Happy Fun Time with Small Ikea Projects.

Even though our closest Ikea is only about 14 miles away it takes an hour to drive there if traffic is moving well.  Our first visit was on a Friday afternoon late last summer shortly after we moved here and it was packed.  When I decided return this past Wednesday I chose to go by myself and arrived just after their 10 am opening, carefully backing in to my parking space.

Previously we had parked front end first as we are used to in the US.  We were the only vehicle there parked like that.  Most drivers in Japan seem to back-in park.  I assume it is due to the population density and the number of people always walking and riding bikes.  It is safer to back in to a parking space where people are unlikely to be than to back out of that space where people are guaranteed to be.  Then when you leave, facing outward, you can easily see anyone moving.  I am grateful for our small car because backing in a right-side drive vehicle takes some a lot of practice after operating as a left-side driver for twenty years.

The number of shoppers this time seemed similar to what I am familiar with in the States so I was able to take my time following the path around the store.  I worked comfortably off my prepared list and found most of what I was looking for.  

Top priority on my list was the Bekvam step stool for our bathroom; I looked for it on our previous trip but it was sold out.  Various hygiene tasks are simpler to perform while sitting, such as clipping your nails.  The toilet lid is generally the default location to sit in a bathroom.  The plastic lid on our industrial/commercial commode, however, is too flexible and bends inward with any weight.  This leaves the bathtub edge to sit on which is not comfortable in the least.

Hence, the step stool.  Not only is it versatile enough for use an almost any room, at ¥1533 (~$15) it was one of the most inexpensive options.  

I chose the natural wood and stained the pieces outside a couple days ago with two coats of the Behandla glazing paint.  I put it together yesterday and am impressed with its solidity, not a creak or wobble at all, and it fits perfectly under the sink.

The shelves pictured here on the left are a future project.  I picked up the set for $5 but one of them must be cured of it's unfortunate white sponge paint.  I am considering whether to paint both or just the one, and what type of paint to use over the laminate surface.

The black Kassett magazine files are new also.  I have other pieces in the series and these were on my list.

Using the same Ikea glaze I stained these two small unfinished cigar boxes I picked up at our local thrift store for 75¢ each.  They had some cutesy decoration things glued on the tops that I gently, but easily, pried off.  Then I sanded off the glue residue.

You can also see here some of the Kassett series boxes bought previously that are no longer available.  I use them for storing medium sized photo prints and albums.

The remaining Ikea items I bought are photo frames.  I carefully measured the sizes I needed and researched the metric equivalent to find the appropriate sizes for my needs.  

We have a window at the top of our stairs with blank walls on either side demanding art.  Because the light is usually dim in this hallway I wanted some large but simple photographs to hang there.  I waited (and waited) until Mpix ran a sale and ordered 20 inch square prints of two macro photos I took this past spring.  The Nyttja frames are 50 cm square, about half an inch off, but since they are upstairs I can alter the framing just a bit and it won't be as noticeable.  We shall see how it works out when the prints arrive.

Finally, My Chair.

One rainy evening in Washington State my husband and I went out together for dinner and a movie.  The restaurant was adjacent to the theater on one end and a furniture store was at the other.  On a whim we decided to visit the Recliner Land and look at their selection of sofas.  Having only been married a couple years we still had his old futon in the living room as our primary seating.  We basically knew the style we wanted, a mutually acceptable black leather sofa with three seats and nap-worthy without being obnoxiously over-stuffed.  We found it, rather easily, and within a half hour we purchased it and scheduled delivery.

We still use and dearly love our sofa, with its dual recliners and soft leather, and it has survived two moves with minimal damage (the thing is beastly heavy and awkward).  Yet often when I sit back on that sofa and rest my head I think about the chair that got away.  Yes, the ladies'-size, straight-back reclining chair tautly covered in a smooth, rich, red leather that I fell in love with at the Recliner Land. (Similar to this.)  At the time, our apartment was too small for any additional furniture so I had to walk away.  But I have not forgotten.

Finally now we have a living room large enough for a television viewing area with the sofa and a sitting area for armchairs, so I made sure to request a chair when selecting our temporary furniture.  Unfortunately, I quickly discovered the armchair was incredibly uncomfortable and unsuitable for curling up with a book.  So shortly after we settled in I began a low-level search for an armchair, not actively looking but paying attention.

Last week, while planning some free or cheap local activities, I decided to go back to the Yamato station area and browse a craft store I had come across last summer.  When Google mapping my route I saw a little star on the map, without a description, that I did not remember placing.  I figured it was some place I read about and wanted to check out, so I added it to my itinerary.  Boy, was I ever happy I did.

It turned out that little gold star was Smile Company, a three-story recycle shop, the largest second-hand store I have found here so far.  I slowly looked around the first floor, with clothing and accessories; then the second floor, with housewares and electronics; and finally the third floor, with furniture.  At the far end of the large room, among tightly-packed rows of chairs, I found my armchair.

Everything about this chair was perfect, the (surprisingly neutral) versatile teal leather, the low arm rests, deep seat, and a style resembling mid-century modern but with softer lines.  It is almost timeless and can safely be placed the styles of many past decades without strictly adhering to one.  On top of all this the price was unbeatable, ¥4800 less 10% because of a sale.  That works out to be about $42.  Wow!  I had to have it.

Since I was travelling on foot that Monday I planned on returning the following morning with our car hoping the chair would fit.  I had not measured it at the store so I prepared best I could and measured the hatch opening at the back of the car.  At one meter wide inside I had hopes of it fitting but realistically knew it was doubtful because the opening itself was not that wide and or tall.

The drive to Smile Company on Tuesday morning was a bit stressful -- I do not drive on local Japanese roads very often and especially not very far.  The transit system here is incredible and I love it, why drive?  Using Google navigation I arrived successfully in about 40 minutes and as soon as the doors opened at 10:30 I was skipping up those steps, yen in hand, for my chair.  It was still there!  I found a store employee nearby to help me.  He spoke very little English, matching my extremely limited Japanese, but with photos on my phone and metric measurements written down we concluded that the chair would not fit.  I was sad but still hopeful that I could find someone with a bigger vehicle to help me.  So I left the store with a few small items I had seen the previous day and crossed my fingers on the ride home.

By evening it was obvious that I, alone, would have to accomplish the mission and I was motivated.  I scheduled a rental van for the following morning for two hours at $10 an hour with no fuel charge.  The timing was tight, no doubt.  I arrived on Wednesday morning to pick up the van a little ahead of my scheduled time so I could take advantage of every minute.  First off, I measured and took a photo of the rear opening of the van.

Oh, it was going to fit all right but was I ever nervous about driving a van on the tiny roads in Japan.  I have driven large vehicles before, full-size vans and moving trucks included, but on wide roads in the States.  Local roads here are entirely different and don't forget that in Japan the driver's seat is on the right and we use the left side of the road.  But I figured if other people could do it, I certainly could too, and I did.  In order to not totally freak out I divided the mission into manageable parts.  First was to drive there, which I did successfully and safely with lots of deep breathing.  Then I had to purchase the chair, which included showing photos and measurements, and asking for help getting it to the van.  This was all accomplished with some flipping through an English-Japanese translation book and many smiles and arrigatos.  Step two done, the chair was mine!

At this point I had only an hour remaining and time was more nerve-wracking than driving.  After making it though many traffic slow-downs (local "Utility Repair Day"?) I finally made it to the house.  Step three done.  I backed the van right up to the front porch, which required jumping the curb and driving over a lot of grass, and hefted the chair onto the porch.  Step four done. Then I got back in the van, and drove to return it. Step five done!

At this point I relaxed a little, knowing the hard part was over.  Once I drove back home in our car I struggled a bit getting the big chair to angle through the doorway, at one point thinking it wasn't going to fit.  But I did it, all by myself.  You should have seen my happy dance after I shut the front door.

Since it was barely after noon I had plenty of time to enjoy the set-up process.  Aided by some loud music, I cleared the living room, cleaned the floors, and put it all back together, making some adjustments for the new chair, which I also cleaned and conditioned.  By the time I was done, pleased with the results, it was time to leave for a meeting.

It wasn't until Thursday morning that I first got to really use the chair and it was fabulous!  I am so lucky that I found it and so happy that I overcame every obstacle to get it.  I will use it every day I live in this house and I will be thankful that this wasn't another chair that got away.

To the Produce Stand.

Returning home from a long vacation usually involves greeting an empty refrigerator. Instead of immediately rushing to the grocery store to randomly select whatever looks good I am finally attempting to form a meal plan. So far I’m still in the thinking and researching stage. Until pen hits paper, though, we need to eat.

My pantry is well stocked with canned food and dry goods and the freezer contains meats and leftover meals so there is no need to rush, except for the produce. My Tuesday focus was fresh produce.

Empty fruit and vegetable drawers are a sad sight, so I pulled them out for some loving cleaning and figured I might as well wipe out the inside of the fridge while I’m at it. Then I stepped out into the beautiful, sunny, fifty degree day for my favorite errand, walking to the local produce market.

I’m not sure the name of this particular produce market, but it’s tiny, with an open storefront, and all the prices are written in marker on pieces of cardboard. The prices are good, the quality is great, and, as is customary in Japan, the customer service is warm and friendly. There is usually one person near the front packaging and stocking, one person near the back manning the cash register, and a couple others are in the back room (from what I can tell).

Not having a plan at the produce stand is perfectly acceptable, as long as you keep your purchases to one bag so you have time to use everything while still fresh. I generally choose various items that are easy to use along with one unfamiliar vegetable.

When my arms are full the woman near the back helps me to the register. Even though I can’t yet speak more than the basic handful of frequently used Japanese words, she smiles and talks to me as if I understand everything, which I like because she is treating me as she would every other customer. I’m still working on Fukuro kekko des which I was told means “No bag thank you” because I usually carry my own.  This time I had my awesome, new Whole Foods bag that my sister lovingly gave me; it is big and sturdy and shows a dinosaur loving up on a giant beet.

After paying for my produce with ample arigatou gozaimasu (thank you) I walked up a couple stores to the Family Mart, a konbini (convenience store). Whenever I go out locally I like to stop at more than one place just for the interaction and the experience and I sometimes combine that with a small snack purchase of something new and unfamiliar.

Curious about what I came home with?

Broccoli/Burokori – I tossed the florets in olive oil, roasted them in the oven, then sprinkled sel gris French sea salt on them and ate almost all of them while standing at the stove finishing the main course.  Yum!

Carrots/Ninjin – One of these is cut up the slow cooker right now.

Ginger/Shoga – This is the package at center bottom with the panda face. It is not a dry root but two knots that are moist; the taste is the same because I used it to fancy-up leftover beef guydon last night.

Potatoes/Jagaimo – Just simple white potatoes.

Apples/Ringo – Local apples are delicious, which comes at a price, ¥398 for 5 apples ($3.90 with today’s exchange rate) but so worth it. These particular apples are crisp and juicy without a single flaw or blemish.

Mushrooms/Kinoko – I love mushrooms and frequently buy these three types (from top to bottom of photo): Bunashimeji, Maitake, Shiitake.

Garlic Chives/Nira – This was my mystery vegetable. (Well, a mystery to me). I assumed correctly it was a type of green onion but the flat leaves threw me off. With the help of Google Images I learned about it and used it last night in the guydon, this morning with eggs, and tonight in an experiment.

All that produce came to ¥1458 ($14.28), a deal here because the price of produce certainly gave me sticker shock right after we moved, it still does actually. Notice that nothing was over ¥180 except the apples.

Now, what treats did I find at the Family Mart? 

Gokuri Ume – I knew ume is “plum” so it had to be good, and it was. The bottle reads 1% of something, I assume juice (?) because I didn't see kanji for “alcohol”.  Fruity- and soda-like alcoholic beverages are popular here and are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Gokuri seems to be a line of juice drinks produced by Suntory, a leading beverage company in Japan. It cost ¥158.

Sweet Potato-something – This was 100% sweet deliciousness with a smooth, slightly chewy outer layer and silky-cream sweet potato interior.  I highly recommend it even though it seems rather small for the ¥115 price.

This small excursion took a little under an hour in time and just under two miles in distance. I am so happy and thankful that such a short journey provides so much fulfillment. 

  

Not So "Mega" Anymore.

Our household is loyal to Charmin Ultra Strong bathroom tissue, or as I refer to it, "Charmin-in-the-red".  When ever I try to save a little money and buy something else I regret it.  Once I even left a horrible 12 pack, less one roll, by the trash bins at our apartment complex.

Last night when I switched out a roll in the bathroom I noticed that it didn't fit in the holder anymore.  I compared it to a roll from the previous package that was stowed on an upper shelf and, low and behold, they were different sizes.  I really wish I noticed sooner and saved the old packaging.  I might go back and see if there are any older ones at the back of the shelf; I'm not sure if they practice product rotation on paper goods.

The grocery shrink ray is constantly at work, making products smaller through the guise of a "new look!" then charging the same, or more.  I accept this.  However, we live in overseas military housing and cannot change our built-in bathroom tissue holder that does not accept shorter rolls.

The little pegs at the end flip up and then rest inside the cardboard tube.  The upper flap lowers to keep just enough pressure on the roll to allow an easy tear of the sheet.  It's a great little unit, however it is a bit strange that the Japanese (who are incredibly practical and clever in design) didn't allow for a shrinking product.

As a quick remedy I shoved the old, empty cardboard tube inside the new one.  I may cut a paper towel tube as a better short-term fix but I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for a more sturdy core made of plastic that will last a bit longer.

Darn it, Charmin.  Why did you have to go and mess with a great thing?  We have a very small selection of bathroom tissue over here and, though I am grateful to find Charmin-in-the-red, I am very disappointed in the product shrinkage.

Shopping and Chopping for Thai Quinoa Salad.

When certain foods are so good I want to jump up and celebrate I, instead, do a little happy dance in my chair. This sometimes happens at a restaurant but more frequently occurs right at home where, now that I think about it, I really could get up and express my delight. Nonetheless, Wednesday's dinner induced the happy chair dance.

Ever since I found the recipe for Thai Quinoa Salad it has been holding a tab on my browser. I even made a separate shopping list for it on my favorite list app so I wouldn't accidentally skip over an ingredient. (Mental note: I should make a folder for lists of my favorite recipe ingredients.)

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Tuesday I went back to explore the area around the Sagami-Ono train stop because during my only other prior time there it was raining and we had a limited time frame. This time I dressed to sweat in a white tank top, the heat and humidity here is extraordinary, and sporting my red Levi's backpack and favorite oxfords. The walk to my local train stop is one mile, half a mile to exit my neighborhood and then another half mile to the station; it takes about 15-20 minutes.

I don't mind going out by myself as a foreigner in Japan which is a very safe and respectful environment. I am a minority as a white woman with light eyes and tattoos so when I stop and look around in wonder, fascination and confusion I don't worry about sticking out because I know I already am. Finding a like-minded person to explore with during the week while the spouses work would be nice, but I realisticly don't expect that to happen. So with my Pasmo card charged up I forge ahead solo.

In addition to discovering a fantastic100 yen store in Sagami-Ono Corridor I also found a real supermarket, not an OX. Pretty much every train station I've been to contains an Odakyu OX grocery store because the local train line is owned by Odakyu. The markets are very nice, well-organized and clean but are limited in size and the prices are a bit high, even considering cost-of-living inflation. They also use the same font as Whole Foods Market so I always make that comparison, even though the OX is not all natural and organic products.

At this large supermarket I found almost everything for the Thai Salad, but really I just wanted to walk around and get acquainted. The fresh seafood area was well-stocked with fish for sushi as well as cooking. I picked up two packages of fish marked at 20% off, I presume due to the sell-by date. Meat and fish portions here are significantly smaller than in the US, I should document and write about it in a future post – remind me.

Something I really like about the grocery stores I've seen here are the self-bag stations located just after the checkout stands. If you let the cashier know you wish to bag your own items (at OX stores there is a laminated card you put in your shopping basket to notify them) then after they scan your items from your basket they put them in another basket. You pay, setting your form of payment in a money tray, and then take the basket to a bagging station and bag your items how you like. I love this option! There are small plastic bags on a roll (like produce bags) and adhesive tape to use if needed. Since I walk everywhere with my backpack this self-bag option lets me arrange my load to my liking. It's also wonderful for those of us who have worked retail (especially grocery) and know the best practices for bagging merchandise. Genius! I love Japan.

(I really need a separate post about grocery shopping in Japan.)

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Back to tonight's dinner. My main focus was the Thai Salad, even though it was a side dish, due to the extensive preparation, i.e. chopping. I actually got a blister on my right index finger from the borrowed, cheap, un-sharp knife I'm using. (We must get a better knife if I am to continue cooking until my real knives arrive. And a bigger cutting board.) There was a lot of chopping – red cabbage, red bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro. Since I don't have my microplane grater I needed to mince the ginger as well. I bought the carrots and green onion pre-cut.

Following the Thai Salad recipe very closely because all the reviews raved about it, I stirred the sauce into the quinoa and added the vegetables; the combined salad was tasty and crunchy but not saucy enough. I ended up making more of the sauce and next time will probably double it at the start to leave some leftover for another use, maybe a pork marinade. I also held back on the cilantro because my husband isn't crazy about the amounts I usually add. I can't get enough of it though and will add more before I dig into the leftovers.

I had no plan for the fish (swordfish, I think) so I pulled the three small fillets out and sprinkled them with paprika and gomaiso (sesame salt, yum!) and set them aside to reach room temperature until I finished salad assembly. Then I tossed the fish in a fry pan at medium/med.-high heat with a splash of Smart Balance oil and slapped a lid on it to save the steam. After about five minutes I peeked in and the fillets looked cooked through halfway so I flipped them, reduced the heat to med.-low, and put the lid back on while they finished the last 5-10 minutes of cooking/steaming.

When the fish was done I took them out of the pan and covered them with foil to stay warm. Using the same pan with most (but not all) of the oil wiped out I threw in a healthy handful of small spinach leaves and quickly cooked them until just wilted. Since moving here I have done this for every meal I cook in pan because I wasn't eating enough greens during transitional housing and felt it in my body.

Turns out everything was delicious. The salad was crunchy and flavorful of course, but I wasn't expecting the incredible fish. With very little preparation the natural flavors jumped forward and the texture and density were divine. I knew the seafood in Japan would be good but experiencing it is fantastic and I love it.

(This photo was taken with an iPhone and is by no means intended to be a "real" photo, just a snapshot of where I was and what I saw.)

The original recipe here:

http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/crunchy-cashew-thai-quinoa-salad-with-ginger-peanut-dressing/

Finding and Not Finding.

Before moving to Japan I understood that availability of certain items would be limited.  In preparation I purchased one or two extras of products I use regularly and consider important in daily life, for example my multi-vitamins, favorite skin cream and lotion.  Knowing that my Amazon Prime membership works here helped me avoid a hoarding situation. 

In the confusion of sorting my belongings for different packing shipments I somehow packed all my hair styling products except for four almost empty tubs of various types.  Yes, my very short hair still needs styling especially because it grows straight out from my head.  Only the closest among me have seen me first thing in the morning with a head of fuzzy hair sticking out every which way.  (A brother and nephew have the exact same hair, so they understand.)  To make due, I mixed the remaining products together, a combination of stuff like pomade, texturizer, paste and putty.  The solution seemed creative and worked well enough with my freshly cut hair.

As my hair grows I use different styling products, moving from shiny pomades and waxes to more matte pastes and putties, so I went to the local Post Exchange (like Target) to pick some up.  Unfortunately, this location is quite small with a very limited selection of pretty much everything.  I walked up and down the beauty and health care isles countless times, scanning the shelves from top to bottom, checking every end cap and possible remote location with no luck.  There is absolutely no hair styling product for short hair, only the basic hairspray, mouse, gel and a few things for shine, curls or moisturizing.  For the first time since arriving I almost cried in dismay.

So I began the simple hair styling routine of pressing it down flat with water after waking up in the morning; after showering at night it's especially disheveled.  I do not like how it looks, but the longer it grows the less fuzzy it is and finding a good beautician who cuts short female hair well will take some time.  In another two weeks it will certainly need some work though.

Last Sunday we took the train to Ebina to check it out.  Soon after stepping out of the train station I spotted a large, purple Aeon sign and immediately headed towards it.  Aeon is a discount store like Wal-mart with food, clothes, home goods, et cetera and, like most shopping areas on Sunday, it was packed with shoppers.  When we came to the beauty section I walked through the isles finding hair styling products by container shape because, of course, all the packaging was in kanji (Japanese writing characters).  With a huge sigh of relief, I eventually found a shelf with little tubs that looked like the type of product I use.  Some even had testers.  I didn't buy any at that time for a few reasons: I didn't want to carry it around all day, I didn't want to part with any yen, and there were to way many people in the store to spend any extra time to actually shop.  I know where it is and I will return on a more quiet weekday afternoon.

We then explored Vina Walk, a large, three-story open-air shopping mall just outside the train station.  It, too, was packed with people like an American mall the Saturday before Christmas.  It was there that we found OIOI, a large department store.  The lower level of the store sells food and grocery items and is incredible, the best we've found in our three weeks here.  While walking the perimeter isle we discovered the liquor store with a small station set up with wine samples.  Working through the obvious language barrier with lots of smiles and arigato's (thank you's) I found a simple red blend that sang like angels on my palette.  After the horrible selection of Barefoot, Sutter Home, Beringer and such at our local shop this was beautiful!  The selection, though not large, was definitely one of quality and variety.  For the first time since arriving I almost cried in rejoice.

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(The photos shown below were taken with an iPhone and are by no means intended to be "real" photos, just snapshots of where I was and what I saw.)


This is the liquor store I just mentioned on the bottom floor of OIOI in Ebina.  It was too busy to get a photo without people in it.  To the right of the frame was the wine tasting, to the left was a refrigerated section and behind was a beer cooler with a nice assortment of local brews.

Looking through the Vina Walk, over the train station, toward the mountain foothills:

I recently fell in love with Yamazaki's Long Roll Cake.  The cake is similar to a yellow angel food cake but slightly more dense.  The filling is smooth and creamy without excess sweetness and I believe it is a real dairy cream because it is refrigerated.  Heaven for about $1.50 and definitely big enough for multiple (reasonable) portions.  It's probably better that I cannot interpret the ingredients or nutritional information.