My Summer in Tokyo in 20 Pictures

Though it may not show, I do actually take a lot of pictures. Usually, it's with my iPhone but lately, I've been using my regular point and shoot more. Most of the pictures I like are ones that need some context but it's hard to muster up the energy to put in captions for every picture you upload on Facebook and Flickr. I have this blog for a reason and with the summer pretty much over (I hope), now is a good of a time as any to share some of the random things I've done this summer through photos.

3, 2, 1... 

It was great to be in Japan during the 2010 World Cup. Expectations were really low for the national team but with some luck and scrappy play, they managed to make it out of the group stage. After the tournament, we stumbled upon the JFA Museum where they were riding the soccer craze wave.

Oh, Roppongi. You just never know what you're going to see. This neighborhood of Tokyo is nightlife and foreigner central. It's loud, over the top and kind of weird -- much like this pooch on a bike. 

I really like taking pictures of produce. 

Drank some ice cold sake too keep cool. This sake is frozen and then shaken to make a sake slushy. Perfect drink for the Tokyo humidity. And you get to keep the glasses. 

Beer is another good option...but maybe not from this rusting vending machine in Chiba. 

Aside from fruits and veggies, I also like to take pictures of buddha statues. 

Rode on a boat in Saitama. 

Jonesing for some my mama's cooking, I went through an intense Vietnamese cooking phase in early August.  

Accidentally stumbled upon a photo of 3 of my former students from Asakusa Junior High School in a famous photographer's latest book. They're famous! Ume Kayo is a young Japanese photographer that takes photos of the quirky moments of daily life. She has a really great point of view and has a knack for taking hilarious photos. I got a chance to see her Tokyo exhibition this summer after discovering her book. She's great. Here's a recent interview. 

A couple of friends came to visit. I always enjoy this because it gives me an excuse to eat some of my favorite Japanese foods that aren't part of my routine. 

I despise the summer weather in Japan. I watched this rain storm from my balcony, begging it to come my way. 

By far, my best purchase in Japan. 

See, I told you liked taking pictures of buddhas. Like a moth to a flame. 

Fireworks!!!

An unexpected but much adored gift from Squidward. 

Got a healthy dose of culture watching yosokoi dances in Yoyogi Park. 

The cutest shaved ice I've ever seen or eaten. 

Beer + Summer = Best Friends

Finally decorated the walls. 

Bye bye Summer. 

Kakigoori and the End of the Red Dye Ban

Summer in Japan. It's hot. You will hear people remark on this fact of life all summer long. Although they don't dress like it's hot (black leggings, cardigans, boots) Japanese people do feel the heat and they've come up with some ways to cool down. Most of these solutions involve eating something. Popular summer foods said to cool you down - unagi (grilled eel), goya (bitter melon) and kakigoori (shaved ice). Shaved ice is probably the only thing on this list that will physically make you feel cooler, though I'm not here to dispute a whole country that believes in the magical powers of eels and bitter melons.

If you ever visit Japan in the summer, you will see flags with the kanji for "water" hanging outside cafes and restaurants. (see above) This is their way of telling you to come on in and enjoy a refreshingly cool snack like ice cream and shaved ice. I'm a big fan of shaved ice mostly because it usually involves creamy condensed milk. I usually won't order shaved ice unless it has condensed milk drizzled on top - I find the plain snow cone style a little too sweet and syrupy.

Fresh strawberry shaved ice at the Super Yosakoi Festival. 

Another strawberry shaved ice w/out condensed milk at the top of Mt. Takao last summer. 

I might as well break the news here and now since these photos sell me out: I've dropped my ban on red candy. Yes, that's right. My personal moratorium on ingesting red dye has come to an end. It all started one Friday evening in Walnut Creek, CA. I was watching 20/20 with Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs and they did a story on the dangers of Red 40 - a common dye used in drinks and candies. Apparently all dyes are somewhat carcinogenic but Red 40 is the worst. According to 20/20. Well, this stuck in my head and from that night on, every bag of Skittles, Starbursts, M&Ms had to be carefully inspected and removed of all reds. It actually wasn't so bad because I don't actually like the flavor of a lot of red candies. Artificial cherry flavor is gross. I've never had a red Swedish Fish in my life. I would risk dehydration and avoid the complimentary red Gatorade at gymnastics meets. The only candy that ever broke my rule was, on a occasion, Hot Tamales. I used to quickly discard all the red Sour Patch Kids from the bag before it got to dark to see what I was popping into my mouth. I even had a ziploc bag full of discarded red candies at my first job. I admit it, it was just plain weird. 

What ended it all? I don't know...probably laziness and the acceptance that everything in life can or does kill you. And on that note, have a nice day. 

The Return of Smooze

Sunday marks the first day of summer so here's a summer treat post for you. When I first moved to New York, I lived right near a Whole Foods. It may be expensive, but it was nice having instant healthy food on hand for those too-lazy-to-cook days. Last summer I made a refreshingly sweet and tropically adorable discovery at WF. Smooze! Not only is it fun to say, it's also fun to eat. I was immediately drawn to the packaging since, well, I'm Asian and will buy anything with a cartoon character on it. These Indonesian frozen pops are deeeelish! They're made with fresh tropical fruit puree (mango, pineapple, guava or passion fruit) and coconut milk. It's naturally sweet and little creamier than a popsicle because of the coconut milk. It's also dairy free for you lactose intolerants.

Smooze! is back on the shelves at Whole Foods and I highly recommend picking up a box for those hot summer days. My favorite is the Pineapple-Coconut, but yesterday I picked up a box of Pink Guava which I suspect will be equally as tasty. Here's to summer!