Sanuk Canadian

Okonomiyaki is the Japanese word for what could be translated as "a cabbage pancake". It's healthy and delicious. I was recently shown how to cook this popular dish, Kanto style -- which was very different from the method I usually use! Here is the recipe.... 1. Mix batter and add to the bottom of a hot pan.  Add shredded cabbage over the batter. 2. Next, add the inner ingredients: one egg, crushed dried shrimp,  your favorite meat and veggies (usually cheese, mushrooms, etc...) 3. Add more batter to the top, cook and fold it over. 4. Add sause, mayonaise, dried green  seaweed,  and bonito (a kind of dried fish).  The inside looks like this:  Kanto style okonomiyaki is folded over and the taste is similar to eating mochi with vegetables. In other areas of Japan, this dish is cooked differently -- all the ingredients are mixed with the batter and cooked as one. Simple and easy. Kanto style takes a little longer, but the end ...

My boyfriend surprised me one Friday by coming over just after lunch. " You're not working today? " I asked. He said: " I want to take you out, so I took a half day off work. " o_O Wow. He then requested I get my map of Kanagawa and explained the day's plan: a circuit drive through northern Kanagawa, west to Yamanashi, south via Shizuoka and east, returning to Kanagawa. We drove north for about an hour before hitting unspoiled green territory. Along the route, we stopped several times to take photos... View from a bridge, of a bridge! (laugh) Looking back at the road:  The green mountain view: Continuing to enjoy the greenery, we found a sign pointing to something interesting. I asked to stop the car and explore. We found this..... .....a suspension bridge! ^_^ This one looked much safer than the one I walked across in Thailand. Cutenekko walks over:  View from the bridge:  View to the end of the bridge:  Safe...

Welcome to my revised blog. A new country and fresh adventures prompted me to redesign my page. I hope readers will enjoy the changes and interesting scenes from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.  Maps  HERE  and HERE . I received information about a unique event held in the countryside of Kanagawa ---a candle light service to mark the summer solstice. City workers had set up over 80,000 candles in a local park, lighting them at dusk. Samurai invited me to go, so we enjoyed touring the park together. Workers gave speeches before the event began: The lighting begins!  The lit pathway...beautiful eh? ^_^ A giant heart: This park was huge and had a lot more to offer than just the candle service. We walked deeper down the path to find....a rose garden! Wow! A proper English garden in the midst of the Japanese countryside??? Amazing!!! Roses: It's the rainy season in Japan currently, and one flower is synonymous with this time of ye...

The day had finally arrived for my departure from the Land of Smiles. I had mixed feelings about leaving. On one hand, Thailand had been very therapeutic -- one could enjoy the warmth, flair and activities of the city on a limited budget, on the other hand, I really missed Japanese food and the exciting offer of trying something new and unknown. My flight left so early in the morning, I was quite sad to not be able to say goodbye to my condo's security guards. They were always so kind to me! I took photos to commemorate my final flight... On the ground: Take off....enjoying all that green! In the air...the last view before entering clouds: Thank you Thailand for a fun 2 years. ^_^ As the flight wore on, I got anxious and excited....and injured. When our planed pulled into the gate at Narita airport outside of Tokyo, a guy dropped his bag on my head while opening the overhead bin. OW!! It was not exactly the よこそ日本へ！[Welcome to Japan!] I had ho...

After my brother and his girlfriend returned to Canada, I had a few weeks to pack up for my next adventure -- I was moving back to Japan. My girlfriends in Bangkok organized a small home party, as a way to say goodbye before leaving. It was held at my Thai friend's house, which was really nicely decorated! Take a look: Her living room: Entertainment Center: She ordered food from a famous chef who works for an expensive hotel in the city. The result was a table full of delicious food! (The photo only shows half of the dishes...) It was really good to catch up with my girlfriends and enjoy one final send-off. We laughed and chatted about our various experiences with boys....two girlfriends dated the same guy on the same day!! (laugh) Ah, Bangkok, you are never dull. ^_^ We gathered for a final photo together. It's interesting to note all the nationalities represented here: a Thai, a Kenyan, a Brit and one Canuck. ^_^ I will definitely miss the international...

...a trip to Kanchanaburi continues... Day two of our action packed tour continues! On the menu: an appetizer of elephant riding, a main course of elephant bathing, and for dessert? A slow return via bamboo raft to a waterside restaurant. Diners ready? Let's eat, Thai (adventure) style! ^_^ My brother wanted to try riding an elephant, as the symbolic animal of Thailand is naturally, the elephant. They have been used in battles, as workers (carting logs from jungles) and for transport (carrying Kings in days past). This tour included a 30 minute jungle trek via elephant. I'd ridden them before (in India and Thailand), so I knew the feeling, which is to say, I've been lurched about before. (laugh) But I was unprepared for beauty and stillness of the jungle... On the path... The view at the top of a hill (lovely, no?): Our driver: As I can speak Thai, I spoke with our elephant's driver. I was surprised to learn he was from Burma, working in the Kingdom. W...