Stopped at my local little store that handles necessities, etc. Sometimes they carry unusual items - i.e. they handle ice cream from New Zealand and Red Cheddar from New Zealand. I haven't the faintest reason why as I do not see a market for it around here. Anyway, today I almost fell over. They had E.D.Smith (since 1882) Raspberry Preserves (l lb jar). First time in 40 years to see Raspberry jam outside of a supermarket catering to foreigners.... Bought it immediately and boy, it is really terrific. I noticed they had a couple of other Preserves from Smith - Strawberry for one and I think Orange.
Thank you Canadians for continuing to buy this since 1882, so that it stayed in business and I was able to enjoy it.
I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Raspberry Preserves.... Beats Mary Ellen and Smucker all to pieces. (I have had them sent over).
For reference, the jar cost the equivalent of US$6.38.
-- Edited by karl271 on Wednesday 17th of December 2014 03:16:57 AM
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
So Japanese people don't eat Raspberry jam? Or it's that particular brand that you love?
I love hearing about your life Karl.
I find it very interesting that you've left American culture and found yourself very comfortable in another part of the world. I wish you would post pictures from around your town and more about the day to day things that probably by now seem ordinary to you.
I am also curious if you don't mind, are you noticed with your wife when out an about? Do people look at you? Are there many other Americans where you are? I am under the assumption that you are a white American male.
Do you speak fluent Japanese?
What type of clothing do you wear day to day? Do people wear Jeans and t-shirts like here in America?
I probably seem totally stupid, but I honestly don't know what it's like there.
Of course you don't have to answer any of my questions, I apologize if I am being nosy :)
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Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.
They just do not seem to like the taste so much. There is none locally produced that I know of, although it is possible to get canned raspberries put up in Nagano prefecture. Ugh.
No, not noticed so much any more. When I first came to Japan in 1968 I was sent up to Sendai (one of the cities so affected by the quake and tidal wave.) At that time there were a total of 40 white people (mostly missionaries, instructors at Tohoku University, etc.) in the city of one million. I was noticed then and 3 years later when I married, we were both noticed. And questions. Laugh your head off. What do you eat? Do you eat vegetables? and on and on. At that time most people in rural Japan were convinced that if a product was in Japan or eaten by Japanese, it was definitely Japanese. Period. A friend of mine from New Zealand took his new Japanese wife to London and she was amazed that Coca Cola was sold there... Now there are so many foreigners, not only in Sendai, but also in Tokyo where we live now. But you must be care when you meet them and assume they all speak English. We have a lot of Russians, former East European people, etc. etc. A lot don't speak English so we converse in Japanese. How strange it must look.... So people do not stare much anymore at foreign people.
I wonder if anyone speaks any language fluently?? While teaching English (among other things) to pilot trainees I discovered how little I knew about English. But, yes, I can speak Japanese for daily living, going to the doctor, passing a drivers license exam, etc.
Western clothing and, yes, young people are in T shirts and jeans (designer jeans, preferably). You very rarely see a kimono on anyone walking in the street where it was common when I first came here.
Don't have any pictures to post. If I get off my lazy... I will take some one day. Hope I answered some of your questions.
What else. Oh, people tend to shop every day still believing things are fresher even though the unsold merchandise just waits for tomorrow. Small shops have almost disappeared in favor of large supermarkets. Even have Cosco but it isn't doing too well as no one buys in such bulk. We drive on the left side of the road, like England. The homes in Tokyo are a mixture of traditional houses with tile roofs and soaring condiminiums (called mansions here). Lots of cars on the road; lots of people out. Or so I thought until I visited Hong Kong and Beijing. Now Tokyo seems empty. Enough rambling on.
-- Edited by karl271 on Wednesday 17th of December 2014 08:32:22 PM
-- Edited by karl271 on Wednesday 17th of December 2014 08:32:58 PM
That is neat stuff. I love hearing about the way others are experiencing life. It's weird that we are all spinning around together on this planet but we are all having vastly different lives.
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Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.
