i always have trouble coming back to the states. long time readers know this. it's not that i don't try to reacclimate to my native culture it's just that...i don't particular care for my native culture even though i am very much a product of it.
prior to this trip, i think leff might've thought i was being a tad silly when i was depressed about reentering the states. but this time he gets it as he's having a hard time too. tokyo did a number on us, guys. we are culture shocking HARD at being back and we were only gone a week. it's ridiculous. i KNOW it's ridiculous. and it's such a damn bougie complaint to have. :/
anyway, one way i cope with the listlessness is to cook food from the trip. we've already bought two new japanese cookbooks. here's the one i'm currently devouring.
i've made yakitori a number of times both shio and tare.
also been going off the rails with the omurice. (it's just so easy to eat and quick to make.)
don't get me started on the noodles. we have been eating SO MUCH RAMEN (i'm making stock tonight from the soul food book) i was really excited about the rice noodle ramen because it looks super cool
but GOD it is so bland. american company targeting an american audience, amirite? (i KNOW i am fucking rite.)
in addition to food, i've been stuck in a japanese movie rut. think, ozu, kurosawa, tons of ghibli. we watched "when marnie was there". so sad, so good.
but also things like "executive koala", "death kappa" i am not always discriminating in my tastes.
"tokyo waka" is terrific though. (many thanks again to matt for recommending it!)
and we've ventured to the international district. mainly for supplies from uwajimaya.
on the way, we stopped by james harris for the akio takamori show. i would suggest that you catch this if you are in the seattle area.
i had not been to the panama hotel tea house in years but the promise of wagashi took me back past the japan town sign.
there was no wagashi. :( but my matcha latte was good.
leff got a bowl of ramen from samurai noodle. he said it was tasty.
hit up the 100 yen store. it is reassuring to know that i can get a version of the face masks that i used in tokyo (usually at 3 am when i couldn't sleep.(i used the diamond one on my birthday. haha!))
a ningyo-yaki food truck is outside of daiso now. (i knoooow, i know.) i got one of the fish shaped ones. i mean, it was ok but 1) it was called a "waffle" 2) the anko wasn't very sweet. eh, it'll do, i guess. it was certainly attractive.
not japanese but there was dragon practice going on near the food truck.
speaking of dragons, i finally got to see one of kieran gormley's ground meat sculptures!
and there's a fresh takoyaki stand in the uwajimaya food court now.
here's video of the dashi responding to heat.
idk, guys. it's good to have access to the international district. leff and i have always loved hanging out down there but, BUT the people in seattle on the way there are horrible. seattle makes me culture shock THE HARDEST because, honestly, what is up with that place. why is everyone so damn gawky and in the way and loud and just so...irritating in their bland fucking way. (omg you saw "phantom of the opera" both the movie AND the play on broadway?! shut the fuck up, white bread. i don't want to be stuck hearing you scream about it.)
it's culture shock. it's easier to deal with in bremerton where people aren't obsessed with keeping up with some idea of coolness (seattle is NOT cool. hahahaha god, no. fuck off.) or whatever it is that is driving the fucking unicorn techbros these days. i don't fucking care, i just don't want to be in the middle of it.
hey, at least the cats are glad we're back even if i don't want to be here. haaaaa haaa. :/
tokyo souvenir post coming up soon. then i'm sure i'l get back to my usual bitching about this place until we finally fucking move away. but i'll burn that bridge when i come to it. ;D
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