The Silent "I"

Okonomiyaki: The Name Says It All

Okonomiyaki in Osaka from Glennia Campbell on Vimeo.

On our last full day in Japan, Frank insisted that we go to an okonomiyaki restaurant.  If kaiseki is Japanese haute cuising, okonomiyaki is the equivalent of a Denny's Grand Slam.  It's crude, filling, and fairly inexpensive.  It is an omelette-pancake-vegetable-leftover concoction that is cooked on a grill embedded in your table. It's a specialty of the Kansai region, so we could not pass up the opportunity to give it a try. Frank had fond memories of okonomiyaki from his time as a student at Tokyo University and wanted to share this rich cultural experience with his family. If the Watanabe family ever visits us in the US, we will need to return the favor by taking them to The French Laundry, followed by Cracker Barrel.

Osaka is rife with okonomiyaki joints, and at first, Hisashi-san wanted to take us to a nice place near the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.  We spend so much time ogling the fish there, we ran out of time, so we opted to try something closer to Osaka Stadium before the soccer game. Hisashi's wife, Masae, graciously opted to go save seats instead of going with us to dinner, so we dropped her off and found a place near Osaka University.  I'm not sure if she was actually avoiding the inevitable heartburn to follow, or being entirely altruistic.  I think it was the latter.

"Okonomiyaki" is based on two Japanese words, "okonomi" meaning "what you want" or "what you like" and "yaki" meaning "grilled".  So, basically, it's whatever you want on a grill.  Traditionally, it's made from eggs, cabbage, flour, grated yam and water, with meat or seafood added in (whatever you want). It's formed into an omelette shape and grilled at your table, with a dose of brown tonkatsu sauce, some Japanese mayo, and fish flakes added on top.  I'm not sure exactly what the fish flakes add other than entertainment value. You can see in the video that when heated, they start to come alive, dancing on top of the concoction.  Alex added the "IT'S ALIVE!" sound effects to heighten the experience.

Frank ordered the house specialty, which was less pancake and more glob of noodles with curry sauce and bits of vegetables.  I went the traditional route, ordering the standard egg-flour-cabbage-meat combo, but I could not discern any particular meat in the dish.  Alex ordered some edamame (soy beans) and grilled beef chunks, which were quite tasty.

I can't say that this is something I would want to eat every day without a good cardiologist on call, but it was a fun experience.  It tasted better than I expected, and the flavors actually worked well together.  Who knew cabbage, eggs, fish fishflakes and tonkatsu sauce would be a winning combination?  It seemed like it was dreamed up by some poor grad student who ran out of yen before the end of the semester.

In short, if you're ever in Kansai, be sure to try the okonomiyaki.  Ask for extra fish flakes and watch the magic.

Whale Shark: The Video

Whale Shark Sighting in Osaka from Glennia Campbell on Vimeo.

I don't think my description or half-photo of the Whale Shark did it justice.  Here's a little snippet of video of one of them, with other species looking on.

Taken at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

Osaka, Japan: Sharks, Soccer & Pokemon (or One Boy's Dream World)

Our final full day of our vacation, we met up again with our friends, the Watanabe family, for a day touring Osaka.  It was raining in the morning, so we opted for indoor activities, which led us to the Pokemon Center and the the fantastic Osaka Aquarium.  Later that night, we went to see the Gamba Osaka professional soccer team play at Osaka Stadium.  It was as if all of Alex's dreams came true in one day.

The Watanabes picked us up and drove us to the nearby Pokemon Center, which was not far from our hotel.  The place was jammed with parents and kids, and looked like a Pokemon lover's paradise. Pokemon snacks, toys, cards, t-shirts, and all forms of merchandising were on sale. Hisashi-san said that when something new is introduced, the line to get in goes outside and around the block.  It was quite a mob scene on just a regular day, so I was glad to miss that action.

We hopped into the Watanabe's spacious Toyota Minivan for our next destination:  The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.  Frank was particularly fascinated with the GPS system in the car, which included traffic information on the map.  If a road was congested, the map lit up in red and suggested alternate routes. He told Hisashi-san, "In ten years, we might have this, too."  The system also kept track of tolls and told you how much each toll crossing cost. 

It was cloudy and raining on and off, so Hisashi-san dropped us off in front of the Aquarium complex to go look for parking.  The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is part of a larger complex that includes a giant ferris wheel and the Suntory Museum.  The Suntory Museum is shaped like a giant rice bowl and is famous for its IMAX 3D theatre.  I didn't get a picture of it because we were busy trying to get out of the rain. The attractions are connected by a complex of shops and restaurants, and make for an interesting way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.  The giant ferris wheel did not seem to be working.  This was a good thing, since I think Frank would prefer being eaten by a whale shark then ever boarding a ferris wheel this big.

We made our way up the ramp toward the Aquarium, a huge, colorful building that looked like it was made out of Legos.  I wasn't too thrilled about seeing yet another Aquarium, but this is what Frank and Alex wanted to do, so I went along for the ride.  I was glad I did.

The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is one of the largest public aquariums in the world, and is unlike any other I have ever seen.  Living near the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are kind of spoiled, and no other aquarium we've visited has ever lived up to it. Until now. To say that Osaka knocked my socks off would be an understatement.

Kaiseki in Kyoto

After our jaunt to Kobe, we had just enough time to rest and clean up before traveling to Kyoto for a kaiseki dinner with our friends, the Watanabe family.  Frank has known the dad, Hisashi-san, for many years, and each time we visit Japan, we try to visit with them.  Their three kids are a little older than Alex, and are as fascinated with him as he is with them.  He asked about them repeatedly on the trip, and looked forward to seeing them again from the time we set sail in Tianjin.

We boarded a train heading for Kyoto, and the plan was to meet them at the Kyoto Train Station, near the main entrance.  We arrived early, so had some time to look around in the massive steel lobby, with the longest escalator I've ever seen in my life.  After poking into some Kyoto food specialty shops, we caught up with Hisashi-san.  He called his wife to find out where the rest of the family was, and found them in the sea of rush hour commuters emerging from the turnstiles.

Hisashi-san wanted to take us to a special dinner, so the whole gang followed him out of the station, down the street and around the block to a small, intimate restaurant.  The restaurant was called Iimura, and featured Kyo-Ryori style dinner. We walked down a narrow pathway adorned with ferns and bamboo plants to the entrance.  A woman in a traditional kimono led us to a private room with a low table, and tatami mats on the floor.  We removed our shoes outside the dining room, and sat on the floor on pillows.

Shortly after arriving, the rice paper door to our room slid open, and the woman in the kimono passed out hot towels to our group. I like the tradition of washing up with hot towels before a meal.  It's refreshing and easier than finding a restroom to wash your hands. 

After that, it seemed like an endless stream of small, delicate plates. This was Kyoto-style kaiseki, a time-honored traditional meal that Kyoto is particularly famous for. Kyo-ryori is a series of small, beautiful plates that reflect the season.  It has an artistic quality to it, and I can't think of anything in Western cuisine that is quite like it.  We had kaiseki at a ryokan (Japanese inn) years ago, but had never had it in Kyoto.

 

The first dish was a bright pink dish of shoe-string cut potatoes.  I have no idea where the pinkness came from, but it seemed to have some kind of fish roe mixed in with it.  It was cold, and had the appearance of French fries cooked by Hello Kitty.  It was cool and refreshing, without any particularly over-powering flavor.

Kobe, Japan: Where's the Beef?

Our last stop on Eclipse Cruise '09 was Kobe, Japan.  The ship was in port for 2 days, then heading back to Tianjin.  We decided that we needed to get back to work, so we disembarked in Kobe, and headed to Osaka for the weekend.  We landed in Kobe on Friday, July 24 and were scheduled to leave Osaka on Sunday.

As it turned out, about 200 people decided to disembark in Kobe, which surprised me a little.  We had to pay the same amount whether we stayed onboard the ship or got off four days early.  A number of people were taking overnight tours of Kyoto and Tokyo while they had the opportunity.

I was a little sad to leave our home-away-from home.  I'd gotten used to the ship, despite being cabin-bound during Alex's two days of seasickness.  On the other hand, I was looking forward to being in Japan again, and to visiting our friends who live outside Kyoto.

Arriving at Kobe, we were greeted by a brass band.  The Kobe City Fire Department Band was standing on the pier playing a variety of marches and traditional American songs.  A Japanese an waved flags in time to the music and waved to all the cruise passengers standing on the top deck, snapping pictures and enjoying the music and a beautiful day in Kobe.  It was a friendly welcome, and I had no idea that ships were met with such hospitality. 

I've Looked at Clouds from Both Sides Now

We spent a few days out at sea, both before and after the eclipse.  On those days, I would wake up before dawn because of the jetlag. Part of me was still on California time, and part on Japanese time, but mostly, I was confused. We tended to go to bed right after dinner, and at 4 am, my eyes would pop open and there was no turning back.  It was either toss and turn in bed for a few hours, or find something to do.  A few mornings, I waiting for the light to come creeping into the window around 5:00 am, got dressed, and went up to the top deck to look and photograph the clouds and sunrise.

I wasn't alone in this odd schedule.  Usually, there were a few other early birds up on deck, jogging or holding cameras waiting for the light to rise in the sky.  Most days, Frank was not far behind me, and the two of us would hang out and enjoy the morning calm, while Alex slept peacefully in the cabin.

I Went to the Total Solar Eclipse, and Didn't Even Get a Lousy T-Shirt

If you have been reading along the past week, you may be wondering whether we actually got to see the total eclipse or not.  As my dad used to say, "Get with it, girl!"

Why yes. Yes we did see the total eclipse. And it was grand.

The day before the eclipse, we were out at sea on the Costa Classica, and there was a rehearsal for the eclipse.  The organizers wanted to show everyone that there would be plenty of room on deck for everyone to fit their tripods and other gear to get a good view of the eclipse, which would be over our heads, so as long as you were out on the deck, you would be able to see it.  They warned people not to try to lay claim to a particular spot on the boat, and that eclipse day would be "first come, first serve" for spots.

This warning did not stop people from setting up their tripods in opportune spots, or leaving pleading notes not to remove particular deck chairs, or, as in the case of the group from MIT, roping off an entire section of the deck, pissing off the early morning joggers on the top deck.

Kagoshima, Japan: The Age of Aquariums

Landing in the Japanese port city of Kagoshima, we opted not to take one of the ship's excursions, and set out on our own.  From the guidebooks, it looked as though Kagoshima boasted a nice aquarium, but we couldn't quite figure out where it was on the map the ship provided. As it turned out, the Kagoshima City Aquarium (Suizoku-kan Ioworld) was quite far from the port, so we hopped in a taxi and found our way there without much trouble.

 

The Aquarium is fairly small, but features a large tank in the first room, with many different types of fish in it, similar to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I stopped at one of the small display tanks for quite a while, trying to cajole this cute horned fish into turning and smiling for the camera.  He finally obliged, giving it his best Mona Lisa impression.  I have no idea what kind of fish this is, since the display tag was all in Japanese.  Most of the fish are native to the waters around Japan, so even the fish are locals here.

Cheju Island: The Hawaii of Korea

On the second day of our Eclipse 09 Cruise, the weather cleared up, just in time for our excursion to Cheju (or Jeju) Island, Korea.  The ship docked at 8:00 am, and we were met by Korean drummers in colorful costumes, welcoming us to the island.  Aside from the eclipse, this excursion was the thing that I was most looking forward to on the trip.  My mother had told me many times about Cheju-do, and how Koreans go to this romantic island getaway as a "honeymoon paradise."  Of course, while we were there, I had to call her to rub it in that I was here and she was not.  I'm nice like that.

 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Cruise Ship in the Rain from Glennia Campbell on Vimeo.

After a pleasant, but rainy and smoggy, stay in Tianjin, China, we were finally able to board the Costa Classica cruise ship to see the total solar eclipse in the Pacific.  The ship was nice and well-appointed, but it was no Sinfonia.  I think our experiences at the 2006 solar eclipse in Libya have pretty much ruined cruises for me forever, since I'm not sure that any other experience could quite live up to that.  I had high hopes for the Costa Classica, though, since it's part of the same ownership as the MSC Crociere Sinfonia that we took in the Mediterranean in 2006.