pursuing india...

tamarinds, turbans, taj mahal,
silk, sag paneer, saris, samosas, sikhs,
cows, curries, cinema, camels, castes,
bazaars, buddhism, betel nut, brahman,
ganges, garam masala, ganesh,
varanasi, vishnu, vindaloo,
hindu, handicrafts, hare krishna...
off to india.
hope my head [and/or my stomach] doesn't explode from over-stimulation.
hope you enjoy the friends, family, food and fun that make this time of year special.

here comes the bride?

i hope this post doesn’t give my dad a heart attack.
a while back i went to lunch with a few students from my shakaijin [community members] class. we dined at duo cerezo, which is an opulent multi-purpose facility where ceremonies and weddings are held, as well as beer garden parties and buffet meals. a friend of one of my students runs the upstairs bridal boutique and she invited us up after eating. i truly had very little interest but humored my students. the boutique manager insisted on showing me dresses and jewelry and veils, inquiring about my style and the ones that i liked. she pulled one of the heavy garments down and thrust it at me saying “c’mon, you should try it on!” i insisted that wasn’t necessary and went back and forth with all the ladies in the shop. before i knew it they were tugging off my clothes and i reluctantly agreed.
[notice my favorite student kimio san in the background. he played father figure, nodding in agreement or grimacing at what he didn't like. he was a good sport up until they asked for his credit card. then he disowned me.]

here’s the uncomfortable evidence…pictures i took of pictures that my shakaijin students took…


there was a hefty crinoline skirt, an expensive dress, white pumps, a veil and a bouquet involved in the impromptu session.

i was thoroughly embarrassed, especially because there was a couple there legitimately trying to pick out wedding goods. i will admit however, i couldn’t help but feel remarkable in the gown, even without proper preparation, makeup, undergarments, etc. i’ve never had anything more decidedly elegant hanging on my frame. i imagine such a dress could indeed turn a woman into a queen while she’s wearing it, i mean, if you’re into that sorta thing.

hot fish

carrie reached the ripe old age of 27 on December 8. to celebrate, we spent the evening at sushi yoshi, a family-owned restaurant in a town that neighbors mine. although lately our visits have been sparse, in the past we were quite the regulars there and have been kinda adopted as children. mama and papa ply us with candy, fruit, flowers, pictures, trinkets and whatever else they happen to have on hand when we pop in. the food is fresh and amazing, always lovingly prepared and beautifully presented. we never order, but simply wait to see what the chef, who is the owners’ son [he’s one of the most beautiful, unfortunately married, japanese men i know] chooses for our meal.



on this evening, we’d called to let them know we were coming and somewhat suspiciously found ourselves seated next to 2 young men at the bar. they turned out to be strong drinkers, interesting conversationalists and all night party animals. what luck.

they often serve us slightly odd things that are considered a delicacy on this side of the pond. on this particular night it was whole cod roe sacs suspended in homemade brown gelatin. we glanced nervously at each other while inspecting the veiny chunks. the taste wasn’t unpleasant although the textures were two that i don’t care for in every bite; the pop of tiny eggs and the mush of gelatinous stuff.



luckily we headed off papa as he attempted to ladle ribbons of sperm sac, full of seminal fluid, into a nabe pot that we had just emptied of it’s various mushroom, cabbage and tofu contents. i had tried the しらこ　before and was eager for him to save that treat for the next grateful customers. i like to consider myself a foodie of sorts, and never refuse to try something new. i enjoy the fact that when we visit sushi yoshi, they push our limits and put our high brow dreams and semi-haute tastes in perspective for us.

this was a highlight for me…


the meat was sweet, perfectly greasy, flaky heaven.



the fact that we spent ALL night in this one tiny shop in this small mountain town and had a blast is truly testament to the friendliness of the proprietors and the inviting ambiance they’ve created.

what i see drivin around...

at it again...

i ranted sufficiently about bush's oil and natural gas dreams in alaska's arctic national wildlife refuge. you can read the details by clicking here. now he's turned his sights south...can't you just see the dollar signs bulging from his eyes in cartoon style...cha-ching.

Bush Mulls Resumed Energy Drilling Off Alaska
New York Times
By FELICITY BARRINGER


Bristol Bay, Alaska, is home to endangered whales and sea lions and the world’s largest sockeye salmon run.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — President Bush is considering whether to lift the 17-year-old moratorium on energy drilling in the waters off southwestern Alaska, a White House spokeswoman said Sunday, which would allow oil and gas companies to try to tap into more than five trillion cubic feet of natural gas that lies beneath rich fishing grounds.

The push to market oil and gas leases in these waters, which oil and gas companies favor, is part of a larger national effort to expand domestic supplies of fossil fuel by opening up areas of the outer continental shelf, long off-limits to energy development.
...
In a letter to President Bush on Friday, a coalition of environmental groups, including the Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Counsel, citing the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, called the bay “an economically critical salmon fishery,” adding that “it provides essential habitat for the endangered northern right whale.”

The executive director of Greenpeace, John Passacantando, said Sunday that the Bering Sea was “the most intact marine ecosystem in United States waters” and that Bristol Bay was “among the most important parts of the Bering Sea.”

Asked about the potential impact of an outer continental shelf leasing program confined to the southern waters of the bay, Mr. Passacantando said: “The energy industry ultimately gives you things that look like the Exxon Valdez. It was because of the threat of this kind of spill that that leases were initially rescinded.”
...
Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said in a statement Sunday that “executive withdrawal on oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, one of our nation’s most sensitive fisheries, combined with House Republicans scheduling a vote next week to expand offshore drilling off Florida’s coast, only underscores that G.O.P. stands for Gas and Oil Party.”

to read the entire article, click here.

to figure out who in congress you should pester about persuing an energy plan, including alternative fuels, that will sustain the nation in the future, click here.