Commuting

 

Thursday here was a day different than most- I had to commute a long distance.

This post could easily be a complaint or rant about the experience- I went through atrocious construction and traffic, and encountered any number of terrible drivers, people texting, etc., but I'd rather reflect on why so many Americans hold to this way of life when there are so many better models out there. 

We live in the city. This is a choice that allows both Joe and I really short commute times and distances. On any given day neither of us drives more than 20 minutes one way- and this is significantly longer now that his job has moved locations. This also gives us public transportation options, and allows us to walk to a variety of local businesses (the gym, coffee shops, a variety of restaurants, CVS, Walgreens, etc. are within a few blocks of our house). Honestly, I can't imagine living in a place where driving is required, and I don't understand why people make the choice to live in such places (I know many low-income people don't have a choice, that is a separate issue). After spending time doing a "normal" American commute yesterday I came home both physically and mentally tired, irritable, and significantly poorer, as I spent so much on gas. The physical and mental exhaustion was what really shocked me.

This is not how people in other countries live. There are amazing public transport systems in Europe and Japan, and we could do this as a nation if we so desired. Yet, for some reason people cling to their cars. A car culture is wasteful, bad for the environment, bad for your health, expensive, and inconvenient. It promotes no sense of community. It makes social mobility increasingly difficult. I had to run an errand in the suburbs yesterday- it was a nightmare. When I had to run errands or do some shopping while living in Japan, it was much easier, more convenient, and more relaxed. People can sleep, text, play games, read a book, stand up, and do all manner of pleasant things while riding a train.  There simply is no benefit to the people from a car culture, yet our pervasive give-everything-to-corporations way of governing gives huge benefits to oil companies at the detriment of a true public transportation system. Most of my Japanese and European friends still own a car (one for the family), and use it for family outings to the country, or to haul large items, etc. The difference is that the car is not required or necessary. So, why do we allow ourselves to be martyrs to oil companies, forced into the inconvenience of car-centric communities when we could be living healthier, better lives? Why do Americans convince themselves that they like their cars to much? Surely we are smarter than the car-maker and oil company propaganda. Surely we can see beyond our current predicament to a better way. There is some hope in the generations under age 30, who repeatedly report that they don't care about cars and who are moving back into the urban core at high rates. Hopefully that means that we can look forward to a more urban, convenient future, free of cars and strip malls, and full of trains and walkability.

PS- Kansas City is starting to invest in the future with the current streetcar project, something that I'm very excited about. There is a good deal of outside money fighting the project (!), but I'm hopeful that we can expand the routes, and I know that this will be a great addition to the city.

Back in the States

 

 Narita Terminal 1 North Wing departures.

Hey! I'm in Kansas City!

I made it back from Japan with very few travel issues, though I did have to jettison two pairs of shoes, a sweater, and some old t-shirts at Narita Airport to get my luggage down to the regulated weight. This is not the first time I have been at that airport playing the edit-your-possessions-to-get-your-luggage-down-to-weight game. Even after the great luggage purge I ended up buying a new carry-on at the airport and stuffed about 35 pounds of books and shoes into it. This along with my roller carry-on (full of camera gear, my hard drive, and a years worth of research paperwork) still didn't fit all my stuff- I was wearing a sweater even though it was hot as -fill in the hottest place you can imagine-, my heavy suede shoes (the heaviest I own), and my Panama hat which I didn't want to get crushed. I also had a small purse and my laptop bag. It was ridiculous, but somehow nobody bothered me and I was able to get everything onto both of my flights. Nothing like moving on an airplane through multiple security checkpoints.... Part of the ease should be credited to Delta, which had really great service on all fronts- and decent airline food. On another positive note, because of the epic day of lugging my stuff on three trains and two planes I only shipped three boxes of stuff back. Shipping international is crazy expensive, takes six to eight weeks, and as it is done by boat, sometimes your boxes arrive looking like they have been, well, shipped around the world on a boat. 

Moving out of my apartment was as smooth as can be, which was a great surprise to me. Usually moving, something I have done more times than I'd care to remember, goes horribly for me. This last statement is probably true for everyone. In any case, this time wasn't too bad, and despite the heat, I vacated my apartment one day before leaving the country and had no crises or issues. Yay! A friend helped me to carry some extra stuff along with my stuff down to her apartment and we had a lovely dinner on my last night in Tokyo. 

Now, after five days of being back I'm finally starting to get over the jet lag and general exhaustion of the move, and I'm getting back into the groove of work and life here in the U.S. Some things about being back are amazing (being together with the fam, the speed at which my brain works in English, brunch), others are difficult (driving everywhere, the general inconvenience of American life, giant portion sizes). This is probably best placed in another post on another day.

In any case, I still have many Japan posts to catch up on, and life here is creating many interesting bloggable moments as well, so much to come!

 

 

Something like 24 hours after leaving my friend's apartment, arrival in Kansas City. 

Reception at the Ambassador's Residence

 Pre-game cocktails with Ti, Mimi, and Talia.

 On Wednesday evening I attended a reception at the Ambassador's Residence to welcome the new heads of JUSEC (the organization that oversees Fulbright) and CULCON. A few friends and I started the evening with cocktails at the Inter-Continental before heading over to the party.

Front door of the Residence.

 The Residence is a beautiful building, built in the early 1930s. It was the location for the famous photograph of the meeting of General Douglas MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito in the days after WWII.

 The front hall.

 Of course, the food was fantastic too- lobster, crab, duck, polenta, salad, cheeses, and so many delicious things. I may have eaten my tax dollars in lobster.

 Not my photo, but a nice shot of the dessert table.

 Also not my photo, but yum.

There were speeches by the Ambassador, and the new directors being honored.

  Ambassador Kennedy speaking about intercultural exchange.

Of course the highlight of the evening was meeting Ambassador Kennedy, who took the time to greet the Fulbright grantees and to ask about each of our research.

 

Group photo of Fulbrighters and Ambassador Kennedy (not mine). I'm just to the right of the Ambassador.

 Also not my photo, but here is the back of my head as I speak with the Ambassador about my research. Doesn't she look genuinely interested? 

As was to be expected the Ambassador was surrounded by people throughout the two and a half hour reception, and was carefully whisked through the crowds by her two handlers, who were ensuring that she had face time with all of the right people. It was a lovely event though, and a great opportunity to meet Caroline Kennedy and many other people, as well as to see the Residence itself. You can see more photos of the evening here.

Mimi and I as we left the Residence. America!

Back in Japan

 

After a 22 hour journey with a head cold (ugh) I'm back in Tokyo. I was pleased to be on a 777 for the Pacific flight, which means individual entertainment options; basically I read a magazine, slept a bit, ate some veggie curry, binge watched five episodes of House of Cards, and a 7,000 mile journey was over in a snap. I know everyone loves to complain about flying, and I do have some things to say about the Cancun-bound family on my first flight who thought it appropriate to drink heavily on a 7 a.m. flight and somehow didn't think that the no-electronic-cigarettes rule applied to them (!), but overall, modern flight is pretty amazing. In 1930 it took 30 hours and 8 flights to get from New York to LA, and cost the equivalent of $6,000. It only took me 22 hours and 2 flights to go from Kansas City to Tokyo, and at around 15% of the cost. I think this Louis CK clip sums it up best: .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfmmNif5WCw. Start at second :43, but it gets really good after minute 3.

In any case, I'm back to the research routine here in Tokyo, where the weather is cool and pleasant. I got this free promotional sweater for my tea bottle this week, so not only am I ready to dress for autumn, but my beverages can do so too. More soon!

Autumn in America

 

Taking a break from Japan, and visiting the States during my favorite season is a great way to refresh. I've been loving the crisp autumn weather, changing leaves, and the excuse to bake cute Halloween treats.

A trip to Shaake's Pumpkin Patch is a treasured fall tradition in our house, as is carving jack-o-lanterns.

 

 

Hiking at Weston Bend State Park is another favorite activity when the leaves change color.

 

 

Autumn in KC- so lovely.

 

Call to Action!

Today, March 28, is the National Day to Demand Action.

It has been 100 days since Newton, CT. Please join and call your Senators to demand sensible gun control laws in our country.

Thirty-three people die every day from gun violence in America. Just last week a university student was shot during a robbery in his home here in Kansas City. Another senseless tragedy.

Call and demand universal background checks on all sales. Call and demand a ban on high capacity ammunition magazines. Call and demand stricter laws for straw purchases and gun trafficking. Call and demand a ban on assault weapons. Call and demand an end to online sales and stockpiling of ammunition.

It is harder to purchase beer than it is to purchase a gun in this country.

People say that these measures- common sense measures- won't stop the violence. Sure, speed limits don't stop all traffic deaths. Drug laws don't stop all abuse. But they do make an impact. We need to start somewhere. What if we could save just three lives a day? Twenty-one lives a week?

Gun extremists say that gun laws make their lives "inconvenient." Well, it's inconvenient to register one's car at the DMV, but we all see the benefits in having insurance and registration for automobiles. There are more gun shops than post offices in America- it is not inconvenient to prevent someone from dying. It is called being a responsible citizen. It is called caring for humanity. It is called caring for your community and for your neighbors. It is called being a patriot.

Call now. E-mail now. Be a part of the solution. Save the life of a parent, of a sister, of a child, of a friend. Your life depends on it.

http://www.demandaction.org/events

Rape Culture

People are often confused by the term "rape culture." The coverage of the Steubenville Rape Trial exemplifies America's rape culture.

The rape trial in Steubenville was pretty straightforward: high school football stars rape a drunk classmate, post about it to social media, text their friends, and try to deny it all later. The evidence shows their guilt- they are rapists. The courts have deemed them guilty. Their statements show their misogyny and their completely flippant attitude towards the horrific act of violence that they committed. Their language was graphic, their photos lewd. They only apologized once they realized that the victim intended to press charges, and their only true lament was that they photographed and documented their actions. They are predators. They deserve to be in prison for far longer than they will be. They deserve no sympathy for the punishment that they received for the sexual assault that will haunt their victim for so many years. They are rapists.

The sick thing is how our rape culture tries to twist the scenario- she shouldn't have had so much to drink, they shouldn't have posted their exploits to social media, they are all young and didn't know what they were doing. This is all b.s. Sure, she shouldn't have been drunk, but this is no excuse to rape. Blaming the victim is a sign of a rape culture- one where rapists are excused and the victims are made out to be the problem. The victims intoxication harmed no one but herself. She would face the consequences of a hangover, of poor health, of social embarassment. Their rape was a direct assault. The only thing it did was to harm an innocent victim. One of the Kansas City news stations called the trial a "lesson in posting to social media." This is just as twisted as blaming the victim- blaming the evidence. How about this is a lesson in not being a rapist?!? Yes, their posts and texts made for easy evidence of guilt, but the wrongdoing was in the original act, not in the evidence that they created. Yes, part of Ohio's rape laws include digital rape- the non-consentual photos- but they also physically raped their victim. And their remorse should be for the action, not for the fact that digital media and social media was what caught them.

We as a society need to stop rape culture. We need to stop blaming victims. We need to stop caring about the fate of the football players who violently assaulted a young woman. We need to start caring about the future of that young woman- the victim.

Starting anew

 

It's been one month since the Newtown massacre. 

The post that I wrote on that horrific afternoon has attracted a good deal of attention. It has been re-posted to people's Facebook walls, found in Google searches, and brought more traffic to this blog than any other single post I have written in the past seven years. I usually have a few readers a day, a few hundred a month. I had nearly 500 readers in the two weeks after Newtown. Even this week the Newtown post had 21 page reads. These aren't people who come to the blog, but who specifically click on that post.

In light of this, I have found it difficult to post something else. All our holiday fun, winter play, baking Christmas cookies, all of that seemed so shallow in light of the loss of life in Connecticut. 

I decided today that it is time to start anew. The terrible violence of that day is not something we should move on from. It is not something we should forget. We all must continue to fight against the NRA as a powerful lobby that advocates for the economic interests of gun manufacturers. We must fight to ban military-style assault weapons for the civilian population. We must fight to ban large capacity clips. There are simply no rational reasons for the civilian population to have these things. There are plenty of historical and Constitutional precedents for banning items that were previously legal. 

Two groups that are working to this end are One Million Moms 4 Gun Control and Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Over 800 people have died from gun violence since Newtown. Over eight hundred. We have a firearm homicide rate in this country that is nearly twenty times that of other wealthy countries. This has nothing to do with mental health (people are mentally ill in other countries), violence in the media (Japan has violence in popular culture and virtually zero gun violence), or fortifying our schools (Columbine had armed guards, as did the second VA Tech, and the Ft. Hood shooter was surrounded by armed military). Our extremely high rate of gun homicide is simply related to our lax gun laws and the prevalence of firearms in our society. It is time to take action. To stand up. To have our voices heard. To take back our country from the militarization of the civilian population.

For now, I'll be returning to my usual banter of random art, politics, travel, and food. Gun violence is something that has long concerned me, so I'll keep posting when something of interest comes up. The above photo is a close-up of the winter white flowers I bought at the grocery this evening. Something pure and crisp to brighten the chilly days of January.

Enough with the guns, America.

Everyday I pass a sign like this on my way into work. It disgusts me each time. Not because I disagree with the message, but because we live in such a violent society that forces me to view this type of image daily. Because guns- violent weapons that kill- are so widespread that signs like this become a daily sight. Is this the type of violence above all world that we want our kids to live in? It's sick.

Today is a day of horrific tragedy in our country- an elementary school shooting. Twenty-seven families will be mourning this day for the rest of their lives. Twenty innocent beautiful children will not get to see all the joys of their childhood, teen years, and adult days unfold. Seven teachers lives were ended in senseless violence. Four hundred children will be terrified of their school for many years to come.

Could this have been prevented? Easily. Will we work to prevent it from happening again? Likely not. The NRA and other gun lobbies are extremely powerful in our country, and we as a people do not seem to have the collective will to do anything about the plague of gun violence in our country. Over 1,000 people die every month from gun violence in the U.S., yet we are relaxing gun laws and expanding open carry as I type this. Earlier this week there was a shooting at a mall in Oregon. There have been six major public gun massacres this year. Personally, in the course of my 30-something years, my father was held up at gunpoint, my mother had a gun pointed at her in traffic, and my university had five people die and twenty-one sustain injuries in the lecture hall where I took Math 101. A few years ago I had a student in one of my classes who had a restraining order against her armed ex-boyfriend who had threatened violence on campus. Campus security was on alert, and I was informed to keep my classroom door closed (as if that would do anything). It was terrifying. This year there were two occasions where I was in public and my mind raced to how I might escape or hit the floor when other people became agitated and reached for a bag or their pocket. We live in a war zone. All so some people can soothe their inadequacies with a deadly weapon. Why do their rights trump mine?

Why? So people with emotional issues can feel powerful when holding a weapon? So we can defend against the Queen? It's pathetic. Second amendment defenders often say that they want to be able to protect themselves against the government. This is, frankly, laughable. No matter how many arms you stock, you will never be able to defeat our military, which spends more than the next 26 nations combined. Nice try, but a sad excuse. Others say they need weapons for self-defense. When, exactly, was the last time you heard a heart-warming story of someone defending themselves against a perpetrator with a gun? Oh, never? Yeah, me neither. Certainly not in the time I've heard about the mass-shooting at schools, malls, and movie theaters. It's likely that there was someone with a gun in the audience in Aurora- did they have the time to react? No. Would they likely have shot innocents or been shot themselves by police looking for the gunman? Yes. Stand-your-ground laws (supported by the NRA) have been tied to the death of innocents in Montana and Florida- they are not helping us as civilians to be safer. In fact, the more guns a society has, the more homicides there are.

Early news reports are stating that the weapon used to kill small children and teachers was a semi-automatic rifle. It is completely indefensible to say that these, and the high-capacity clips that many mass shooters use should be legal, yet this is exactly what the NRA lobbies for. The only reason for these weapons is war, yet the gun lobby wants these deadly weapons to be legal and easily purchased. As far as I'm concerned, the NRA is as guilty as the shooter. Assault weapons and high-capacity clips should be banned. Period.


There are people who will say that this day is not one to talk about gun control. That we should mourn, not "politicize" the issue. This is bull$hit. If we had an outbreak of food poisoning, we'd talk about food safety. If we had roads collapsing, we'd talk about infrastructure. We have a crisis of gun violence in our country, to not talk about it is ridiculous. The gun lobby said this same thing after Columbine, VA Tech, NIU, Aurora, and the list goes on. If we had done something about gun control a decade ago, today's tragedy would not have happened. Over 5,000 people have died of gun violence since the Aurora shooting this past summer. That's more than died in 9/11. After that tragedy, we changed airport security, fought a war, and opened an entire government bureau dedicated to counter-terrorism. Yet, about gun violence we do nothing. It's disgusting, sick, and perverse. One person years ago tried to light his shoe on fire on an airplane, and another tried to mix up explosives with liquid. Now, we can't take anything over 3 oz on an airplane and have to take off our shoes every time we board a plane. Yet, we do nothing in the wake of innocent students, parents, teachers, movie goers, and mall shoppers being shot. To not talk about gun control in the wake of these tragedies is to disrespect the memories of those who died. The best thing we can do is to work to control this situation- to work to make sure it doesn't happen again.

You can sign a petition asking the White House to take action here: http://www.demandaplan.org/

When our Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment, it took over 30 seconds to load a gun. The Second Amendment has nothing to do with our gun culture today, or with Assault or Semi-Assault Rifles. The Founding Fathers also denied women and non-whites the right to vote, and allowed for slavery. We've evolved our laws on those, why do we hold on to the antiquated Second Amendment? And why do we insist on expanding it into the realm of Assault weapons and high-capacity clips? Even the gun owners I know think these weapons of war should be outlawed. Why can't we have a gun registration system? I have to register my car, but not a gun? Why can't we have more extensive background checks? Mental health checks for gun purchases?

In the time I've taken to write this post, at least one person has died of gun violence in America. Let's stop pretending like it's 1779 and ban assault weapons. We need reasonable gun control in America so more innocents are not killed.

Thanks

 Ah, Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of all. A day of cooking and drinking, no commercialization, family and friends, and lots of food from scratch. We usually have a big to-do at our place, but this year we wanted to scale it back. We had seven adults, a toddler, and a baby, so a pretty easy meal.

One thing we did this year to mix it up was to skip our traditional Butternut Squash Ravioli. This is an amazing addition to the table, but making pasta, rolling out dough, cooking the filling (usually starting with roasting the squash), and making up tons of tiny ravioli can be very time consuming to say the least. With both of us swamped with work the weekend before the holiday and up to Wednesday evening, it felt overwhelming, so we skipped it this year. I'm thinking ravioli will make an appearance on our Christmas table instead.

What we had in place of ravioli was a tart, but a last minute one at that. I love tarts and went through a serious tart phase a few years ago, but I think my pâte brisée skills have improved since the mid-2000s. The tart and a bonus chocolate pie were actually the result of a baking error I made the night before Thanksgiving. In a rush to bake my pumpkin pie crust I didn't spend the time to seek out my pie weights, and tried to use dried couscous instead. Not a good idea....and I totally should have known better. The crust shrunk down without the proper weight, leaving not enough space for the pumpkin filling, and looked a bit funky around the edges. After a bit of sulking and panic late at night (the best pâte brisée takes a few hours of on and off refrigeration, even pre-chilling the flour) I decided to try the pumpkin pie again in the morning with a basic crust (meaning a lower flour-butter ratio). As a result I had two pâte brisée crusts that weren't beautiful to look at, but still tasted fantastic. Joe had the idea to make a chocolate pudding pie for the kiddo, a great and super easy solution. For the other crust, I decided to wing it with a tart. Tarts are kind of fussy, so this was a bold idea, but it worked out.

Alison's last minute rustic mushroom tart:

One pâte brisée shell (the internet has a million versions, none of which I used, but this one is interesting)

16 oz mushrooms, I used half baby portabellas and half button

1 large shallot
2 cloves garlic
1 egg
Heavy cream- about 1/4 cup- I winged it on this one too
1/8 cup grated Parmesan (or so, again, I used up what I had)
Generous amount of thyme, dash of basil, dash of oregano
Fresh ground salt and pepper
Olive oil
Fresh parsley (about 2 tbsp)

Simple as can be- sautee the garlic and shallot in olive oil in a pan, add the mushrooms, sautee until they start to release their juices, adding a generous amount of thyme (maybe 1/2 a tsp), basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cool. Add the mushroom mix to the prepared tart shell. Mix together the cream and beaten egg and pour into the shell. Top with cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Top with parsley. Tart perfection!

 Other dishes at our table were our Spiced Cranberries, A standard stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, Joe's veggie gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts, and our favorite centerpiece, Tofu Roulade (from the Chicago Diner cookbook). We realized that we only had recipes for the roulade and the cranberries, everything else was invented (fun!).

 The croissants were brought by friends, and came from the always fantastic Wheatfields Bakery in Lawrence.

 There was a non-natural not-from-scratch addition to our table this year- cubes. As Joe and I were preparing for our meal, we were reminiscing about the holidays of our childhood. My Dad's family meals always included this bizarre better-living-through-chemistry-era concoction called cubes. Frozen cubes (literally from the ice cube tray) that consisted of canned fruit cocktail, Miracle Whip (I kid you not), and cream. They were usually served with dinner as a side, often next to the cranberries. As a child, these things freaked me out, but my Dad and his siblings loved them. I had never eaten one, but thought I'd wing it as a surprise, which was also part of my Thanksgiving morning grocery run (we do not stock fruit cocktail or Miracle Whip in our house). I guessed at the recipe (and didn't know about the cream, turns out the internet does not know about cubes), and they turned out not too bad. We added whipped cream once I learned about the cream part, which took off the bite of the Miracle Whip. My Dad ate about six of them (!), so I'm guessing they weren't too far from the originals, heehee.

I have so much to be thankful for this year, most of all being surrounded by such great friends and family and having such bounty in our lives. I hope you had a great holiday, and the leftovers are treating you well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Apples from tree to table

 

 A few weeks ago we spent a Sunday afternoon out in the country, apple picking with a group of friends at the Pome on the Range Orchard. The half peck of apples we gathered didn't seem like much while we were out among the trees, but back in our kitchen it seemed like a ton. In the week after we went apple picking we had apples for snacks and Apple-Walnut Cake with Caramel Glaze. This past weekend we made Apple Sauce, which was really easy and surprisingly tasty, and which made a great ingredient in the Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting which graced our table this evening.

Last game of the season

Today was mostly overcast here, but as I was sitting at my desk this morning, cloudy skies out my window, I thought back to Sunday afternoon and the Royals game. We had free tickets thanks to little man completing the KC Library summer reading program, and enjoyed a perfect sunny afternoon game at the K. This was my first late season baseball game, and in many ways it was a more relaxed atmosphere, as the Royals are out of the playoffs. KC played the Indians (and lost... by a lot....), and we enjoyed all the usual trappings of baseball- (veggie) hot dogs, fries, beer, and we even saw the Royals hit a home run, complete with fireworks. Cheers to the end of summer!

Get Outside

A few weeks ago, in the midst of a stressful summer, we took a week long camping trip in Colorado.

Being outdoors for so many days was a great recharge. A great way to relax and get away from those ever-present screens that dominate our lives. A way to breathe and remember how amazing nature is. A way to slow down.

A few things struck me about our trip. First off, before we left nearly everyone we talked to asked us if we were taking our 2 year old with us. When we said yes, many asked if we were tent camping. This is weird to me, as the definition of camping is sleeping in a tent, but we replied yes. Many seemed to think we were brave or crazy or getting into something we didn't understand. Actually, camping with a toddler is about the easiest thing to do with them. Our sprout didn't have a tantrum or meltdown the entire time. He played in the dirt, explored the campsite, watched the birds, built cities out of sticks and rocks. He ate smores and drank from a water bottle and even learned to pee in the woods (which he felt qualified him to be a "mountain boy"). He had free range of our camp and exhausted himself hiking and playing. I honestly believe that some hard-wired part of him understood the dangers of the woods, and so he stayed close.

We often forget that being outdoors is a natural state. Sitting inside with the t.v. and the demands of constant e-mail, artificial light and air, this isn't how we evolved. Kids who play outdoors have a lower incidence of nearsightedness. Outdoor play develops skills and judgmental abilities that are not possible with indoor play. Yet, fewer and fewer people are getting outdoors. This is the other thing that struck me about our trip- we saw noticeably less people in campgrounds and on hiking trails. Some of this may be due to the massive wildfires that struck Colorado in recent months, but we've noticed less people at campgrounds in the Midwest as well, and fewer folks hiking in all the regions we've traveled in the past few years. This type of outdoor play is relaxing for adults and crucial for kids. Not only do we need it for brain development and to lessen the anxieties of our modern world, but we also need to teach kids to appreciate the natural world so they will take a role in preserving it.

Camping and hiking can help put things in perspective- I know when I get home I'm grateful for a flush toilet, a plush bed, climate control, and running water, things that most citizens of the world don't have and that we can easily take for granted. Hike a few miles up a mountain on a rocky trail and you will have a new appreciation for cars and paved roads. I appreciate the luxuries of modern life, but I think our entire family looks forward to our next wilderness trip.

Independence Day

Ah, the height of summer- Independence Day.

Most years we are traveling this week, so July 4 is not a holiday that we have specific traditions for, but this year I think we celebrated in true American style. We started the day with our neighborhood picnic and kids parade. Slugger, the Royals mascot, led the parade, and our little guy even won a prize for having one of the best decorated bikes. There was live acoustic music and face painting and games, the kind of traditional, simple party that one is nostalgic for even while it's happening.

After a break in festivities we hosted our own barbecue with friends, enjoying time in the garden and good company. On the menu- two types of BBQ seitan (for how we made seitan from scratch scroll down here) that Joe slow-cooked on the charcoal grill using KC BBQ sauces, grilled corn-on-the-cob, purple herbed potato salad (seemed closest to blue), and watermelon. Our guests brought a fantastic couscous veggie salad, kale salad, red and blue cupcakes (sans food coloring, but dyed with blueberries and beets!), and an apple pie. It was a feast in true American fashion.

In the evening we watched the illicit fireworks show in the neighborhood, celebrating the best of summer days.

Home for the Holidays

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Outside of Christmas and our anniversary, the rest of our two week holiday in the U.S. was spent with family and friends, hanging out with our pets, shopping, and generally relaxing. While our cats took a little while to warm up to us, our dog was so excited to see us that she knocked us to the ground. Below is a photo of some of my high school friends after an afternoon of catching up and chatting.
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On New Year's Eve we decided to take it easy, so we went down to the touristy Navy Pier to watch the Chicago fireworks display at midnight.
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While waiting for midnight we had a drink an listened to some blues at one of the restaurants on the pier.
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As midnight approached we headed outside. While a complete corporate plug, I like this sign reminding us that we are over 6,000 miles from Japan.
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Joe with the ferris wheel.
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2009!
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The pier had a very diverse crowd, people of all ages, types, nationalities, styles. These are the people we were surrounded by at midnight, to our right was this group of kids from China. They popped open champagne at midnight and drank from picnic-style wine glasses...
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Behind us was a group of people from Chicago. I liked their Obama hats (we saw alot of Obama memorabilia in the U.S.). They were roudy in the Chicago tough-but-friendly way, and they made alot of cell phone calls.
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Part of the skyline as seen from the pier.
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Fireworks!
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Leaving the pier. It was so cold! I think it was about 18 degrees F.
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After a quiet New Year's Day we headed down to the Field Museum with Joe's family.
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The purpose of our visit was to view the exhibition The Aztec World.
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The exhibition was highly approachable and included alot of information without bogging the visitor down. Some of the objects were simply fantastic, like the large ceramic death diety (below). While I am not very well read on Meso-American societies and history, I found the exhibition especially interesting after reading Charles Mann's 1491 last summer. In the book, Mann questions many of the assumptions that the public has about life in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans (for an interview with Mann click here).
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We also viewed the Underground Adventure exhibit (about soil), and of course Sue the T-Rex in the main hall (below).
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The Field is on my list of top five favorite museums anywhere, and I could easily wander the classic exhibition halls for days (my favorite are the Native American halls and the Pawnee Earth Lodge). We decided to head out after seeing the shoe display though, which exhibits shoes from various times and cultures.
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Meanwhile, our cats had warmed up to us over the course of the holidays, and I feel that they deserve some photo recognition here...
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In our last weekend we spent an evening cooking dinner with my parents in their American-sized kitchen.
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The dog asking for a helping of salmon, brocoli, or au gratin potatoes.
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We also spent a day of our last weekend skiing! I was able to break in my new skiis before brining them back to Japan.
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On the lift with Joe and Shana.

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Scenic Alpine Valley Wisconsin!

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I grew up skiing at Alpine, and learned to ski there for the first time around age 7 (I think), but I hadn't been back since skiing in Minnesota, Colorado and Oregon. While the hill was pretty small and the lifts slow and rickety, it was still a great time, and a super-fun day trip from Chicago. Plus, I can say that I skied the "black diamond" courses there, even though they were quite easy by comparison.

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Some more skiing shots...

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At the end of the day.

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As our trip came to a close we finished off our shopping for things that are hard to find in Japan (like shoes in Joe's size) and enjoyed some American food like that at the delicious vegetarian restaurant, Blind Faith Cafe.

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On our last night we had dinner with Joe's family at a California Pizza Kitchen in downtown Arlington Heights before packing up and heading back to Japan.

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