My eleven month long program here in Japan is nearing it's end. It is sad, and hard to fathom, but I am ready to be home. Quite frankly, I am starting to feel the years, and--forgive me for getting Sirius Black here--by the years I mean the sigh-able things that come with feeling like an outsider in Japanese society. It's a hard one to knock, indeed. I need a change of environment and to be with my family, my friends from home, my friends at school.
There are so many things I do love about the mighty Nippon, and its people, food, quirks, aesthetic, and culture. I have made wonderful friends this year that I will miss dearly. I've seen and gone to neat places that I will think about for months after I get home. This last month is just the right amount of time to enjoy as much as I possibly can, and say sayonara.
One thing I will certainly miss is takana, a peppery salty leafy sort of marinated pickle. The stuff is groovy flavored, and I must have eaten a gazillion takana filled onigiri during my time here.
I recently discovered this series of curious instructional cooking videos on YouTube, called "cookingwithdog".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O9kWD8nuRU
...
But hey, this looks very oishii, and there are videos for so many Japanese dishes it's almost overwhelming. Keep on keeping on, Francis the dog.
