Spring Arrives 3/20/12

And in Japan, it's a National Holiday! It's been a very cold winter, but everything has survived on both decks, although not vigorous-looking yet . . . This is the MBR balcony, which receives the strongest wind, but also the most sun.


But my daffodils persist!


And every year, there are more and more!


Aren't they beautiful?


In my dining room, I've added them to a bouquet of tulips I bought at a local market today.


Gorgeous! Happy Spring everyone . . .

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March 11, 2012

Sunday 3/11/12 was the one year memorial of Japan's Great Earthquake & Tsunami of 3/11/11. During the 9.0 earthquake & subsequent tsunami, 19,000 people died or disappeared from coastal areas of several northeastern prefectures. Entire villages were wiped out. Since we stayed home on Sunday, we turned on the TV to see what would be broadcast in Japan to commemorate this tragedy. These are photos I took of TV of the stage area alter and decorations where the memorial occurred in Tokyo, and was broadcast live on every Japanese channel on Sunday afternoon.


I thought the stage display was very beautiful and artistic - the horizontal rows seem to represent the tsunami waves to me, with the Japanese flag above the sign in the center.


Oh wow! Those rows are made of fresh white flowers - beautiful!


Center of the display. The crinkly blue looks like water to me.


Representatives of survivors and families from the stricken areas, along with members of Parliament were in attendance.


There was one minute of silence for prayers all over Japan at 2:46, during which time sirens rang out across the entire country. We opened our doors and heard them in the Japanese neighborhood just outside the fence of the base. I caught the time on our digital clock just as it changed to 2:47.


Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda spoke. “Our forebears, who led our country to prosperity, stood up with brave resolution in times of crisis,” he said.


But he had his back to the audience and addressed the display on stage. When finished, he bowed deeply in memory of those who perished.


A few minutes later, His Royal Highness Emperor Akihito and Her Imperial Majesty Empress Michiko (both 78 this year) came on stage and were seated. I was surprised because I know he had had heart bypass surgery only a couple of weeks earlier.


Interesting shot of their very deep bows - amazing!


They also stood and faced the memorial while he spoke. Of course as they walked across stage, she was a few steps behind him.


Closeup view of Emperor and Empress as he spoke. Japan should “build a country where people can live safely,” Emperor Akihito said during a speech at the National Theater in Tokyo yesterday. Read more HERE about the Emperor and Empress, and HERE about the ceremony.


Prime Minister Noda bows before Their Majesties.


There were other ceremonies happening all over Japan, and this is one in one of the many disaster areas. The speakers were standing in front of a bank of clocks - all stopped at 2:46 or shortly thereafter - no doubt recovered from the rubble.


This gorgeous painting of a major tsunami (not sure which one) was also on display at one of the memorial services. Much of what was said, we had to figure out, since Americable has taken away our NHK world channel that used to transmit in English!

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Happy 65th Margie!

We usually ride our bikes downtown, but since I'm not quite 100% yet, we took a taxi to the Blue Bird Restaurant. It's behind the YMCA, past the big raised parking lot (that seems to be closed now?) and take a left at the flower shop, down a dark alley. Yep - here it is - our favorite place to celebrate here in Iwakuni.


Stan & Margie at the Blue Bird . . . we talked about eating here with Nancy & Eldon a few years ago before they moved to Italy. And other friends we've brought here over the years . . . but tonight it's just us.


I have one perfect, pink, long-stemmed & VERY fragrant rose. Thanks, Stan!


We ordered drinks and our first appetizer course arrived. Clockwise from top: Salmon carpaccio wrapped around a melon ball, crab roll, quiche, and zesty lemon shrimp on a lemon slice. Perfect & delicious!


And the hot bread - baked fresh here of course, comes out of the oven just in time to arrive with our soup (pumpkin, asparagus? - anyway, creamy & delicious.) The round roll appears to have been created by rolling out the pastry, sprinkling with bits of ham & white cheese, and then slicing & baking like sweet rolls. These breads are so rich they never need butter. YUM!


Salad course with salmon sashimi and fresh greens that seem just picked. Look how fancy the lemons have been cut. Oh - and the tiny tomatoes are always peeled. We have NEVER been disappointed here! It's a bit pricey (which is why we only come a few times a year), but it's ALWAYS consistently delicious . . . and of course the price includes everything except our alcohol & we only had one each.


And my favorite course - ebi (shrimp) en croute! Shrimp head & tail are baked into the pastry to create an origami-style Japanese crane. SOOOO perfect! And yummy . . . This dish alone earns the Blue Bird it's reputation as French cuisine.


Stan had steak (of course!) with a spoonful of cheesy mashed potatoes, one small baked eggplant, and tomato/shredded veggie garnish. As always when we eat here, he said this was THE most delicious beef he's ever had. His set was the Takamori beef filet steak course at 3150 Yen - @ $38 US.


And by the time my main course arrived, I was already full, but I made a valiant attempt & had the rest wrapped up to take home. From the top: Abalone (I think), small very tender white fish bite, fried shrimp (made me think of my friend Sue!), eggplant, potatoes, and small shredded veggies. Mine is called the Ladies' Seafood Course and was the same price (I think.) But of course no tipping in Japan. So, I'm not a cheap date - especially since we took a taxi! Oh well - I'm worth it!


Closer view of my perfect pink rose. You can't tell from here, but the outside is darker than the inside & of course in Japan, roses always are VERY fragrant!


Actually, by having my main course wrapped to go, I saved a little room for dessert & coffee - am I brilliant or WHAT? Four perfect little dessert entrees. (For those who are local here in Iwakuni, our local on-base travel agent can make reservations for you to eat here - HIGHLY recommended!)


Me at the table with my rose. Guess this is what 65 looks like . . . I never wear my hair down, but it seemed appropriate for this BIG birthday!


Looking from our table into the kitchen. This restaurant is VERY small - just a few tables, and I think you can only eat dinner here by reservation now. I worry about them staying in business - seems to be a "mom & pop" enterprise, and usually the couple are the only ones in the kitchen. But tonight there were several other servers, so that was encouraging. Often when we eat here, we are the ONLY customers, but tonight there was also a large table of Japanese women - girlfriends - who were having a great time. Made me homesick for mine . . .


Two of the kitchen helpers are making fresh oatmeal cookies. Of course the owner always gives me extra bread and her fresh cookies with my leftovers.


Kite on the wall near our table.


I continued to celebrate my birthday for a week while cards & packages continued to arrive - what fun! Nothing like milking it for all it's worth. Now 9 days later, my rose is STILL fresh & fragrant and has opened to reveal the lighter pink center. I don't know how they create such fabulous roses here . . .

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Hiroshima with Hiroshi-san 2/26/12

Girl with pink hair outside Hiroshima Station. We're waiting for a streetcar to meet our friend Hiroshi-san at Andersen's on Hondori Street.


Our train on a curve with an older-style train headed our way. Have I said how much I LOVE public transportation in Japan???


And here comes the newer-style streetcar around another curve.


Look how close we pass. Perfect.


We're in the shopping street now, but we're about 5 minutes late, so we're rushing. Of course Hiroshi-san was already here and waiting for us. It's cold today, so I'm hoping he's waiting inside, although we had told him we would meet outside on the benches, where the balloon man usually works.


It was very crowded downstairs, so we've decided to go upstairs to eat lunch. Hiroshi recently had a birthday, so we've brought him a present.


He peeks inside, but decides to wait until he gets home to share with his wife Eiko.


And Hiroshi brought me a present from him and Eiko after he heard about my car wreck - how kind! o Oh - wonder what it is?


Oh yum! Fabulous strawberries - the largest and most beautiful I've ever seen! (and they were delicious . . .)


The view behind me looking through the glass wall & down to the bakery below.


Fresh bread - right from the oven!


Oh I love the B&W drawings on these buildings! They're just outside the covered shopping street at the Parco end of the mall.


This is new - bicycles for rent in the park. How cool is that!


We're excited that Hiroshi asked us to go with him to see his daughter's and granddaughter's calligraphy on display at the art museum. We're in a taxi now headed there. It's near Shukkein Gardens, so we know where that is, but we've never been inside the museum.


On a display table outside the calligraphy room. This book shows examples of this ancient Chinese art.


Wow - this room is huge and the walls are covered with calligraphy displays from schools all over the area.


Without any delay - he found them both - I am impressed!


This is his daughter's calligraphy - done in black ink. They're in Chinese characters, so very difficult even for Japanese to read.


And his granddaughter's - she's in grade school, so hers is in pencil. She takes after her mother in this ancient art . . .


Hiroshi-san explaining detail to Stan.


Now, we're back in the huge lobby of the art museum. See the holstein horse?


Two statues in red shirts. Oh, wait. . .


These statues were just TOO cool - made with recycled pieces of packing styrofoam, broken into pieces, reassembled, and painted.


Pretty planter on a stairway.


And one more styrofoam statue.


Stan admiring a giraffe horse.


Back outside the art museum. There's a streetcar stop right here and it's the same one you take for Shukkein Gardens. (We need to go there again soon.) Now, we're going to take a streetcar to Tokyu Hands department store so we can do some birthday shopping for a grandson Cody.


I LOVE this cute bus! Hiroshi-san said although the Japanese appear very serious, they actually have a good sense of humor. I agree.


And this city bus is only 150 yen - same price as the streetcar.


Back at Hiroshima Station now & Hiroshi-san wants to take us to his favorite restaurant for a drink & bite to eat. He's ducking under the noren (curtain) to enter the restaurant. There are many restaurants here on the second floor.


He orders us each a plate & each one is different. Mine has a potato, tofu, and beef that he described as part of the leg - but I'm not sure what it was exactly. A little chewy, but very delicious.


Next was sardine sashimi - yum! He told me these fish are not cut, but pulled apart for serving. They are a beautiful shiny silver color.


Our server and the chef. Hiroshi knows everyone here. And of course, we are sitting at the bar, looking into the kitchen.


This fish has the head attached - maybe so you will know exactly what it is? It looks like a small swordfish . . . The white around the head is grated daikon (raddish) and the red is (I think) a type of kelp.


I'm watching a pot over very high flame on the kitchen stove. I love being able to see what goes on in the kitchen of many Japanese restaurants!


Looks like glasses of water, right? Wrong! It's clear shochu - similar to sake, but made from sweet potato, I think. These have a plum at the bottom. Kampai!


The chef brought over this dish to show me what had been boiling in the pot I was watching. Yep - it's a large fish head along with other goodies . . . and it smells delicious!


Looking back at the curtain as we leave. Hiroshi has been coming here for many, many years. And, as a big plus, it's very near the newly-renovated restrooms. Yay!


Downstairs hallway as we walk toward the gate area to catch our train. I found this cute display of Shinkansen (bullet train) rolled cakes for sale.


In 2 flavors . . . Yum.


While I stopped to take these photos, Stan & Hiroshi were purchasing train tickets. Then I went to check the train schedule & wait at my usual place near the entrance to the platform - where I ALWAYS wait. But here they are, their backs to me, both looking in the wrong direction . . . guess men are alike in every culture!


On the train, we're riding in the front car & I can see through the driver's door and out the front window.


This is usually a solid wall and I guess trains have traffic lights too. It's been a fun day and I've enjoyed my first full day out in a couple of weeks.

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