Uping the date.

Cy-chan is blooming beautifully which makes me really happy. Kaworu is still waiting for Shinji under the beautiful pink blossoms. Maybe Shinji will be along soon and they can be together forever.

As I mentioned to one of the Chinese students (Lin) that I was not very confident at cooking, she suggested that I help some of the other students make Gyoza.

This was a wonderful experience as making gyoza together has a positive meaning in that we all worked together to make something delicious.




Here is a photo of everyone who made gyoza with me and some of the gyoza we made. Many of you would have eaten gyoza before.



In continuing with the "I want to learn to cook" theme, I asked 狸様 for a recipe and he gave me one for a stir-fry. At first I was feeling paniced as it seemed to have lots of ingredients and steps. Also the super market is not exactly easy to navigate, especially when everything is in Japanese...

  Nuki-sama no Ichiban Oishii no Stir-fry Recipe!

1. Cut up beef into strips (or buy stir-fry stripped beef, a little more expensive but a lot less work)
2. Prepare baby corn, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots (usually this means pouring out the water from the can)
4. There is no step 3
5. Cut up an onion and some garlic, and fry them in a wok (or suitably large pan) with some curry paste
6. toss in beef, fry it until it's brown
7. chuck in vegetables
8. pour in 1/3 cup soy sauce, and 2/3 cup coca cola
9. Simmer for a while, and chuck in some bok choi leaves (or other such vegetable), and when they've wilted, you're done.
10. Serve with rice or delicious udon noodles, mm mm!

(sure, I forgot step 9 and 10, but hey! I cooked something)

Then I had a celebratory corune and it was filled with cream...and memories.

Last time I was in Japan I would eat one of these each lunch time at school. They are basically a swirl of bread-like pastry, filled with cream then topped with chocolate.



 



 Today I woke up at 1pm, washed my hair, went for a walk and bought a jacket, went grocery shopping then came home. I also cleaned the kitchen, emptied my bins and tidied the flowers on my desk so now everything is neat and tidy. 

When I got home I was able to chat to Granny, Mainge and Dad. JJ has got really fat!. Was wonderful to chat to you all and I'm very glad you are going well.

This-evening I cooked an omelet which turned out more like scrambled eggs, with capsicum, onion, tomato, shallots and cheese.

It was tasty.

Spring holiays are from the 1st - 13th of February. 

While I don't have much homework, I plan to study and explore Nagoya a little more.

Tomorrow I plan to sleep in again (though not as late) and make pancakes.  

My main assignment is a 10 minute speech about Australia which is due the day I get back. I have chosen to speak about Aboriginal culture, food and language as this is something I know a little about, and something that very few of my international classmates would know.

Monday is Mame-maki in Osu Kannon, so stay tuned for pictures.