Speaking engagement: AIIKC

   This morning I had another opportunity to present my research on & my passion for Japanese character design to a Japanese Pop Culture class at The Art Institutes International of Kansas City. This was my third or fourth presentation there in the last couple of years, and I'm thrilled that they keep inviting me back! It's a great chance for me to practice presenting, to "try out" what it would be like to be a teacher, and great motivation to continue building on the deck. It has grown a LOT since its humble beginnings in 2010, when I created it for the Japan-America Society of KC.

   This class responded well and had great questions, particularly about how to learn the Japanese language. I LOVE being able to encourage and influence students to learn more about something I love so much! Thanks to Jason Smith and Barbara Brooks for having me out yet again.

Worlds colliding!

   We didn't have a dive planned for this morning, so I woke up and began watching Miyazaki's "Ponyo" in Japanese with Spanish subtitles. It's still way easier for me to read Spanish than to hear Japanese, yet when I'm trying to speak Spanish, the Japanese words always come to me first.
   I need to study more of everything! This trip has reminded me of that. I am jealous of our dive masters, Stephan, Bruno, Jeremy, & Joel, who each speak at least three languages: French, Spanish, English. And Andre, who speaks Italian. Smart guys! And lucky to get the opportunity to exercise their minds so frequently...

Matane, Zoey!

   Zoey just headed off with her new family, & I couldn't be happier. The best day of fostering is always the day you get to see them ride off into the sunset with wonderful people who adore them. I always strive to place them with people who will care for them as well or better than I could myself, so it's never sad to see them go. It's not さようなら (sayonara—good-bye), it's  またね (matane—see you later)!

Congratulations, Zoey-chan!!!

Random Hallmark Moments: It sounds like me

   I just received the following email from one of my favorite, funny coworkers, Dave S. (Context: Hallmark HQ has online want ads for employee use.) The email:
   Thought it might be you... on Hallmark classified ads!
******** Japanese Collector Doll, $10 ***  Girl & her feisty dog stand 9.5" tall on wooden base. 40+ yrs old, in storage for many years. Would be a prized addition to any collection of antique toys, dolls or Asian art. ********

   Of course, for me, it would have to be TWO feisty dogs, and a feisty cat too!

臭気犬

   Shibas are Japanese dogs. Aki has a nice Japanese name. 「秋」means "Autumn". Her original owners named her Paige, but that didn't sound like a dog name, nor did it suit her, so I changed it.

   Taylor, on the other hand, came with that name. You could write it phonetically in Japanese as 「テーラー」but that's not quite the same as a real Japanese name. By the time he made his way to me (his third home), he was already two and a half years old, and he knew his name, so I didn't want to change it. I liked it anyway, so it stuck.

   Joni, however, seems to feel sorry for little Taylor; why shouldn't he have a nice Japanese name, too? So tonight at happy hour she had me look up the Japanese word for "stinky", her moniker for him, and it's 臭気 or「しゅうき」pronounced "Shuuki". And just like that, his new name was born... my little 臭気犬.

Sushi Porn

   Madeline & I had a chance to run across the street for lunch today, for some delicious noms at Kabuki! I had their signature roll (tuna, salmon, cucumber, avocado, masago) and the anaconda roll (tempura-battered freshwater eel, avocado, cucumber, masago, seaweed strips). I think they named it that because the pieces are so big, you have to unhinge your jaw to eat them! It was a great chance to chat and temporarily escape from the stress of work & pet issues... Much needed today!

Jen Dreams of Sushi, Too

    Tonight I'm going to see "JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI" at the Tivoli, the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. I haven't been there yet, but now that I'm familiar with it, I plan to go someday! 
　じろさんの鮨が食べたことがありたいんですが。。。 すごくおいしそうな鮨ですね。日本に行きたいです。そして、じろさんの鮨がとても美しいですから、私はびじゆつを作りたいです。とても面白くて、とてもすばらしい映画ですよ。
　The film used a term,「しょくにん」which means artisan or craftsman of the highest level, to describe Jiro. He was abandoned by his family at the age of 7 and began making sushi at age 10, working to survive. Through his work he found love, and for 75 years he has worked tirelessly to improve himself and his food. It is a real testament to the Japanese spirit and demand for excellence, but he was also a quiet man, humble despite his significant accomplishments. His おまかせ menu consists of the best and freshest fish his son can find every morning at  つきじ market, and costs $300 and up for 20 pieces.
   The film is a real work of art in itself, and the comparison of fine sushi served in meticulously planned courses to perfectly orchestrated music is a great one. Every single piece looked almost too good to be true, and I suddenly found my popcorn to be less than satisfying.

   Here's the synopsis from the official website: "JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar.

For most of his life, Jiro has been mastering the art of making sushi, but even at his age he sees himself still striving for perfection, working from sunrise to well beyond sunset to taste every piece of fish; meticulously train his employees; and carefully mold and finesse the impeccable presentation of each sushi creation. At the heart of this story is Jiro’s relationship with his eldest son Yoshikazu, the worthy heir to Jiro’s legacy, who is unable to live up to his full potential in his father’s shadow.

The feature film debut of director David Gelb, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is a thoughtful and elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection, chronicling Jiro’s life as both an unparalleled success in the culinary world, and a loving yet complicated father."

Monday: Spin & Glace

   Again Mom worked outside, while I worked inside (cleaning out & rearranging the closets in my master bedroom, making the donation pile even bigger). She finished the flower beds and mulched them while I ran out to drop clothes off for tailoring, went grocery-shopping, and went to the hardware store for another go at replacing that blasted hose.
   I got home just as Mom was finishing up outside, and it wasn't a moment too soon: the ominous clouds started to gather, and soon after dark, the sky opened up—and it rained for the rest of the week! It's ironic that this was Mom's vacation week, timed with the poor weather, because the weather all year has been surprisingly good. What a bummer.

   While the rain damped everything else, it didn't dampen our mood. We headed out for a huge dinner at Spin: a pizza feast, since it was 3-for-the-price-of-2 night! We tried the goat cheese & roasted chicken with caramelized onions; BBQ chicken sausage; and my usual: salsicca con mela. The best pizza on Earth, seriously. Followed by: the best ice cream on Earth!

 

Salted pretzel and fleur de sel caramel. (Insert coma here.)

Sunday: Before the Rain

   Mom worked outside, while I worked inside (cleaning out & rearranging closets, and making a heaping donation pile). Then I ran to Home Depot for a bunch of odd and ends, including a new hose for the deck reel, and a load of mulch to help Mom finish the job. When all was said and done, she did a really amazing job, and I'm so thankful to have yard work crossed off my list!

Taylor, as always, enjoyed the extra company

   Mary Jane stopped by for a while with her new Shiba puppy, Kit. He and Aki and Taylor romped around the yard together—as if they were all goofy puppies.

   We worked up quite an appetite! Fortunately, Mom had brought a list of restaurants from one of her favorite shows, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" by Guy Fieri on the Food Network. We went to Swagger for dinner. It is a hole-in-the-wall bar on Wornall in Kansas City, MO. (And never mind that a person was stabbed just a block from there, two days later.) The ambiance was about what you'd expect for a little bar in KCMO, but the food was fantastic!

A little bit of Maine and Alaska, right here in KC!

Mom had a pulled pork sandwich and a Boulevard wheat:

   I tried the Suribachi burger and a Crispin cider. (Suribachi is a tempura-battered hamburger with pepper jack cheese and Sriarcha sauce—I had them hold the mustard and creamy wasabi coleslaw. It was AWESOME!). But then, what part of "Japanesey deep-fried hamburger" DOESN'T sound good?!

   We were in a food coma by the time we arrived at home (but fortunately THIS didn't happen!), and the dogs never fail to join in for a lazy evening of TV watching (Mad Men seasons 1 & 2!) on the couch:

Saturday: Mom Arrives in KC

   Mom flew in from Ohio this morning to spend her spring break with me. I decided to surprise her by taking the mutts to the airport with me. I knew they'd enjoy the ride in the car, and I was curious to see how they'd handle the situation. Not surprisingly, they behaved very well, and we heard the usual oohs and aahs over their extreme cuteness.

   Taylor was especially curious about the escalator when we walked by. I think he would have jumped right on it if I had let him! Aki didn't seem to notice that, but she was enthralled with the sliding doors. This one squeaked a little like a rodent. So she paced back & forth, staring up at it, and even stood up on it. She wasn't afraid at all, just very, very curious and on high-alert.

   After we found Mom and retrieved her bags, we headed toward home, with a detour at Antioch Park. Spring had sprung a few weeks early, and I wanted her to see one of my favorite parks in town. The daffodils, hyacinths, magnolias, redbuds, dogwood, and cherry blossoms didn't disappoint! She quickly learned that it isn't easy to walk two excited Shibas:

   The rest of the afternoon, Mom worked outside in my yard, weeding and cleaning up the flower beds, picking up sticks, and trimming the shrubs. I was amazed at how much she finished so quickly! Partly because she was racing to beat the rain, and partly because she's had years of practice. What a relief to have that work done for the season! It's like having my own park in my backyard!

Day two, in pictures!

Good Morning, Guesthouse!

Good Morning, Nelly!

Good Morning, Little Man!

Baby squeezes before breakfast. Sean was fascinated with my hands.

Good food...

Eric fixed breakfast #1: Homemade yogurt with homemade granola and bananas

Kelley fixed breakfast #2: sautéed veggies, eggs, avocado, balsamic glaze & toast!

After breakfast, Kelley, Sean and I headed out for a little fun... another gorgeous day in LA!

Owl pillows at Paper Source

Treats at Big Sugar Bake Shop (we gave some brownies a good home)

Great letterpress by Hello! Lucky

Zonked! How do babies become exponentially cuter when sleeping? It's a mystery.

snack: Kelley's homemade veggie chili

Time for a sushi fix!!! Treats from Izakaya Sushi Ran:

Kelley & Eric

me & Dave