Japanese Shows I Like to Watch-The Tetsuwan Dash

This show is emceed by the aging boy band Tokio and consists of several members, sometimes all, doing several different missions or activities on the show. One of the most interesting is a tiny minivan that they rebuilt to run on electricity with a solar panel on the roof. With this, they drive around the shores of all of Japan's islands seeing how far they can go and stopping off at interesting locations here and there. I have forgotten where they left off but I believe they've gotten around most of the major land masses.

Another segment involves a farm where they will grow plants and well as live stock. Make thing from scratch like a pot or even food. Also, they will provide general informaton on a number of random subjects. They have from time to time, sought out the best restaurant for such and such in particular cities and villages. Historic walks through some of Japan's most modern areas have been used to contrast then and now. Engagements against local townfolk with waterguns are some activities they have been know to participate in. Taking a dip in the most nondescript onsens, if you can even call them that, that only locals know about.

The show is fun and informing. The members do not take things too seriously and are still happy to participate even if they lose a bike race to a train. I am fortunate enough to be able to rent this show and others on DVD at a shop in Japantown. The membership is free and a 3 night rental is only $2.

Korean Shows I Like to Watch-Invincible Youth

There are a number of shows that KBS World subtitles and airs in America. The first is 1 Night 2 Days. Another that Ive caught on to is Invincible Youth. The premise of the show revolves around 7 members from 6 girls groups, 1 female comedienne, 1 male singer, plus an older gentleman of stature. All these city people are dropped into a small village in the countryside where they learn how to do things for themselves.

The female leads are from the hottest girl groups in Korea: Sunny & Yuri from Girls Generation, Hara Gu from Kara, Hyuna from 4Minute, Hyomin from T-ara(pronuonced Tiara), Narsha from Brown Eyed Girls, and Sunhwa from Secret. Kim Shinyoung is the comedienne and Kim Taewu, no relation, is the lucky male soloist. Over the last few months that this has aired, the cast have developed their own personalities while some are still looking for their gimmick. Yuri is everyone's favorite it seems. Sunny is a very capable person who is funny and will bowl you over with her acts of cuteness. Hara is the doll faced idol who like to tell cheesy jokes but is a bit of ham and tries to get as much camera time as possible. Hyuna has been dubbed the whiney one. Hyomin is know for being edited out of the show alot but that is changing. Narsha is known as the adult idol for the many provocative poses and utterances that come out of her mouth. Sunhwa is known for being blank, not too bright. Hilarity ensues when they do farmwork, play games, and entertain guests.

Theres alot of eye candy as these 20 something girls, except Narsha who is 30, work the farm. They are beautiful even when dressed in their "work" clothes and at times bear no makeup for the show. If you get a chance, take a gander at a few of the episodes. Part of the reason this show works so well is that the cast really looks like they get along well with each other and are genuinely having fun on the show

Whats worse than Monday?

Going back to work on Monday with jetlag. Unfortunately, I am still suffering from some jetlag from my trip and its carried over to today. I was hoping the extra days I had allocated to being at home would rectify it. But, it seems, as I get older, I am less resilient and it takes longer for me to recover. Because of that, I had not posted anything after I returned.

Whenever I made these trips to Asia, I would wake up at 4am, local for the area that Im in. It used to only take 2 days before I could sleep in until 6 am and only a few more before I would begin to get up at 9am or later. On this trip, it took a week before I would get up at 6am. I never woke up any later than that for the rest of the trip. Now that I am home, Im finding it hard to sleep until 4am. This wreaks havoc when I have to get up by 7am. It will be a slow adjust period over the next few days to get back into my usual routine. This almost makes me dread the next trip I have planned for 2011 to Hokkaido.

Travelogue-Tokyo Day 4 Dinner

So, I mentioned I had a ramen last night but no camera to provide evidence. It was so good, I thought Id go back today. The restaurant is Setaga-ya.

I cant read the cahracters on the button but this was what I had chosen last night and again

Here is the dish. Green onions, fried garlic, pork, thick bamboo shoots, and saffron(?)

Here I mixed it nup so you could see the wide noodles. It helps to hold the chowder like soup. However, there was still plenty of soup to drink up with a spoon. Its probably too thick to pour anyway

As a side dish, more of that nice fatty grilled pork over a bit of rice.in case the ramen doesnt fill the bill

Travelogue-Tokyo Day 4 Tokyo Station

Cold and wet, I sought shelter in some indoor place that I could walk around in comfort. With little left on my Suica card, Tokyo Station was within range. I stumbled upon Grand Sta, a basement level beneath the main level where people enter and exit the station. The main level already has plenty of shops. This level was devoted to food. It never fails to surprise me how much capacity this city has for retail. In this section, desserts are the primary draw.
Macarons of different flavors and colors span the spectrum as they are backlit. The displays of these cookies always make my mouth water ever since I had my first not too long ago in Paris

You cant have dessert with the main meal. This area takes care of that need. A deli section that has all the makings for a nice bento or pickj up one thats premade. Anything you may be in the mood for, they can accomodate.

Up for something grilled and skwered? Take your pick

I had not seen these in any other place that sells Tokyo Tamago. It looks like pudding in an egg shaped container with a dollop if black sesame at the bottom. Will have to give this a try

Travelogue-Tokyo Day 4 Togoshi Ginza

I started off the day with some unfinished business from last year. I was going to try the Mc Hot Dog before taking flight. Unbeknownst to me, this was a breakfast item and only available then. It tasted like an Oscar Mayer weiner with ketchup and relish.

The first precipitous day in Tokyo and the temps have dropped a few notches from the previous days. I ventured to Togoshi Ginza area. A quiet neighborhood with only one pachinko parlor. This is the shopping street lined with shops run by families and mom and pop.

The shops range in variety to fill the needs of its local residents. There were a number of sweet shops and cafes. Plenty of restaurants, grocery stores, butchers, and fish mongers if you are in the mood for something a little more significant

Since these areas are so small, they have specialties that you may not find in Tokyo itself. Case in point, this taiyaki place also makes a savory sandwich using the same batter it uses to makes its sweet filled taiyaki.

Before leaving, I stopped by Mos Burger for their seafood rice burger and a side of onion rings. In japanese, that would be "seafood rice bagaa and onion fry." The seafood is a mix of vegetables and shrimp, squid, and I think scallops

Travelogue-Tokyo Day 3

Playing a hunch and wanting to get some curry for lunch, I head back towards Shinjuku. There is a branch of Don Quixote and a branch of a curry chain call Coco Ichiban. I found the Star Wars chopsticks that I was looking for. But, it was an incomplete set as I only found 2 of the three, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. I thought maybe this one would have Yoda. Here, they didnt have any at all. Mysteriously, I was pulled to the Tokyu Hands store that provided no joy days ago. Lo and behold, they had them today and they only had the Yoda ones. Did I not see them last time?!?!

This curry chain has a location at the nAla Moana shopping center food court in Oahu. They have a nice selection of additions like thin sliced pork(shown below), tonkatsu, vegetables, cream croquette, etc. You get to choose how much raice you want and how hot you want it and they price it accordingly. The location at Akihabara is open 24 hours. I didnt check on this one

Theres been alot of talk on the news about the cherry blossoms blooming. A favorite spot for some is Shinjuku Park. Japanese like to picnic under the blossoming trees during this time of year. Howe ver, as I got there, the gates were closed and people were just sitting about. I found a sign that said they would be open dail from 3/25 to 4/14. Story of my live, 3/25 is the date I leave for home
Later, I went to get some ramen at a cluster of restaurants under the tracks of Shinagawa station. Too bad I forgot my camera. I opted for somedthing different and was pleaseantly surprised. I got something with a broth that was really thick and opaque. The noodles were much wider as well. This helps to hold onto the sauce as you slurp. The dish was very good. The slice of pork had a great roasted-charred flavor to it as well. Thumbs up!

Tokyo Taste Test

Fanta Mo Mo White Soda

Alluding back to the previous post above and referring to a new soda offering from Suntory, I was able to try both products since I am in Tokyo. Surprisingly, I thought both were very very sweet. The two are fizzy but not heavily, The carbonation feels like smaller bubbles rather than the normal type you find in Coke or Pepsi. With the similarities aside, the Fanta taste lke Calpis. The Suntory tasted like cheap hot chocolate. Neither were a hit with me but neither were they disgustin g. I just dont find them as refreshing as other sodas or beverages

Travelogue-Toyko Day 2

Today, I went from Shinagawa, via train, to Jiyugaoka and by train again to Naka Meguro. Then walked to Daikanyama followed by another ride to Ikebukuro. Back on the rails, it was Akihabara before returning to Shinagawa.

Jiyugaoka is one of those up and coming neighborhoods near Tokyo. I dont know how that stake that claim but I counted at least 3 pachinko parlors near the station.

Speaking of which, this is just outside the station. As you walk further away from it, it gets more residential and more quiet. However, there is plenbty of infrastructure besides the pachinko. There were a number of large and small shops of all types. Not too far away was a Labi electronics store

As I progressed, I hopped on the express to my next location, Daikanyama. The express does not stop there so I got off one stop earlier at Naka Meguro and walked. I passed by this small canal lined with cherry blossom trees.

In many of the western parts of Japan, the blossoms have begun to bloom. Many, like these have yet to come to full splendor. Once I got to Daikanyama, there didnt seem like much to see. I had heard/read that it was a trendy area with street cafes and boutiques.

With nothing else really planned for the day, I thought I could hit Ikebukuro to complete some of my shopping. I was in the mood for meat for lunch when I got there. I stopped into a grill in the complex and had this plate of chicken beef, sausage, and hamburger steak. It really hit the spot since I had not had much meat since leaving for this trip

Even here I could not find the one elusive item. There were a few places in Akihabara I did not try before and should check them out. Success! I found what I was looking for at Don Quixote. They were my last shot. They have all kinds of crap/stuff. What I had bought was something asian and something Star Wars. With that, I was satisfied for the day.

Travelogue-Tokyo Day 1 Walking The Yamanote Line

After my little shopping stint, it was time to resume my little walking project. I went to Gotanda station where I had left off last year. The road and the rails began tol diverge and I chose to take the inner course. I was hoping to be in sight of the tracks not too long after. My destination would be Shinagawa with Osaki station in between. As I walked, I could no longer see the tracks but was confident that In would run into them at some point. I saw a sign that directed me to Osaki so I followed. In the distance, I could hear the clickety-clack of a train and thought I was close. I began to see the tracks and came upon the scene below. As I got near, I began to realize the brown building on the left was my hotel. Somehow, I missed Osaki and arrived at Shinagawa in no time. This only leaves Shinagawa to Akihabara to complete the southern route

So, I bought dinner at the nearby department store that sells food in the basement. I brought it back to the room, turned on the tv and started flipping through the channels. I came across a food eating contast that I had seen before in previous years. One word of caution, do not eat while watching this kind of show. As I was having dinner, I found myself putting food in myn mouth even though I was already full. Subconsciously, I was competing with the contestants on the show, ugh! In this part they were eating a dessert of red beans with mochi. This poor girl lost after downing only 34 bowls. The winner ate 49 bowls, 7.43 kg, in 45 minutes.

Travelogue-Tokyo Day 1 Shopping

When I came in yesterday, there was quite a bit of turbulence when we landed. I didnt think much of it as there was no trace of it the rest of the day. However, the winds were whipping it up big time last night. Several times acroos the span of the night, you know mother nature was doing something. On the news the this morning, things were knocked over and train and air service were intrerrupted due to the natural force.

As I started my day today, once again the winds went into hiding and it was a another splendid beginning to another splendid day. I opted to start my souvenir shopping early. First stop is Akihabara which looks the same as it ever did except there have been a few store closings and a few other s opened.

Stopped to have a snack of takoyaki. I love it with a load of green onions on top of it. Occasionally, the bonito shavings are nice but tend to make things a bit gooey

After going through Yodobashi, I picked up a few things but was dissappointed not to find everything I was looking for. With a shortfall in hand, lunch at the local ramen shop was about nigh. Instead of the usual miso, I had the tonkotsu ramen.

For some of the other items, I would need to look for them at Tokyu Hands. A bitter failure at the Shinjuku location. The only had one item I was looking for but did not have the other thing I was really hoping they would have. After looking around and seeing not much has changed, I proceeded to the next Tokyu Hands location in Shibuya.

I didnt think much had differed here since my last visit. But, I did find better luck with my shopping. I grabbed a few things but was still bereft of the one thing that I was really wishing to purchase. For that last item, I may have to go back and look around Akihabara

Travelogue-Seoul Departure/Tokyo Arrival

Seoul inaugurated me with rain, kissed me with snow, and ushered me out the way I came in. Theres no doubt its still winter in Seoul. Toky welcomed me back with the warm embrace of spring. But the harsh reality of it is that the exchange rate is so bad for us coming over. During my second or third trip, the exchange rate was around 130 yen to the dollar. Today it was 87. Ouch! Its been going down since that high and I hope it ends soon.

On the way in today, I noticed something new in the skyhline. I don't know what it is and its still being built. I dont remember seeing last year so it must be new

Travelogue-Seoul Day 5 Dinner

I was in Itaewon earlier in the week. I looked around and nothing really seemed to catch my eye. It was just more shopping in this most international of areas. I wanted barbecue tonight and let my choice lay in the pages of my guidebook. One place it reccommended was Itaewon Galbi

First up are the banchan, side dishes. I lliked the eggplant in the bottom right. A bit thrown off by the potato salad made with kabocha in the top left. And, didn't expect the cabbage salad bottom center

I ordered a smaller portion of marinated kalbi. I was disappointed to see how much smaller it really was. The flavor was good but the meat was chewier and a bit tougher than I had expected

In addition, I ordered bibimbap which was very good. The stone bowl provided burnt rice each time I stirred the contents. The heat rentention was so good that I kept burning my forearms well after the meal was over. Now, know how Quai Chang Caine must've felt

What better way to finish off a trip to Seoul than with a bit of shikhye

Travelogue-Seoul Day 5 Han River

Instead of taking the subway to Jamsil, why not take a more scenic route on the Han. It'll takae about 70 minutes to get to our destination

There are quite a number of bridges that cross the river. One bridge is not very high, not high enough for commerical traffic. Its a double decker bridge with a raised middle area for the ferries

The Olympic Stadium was built for the 1988 Summer Olympics. One word of warning. Do not get off at Jamsil, take the roundtrip cruise. Maybe its just me, but I could not find any public transportation out of there. No buses or subway stations. I saw taxis go by but they were already taken

I had to walk to the south towards the stadium to an undercrossing to get across the highway that runs along the river. Then I walked away from the river hoping to find the subway entrance.

Travelogue-Seoul Day 5 Yeuido

Early this morning, I made my way to Yeuido along Line 5. Specifically, I went to visit KBS. I know of them because they subtitle and broadcast some of their shows to KBS World/America which airs in my area

As mentioned previously, I enjoy the show 1 Night 2 days. Since their Antarctica trip was canceled I was hoping they might be here this morning to tape an opening
Normally, when they do an opening for the show from the studio, they do it on the front steps of the building. I got here around 8am. Either they had finished taping or they were never here. It was pretty quiet around here. Some other KBS shows I enjoy are Invincible Youth and Star Goldenbell

Not too far from KBS is another studio, MBC. From them I have seen We Got Married and...and I forget what else but I have seen a few others

The Han River is just north of both studios. Theres a great view of the Seoul skyline. Just off to the nright is Namsan and N Seoul Tower

Travelogue-Seoul Day 4 Yongsan

Later in the day, I ventured to Yongsan Station. This is their electronics retail area in the same vein as Akihabara. I was disappointed because it was not like Akihabara

From the top of the stairs looking out to the rest of the area, there are no other electronis stores or arcades

One of the two electronics retail stores is in the I Park Mall. Its multistory establishment can cater to all your electronics needs

The other location is behind the station. The contrast being this houses several small retailers in an area that rivals I Park

After I was done wondering around Yongsan, I went to Gangnam and wondered around the COEX underground mall. I did find an arcade but it was so small and pretty lame. I went to have food court jajangmyun. It was a bit on the sweet side but filling and satisfying nonetheless