Omiyage Chocolate

 

 

Omiyage that I got from my supervisor the other day. Who got them from someone else. Yummy...but didn't taste anything like plum flavor.

Karaage Tuesday

I'm not a huge fan of the food on campus, but sometimes I can't resist it. Even one of my favorites, the karaage-don, could be better...but I can't help myself every Tuesday. Tuesday's the only day that I have time for lunch, so I always splurge and reward myself for my only 9am class with this beautiful mix of fried chicken, rice, mayonnaise, hard-boiled egg, and nori.

This week's going to be a little rough since it's midterms week. Oral exam tomorrow, grammar/expression exam Thursday, and reading/writing exam Friday. Also 2000-character paper due Friday, introduction poster due Friday, need to choose classes for next year asap, work Thursday, and no time this weekend to go anywhere because of my other midterm next Monday and the International Festival on Sunday.

...I might have to make time to stop by the cafeteria tomorrow and pre-reward myself for all of this.

Roll Cake and Pierogies in Japan

Yesterday I probably should've done one last spring break trip, but after my Osaka adventure, I was still worn out (and a little short on cash). I would've just spent the day catching up on stuff at home, but I still really wanted that cake I couldn't get the day before, so I went down to Hirakata Station for my cake.

I really love the roll cakes from near the station, though they're kind of expensive...1260 yen for one (less if you go to the different shop, though there aren't strawberries on top of it). Although they are huge (especially if you're devouring one by yourself), so that kind of makes up for the price.

I also splurged a bit and bought flour and potatoes. To make pierogies. I love love love love love pierogies and as a Pennsylvanian whose high school has pierogies on a nearly daily basis, I've been in a pierogi deficiency for the past few months. Somehow, I managed to make some on my own! Most had a really odd shape, except for the last two I made when I finally figured out the best way to put them together. I still have all the ingredients to make more...I may suffer from a pierogi overdose soon.

Very Berry Cafe

After my trip in Higashiyama, I met up with some friends to have dinner. We ended up at a cute cafe near Teramachi called Very Berry Cafe. While it was overpriced, the design of the restaurant makes up for it--it's a completely American-themed cafe. The one we went into (there are a few different Very Berry Cafes in Kyoto) had a huge American flag on the wall, a Simpsons figure on the shelf, and had a TV playing Shrek. I was the only actual American in that cafe, though. :P


Like I said, it was kind of overpriced -- around 1200 yen for the set meal (burger, drink, and small dish of ice cream), but individual items were around 900 yen, side dishes around 500 yen, and desserts all around 700-1000 yen. I settled for just the set meal, but I was so, so tempted by the coconut milk pancakes...next time, I guess.

I really want coasters like this.

Cute ice cream spoon.

Deserted Teramachi.

coffee break

Took a coffee break in Kyoto. Tall caramel macchiato + apple cinnamon fritter is my favorite Starbucks combo. ♥

peace and curry

I've been super-busy the past few days, but this was my Friday:

Today I skipped my pop culture class. First time skipping a class here!

Only it was so I could attend the full peace and conflict resolution workshop presented by Johan Galtung.

The lecture/workshop was really interesting. I don't want to go into too many details since I already wrote a lot of his key points in my notes, but I think, if nothing else, the simple example that he gave of conflict resolution between a husband and wife (because, as he said during the lecture, his methods apply to conflicts on any scale, whether micro or macro) was memorable as a basic lesson in resolution: both sides need to give up something, but they should both gain; rather than just settling for compromise, both should ultimately get something more out of the resolution.

After the lecture there was a meeting for the International Advisory Program. As a side note, the whole time we were waiting for the American groups to be called (since we were the last country despite being the majority) I kept thinking how much I wanted to do a "USA! USA!" chant when it was our turn...I'm glad all the other Americans were on the same page and started the chant anyway.

The meeting itself was...interesting. But making students write bi-weekly essays complete with in-text citations (on topics ranging from food to places to go...what sort of specificity is that?) along with status reports for something they only volunteered to do to make friends...isn't the best approach to keeping people in the program. My group's members have been to America before, too, so they already have an advantage; making them write essays that no one is going to read isn't going to help them, in my opinion.

Anyway.

After that I went to New Delhi for curry. First time going there for the dinner menu...though I swear the lunch menu is more filling. Totally could've gone for 1/4 of a second nan.