Merry Culture Day!!

I seriously appreciate these Japanese national holidays. Today is Culture Day, which means no work for me! After wasting my weekend sleeping which was after 12 days of work in a row, Japan gives me more time to collect myself.

I would like to dedicate this entry about Japanese fusions and alterations. Culture day is celebrated to promote culture, the arts, and academic endeavors, but I will be promoting the art of food as always. Culinary arts. (Sounds fancier)

マクドナルド : macudonarudo : McDonald's

So, there are different types of flavored chicken sandwiches at McD's at the moment. I tried early October's flavor: Cheese Fondue. I am waiting for mid-November's flavor, Diavolo. Sounds spicy!

And, I've been craving the chicken mcnuggets. Thanks to the guy who is from Thailand who spoke Japanese flipped over the menu where there was English. I ordered my chicken mcnuggets. It was a five piece. Not four. Not Six. Five. Four is bad luck here in Japan. So, why not six? And there was only BBQ or spicy mustard for dipping sauces. Where is my sweet & sour???

ケンタッキーフライドチキン : kentakkii furaido chikin : Kentucky Fried Chicken

I love the advertisements at KFC right now. I get to see Matsujun's face. I was watching the mannequin Japanese show with Matsujun and his Arashi crew along with some other Japanese boy group modeling beautiful clothes, and a KFC commercial comes on. All I can say is that Matsujun makes the tomato cream pot pie look delicious. I love Japan's twist on the pot pie. You would never see a tomato cream pot pie, just the good ole chicken pot pie. After seeing him eating the pot pie, I just HAD TO get myself one the next day during my lunch break. And it was mmm MMMm good!

It's not just the food at the fast food chains that have a little Japanese flavor mixed in with the "norm" of what I am used to in America, sweets and other foods have a little Japanese kick to it. Who has tried an apple topped pie with sweet potato in the center? I love sweet potato. Who has cream corn flavored Doritos? And the chip was a little thicker, too! Who has tried Mi Xao Don (Vietnamese deep fried noodles) Japanese style? It's called champon, and even though it deep fried, the vegetables cooked in a light sauce makes it tastes so much healthier. I just needed sriracha sauce with it! Who has tried bubble milk tea with a hint of chestnut flavor?! I love chestnuts. Japan don't play.

I have tried so many yum snacks and Japanese cuisine. I love how Japan cutesifies everything. My pork bun from Chinatown was too cute to eat, but then I got hungry! And what kid could resist eating these fried potatoes? It's so way better than french fries! They're happy to see you! I definitely need to find cookie/potato cutters like these here in Japan.

And Japan makes everything so convenient for you! Who doesn't love eating omu rice? I love love love it! But it's very hard to eat something like that on the go. OH WAIT! There's omu rice onigiri at the conbinis for you to pick up and eat as you go. AND! I love love love my hot royal milk tea. I used to have to go to Tapioca House to order me some hot milk tea, but in Japan there are hot drinks for you in the vending machines! And it reminds me of the dramas where the guy buys two cans of hot beverages. One for the girl. One for him. Love.

I tried Japanese cold soba noodles. (Buckwheat noodles) It's definitely an acquired taste. I think I will stick with noodles in HOT soup. I felt like I was eating boogery whites of an egg. This meal did not settle well. I will stick with my well cooked, hot foods like yakiniku! I went to an all you can eat yakiniku for 2 hours. My favorite was the liver and the kimchi side dish.

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Enough about food, I want to talk about the Japanese culture a little bit.

I went to a dinner party for the first time here in Japan thanks to a lovely student of mine. It was at nice Italian restaurant called Vento. It was a nice dinner with two large tables filled with new friends! And my student's host mom from Australia made me want to go to Australia and live with her! Good times.

Halloween in Japan does not even compare to Halloween in America. I'm so used to partying three nights in a row. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Different club parties. Different house parties. But in Japan, people don't even really dress up!! And if they do, they go take purikuras and that's it. What's up with that? I told a student that I was planning to be Hello Kitty ballerina, and that student told me that's not Halloween. Halloween is when you're supposed to dress up as whatever or whoever you want to be. They think it has to be Halloween related like I can only be a witch, pumpkin, ghost, or vampire. And if it wasn't for friends being sick and the oh so scary typhoon, I would have been a super hot Hello Kitty ballerina out in Tokyo. I guess I'll have to stay in Japan for another year to show Japan what's up!