Tokyo Marathon 2011

William loves to run. So, I thought I'd take him up to see the Tokyo Marathon, since it was such a fine day. I had planned to take him up to the Asakusa turn-around, but since we were running late in the morning, we got off the train earlier at Ginza, so we could watch the runners going north, and then the front-runners on their way back south (on the same street).
Who says there aren't colorful people here in Japan?
William and I got a respectable place to watch the race from.
We met this man,Kato-san on the train. Aimee (his daughter) was so cute singing the ABC song with us. I asked if he was going to the Tokyo marathon. He was, and was getting off at the same station as we were. So, we followed him. We didn't know of anyone running the race to cheer for, so we held up posters for Kato's boss, who was running the race. At one point, I realized I was holding the sign (in kanji) upside-down.
The guy in the glasses has patches on his neck. This is a herbal application to the lymph glands. I had jokingly said they might be nicotine patches, since so many people smoke here. It was a good guess that there probably isn't a place to smoke on the marathon route. Thankfully, I had Kato-san next to us, who could tell me what they were. About one in every 30 Japanese runners had them. The Japanese take the lymph system very seriously. I get a massage here that helps the lymph system.
I told Wm that we'd know when the fastest runners were coming, 'cause there would be the media (photographer) truck, and there it is!
Amazingly, there were remote TV cameras on these trucks. Wow, times have changed.
The masses hit. We saw a couple of Santas, many Pikachus, Uncle Sam (it was a Japanese guy), weird hats of many kinds, Pooh beer, a salary-man (businessman, but not as sophisticated, according to Kato... but he was running in a business suit), many folks dressed as bees, it was an assortment!
This guy was running, but stopped to take video of the main contenders coming the other way.

It was a nice day. Tim was working, so William and I had a good time seeing what a marathon is all about.

HAKUBA #2 Skiing

The second long weekend of the year, our friends decided to go back to Hakuba to ski. It's a good place, they have ski instruction for kids in English, it's close, we know the routine, and it was so snowy last time, that it was time to see it clearly!
Stefan and William are ski buddies, and ski well together. Ski school is a very good thing.
Tim is showing a drink vending machine at the top. The red buttons mean hot (hot water, num!), and there are the other varieties to get, as well. These machines are literally everywhere in Japan!
They held some of the Nagano Olympics here.
The view.
Tim, Hallie, Dwayne and Eric on the ski lift.
Geeks.
This year's skiing shot. At least William's ski clothing has changed, and he has bigger teeth now...
At the top of the mountain. They skied down, except for one double black diamond that William butt slid down.

Tim took a lot of video, and is working on editing it. I just wanted to get this uploaded in February, so it is in the Feb. blogs. Of course, I am fast typing on March 1, but it's still Feb in America, where the google blogspot server is.

Update: Here is the video!

Also, here is my GPS watch record of the second day. You can see from the elevation chart how we worked our way up to the top chair and spent hours up there. Then skied all the way down to the bottom to pick up William from ski school, then William and I went back up to the top of the hill and then all the way down. Awesome!

SAKE SEMINAR 2011

We were back, and this year there was a great line-up!
The food was great. They started letting us in a little after 6 p.m, and the seminar began at 6:30.
There were a lot of PSNS folks we knew there. That's Paul on the right.
The usual suspects... Anthony's, Strands, Tim and the Sullivans.
This is a real seminar. Several folks left at first break. I think they thought it was a sake drinking/tasting event. It is more of a history, how it's done, what are the different types, and here are a select examples of the best types.
This lady took over her dad's sake brewery, and started using red rice to make a sake.
It was my favorite last year, and was my favorite this year. It's sweeter than most sakes.
At breaks, we could get more of each type. So, we'd go and ask for 3 glasses, get a small portion for each of us to drink, then the next would go get another 3 samples... It looks classier than saying, "Load it up, Mac!"
The presenter is Dutch. He came to work at the embassy in Japan, and fell in love with sake. It became a passion. Now, 30 years later, he is an ambassador of sake. He represents a major brewery and gives educational seminars all over the world.
This time, we took notes!
And in lieu of that, I took pics of the slides. He succinctly points out the different kinds, and what makes them different. Then, there are the varieties, like pasteurized or not pasteurized. Good stuff.
It is a pretty good overview of the process. I almost expected to be able to sign up for college credit in the back.
And I drank more this year. Last year, I was conservative, I didn't want to have my tummy feel ill from the sake. But, I learned they are great sakes, and they don't disturb your tummy! Tim got to drink my glasses last year, after I'd had a sip. This year, he only got what was served him!
Eric, Hallie and Dwayne speaking with Ad Blankestijn, Sake Sommelier.
And other friends of ours... Chris and Trey. They are so funny!

Algebra Night

William's elementary school does special nights a couple times a year. One is a math one, and one is an algebra one.

They basically get the kids exposed to all sorts of different activities the teachers (who volunteer to do this) provide.
Yes, we got stuck at the computer.... William loved it. We can access this at home, as well.

It is so wonderful to see schools using games for learning.

I will now put my name in, once again, for parent of the year award... I fell asleep! He was working on the computer. I was at the beginning of my cold and tired, and the next thing I know, it's later. At least I know that algebra still has that affect on me!

Chinese Restaurant in Oppama

My favorite Chinese restaurant is in Oppama. It is authentic. My friend, Jun-yi showed me where it is, and I've been back many times. There are a couple of seasonal items that I love. So, I need to go again this spring, anyone want to come along?If you get off at Oppama Keikyu train station, the street it is on is directly in front of you, perpendicular to route 16, that you cross. With your back to the station, it is on the left side of the street. There is parking (pay) across from it.
Of course this was my Japanese class's 'field trip.' We just have so much fun!
I loved hearing Jun-yi speak Chinese to the waitress/owners. She has such a pretty voice, it sounds so educated and cultured (compared to the waitress's voice).
Spicy beef.
My personal favorite, shrimp. They are so quickly deep fried, that you can eat the shell! Freaky, but good. And those little fried bits? Amazing on rice.
This was also really good. There was an odd (to me) Chinese mushroom bit in it (not the classical mushroom shape Americans think of), that I found very good. It was really a unique chewy consistency. It's the darker-colored stuff that looks like it might be seaweed.
And the best part? Jun-yi paid for all of this! Thank you, Jun-yi! She is such a great friend. I am happy to report that they aren't leaving for awhile, like so many of the folks who came in the same time as we did.

I met her when I had put William in on-base kindergarten. I am so thankful I did that, as I met 2 really great friends that way! Then, Jun-yi introduced me to our Japanese teacher, Reina, who is such a special person, too. It's the friendship that keeps giving and giving.

Next time, it's MY turn to buy lunch! :)

(Inter) National Pizza Day -- Going to the Dogs

February 9 is National Pizza Day. Our oven is too small for the take and bakes, so I have to cut them down.

Occasionally, I make pizzas. I love pesto chicken and kielbasa sauerkraut. But, those nights are few and far-between.

Plus, both Tim and William often get pizza for lunch. So I'm left hangin' with a hankering.
So, when the Strands said they were going to go to a cool pizza place in Zushi, I said, "Hey, let's go celebrate National Pizza Day, in an International way!"
Of course, Tim said he was celebrating FeBREWary.
Any reason to drink... I mean, celebrate...
These are Japanese nachoes.
Mushroom pizza... they don't have the white button mushrooms like we do back home. They are available, but they are costly, and these are a very nice, similar tasting, variety. The boys scarfed down this one.
This one they served with honey. At least they put it on the side.
I thought the menu said (trying to read kanji, katakanas and hiraganas is always a recipe for a disaster...ous mistake on what we end up ordering) 'shirasu' or baby white fish. But, I never saw them, or tasted them. I think it was just naga neigi (long onion) on cheese. It was hot, and the crust was thin!
And the basil pizza. Always a favorite.
I ordered a sundae for the boys, and was going to split it, but they split it for us, giving two glasses all decorated up.
Allie is blocking Dwayne, and doing very well. Her daughter ended up helping her eat it, and was crowing 'cause she got the big spoon. Ha! Joke's on her. The big spoon wouldn't fit into the bottom of the sundae glass, so she couldn't get the good stuff in the bottom. :)
Okay, you knew if you waited for it, I would deliver the dogs. There are restaurants here where you can bring your dogs to eat with you. This pizza place (near Zushi train station) is one of them. It was almost unbelievable. The server would pet the dogs, then come deliver our food, no hand-washing. I'm not worried about it, the probability of me getting sick from germs from these dogs is small. But, it FASCINATES me how the Japanese treat their dogs like real people, and that's accepted here.