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Showing posts from September, 2017

Hirosaki Apples

"My Favorite thing to do, is to go where I have never been"- Diane Arbus Apple picking in Hirosaki Ringo Park. This weekend I went apple picking with a group of foreigners ( from outside of Japan), my neighbor Emma organized a little outing. Aomori Prefecture is widely known for the variety of apples they grow. When I first arrived I remember seeing all the beautiful orchards and immediately recognizing that they were apple trees. The trees were much shorter I though, and after asking I found out people intentionally grow them short (in Y shapes) so that people don't have to use ladders when picking the fruit! Typically older folks are out in the orchards picking the fruits. Another observation I have made is that the apples are breed differently here. When you cut an apple they don't turn ugly brown! I leave apples in my fridge, already cut for later and they were still as crispy and white on the inside as when I freshly cut them (cut and left for daysss)

Welcome Party & Otanjobi

"We travel some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls"- Anais Nin I am happy to say I have officially partied with the Japanese, the Japanese way! The last two weeks have been so much fun, two Fridays ago I went to my welcome party. It was so sweet all my section workers showed up (minus one actually) and they made a beautiful welcome banner with my name and roses! We ate a lot of good food, relaxed, got to know each other better and ended dinner with a surprise - a delicious birthday ( Otanjobi ) cake for me! ( Omaigaaa it was so good, the frosting was whipped cream! yasssss! I don't really like the oeey gooey frosting back in the states...so this was perfect!) We enjoyed some cake and got ready to go on to my first "snack bar" experience. With my Kacho . Some of the food at my welcome party. My section co-workers. More of my section co-workers. My delicious surprise birthday cake!  Snack bars, are essent