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      • Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign
        07/31/07

      • You Want Fries With That?
        07/30/07


        This is in Mizusawa, a small town south of Kitakami. And no, we didn't stop here for lunch.

      • The Coolest Lawn Mower Ever
        07/29/07


        When I was a kid running a lawn-mowing business, I always thought a radio-controlled lawn mower would be cool. It turns out, I was right.

      • What Are You Doing Here?
        07/28/07
        This is one of the questions Matthew and I, and probably every other gaijin here, frequently get asked. In our experience, it is never followed by "la dee dah, dee dee dah."

        There are enough English schools in Kitakami that foreign teachers come and go with some regularity, so

      • Found My Thrill
        07/26/07
        Nothing says summer like blueberries. Unique to Japan, that means a big katakana banner heralding the aforementioned fruit.



        My language partner and I visited Kitakami's blueberry farm this morning, accompanied by her daughter and a friend. I think this was a first exp

      • Substance Over Style
        07/24/07
        It's official: Every Davis is a resident of Kitakami-shi, Iwate-ken, Japan. Yesterday, we took Moki and Aki's importation paperwork to the city office and registered them with the city. They're now rocking their Japanese dog tags, written in kanji, and feeling very pleased with the

      • Adventures in Puddingmaking
        07/21/07
        We were invited to a potluck this evening, which in my old world would translate into the production of baked goods. As you've all heard or read, however, we now live an oven-free life. Our cooking is limited to whatever we can make on a cooking unit composed of two gas burners and a small br

      • Hole in the Wall
        07/20/07
        Things to soothe a soul on a gray, rainy, depressing day: an oolong highball, a friendly face, and a new dining venue.

        Last weekend, while walking the dogs, Matthew and I noticed the telltale red lantern of a restaurant on the side of a building just slightly out of our normal everyday

      • Another Sunset
        07/18/07


        Why? Because I like sunsets, okay?

      • The Pied Mokers
        07/17/07
        Moki and Aki are both tired and ready for a nap after their walk this morning. Why? Because it's hard out here for a 'keeter.

        Near our house, there's a park along the Waga River where we frequently walk them. This morning, two groups of schoolchildren were visiting the p

      • Just Happy
        07/16/07


        Sometimes, it's just good to be alive.

        Typhoon Number 4 headed out to sea last night, so instead of the heavy rain predicted all day, we got partly cloudy skies, moderate temperatures, and a cool breeze. A major earthquake rattled Niigata, but we didn't feel it he

      • Cupcake Withdrawal
        07/15/07
        I want a cupcake.

        Not a crappy Hostess cupcake. A nice, dense, buttercream-frosted American cupcake. You can't find those in Kitakami.

        Good sweets aren't hard to find here. There are no fewer than six European-style bakeries in town, turning out delicious cheesecak

      • Iron Chef Kitakami
        07/13/07
        Many people in Japan have vegetable gardens in their yards. One of our neighbors sometimes shares produce from hers with us -- young snap peas, a summer spinach-like thing. Yesterday, she gave us a bunch of Japanese cucumbers, which have a smaller diameter and fewer seeds than American cucumbers.

      • Dog Days of Summer Already?
        07/12/07


        It's supposed to be rainy season, and although we've gotten some rain, we've also had some hot days. With high humidity and no air conditioner, it can be quite stifling. A second-hand fan helps - except when the dog is hogging it, of course.

        In other news, tod

      • The Things We Do for Love
        07/11/07
        1) Begin life together. Adopt and raise very cute Akita puppy.
        2) Cheer for law-school-in-Washington-applying wife, even though acceptance would mean leaving family, new home, great job, and awesome friends.
        3) Move to Washington, bringing Akita dog along. Mourn loss of very cute, but

      • Densha Otaku
        07/10/07


        Okay, this isn't a densha (electric train), it's a diesel. But that's okay, I'm not an otaku (rabid fanboy), either. But I did finally get some track and a controller, so now I can run the handful of (Japanese) trains I brought with me to Japan.

      • Ad Space Here!
        07/10/07
        Having lived in Japan for a little over a month now, I've been exposed to plenty of advertising. But not on TV. We don't watch TV. Ever. Especially not NHK. So NHK, you can stop sending your guy around to collect for monthly usage now, daijoubu?

        Anyhoo, advertising. We don

      • Best. Field Trip. Ever.
        07/09/07
        Last week, our friend Puller stayed with us for a few days post-dog transport. Because she has an interest in oni, Japanese folklore creatures similar to demons or ogres, we decided to make a trip to Kitakami's Oni Museum. The Museum is located about eight kilometres (yes, we now measure in g

      • Perfect Sunday Morning
        07/07/07
        It's a beautiful, sunny summer day here. The four of us just returned from a long Sunday morning walk to Interz for our weekly fix. Interz is a groovy little independent coffee shop where they roast your coffee while you wait. The owners, a husband and wife, greeted us and the dogs enthusias

      • The View from the Passenger Seat
        07/06/07
        As anyone who knows me can attest to, I'm the sort of person who likes to be in control. And I love to drive. Unfortunately, my international driving permit was left over from our vacation in Japan last year and expired in May. I haven't gotten a Japanese driver's license yet, so f

      • Steam on the Kitakami Line
        07/02/07
        The D51 steam locomotive was by far the most common in Japan, with more than one thousand built between 1936 and 1945. As such it is well known and well loved - even by people without any particular interest in trains.

        D51 498, which has been restored and is used by JR East for many spec

      • On a Mission for Dog(s)
        07/02/07
        If there's one thing Matthew and I love, it's a good road trip. Road tripping in Japan is no exception. Driving on the opposite side of the road did not take as much adjustment as I anticipated, although much like I did last year, Matthew might beg to differ.

        Prior to leaving,

      • Snack Time!
        07/01/07


        The flavor of Tohoku - it's Hello Kitty nattou crackers. Yum!

      • Reunited, and it Feels So Good
        07/01/07
        Thanks to a thunderstorm, Washington was a perfectly acceptable 73 degrees on Friday, well below the 85 degree no-fly threshold. Puller and the dogs arrived yesterday afternoon with only minor incident. We and the dogs stayed in Chiba last night and arrived back in Kitakami early this evening. Ph

    • June