Wabi-Sabi Sole

Finding Beauty with Imperfection

Author: wabisabisole Page 27 of 58

SRF Bon Festival 

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On August 25, 2017

In Bon, Japan

Dave’s command hosted a Bon Festival on Friday, August 25th. Bon is a Japanese Buddhist tradition to honor the spirits of the ancestors. The festival was a huge success. There was a large attendance of SRF employees, their families, and military members and families of the Yokosuka community. There were a variety of American and Japanese food vendors, beverages, and games for kids. A large stage was assembled where numerous types of dances were performed throughout the evening. 


I invited my friend, Miki, and her husband to join us for the celebration. 


For the festival, Dave and I both wore the Japanese summer kimono- a Yukata. I was dressed for the evening by a kimono expert! 


Miki found the Yukata for me and helped me find a matching obi. The kimono dresser made my obi into a beautiful bow! I received numerous compliments on my big bow! Kawaii! 


Dave also received compliments. On the back of his Yukata was Sakura. 


A highlight of the evening was a story Miki told me about local Bon Festivals. The celebration continues until 9pm. At 9pm, the kids attending the festival are given free ice cream. This signals the end of the festival and time to go home. One of the officers in the SRF wardroom came around towards the end of the festival giving away Klondike bars. It was a funny coincidence! Miki enjoyed her free ice cream! 


Out of respect for the fallen sailors aboard the USS John McCain, the celebration part of SRF Bon Festival was a bit subdued. The dances were performed, however, we did not participate. During the opening ceremony of the festival a moment of silence was held for the 10 sailors who died, their families, and shipmates. We continue to hold them in our hearts and thoughts during this incredibly difficult time. 

Working Lunch

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On August 24, 2017

In Hiking, Japan, Mt. Fuji

Sonia and I met in Yokosuka today for a “working lunch”. We met at ConeLi pizzeria. Formerly known as Napoli Bar Pizzeria.


Sometime in the past few months, the restaurant has changed names. The pizza was still worthy of an honorable mention. And the perfect carbo load for the upcoming weekend adventure details we needed to work through.


You can call me a fool when I tell you the planning details we were working on at lunch. We are going to hike Mt. Fuji on Saturday. Remember this quote: “You are wise to climb Mt. Fuji, but a fool to do it twice.” I went back to reread my blog post from last August when Dave and I hiked Mt. Fuji.  Ironically, it was the exact same weekend last summer! With respect to hiking it again, I said maybe. If it was on someone’s bucket list. It is on Sonia’s Japanese bucket list and she was preparing to hike it by herself. Being a good friend, the thought of Sonia hiking by herself and selfishly, the chance to see an amazing view we didn’t see last summer… changed my maybe to a YES! Oh, boy!! 

Dance lessons

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On August 23, 2017

In Bon, Japan

Dance Lessons? Yes, today I took a 30 minute dance lesson to learn the traditional Japanese dances of the summer festival, Bon. Friday, Dave’s work is hosting Obon or Bon. Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom honoring the family’s ancestors. The lessons are provided to help those who aren’t familiar (me) with the Bon Odori (Bon dance) to learn the steps before we dance on Friday. 


Did I mention we are dancing on a stage. Seriously. I walked by it today still under construction. It looks festive and ready for a fun party! 


I also haven’t mentioned that I will be wearing a Japanese Yukata (summer kimono). Dave will also be wearing a Yukata and dancing on the stage with me. Actually, it’s more accurate to say I’ll be dancing on the stage with him! We will have one more lesson on Friday before the event. Today I learned five different dances. It took me about halfway through each song to find the pattern and learn the moves. The dances are performed in a circle and ideally everyone is moving together. It helped me to add words to my actions. For example: shovel, shovel, carry, carry, push, push, swim. Or another: clap, clap, up and side, side, star touch, star touch, turn, turn. The one with the back up steps was tricky. My favorite was the hula one. I had that one down quickly!! 

I know you’re excited to see us in our Yukata! Hopefully, I can have someone record a video of us dancing! ??

Something New 

By

On August 22, 2017

In Japan, Onigiri

Dave and I have gotten in the habit of grabbing the tuna and mayonnaise onigiri (rice ball) when we need a fast snack. It is easy to pick out at any convenience store. We look for the blue label with the smiley face. Do you see the smiley face on the top of the second column? 


The other one I know I like is the salmon onigiri. It typically has a little bit of cream cheese and/or wasabi under the salmon. 


I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone. It is time to start trying the many different and unknown options. My first choice was the green one. Not a winner. It was kelp and a sweet eel sauce. Not one to get again. 

Next up, the pink label. It seemed to have a little spice. Lesson learned, the pink label is a good indication for a little spice. 


Google translate told me it was “Tuna made from Misaki.” It tasted like spicy tuna. An option to buy again. 


Google Translate described this one as “broiled sashimi.” It was ok. The fish was cooked and had green onions mixed in. I felt like I had fishy onion breath after I ate it. Not sure I’m going get a gold one again. 

I hope you can appreciate the courage it took to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. Three flavors tested and I liked one – the pink. I will continue my research and taste others. Stay tuned! 

Ps. On a more somber note, please keep the sailors and families of the USS John McCann in your thoughts during this difficult time. ❤️??⚓️?

Silver Lining

By

On August 20, 2017

In Beer, Japan, Ramen, Yokohama

Dave had a full day of work off. So, I planned an afternoon in Yokohama sampling different craft brews. 


All was right in the world until… I received a message from my GF Audry asking if I could forward her one of my September blogs about Japanese eggs. When she tried to access the post, the pictures wouldn’t load. Hmmmmmm. 

When I tried to access the same post I had the same problem. What in the world? My stomach started to knot when I realized what has happened. Stay with me as I explain… 

I write wabisabisole via the WordPress app on my phone. In March, I was having issues with the lack of storage on my iPhone. One of the biggest storage problems was the WordPress app and all the pictures. So, I started to delete pictures. I was delighted in how much storage I reclaimed by deleting so many pictures. It wasn’t until today when I realized the repercussions of my actions. All of the blogs from mid April back  to August 2016 – have no images. As I scrolled through, it was like looking at a skeleton. My heart broke. So much work. Such a rookie mistake. 

Simultaneously, Dave and I had plans to have a nice day together. It’s just a blog. Get a grip! Ugh. 

As we ride the train to Yokohama, Dave asks me if I’ve backed up the pictures elsewhere. Yes, on the iCloud, Google photo, and Shutterfly. I have most of them somewhere. It’s just a matter of downloading them and uploading them in the right spot. Where is the right spot!? This is when Dave says, “I saved wabisabisole in my emails, will that help?” Say, what!?! Omg- yes! I can match the email (which doesn’t change regardless of my edits) to the missing pictures. Simply, amazing. Unbeknownst to me, Dave made a folder for wabisabisole emails and has saved them for the past year plus. Dwyer for the win, yet again. He seriously is the sweetest and the best. #silverlining 

Dave saved the day. And so did beer! 

While in Yokohama we visited Yokohama Bay Brewing for a pint. 


For lunch, we enjoyed a delicious bowl of ramen. So, good. 


Half way through, I saw the ingenious way to add sesame seeds. Check it out! You might think it’s mustard. Nope, sesame seeds! 


Despite the wabisabisole set back, the day ending on a positive note. Time together exploring and enjoying. Tomorrow, Monday, will begin the great wabisabisole edit of 2017. I’ve been procrastinating on this task since I reached the one-year point. I’ll take this as a sign. As always, thanks for reading and sharing the adventure with me! A special thanks to all of you who talk about/share my adventures with others. As always, beauty is in the imperfection. 

Kirin Brewery 

By

On August 18, 2017

In Beer, Japan, Kirin Brewery, Train, Yokohama

The Kirin Brewery in Yokohama made it into my top six “Favorite Brewery Tours.” 

Also in the top six are: Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL), Magic Hat Brewing (Burlington, VT), Lagunitas Brewing (Chicago, IL), Heineken (Amsterdam) and Miller Brewing (Milwaukee, WI). 

The tour was free, lasted 80 minutes, and had three free tastings at the end! The staff was friendly and the tour was animated with automation. I can’t wait to go back! 

Sonia and I took the train to Yokohama and then switched to a local line. From there we walked to the Brewery. 


The area was very industrial and gave us the feeling we were in the wrong place. Until we saw this sign. 


Yay! We are on the right track and only 200 meters away! Walking up to the entrance, we were greeted by a security guard. 


He showed us to the reception area. We arrived at 11:10 am. The receptionist asked if we had reservations for the tour. No, we don’t. That is ok, she said. The next tour is at 11:20. Would you like to go? Yes, please! We were given buttons to wear and an English lamented guide to help us understand the tour because it was all in Japanese. Our tour guide came and introduced herself to us! Talk about feeling like a royal! The first part of the laminated booklet included the rules. 


At the beginning of the tour, we watched a short movie. Please notice all the kids who were part of our tour! It’s important to teach the youth to appreciate beer. 

As we moved along the tour route, we stopped for a tourist pose and to snap kawaii pictures. 


After the movie, we moved to a room where we could play with the malt and hops. Tables of different sizes were set up for participants to taste and smell the ingredients. 


My favorite quote was on the ingredients page. “All the ingredients of beer are gifts from nature.”


We left the ingredients room and were taken to see where the mashing occurred. Another video and light show was used to show the purpose of each tank. 


From here, we were able to taste the wort. The kids were so excited! They were cracking us up! 

I would describe the wort as tasting like raisin bran water. Like if you put water on your raisin bran instead of milk and then drank it when you finished the cereal. Sweet and branny. 


After tasting the wort, we had another interactive exhibit to understand the fermentation process. These cute little cartoons were projected onto a table. A true love story. Yeast eats sugar releasing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Voilà – Wort becomes beer. 


Check this out! We passed by a classroom that can be reserved and you can make your own beer! They will store it for you and ship it to you when it is ready. For a small fee, of course! 


The final part before tasting is the packaging. The beer we have been learning about is now packaged into Kirin Beer cans. 


Japanese happiness is shared throughout the world as Kirin is shipped globally! Locally, we enjoyed the final stop on the tour in the tasting room. 


After our tasting, we were ready for lunch. We stopped at the Spring Valley Brewery restaurant on the grounds of the factory. 


We split a flat bread salad and yogurt fried chicken. It was delicious! 


As we were leaving, we couldn’t resist a few shots lifting the (empty) pony kegs. 

It was a fun day! I am more than willing to add this to the Julia tour when you visit. I mean – free beer!! 

Aoyama Flower Market Tea House

By

On August 15, 2017

In Aoyama Flower Market Tea House, Japan, Tokyo, Train

I added the Aoyama Flower Market Tea House to my list of places to visit in Tokyo a while ago. The description I read about the   Aoyama Flower Market Tea House, described it as being a cozy cafe with a lovely flower market attached. It also described the food as being delicious, the staff very friendly, and the seasonal fruit teas as a delightful surprise for your tastebuds. A rainy Tuesday seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the trip and enjoy flowers and tea! 


Sonia and I took the 1 hour and 15 minute trip to the Tea House without much issue. Some days I’m amazing at navigating the train system around Japan. Other days we take 2 or 3 extra trains before arriving at our destination. Today, was a good train day. 


As we were waiting for the Tokyo metro train, we used Google Translate to translate the signs on the ground. It translated the sign to say “temporary arrangement place.” Haha! What is even funnier, is the doors didn’t open at the spot like we expected. 


We endured a short walk in the rain from the train station to the Aoyama Flower Market Tea House. It might look like we are going to Starbucks. We were not. Please notice the small dark sign on the building! It is for the Tea House. 


As we approached, we could see the flowers that seemed to be spilling out of the market. 


On one side is a flower market/ florist and on the other side is a small cafe. This view welcomes you as you enter the tea house. We sat in the table to the far left in the picture. 

The tables had glass tops with small vases set in them. Underneath was a ledge holding plants. It was such a unique table and gave you the feeling of eating in a garden. 


We ordered one of each of the seasonal teas. Sonia ordered the mixed berry iced tea and I ordered the orange and mint iced tea. 


They came with a small pitcher of simple syrup. Kawaii! 


For lunch I ordered a salad. It was so delicious. Obviously, it contained fresh leafy lettuce. But also, mint and dill. A small side of blueberries, kiwi and edamame. A few slices of orange and breadsticks. Plus, a couple bites of cold potato salad. And fresh, hot bread! 


It was dressed with a yogurt dressing and a small lemon syrup was provided on the side. 


It was about ¥1600 ($15.00) for salad and drink. Our bill! Ha! 


As we were leaving, we walked through the Flower Market. It was small. Yet, every space was filled with fresh flowers! 

It was a cheerful outing on a very dreary day. On the way home, we stopped at Tokyu Hands. I couldn’t resist buying a cute little pitcher for simple syrup and creamer. Kawaii! 

Watermelon 

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On August 14, 2017

In Family Mart, Japan, Summer, Watermelon, Yorkmart

Nothing taste better on a warm humid summer day than a cool refreshing watermelon. Fruit in Japan is beautiful and expensive. For example, the large watermelon at Costco was ¥2,378 (about $23.00). 


At our local grocery store, Yorkmart, there were more size options. The larger one was ¥3,218 including tax! That’s more than $30 for a watermelon! Don’t you love how they are wrapped for easier carrying? Genius!! 


The store also sold a variety of watermelon pieces. 


I selected a smaller watermelon from Family Mart for us to enjoy. The price (¥650 – $6.00) seemed a little better and the size was perfect. 


Plenty of delicious watermelon for us to enjoy for a refreshing dessert. 

In June, I was able to find watermelon Chu-hai at the 7-11. I had dreams of making a nice watermelon spritzer by pouring a watermelon Chu-hai over with freshly frozen watermelon. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find watermelon Chu-hai since I returned from America. I suppose, I’ll need to wait until next year for that delightful beverage. 

Administrative Duties

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On August 11, 2017

In Costco, Japan, Mukade

The past couple days have been less than spectacular with respect to exploring Japan. I had a lot of administrative responsibilities to tackle this month. After reaching our one year point, we had to renew our car insurance. ✅ And after my American vacation, we needed more tollbooth passes. ✅ This month my free gift was two fans! Help us survive the summer. 


I also made a trip to Costco. To my delight, they had Halloween decorations and costumes on display. Maybe I’ll survive the summer after all! 

Police uniforms that look like BDUs. 


This guy was my favorite. I was tempted to buy one to replace our old “scary man.” He was animated – talked, moved, and his eyes flashed! 


The other concern for this time of year is the intrusion of bugs. We have been diligent to call housing weekly to have them spray for bugs. Well, it didn’t quite work as great as I hoped. The intense heat was replaced by never ending rain. This equates to bug invasion. This morning, as I was sitting at my computer, something caused me to turn around 180 degrees. I can’t remember why I turned because immediately I saw this awful creature crawling on my floor and went into attack mode. It may not seem very big – just remember, I’m very tall! 


After killing it, I reflected on how pleased I was to have white tiled floor. Something I can’t believe I’m saying. But, the bugs can’t hide. For my enjoyment, here’s the video of me killing it. This year, I’m armed and dangerous! 

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I proceeded to spray the house and found another mukade outside and a huge beetle. Both are dead now. 


Needless to say, after the big invasion on Friday, I needed to clean the entire house! Exploring could wait! 

Coolish

By

On August 9, 2017

In Coolish, Hot, Japan, Summer

I’ve mentioned before August in Japan is very hot and humid. I took a screen shot of the temperature while I was out and about on errands today. Feels like 132!!! We can all agree that’s HOT! 


I’ve started to incorporate several survival strategies when I’m out in the heat. The first is to carry a small ice pack when I walk down the hill to catch the train. I also take a small towel with me to wipe my dripping sweat. 


I also carry a pack of Bioré sheets. These sheets are ah-mazing. 


The sheets have a light powder on them and have magical cooling power. They help to cool your skin, leave a refreshing tingle and light powder on your skin. 


When I’ve exhausted all my efforts to stay cool, I reach for one final weapon against the heat. Coolish. Soft cream in a convenient to-go pack. 


At only 153 calories, it is a delightfully cool treat. More importantly, you must kneed the frozen package and hold it to melt the ice cream! Sure you can use your hands to melt it, I prefer the back of my neck! 


Ahhhhh…. it’s all about survival! 

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