Cherry tree on Tetsugaku-no-michi (Path of Philosophy), Kyoto

Matcha scone!!

I know, it looks like a Hungry Jack biscuit that only Sam-I-am could love. It is the MATCHA SCONE from Cascade coffee shop in Shiyakusho-mae Station, close to the Kyoto Royal Hotel. This scone has been calling my name for years, and finally today, I had a chance to taste it. You can barely taste the green tea flavor, but it was fresh, flaky and went great with my cappuccino.

gion

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Takayama festival float

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

明太ポテト(Mentai-Potato)

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

These were absolutely righteous - served up by a humble little izakaya just across the street from our inn in Takayama. Mentaiko (cod roe) is mixed with mayonnaise and chilis to create something akin to a creamy cocktail sauce - then topped with thin strips of nori seaweed. Ridiculous. I nearly ate the whole plate.

5 floors of wall to wall cuteness

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Move over, Hello Kitty - here's the latest Sanrio creation. Out of all the places that I took my clients, they spent the most time (and money) in this store by a long shot.

oh, it was GOOD

Sushi Iwa agemono course
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Everything in this bowl absolutely ROCKED.

monkey monitor

monkey monitor
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

only in Japan....

My group and I were led around Akihabara this afternoon by Ren - had an awesome time.

Me missing Peter

I brought this picture of us from Christmas - that (and my imagination) going to have to do for just a couple more weeks....

Taiko game

Coco and "Jiji" playing a taiko game.

lazy Sunday

lazy Sunday
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter and I took the bikes down to the beach in the Marina and laid in the sand. This was an unbelievable day, weather-wise. We've hit those precious few, magic days in the city when you hardly ever need a jacket. soooo nice.

Heather's b-day party, La Barca

Heather's b-day party, La Barca
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

It was a fun night - dinner was followed by dancing at Comet Club, which is only as good as the crew you're with. In our case, the sheer awesome-ness of our group would have made any place fun.

Ack-cho

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Far more entertaining was the outfit sitting across from me on the bus AFTER leaving the Farmer's Market!
When I was in college in New York, we used to play a version of "There's your Dad" - we'd find the funkiest-looking dude and instead of saying "There's your Dad," our code for it was "Ack-cho Daddy," or simply "Ack-cho." So for everybody who reads this blog (all 3 of you out there)..... "ACK-CHO!!"

SF Farmer's Market

SF Farmer's Market
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Went to Language Exchange bright & early this morning & stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way home. The prices are surprisingly steep, but I managed to find some smallish Fuji apples for $.60/pound - not bad.

Me and Annabanana, Christie Winery, Sonoma.

Barrel Tasting 2007

Another awesome Barrel Tasting event - I think it's the 5th year that we've been doing it. This was Peter's first time, and we had an awesome day. A little less food than in previous years, but that usually all depends on which wineries you go to. Tasting Notes from this year are as follows: Geyser Peak: Meritage 2005 Barrel was awesome - it will be on the market in 6-7 months. I'm definitely grabbing a bottle as soon as it's available. Ferrari Carano: they did NOT do barrel tasting this year, but we stopped by anyway and picked up one of my favorite discoveries, the 2004 Fume Blanc - it got a 91 in Wine Spectator, and I had brought a bottle up to Thanksgiving Dinner at Peter's brother's house. Ferrari's 2005 Syrah was also pretty good. Dutcher: this was a new one. The barreled Cabernet was good, and the Gold Metal 2005 Zinfandel was also good. Dry Creek: this was a bummer compared to previous years, there wasn't much that impressed us. However, they had a very decent table wine for about $8 called Regatta that we picked up. It has the kind of flavor that will go with anything. Rued: pronounced "Roo-ed." Another new one - they had a GREAT, unusually fruity 2005 Zinfandel that will be released in October. I put my email address down to get the release notice. Everett Ridge: we know that their chardonnays and sav blancs rock. Their Zin was also good. I picked up a reserve chardonnay while I was there. Limerick Lane: Anna wanted to stop here, and she usually chooses well. we liked the '04 Zin, and we bought the '97 Zin just out of curiousity, since that was supposed to be a great year overall. The crowining glory of the day was CHRISTIE, a new winery just opened in 1993. Everything I tried was awesome - standouts were the cabs (both the '03 and the '04) and the '04 chardonnay. Sublime....now we just have to pick out the right foods to go w/ all our wines.... a nice problem to have!

Flowers for the patio

These are Peter's favorites. There was only 1 of these in a deep, velvety red. We had to cover them up the other night to protect them from marble-sized hail. Weather has been wacky lately, but the flowers are surviving so far!

Flowers for the back deck

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Our weekend was incredibly productive. We got flowers for the back deck, and also got most of my things from my old place in the Mission. It was a very productive weekend!

Trip to the nursery

Peter and flowers
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter and I went up into Marin County to get some flowers and plants
for the back deck. Peter got super-busy and arranged them all & look AMAZING.

poochers!

poochers!
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

We were visited by Charlotte Gaynor, a breeder of Golden Retrievers who lives in Santa Cruz. She brought Mom and Dad (Ritze and Radcliffe) over for a visit. We went walking in the park - cannot WAIT to get a dog now!!

Sushi and Sake Tasting

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Brother Patrick came over last night for some store-bought sushi and sake sampling. The hands-down favorite was the tiny white bottle of Hakutsuru, right behind Pat's elbow. I had received it as a gift for visiting the brewery in January, so I had expected it to be mediocre - shows what I know. It was really smooth and flavorful. Other standouts were the corked sake in the middle called "Fujioka Shuzu." This was a less refined sake that we preferred to drink at room temperature, versus chilled - the sweetness was more pronounced that way. Tasty! Peter plated the sushi, and developed a new appreciation for the artistic flair and precision demonstrated by the pros. I made the miso soup and the shiro-ae spinach salad (still perfecting that one) and the bamboo shoots came from Nijiya supermarket in Japantown - now that I live w/ Peter, I only have to walk a few blocks to get there!!

Me & Peter - hiking in Marin

Me & Peter - hiking in Marin
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Hikin' on President's Day Weekend

The winds were high and the scenery was spectacular!

Valentine's Day Feast 2007

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter had an excellent idea for Valentine's Day - leave work early, go get massages (yes, ladies, HE made these plans!), walk down to Whole Foods and find the best surf-n-turf combo that money can buy. The filet was cooked to PERFECTION, and the lobster (flown in from Canada) was so tender, I daresay it was as good as any lobster you could find anywhere in the world. Sides were wild rice (Uncle Ben's - don't laugh, it was GOOD) and steamed asparagus. All of it washed down with a Grgich Hills merlot....I was in food ecstasy.

happy couple in Tahoe

happy couple in Tahoe
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter took me to Heaven(-ly) in Tahoe this past weekend. I hadn't skiied in about 8 years. By the end of 3 days, I was doing small moguls, which was AWESOME. Can't wait to go again!

Shiro-ae

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Back at home

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

I made Niku-jaga (肉じゃが) shiro-ae (白あえ) for dinner last night. It's part of my new resolution to cook more at home & try to re-create the absolutely phenomenal home-cooked food that my good friend Hiroko makes.Fortunately, I have a willing guinea pig (Peter) who thinks I'm an excllent cook - lucky me! I also had shin-mai Japanese rice on hand, which was fantastic. AND we cracked open the KAGATOBI sake that I brought home from Japan - it DOES have the most amazing aftertaste that suggests the flavor of uni (sea urchin)! It's delicious, but it absolutely must be served chilled.

I got back from Japan on Wednesday, and I'm looking for tasty Japanese recipes to try and replicate
at home. I'm tempted to just give it up & just go to Tanuki, but I like the challenge. As Hiroko says,
it's only when you cook something over & over again that you really start to learn. Anyway, I found this
bit of Japanese-English and had to post it.

Last Day in Tokyo

For me, there is no shame in being coddled, especially if it's by my Japanese family. After a few days with them, I have unwound, calmed down, slept a lot and been fed even better. The sake tour was a fabulous success, thanks to a great working relationship with John Gauntner and a fantastic group of aspiring sake experts. They were a lot of fun, and for the most part, extremely accommodating and cooperative. Now I'm back in Tokyo, getting ready to spend 1 more day in my favorite area, Ningyo-cho, to buy every weird and wonderful specialty food I can find!

Kilkenny!

Stopped off last night at Dubliner's for a wee pint of yumminess that you can't get in the US - "Kilkenny" is an Irish brew that has a reddish color, fairly bitter, with a rich foam like Guinness. Total nostalgia from when I used to live here. Happy girl!!

Uni and yuba - delicious!

I'm putting this picture up especially for my wonderful boyfriend, Peter, who despite having never been to Asia, LOVES uni (sea urchin). I added a little soy sauce to my portion - DELICIOUS. Like anything else, if you taste GOOD uni the first time, you might really like it, otherwise the texture and flavor is more "challenging." This uni is prepared sashimi-style, and mixed with a thin, skinlike tofu called yuba. It's usually not as soupy as what's pictured here, and it's more often used to wrap rolled sushi, or as a noodle-like addition to soup. I've even seen it used to replicate poultry skins on products like "Tofurky." Again, I recommend trying yuba in Japan - totally different than what you find in the US. MUCH better.

First Day of the Saké Tour

Ok, everyone say it together....."SAH-KAY!"

Today is my first real day of work with John Gauntner, the "Saké Guy." Peter is jealous, as are a couple of my other friends - I met nearly everyone on the tour last night at dinner. Truth be told, I was thinking that I got a darn good deal too - here I am sampling some incredible saké, eating extremely well and working with some pretty cool people. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to establish a rapport with my clients, and they can be challenging, but it looks like this is going to be pretty fun.

The place we went to last night for dinner was Takara. Takara specializes in all types of saké. One really good one was Urakasumi ("oo-rah-kah-soo-mi;" pronunciation is just like Spanish!). John said he's never had a bad bottle from this one. We tasted the "shin-shu" (new batch), similar to the "Beaujolais Nouveau" concept. Clean, crisp and delicious!

Tonchan's squid hat!

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Originally uploaded by renfield.

Ren's mom knitted a SQUID HAT for Chikage.

OISHI!

OISHI!
Originally uploaded by piroko_kuroda.

This is Ted, a Japanese antiques dealer and expert sword polisher.
The man knows so much about swords, you wonder how he keeps it
all in his head. He does, however, find time to enjoy the finer things in life, like sake. This is a variety of sake that he absolutely had to have, after I told him about its distinct aftertaste. It tastes just like "uni," or sea urchin. If you've ever gone to a sushi restaurant and wondered what that orange, gelatin-looking thing was, it's uni. And it's delicious. So here it is - uni-flavored sake, expertly showcased by Ted!

Angel pie

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

This is Chikage - Ren and Hiroko's perfect little angel. She was born December 11th, 2006, just under 3kg, 49cm. I am an auntie again!

My Match.com pic

FOLLOW UP: I met Peter on November 5th - our first date went REALLY well, ending with a kiss
that left me floating on a cloud. We have spent as much time together as possible and it still hasn't
been enough. This picture was taken on Christmas Day - the first Christmas he spent away from home -
because he wanted to spend it with me & my family! I'm in Japan at the moment, and missing him like crazy. For the first time, I actually shortened my trip in Japan to come home early because I couldn't bear being apart from him any longer. Ladies, I'm telling you, it WORKS! :)


Ok, so a lot has happened. I met Peter, and I am really...how shall I put it?
Enamored, flabbergasted, all gooey inside, and pretty much falling for the guy,
fast! The worst thing I can say about him so far is that he's never been to Japan, which as my friend Ren (www.giveyourmeat.com) says, is easily fix-able.

So we met on Match.com, and I'm here to tell you, ladies - IT WORKS! The thing is, there are certain guidelines which I believe allow you to make it work much, much better. The first step is to have a kick-ass profile:

a. 4-5 flattering, CLASSY pictures - no bikinis - sexy evening dresses are great - in which you're smiling.
b. Be really clear about what you're looking for. I talked mostly about what I want in a relationship, and I think it was a good screener. The guys that I went on dates with were all sincere, intelligent, and ready to settle down.
c. You can talk a bit about yourself, but I think it's good to leave some mystery, too.
d. For the question, "What was the last thing you read?" I suggest putting something besides Cosmo or People magazine. Food for thought.
e. I put down that I wanted a guy with at least a college degree. Nothing for race, and I think I put a certain amt. for income, I can't remember. Let's face it - if you have any inkling to stay at home and raise kids someday, you'll want a guy who's willing and able to take care of his family, right? And as far as race goes, I know people will disagree with me, but I don't believe in such a thing. I think the concept is seriously flawed, at best. I'm going off on a tangent, I know, but 'race' implies a difference that extends to our intellect - which is a load of malarkey - when all it boils down to is how we adapted over time to the geography around us. We look different because our ancestors were exposed to certain temperatures, differing amounts of sunlight, etc. over time, and lo and behold, we adapted to our respective environments. End of story. Compatibility has nothing to do with the color of someone's skin, and I know from experience (ha) that love can be found the world over, among any population in the world. EDUCATION, i.e., formal training + life experience, plays a crucial part in the equation of compatibility!

Ok where was I...yes -

2. Do NOT look for guys. No searching, no winking, no emailing. Let them come to you. Pursue a guy, and it's like a mouse running towards a cat...the cat has no idea what to do, and might be tempted to run in the other direction! Men are built for hunting - it's been in their blood for thousands of years. So let them pursue YOU.

I'm curious to see what kind of a response I get, so I'll stop there, for now!

Rumsfeld is GONE.......

Poor W...oh, this is gratifying. Hearing press people take the piss out of Bush.
It's like a good shot of espresso - makes you feel all warm and tingly inside.
Brilliant. Bush cannot be humble - it's absolutely impossible for him to admit
defeat. "Risk-adverse" - I like that term. It still doesn't beat 'misunderestimated.'

The road to ....

I haven't blogged in a while because I was busy leading a tour in Japan, which went quite well. My guests were a sweet couple from Chicago who were extremely intelligent, curious people - my favorite kinds of clients! This photo was taken at a subtemple of Daitokuji complex in Kyoto - the complex is vast and austere, and this little subtemple is an oasis of serenity. Besides temples, I arranged a private tea ceremony with an apprentice geisha, a washi paper-making workshop, a private visit to a potter's kiln in Shigaraki, then of course meals, hotel accommodations, and various cultural activities. On this last trip, I realized that I really do love my job - this is my passion and it's something that I feel that I'm really good at. I just need more clients and trips to make it sustainable!

The real deal

My friend Elaine took me to a hole in the wall sushi place
in the Richmond - it doesn't have a sign - it's just called "Tekka." Nigiri was obscenely big - food was OK - average for Japan, amazing for the US. I might go back, but the attitude from the wait staff was a little hard to take. To her credit, she softened a bit towards the end.

Birthday

Happy Jen...August 9th was a day of indulgence. I had a plan
to get a car and drive it north - I decided to check out Orr Hot Springs, a clothing-optional complex of indoor/outdoor baths, pools and saunas, filled with real spring water. It was really great, but I can't help but pine for the Japanese baths...here in California, it seems like the emphasis is more on being naked than anything else. People assert their individuality so strongly here (at Orr, in California, in America) that it literally invades your space. Bathers might learn a thing or 2 from the Japanese - a culture in which nudity was never really taboo. There, people are mindful of people around them so as to not disturb other people, thereby cultivating a sense of peace and tranquility. So yeah, I didn't get THAT at Orr, but I did get beautiful, lush surroundings, the sound of babbling water pouring into the pools, and enough peace & quiet to really melt into my own thoughts. I want to go back for sure.

So on my way back to SF, I drove through Mendocino and re-discovered Brutocao winery.
Way back in 2000, I had visited the winery with Krishnan, a guy I was seeing, and we together discovered Schoolhouse Red - a surprisingly delicious red table wine which at the time was less than $10. It's gone up to $17.99, but that didn't stop me from buying 2 bottles for old time's sake. It's not even as tasty as I remember it being before, but it didn't matter. When I saw the sign, I literally sat up and yelled "Schoolhouse Red! Omigod!" to myself in the car. So much fun to re-discover a piece of my past. It was another great birthday present to myself.

hot in the city

believe me when I tell you that it was HOT in the subway! We actually departed New York before the serious heat wave hit, but I would take that weather any day of the week over the winters. I have to admit that I have a masochistic side that really likes the changing of the seasons - it makes you really appreciate what you have at the moment - sweltering heat makes you relish the first cool autumn breezes - you stop and appreciate the passing of one season to the next. If only I could fast-forward through the winters, not SKIP them but just make them pass more quickly, I'd consider moving back to the east coast for a while. I miss the grittiness of it, and the in-your-face energy of the place. Things are much more straightforward there, too - look like you know where you're going, and don't look at anyone else. Although I have to say that I believe that 9/11 did change New York. People DO look at each other more - they have softened a bit, become more human. Thank god, too - I really believe that something good can come out of tragedy. It has to.

living proof

This is the label from a t-shirt that I bought!

ESPRIT!!!!!!

I am in New York, and today I made a joyous discovery - ESPRIT is alive and well
and is once again part of my wardrobe. www.esprit.com

I must be thinking about the WTC also because I'm heading to New York tomorrow - since I am newly single, my mind drifts to various ways in which I meet the next Mr. Dreamboat. Just now, I thought about how it would be nice to sit near one on the airplane - not next to one - I would like to feel free to drool in my sleep or let my gut hang out if I feel the need. Although, maybe it would be a good exercise to just let go and do that in front of someone. First impressions be damned - along with silly games and childish thinking. And dishonesty - that goes down there too. AM I RIGHT? Lemme hear ya!

musings

I am ovewhelmed at the hypocrisy, arrogance and general idiocy demonstrated by our current administration. It is shameful. We do not deserve the prosperity and ideal quality of life that we have. We hog the world's resources and then shit on everyone in return. If we had just taken a moment after 9/11 to reflect on WHY this was happening - why are these people so desperate as to sacrifice their lives and forsake their families to drive planes into the World Trade Center? Could it have POSSIBLY had something to do with us?? No, we say - they're EVIL. They're the ones who are CRAZY. What have we done??

I think about those poor people jumped from the World Trade Center windows to avoid being incinerated alive. Do you think that they were thinking that whoever did this was EVIL? Um...don't think so. At the brink of death, I imagine finally attaining a sense of clarity that comes only from being humbled to the core; being acutely aware of every passing second and how precious it is to have blood flowing through our veins, to have people who love us; and fully aware that we are all CONNECTED.

On that horrible day, I went to church. That's where the above picture is from. I wanted to feel connected, to make sense of it all, and to grieve. What I think was happening for a few precious days afterwards was that America, shocked and grief-stricken, was humbled. Grief and loss washes away all that is irrelevant, petty and false. We are left with what is real and true, and precious. If we had just continued down that path, retaining that humility, realizing that we as a country also have the capacity to do the same great harm as what had been done to us, I think that there would have been some hope for us as a nation. Instead, George Bush, who apparently was never taught how to mourn or to grieve, and for whom humility is probably seen as a weakness, got on the soapbox, rattled his saber, vowing revenge, and turned the nation down the path of a blind Crusade. His word, not mine - well chosen, because the current conflict seems as futile as the original Crusades.

Democrats are even more guilty, let's not forget. They let it all happen. They had a responsibility to speak out against an unjust, totally unredemptive war; against a president who is so clearly and so painfully incompetent. IN-COM-PE-TENT; no one had the guts to stand up and utter a word. Not Kerry. Not Gore. The Democratic leaders abandoned us all, in hopes of saving their own asses. Shame on all of you, and what a horrible mess you've gotten us into.