Check out Sven's "Nice Stick" *wink wink*

This picture really requires no explanation. The Japanese also says "Nice Stick". I might add (yes, I'm being 100% truthful) that this bread roll is cream filled...
Where else but Japan.

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Update: I have eaten some of my "Nice Stick" and I must correct myself, it is BUTTER filled, not cream filled. No, it's not like garlic bread, and no, it's not meant to be eaten after warming. You are just supposed to like eating bread with a thick center filling of cold butter. The bread itself is sweet. This is supposed to be like a dessert or like whatever food group a donut is in US. ;) Yum-yum! ...

How to enjoy sushi!

How to enjoy sushi


This is extremely amusing. Some of what the video says is even true, but taken to an extreme, but you may want to play it safe and assume that most of it is false (because most of it is... or is it? hehehe). I strongly suggest that you watch it. If you are someone living in Japan or who knows a bit about Japanese culture or language, this will be especially funny to you, because you will more easily catch some of the jokes. Enjoy!

JAPAN

I have been here in Japan for almost 8 months. My Japanese ability has significantly increased, as has my understanding of the Japanese culture and people. Plus, I've been having a great time. Following Japan, I plan on returning to the US to study Virology in graduate school, and I should be getting started on that soon, but... Well, I could never forgive myself if I didn't take this chance to improve my Japanese just that much more that another year would make. By which I mean to say: I will be staying in Japan for another year. Much of my family is strongly against this (although they try to be supportive) and they will miss me a lot. It was not an easy decision; however, I will not have this chance again, so I am taking it now. I am so close to being able to converse at the level that I want in Japanese (well, I want to be fluent, but...) so I must try to reach just a little bit higher. Thanks for your support and frequent viewing of my site. It will remain up (and hopefully updated more frequently) this coming year. If you have any comments/questions about me staying a) there is a post on the message board, or b) e-mail me. :)

Snow Village

Here are some photos of the magnificent Furano Winter Village. This building/structure is made entirely out of snow/ice with the incorporated gondola here and there. The doors are actually made of wood, but mounted in ice, and the entire structure connects on one end of a hall to a small portable type building that is probably heated or something. I took these pictures a while back, in January, but I think the structure is still there now, and I believe the bar is serving currently. The drinks are served in ice glasses any you can drink on the ice counter while sitting on the ice stools. This Snow Village is located just at the bottom of the Kitanomine side ski hill. No more to write for now, but here are a few more pictures. Enjoy:)
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OK, the date is Monday the 13th of March. I have returned to write a little more and fix the spacing of the pictures (a little). This structure, the snow village, is really quite cool. Inside it has certain places where there are holes in the ceiling or this places to let in light. The ceiling has things carved into it also. There are little "windows" where the ice is thin, and the window sills are used for drinks, or some artistic design. The barstools are wood-topped (so your butt doesn't freeze) but made out of ice/snow. There is even a TV set up in there. There is a bench with a wooden seat and ice supports that faces a snow/ice carved TV cove. The TV, is obviously not constructed out of ice, but it sits in there and looks just like it belongs.

Outside the bar area there is a smaller alcove that it like a giant gazebo with gondola cars in each side of the hexagonal structure. These were cute little places to sit for a while. The inside also had some artwork displayed at the time that I was there, so that is in some of the pictures.

ohisashiburi

It means "long time no see". And it certainly has been a while since I've posted anything or updated even the colors of my site. There are various very exciting and mysterious explanations for this; however these explanations are mostly just fantasies about battling pirates on a flying microwave for the sake of saving the world from the entire and utter disruption that might have been caused when the last unicorn finally went extinct and became the shiny new hook on such a buccaneer's hand. The truth is slightly less exciting. I've been busy. Oh, and as a secondary clause, my internet at home has been totally sporadic and I haven't been able to call my parents (for any length greater than 3-40 seconds) because of it. Of course, I have internet access at work where I can update the blog page (but not any of the other pages). But... as I mentioned, I've been busy. Most days I've been working on things for classes and etcetera till well past 5:00pm (my work day is technically over at 4:30pm). So I've had little time to keep you guys updated. It is also often true that I'm not sure if anyone looks at the page anymore, but since I do have at least one person who wishes for an update, an update I am writing. And soon maybe even some more pictures (one step at a time). Unfortunately, as I am writing this it is 4:32pm. I will depart soon for home and today I will have NO internet, because I had to disconnect my internet ADSL router and give it to the company so that they can give me a new one. I will post further updates with actual content, like: what I've been doing all this time, how the play is going, the story about how I was almost an interpreter for the Snowboarding World Cup contestants but had to turn it down, and much more. For now I am going home. If you have anything specific you want me to write about, post a reply, or a message on the message board. But don't worry, I've got lots of non-specific things to talk about. It's just finding the time type them and put them on the site. :)