The Wayfarer Blog

After a day at my high school, I needed a break. After all, I had a few hours to kill before my night class (but not enough to make it worth going home, yuk, yuk…)

So I decided to go to a coffeeshop in Takadanobaba, where I sometimes teach a private student. Now, as some of you know, I am a green tea junkie. Not only do I love green tea, but I love green tea cakes, cookies, and ice cream. There are many kinds of green tea (that would be a good idea for a future post). But the main kind used for sweets is called, 「抹茶」or “matcha” (the “a’s” are like “Mama”). Matcha has a naturally sweet taste, so it is well-suited for desserts.

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Many Americans think green tea is bitter and gross. Every time I go back and try what usually passes for green tea, I know why. Most of the tea is not so good to begin with, and people brew it too hot, which ruins it (green tea is very delicate. If you boil it, it will become bitter and lose its flavor.) There is a huge variety of green tea in Japan, and the level of connoisseurship may even rival wine. Green tea can at times be: strong, mild, sweet, or bitter. They take it very seriously!

Anyway, as I was walking into the coffeeshop, I saw a sign advertising several seasonal green tea drinks. Since it was rather warm, I chose the “Frozen Matcha” 「フローゼン抹茶」As you can see, it is quite a work of art. On top of the green tea/milk smoothie, they put 「小豆」(”azuki,” or sweet beans), whip cream, a wafer and matcha syrup. Wow. The only way I can describe it is, [和風！」(”wa hu”), which means “distinctly Japanese”…but also sounds like “Woo Hoo!”

Ok, sorry…I was being a bit silly there. But it was good. I like the 「抹茶クリームフラッパチーノ」(”Green Tea Frappacino”) that was first developed for Japanese Starbucks, but is now available in the US (YAY!)…but it is a lot sweeter than this one. This one is much less sweet, so it might appeal to many Japanese, who are usually prefer less sugar…It definitely gave me the energy to tackle my night class. How about you? Did you treat yourself to anything fun today???

Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple days. Actually, I did start to write a couple posts, but I ended up falling asleep while I was writing them (two nights in a row…at around 9pm! Yikes!)…

Then I would wake up in the middle of the night and not want to finish them. Now that I think about it, it’s probably a good thing I didn’t post them. If they put me to sleep, that couldn’t be a good sign!

Anyway, I did many little things: some useful (sorting out papers, going through my computer and hard drive and organizing and deleting things); some not useful (daydreaming, reading, going for walks), and just being. One thing I didn’t do was set alarms or worry about train times. What a luxury! I didn’t go anywhere exciting. I went as far as the station, but I didn’t leave Ogikubo for four days. I don’t like to buy a lot of groceries at once, so I did go to the store every day, and I also went out for walks to get some exercise and clear my head, but that was about it.

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These pictures I took in Ichigaya, on the way to a company class, really made me think about how my priorities and values have changed. When I was younger, I loved sports cars–especially Ferraris. I always dreamed of racing down the Autobahn in a Testarossa or a Lamborghini. But I have changed. I still think they are beautiful cars. I still think they would be fun to drive (if I learned how!). But I would never own one.
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I have no idea. I saw it yesterday while I was walking around between classes. Maybe it is an owl…? Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

What do you think? Any guesses?

I had a couple hours to kill between classes, so I walked around Yotsuya Station and took some pictures. Nothing special…just to amuse myself. I will post more tomorrow, but here is one for tonight. This is an Okinawan restaurant, which I didn’t realize until just now when I was looking at the picture on my computer!

The pictures and words beckon customers to descend the steps and enter the restaurant…to enjoy fresh seafood and delicious Okinawan food.

I have only had Okinawan food a couple times. One of the main things I remember is goya (苦瓜), a very bitter melon that is often served in Okinawan restaurants! It is ok, but not my favorite…definitely an acquired taste. But it is one reason that Okinawan food is nutritious and delicious!

Check out this Wikipedia article on Goya for more info!