but totally worth it apparently) restaurant Sukiyabashi. The film goes into in-depth detail of how the sushi is prepared (even the rice has very specific and difficult preparation techniques) and how the fish is selected. Jiro's son, Yoshikazu, narrates for a while; he is apprenticing to take over the business when his father dies. Overall, a very interesting documentary. And the food looked delicious!

Sushi: The Global Catch

When this documentary begins, it appears to be centered on sushi as a whole, but don't be fooled; it's all about the freaking tuna! I pen a whole hour watching a film on the endangerment of the wild tuna species and the effect of the sushi industry on it. :P The only thing I liked about this movie better was that it was in English instead of in Japanese with English subs.

So clearly the champion is.....

Jiro Dreams of Sushi!

Seriously though, I highly recommend it, and its free if you have Netflix. Let me know what you think :)

Keep it kawaii folks!

-Ainsley

Century II Asian Festival

Konnichiwa!

I'm so excited to tell you all about my asian festival adventures. Wichita KS held a big asian event at the Cenury II building on October 26 that I went to with my boyfriend. Upon arrival we saw a big stage with various dancing acts from the different cultures of Asian countries. This was pretty cool, granted, but what we wanted to see was... FOOD.

Adjacent to the performance hall was a giant room filled completely with different food and gadget stands. It was so amazing!!! I've been to the festival once before, but that was in middle school, and i didn't remember it being this awesome.

Anyway, here are some pictures.

My itouch camera is crap, so unfortuntely you can't really see the dancers.

 A kokeshi iphone case, how can you beat that!

 traditional kimono

 hello kitty lanyards

sticky rice spoons

Unfortunately these were the only Japanese things available- o Japanese food, what a bummer :(- but don't leave yet because the other food was still incredibly delicious

 Can't remember what country this is. Can anybody tell me?

 Hey gyoza! That actually is Japanese right?

 This young woman competed in the Miss Asia Festival Contest. Wish I had been able to see who won :/

 Where is this one from..? More importantly, what is it!? I love all of these new foods :)

And that was just a FEW examples of what they had to offer. I was totally, completely in heaven. I tried some delicious Indian food. Not sure what it was, but it was like these huge triangular-ish fried things filed with this mushy orange stuff (I'm making it sound gross but it was amazing) sitting in some curried chickpeas. Then I also tried some banh bao (which was not my favoite...), shared some kimchi with my boyfriend, and got some thai iced tea for a dollar (drool). I really enjoyed attending and sharing my experiences with you, I hope you liked the pictures! I'd love to hear about any asian festivals you might have attended recently as well.

Keep it kawaii folks!

-Ainsley