it's not life that matters but the journey...

I was going to wait until my next entry to talk about food, but it fits my current mood, so here goes.

Another thing that sometimes boggles me here is the food.  Some people will eat the most disgusting things!  Of course what  most Americans know of Japanese food is what is delicious:  tempura, sukiyaki, noodles, and sushi.  Though the sushi that you get in America is not what you get in Japan - they don't have California rolls here, and it IS a lot of raw fish. I love sashimi (raw fish), when it is a smooth texture and fresh.  And another thing that you get in America is teriyaki - not something commonly found here in Japan. 

The other night, Masahiko and I met two of his friends at an "izakaya," a traditional Japanese bar/restaurant where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor on tatami mats, and they serve lots of alcohol and a variety of snack-type foods.   We ate a delicious Korean dish called "bibimba," a spicy rice dish with beef, and some chicken wings, which were yummy.  But Masahiko's friends ordered cow's stomach, which appeared to be only slightly cooked, and looked very unappetizing.  They also ate raw octopus ("tako" in Japanese), which I can't eat because of the texture - rubbery, like squid ("Ika" in Japanese).  The Japanese love Tako and Ika, though, and can't believe that others don't.  Masahiko daily eats "Natto," which is fermented soybeans - they smell as terrible as they look (he loves them, and I should because they are extremely healthy).  And Japanese don't eat a  meal without something pickled (which my brother would love) - but they are a bit too sour for me.  Anyway, I am doing fine with the food here because I know what I can and can't eat - and I absolutely ADORE the Japanese snacks - the chocolate is to die for, and the potato chips are better than any (except for TIM's in Washington state) that I've had before!