- Bakhoor Mariam (Mary's Incense), بخور مريم
- Qarn il-Ghazal (Gazelle's Horn), قرن الغزال
- Asa Arraii (Shepherd's Cane), عصى الراعي
- Persian Violet
- Sowbread
And my favorite would be...
- Zaamatoot (don't ask for translation), زعمطوط
There are more names for sure, but what most people don't know about this delicate plant, is that it is a Palestinian "delicacy"! Yes, its leaves are picked and cooked like vine leaves (waraq enab) ورق عنب أو دوالي, rolled to contain some rice and be served as a vegetarian seasonal delicacy..
It is also worth mentioning that beneath this beauty, lies the roots -or more precisely rhizomes- which are very poisonous, but used medicinally.
Good night Mr. Typhoon (-_-).... Good morning Sunshine! \(^O^)/
"Oh no, I am not going to be a loser gazing for countless hours at my 17" window to the world and miss this beautiful sky and refreshing breeze!" I said to myself.
I wanted to climb mount Takao, but many warnings to avoid it in weekends, so I went for plan B and head off to Ueno Park.
First thing I encountered -after the tempting choco bananas- was the Cultural Hall, which features a zillion performances per season
Next was the Western Art Museum. Since I have been to Paris, I decided to skip this one and look for the much anticipated BIG "Tokugawa" Exhibition.
After buying the ticket at the National Museum I looked at the blue sky and decided to spend more time in the sun and check Ueno's famous Zoo, where the giant -sleeping- Panda greets its fans.
After more than two hours, it was time for a hot meal to charge my energy for the Tokugawa exhibition.
From the display and arrangement, to the splendors of every single article, I traveled back in time to a very controversial period when the War Lord unified the country with all means of power. This era known as the Edo Period, influenced the future of the country dramatically. On a visual level, I personally look at it as the maturity of Japanese Aesthetics. I must admit, there were several items I thought would look much better in my room.
On the way out, there were some public performances in the park by some skilled performers and artists. All in all, it was a very refreshing day for all five senses.
I will leave you with some photos of my visit to Ueno Park..
Japanese name: Manjushage 慢樹沙華
Common names: Hurricane Lily, Red Spider Lily
YATTTTAAAAAAAA!!!!! \(^O^)/ (I DID IT!)
After more than 4 months of having breakfast without the unique delicious taste of Jerashi Labneh, I finally managed to make my own home made Labneh!
The bread is one of the finest in town. It is natural healthy gourmet brown bread which is very hard to find in Tokyo.
You can see the sac that was used to drain the yoghurt into Labneh. Special thanks to my mother for providing me with it.
To prepare it, I had to get some help from my neighbour as he provided the hanger that was used to hang the yoghurt sac by.
The third batch is currently undergoing as I write this. The formula is very easy; you need 5 packs of yoghurt to make one pack of Labneh. You add some salt -according to taste- and just drain it for 3 days for a moderate sour taste. If you need it to be stronger, wait for another day.
For all those of you who are coming to Japan, don't forget to bring this simple yet very important piece of cloth with you.
A year ago, I was sitting in my room in Jordan, sipping on a cup of Japanese green tea while reading a book on Japanese culture. It was then that I first learned about Kyudo (Archery).
Having previous interest in Sado (Tea Ceremony) and Shodo (Calligraphy), I found myself drawn to know more about Kyudo. What I couldn’t expect to happen after a year; is to be knocking at the door of a Kyu-dojo (Training Field) in my university in Japan.
As I entered the dojo, I immediately felt I was in a different time and place. I was warmly greeted and invited to sit on an old tatami mat (straw mat) alongside two kind people whom I later discovered were the leaders of the team.
With my poor Japanese, I started to explain my appreciation for the sport and my desire to be part of their team. They were very happy and started to explain to me more about their Kyudo club.
I sat for a while to enjoy the sight of the athletes training gracefully, wearing their beautiful black and white uniform and holding the very elegant Japanese bow.
A week later, I came for my first training. It was not easy; it didn’t only involve the 8 stages of shooting the arrow, but also commitment, punctuality, humbleness and most importantly teamwork.
Commitment is very difficult; it requires a strong will and persistence. It means you should do what you are expected to, even when you don’t feel like it.
Coming from a different part of the world where the value of time is underestimated, I found punctuality the toughest lesson of all. It was amazing to see the efficiency in time management inside the dojo. No matter what anyone is doing, no matter how busy everyone is, every session starts precisely on time, every time.
Knowing about the humbleness of the Japanese people is something, but seeing the leader of the group cleaning the floor of the dojo with the rest of the team, and happily following advice from his students regarding his own skills of playing was a live example of true modesty and maturity.
The last of these important lessons I have learned from my brief, yet overwhelming experience, was the true meaning and practice of team work.
I know how the Japanese people were brought up to work as one team. Perhaps, due to the nature of their country with its frequent natural and human-made disasters, it wouldn’t have been possible for them to survive all this without the spirit of team work. Even in their language, the “I” is omitted most of the time.
I am grateful for my team's great support, and for treating me as part of their family. Despite the many times I wasn’t able to communicate with them with my primitive Japanese level, I eventually managed to deliver my message.
At the end of the day, I am not a Japanese person, and I will eventually go back to my country. I don’t know if it will be easy to continue training Kyudo in Jordan, but I know for sure I will do my best to pass on the valuable lessons I am learning here to my people in Jordan.
20,000 Yen ($170). Yes, for a single "cubic" watermelon, which is at the end of the day, just a watermelon!
The regular nice round one can be bought for less than 1000 Yen (less than $10). The yellow one was a bit more expensive, but NOWHERE near the 20,000 YEN!
My neighbor and I decided to go and hide near that shop and wait for an honored customer who is willing to buy this precious watermelon and interview him or her, and know the reasons and motivations for buying it!
Please note that one of the reasons behind creating this shape is for some convenience in "storage", and I would imagine that someone who is willing to pay 20,000 Yen for a watermelon has a lot of "storage" problems!
When I looked for it on the net, I found a better picture from the same angle of a similar watermelon taken by a Brazilian tourist at the same shop. However, this one was for $300!
Nope, it is not sushi. They actually eat a wide variety of local and international foods. They don't have Jerashi Labneh or Makdoos, but they do have olive oil and many other oishii (delicious) things.
Like many people, I used to have the impression that Japanese people eat sushi almost everyday. Until a few years ago when I started to mingle with Japanese people, I realised it was just another misconception.
I could compare sushi to "Mashawi" (BBQ) in Jordan. People like it, but can't eat it daily, which makes it more of a delicacy.
I will not talk about sushi, but rather share with you part of my gastronomical adventures in Japan, and for those who don't know me well, I can tell you -not so proudly- that I can be any waiter's or chef's nightmare in a restaurant. Not because I am picky -la sama7 Allah (God forbid)- but maybe because I have adventurous taste buds that demand new challenges every now and then
As I walk carefully between shelves, and look closely using my limited resources of Kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese language) I try to identify my target and escape from any malicious traps. Not to forget trying to find my way through a menu by tracing Katakana (letters used to write foreign words as "orenji-juusu") in what seems to be a speed test before the waiter comes for the third time to try and take my order. All of this makes a simple visit to a supermarket or a restaurant in Jordan into an exciting and adventurous Treasure Hunt for Halal Food (compliant to Islamic law) in Japan.
Being the grumpy gourmet I am, made me familiar to the possibility of not finding what I want in every menu or on every shelf. In addition to that, I am not very fond of meat, and I like sea food a lot, so I don't consider eating in Japan a major problem, but rather a tough enjoyable adventure.
Speaking of fish, I have been enjoying eating it in every possible form and shape, and when I say form and shape, I mean "form" and "shape".
In the photo collage to your right, you can see how it is being used in a fatty and tasty dish. The name of the dish is "hiroshima-fu okonomiyaki". I don't know anything about its origins, whether it is a traditional dish or a restaurant speciality, but I enjoyed watching it being prepared in front of me and definitely enjoyed eating it.
One of the bright sides to living in Tokyo, is that it makes you want to embrace the hands that planted and picked the fruit and vegetables in Jordan. In most places, you cannot believe your eyes when you see the price tag on a small little netted purse-like bag that has 8 pieces of okra that are suitable for wearing as jewellery rather than being tossed in a cooking pot.
Don't dispare, there are other alternatives, but it takes some time to know where to buy your fruit and vegetables for reasonable prices.
One of my favourite dishes is based on Soba which is a Japanese kind of noodle made from buckwheat. Soba is the main component for many dishes and can be served hot or cold. I have been enjoying the different tastes and textures of Soba, and here is an example of one of the cold Soba dishes:
For those who love meat and worry they will not enjoy the different tastes of Japanese food, you can find a few Halal restaurants like the excellent one named "Karachi" which is a Pakistani restaurant that has delicious open buffet for 1000 yen (JD 6) with all you can eat, but if you leave anything uneaten in your plate you will pay an extra fee. A very important penalty that should be applied in every restaurant -and house- in the world.
A common Japanese breakfast, which may not appeal to many foreigners -excluding yours truly- is "Natto", which is fermented soy beans known for its acquired taste and unpleasant texture, though very nutritious. It can be eaten in several ways, and here is one example:
Another familiar taste will be the baked sweet potatoes and chestnuts that you can pick up from Shibuya -or any other public place. Mind you that eating publicly is socially unacceptable in Japan, a behaviour also discouraged in Islam.
In the school cafeteria, there is a good selection of Asian dishes that change from time to time. Not all are tasty for it remains a school cafeteria but very economical.
One good thing I learned here is not to mess up with the system -in general- especially in the cafeteria. I do tend to alter many dishes according my taste by adding something or replacing another. I don't have any photos from there, but I do have this video of a VISA card Ad
That is an important lesson for all those who are planning to come here: Never mess up with the system. Go with the flow, especially when there is a procedure which is a very common thing here. Honestly speaking, I really like it, and anyone who likes chaos will not be able to live here.
Enjoy the video. (^-^)y
For all the sushi lovers out there, forgive me for sharing with you ONLY the photos of this humble delicious sushi meal. (Yes, it was an open buffet).
The list of foods doesn't end here for sure, for I have many exquisite meals to share with you -visually- and many others await my inquisitive taste buds.