In the same sense that cold, blustery winter nights call for hot cocoa and a book where I'm from, or warm akazake (sweet rice "wine") in Japan, the wet, humid monsoon season from late June to mid-September in Mumbai calls for hot tea, in particular a spicy chai with a classic Bollywood movie playing in... Continue Reading →
Letting it all out, that one stereotype about India
Backstory, when I was 17 I made the mistake of eating actual food--not ice cream--at the local DQ. Cue 12 + hours cursing myself for being so stupid as I hugged the toilet of a friend's parents' bathroom. From then on, every year, sometimes multiple times a year, I spend hours getting to know the... Continue Reading →
The Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO): Mumbai Style
Within two weeks after arriving in Mumbai foreigners are required to visit the FRRO office located in Fort. We were advised by my husband's company to get there at least 15 minutes before the 9:30 opening time or spend all day waiting. Our scheduled day turned out to be the quintessential monsoon day--step outside for... Continue Reading →
The first hospital visit in India
A few short days after arriving I figured it'd be a prudent idea to scope out the recommended local hospital, Breach Candy, to be prepared for any emergencies, but also because I never got around to doing my Hepatitis vaccinations before moving over here. I called and inquired about making an appointment, which I was... Continue Reading →
Mumbai, India–First Impressions
Move over, India, we have arrived. But, actually no one is going to move unless you honk at them. I think that is my first impression of India--if you are not proficient in the language of honking, do not even attempt to drive here. Seriously, there is a language, lonnnng honks, short beep beeps--their nuanced... Continue Reading →
Japan’s best vending machine: The King’s Treasure Box
Update on the last three weeks of our lives: Movers came and packed up all of our precious memories and shipped half off to India. The rest are stored...somewhere. I signed a lot of papers that day, and I'm still not exactly sure where everything is. We've been living in a hotel for three weeks,... Continue Reading →
One thing I will not miss about Japan: Toilet Humor
Ok, folks, this is going to be a quickie because I'm swamped with freelance projects and moving prep (movers come this weekend--eek!). I met some mothers at the park today that also play at our local jidoukan, public play center? is maybe how to explain that one. Anyway, it had been a few months since meeting... Continue Reading →
Planning a wedding in Japan
This post has been 5 years in the making. My hubs and I threw our wedding in October of 2012. But, it was an experience that will remain etched in my mind forever. It became very, very clear to me from the moment we announced our engagement that our wedding was not for us--it was... Continue Reading →
We tried every Kracie Japanese DIY confectionery kit
A few posts back I wrote about Tanoshii Osushiya-san, a Japanese sweets kit that allows you to make grape flavored, sushi shaped jello by Kracie. My sidekick and I enjoyed it so much, that we tried every one of the Popin Cookin/Happy Kitchen kits--8 in all. 1. Following sushi, we tried: 2. Donuts! This was... Continue Reading →
Mother’s Day in Japan changed the way I feel about holidays
Tomorrow will mark my third Mother's Day in Japan. I won't get a Mother's Day brunch or flowers from my hubs. At most, I'll sit my sidekick down and together we'll make me a card. That's because Mother's Day in Japan is strictly for celebrating your own mother, not the mother of your children. I'll... Continue Reading →