Whoa, Nelly!

I just calculated how much gas is costing me in Japan. Gas is currently 153 yen per liter at my local gas station. After several conversions and some calculating, that menas that gas costs me $5.07 US dollars per gallon! And I often drive between 1 and 2 hours a day! Oh, the humanity!

Dear friends and family in the US, please think of me paying over $5 per gallon when you feel the urge to complain about gas prices!

My excitement about India is building!
In March 2008 I will lead a Habitat for Humanity Global Village team to volunteer near Pondicherry, India. This will be my second time as a team leader, and my third Global Village trip.
I just found an absolutely beautiful collection of photos from another team who volunteered in the same area earlier this year. Please check it out here!

It's hard to believe that I'm going to India finally, and that I will be blessed with another life-changing GV volunteer experience!

I never could have imagined, even a few years ago, that...
I would be living in Japan,
in a relationship with a man I love,
lucky enough to do international volunteer work,
feeling so blessed by God.

Thanksgiving has passed, but I am truly thankful.

There's a cold, cold rain falling on my little village today. Brrrrrr.
I rushed into school without my customary down coat, because I was running late this morning. I soon found out that I didn't have to give a listening test until 2nd period. So, I sat at my desk, only to discover that long johns, corduroy pants, an undershirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and a long, wool sweater coat, and a wool scarf aren't enough to stay warm inside the school today! So I had to run back into the rain to get my long, down coat that I love so much. Now I am feeling much better.

It's my birthday eve!
I know that's not a real thing, but I am starting to get into the birthday spirit after a long week!
I weaseled my way out of school early today and headed to the decent grocery store, a twenty minute drive away.
After that I got my dishes done, started a load of laundry, and now I plan on watching lots of TV, drinking some hard-to-get Belgian lambic (fruit ale=yummmmmmy!), and making zucchini bread and chicken chowder.
Stan will be over soon. Looks like a great birthday eve!
Tomorrow morning I am planning on opening my birthday present from Lindsay, only going to work for a half day, and then I'll have my yakiniku and karaoke party in the evening! Yay, birthdays!

美人薄命/Bijin Hakumei


I learned a new saying yesterday, when I was talking to some teachers at one of my elementary schools, and trying to explain what a sinus infection is, without knowing the word. One of my teachers said "Bijin Hakumei" (美人薄命), and then explained it as meaning that beautiful women are frail. I laughed and denied the beautiful part, but then she said that she and I suffered together, so we both laughed more.
A beautiful woman is called "bijin" ( 美人)in Japanese. It's kind of weird to call someone a "beauty" in English, but it's not odd in Japanese. One of my town's catch phrases is even "Bijin no machi" (美人の町), which means a town of beauties.
But I digress. Sayings like "Bijin hakumei" are called "yojijukugo", or 4-character idioms. I always like learning them, because they are made up of only 4 kanji, but they carry a lot of meaning. It would be hard to express as much in such a compact way in English. You can read a few more "yojijukugo"
here.

Thanksgiving is coming!
Although I'm in Japan, where American Thanksgiving obviously doesn't exist, Lauren and I are planning a night of pumpkin pie, turkey and other delicious treats with our friends! I can't wait!

I always spent Thanksgiving with my family growing up, but I haven't had a chance (or the motivation) to celebrate it in Japan before now. I'm looking forward to that stuffed feeling with no American football racket in the background!

Every year I remember the excitement of my younger cousins when my brother and I would arrive at grandma's house, and feeling amazed at how much food one family could produce. Without fail, my grandma Marcia would serve cottage cheese, and chastize us for not eating enough of it. As much as I love, cottage cheese, I never understood the point of it at a dinner with so many yummy, homemade foods!

I wish I could see my grandma Marcia this year, but she passed away several years ago. I suppose Thanksgiving will be the perfect time to think about all the wonderful times I had with her, and to be thankful for the memories.

I have become crochet obsessed again! I used to crochet a lot in the US, but then I took about a year off here in Japan. Now my hooks are on fire again!

Organizing the monthly Mie Stitch 'n Bitch with Molly and Lauren inspired me to pick up my hooks and yarn again. I spent two weeks on Stan's couch with my injured foot propped up, my lap full of yarn, and my hands speeding through project after project! Now I even crochet at work sometimes! You may be gasping, but you haven't seen how dull my workdays usually are.

Since I've been lazy about finishing this post, I have completed several more projects. But for now, check out these pictures...


A mohair, Diamond Mesh scarf.


Kind of geometric...


A crazy, flower power type scarf.


For a certain baby boy.


My tickled pink scarf.

O, crochet. I love you crochet, do you know that? Of course you do!

Food, Glorious Foooooood!


Please enjoy some pictures of yummy food that I have cooked, taken pictures of, and then been too lazy to write about over the past couple of months!


Afghan-style fried eggplant with tomato-mint sauce and yogurt. This was soooo amazingly delectable!


Chinese-style tofu and vegetables with black bean sauce.


Fried eggplant and chicken with Indonesian-style tomato and chili sauce. This sauce was really tasty, and it worked well with eggs the next morning!

You might be asking yourself, "Where did Megan disappear to for a month?" I disappeared to Stan's house. You see, I tore ligaments in my foot at a soccer tournament, and I ended up in a cast for two weeks. Wow! I never knew how difficult it was to have a cast! I was wobbly on my crutches, the stairs leading to my second floor apartment almost killed me, and I couldn't drive or shop on my own!

Then there was the matter of work...

All my schools have two flights of stairs in between floors, and all my classes are on the second and third floors. This posed a problem. I was not supposed to put any weight on my right foot, but I couldn't get up stairs without using my right foot. Then there was the matter of squat toilets, which my schools also have, and which I couldn't use. I tried to go to school, but the teacher I worked with refused to move our classes to a classroom I could reach, so I sat at my desk and wiped away tears of frustration. Then my boss let me go home...for two weeks! It was very kind of my Board of Education to let me convalesce like that, and pretty much necessary. As soon as I got the OK to stay home, I actually had Stan pick me up and I went to his home, which feels like home to me, too. Stan's house has zero flights of stairs, a spacious shower area where I could sit on a stool, and a super-duper boyfriend who cooked for me and did my laundry! I love Stan's house!

So, are you wondering what I did at Stan's house for two weeks? I have two words for you: TV and crochet. I had recently rekindled my love affair with crochet, and those two weeks gave me a chance to go crochet crazy!!! I would sit on the couch, with my foot propped up on pillows, watching downloaded American TV shows and crocheting for about 8 to 12 hours a day. It was crazy. It was awesome!

I took advantage of my inability to go most places and just kind of "dropped out" for awhile. I didn't write a lot of emails. I didn't post in my blog. I just let myself disappear from my overly busy life. I loved it.

In case you're wondering, my foot has been healing well, because I stayed off of it. It is now taped up tightly and encased in a brace. Walking and standing for too long hurts, but I am on the road back to normal foot usage!

Tastes like Hamburger

Today I was talking to my students about summer vacation in the US. They were all amazed by the length of it (as am I, now that I think about it), and the fact that some students do part-time work.

Somehow, the Q and A veered away from summer vacation, and into asking Megan Sensei personal questions territory. I didn't really mind, because at least they were paying attention!

My most hilarious and devious student, Ryoichiro, asked me (in Japanese), what my first kiss tasted like. It was a bit of a devilish question, but I thought about it and gave him a fairly honest answer. I said that it tasted like hamburger! Of course, everyone laughed, and then they asked, "Why?"

Mr. Kentaro (the English teacher) said something about differences in countries, and then it occured to Ryoichiro that a Japanese first kiss probably tastes like rice! We all laughed even more. My eyes were even tearing up.

As hilarious as it was, I think Ryoichiro was right. A Japanese first kiss would most likely taste like rice (or fish)!

By the way, I remember my first boyfriend usually tasted like Taco Bell when I kissed him, but my students don't know what Taco Bell is!

I understand exactly what my seventh grade student, Kouta is talking about.

"I play computer. I don't play homework. I sutudy English. I don't love Monday!!"

I also play computer (and DS). I definitely don't play homework. Could reading books be considered "sutudy English"? And I most certainly don't love Mondays, either!

Ahhh, international communication.

Stan and I are off to Wakayama prefecture tomorrow! We are staying at Urashima Hotel for 4 days. I can't wait! We have been so overly busy lately, that both of us are wild about the idea of laying in bed, swimming, soaking in cave onsens, watching downloaded TV shows, and playing video games. In other words, we can't wait to do a whole lot of nothing!
We love hanging out with our friends, but lately there have been so many goodbye and welcome parties, along with the Mie orientation, where we both worked. It's just been too much! Living in a very rural prefecture like Mie, where all the JETs are stretched out over a big distance, and a zero tolerance drinking and driving law means that going to a party often involves a lot of logistical planning, expensive cab rides and/or sleeping on people's floors. Sometimes going to a party turns into a big hassle!

Anyways, enough of that! We're off tomorrow, and I can't wait.

I got a great haircut yesterday. It's so great that my hair is singing "Hallelujah!"
You see, I hadn't had a hair cut in 9 months. It's not that I suddenly decided to grow my hair out to half way down my back, although that's what happened. I just kept putting it off, because I didn't want to spend the money. Let me tell you though, this haircut was money well spent! I felt cute and put together afterwards. I can't wait to go out with my hair doing something other than hanging in a ponytail!
I went to the salon with Molly, which was also fun. Molly seemed stressed out by the hairspray in her hair after the cut, but her hair looks great!
Yay, friends! Yay, good haircuts!

Sayonaras are sad- Part 2

Here are more pictures from Mie's Deep South Goodbye Party,　where I said goodbye to a lot of great friends!

Allison, Lauren, and I.

Lauren's still around (thank heavens!), but I had to say goodbye to Allison. I remember getting to know her better about a year ago at the JET recontracting conference, and then at the 2006 Sayonara Party. As we were talking and joking, I remember thinking, this girl is really fucking cool. My impression was totally right on, and I'll miss Mie's southernmost "deep south girl". I'm still kind of crossing my fingers that she'll be back!

Emily, Yamamoto, and Kara

Emily has left, but only temporarily. She's coming back to Japan to teach in Shiga. This will give Stan and I a great excuse to visit Shiga, and enjoy Subway and Starbucks with our favorite Georgia Peach.

Me and Jonathan

O, Jonathan! Why'd you have to leave?? Another year in Kii Nagashima may have been just what the doctor ordered!
I'll miss Jonathan a lot. I remember when I first met him two years ago, I thought that he looked too much like a pop star to be my friend. It turns out that his cool LA exterior hid a heart of gold. I'll miss our bitching sessions at the various fine establishments in Kii Nagashima. He's another one who I'm expecting to make his way back to Japan before long!

Me, Katie, and Marisa

Marisa's Japanese is amazing, as is her ability to replicate Japanese anime theme songs at karaoke! I hope she'll be happy back in Chicago!
My dear, dear Katie. I'll miss her so much! Katie is one of the kindest people I have ever met. She's one of those people whom make you feel all warm and fuzzy when you're around them...and the girl was always up for karaoke!! I was so happy that she joined the Habitat for Humanity team this year! I still giggle when I think how Katie would say "Thanks, love" even while passing heavy Philippino bricks!

Melissa and I

O, Spooner (aka Melissa)! She's not leaving, but I like this picture of us. Spooner's neurotic quirks, her willigness to drive 3 hours for a party, and her work ethic in the Philippines have endeared her to me.　She's always welcome to a futon at Stan's house!

Delicious kiwi chuhai

I had never had a "nama" fruit chuhai before. Nama means raw in Japanese, so you get a piece of fruit which you juice into your drink. Wow! It takes chuhais to a while new level! I highly recommend it.

Fumiko and Jonathan. A match made in heaven?!

After dinner we moved the party to a small karaoke snack bar called Fumiko's. Fumiko was an absolutely hilarious host. She sang along a lot and clapped her hands,　and the woman was absolutely IN LOVE with Jonathan! She kept yelling "KAWAII" in her husky, too many chuhais and cigarettes, voice. As soon as she got a chance to hug him,　she wrapped her arms around him and looked like she was in ecstasy.

I got involved with a project called "Blogging by Mail" recently. I sent a package of some of my favorite things to
Rachel, and I received a package of favorite things from Jen!
Thank you so much, Jen! Your package exceeded any expectations I had!


My AMAZING package from Jen


I got delicious teas, flavored sugar and salt, an adorable strawberry stamp (which I will use in my classes),　boston baked beans, scented candles, Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap (I love that stuff!), a Ray Bradbury book, dried lavender, FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES, and more!!!!
It was such a great combination, and her box contained so many things that I am excited about. I had a big smile on my face as soon as I opened it!

Jen's website, , has lots of delicious recipes on it, so I tried one out last week. I made Lemon Blueberry granita. It was my first time eating or making granita, and it was delicious! Mine turned out a bit too sweet, because I couldn't find 100% blueberry juice, but I adjusted it by adding a bit more lemon juice. I highly recommend trying this out. It's so easy!


Lemon Blueberry Granita

If you're interested in checking out Blogging By Mail next year, go to The Happy Sorceress!
Happy blogging!!

Thank you, Vanessa! Another one of your delicious "Vanesscipes" has made my tummy happy as can be!
I decided that it was Stan's turn to cook for me on Friday, and I pointed him in the direction of two great looking recipes: Corn Pudding with Roasted Tomatoes.
The pudding reminded Stan of fresh creamed corn. We both agreed that it was sweet, creamy and delicious. The tomatoes were tart and flavorful. When you put the tomatoes on top of the pudding and ate them together, they were wonderful!!!
We also had sandwiches, but I didn't get a decent picture!




And here's the adorable chef...

Look closely at this picture. There is a small area between the sink and the stove that Stan's thin body is blocking. That sliver of space is the entirety of Stan's counter space! It's just over a foot wide! He lives in an average-sized Japanese house, and has approximately one foot of counter space. How can you cook for one or two people with that much counter space, let alone a whole family! Oh,　how I hate　Japanese kitchens!!!!!

Sayonaras are sad.

It's that time of year in a JETs life, when half their friends move away!
Yuck! Last year I only had one close friend leaving, but now there are so many.
The above picture is from the "Deep South" Sayonara Party, i.e. Mie's Deep South.

There's a typhoon hitting Japan this weekend, which means that all my plans have been cancelled...and I couldn't be happier (about the staying home part)!
There have been evacuations and injuries in Kyushu. While the typhoon will be passing through Mie, it looks like I'm not in any immediate danger.

I have been sitting around with Stan all weekend. And it's a long weekend in Japan, which means that I've got two more days of this heaven left!

We went shopping on Friday night and then did a little supplementary shopping today.
Poor Stan's fridge just can't handle groceries for more than two days. It's pitiful and tiny and we both hate it. Thank God we only have to feed ourselves!


All of you out there with full-sized fridges, count your blessings!

But back to the real story...
I found tortillas at a foreign food store this week, so last night was "Mini Burrito Night"!!!!!!!! Mini burritos may sound like nothing special to you, but I haven't been able to find tortillas in months! They were sooooo good. We were deliriously happy and full!

This morning Stan made me whole wheat, banana-chocolate pancakes. Good man!
For lunch he made me toasted sandwiches. Another good move!
For dinner I made our new favorite comfort food, Kimchi Yakisoba!

In between all this stuffing my face, I have been enjoying citrus white wine spritzers and watching downloaded TV programs! I downloaded the whole second season of "Top Chef", and Stan and I have been having a "Top Chef" marathon! I've also been catching up on "Men in Trees".

I'm looking forward to another heavenly, lazy day tomorrow! I hope your weekend is as great as mine!

I made a killer dinner for Stan and I last week.
I have been trying to spend less time sweating over the stove, because it's been so hot in Japan. So, we had salad and sandwiches. I can't seem to resist torturing myself with that stove, so there was a small amount of broiling involved!

Our sandwiches had basil mayonnaise, which I made with mayo, fresh basil, lemon juice and salt and pepper; fresh mozzarella; some melted Japanese "mix cheese", fresh, sliced tomatoes; sauteed onions; broiled asparagus and broiled red peppers (not shown in photo). These sandwiches were SO good! Stan loved the mayonnaise so much that he wanted to dip bread in it. My mouth is watering just remembering it! I also made one of these sandwiches to take in my bento for the next day. The only slight problem was that the asparagus was hard to bite, so I might cut it into smaller pieces next time!

The sandwich


I decided to get creative with the salad, and use some of the Japanese ingredients that are readily available here. Let me see if I can remember what I put in it...
I used mizuna, some Korean greens (forgot the name), sliced cucumbers, shredded daikon, shredded carrots, a block of fried tofu cut into small pieces, and boiled peanuts. We used Japanese sesame dressing on top. It was an awesome salad! The boiled peanuts were soooo good. I bought some a few days later and just ate them for a snack. Even Stan, who isn't usually crazy about salads, ate a big bowl! Success!

The salad

Tofu kimchi Yakisoba

I made a super yummy dinner for Stan and I tonight!
We had Tofu Kimchi Yakisoba and shredded carrot salad. Yakisoba is Japanese fried noodles. I got the recipes out of "Juugofun de gohan" (Meals in 15 minutes). The original yakisoba recipe called for pork, but I substituted tofu and added in gochujang, because I wanted something spicy! Check it out!


Shredded Carrot Salad (Ninjin sarada)
1 carrot
1 Tbs vegetable or olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of rice vinegar
1 Tsp of Japanese mustard
Sugar, salt, black pepper to taste

Shred the carrots using a slicer. Try to make the pieces 3-4cm long.
Mix the other ingredients into a dressing. Then toss the carrot in the dressing. Voila!

Tofu Kimchi Yakisoba
2 servings of yakisoba style noodles (These usually come precooked in plastic bags.)
1 package of age tofu (fried tofu)
150 grams of bean sprouts
50 grams of nira (garlic chives/Chinese chives/Chinese leeks)
80 grams of cabbage kimchi
1 Tsp of sesame oil
1 Tbs of soy sauce
1 Tbs of olive oil
gochujang to taste

Wash the bean sprouts using a sieve and a bowl of water.
Cut the nira into 4cm pieces. Cut the kimchi into approximately 1~1.5 cm pieces.
Cut the tofu into cubes.
Sautee the tofu and a spoonful of gochujang over medium heat for about 3~5 minutes.
Add the sesame oil, bean sprouts, and kimchi. Sautee ingredients over medium heat for 2~4 minutes. Add the noodles and stir.
Add the nira and sautee for just a couple of minutes more. At any point, add more gochujang for taste. Eat and enjoy!