Food (Mis)Adventures

Sometimes I feel like I don’t have much to say about Japan … I think that means it’s become home. I never have exciting things to say about home. But every day I wake up and I know this is one extended adventure! For example, how crazy is it to watch sumo wrestling on tv? Or to go to the grocery store and not know what I’m buying?

Food in Japan is always a surprise. Everytime my housemates and I think we know what we’re buying, it ’s something completely different. For example: My housemate bought a bag of candies and sweets. Inside almost every one of them was a sweet bean concoction, either jellied or creamy. Really, it’s not a bad taste once you get used to it (at least the creamy stuff, I don’t like the jellied version). However … it’s the same color as chocolate. So, you can guess how that went over. And this story is funny now: my housemates bought a parfait-thing at the neighborhood convience store. Looked like whipped cream and chocolate pudding. This time, the “chocolate” was coffee jello. Coffee jello. Now, I love coffee more than anyone in this country, but I can not grasp the concept of coffee jello. Japan loves coffee jello.

I just don’t get it.

There’s a truck that drives by every now and then playing music and smelling of inscense. He sells baked yams (like an ice cream truck sells ice cream). Oh, and speaking of ice cream trucks, there is a truck that we hear sometimes that sounds exactly like an ice cream truck, but for the longest time we couldn’t figure out what it was. Today I heard it coming and I ran to the window to find out what the mystery is …

…drumroll please …

It was the garbage truck. Can you believe it? I nearly fell down from laughing so hard.

The food (and non-food) adventures continue.


irREVerance says:

Coffee jello??? Hmmm …

I was getting ready to say that you’d be jealous over what I was about to say, but upon second thought I decided that would no longer be the case given your new location.

Anyway, it turns out that there is an Asian grocery two blocks from where I now live. They have great stuff there, but …

I can’t read the lables. I know ramen because I know ramen. And they have the best ramen around. But beyond that? A “Red Bean Bun”? What’s that? I tried it and not overly fond of it. I’m going to try the chicken variety next.


Mackenzie says:

Food in Japan is always an adventure. They make everything as Jello! I guess I probably should have warned you about that. At least you are doing a lot of exploring and trying new things. I’m very jealous of your misadventures! How is your language training going? Are you able to do any sight-seeing in Tokyo? Is there a time that is good to try to call you?

I hope all is well and I miss you very much!


Liddlebunny says:

I love you, dear.

But I will never … EVER …sit down with you and share a cup of coffee JELLO. And let’s just say it’s not because I don’t eat stuff made from animals.