um...food?

well, what have i been eating? as that seems to be a general theme when visiting other countries, i'll tell you. mostly, throughout the week, oishii nihon ryuri, prepared in the cafeteria at school. i've eaten udon, battered squash, beans, various mushrooms made into soups, seaweed, lots and lots of cooked fish, soups, rice, and so many other things which can be labeled home-style japanese cooking for which i have no name.

i make most of the classic japanese food choices while out and about kyoto on the weekends; sushi with miso soup, cold soba, ramen (oh delicious fresh ramen, steamy hot giant bowl of ramen, how i will miss you), pan, mochi, matcha anything. kyoto is known as quite the foodie capital, so there are many options. as for trying a nice variety of foods, somehow, i haven't gotten very far past ramen, as it has become my ichiban suki food here in japan. i've got eight free days left, so perhaps, i will try many more things (but i can't guarantee anything, as i really do love ramen).

small landscapes

just checking in. there really is a lot of neat moss and lichen growing here, i pass by some interesting miniature landscapes on my way to the bus. they're very neat, and so strange. i plan on visiting kokedera moss temple, on an upcoming weekend, which has over 200 different species. it makes sense, though, all this moss, because the humidity here is definitely making itself known.

i freak out a little when i have to take photos; because, for the most part, my forte lays elsewhere. but i'm beginning to think that maybe i should just photograph interesting bits, and miniature details, things that appeal to me, rather than what i think would please others.

some photos i take are for academic purposes; to gather information in visual form. others, are to remember, or to post here. i'm very horrible when it comes to including people in my photos; i don't like my picture taken, so i try not to capture other people. which can make my photo album look kind of lonely. well, anyways, memory creates a certain fondness for someone when there isn't any photo to look at.

food update:

still foaming at the mouth when i think of all that matcha goodness that is so close. so far, i've had a milky matcha iced drink with tapioca this last weekend, haagen daz matcha ice cream paired with toast and blueberry jam one day for breakfast, a matcha kit-kat, matcha infused pan, matcha baked goods, matcha birthday cake, matcha soft serve ice cream, and matcha tea. so much matcha, but so little time to hunt down all that goodness! must make better headway this weekend.

a bit of randomness

i was going through various folders on my laptop, and came across some pictures of the paperclip dress i created in college. they were a little blurry, as they were small parts of larger images, and this was the best of the lot. and yes, it weighs ever so much; 43 lbs. and it's a cocktail dress at that.

beginning to weave once more

i am learning that there really is more than one way to do something, more than one meaning to a word, more than one use for a tool. different methods with the same name are created when the origins of a need differ. the way of weaving that i was first taught has a mirror like image in the way i am learning now, but that mirror is as the one in alice through the looking glass; so familiar but really not quite the same.

it is interesting to tread the line which on either side is a culture, more difficult perhaps to walk it down the middle, using bits of both. well, i continue to warp the loom today, something i have done several times in the past, but do freshly for today.

food in my belly

now that i've been in japan almost a week now, i have gotten use to the time change and am able to sleep through the night and not feel quite so sleepy during the day. the first few days were spent doing a little fiber shopping; linnet, avril, nomura tailor, and ein shop.

the food here is delicious! i've had ramen made up fresh, udon with it's plump little noodles, sushi with an invigorating touch of wasabi, matcha icecream in its smooth and deep green yumminess, and many other dishes i have no name for.

i hope to visit a tea house, ohara, kokkedera moss temple, mina perhonnen, and a few other places soon. this weekend i will be going into gion; there is a haven for matcha bliss there that has matcha in every menu item. yum! oh, and to finally get around to taking non-weaving related photos.