The lilac is Sapporo’s official flower and lilac trees are now in full bloom. You can see dozens of them along Odori Park and hundreds more all over the city. They smell really good too so make sure to stop for a moment and enjoy their fragrance!
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
The perfect bikini body is slim in Japan (left), curvy in the US (right) Winter is almost over and for me that means getting in bikini shape. Surprisingly, this is more difficult here in Japan than in the US because there are very few low-fat and almost no non-fat foods available. Here, health conscious people focus on low-calorie food, whereas in the US it’s all about low-fat or non-fat. As an ex-bodybuilder I’ve done my homework and know what it takes to build a perfect physique - from my point of view - and yes, low-fat is key for us. Japanese food will keep your body frame waiflike and slim due to its low calories (low-carb, low-protein), but the fat content is relatively high and that usually shows around the waist. On the other hand, health food available in the US will add flesh to your hips and thighs due to the high content of protein, but if you know how to choose food you’ll end up having a lean abdomen. I am deliberately avoiding the word “muscle” because experience has told me that Japanese women shy away from building muscle. The Japanese beauty ideal differs quite a bit from the American one. Here waiflike women like Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton, all Japanese singers, actresses and Anime heroines are all the rage. Curvy bombshells like Jennifer Lopez or Kim Kardashian are considered fat in Japan. Hence the difference in food composition and balance of ingredients.
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
It all started with the banana diet two years ago: Bananas came in fashion again and each month a variety of new banana flavored products have hit the shelves since - and not only the shelves: Izakaya Za Watami features a baked banana in this month’s dessert menu! I know that some of my Japanese friends and students will exclaim “Yurusenai!” (unforgivable) over this but hey, you might as well give it a try, lol. Also new is a banana yogurt called “BizCHARGE” (I guess that’s Japanese English?) with the catchphrase Open -> Charge -> Go! I tried it and wow, gave me lots of energy, lol. Too bad that there’s no non-fat version. Everytime I find a non-fat yogurt it’s gone from the shelves again within weeks. More on that later.
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
Global Cooling is what’s happening in Hokkaido, not Global Warming. End of May and the max temperature is around ten degrees! At night temperatures must be close to zero cause I had the heater on last night and I am wearing my winter coat today. When I was running errands near the Factory and saw that the beer garden is open I didn’t believe my eyes. Is there anyone who likes sitting outside wearing a winter coat and drinking beer …?
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
The North 24 neighborhood got a new addition to its soup curry scene: Goonies III opened last month on the premises previously owned by Mohan Dish. I went there for lunch today and entered through an inconspicuous wooden door. Only the signboard on top indicated that the place was open at all. I was, however, positively surprised to see that the once run down venue had been completely remodeled, with walls painted in bright orange (Goonies’ signature color), antique sofas and lots of wood. There are only two tables and I was seated at the counter but it didn’t feel crammed or anything. There’s no lunch menu so I ordered the chicken from the regular menu in an “original” soup (other choices are tomato and seafood) with soup oomori (extra soup). The ten or so ingredients were served in a clear consomme-style soup and actually it tasted more like a curry soup mixed with chicken consomme than a soup curry. On a scale from 1 to 5 I chose piquancy level 5 and it was way too mild for my taste. The dish included rice, all for 1,050 yen. The food was alright but what’s really attractive is the nostalgic flair of the place. To make a long story short, it feels cozy and I’ll probably go back there. Goonies, N24, W4. Goonies downtown.
And there’s some funny Japanese English written on the menu …!
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
May in Sapporo is amazing. It’s the start of the warm season and there are tulips everywhere you look. Sapporo at night, however, is very “eco” these days: The TV Tower lights are switched off at 10 PM. In other words Sapporo is beautiful by day but it feels deserted at night.
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
We long wondered what kind of faces were hiding behind the mysterious Muslim veil. Now we know: Faces like that of Rima Fakih who has been crowned Miss USA. Her background is Middle Eastern, her religion Muslim, and we’re glad Arab women are starting to show themselves!
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
The Velvet Room in South Susukino, my #2 in Sapporo’s bar scene. The sun currently rises around 4 AM in Sapporo. I noticed that early this morning when I left Spanish bar Los Gatos - yeah, no kidding! Me and two friends were talking the night away over a bottle of wine and the next thing we knew it was 4:30 and bright daylight. On my way home the sidewalks were crowded with people walking their dogs. Boy oh boy I thought, Sapporoites do like to get up early, but then again I kinda envy them for being able to make the fullest out of every day, taking advantage of each hour of natural light. For those of you who are more active after dusk than after dawn, here are some recommendations on where to go in Sapporo. Here’s my bar ranking:
1. Los Gatos
2. Velvet Room
3. Famous Door
4. Habana
5. Electric Sheep Bar JR GoGo
Another one of my favorites, Cuban bar Caribe, unfortunately closed down several months ago.
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
Talking about CostCo, this is one of their must-have products: Snuggle fabric softener “green burst” in a 6 L bottle. The neutral smelling Japanese softeners don’t work for me, and the Snuggle or Downy products that are sold in drugstores are produced specifically for the Japanese market and very lightly scented. This one comes directly from the US and leaves clothes with a pleasant fragrance all day.
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。
Sweet Mexican Mangos. I went to CostCo the other day and brought back a bunch of grapes and a basket of apples. I let my students try some and the general response was “Awwww … that’s sour!” The fruits at CostCo are imported from the US and yes, they are sour. In Japan fruits are extremely sweet but on the other hand cakes are not, so that comes as a surprise. Basically I’ve come to realize that Japanese people are not into sour foods, hence lemons or olives are not popular here. But they are fond of sweet fruits and extremely sweet coffee (Mt. Rainier or canned coffee) - impossible to drink for foreigners! By the way, I was perplexed to learn that Miyazaki mango (a mango grown in Japan) can cost up to 10,000 yen because of its sweetness! Mexican mangos are very sweet and they’re sold for 50 yen domestic, 100 yen in the US.
私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。