After the long journey across the Pacific, I finally arrived at Nagoya, only to find out my airport greeter failed to show up. Somehow I had this ill feeling before I left the States that I should have a backup plan. Within the next most exciting 30 minutes, I over-compensated by stretagizing a "back up plan", plus another "backup upon backup plan" !!
Anyway, I made it to Okazaki (without using any of the plans...) and woke up to a rainy cool day. With June, it began the rainy season (Tsuyu-- plum rain), and in theory it should be hot and humid in July. So I am not surprised that it at least rained.
Did I tell you I could not locate a home to put me up? They heard about how wild I was and it scared them away. ... Actually most families are on their summer holidays. So now I am going backward through the time capsule by staying in a dormitory.
Everyone are supposed to cook for themselves, something I would not even do nowadays at home. On top of it, now I have to invent some meals that do not involve extensive ingredients since I will leave here in a month. YES, IT JUST DAWNED ON ME THAT A KITCHEN CAN STOCK SOYA SAUCE ONLY-- WITHOUT SALT AND SUGAR!!!!! (my sincere apology to Joji)
Speaking
of salt, while I was shopping for grocery at Seiyu Depaato, I ran into
a whole bin of home made SHIOKARA
(salty squid). They are fermented in some mysterious liquid
that makes it very complex** in taste. (** is delicious to me, grotesque
to others).
I remember well the time when my friend Peter Sugano meeting me the first time and taking me to the Japanese Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong. He tried to either impress me or scare me by ordering it.
Shiokara are always sold in jars, not in an open bin. For the gaijin who do not know Japanese cuisine, or even for those who know about it but detest the taste of this pickled squid, the appearance of the bin's contents could really be disgusting to them.
