January 1 2012: Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! (Happy New Year)We went to the local grocery store the other day. Usually not something I take pictures about, after all, it is just the grocery store. But, it turns out I was glad I had my iTouch with me, so I could take some pictures.
These wonderfully delicious (and expensive) creations are made out of a rice paste. Kind of like marzipan in a way...but rice flour as the base. They are sooooo good. Sweet, but not to sweet. Usually they are just balls of dough. Some with some slight flavoring added in. Like pink balls would be strawberry. Some are just a plain sweet taste. These were done up special in preparation for the New Year's celebrations.
They do look good. That's as far as we got though. Just looking.
These wonderfully delicious (and expensive) creations are made out of a rice paste. Kind of like marzipan in a way...but rice flour as the base. They are sooooo good. Sweet, but not to sweet. Usually they are just balls of dough. Some with some slight flavoring added in. Like pink balls would be strawberry. Some are just a plain sweet taste. These were done up special in preparation for the New Year's celebrations. 
They do look good. That's as far as we got though. Just looking. Below is a shot of the grocery store, main aisle in front of the registers. (I realized that after 3 years of living here....I had never put up a shot of what the grocery stores look like....I'll have to record the noise of a grocery store next)
Oh, and a last picture from the old year! I was cleaning off my desk (which is a feat unto itself) and came across this from this past summer (2011) while mom was out visiting. We decided to try one of the photo booths at the aquarium. Once you are done doing your spastic poses, then you pick your favorite and decorate with bubbles, dolphins, whatever aquatic sea life you desire. But there is a timer on there, so a bit of pressure to get things done. And it's all in Japanese, so just a little more pressure. (hence the bubble across mom's eye, the dolphin fin cutting down my forehead....not to mention my disembodied head (somehow my shirt, which was a different color than the blue screen, became absorbed into the blue screen color...but Andi's didn't...go figure)
Anyway, Happy New Year to all!
Oh, and a last picture from the old year! I was cleaning off my desk (which is a feat unto itself) and came across this from this past summer (2011) while mom was out visiting. We decided to try one of the photo booths at the aquarium. Once you are done doing your spastic poses, then you pick your favorite and decorate with bubbles, dolphins, whatever aquatic sea life you desire. But there is a timer on there, so a bit of pressure to get things done. And it's all in Japanese, so just a little more pressure. (hence the bubble across mom's eye, the dolphin fin cutting down my forehead....not to mention my disembodied head (somehow my shirt, which was a different color than the blue screen, became absorbed into the blue screen color...but Andi's didn't...go figure)Anyway, Happy New Year to all!Oh, the official Japanese New Year starts the 23rd of this month (though they also celebrate with the rest of the world on the 31/1). This year is the year of the Dragon!
