2011, Shrines, Mochi, Style, e-reader

Welcome 2011!

Well, on the first of January, year 2011, I am taking the day to chill out and catch up.  It looks like a bomb exploded in my closet and sent my clothes flying around my room.  Various adventures this week have left me wanting some quiet time at home just to sit and reflect.  Instead of "spring cleaning" like we have in America, in Japan they do New Year's cleaning.  If it weren't so cold, I'd agree that it makes sense to reorganize and clean up your life to start the new year out on the right foot!

So far, I have come up with a few new year's resolutions.  Here they are!

1) Answer all e-mails and letters within one week of receiving them.

2) Be more productive in my free-time by utilizing time management skills, and focusing on one task at a time.

3) Take more/full advantage of language tools while living in Japan, for example television, Japanese films, magazines, and daily life conversations outside.

I don't have many photos, but yesterday (December 31st) we went on a mini Kofu pilgrimage.  There is a road that runs through the back streets of Kofu on the north side, and it takes you to 52 different temples, shrines, and other important sites.  We only hit a handful of them, but it was still fun to do this.  At first, we were paranoid that we were doing something wrong.  A Japanese teenager who looked like he was helping set up at one shrine, followed us to another one nearby.  Then a police car seemed to be following us.  It turned out we were doing nothing wrong, and these two events were just coincidences. Most Japanese people go to the shrines on January first, so we were just getting a head start.  My camera battery died, so I only got a few but I'll try to post some more later.

Also, on the 30th we got to make "mochi" at one of my coworker's home.  She and her family are among the few that still make their own mochi for New Years, so it was fun to go and experience this!  I don't have pictures of this either, but hopefully I can get them soon.

New Years Traditions in Japan (Wiki) - Click this site to learn more about "mochi" and Japanese traditions on new years.

(Above) Making it looked something like this.  Take special steamed sticky rice and dump it into this large  mortar.  Then the men pound the sticky rice while the women flip it, and then roll it into a desired shape.  The rice was still steaming the whole time, so dipping the pounder and your hands into cold water helped the process.

We went to the internet cafe across the street, simply to say that we had experienced it, and I searched through some magazines while we were there.  Here are a few pictures of fashion and home design that I thought were neat.

 And from this point down, are the photos I was able to get from the shrine adventure.

"Yamasuso, Inishie no Michi" = foothills, the road of antiquity, aka the ancient road?

This was a garden in someone's backyard that I someday hope to be able to replicate.  It was so green despite the cold!  Such a garden in December?  Up in the mountains?  What is their secret?

On an unrelated note, I'm currently reading the book Eat, Pray, Love.  I think it's good, and hope to watch the film once I finish the book.

On another unrelated note, I'm thinking about purchasing a Kindle or a Nook with my Christmas gift money!  Why not put it to use other than paying bills...  Do you, or any of your friends have either of these devices and do they advise or suggest one over the other?  I'm interested in hearing your advice or comments on either of them.  Thank you!

Love and Peace.

-Lana