This winter

Before talking about today's topic, as I promised it in the last blog,

Here is some photos of Taco Rice!

Below the layers of these vegetables, there are seasoned soya mince and rice.

It was very delicious as always♪

So, (Let's get back to the today's topic)

This winter, it was so mind in the UK whereas in Japan, it has been (still today!) very very cold and severe winter.

Last year, the UK was often covered by snow and all the transports were blocked.

So, with a friend couple, we planned a canal boat trip in Lincoln for a weekend in early February.

Then on that week, suddenly the real winter hit the UK...

On one hand, such coldness showed us a nice winter phenomenon:

Rare snow crystal on our house windows☆

On the other hand, however,

The canal got frozen very thick and it become impossible to move the boat!

The lowest temperature went down to -13 degrees!

At least the weather was nice. So we changed our plan to the sightseeing of the town of Lincoln.

Ducks and swans were walking, well rather sliding on the ice or,

Some got stuck between some melted ice...

But during the following week, the temperature went up to above 10 degrees!

How changeable!!!

We should have planned this trip a week later...

Oh well, we will replan it in summer!

2 weekends before, Ben and I went to Devil's Dyke by bicycle, about 10 km away from our house.

Dyke or Valley??? well, both seems very similar...

Why "Devil's" Dyke?

Long long time ago, there was a devil in the area of Sussex who wanted to make a flood from the hill area in order to destroy many churches located at its downstream.

So he started digging a trench to make the flood then the dyke was formed.

In the end, the flood did not occur because while he was digging, he stubbed this toe and then stopped the operation...

It is a funny end of the legend...

It seems that there is another myth about how the Dyke was made.

If you are interested in it, please refer to the Wikipedia Devil's Dyke.

In reality, the Dyke was formed due to the result of solifluction and river erosion on the frozen chalk, which does not filter water to the soil.

Anyway, on the way, the route was constantly going up.

It was quite tough but a great exercise.

This place has not only beautiful landscape,

But it is also well known for one of the best spots for Hang gliding.

There were quite many people enjoying the wonderful weather with a quite reasonable wind.

No thank you for me though...

After filling out our empty stomach with sandwich (as always), we walked around the Dyke.

On the way back, it took only about 15 minutes!

The march is just there now, which means the spring is approaching!

I really wish the spring comes to my job hunting as well... :(

New menus

Already one month has passed this year.

I have quite well started realising the resolutions that I had written in the last blog.

①Yoga
Once a week, I started going to yoga class nearby my place.

I have not been too crazy of it to practice at home though...

I chose a unique yoga class with the mixed style of yoga, pilate and stretching, using weights. 

Once I tried beginners yoga class, where I could relax but get nothing more than that...

Then the following week, I tried the yoga with pump (using weights) organised with the same teacher.

This is not an easy class. But I like doing exercise and challenging my physical capacity.

So it was the one for me :)

I enjoy the muscle pain next day of the weekly class...

However, unfortunately, I have not succeeded to make 'friends' from the class...

②Kitchen garden

They have been growing up very well!

Can you see some little sprouts on the photo?

After a few weeks, they have grown up till this stage.

Everyday, I take photos of them and feel happy of their development like your own kids growing up :)

③Job hunting

Hmmm, no fruit yet...Finally I could go to the interview stage for a couple of organisations.

But because of my insufficient preparation and knowledge about the interview system and common questions, I could not express myself concisely but well at each interview...

Well, now I know better how an interview works and I 'finally' started reading a book about job interview (I should have done from the beginning) so if I get another one, I will do better for sure!

In such frustrating or difficult time, my pleasure is to eat! (Well, this has been and will be always my ultimate pleasure!)

This month, we got three new recipes in our family menu.

1. Tajine

Yes, it is the Tajine that Ben and I enjoyed so much in Morocco. We have bought a proper tajine pot without coating in a local market in Marrakesh.

So we tried to recreate the local taste at home.

As the pot is not coated, it risks of getting cracks very easily.

To avoid that, the pot preparation took long time...

First, you soak the pot in water for 30-60 minutes.

After drying them, you cover it whole with olive oil then put it in the oven for 2 hours with very low heat.

After cooling it down, you again cover the inside of the pot with olive oil then finally it is ready to use for cooking.

Additionally, you cook ingredients for Tajine in a flying pan then cook them in the pot for about 2 hours in the oven.

When it was ready, we were really tired of the whole process.

But the very tender lamb meat with various spice taste and melting veggies made us forget the long preparation time and gave us the desire to make it again!

We enjoyed it in the very orthodox way with couscous :)

2. Fish pie

Well, if you are British, this is a very common pub or home dish.

But for non-British, it is a very new thing, including me.

I have tasted it a couple of times in pubs and I loved it.

The other day, at a supermarket, I found a bag of "fish pie mix" on sale.

So I said to myself why not to try to make it at home!?

Why I said it is a quite new for non-British?

This is because although it has the name of "pie", it does not use pie sheet!

Every time I ordered it at a pub, I realised later that oh yes, this dish is not covered with pastry that I love! but with mushed potato!

For Japanese, I describe it as seafood or fish gratin with mushed potato on top.

For other nationalities, I have no idea if you have any similar dish. Well, at least for certain Europeans, I assume that the dish gratin is quite common...so this might help you to get some ideas of this dish.

Sorry, but I took only the shots form the top so you cannot see the layers of white cream sauce and mushies.

I love well cooked fish with the creamy white sauce and soft mush.

It is a very heavy dish but I do not think the calories are that high because I do not use any cream but only flour and milk with a little oil and butter.

3.　Taco rice

This is a specialty of my husband.

We love Mexican food and often make it, including Taco and Enchilada at home.

But these dishes reminded him of an extended dish, called Taco rice that he had in Japan.

So he decided to make it by himself.

Taco Rice is a dish created in Okinawa (the far south island of Japan), using rice instead of tortilla.

He made it with Taco(s) spice mix and soya mince, instead of beef mince to make it healthier.

The recipe is very simple but so good.

We were so hungry that I forgot to take a photo of the beautifully presented ball of Taco rice...

Sorry, maybe next time! 

New year resolutions

Happy new year 2012, everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful new year's eve and new year holidays with lots of nice food, drinks and smiles.

Mine was very quiet like the one with my parents in Japan, but without watching TV, especially the music show on the national channel.

We were just at home and heard of fireworks outside.

In fact, we planned to go to the centre of the town to join the party atmosphere of other people but it was very windy and raining.

Although it was not cold, Ben was exhausted by working on his assignment whole day and the tiredness took over me, too...

Last year very early morning of 2nd January, I remember...

I had to, well Ben took me to the emergency hospital because of my very very bad stomachache.

Contrary to that, this new year's quiet holiday was not bad ;)

Do not worry, please. It was just because I had been eating too well (very rich or sweet) and drinking around that time (from Christmas in Paris and NY in Oxford).

Anyway, people often make their resolutions at the beginning of the year.

Personally, I do not do such things so much but this year, a little bit in a passive way, I did some...

1. Make friends in Brighton!

Since last August, I basically live in Brighton (I know this is an excuse) but I was stuck in the house for my dissertation then I traveled a lot.

So to be honest, I do not have any friends on my own, apart from Ben's friends!

At the same time, I am not brave or open enough to ask people on the street "Can you become my friend?" like Burkinabés (people from Burkina) do so :D

I have wanted to start yoga for keep myself in good shape physically and mentally. Luckily, Ben got me a yoga mat as one of Christmas presents.

So I decided to start making friends from Yoga class.

Last week, for the first yoga class, there was only one another girl in the class...

I was too shy to talk to her a lot.

Oh well, from the next week, I will try harder and also there will be more people hopefully!

2. Kitchen gardening

I have been regenerating salad onion that I buy at a supermarket with roots. (They regrow about 3-4 times after cutting and using for cooking)

Such my attitude gave Ben an idea!

As the second surprise gift, he gave me Herb kitchen garden.

He repeatedly asked me "when are you going to start the garden?"

So today, finally I did.

The herbs are basil, chives, coriander and parsley.

I can't wait to see them growing up♪

This much is the ultimate goal of my garden.

We live on the second floor without balcony or garden. But this mini-garden can be made inside the house as well as outside (from March).

Very handy!

This encourages me to cook more, too :)

3. Find a work

I should put this as the first or prior resolution probably...

In the current difficult economic situation, it is not at all easy to find a job in my interests with my preference of the geographical places and of the tasks.

Certain friends tell me that the life is very long (well, particularly for Japanese about 80 years...), I should take time to think what I really want to do and decide.

But how long?

How can I know what exactly I want to do???

I am not someone who can just stay at home all the time and do only housework as housewife...

So I feel sometimes or often I want to find a job of whatever the conditions are.

However, the compromise can be made only at a certain limit.

So until this spring, I will still stick to the area of my interests and preference for job hunting.

If nothing comes out by then, I have to make another move, maybe look for volunteering work to develop further my capacities and/or find a job of whatever I can get...

The pass of my near future is so unclear yet.

But I will not give up and step forward with positive thinking (in Japanese, we often say "let's walk by looking up") !!!

Trip series No.3: MOROCCO

16 hours after my return to the UK, I was again out of my Brighton house, this time with Ben and on the way to my trip series last destination, Morocco!

This time we stayed in one of the country's touristic cities, Marrakesh for four nights.

The purpose was for me to calm down and relax after intensive travels and for Ben to get out of all the work and study that he has been doing and relax.

So we did some sightseeing but also just had lazy time at hotel in an upgraded large room by watching films,

We tried also Hammams (Turkish bath), gommage (exfoliation) and massage.

All the dirt (dead skin) of the year, well maybe of my entire life was removed!

Marrakesh was very modern and popular with tourists especially from British and French.

The atmosphere of the city is a sort of mix of Europe and Africa (well, for me Burkina).

The smell of the city was very similar to the one of Ouagadougou (the capital of Burkina).

It is probably simply because of the pollution from the cars and motorcycles...

I had the impression of Morocco as a hot country nearby desert,

but in December, the temperature was about 25-28 degrees during the day and below 10 at night.

with very clear blue sky like English summer.

Very pleasant to walk around. 

I was also surprised of a number of gardens and green (nature) in the city (photo: Majorelle Garden）

Alongside the streets, most of the trees were those of olives and oranges

We wondered who is taking these many fruits,

Or whether anyone is allowed to take them,

Or even whether the person may be arrested if he/she takes/steals them?!

The truth is not found out...

Anyway

We walked alot in Souq (market) by losing ourselves

Tasted street food at Djemaa el-Fnaa square (couscous and grilled mouton)

Had Tajine at the rooftop of Riad (restaurant) and cafe terrace,

Enjoyed beautiful views from there

Went to Bahia Palace

 El Badi Palace

Saadian Tombs

Impressed by different mosques everywhere,

Koutoubia Mosque: World heritage

We both got really refreshed.

On 20th, we said goodbye to Marrakesh and our holiday and headed to Lincoln to attend the wedding of Ben's sister.

On 23rd, we finally came back to Brighton and had relaxing and lazy Christmas between us at home.

After opening our presents, we cooked the Christmas meals of the Wood family,

Enjoyed them very much and spent the rest of the day watching films.

This year (as usual) I was very busy mentally and physically with lots of moving (Norwich→London→Brighton + trips to Italy, Japan and Morocco).

But always with good health and a life partner

I know already that the next year is going to be similarly busy with lots of travels...

But I should take sufficient time and consideration before making important decisions of my life without rushing!

How was your 2011?

I hope that your 2012 will be wonderful with good health, smiles and loves!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012, everyone!

Trip series No.2: JAPAN

30 hours after the delicious and intellectual trip in Italy,

I was already in the bus heading to Heathrow airport to take planes to my home country.

I arrived earlier at the airport than expected.

Plus, my plane was delayed about 2 hours due to the thick fog...

As a result, the 2 hours that I was supposed to have at Amsterdam to get a transfer, were gone...

Instead, I had to dash to the gate of my connection flight.

Just under 5 minutes saved my life...

Anyway I arrived in Osaka on time.

However, my suitcase could not run like me in Amsterdam...

So my return to Japan after one year and half started with only my hand luggage with a computer.

When I was filling the form of delayed/lost luggage, with my lesson learned in the UK to "try to negotiate even without hope", I asked the lady in charge of the issue whether it would be possible to get any compensation.

At first, she said "I am afraid..." but she was kind enough to go and ask her boss.

Then, with the situation where I do not currently live in Japan, she gave me 5000 yen!

Very lucky!

What was luckier was that I had a set of facial care products in my hand luggage that I normally do not carry when I travel, so I can manage myself somehow. 

My first day in Japan was the only day in Osaka for this stay in Japan (until that night to take a night train to go to the North of Japan).

Therefore, I had planned lunch with a friend who studied at UEA with me,

afternoon tea with my undergrad French professor at my Japanese university, and

Dinner with the university friends.

If I had missed the connection flight in Amsterdam, I could not have made all these plans.

Plus, I could not have met my dad to take the night train together.

So very very lucky me!

I have a great time with them each time.

I met my dad since 1 year and we headed to Yamagata.

I did not sleep almost 2 days so had a deep sleep in the train.

In the North, I met my grandma and told her my (unpredicted) marriage and gave her the invitation for the Japanese marriage ceremony in the South next summer.

There were also my another grandma's first anniversary and her house moving packing.

After a couple of quite busy days there, at the end of November, I went back to my home in the South since 1 year and half.

Before taking a break, I had to finish my research assistant job and a project web management job.

Then, thanks to facebook connection, I met some high-school friends that I had not seen 1-5 years.

It was all fun like when we were at the high-school.

(source: a friend photo from facebook)

Then the biggest task of this visit: preparation for the marriage ceremony next summer.

Normally, a couple takes several months to decide the hotel, dresses (not a dress but plural!), flower decoration at each table, etc...

But thanks to my mum who had pre-booked a hotel and collected much info, I could decide these things pretty much on one day!

Well, it does not mean that I lowvalue these decisions but simply no time! 

Then as I had to go to Tokyo for an interview, I took the advantage of it and met other high-school friends that I had not met since about 10 years!

But again, once we met, we went back to our high-school time.

We naturally talked in our local accent about the topics with which we had laughed at that time.

I had a brilliant time with them!

What was more, I could meet up with some friends who studied with me in Norwich as they were by chance in Tokyo.

All found their new job and were about to start their new life.

They gave me some pressure as well as courage for my career (job hunting).

But, I would never do again a round trip from Kokura to Tokyo with only sleeps in the night bus (my stay in Tokyo was only 14 hours with one way bus for 13 hours!)

It was cruel... I would pay more for comfort and my health for my age...

I could do all I wanted to do in Japan and on 15 December, I returned to the UK.

The biggest fruit of this visit was the reunion with old friends.

Each has been taking big decisions in their life such as marriage, having kids, job position promotion or job change, etc...

Their efforts gave me much courage and occasions to think for my life from now with professional career...

Next year, I WILL find a proper job!!!